The United Nations Security Council has long been divided on whether the Venezuelan crisis constitutes a threat to international peace and security. This must be understood in the context of what constitutes the largest exodus of people in recent Latin American history and one of the least funded crises in modern history. According to United Nations estimates, 5,448,441 Venezuelans have left the country. This number is probably higher, since it does not include Venezuelans who are undocumented.

Despite the amount of information about the Venezuelan crisis which is available in international decision-making spaces in UN bodies, the Security Council and the United Nations Human Rights Council, do not have the analytical, descriptive, explanatory or propositional information in order to understand the international peace and security dimensions of the Venezuelan crisis and the role that the international community can have in the reconstruction of democracy in the country

Within this framework, the Center for Justice and Peace (CEPAZ) and the University for Peace (UPeace), invite the academic community to submit academic articles on The Role of the United Nations in the Venezuelan Situation. The following are proposed as topics to be addressed:

• The role of United Nations bodies, especially the Security Council, in the face of human rights violations and atrocity crimes committed in Venezuela.
• Review of the discussions of the Venezuelan crisis in international decision-making spaces, emphasizing the United Nations Security Council and/or the narratives on the recognition of threats to peace and security in the Venezuelan context.
• Analysis of the positions of international actors in the face of the political crisis in Venezuela and its resolution, with special focus on the United Nations Security Council, also considering the position of its members.
• Analysis of the actions of Venezuelan political actors on the definition of a joint route for the restitution of democracy in Venezuela, considering the participation of the United Nations.
• Identification of possible decision-making scenarios on the Venezuelan political crisis and its resolution, especially the United Nations Security Council.
• Identification of alternative scenarios for conflict resolution, including second and third level diplomacy track, non-violent alternatives and bottom-up approaches.
• Recommendations for civil society organizations in terms of public advocacy in international decision-making spaces, such as the Security Council. On the 24^th of February 2021, CEPAZ and the University for Peace hosted an open event titled The role of the Security Council and other UN bodies in the Venezuelan situation: is the humanitarian and political crisis in Venezuela a threat to International Peace and Security? in which the panelists discussed some of these issues. You can watch the event here.

Article format

• Word document, Time New Roman font, size 12, single line spacing and 12 point spacing.
• Quotations in APA format in the text.
• Length: maximum 5000 words (approximately 10-12 pages), including annexes and bibliography.
• Submission deadline: Jun 08, 2021 (Extended).
• The essays should be sent to comunicaciones@cepaz.org

The three best articles will be awarded as follows:

• First Place: USD 250 and publication in digital media of CEPAZ and Ideas for Peace (UPeace).
• Second Place: USD 150 and publication in digital media of CEPAZ and Ideas for Peace (UPeace).
• Third Place: USD 100 and publication in digital media of CEPAZ and Ideas for Peace (UPeace).