FOURTH COMMITTEE: SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION (SPECPOL)

Chair: BRENDAN STELMACH

The United Nations Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly (also known as SPECPOL) was established in 1993, and takes its mandate from Article XI of the United Charter, which commits to the preservation of the rights and dignities of those living in non-self-governing territories, as well as General Assembly Resolution 47/233, which established it as the body to discuss issues the First Committee (DISEC) was not equipped to handle, such as self-determination and international security concerns. Per this mandate, SPECPOL, which includes all 193 member states of the United Nations, focuses on a broader scope than other committees, and balances its attention between pressing short term issues such as peacekeeping, decolonization, and self-determination efforts and more long term attention towards ameliorating the lasting impact of colonial impact. 

Topic A

UN Election Monitoring

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 300 (DOUBLE DELEGATION)

Learning Goals

Delegates will...

• Gain an understanding of election systems of UN member states, especially in regions of rising political and social conflict;
• Be challenged to create proper measures to define UN jurisdiction in election monitoring to ensure a peaceful transition of power;
• Become informed about the plight of refugee populations in developed and developing nations;
• Learn about the case of Myanmar’s Rohingya population, as well as the issue of nations, such as Catalonia.

About the Chair

Brendan Stelmach is a member of the Walsh School of Foreign Service class of 2019. He looks forward to majoring in International Politics with a Security focus, and continuing his Jesuit education at Georgetown as a graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, Illinois. At Georgetown, Brendan is an active member of the MUN travel team, serving as USG for Regionals at NAIMUN LIV, and most recently the Director-General of NAIMUN LV. In addition to Model UN, Brendan plays club water polo and participates in social activism on campus. Brendan is excited for his last NAIMUN, and can’t wait to explore SPECPOL with you all!