TIMEMUN

Committees

Here is a list of all the committees that will be represented in TIMEMUN.

Beginner committees (Delegates for whom TIMEMUN is their first – third MUN conference. Capped at 40 delegates per committee)

UN Environmental Committee
  1. Microplastics: Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that break off of bottles and other plastic products. As microplastics enter water sources they are eaten by fish and eventually by humans. More than 10% of freshwater fish were shown to have contained microplastic particles. The long-term impacts could be devastating.
  2. Sustainable Alternatives For Transportation: Transportation emissions are the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, and bear significant influence on pollution globally. Green alternatives offer cleaner, more energy-efficient alternatives, but their implementation varies greatly by country. The UNEP will work to expand green transportation alternatives globally. 
Human Rights Committee
  1. Child marriages: 20% of girls around the world marry before the age of 18. In LDCs, this number rises to 40%, with 12% married before the age of 12. These marriages harm the mental and physical health of girls, prevent them from finishing school and getting jobs, and perpetuate socio-economic gaps. The Human Rights Council will tackle this issue impacting 12 million girls a year.
  2. Kurdish rights: With an estimated population of 30-40 million, the Kurdish people outnumber 75% of UN member states, yet Kurds live as an oppressed minority, or as refugees. In Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, Kurdish populations are marginalized geographically, culturally, economically, and politically, facing various barriers to political representation, and fundamental rights. The HRC will address these issues in depth.
UNESCO
  1. Educating those out of school: Although significant progress has been made, UNESCO warns that 244 million children around the world remain out of school, with 40% (98 million) in sub-Saharan Africa. Without access to quality education, generational and regional poverty is likely to continue. UNESCO will act to implement SDG 4 (quality education for all children).
  2. Standardized Testing and Core Curriculums: Standardized testing and core curriculum are controversial topics among students, teachers, and parents alike. The main idea behind core curricula and standardized testing is to provide accountability and ensure minimal educational standards are met. However, critics warn that the design and implementation can be detrimental, including accusations of biases against minorities, or hindering educators and students. UNESCO will debate the issues and offer recommendations for member states.

Intermediate committees (Delegates who have been to at least three conferences already. Capped at 30 delegates.)

Legal (UNGA 6)
  1. Modernizing International Humanitarian Law: The Geneva Conventions of 1949 remain fundamental to international humanitarian law, but they also face challenges in addressing modern conflicts, which are increasing of a national rather than international nature. These issues include: getting non-state actors to comply, a better method of determining some of the ambiguous points of IHL and encouraging enforcement among all actors; cyberwarfare, etc.
  2. Space law: There are a number of UN treaties addressing outer space, but the most recent one is over 40 years old. As space technology advances, more countries, and even private companies, enter outer space, and there is a need for better cooperation and regulation of outer space. UNGA will try to draft and pass treaties to ensure a peaceful and sustainable outer space for all.
WHO (World Health Organization)
  1. Mental health in Developing Countries: An estimated one in four people around the world will face a mental health condition during their lifetimes. Depression ranks third among global diseases and is expected to keep spreading to become the most prevalent disease by 2030. These conditions bear life-altering consequences: anxiety and depression cost an estimated $1 trillion, while suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people. The impacts are particularly severe for those in the least developed economies, where up to 85% of individuals suffering may not receive proper care.
  2. Impact of racism and gender biases on healthcare: Research shows that implicit gender and race biases negatively impact the healthcare treatment of patients, leading to greater disparities in the diagnosis of diseases and conditions and gaps in treatments provided. Structural racism also manifests in reduced access to healthcare and lower quality of treatment, ultimately leading to adverse health for female and minority patients. Tackling these issues requires addressing the root causes of implicit biases and systemic racism, while also ensuring that patients receive equal quality medical care.
ECOFIN
  1. Economic impact of racism: Racism prevents qualified individuals from getting the jobs they are best suited for, which also bears an impact on the economy. It’s estimated that racism costs the US $1-2 trillion annually, and the global economic impact of racism is far higher.
  2. FOREX and online fraud: Forex and other virtual financial trading have become ubiquitous in recent years. Unfortunately, in many cases, those handling the money are only looking to turn a profit, with little regard for their clients. This has led to many investors getting scammed out of their savings. ECOFIN will try to provide guidelines that states and other actors can use to protect civilians.
US Senate
  1. Gun control: There are 45,000 deaths due to firearms in the US in 2021, up significantly from 38,000 in 2018. This makes the US the second-highest country by deaths due to shootings, and the highest in the world by per capita suicide shootings. Despite this, gun rights advocates and their supporters in the US Congress, relying on the second amendment right to bear arms, have managed to block legislation that could change the situation. Will this Senate vote differently?
  2. Election fraud: Election fraud has become a charged topic in US politics, punctuated by the January 2021 storming of the US Capitol building. While experts largely deny that US electoral outcomes are not reliable, US intelligence does regularly warn about efforts by external forces to influence and manipulate the US elections. What steps, if any, will this Senate take to ensure that American elections are secure and reliable?

Advanced (Delegates who want a more dynamic, challenging committee. Capped at 20 delegates.)

Security Council
  1. Somalia conflict: Civil war and the rise of Al-Shabab, combined with poverty, famine, and lack of governance, has devastated Somalia in the last thirty years. In a country of 16.5 million people, half a million have died due to war, 800,000 have fled the country, and another 3 million are internally displaced. Half of the population lives in poverty, defined by the UN as living on $2 a day or less. The UNSC will build on Resolution 2662 and the efforts of ATMIS and UNSOM to try to stabilize Somalia.
  2. Yemen conflict: Yemen faces a grave future, with long-standing political and ethnic divisions combined with external pressures which perpetuate a more than decade-long civil war. The UN estimates that over 10,000 children have been killed already, while 4 million Yemeni have fled their homes, and 16 million, more than half the country, suffer from hunger. This committee will build on UNSC Resolution 2624 as it addresses Yemen’s urgent needs.
Historical Council 1979

The historical SC will be dealing with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, as well as addressing the aftermath of the Iranian revolution, and the recent appointment of Ayatollah Khomeini as the Supreme Leader of the new Islamic Republic.

Saudi Cabinet

Members of the Saudi cabinet will discuss whether the Kingdom’s rapid opening of its borders and economic and socio-cultural transformation is proceeding at the right pace, or whether any course correction is needed, as well as devising a strategy for addressing Iran’s regional influence.

CRISIS | Harry Potter

In the Harry Potter committee, students will represent key characters from the Harry Potter world and discuss important topics like racism towards Muggles, and the continued enslavement of the house elves. and dealing with the potential risk of the magic world being discovered.

CRISIS | Israeli-Palestinian 1947 Historical

The 1947 crisis committee will go through the implementation of the historic UNGA Resolution 181 creating Israel, and allowing for an alternative reality based upon the decisions of the members of the committee. 

CRISIS | Star Wars Galactic Senate

With the destruction of the second Death Star, the end of the Empire finally arrived. The now newly formed New Republic is fighting off the remnants of the Empire and has begun holding its first meetings. Many senators have been invited in the name of peace and equality, but in such a lawless and chaotic time, there is much work to be done. But many doubt that the New Republic will be any better than the Republic, or even the Empire! But the New Republic is set on helping those in need and making the galaxy a safer place for all. The topics that will change the course of the galaxy for decades to come.

CRISIS | Russian Cabinet

The Russian cabinet will begin its work in September 2020, with cabinet members debating two key issues: Russia’s Middle East foreign policy, including Libya, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Israel; and Russia’s approach to Ukraine and other countries in eastern Europe.