In my last post, I wrote about researching the conference itself. Now let's discuss researching your committee. For the most part, this means understanding its mandate, history, and membership.
Understanding your committee may seem like a minor part of your research; however, I think it is the most woefully neglected. Have you ever wondered whether your committee can actually carry out the actions listed in its resolutions? Can 1st Committee: Disarmament place sanctions? Can the Commission on Women create a sub-commission? The answers to these questions depend on the power and authority of their respective committees.
Mandate is the most important aspect of researching your committee. If the very goal of the committee is to do something about topics A and B, then you need to know what your committee can actually do.
Understanding the committee's powers and authority is particularly essential to writing resolutions. Operative clauses that take action, such as placing sanctions and establishing sub-commissions, must be based on the committee's mandate.
I get frustrated when my committee tries to do something that it simply cannot. Resolutions that propose such ideas, however, are the easiest to attack. I can say that the resolution is bad because the committee cannot execute a particular operative clause. Making this argument scores me points with the chair and other delegates. It also convinces the committee to support my resolution instead. But first, I need to understand what the committee can actually do. I also need to make sure that my resolution doesn't make the same mistake.
Knowing your committee's history is not as crucial as its mandate, but it is essential background information. Use it as factual ammunition, which can back up your ideas and strengthen your resolutions.
For example, someone could make the following speech to support his resolution in the UN Human Rights Council: "This committee began because its predecessor, the Commission on Human Rights, was defunct, discredited, and dissolved. This resolution represents an important opportunity to show the international community that the UN is no longer impotent and, in fact, can act to protect human rights around the world."
And finally, membership is important because no resolution passes on its own. Knowing which countries will be represented helps you to anticipate alliances and cater your ideas.
For example, the African bloc is always a huge player in General Assembly committees. Delegates always notice the United States; but to pass his resolution, even the US must gain support from the developing countries that make up most of the General Assembly. African countries are particularly important because they are many. Also, their alliance via the African Union makes them more likely to join one resolution--or form their own--as an entire bloc. No matter the US's ideas, he cannot pass his resolution without their support.
So how to find information on your committee's mandate, history, and membership? Your topic paper might help, but chances are it won't. The best place to look is the committee's actual website. But if you want the real deal, find the UN resolution (or equivalent international document) that actually established your committee. Other websites run by think tanks and non-governmental organizations might help.
For example, I started researching the Security Council by checking out its website, where its mandate and membership are clearly described (besides the Big 5, the Council always distributes membership geographically: 1 from Eastern Europe, 2 from Latin America, 2 from Western Europe and "other," and 5 from Asia and Africa). To understand its power, however, I went to the source: Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of the UN Charter. And regarding history, the Global Policy Forum has an excellent page dedicated to the Security Council.
I hope that helps. Next post: researching your topic.
Understanding your committee may seem like a minor part of your research; however, I think it is the most woefully neglected. Have you ever wondered whether your committee can actually carry out the actions listed in its resolutions? Can 1st Committee: Disarmament place sanctions? Can the Commission on Women create a sub-commission? The answers to these questions depend on the power and authority of their respective committees.
Mandate is the most important aspect of researching your committee. If the very goal of the committee is to do something about topics A and B, then you need to know what your committee can actually do.
Understanding the committee's powers and authority is particularly essential to writing resolutions. Operative clauses that take action, such as placing sanctions and establishing sub-commissions, must be based on the committee's mandate.
I get frustrated when my committee tries to do something that it simply cannot. Resolutions that propose such ideas, however, are the easiest to attack. I can say that the resolution is bad because the committee cannot execute a particular operative clause. Making this argument scores me points with the chair and other delegates. It also convinces the committee to support my resolution instead. But first, I need to understand what the committee can actually do. I also need to make sure that my resolution doesn't make the same mistake.
Knowing your committee's history is not as crucial as its mandate, but it is essential background information. Use it as factual ammunition, which can back up your ideas and strengthen your resolutions.
For example, someone could make the following speech to support his resolution in the UN Human Rights Council: "This committee began because its predecessor, the Commission on Human Rights, was defunct, discredited, and dissolved. This resolution represents an important opportunity to show the international community that the UN is no longer impotent and, in fact, can act to protect human rights around the world."
And finally, membership is important because no resolution passes on its own. Knowing which countries will be represented helps you to anticipate alliances and cater your ideas.
For example, the African bloc is always a huge player in General Assembly committees. Delegates always notice the United States; but to pass his resolution, even the US must gain support from the developing countries that make up most of the General Assembly. African countries are particularly important because they are many. Also, their alliance via the African Union makes them more likely to join one resolution--or form their own--as an entire bloc. No matter the US's ideas, he cannot pass his resolution without their support.
So how to find information on your committee's mandate, history, and membership? Your topic paper might help, but chances are it won't. The best place to look is the committee's actual website. But if you want the real deal, find the UN resolution (or equivalent international document) that actually established your committee. Other websites run by think tanks and non-governmental organizations might help.
For example, I started researching the Security Council by checking out its website, where its mandate and membership are clearly described (besides the Big 5, the Council always distributes membership geographically: 1 from Eastern Europe, 2 from Latin America, 2 from Western Europe and "other," and 5 from Asia and Africa). To understand its power, however, I went to the source: Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of the UN Charter. And regarding history, the Global Policy Forum has an excellent page dedicated to the Security Council.
I hope that helps. Next post: researching your topic.
1 comments:
On knowing what your committee can do: I was at a confrence and my committee, Peace Building Commission, was constantly trying to come up with ways to force the Hexbollah out of Lebanon. I was constantly having to point out that, as the PBC, we were not allowed to do this.
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