Committees

GA Committees
ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, REGIONAL, OR SPECIALIZED COUNCILS
CRISIS COMMITTEES

[DOUBLE & NOVICE] Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian Committee (SOCHUM)

​Chairs: Guy Goren & Gaelle Ngabo
Email: [email protected] & [email protected]

Topic A: Protecting the Rights of Prisoners
All individuals, regardless of their legal status, are entitled to basic human rights with dignity. However, the treatment of prisoners varies drastically across nations, with many facing inhumane conditions such as overcrowding, unsanitary facilities, physical abuse, forced labor, and, unfortunately, many more. In some regions, prisoners are denied access to healthcare, education, or legal representation, while others may be detained indefinitely without trial or suffer due to political, ethnic, or social targeting. Political prisoners and minority groups are especially vulnerable, particularly in authoritarian-run nations and conflict zones. While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Nelson Mandela Rules outline clear international standards for prisoner treatment, enforcement remains inconsistent and often neglected. As incarceration rates rise globally and justice reform gains urgency, delegates in SOCHUM will be tasked with examining the legal and humanitarian principles at stake. They must consider both international expectations and the unique cultural and legal frameworks of each country to propose practical, rights-based solutions that protect the dignity and well-being of those behind bars.

Topic B: Responding to Rapid Population Growth and Decline
The international population crisis incorporates a wide range of factors and issues. In different parts of the world, massively high fertility rates cause unemployment and crime, while in others, dropping birth rates predict devastating consequences for the future. In sub-saharan Africa, an average fertility rate of 4.53 children per woman has led to a massive bubble of young people, overwhelming the workforce with massive unemployment. This youth bulge creates great challenges for education and political stability, and with over 60% of the sub-saharan African population being under 25, these problems may persist for decades. In stark contrast, East Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and China have very low fertility rates. The replacement rate in developed countries of 2.1 children per woman is significantly higher than over half of countries, and this number rises with each passing year. Since 1990, 40 more countries’ fertility rates have fallen below replacement, resulting in population decline and rising median ages. In many of these countries, population bubbles are seen, where a large portion of the population was born within a small range of time. As this bubble reaches retirement age, the decimated young workforce will desperately struggle to take care of them, which could collapse elder care and pension institutions, and increase age-based inequality, elder neglect, and reduced life expectancy. When most of the population is too old to work, economies will slow down, and progress will greatly stagnate. 
This is a double delegation committee, which means each country will be represented by two delegates from the same school. When assigning positions to this committee, we ask that you assign two delegates to every position assigned within the SOCHUM committee.
This is also a novice committee, which is intended for delegates who are new to Model UN.