This is a novice committee.

The fourth committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations is the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL) that was established in 1993 after the merger of two committees. Originally, the Fourth Committee was solely responsible for matters of decolonization and trusteeship, but once all UN Trust Territories were declared as independent, it merged with the then Seventh Committee; the Special Political Committee. SPECPOL handles a wide variety of issues including UN peacekeeping, territorial disputes, and  international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. Delegates in this committee will work together to address pressing political and decolonization issues while addressing strategies to promote peaceful resolutions to conflicts and methods to prevent recurrence.

topics and questions to consider

Topic 1: Indigenous Rights in Africa

Questions to Consider:

1. How can the committee uplift indigenous communities without intruding on state sovereignty?

2. Are reparations due and who should pay them?

3. How can the U.N encourage and support members of indigenous communities to get involved in indigenous rights movements?

4. Should the U.N provide assistance to underrepresented indigenous communities or oversight to encourage further representation?

5. How does the U.N address the impacts of colonialism without undermining public confidence in state governments that are effected and shaped by these impacts?

6. How can the U.N work to prevent cultural erosion of indigenous cultures?

7. What is the balance of integration vs cultural protection?

8. What are the unique struggles of African indigenous communities compared to the rest of the world?

9. What are the impacts of climate change on African Indigenous Communities and how do we mitigate them?

Topic 2: Equitable Extraterrestrial Development

Questions to Consider:

1. How do we enforce equity and sustainability in space-based economic development?

2. How can countries collaborate and share information to maximize efficiency and minimize conflict when developing more advanced space programs?

3. How can underdeveloped nations share in the some of the benefits that come from space-based economic development?

4. What roles should regional alliances play in space development?

5. How should the U.N. enforce collaboration and provide oversight for these programs?

6. What can be done to ensure that this technological benefit is used for the greater good?

7. What procedures can be put in place to allocate finite access to exclusive resources in space?

8. How can we update international laws and norms to a new frontier of space development?

9. What role do private corporations play in space development and should states regulate their operations?

Meet your dais!

Chair: Joseph Masterson