SOFIMUN.org ---> Committees

SOFIMUN committees

Topics

Security Council

The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is so organized as to be able to function continuously, and a representative of each of its members must be present at all times at United Nations Headquarters.

When a threat against international peace is brought to the attention of the Security Council, the council first attempts to negotiate a settlement between the disputing parties. The council may use its own member delegations, refer the issue to discussion in the General Assembly, or appoint the Secretary-General, the head of the United Nations, to act as mediator. It may set forth principles for a peaceful settlement as well.

If no peaceful agreement can be reached, and the disputing factions use violence, intimidation, or force, the Security Council can then enact policy resolutions to solve the conflict or restore peace. Sometimes this policy includes economic sanctions such as trade embargoes or prohibitions on governments borrowing from international funds. Under the Security Council regulations, however, humanitarian aid can never be withheld from any nation or group of people. The Security Council also reserves the right to recommend expulsion of any UN member state in gross violation of the UN charter and international law, though the dismissal must be voted on and passed in the General Assembly.

The Security Council is the only United Nations organization that can authorize military action and maintain a military-trained peacekeeping force. In violent international dispute, the Security Council can send intervening peacekeeping troops to secure areas in turmoil.

The Security Council is further responsible for overseeing compliance with international agreements involving weapons, the rules of engagement (conduct during war), the illegal spread of nuclear technology, and other threats to international peace. To enforce these treaties, such as international agreements on nuclear non-proliferation, the Security Council can authorize UN-led inspections of a nation's military arsenal. In addition, the Security Council can order sanctions or authorize military action.

More at: http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/

Topic A The situation in Chechnya	Topic B Nuclear weapons proliferation in the Middle East
Summary & Guide Extra info	Summary & Guide

Security Council

States: (BOLD style = taken)

1. Belgium

2. Burkina Faso

3. People's Republic of China

4. Costa Rica

5. Croatia

6. France

7. Indonesia

8. Italy

9. Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahirya

10. Panama

11. Russian Federation

12. South Africa

13. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

14. United States of America

15. Vietnam

Human Rights Council

The United Nations Human Rights Council is created in March, 2006 and is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which was often criticized for the high-profile positions it gave to member states that did not guarantee the human rights of their own citizens. The Council is considered an international body within the United Nations System and its purpose is to address human rights violations.

The Council assumes all the mechanisms, mandates, functions and responsibilities of the Commission for Human Rights. At the same time, it is tasked with the review, rationalization and improvement of these. This makes up the bulk of the Council’s work in its first year.

Special procedures" is the name given to the mechanisms established by the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights and continued by the Human Rights Council to monitor human rights violations in specific countries or examine global human rights issues. Special procedures can be either individuals who are leading experts in a particular area of human rights, or working groups usually composed of five members. In order to preserve their independence they do not receive pay for their work.

More at: http://www.un.org/rights/

Human Rights Council

States: (BOLD style = taken)

1. Amnesty International (observer)

2. Angola

3. Bangladesh

4. Bolivia

5. Brazil

6. Cameroon

7. People's Republic of China

8. Cuba

9. Egypt

10. France

11. Ghana

12. Human Rights Watch (observer)

13. India

14. Indonesia

15. Japan

16. Republic of Korea

17. Mexico

18. Nigeria

19. Pakistan

20. Romania

21. Russian Federation

22. Saudi Arabia

23. Senegal

24. South Africa

25. Switzerland

26. Ukraine

27. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

28. United States of America (observer)

Economic and Social Council

ECOSOC was established under the United Nations Charter as the principal organ to coordinate economic, social, and related work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, functional commissions and five regional commissions. The Council also receives reports from 11 UN fund and programs. Its main responsibilities in accordance with article 55 of the UN Charter are promoting higher standards of living, full employment, and economic and social progress; identifying solutions to international economic, social and health problems; facilitating international cultural and educational cooperation; and encouraging universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Viewed separate from the specialized bodies it coordinates, ECOSOC’s functions include information gathering, advising member nations, and making recommendations. Moreover, ECOSOC is well positioned to provide policy coherence and coordinate the overlapping functions of the UN’s subsidiary bodies and it is in these roles that it is most active.

ECOSOC has 54 members, all of whom are elected by the General Assembly for a three-year term. Each member of ECOSOC has one vote, and decisions are made by a simple majority of the members present and voting.

More at: http://www.un.org/ecosoc/

Economic and Social Council

States: (BOLD style = taken)

1. Austria

2. Belarus

3. Brazil

4. Bulgaria (observer)

5. Canada

6. China

7. Congo

8. Cuba

9. Czech Republic

10. France

11. Greece

12. Indonesia

13. Iraq

14. Japan

15. Kazakhstan

16. Moldova

17. Netherlands

18. New Zealand

19. Paraguay

20. Romania

21. Russian Federation

22. Saudi Arabia

23. Somalia

24. Sudan

25. Sweden

26. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

27. United States of America

28. Uruguay

Conference on Disarmament

The Conference on Disarmament (CD) is the world’s principal multilateral disarmament negotiating forum. Deriving its existence from its original, limited membership, the CD is not a UN body, but an autonomous body that receives support from the UN system. It was established by UN members in 1979, and it succeeds several predecessor organizations dating back to 1962. In adopting its agenda, the CD takes into account the recommendations of the UN General Assembly, and informs the Assembly annually of its activities. The budget of the CD secretariat is included in the UN budget, and the CD holds its meetings at the UN Palais des Nations in Geneva. All CD decisions are taken by consensus.

The CD’s overall task, as agreed by its members, is to promote the attainment of general and complete disarmament under effective international control. Its standing agenda covers: nuclear weapons; new weapons of mass destruction; radiological weapons; conventional weapons; reduction of military budgets and armed forces; disarmament and development; disarmament and international security; a comprehensive program of disarmament; negative security assurances; and collateral disarmament measures such as confidence building measures and effective verification methods. The CD establishes a program of work each year based on its standing agenda, and carries out its work in various ways, including ad hoc committees for detailed work on particular topics.

More at: http://disarmament2.un.org/cd/

Conference on Disarmament

States: (BOLD style = taken)

1. Algeria

2. Brazil

3. Cameroon

4. Canada

5. Chile

6. People's Republic of China

7. DPRK

8. Egypt

9. France

10. India

11. Indonesia

12. Iran (Islamic Republic of)

13. Iraq

14. Israel

15. Japan

16. Kazakhstan

17. Myanmar

18. Pakistan

19. Russian Federation

20. South Africa

21. Spain

22. Sri Lanka

23. Syria

24. Turkey

25. Venezuela

26. Ukraine

27. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

28. United States of America

United Nations Environmental Program

UN Environmental Program (UNEP) encourages sustainable development through sound environmental practices everywhere. UNEP is the designated authority of the United Nations system in environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action.

Its activities cover a wide range of issues regarding the atmosphere, marine and terrestrial ecosystems. It has played a significant role in developing international environmental conventions, promoting environmental science and information and illustrating the way those can work in conjunction with policy, working on the development and implementation of policy with national governments and regional institution and working in conjunction with environmental Non-Governmental Organizations.

More at: http://www.unep.org/

United Nations Environmental Program

States: (BOLD style = taken)

1. Afghanistan

2. Australia

3. Bangladesh

4. Botswana

5. Canada

6. Chile

7. China

8. Croatia

9. Democratic Republic of the Congo

10. France

11. Germany

12. Hungary

13. India

14. Iran (Islamic Republic of)

15. Japan

16. Kenya

17. Mexico

18. Netherlands

19. Niger

20. Republic of Korea

21. Romania

22. Russian Federation

23. Saudi Arabia

24. Somalia

25. South Africa

26. Spain

27. Uganda

28. United States of America