Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM)
The United Nations Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM) is the Third Committee of the General Assembly which was founded at the advent of the United Nations in 1945. The committee is tasked with a broad mandate that covers a wide range of social, humanitarian, and human rights affairs. The Committee pays particular attention to the latter, working closely with the Human Rights Council since its establishment in 2006. Some human rights issues that the Committee has discussed in the past relate to the advancement of women’s rights, the protection of children, indigenous issues, the treatment of refugees, the promotion of fundamental freedoms though the elimination of racism and racial discrimination, and the right to self-determination. Additionally, the Committee addresses issues in social development such as those associated with youth, family, aging, persons with disabilities, crime prevention, criminal justice, and international drug control. SOCHUM works closely with other UN bodies in order to more effectively address the issues covered in its mandate.
Committee Topics:
Topic A: Improving the Conditions and Efficiency of Refugee Camps
Topic B: Protecting World Heritage Sites and Centers of Cultural Importance
Background Guide: Now Available!
Letter from the Chair
Dear Honorable Delegates,
Hello and welcome to JHUMUNC 2018! My name is Mary Gronkiewicz, and I will be serving as the Chair for this year’s Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee. I hope you are as excited as I am for this year’s conference! It is going to be a truly fantastic, fun experience, and I looked forward to hearing all of you voice your opinions on our topics.
To give you a little background on myself: I am originally from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I am currently a senior at JHU double majoring in International Studies and Spanish, with a minor in History. Besides participating in JHUMUNC, I am in Tutorial Project, Women’s Club Lacrosse, and Greek Life. I also enjoy watch old movies, reading, hiking, exploring Baltimore, and hanging out with my best buds.
I first joined the JHUMUNC staff my sophomore year as a dais staff member for the Historical General Assembly. The experience was so enjoyable that I returned as the Chair for the Permanent Form on Indigenous Issues at the 2017 conference. The work and passion you delegates put into preparing for the conference is truly impressive. Although this will be my last year with JHUMUNC, I could not be more thrilled to be your Chair for SOCHUM. I am certain that with your spirit and enthusiasm, we will be the best committee out there!
As you might have gathered from the committee name, the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee deals with a variety of social issues from around the world. The committee also works emphatically to protect human rights, particularly among members of the most marginalized communities, as well as women and children. This year, we will be dealing with two pertinent topics. The first will address the protection of World Heritage Sites and centers of important cultural significance, particularly in war zones. The second topic will be the improvement of conditions and efficiency within refugee camps throughout the world.
I hope you are all excited to discuss these topics and engage in respectful, but lively debate. I look forward to meeting each of you in February! In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns about the conference or our committee, please feel free to reach out via email.
All the Best,
Mary Gronkiewicz
Chair of the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee