• The question of managing refugee and migrant flows to prevent regional instability

•  The question of strengthening international cooperation on the protection of displaced populations in conflict zones

• The question of addressing security challenges arising from mass population movements

Hello, 

My name is Olivia Noh, and I am honored to serve as Head Chair of the Population Movement Council this year at the March 2026 UNISMUN conference. I am a sophomore at the International School of Beijing with a passion for baking and DIY crafting. My first conference was back in 2023, and this conference marks my 15th conference and 7th time chairing. 

The theme of this conference is “Is our rules-based international system able to adapt to contemporary challenges to security and sovereignty?” This theme particularly links to the concept of our committee, as population movements constantly influence whether our existing international laws, norms, and institutions can protect both state security and the rights of people in the movement. 

The work of the Population Movement Council reflects the real-world efforts of the international communities to respond to migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and the internally displaced population that are forced to move due to conflict, persecution, climate change, and economic instability.  

The first topic is “The question of managing refugee and migrant flows to prevent regional instability.” It highlights the significance of maintaining systems that protect both vulnerable populations and the political, social, and economic stability of host regions, rather than treating those as mutually exclusive. 

The second topic is “The question of strengthening international cooperation on the protection of displaced populations in conflict zones,” and it emphasizes how essential it is for states, NGOs, and international organizations to coordinate their actions when people cannot access safety within their own borders and face immediate threats to their lives and dignity. 

The last topic is “The question of addressing security challenges arising from mass population movements.” This issue leads us to consider whether our rules-based international system can remain both effective and humane in the face of growing displacement and emerging security concerns. This is the committee topic I will be focusing on, as I am particularly interested in how states can effectively balance security concerns with the protection of migrants and the stability of host countries.  

I wish everyone the best of luck in their research and resolution writing! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at olivia.noh@student.isb.bj.edu.cn. 

See you all in March!

Dear Honourable Chairs, Distinguished Delegates, and most esteemed guests,

My name is Kreshaa Goenka, currently a freshman at the United Nations International School of Hanoi. This conference marks my fourth conference as a chair, but my 7th conference overall. I am honoured to be serving as your deputy chair for this March Conference 2026 of the population movement council. I look forward to sessions of fun debates, but more to witnessing the collaboration between delegates. 

This conference's theme is “Is our rules-based international system able to adapt to contemporary challenges to security and sovereignty?” This topic alongside the committee topics occurring within this council will enhance the overall quality of the debate because the question of managing refugee and migrant flows to prevent regional instability, strengthening international cooperation on the protection of displaced populations in conflict zones, addressing security challenges arising from mass population movements, are topics which directly tie to the theme, making them relevant, and engaging. 

The population movement council is similar to the International Organisation of Migration in the UN because that is the related organisation of the council. The Population Movement Council mainly deals with migration, refugee’s, asylum seekers, and international laws as well as cooperation regarding the idea of displacement of refugees. The PMC also addresses the humanitarian causes which result in the displacement of a large number of people. 

Our first committee topic is the question of managing refugee and migrant flows to prevent regional instability. This topic will likely address how the displacement of a large number of people can not only affect national security and safety, but how it can economically impact a nation. It will definitely be mentioned during debate of the pressure on infrastructure and economy when a large number of refugees enter a country. But, it will also have mentions of the positive side, because many countries actually have jobs filled by migrant workers, and without this, the nation would not be able to function. 

The second committee topic is the question of strengthening international cooperation on the protection of displaced populations in conflict zones. This topic will likely have lots of mentions of current wars or violent situations between nations, and how that impacts the living conditions of the residents of that country. It is also crucial to this topic that different countries come together to support each other not only financially, but also by providing resources to those in need and welcoming asylum seekers. But there also comes a downside of the fact that many countries recognise other priorities. 

The third committee topic is the question of addressing security challenges arising from mass population movements. This topic not only highlights the importance of citizens of a country that are welcoming asylum seekers, or that refugees are fleeing to. But, the importance of the safety of these people who are forcefully displaced and how that affects their everyday lives. This will result in a fruitful discussion.

With this said, I look forward to working with all of you in the upcoming UNISMUN conference! See you in March! Thank you.

Kreshaa Goenka

Greetings honourable directors, distinguished delegates, and esteemed guests, 

My name is Olivia Hwang, currently a sophomore from British International School Hanoi. The M2026 UNISMUN marks my 7th conference and my 2nd time being chair. I am truly honoured to serve as your procedural chair for the Population Movement Council, and I look forward to supporting all delegates in fun and productive debates. 

The theme of this year’s conference, “Is our rules-based international systems able to adapt to contemporary challenges to security and sovereignty?,” holds weight to the Population Movement Council and our topics regarding regional instability, international cooperation, and mass population movements as these issues put heavy responsibility on international systems. This is where the question rises: do our outdated international laws hold enough capacity to handle contemporary challenges of sovereignty and security? 

All member states of this committee must negotiate and call for change in our global systems in order to protect all those involved in unstable population dynamics. The Population Movement Council is the central authority for handling issues such as migration, border control and human trafficking, all of which are done through population movement. These movements that sweep through multiple nations or conflict zones are bound to stir up countless security issues that call for international coordination, closely aligning with the theme of this conference. 

Our first topic, “The question of managing refugee and migrant flows to prevent regional instability,” addresses a crucial aspect of population movement - refugees and migrants. This topic encourages discussions between those who benefit from migration, those who are not given the luxury of a choice, and others that struggle on the receiving end of migration. This issue raises tensions between host countries’ capacity and humanitarian responsibilities, which require dialogues tackling the disproportionate pressure on surrounding countries. 

Our second topic, “The question of strengthening international cooperation on the protection of displaced populations in conflict zones,” also aligns with the conference theme, as it emphasizes the necessity of coordinated global actions in order to protect those in regions of ongoing violence. Cooperation often opens up risks of violating state sovereignty or escalating ongoing conflicts and delegates must strive for further enforcements. 

Similar to the first topic, our third, “The question of addressing security challenges arising from mass population movements,” further highlights the pressure of mass migration and the hostility that may arise from the host countries. Delegates must navigate the challenge of addressing security risks without undermining the rights of displaced populations. 

Delegates, can states navigate international frameworks to keep up with modern frameworks to keep up with modern population movements? I hope that these topics open up fruitful debates, including challenges with balancing different priorities in our committee. See you in March!