Here are 15 topics to use for simulations for participants new to Model United Nations. These topics cover a wide range of committees and give an idea of the mandate of each. These topics can also be used for more advanced simulations as well.
General Assembly
Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC)
Topic: Preventing the Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
Description: Nuclear energy is simultaneously one of the most catastrophic and one of the most beneficial technologies humanity has discovered. Through nuclear energy, the possibility of cheap, environmentally friendly power for almost unlimited populations is feasible. However, nuclear warheads also have the proven ability to kill tens of thousands and constitute a dangerous threat to this world. Under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), nuclear powers and the United Nations have an obligation to protect the non-proliferation of dangerous sources of nuclear power, whilst improving and regulating nuclear energy for all. With many important countries not signatories to the NPT, it is a difficult diplomatic and security topic that is essential to discuss in our difficult contemporary world.
Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian Committee (SOCHUM)
Topic: Protecting human rights in refugee camps
Description: By definition, those reaching refugee camps have already faced horrible situations that constitute a violation of their basic human rights of safety. However, for many, upon reaching these camps, the dire situation can lead to further degradation of their rights, opportunities, and livelihoods. With many refugee camps situated in neighboring often struggling Member States, there is not enough to go around, nor enough order to make these camps places of proper refuge and care before processing of asylum, or for more permanent stay. Far from just being owing to conflict, refugee camps are popping up across the borders of many Member States and causing major difficulties for administrations there to handle. SOCHUM, with a mandate to look after the human rights of all, must find ways to improve the monitoring, protection, and improvement of human rights for those most vulnerable in refugee camps, in order to give those there the best chance for a fulfilling life in the face of such difficulties.
The Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL)
Topic: Promoting the peaceful uses of outer space
Description: Space is quickly becoming a new domain of military activity that has deep ramifications for humanity. As one of the few areas, along with the arctic, with a treaty regulating it for peaceful uses, Space deserves to remain the areas of scientific discovery and civilian uses. However, Space commands have quickly been established as potential domains for the militarization of space, with plans to launch military satellites, develop tools to bring down satellites, and an overall threat to the delicate balance in our outer atmosphere. SPECPOL, with a focus on political and outer space issues, must find a way to renew the outer space treaty of 1967 for the modern age, encourage further ratification, and generally find new ways to protect the burgeoning civilian sectors for the industry.
Programmes and Specialised Agencies
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Topic: Helping Countries reach their SDG Goals
Description: With the 2030 Agenda quickly becoming a reality many countries are struggling to reach their intended goals, especially those hardest hit by Covid, climate change, and difficult conflicts or refugee influxes. How can we support these most vulnerable in the effort to all reach the SDGs in time for it to make a meaningful impact to the world.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Topic: Improving Natural Disaster Response
Description: Climate change is making environmental disasters worse, more deadly, more expensive, and harder to rebuild from. The United Nations current framework for Disaster Risk Reduction negotiated at Sendai is active from 2015 to 2030, and we should already be looking beyond this framework to new ways to help the world bounce back from these disasters.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
Topic: Reducing Rural Poverty
Description: As the world becomes more urbanised, a forgotten caste of the population is left fending off more land, agriculture, in more desperate circumstances. It is important we work together to help reduce the poverty of these regions, whilst helping them gain access to resources and services they need for themselves and future generations.
World Food Programme (WFP)
Topic: Tackling Food Security in Post-Conflict Zones
Description: Out of the close to 100 million people who the WFP helps, 2/3rds are found in conflict zones and their security of food after emergency food relief is of vital interest. Therefore, we must reassess how to secure their food and nourishment after the emergency is over, and people find themselves in a post-conflict zone, dealing with the repercussions of violence and state corruption that can be common. By what mechanisms can the international community help whilst also providing an effective platform for the people themselves to build a better society in the wake of conflict.
World Health Organisation (WHO)
Topic: Continuing the Eradication of HIV/AIDS
Description: HIV/AIDS continues to be one of the biggest killers worldwide, and continues to devastate societies across the world, especially in areas where access to education and healthcare continues to be low. With the Covid pandemic having reversed some of the important successes made in the this fight, how can we continue the eradication of this deadly disease, and break the cycle of death and discrimination it leaves in its wake.
Other Committees and Offices of the UN
High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
Topic: Delivering stronger leadership for Sustainable Development
Description: We are entering a critical decade for Sustainable development, one that can and will rapidly change the face of this earth. Whilst huge sums of money and efforts have gone into tackling climate change in the public and private sectors, strong political leadership is needed globally to continue the pressure on stopping climate change. To this end, what programs, campaigns, can be hosted globally under the auspices of this important high-level forum to create such leadership so that future generations can benefit from a cleaner, healthier planet.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Topic: Reducing the global sale of illicit drugs
Description: As the UNODC 2020 report shows, the sale and consumption of illicit drugs has increased during the Covid pandemic, and its increase is unlikely to stop during the reconstruction of economies and societies after Covid. Therefore, how can we tackle cross-border sale of these drugs, where technology and global supply chains make it harder to trace and disrupt such international smuggling.
Regional Committees
Organisation of American States (OAS)
Topic: Reducing Political Corruption in the Americas
Description: Protests across these past few years have highlighted the frustration of many citizens of political and economic corruption in governments. How can we strengthen the rule of law and decrease the prevalence of corruption at many levels of our governments. The success of anti corruption commissions in countries such as El Salvador shows that improvements can occur, but what sustainable methods can the OAS seek to tackle corruption.
African Union (AU)
Topic: Managing Cross Border Terrorism
Description: As Al-Shabab in Mozambique and Somalia, and Boko Haram in Nigeria and Niger continue to wreak havoc on many cross border regions, how can the African Union create a better framework to tackle such terrorism? Coalitions of African countries are often dedicated to the removal and pacification of these groups, yet more can and must be done to deal with these organizations, removing ways they profit, securing regions at risk, and helping to decrease the prevalence of radicalisation of often young recruits into their militias.
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Topic: Reform of Electoral Monitoring
Description: The OSCE is one of the largest Forums in Europe to help monitor elections across its 57 Participating states. However, with elections becoming increasingly difficult to monitor, from electronic voting, disinformation, and a decrease in democratic regimes in Europe, reform is necessary to keep monitoring at its best. How can we best do this, and what themes are needed to focus upon in any new regime of election monitoring?
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Topic: Managing Fast Growing Populations
Description: ago, the global population reached 7 billion, and today, it is about 7.7 billion. According to a report by Germany’s Foundation for World Population released on December 19, 2019, the global population will exceed 8 billion within four years. The population of some countries are growing rapidly while that of others are declining. In countries like India, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand, which are member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the population is growing at an incredibly quick pace. As a result of this rapid growth, most cities or societies are not prepared to support the growing needs of a large population, facing issues ranging from resource scarcity to social security. How can we deal with the rapid population growth whilst continuing to increase the standard of living for all?
The Arab League
Topic: Supporting the Arab Peace Initiative
Description: As an initiative created within the Arab League in 2002 to help settle the Israeli – Israeli -Palestinian peace process has faced ups and down across the two decades since. With a new wave of Israeli leaders replacing Netanyahu, and a reimagining of US and worldwide support, how can we reinvent the Arab Peace Initiative and put the Arab League again at the forefront of the Arab negotiations in the Palestinian Peace process?