About the committee

The Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian Committee (SOCHUM) is the Third Committee of the General Assembly. It is tasked with addressing a wide range of social and humanitarian affairs as well as human rights issues. The goals of SOCHUM include the advancement of women, access to free speech, the treatment of refugees, the elimination of racism and racial discrimination, and the promotion of the right to self-determination. As a General Assembly Committee, its recommendations are not only a valuable part of providing solutions but a representation of cooperation at the highest level. Containing 193 member-states, each resolution produced by the committee is of contribution from the international community as a whole.

Our first agenda item deals with the discrimination and inequality against minorities, including but not limited to; women and members of the LGBTQ community. All around the world, people that belong to these minority groups, face discrimination and inequality in every aspect of their lives. However, in underdeveloped and developing countries these injustices usually take on a much more violent shape. Hence, in order to prevent further violations of human rights, addressing the issue in the aforementioned countries should have priority.    

The second agenda item draws attention to the Healthcare Gap between developed and underdeveloped countries. Especially with the emergence of COVID-19, the vaccine gap, consequently the healthcare gap, between nations has gained traction once again. Access to sufficient healthcare should be a basic human right, yet many suffer from lack or inaccessibility to it, and others simply cannot afford it. Ironically, developed countries experience unrest and suspicion coming from parts of their population concerning the COVID-19 vaccines. While some have the privilege to question the effectiveness of healthcare, in other parts of the world people require basic healthcare to survive. Dualities like these only magnify the need to address the problem regarding the healthcare gap. 

Delegates of SOCHUM need to analyze in-depth the cultural and structural violence towards minorities and underdeveloped countries at global and regional levels. Delegates also need to contextualize these problems regarding the history of related countries. And finally, a sustainable set of solutions needs to be created with cooperation from every member. Although faced with a very difficult task, even inexperienced delegates can offer solutions to these problems. That’s because the agenda items of this committee pay attention to issues that are embedded in almost every person’s life, so we encourage every participant to consider applying to SOCHUM. Our Committee Staff and Academic Team expect your applications with eagerness and enthusiasm.