What is a Crisis Committee?

A crisis committee is a decision making body that has more power than a traditional committee. Whilst General Assemblies recommend and build consensus, focusing on creating and refining frameworks for the nations party to align their actions, crisis committees produce direct action in response to urgent crises. This means that the body has power unto itself that does not need to be granted by the obedience of its members. Common bodies simulated by crisis committees include cabinets,royal courts, boards of directors of a company, rebel groups, or really any small group which possesses political power. Crisis is also more dynamic and fast-paced than traditional committees, so each delegate is incredibly influential. In your preparation, it is helpful to understand the committee’s basic history and scope of power, as found in the background guide.

A crisis committee typically spans about 3-6 years of history over the course of the weekend, but this is flexible and the rate at which time passes is not constant. Crisis committees usually take place during a critical point in history. However, nothing is guaranteed to happen, so don’t spend too much time trying to predict the future. Typically at MUNUC, the committee begins similarly to what happened in real life, but as delegates adopt new paths, the world spins into alternate realities. Instead of trying to recreate what actually happened, use your powers to shape the future in the way you want.

Your general goal for the weekend should be to change the world to fit your agenda. This can be done in a number of ways. Frontroom directives depend on the entire committee, and effect stable, long-lasting change. You can also independently create change on a smaller scale by using personal powers, done through note writing. Over time, personal powers can grow and become as influential as the directives from committee.