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Chair / Preceding Judge
Chair / Preceding Judge
Enkhsergelen Erkhbat
Welcoming Letter
Welcoming Letter
Dear Honorable Delegates,
First and foremost, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the International Court of Justice at TASMUN2026. My name is Enkhsergelen Erkhbat (Encuush), and I am honored to serve as your Chair and Presiding Judge for this committee.
This year’s case, The UN v. The Drug Trade in the Americas, addresses one of the most pressing transnational challenges confronting the international community today. The illicit drug trade has profound implications for state sovereignty, regional stability, human rights, and international legal responsibility. Through this case, delegates will be tasked with applying principles of international law to a modern and highly complex issue that transcends borders and jurisdictions.
Moreover, the International Court of Justice stands as the highest judicial authority for resolving disputes between states, founded upon principles of fairness, impartiality, and legal integrity. This committee provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate not only your understanding of international legal reasoning, but also your ability to engage thoughtfully with humanitarian, security, and legal consequences arising from the drug trade. I strongly encourage you to approach this simulation with diligence, professionalism, and respect for the judicial process.
Finally, should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or my co-chair via email or other appropriate platforms. Our role is to ensure a smooth, challenging, and rewarding experience for all delegates. I look forward to seeing your arguments unfold in court—and good luck. You’re going to need it.
Yours sincerely,
Enkhsergelen Erkhbat
ICJ Chair / Presiding Judge
Tomujin Alternative School Model United Nations 2026
Co-chair / Associate Judge
Co-chair / Associate Judge
Tengis-Iben Terrie
Welcoming Letter
Welcoming Letter
Dear distinguished delegates,
Welcome! My name is Tengis Terrie, and it is my honor to be your Co-Chair and Associate Judge for the duration of this conference.
As we navigate the current drug war ongoing in the Americas, I am excited to see how you all diplomatically negotiate this tense crisis. The connections and alliances you make in this committee will either make or break your nation’s future and safety, hence why it is of paramount importance to do your due diligence and study your nation’s stance. I hope that all of you will end this conference with great memories, improved skills, and new friends.
All the best,
Tengis Terrie
ICJ Co-Chair / Associate Judge
Tomujin Alternative School Model United Nations 2026
Committee Topic
The UN vs the drug trade in the Americas
The International Court of Justice convenes today to examine one of the most persistent and destabilizing challenges facing the Western Hemisphere: the drug trade in the Americas. This transnational issue transcends borders, fueling organized crime, corruption, violence, and widespread violations of international law and human rights. From production and trafficking routes to state responsibility and cross-border cooperation, the drug trade raises complex legal questions that directly concern sovereignty, jurisdiction, and international obligations. As the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, the ICJ will assess these matters through the lens of international law, accountability, and the duties of states to cooperate in combating illicit narcotics while protecting fundamental rights.
Topic Overview
The case The United Nations v. The Drug Trade in the Americas presents a complex legal dispute concerning state responsibility, transnational organized crime, and violations of international law. Unlike traditional ICJ disputes between two individual states, this simulation examines whether states within the Americas have failed to uphold their international obligations in preventing, suppressing, and prosecuting illicit drug trafficking within and across their territories.
Over the past several decades, the drug trade in the Americas has evolved into a highly organized and transnational criminal network involving narcotics production, trafficking routes spanning continents, money laundering, arms smuggling, and systemic corruption of public institutions. Powerful cartels and organized criminal groups have destabilized governments, fueled violent conflict, weakened rule of law, and contributed to severe human rights violations.
The Court must determine whether state inaction, complicity, or insufficient enforcement constitutes a breach of international obligations under drug control treaties and customary international law.
Key issues before the Court include:
Key issues before the Court include:
Whether states have breached their obligations under international drug control conventions.
Whether failure to prevent cartel activity constitutes negligence under international law.
The extent to which states are responsible for cross-border harm caused by trafficking networks operating from within their territory.
Whether corruption or collusion between state officials and cartels engages international responsibility.
The balance between sovereignty and international cooperation in combating transnational organized crime.
This case raises profound questions regarding international accountability, jurisdiction, erga omnes obligations, and the duty of states to cooperate in addressing threats to global peace, security, and human rights.
Member State allocations
Mexico
Colombia
United States
Brazil
Netherlands
Bolivia
Guatemala
China
El Salvador
Panama
Venezuela
Ecuador
Dominican Republic
Canada
Jamaica
Legal Framework Governing the Case
The legal framework for this case includes several binding treaties and principles of customary international law:
Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961) – Establishes global drug control mechanisms.
Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971) – Expands control to synthetic drugs.
United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988) – Requires states to criminalize trafficking and cooperate internationally.
United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (2000) – Addresses organized criminal networks and cross-border cooperation.
ICJ Statute (Articles 36 and 38) – Governs jurisdiction and applicable sources of international law.
Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts (ILC, 2001) – Defines attribution and breach.
Principle of Due Diligence – Requires states to prevent significant harm originating within their territory.
Delegates must analyze treaty obligations, customary international law, judicial precedents, and principles of state responsibility when constructing arguments.
Structure of Court
In the TASMUN ICJ simulation:
Judges (15 Delegates)
Judges (15 Delegates)
Judges are responsible for:
Evaluating jurisdiction and admissibility.
Assessing legal arguments and treaty obligations.
Questioning advocates to clarify legal reasoning.
Deliberating privately.
Issuing a binding judgment based on international law.
Judges must remain impartial and base decisions solely on legal merit.
Advocates (2 Delegates)
Advocates (2 Delegates)
Applicant: The United Nations
(Arguing that certain states failed to meet international obligations to combat the drug trade.)
Respondent: Accused State
(Defending sovereignty, compliance efforts, and limitations of state control.)
Advocates must prepare structured memorials, present oral arguments, respond to judicial questioning, and rebut opposing claims.
Key Definitions
Transnational Organized Crime
Criminal activity coordinated across national borders for financial or material gain.
Due Diligence
A state's obligation to take reasonable and appropriate measures to prevent harm originating within its territory.
State Responsibility
Legal accountability of a state for internationally wrongful acts attributable to it.
Jurisdiction
The authority of the ICJ to hear and decide a case.
Erga Omnes Obligations
Duties owed to the international community as a whole.
Narcotics Trafficking
The illegal production, distribution, transportation, and sale of controlled substances.
Attribution
The legal process of linking conduct by individuals or groups to a state.
Cross-Border Harm
Damage or destabilization in one state caused by activities originating in another.
Suggested Research Resources
Official ICJ Website – https://www.icj-cij.org
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – https://www.unodc.org
United Nations Treaty Collection – https://treaties.un.org
International Law Commission Articles on State Responsibility
UN Security Council Resolutions on Transnational Organized Crime
UNODC World Drug Report
Reports on Cartel Violence and Regional Security in the Americas
Inter-American Court of Human Rights jurisprudence
Delegates are strongly encouraged to consult primary legal sources rather than relying solely on news summaries.
Final Remarks
This case challenges delegates to think beyond simple criminality and into the realm of international legal responsibility. The drug trade in the Americas is not merely a regional problem—it is a global issue affecting economic stability, governance, human rights, and international peace and security.
As members of the International Court of Justice, you are tasked with determining whether states have fulfilled their international obligations and whether failures in enforcement, cooperation, or prevention amount to internationally wrongful acts.
Approach this simulation with precision, professionalism, and intellectual rigor. This is not merely a debate—it is a judicial examination of responsibility under international law.
We look forward to witnessing your legal reasoning, advocacy, and judicial integrity at TASMUN.
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