Which SLMUN 2019 Committee best fits you?
View(s):General Assembly One
The Disarmament and International Security Committee (also known as the First Committee, GA1 or DISEC) deals with disarmament, global challenges and threats to peace that affect the international community.
Established in 1993 with the United Nations, it is one of the main committees of the General Assembly and seeks out solutions to the challenges in the international security regime.
The role of DISEC is outlined in Chapter IV, Article 11 of the United Nations Charter which states, “The General Assembly may consider the general principles of cooperation in the maintenance of international peace and security, including the principles governing disarmament and the regulation of armaments and may make recommendations with regard to such principles to the Members or to the Security Council or to both”.
As per this article, the mandate of DISEC is highlighted as, “to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of the world’s human and economic resources”.
Though all the technical jargon above might scare a novice delegate, DISEC is a committee that is suitable for both experienced and novice delegates. The First Committee sessions are structured into three distinctive stages: general debate, thematic discussions and action on drafts.
The Head Table expects highly constructive debate along with people skills necessary to form winning resolution blocks in a large committee such as DISEC.
A holistic delegate is not someone who just possesses extensive research knowledge on the topic. Delegates will be evaluated on how they create a perfect balance between constructive and destructive debate in committee and help drive debate in the correct direction.
For conference this year, DISEC will be discussing the ramifications of the presence of Non-State Actors (NSAs) in international and civil armed conflict inclusive of paramilitaries and PMCs.
A range of Armed Non-State Actors (ANSAs) operate today in armed conflicts and other situations of violence, but one can find very few definitions of the term in international law. The UN Security Council, for instance, has defined non-state actors quite broadly as an ‘individual or entity, not acting under the lawful authority of any State’.
Apart from ANSAs, the presence of unarmed NSAs in conflict zones is also rapidly rising. They can be identified as journalist organisations and other officially (registered) civilian entities. The legality of their presence and the necessity for the protection must also be discussed during the conference. Civilian entities should also be evaluated and the ramifications, regarding their status, must be discussed and any problems identified and solved.
Delegates of DISEC are expected to identify the different ramifications associated with different types of NSAs present in armed conflict. They must then associate those ramifications with different legal doctrines and how they influence them holistically and present solutions to the committee.
A few of the areas of particular interest delegates are expected to evaluate are the status of journalists and war correspondents, the issue of immunity of private mercenaries, the issue of war profiteering and the need for the strengthening of the global anti-terrorism infrastructure.
General Assembly 3
The Third Committee of the General Assembly (GA), is known commonly as the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee or SOCHUM.
It is one of six main committees at the General Assembly of the United Nations. It deals with Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs and Social matters with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as its main reference guide.
SOCHUM is one of the main GA committees; therefore, like the other main committees of the General Assembly, it was established in 1947. And it follows the rules of the General Assembly, which is indicated in the Charter of the United Nations. The membership of the SOCHUM includes all 193 member states. In addition, non-member states and other entities recognised by the UN as permanent observers may attend and participate in meetings, but they cannot vote as opposed to member states.
All UN Member States are represented equally within the Committee. Thus, the SOCHUM allows space for varying experiences and positions, providing a forum for equitable discussion and negotiation among countries.
The Third Committee has made great strides in the advancement of oppressed peoples. GA3 focuses on important Social, Humanitarian and Human Rights issues such as the Protection of children, Indigenous issues, Elimination of Racism, Treatment of Refuges and Promotion of the Right of Self-determination. The Committee also serves as the key forum for addressing important Socio-economic questions such as Crime Prevention, Criminal Justice, and Drug Control.
The SOCHUM committee faces the challenges of dealing with the above diverse issues and with upholding the principles of human dignity, equality and equity at the global level against a backdrop of on-going social, economic and political change at the local level. There is an increased need to find a balance between the protection of Human Rights and the legitimate Security, Economic and Social concerns of the States when developing strategies to deal with concerns facing the Committee.
The Third General Assembly seeks individuals that are able to speak passionately for fair treatment of minorities, crime prevention and justice and also have the vital skill of being able to come up with a set of practical ideas and consider humanitarian facts while trying keeping in mind the ethics and cultural norms of all parties the resolution is pertaining to. Truly all-encompassing ideas must address all three facets of the committee- Social, Humanitarian and Cultural.
Lastly, the delegate should be being able to understand their government’s views and policies on the National/International Affairs.
This year’s conference topic deals with the infringement of Child Rights due to conflict, like in the case of the thousands of Syrian children been killed, and in 2015 where Afghanistan recorded its highest rate of child casualties since 2009 and South Sudan where children continue to pay the price for leaders’ failure to commit to peace.
Through this year’s conference we hope that the delegates are able to formulate points to contribute towards protecting and nurturing children. As children have the right to survive, develop, be protected and participate in decisions that impact their lives. , GA3 will work to ensure that every child be able to grow up joyful and loved , not abused and exploited.
Article to be continued next week…..
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- Isuri Sumanasiri and
Shontaal Manuelpillai