The General Assembly (GA) of the Winthrop Model UN runs very much like the General Assembly of the United Nations, which is comprised of 193 Member States. The GA is the main body that debates policies and discusses issues that affect all Member States. Winthrop's GA will consist of all states listed on the Country Preference Form that have a college delegate. In the 48th Annual Model UN Conference, the General Assembly will be a platform for all general topics dealing with technological development, and includes all delegates participating within the conference.
The Legal Committee at Winthrop's Model UN Conference runs much like the General Assembly.
There will be set resolutions, written by high school delegates, to discuss and a
straw poll vote will decide which one to talk about first. Each resolution will be
discussed until it is voted on or tabled. In the United Nations, the Legal Committee, known as the "Sixth Committee" or GA-6, focuses on aspects of the law at the international
level, international terrorism, the administration of justice, and the protection
of peacekeepers and diplomats abroad. In the 48th Annual Model UN Conference, the Legal Committee will focus on discussions
around issues such as regulations, legal definitions, security, and measures of accountability
with regard to technological entities or technological development.
Winthrop MUN's "PolSec," is modeled after a combination of the United Nations' General Assembly First and Fourth Committees. These committees deal with subjects pertaining to decolonization, peacekeeping troops,
nuclear weapons, disarmament, and matters of war. This committee is essential in keeping
international peace and security. In the 48th Annual Model UN Conference, PolSec will play an important role in bringing
resolutions and discussions concerned with the use of technology, specifically artificial
intelligence, in warfare and in conflict between 2 or more member states.
Often considered the strong hand of the UN, the Security Council consists of 15 Member States, five of which are Permanent Members and 10 non-permanent members who serve two-year terms on the Council. Each Council member has one vote; but if a Permanent Member (China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US) votes "no," they invoke the "power of veto." "Veto power" is given only to the Permanent Members (P-5) and just one can strike down any resolution to be passed, even if all other Council Members vote "yes."
The Security Council at Winthrop actually writes resolutions, rather than debating pre-written resolutions. This body is given the duty to determine threats against and maintain the peace, recommend action, use military force against aggressors; the Security Council ("SecCo") is the only UN body allowed to take punitive action against a Member State. More details about the workings of the Security Council are available on the Delegates page.
Sometimes called "SocHum," the Social and Humanitarian Committee is the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly. This body focuses on social problems, humanitarian aid, and human rights issues with help from the Human Rights Council. Issues under the realm of GA-3 are indigenous rights, elimination of racism and discrimination, rights of women, rights of children, refugees, and prisoners of war. A very useful resource for this committee would be the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the 48th Annual Model UN Conference, SocHum will serve as a committee focused on the discussion of how technological development can help certain regions and member states of the world, whether culturally, socially, economically, and through the promotion of human rights. The conference encourages delegations of SocHum to write resolutions about what the roles of current and available technologies are in aiding developing and undeveloped countries throughout the world.
The Commision on Science and Technological Development (CSTD) is a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and consists of 43 member states around the world. CSTD is a committee that will focus on scientific and technological progress, innovation, and discussions on the latest advancements made in the world. The Committee of Science and Technology for Development is also a committee that allows members to discuss technologies of the future, and steps that can be taken in future years to promote prosperity and development of developing or underdeveloped nations.
The 48th Annual Model United Nations program has attempted to remain as true and authentic to the realistic membership of the committee, including 38 of the actual member states in the committee, some of which will be featured for the first time ever in our Conference!
