GentMUN 2026

Topic

Freedom of Navigation and Maritime Security in the Red Sea

About the committee

The Red Sea is one of the world's most strategically significant maritime corridors, connecting Europe, Asia and the Middle East through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. In recent years, attacks on commercial shipping have increasingly threatened freedom of navigation and raised concerns over regional and international security. As these developments continue to affect global trade, maritime safety, and an already fragile regional security environment, the Security Council faces the challenge of developing an effective response while respecting international law and avoiding further escalation. Delegates will be called upon to consider how the international community can safeguard this vital maritime route while addressing the broader geopolitical tensions underlying the crisis.

Chairs

• Philippe Hreich
• Jannes Bossaert

Countries

Topic

Externalization of Border Controls & Third-Country Deals in the European Union

About the committee

Migration remains one of the most politically sensitive challenges facing the European Union. To prevent irregular migration before it reaches European territory, the Union has increasingly relied on cooperation with neighbouring and third countries, most visibly in its dealings with states such as Turkey, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco. The recent crisis in the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla once again exposed the weakness of Europe's external borders and its dependence on third-country cooperation. While such partnerships can help reduce irregular crossings and strengthen border management, their effectiveness remains uncertain, and they raise serious questions about human rights and the EU's responsibilities beyond its borders. Concerns over pushbacks, access to asylum procedures, the treatment of migrants, and the accountability of European authorities have sparked debate over how far the EU can go in protecting its borders without compromising its fundamental values. These arrangements are further weakened by their non-binding legal form, often concluded merely as a "Memorandum of Understanding". The challenge for delegates in the European Council is to regulate border control through third-country cooperation while still upholding human rights, international law and the Union's own values.

Chairs

• Daria Grecu
• Frida Esperanza Gascón Fernández

Countries

Topic

Human Rights Abuses in the Extraction of Transition Materials

About the committee

Due to the green transition, the demand for critical energy transition minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel is rising fast and will continue to do so in the future. These minerals are essential to investment in more climate-friendly technology, including batteries, solar panels and wind turbines. Meanwhile, there is huge competition ongoing between states – and corporations acting on their behalf – to profit as much as possible from the transition process by securing access to the minerals and dominating the supply chain of the transition. This race to secure supply, often in countries with limited regulatory oversight, has contributed to serious human rights violations in the extraction process of critical minerals. Examples include worker exploitation, abuses of the rights of indigenous peoples, child labour and environmental harm. The challenge for delegates in the UNHRC is to find compromises that address these human rights concerns without undermining the ambitions and appeal of the global energy transition.

Chairs

• Tinatin Topuridze
• Saleh Lugali

Countries