North Atlantic Treaty Organization: Emergency Session, 2028
Single Delegate
Established in 1949 in the shadow of the emerging Cold War, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is the world's most powerful and enduring military alliance, binding 32 member states across North America and Europe in a collective defense framework anchored by the principle that an attack against one is an attack against all. The North Atlantic Council is NATO's principal political decision-making body, convening member state ambassadors and heads of government to set strategic direction, coordinate defense policy, and manage the alliance's response to emerging threats. NATO's mandate has evolved considerably since its founding: from containing Soviet expansion to managing post-Cold War instability, counterterrorism operations, and most recently, the return of large-scale conventional warfare to the European continent. The alliance operates by consensus, meaning every member state holds effective veto power over collective action, a structure that guarantees broad legitimacy but demands intensive diplomacy to maintain unity across 32 sovereign governments with distinct threat perceptions, defense budgets, and domestic political pressures. In an era defined by hybrid warfare, nuclear brinkmanship, and the resurgence of great-power competition, NATO remains the central institution through which the transatlantic community attempts to speak and act as one.
Determining the Threshold for Article 5 in the Age of Hybrid Warfare
Marcelina Maciąg is a globally recognized young leader shaping the intersection of security, technology, and societal resilience. She serves on the NATO Youth Advisory Board as its youngest member, appointed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where she represents both Poland and the United States and advises the Alliance on emerging security challenges and the future of democratic resilience among young generation. In parallel, she represents Europe and the United States on the TikTok Youth Council, contributing to global frameworks on digital safety, platform accountability, and youth well-being.
A B.S. Data Science student at Stanford University (Class of 2029), Marcelina operates at the forefront of cybersecurity and policy innovation. She represents Stanford in the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge organized by the Atlantic Council, where she develops strategic responses to complex, national cyber crises, focusing on escalation dynamics, critical infrastructure protection, and public–private coordination.
As the founder of the Kintsugi Foundation, she has built one of the most impactful youth mental health initiatives in Central Europe. She created the Blue Box (Niebieska Skrzyneczka), an early-intervention system implemented in 160 schools and reaching over 170,000 students, with expansion underway to an additional 300 institutions. Through the Youth Kindness Revolution, she advances a broader movement redefining peer support, empathy, and community resilience among young people.
Her leadership is anchored in public service. As Chair of the Youth Regional Parliament of the Mazovia Voivodeship from 2022 to 2024, she led a 51-member body, oversaw nine committees, and delivered 16 initiatives across education, inclusion, mental health, youth engagement, and environmental protection. She collaborates with the UNICEF Poland and the Polish Ombudsman for Children within the Children and Youth Participation Team, contributing to national-level youth policy design.
She represents a new generation of leadership defined by clarity of vision, execution at scale, and the ability to move seamlessly between grassroots impact and global decision-making. Her long-term ambition is to become the first woman President of Poland.
As Chair of the NATO: Emergency Session, 2028 specialized committee at SMUNC XXX, she leads advanced crisis simulations that challenge future leaders to navigate the complexities of alliance decision-making in an era of global instability.