Council of Europe (CoE)

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 70 double DELEGATIONS

The Council of Europe (CoE) is an international organization that protects democracy, human rights, and social rights. Established in 1949 in response to World War II, the CoE aims to develop unity and peace amongst European nations through cooperation. Collaboration between the CoE and the UN started in 1951 with the “Agreement between the Secretariat General of the Council of Europe and the Secretariat of the United Nations,” a partnership that has strengthened the role of the CoE in European affairs. The General Assembly has steadily increased cooperation with the CoE to address issues ranging from cybercrime to intercultural tensions. Through the aid of independent monitoring bodies such as the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO), the CoE’s 46 members perform various functions, including monitoring elections, providing legal expertise, and supporting judicial reforms to help states meet common European standards set by treaties. This year at NAIMUN, delegates will discuss one of the following topics: “Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking in the Balkans” and “Xenophobia and Religious Discrimination.” Together, these two topics underscore the complex interplay between security challenges and social prejudices, highlighting the urgent need for cooperation to foster regional stability.

Chairs: Drew Zacharias & Maximilian Russo

TOPICS

Topic A: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking in the Balkans

Topic B: Xenophobia and Religious Discrimination

lEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Understand the overlapping role of international institutions in Europe, and how those institutions both support and conflict with each other.

• Learn how drug trafficking can represent a human rights issue and the role international institutions can play in solving said issue.

• Consider how xenophobia manifests itself in a European context, and how international attention might dampen or inflame the issue. 

about the chairs