The Historical Committee met for their first session today in order to discuss the Suez Canal Crisis (that happened in 1956). Today’s session was more of opening speeches and initial positions rather than the intensities that the debate will bring in the upcoming sessions. The majority of the introductory speeches focused on the motivations for the nationalisation of the Canal and the withdrawal of British troops. The Soviet Union has already taken a strong stance with the mention of nuclear forces from the get-go. This dramatic show of assertion will be interesting to follow in the upcoming sessions and it will contrast with the aims of the United Kingdom and France who some have stipulated that their actions are only driven by the failure of their respective empires. Egypt has taken a clear and obvious stance to the committee, stating that the “invasion by Israel is a clear violation of our sovereignty”. The UK had been in charge of the canal since 1875 until just after the end of the Second World War and it has referred to their previous history with the canal by calling itself “the rightful owner of the canal”. For future discussion, the alliance of France and UK will have to be far more firm against the assertion from the Soviet Union, if they are to succeed in their bold claims of ownership.
This report was brought to you by Ben O’Verbich, EuroMUN 2021 Special Correspondent on the Historical Committee
