Emergency Session Procedures

Emergency Special Sessions of the General Assembly

The United Nations General Assembly normally meets in regular sessions from September to December. But when an urgent crisis arises and the Security Council is unable to act — usually because of a veto — the GA can convene an Emergency Special Session (ESS) under the 'Uniting for Peace' resolution (UNGA 377(V), 1950).

How it's triggered: An ESS can be requested by the Security Council (by a procedural vote of 9 of 15 members, not subject to veto) or by a majority of UN member states. The Secretary-General must convene the session within 24 hours.

Historical precedents: Only 11 Emergency Special Sessions have been convened in UN history:

• ESS-1 (1956): Suez Crisis — led to the creation of the first UN peacekeeping force
• ESS-7 (1980-82): Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories
• ESS-10 (1997-present): The longest-running ESS, on Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem — this session has been resumed over 20 times
• ESS-11 (2022): Russia's invasion of Ukraine — resulted in multiple resolutions demanding withdrawal

Why it matters for MUN: Emergency Special Sessions operate under the same rules as regular GA sessions but with a sense of urgency that changes the political dynamics. Delegates vote more quickly, negotiations are compressed, and the pressure for consensus is intense. MUN simulations of ESS scenarios test your ability to work under time pressure with high-stakes topics.

Security Council Emergency Meetings

The Security Council can meet on 24 hours' notice at any time — it's designed to be a rapid-response body. In practice, emergency meetings are called when a situation deteriorates suddenly: a military invasion, a mass atrocity, or a terrorist attack.

Procedural differences in emergency meetings:

• The agenda is set immediately (no debate on agenda order)
• The Council President may limit debate to the crisis at hand
• Non-members of the Council may be invited to participate (under Rule 37) if they are directly affected by the situation
• Draft resolutions may be introduced and voted on within hours, compared to the days or weeks typical of normal SC business

The Arria Formula: Named after Venezuelan Ambassador Diego Arria, this is an informal meeting format where SC members meet with external actors — NGO leaders, civil society representatives, independent experts — outside the formal chamber. Arria Formula meetings have no official status and produce no formal outcomes, but they allow the Council to hear voices that formal procedure excludes. Some progressive MUN conferences simulate Arria meetings to give delegates exposure to non-state perspectives.

Suspension and Adjournment During Emergencies

Two procedural motions are especially relevant in emergency and crisis scenarios:

Motion to suspend the meeting: Temporarily halts the formal session while keeping the committee technically in session. This is used when delegates need time to process new information, consult with their governments (in real UN) or confer informally (in MUN). The meeting can be resumed by the chair at any time.

Motion to adjourn the meeting: Formally ends the session. In a crisis context, this is the nuclear option — it means no more action until the next scheduled meeting. Opposing blocs may try to force adjournment when they believe delay serves their interests.

Motion to adjourn debate on an item: Different from adjourning the meeting itself, this postpones consideration of a specific agenda item. In an emergency, this might be used to shelve a contentious resolution and redirect the committee's attention to the immediate crisis.

Understanding these distinctions matters because in high-pressure situations, the wrong motion can cost your bloc valuable committee time. Suspending the meeting gives you a pause to strategize. Adjourning the meeting ends your opportunity to act.