General Assembly III - Social, Humanitarian Cultural Affairs Committee (GAIII - SOCHUM)
The General Assembly allocates to its Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Committee,
commonly referred to as the "Third Committee", agenda items relating to a range of social,
humanitarian affairs and human rights issues that affect people all over the world.
Topics
Topic 1: The question of dealing with women's rights violations in countries which only formally prohibit them.
Most countries have officially signed on agreements testifying to their intention to respect women's rights. The extent to which these formalities are kept, however, is a different issue. Questions to consider include which countries are most notorious at violating women's rights despite formal protections and how to sanction violators.
Topic 2: The question of safeguarding human rights in prosecuting counter-terrorism policies.
Counter-terrorism policies may require extraordinary measures, but a balance must be found with basic human rights practices. Where should this balance be struck? Which countries have stakes in violations of human rights for security practices? How do we define counter-terrorism? These are the questions that this issue should unpack.
Research Materials
Background Paper: The question of dealing with women's rights violations in countries which only formally prohibit them.
Background Paper:The question of safeguarding human rights in prosecuting counter-terrorism policies.
Background Papers are only available in .pdf format. If you do not have a pdf reader, you can download a free reader from Adobe.
NOTE: Background papers are written by members of the dais, intervention, and secretariat and are designed as an introduction to the topic, not as a replacement for more in-depth research related to national positions.
Please check the main HSMUN blog for ongoing topical news updates and research tips.
Dais Staff
Chair: Zohaib Siddiqi
Director: Jonathan Chu
Attaché: Amy Smith