Topic Summary

Berlin, 1956. Beneath the divided city, a secret Western intelligence operation is tapping Soviet communications, but the mission is already compromised. Assets are disappearing, messages are surfacing in the wrong hands, and both sides know the same thing: there is a mole in the room.

In this double-delegate crisis committee, delegates will move through rival intelligence networks, trade secrets, expose traitors, and protect their own cover before someone else blows it. Every alliance is temporary, every message may be bait, and every accusation could either reveal the truth or destroy the wrong person.

At the center of the crisis is the Phantom Protocol, a classified intelligence asset that shifts unpredictably between operatives. Only its current holder knows they have it, and its power could expose a secret, compromise an enemy, or turn the entire operation upside down.

In this committee, trust is a liability, secrecy is survival, and the most dangerous person in Berlin may be the one sitting next to you.

Director’s Letter

Well Hello My Dearest Delegates,

Welcome to the Berlin Intelligence committee, where secrets are currency, trust is optional, and one reckless decision can rewrite history. I am thrilled to serve as your Director and even more thrilled to watch the chaos unfold!

My name is Jocelyne Delgado, and I am a Junior at Harvard pursuing a double concentration in Social Studies and Romance Languages & Literatures. I am originally from Chino, California, though I have since sadly traded my beach days in the sun for Cambridge winters. On campus, I compete on Harvard’s Intercollegiate Model United Nations Team, serve on the board of RAZA, Harvard’s Mexican Student Society, and write for The Harvard Independent. In my free time, I love finding new coffee spots, spending time outdoors hiking when I can, but I am usually out at dinner with my friends.

As delegates, I encourage you to think beyond traditional diplomacy. The CIA operates in the gray areas of politics, morality, and international relations, and so will you. This committee rewards creativity, strategic thinking, adaptability, and the ability to remain composed while everything around you spirals into complete disorder. Alliances will fracture, intelligence will fail, and at least one of you will inevitably attempt something so wildly ambitious that it either saves the world or becomes a classified disaster. Lean into the tension, the unpredictability, and the absurdity that may accompany intelligence operations, because the most memorable committees emerge when delegates fully commit to the chaos we create together. But at the end of the day, all I care about is that you have fun! Choose wisely — because in this room, nothing is ever truly off the record.

I cannot wait to see what you all bring to this committee! Until then, remember: nothing in this room is truly off the record.

Wishing you the best of luck,

Jocelyne Delgado

Director, If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Leaked: The Berlin Intelligence Crisis, 1956

crisis@hnmun.org

Director’s Letter

Dear covert delegates,

Welcome to the 73rd iteration of Harvard National Model United Nations and to The Berlin Intelligence Crisis committee where I am so very excited to serve as your director!

My name is Darshana Shah and I am a sophomore at the College pursuing a double Philosophy and Neuroscience with a secondary in Studio Art. I am originally from New Jersey but I spent a good amount of time growing up in Massachusetts before moving back. With MUN, I compete on the Intercollegiate Model United Nations Team and outside of MUN I am heavily involved in the South Asian Community and am part of the Harvard Undergraduate Bhangra Team (dance team). In my free time, I love reading fiction, taking walks, playing volleyball, and jamming out to music anytime, anywhere.

I am thrilled to meet all of you and have you engage with the crazy chaos of this crisis committee. I am convinced that I would be a secret agent in another life, and let's just say this committee is my origin story. I am hoping to bombard you with ideas that drive dramatic debate in committee. I am beyond excited to see how relationships in the committee unfold while you leverage your own agenda. Get ready to fully immerse yourself in empowering roles that shape the trajectory of the committee, finding angles for your character’s arc in the shadows of every decision. Most importantly though, have so much fun! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out :)

Director Shah - over and out.

Director, If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Leaked: The Berlin Intelligence Crisis, 1956

crisis@hnmun.org