Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum: Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, 2022

If you want peace, prepare for war—but what happens when the sea itself becomes the battlefield?

It’s 2022, and the Indo-Pacific has become the new epicenter of global power projection. Beneath the waves nations race to control shipping lanes, assert maritime claims, and monitor every vessel that dares to cross disputed waters.

In this committee, delegates will navigate the murky depths of freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs), territorial disputes, and the weaponization of surveillance,  all under the pretense of peace and cooperation. But don’t be fooled. Behind every partnership lies a power play. 

Delegates will be placed in the volatile corridors of the South and East China Seas. Legal frameworks like UNCLOS clash with power politics, as small powers fight sweeping claims armed with the hope of international law. Will FONOPs ensure peace, or escalate tensions in already boiling waters? We will also delve to the unseen world of maritime surveillance. As satellite tech explodes and intelligence-sharing hubs pop up across the region, the line between transparency and intrusion grows ever thinner. 

This is not just a naval drama. This is a game of strategy, where alliances are fluid, interests are conflicting, and trust is always limited. Some will push for rules-based order. Others will seek strategic depth. All must weigh the cost of cooperation against the price of conflict.

The sea is vast, but there’s no place to hide. Will you anchor a lasting peace — or unleash a new wave of maritime confrontation?

Topic A: Ensuring Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs)

Topic B: Acquisition and Implementation of Emerging Surveillance Technologies

Co-Chair:
Saki Saito

  • Saki Saito is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Economics and minoring in Environment & Sustainability and Global Health. While originally from Japan, she grew up in the Philippines and is excited to explore the political and economic security of the Indo-Pacific region. Last year, she served as a member of NCSC LI’s secretariat as the Director of Philanthropy, running fundraising events and selling candygrams throughout conference weekend. Outside of MUN, she is involved with Georgetown Eco Consultants and Sexual Assault Peer Educators, and loves to play the piano and watch soccer in her free time.

Co-Chair:
Sofia Samuels

  • Sofia Samuels is a member of the Class of 2026 in the College of Arts and Sciences, studying Government and English and minoring in History and Italian. She is from Boston, MA, and has competed as a member of Georgetown University’s Model UN team and staffed NCSC in previous years. She is excited to debate topics of exploration and security in the Indo-Pacific this fall. In her free time, she is an avid reader (and would love to talk about it), an excited traveller, and frequenter of the gym or other exercise classes. 

USGs: Carlos Gerke and Kee Hung Giam

This committee is in the Assemblies & Specialized Organ, and your Under-Secretary-Generals are Carlos Gerke and Kee Hung Giam. Committees in this organ are General Assembly-style committees, with 40-160 delegates.


If you have any questions about your committee, please reach out to c.gerke@modelun.org and k.giam@modelun.org.