Georgia Tech Model United Nations Conference

The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly is the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural affairs committee. It deals with humanitarian efforts and human rights in conjuction with the UN's Commission on Human Rights. However, the committee also addresses issues dealing with health, education, living standards, and employment. GA 3 also handles social development questions which deal with various sectors of society including the young, elderly, disabled, families, etc. The GA's General committee decides which topics are to be put on the agenda. Issues dealing with the above mentioned topics are discussed in GA 3. Just like the other GA committees, every UN member state is also in the Social and Humanitarian Committee (SOCHUM), meaning each nation gets one vote on each resolution. SOCHUM can only discuss issues relating to the topics delegated to it. It cannot pass binding resolutions, but neither can the rest of the UN General Assembly. It can, however, give and take advice from other UN bodies and committees.