General Assemblies

The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM), focuses on a wide range of human rights and social issues, including the advancement of women, protection of children, and the promotion of fundamental freedoms. Through discussions and resolutions, delegates will explore topics related to the protection of cultural norms and human rights.

SOCHUM offers the traditional Model United Nations experience for delegates of all experience levels and uses Regular Rules of Procedure. Position papers are recommended for this committee, but are mandatory for delegates to be considered for awards.

With an Indigenous language dying every two weeks, the United Nations has made the protection of these endangered languages a key issue for debate, stemming mainly from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which has proclaimed the decade between 2022 and 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL). Although meetings are regular at the UN, with language preservation widely seen as an issue, the protection of roughly 6000 languages globally is a goal that will only be achieved by gathering many delegates from around the world with differing insights. While some delegates will advocate for globalization and central languages, other nations will more importantly adhere to respect towards traditional culture, which means recognizing the languages that foster closer ties between groups largely outcasted by modern civil society. As a recognized UN priority, the focus of the SOCHUM committee has generally been the social aspect of language, pertaining to the maintenance of cultural practices, and celebrating the diversity in the heritage of our world

Humanitarian aid is often presented as a general solution to all problems facing our kind, but what are the effects of this simplified narrative? What defines humanitarian aid, and how should it be executed in the real-world? In addition to the quantity of aid, the social, humanitarian, and cultural committee generally focuses on the effective distribution of resources to those in need, and the timeline in which distribution occurs. The committee also explored the diverse needs of individuals facing humanitarian crises, and the most beneficial ways for raising awareness around these issues. While some delegations may argue against specific instances of advantage being given to powers instead of people, others will debate in favour of the attempt at relieving civilians from conflict and providing to those who deserve more. No matter the political view of the delegation, all delegates will be able to recognize the beauty of the people in our world, and they will make an effort to guarantee basic rights and services to those they deem in need.

Founded in 1923 and presently headquartered in Lyon, France, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) is an intergovernmental body in association with the United Nations, whose primary purpose is to oversee global crime control and provide for international law enforcement cooperation. INTERPOL continues to expand its influence to this day, currently comprising 194 member states with an annual budget of €136 million in 2020.

INTERPOL has mainly focused on three major areas of transnational crime since its establishment: terrorism, cybercrime, and organized crime. Its broader mandate, however, covers virtually every type of crime, including drug and human trafficking, political corruption, copyright infringement, environmental crimes, and white-collar crime. As such, the agency plays a critical role in the maintenance and promotion of security across the globe.

INTERPOL offers the traditional Model United Nations experience for delegates of all experience levels and uses Regular Rules of Procedure. Position papers are recommended for this committee, but are mandatory for delegates to be considered for awards.

INTERPOL’s organized crime unit stresses the multinational effort required in the detection of border-less individuals responsible for human rights violations as a result of their appreciation for profit. Gathering a group of delegates from around the world is the best way of combatting the influences of transnational criminal organizations, who continue to disobey international law day by day. INTERPOL authorities highly encourage the exchanging of national data and surveillance, to aid existing knowledge of gathered groups, before dismantling systems all together. Organized crime is a global business, and the incentive is strong. Groups involved have nearly indestructible hierarchies and plans that make any attempt at disloyalty from within almost impossible. By disassembling the billions of dollars in revenue created by groups and their affiliates, the INTERPOL international oversight committee hopes to dismantle the loyalty and connection served by members to disincentivize the maintenance of organizations. While the issue is highly regarded in the eyes of INTERPOL, working together is the only way the world can ever overcome the immense business power already controlled by criminal corporations.

Since the globalization of a capitalist system where profits can be valued above regional welfare, corruption of government officials, and even whole governments, has become a growing problem faced by the world today. Specifically, INTERPOL acknowledges the role governmental organizations have historically played in the competition of international business, and the resulting states of vulnerability they place themselves in towards the grasp of corruption. As a recognized issue that occurs everywhere universally, INTERPOL’s established Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre highlights the need for checks and balances across borders and seas to prevent further the infiltration of corrupt ideology into all levels of society. The competitive nature of global politics exposes governments to corrupt corporations willing to do whatever it takes to benefit from the international market, and as a result, INTERPOL is ready to act with nations and cultures from all around the world supporting its efforts.