Conference Theme:
The materials that power modern life: lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements - are running out of easy answers. Who controls them, who can access them, and on whose terms is one of the defining questions of the next decade.
Three committees. One theme. A world under pressure.
Whether you are drafting policy in the General Assembly, managing an active crisis in the Task Force, or operating inside a system that is already breaking down in the Crisis Committee, the question is the same: can the international community find a way to cooperate before competition tears the system apart?
Three committees. One theme. A world under pressure.
Whether you are drafting policy in the General Assembly, managing an active crisis in the Task Force, or operating inside a system that is already breaking down in the Crisis Committee, the question is the same: can the international community find a way to cooperate before competition tears the system apart?
A few words about AI |
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A note on how these guides were made: The committee design, crisis structure, character profiles, and pedagogical framework behind these materials were planned, debated, and built by our SEMMUNA team. The hard thinking was ours. We did use Claude, an AI tool, to assist with language cleanup and, significantly, the formatting and visual design of the final documents. If we said AI played no role, that would not be true, and we are not going to say that. We are currently working through what ethical AI use looks like in an educational context, just like many of you are. What we can tell you is that AI here functioned the way a skilled assistant might: it helped us move faster on the tedious parts so we could stay focused on the parts that actually required human judgment. The committee you are preparing for was designed by people who care deeply about this conference. These documents just happen to look a lot nicer than they would have otherwise.
NOVICE = Ensuring Fair and Sustainable Access to Critical Resources
The minerals that power modern technology: lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, are running the global economy. Who controls them, who can access them, and on whose terms is one of the defining geopolitical questions of our time.
What delegates will debate:
What delegates will debate:
- Which countries control critical mineral supply, and whether that is fair
- The tension between national resource sovereignty and international cooperation
- How developing nations can benefit from their own resources rather than simply exporting raw materials
- Environmental and human rights concerns tied to mining
- What the international community can actually do to create a more stable and equitable system
- 28 countries represented, spanning producers, consumers, and developing economies
- Beginner-friendly, designed for first-time and early-experience delegates
- No prior MUN experience required
- Full background guide and country-specific delegation overviews available below
| semmuna_disec_background_guide_9-3.pdf |
| semmuna_disec_delegation_guide__country_list__9-3.pdf |
JV-Level Committee = UN Task Force on Critical Resource Stability
A supply disruption has already occurred. The question is what the international community does about it.
This committee puts delegates inside an active crisis in the global critical resource system, a significant disruption to cobalt and nickel supply that is already driving up prices, stalling manufacturing, and cutting off access for smaller economies that have no backup plan. Delegates are not debating a hypothetical. They are responding to a situation that is unfolding right now.
What delegates will debate:
This committee puts delegates inside an active crisis in the global critical resource system, a significant disruption to cobalt and nickel supply that is already driving up prices, stalling manufacturing, and cutting off access for smaller economies that have no backup plan. Delegates are not debating a hypothetical. They are responding to a situation that is unfolding right now.
What delegates will debate:
- How to manage immediate access to limited supply fairly among countries, corporations, and economies with very different leverage
- Whether producer nations have the right to restrict exports and set their own terms ,and what that means for everyone who depends on their resources
- What role corporations play in a crisis, and what accountability they should face
- What governance frameworks, investment standards, and coordination mechanisms could prevent the next disruption from looking exactly like this one
- 25 delegations representing governments, multinational corporations, and international organizations
- Intermediate level, some MUN experience recommended but not required
- Delegates address both the immediate crisis and long-term structural reform
- Full background guide and delegation profiles available below
| semmuna_specialized_background_guide_9-3.pdf |
| semmuna_specialized_delegation_guide_9-3.pdf |
VARSITY-Level Committee = The Global Race for Critical Resources Summit
The situation is already developing. Delegates who read the pre-conference updates will walk in knowing what is coming. Delegates who do not will spend the first hour catching up.
This committee puts 25 actors inside a global critical resource system that is visibly breaking down, governments, corporations, financial institutions, and advocacy organizations all trying to protect their interests as supply chains fracture, markets panic, and the window for coordinated action narrows. The crisis will not wait for anyone to get comfortable.
What makes this committee different:
This committee puts 25 actors inside a global critical resource system that is visibly breaking down, governments, corporations, financial institutions, and advocacy organizations all trying to protect their interests as supply chains fracture, markets panic, and the window for coordinated action narrows. The crisis will not wait for anyone to get comfortable.
What makes this committee different:
- Active crisis format: the situation evolves throughout the session based on what delegates actually do
- Pre-conference updates released in advance to reward preparation
- 25 actors across five categories: resource-producing nations, industrial powers, multinational corporations, financial institutions, and advocacy organizations
- Delegates represent governments, corporations, banks, and NGOs, each type of actor operates differently and requires a different approach
- Advanced level, this committee moves fast and rewards delegates who arrive with a clear sense of their actor's interests and first moves
- Strong preparation is the difference between leading the room and reacting to it
- Full background guide, character profiles, and pre-conference crisis updates available below
| semmuna_crisis_committee_background_guide_9-3.pdf |
| semmuna_crisis_character_guide_9-3.pdf |
DELEGATE RESOURCES
FOUNDATIONAL REPORTS - READ THESE FIRST
THE DRC AND COBALT
INDONESIA AND RESOURCE NATIONALISM
CHINA AND RARE EARTH PROCESSING
THE LITHIUM TRIANGLE
CURRENT GEOPOLITICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN
- IEA Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2024 - The most comprehensive data on demand projections, supply chain risks, and geopolitical concerns for lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earths. Free to access with a free IEA account. https://www.iea.org/reports/global-critical-minerals-outlook-2024
- OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains - The international standard for corporate responsibility in conflict-affected mining regions. Essential reading for any delegate playing a corporation, advocacy actor, or European Union role. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-due-diligence-guidance-for-responsible-supply-chains-of-minerals-from-conflict-affected-and-high-risk-areas_9789264252479-en.html
- Belfer Center Critical Minerals Explainer - A well-sourced overview of why critical minerals matter for geopolitics, clean energy, and technology, with links to further reading. https://www.belfercenter.org/explainer-what-are-critical-minerals
THE DRC AND COBALT
- CBS News Investigation: Children Mining Cobalt in the DRC - Ground-level reporting on child labor in artisanal cobalt mining and the difficulty of tracing that cobalt through corporate supply chains to finished products. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cobalt-children-mining-democratic-republic-congo-cbs-news-investigation/
- Save the Children: DRC Cobalt Mines, Child Labor and the Green Transition - Connects the clean energy transition directly to child exploitation in Congolese mines, with specific community testimony. https://www.savethechildren.net/stories/drc-cobalt-mines-child-labour-and-green-transition
INDONESIA AND RESOURCE NATIONALISM
- East Asia Forum: Nickel Nationalism Holds Back Indonesia's Clean Tech Ambitions (March 2026) - A current, balanced assessment of what Indonesia's export restriction policy actually produced and what it has not yet delivered. https://eastasiaforum.org/2026/03/05/nickel-nationalism-holds-back-indonesias-clean-tech-ambitions/
- Australian Institute of International Affairs: Nickel Nationalism and Golden Indonesia 2045 - Explains Indonesia's downstreaming strategy in detail, including how the export ban works and what it is designed to achieve. https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/nickel-nationalism-resource-downstreaming-and-the-attainment-of-golden-indonesia-2045/
CHINA AND RARE EARTH PROCESSING
- YouTube - Can China's Rare Earth Dominance Ever Be Challenged? (FT) - Concise explainer on China's near-monopoly on rare earth magnet production and what other countries are doing about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkEcQEiGNKQ
- YouTube - How China Won the Rare Earth Race Against the U.S. (CBC About That) - Accessible video on how China's export restrictions work and what they mean for global supply chains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urIuxBlUkSI
- YouTube - China's Rare Earths Dominance Reshapes Global Supply Chains (August 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwBosAgjUac
THE LITHIUM TRIANGLE
- AS/COA Explainer: Latin America's Lithium Triangle - Clear breakdown of Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia's different regulatory environments, reserve sizes, and investment climates. https://www.as-coa.org/articles/explainer-latin-americas-lithium-triangle
- YouTube - The Truth About the Lithium Triangle: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile Explained https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wGiVLUk30iI
CURRENT GEOPOLITICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN
- ODI: Critical Minerals Geopolitics in 2026 - The most current overview of where U.S., EU, and Chinese supply chain strategies stand right now, including recent export restrictions and policy responses. https://odi.org/en/insights/critical-minerals-geopolitics-in-2026-risks-supply-chains-and-global-power-shifts/
- Al Jazeera: U.S. Announces Proposed Critical Mineral Trading Bloc (February 2026) - Current news on U.S. efforts to build an allied supply chain coalition to counter Chinese dominance. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/2/4/us-announces-proposed-critical-mineral-trading-bloc