28-Sep-2023

When it comes to national MUN conferences, there is a wide variety of committees that you can participate in or delegate to. At first glance, this could appear to be an overwhelming task; yet, MUN committees often follow predefined formats.

 Let's take a look at the many kinds of committees that you can find yourself participating in.

General Assembly (GA): The Global Platform for Issues Involving Multiple Aspects

• The General Assemblies of the United Nations are comprised of all 197 member nations.
• These committees can be quite large, frequently include more than one hundred different delegations.
• They discuss on a wide variety of topics, which are typically broken up into specialised committees such as the Disarmament Committee, Economic Committee, Social Committee, Humanitarian Committee, and Legal Committee.

Security Council: The Centre of Gravity for Decision-Making Regarding Worldwide Crises

• The Security Council, which has 15 members, is responsible for addressing the most pressing international concerns.
• The fact that each of its five permanent members has a veto in the decisions made by the body gives it a very different kind of power dynamic.
• The talks in national MUN can take place in the form of regular committees or crisis committees, each of which is fraught with high-stakes diplomatic manoeuvring.

ECOSOC: Promoting an Ecologically Sound and Sustainable Development

• The responsibility for coordinating 15 specialised entities that are dedicated to sustainable development falls on this organisation.
• Concerns on the social, economic, and environmental fronts are addressed using simulations.
• Discussions can take place in general ECOSOC meetings or in specialised agencies like the World Bank.

Human Rights Council: Defending and Promoting Human Rights Around the World

• Devoted to the advancement and defence of human rights on every continent across the world.
• The agenda in national MUN includes discussions on a wide range of topics, including gender equality, minority rights, and refugee problems.

International Criminal Court of Justice: The Resolution of Disputes on a Global Scale

• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is charged with settling disagreements that arise between the countries that make up its membership.
• When discussing topics like as war crimes and genocide, delegates will take on the roles of either applicants, respondents, or justices.

Other Committees

Committees of Special Concern

• Create a simulation of major events from the past and give the delegates the opportunity to use hindsight to develop better answers.
• Examples of this include emergency special sessions and crisis committees held by the United Nations during times of crisis such as the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Regional Organisations

• Create a realistic representation of organisations from the actual world that are focused on finding solutions to local problems.
• Examples include the European Union and the ASEAN, which stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Additional Specialised Organisations

• Create fictitious non-UN organisations, each of which would strive to achieve a unique objective.
• The topics cover a wide range, from the negotiations over Brexit to the discussions on OPEC.

Crises Committees

• Function using dynamic timelines, with occurrences being shaped by the actions delegated to subordinates.
• The delegates in take on certain roles and respond appropriately to unfolding crises and occurrences.
• Directives, communiques, and portfolio actions are the means through which decisions are arrived at.
• Crisis committees offer a memorable and exciting Model United Nations experience by putting an emphasis on role-playing and character depiction.

Although committees at the national MUN may initially appear to be daunting, they actually provide delegates with a wide variety of opportunities to connect with global concerns and polish their diplomatic abilities.