Agenda Items
Theme: Potential in Diversity
SECURITY COUNCIL
The situation in Myanmar UNHCR Solutions for forcibly displaced people in war zones ECOSOC Strengthening the coordination of humanitarian assistance |
GENERAL ASSEMBLY (Fourth Committee) - SPECPOL
Question of the rise of nationalism in Europe and doctrines based on withdrawal and rejection of others HRC Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Populations UNW Empowering women and girls in rural contexts |
United Nations Security Council http://www.un.org/en/sc/
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held its first session in 1946. It is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states. UNSC is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security through peacekeeping operations, international sanctions, and military actions. There are 15 member states that compose the Security Council, 5 of which are permanent and have veto power. A representative of each of its members must be present at all times at UN Headquarters in NYC so that the Security Council can meet at any time as the need arises. GENERAL ASSEMBLY (Fourth Committee) – SPECPOL http://www.un.org/en/ga/fourth/ The Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) considers a broad range of issues covering a cluster of five decolonization-related agenda items, the effects of atomic radiation, questions relating to information, a comprehensive review of the question of peacekeeping operations as well as a review of special political missions, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the Report of the Special Committee on Israeli Practices and International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. In addition to these annual items, the Committee also considers the items on Assistance in mine action, and University for peace biennially and triennially respectively. United Nations Office of the High Commission for Refugees http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/ The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. Under the mandate to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide, UNHCR’s primary purpose today is to safeguard the rights and wellbeing of refugees throughout the world. Striving to ensure that all can exercise the right to seek asylum in another country and are protected against persecution of all kinds, the agency oversees a vast network of camps and coordinates with governments and organizations at the global and national levels. |
Economic and Social Council https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/
The United Nations’ largest and most complex subsidiary body is the Economic and Social Council or as it is more commonly referred to, ECOSOC. Established in 1967 along with the amendment to the UN Charter, ECOSOC was the first major council created to work with the global issues not pertaining to security and war. The ECOSOC is the only council that may give consultative status to non-governmental organizations or NGOs. There are three types of consultative status that a NGO can receive, these include: general status, special status, and roster NGOs. General status is gives permission to speak in front of the delegation; special status allows for papers to be given to the delegation; and the Roster NGOs are considered experts on specific topics and are consulted when their expertise could be useful. At the start of the NGO integration process in 1945, there were 41 organizations given consultative status. Today these numbers have grown to 3,900. These NGOs aid the Council in its decision making and are integral to ECOSOC functions. United Nations Human Rights Council http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/Home.aspx The United Nations Human Rights Program began as a minor division at the UN Headquarters in New York during the 1940s. It was later upgraded to the Centre for Human Rights in the 1980s upon moving to Geneva. Finally, at the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993, the international community recognized the need for a more robust human rights mandate with stronger institutional support. As a result, United Nations Human Rights council (UNHRC) was created by a General Assembly Resolution during the same year. UNHRC is led by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and is also composed of two major divisions and four branches. In concordance with the UN as a whole, UNHRC represents the world’s commitment to human dignity, built upon a mandate from the international community to protect all human rights. Commission on the Status of Women http://www.unwomen.org/en/csw The Commission on Status of Women (CSW) was established in 1946 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Dedicated to gender equality and advancement of women, CSW creates reports on promoting women's rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational sectors, as well as review and appraise progress made at the national, sub-regional, regional and global levels. There are 45 Member States elected by the Council on the basis of equitable geographical distribution: thirteen members from Africa; eleven from Asia; nine from Latin America and Caribbean; eight from Western Europe and other States and four from Eastern Europe, to meet once a year for a period of 10 days. |