Ctrl-Alt-De-Colonize: United Nations Security Council, 1987

Committee Profile

Coming soon!

Chair Letter

Dear Delegates,

My name is Joey Sinigiani and I will be serving as your chair for the UNSC at Bruinmun 32. I am so excited to see you all in LA and to witness the invigorating debate you’ll initiate throughout the weekend.

To start, I’m a rising third-year political science student here at UCLA, concentrating in International Relations and African Geopolitics. I previously served as the Under Secretary-General for the General Assemblies at BruinMUN 32 last year. I have also previously chaired the UNSC at UCLA’s collegiate Model United Nations conference, LAMUN XX. Moreover, I have dias-staffed the UNSC at LAMUN XIX, and dias staffed BruinMUN 31. Recently, I have been elected to serve as the Secretary-General of LAMUN XXI for the 2025-2026 year. When I'm not staffing, you can find me traveling and competing across the circuit in other UNSCs. I also have served as the president of the United Nations Association at UCLA and as a staff writer for UCLA’s foreign affairs magazine, The Generation.

As the only body with authority to issue binding resolutions on member states, the UNSC is an organ that bears extreme responsibility and deals with many geopolitical considerations. This year, we travel back to 1987 - at the height of Cold War interference in Southern Africa. Our dual-topic historical committee will begin by discussing Topic A: the Angolan Civil War, with a particular focus on the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. Topic B will examine the Mozambican Civil War through the lens of the Battle of the Beira Corridor. Both conflicts, though distinct, were shaped by a shared colonial legacy under Portuguese rule, regional liberation movements, Cold War proxy dynamics, and the volatile crossroads between rebel financing and natural resource extraction. As delegates, you will deal with the moral ambiguities and geopolitical calculations that defined this era. You will be asked to weigh competing alliances, navigate the role of external powers, and confront the long-term implications of interventionism and sovereignty. The background guide will cover the critical timeline of military engagements, the evolving positions of regional actors and the frontline states, and the role of international institutions in post-colonial state-building.

Be mindful that every speech, directive, and clause in this committee carries weight. We’re not here to simply revisit history - we’re here to reshape it. The council will push you to act with urgency, nuance, and empathy as you navigate fragile peace talks, shifting allegiances, and the burdens of conflict. Expect crises that test your diplomacy and also reward fun, engaging, and creative arcs, and remember that even the most well-intentioned policies can yield unintended consequences.

I’m looking forward to seeing all of you in committee and hearing what you have to bring to the table. If you have any questions, always feel free to reach out.

Best,

Joey Sinigiani

Chair | UNSC | BruinMUN 33

unsc@bruinmun.org

CD Letter

Dear Delegates and Advisors,

Hello—my name is Gideon Putnam, and it is my privilege to perform as the Crisis Director for BruinMUN 33’s UNSC. I am a second-year majoring in geography, public affairs, and architectural studies, and I am a dual US-UK citizen hailing from New York, New York and more recently London, United Kingdom. My first vision into Model United Nations was through my best friends in high school, who were the leaders of our school’s MUN club; I first learned the vocabulary of “power del” and “unmod” and even “MUNction” in social studies class or playing footy after school. Coming to UCLA as something of a half-foreigner, engaging with MUN has been among the most meaningful and resonant experiences of my college thus far. At all ages, MUN attracts driven, complex, and multinational students, many of whom I consider to be my closest friends.

I have staffed crisis committees at BruinMUN 32 and LAMUN XX, and I also enjoy competing on the collegiate circuit with our travel team; I have competed at TrojanMUN and UCBMUN, to name a few. Beyond MUN, I am a triathlete on UCLA Club Triathlon and the vice president of the Geography Association at UCLA.

For all levels of experience, BruinMUN 33’s UNSC will be an excellent forum for transnational debate and a compelling puzzle to consider. Delegates will wrestle with the freighted conflicts of the Angolan Civil War and the Mozambican Civil War, highlighting tense moments such as the Battle of Beira Corridor while also tackling broader developments of postcolonial power structures and global imperialist dialogue. Every nation has a meaningful perspective to contribute to this debate, and delegates will face the need to align themselves among exclusive visions for intercontinental trade, protected speech and liberation, and the sovereignty of postcolonial states. Our background guide will equip you with all the necessary context and knowledge you need to showcase your best effort.

I commend you all for engaging in this valuable pursuit given every other stressor of high school and adult life. Let’s not cushion it—MUN is really hard! It’s hard to staff a great committee, but I know that it’s even harder to put yourself out there and debate your peers for hours on end. Know that myself and our wonderful team of staffers will do everything we can to facilitate your ideas, challenge them, and work them into the story of our committee.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or your lovely chair, Joey. I for one can’t wait for November.

All the best,

Gideon Putnam

Crisis Director | UNSC | BruinMUN 33

unsc@bruinmun.org