Committee

Overview

Committee Overview

Yale Model United Nations Australia is dedicated to providing an inclusive learning experience tailored to the unique needs and abilities of every delegate. We are committed to delivering a world-class academic experience that prepares delegates for the complexities of international diplomacy. Our conference emphasizes academic excellence through comprehensive topic guides, structured delegate training, and dynamic debate sessions that challenge students to think critically and collaborate effectively. For this iteration of YMUN, we will be providing General Assemblies (GAs), Economic and Social Councils (ECOSOCs), Regional Bodies (RBs), and Specialized, and Crisis committees.

Committee topics span a range of subjects with an emphasis on delegate education and learning. Certain committees will be designated for both beginner, intermediate, and advanced delegates to try our best to tailor the needs of each delegate in committee based on experience level. All chairs are well-equipped to navigate delegates through the YMUN Australia committee process.

Please feel free to reach out to dg.committees@ymunaustralia.org with any questions regarding committees.

General Assemblies (GA)

General Assemblies (GA) are the committees most similar to those in the United Nations. Delegates will represent a variety of nations in trying to resolve large-scale issues.

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) was established in 1948, just three years after the United Nations was formed. It is responsible for addressing health on an international scale, whether that be reducing disparities between healthcare accessibility or pushing for universal healthcare regulations. The goals of the WHO are deeply interconnected with the Sustainable Development Goals, and the committee is constantly adapting to better cater towards the future of global health. Medical innovations and the role of healthcare is constantly being shaped by current events and global affairs, and the WHO must be sensitive towards these changes to provide the most effective policy recommendations to countries. The World Health Organization consists of 194 member states, including representation from almost every UN member state. The organization today also consists of six regional offices that are dedicated to working in specific geographical regions (Africa, Americas, South-East Asia, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific) and country offices that deal with targeted health plans.

    Topic 1: Protection of Patient Data

    With the rise of digital healthcare and technological innovation entering medical spaces, the issue of cybersecurity becomes an ever growing risk. While technology can help clinical workflow run more efficiently, and shared data collection interfaces can expedite retrieval of patient data, these advances also open doors for malicious third-parties to access private health information. To ensure patients’ trust in the healthcare industry, improved security on patient data is critical.

    Topic 2: Reducing Costs for Healthcare Procedures

    Healthcare costs are ever rising due to the increasing costs of drug production, growing administrative bases, and lack of governmental support. As a result, the amount of out of pocket spending increases, discouraging patients from seeing healthcare providers consistently and seeking out treatment. In order to improve accessibility, especially for those in disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions, alternative strategies must be developed to reduce costs for critical healthcare treatments and drugs.

  • The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), also known as the United Nations Refugee Agency, was first established in 1950. Its initial function was to temporarily assist Europeans displaced by World War II, but today, it protects the rights of any person around the world fleeing from conflict, persecution, violence, or human rights violations. This includes refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless individuals. The UNHCR is part of the United Nations General Assembly. Its legal

    Topic 1: Displacement with Rising Sea Levels & Disappearing Island Nations

    Climate change continues to cause sea levels around the world to rise. In the midst of these rising sea levels, the physical existence of island nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Maldives become more and more uncertain. Many island countries' infrastructure, water supplies, and habitable land are increasingly threatened, and a country disappearing underwater, leaving their citizens becoming displaced, has become a very real and near possibility. However, international refugee law does not have any guidelines for those that are displaced specifically by climate change. Delegates must debate if and how these international refugee laws should be changed in the midst of climate change. They will work together to establish new policies and guidelines addressing resettlement, citizenship, and sovereignty.

    Topic 2: Global Refugee Responsibility Sharing

    Every year, millions of new refugees are displaced and must be protected by refugee law and find a home away from their country of origin. However, countries across the world share this responsibility very unevenly. On one hand, developing countries or countries that are closest to conflict zones host the largest refugee populations. This places a lot of burden on their economies, infrastructure, and public amenities. On the other hand, wealthier nations have strict asylum policies and regulations, and often host far less refugees. Many factors affect this distribution, including current population size, GDP, geographic proximity, and cultural proximity. Considering all these factors, delegates will debate what a fair, distributed, and reasonable international refugee hosting system would look like, and how it will be regulated.

  • The Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL), also known as the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, was first established in 1993 by merging the Special Political Committee and the Decolonization Committee. Its initial historical focus was managing the transition of trust territories and overseeing the global decolonization movement, but today, it addresses a broad spectrum of complex political and security issues. This includes global peacekeeping operations, the peaceful uses of outer space, mine action, and the assistance of Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). As a primary committee of the General Assembly, SPECPOL includes all 193 member states, and its legal mandate is to provide policy recommendations, oversight, and diplomatic frameworks to maintain international political stability.

    Topic 1: Governing the Militarization of Outer Space

    When the Outer Space Treaty was signed in 1967, the primary concern was keeping nuclear arms out of orbit. The treaty prohibits nuclear arms, but says little about conventional arms or dual-use technology. Ultimately, space looks much different today than it did back in 1967. China, India, the United States, and Russia have tested anti-satellite missiles, creating a debris field that forced the International Space Station to maneuver around. Countries have established space forces or commands, and private companies launch thousands of satellites, crucial to both militaries and civilians. Decades of discussions on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space have yielded little. Delegates must decide where to draw the line between using space for national security and turning it into a battlefield, and whether current rules are sufficient.

    Topic 2: Reassessing the Status of Non-Self-Governing Territories

    Most people think of decolonization as something that wrapped up many decades ago, but that's not really the case when we inspect a bit closer. There are still 17 territories on the UN's list of Non-Self-Governing Territories today, and they're all very different from each other, from Western Sahara to Gibraltar to a handful of small islands in the Pacific and Caribbean. New Caledonia, for example, held three referendums between 2018 and 2021, with the final one boycotted by many independence supporters. Many others are stuck in sovereignty disputes that have not moved in years, like the Falklands/Malvinas, and some administering powers argue that certain territories should no longer be on the list. So the question for our delegates is whether the list, and the way territories get taken off of it, still works the way it was intended to. At the end of the day, it's important that the people actually living in these places are the ones deciding what happens to them. This unfortunately has not always been the case.

Economic and Social Councils (ECOSOCs)

Economic and Social Councils (ECOSOCs) are an organ of the United Nations coordinating global, cultural, and social environment. These are platforms for international change and innovation. Delegates will be challenged to innovate effective solutions for social change.

  • The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) was established in 1992 by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It was created in response to growing rates of transnational crime and has now expanded to govern diverse criminalities— cybercrime, environmental crime, human trafficking, drug syndicates, and justice system reform. The Commission meets annually in Vienna, Austria, where it brings together governments, experts, and civil society from attending nations to shape international standards on security and justice. As of 2026, there are currently 230 active international investigations in the cybercrime and environmental crime sectors, and 109 severe human trafficking cases have been uncovered and legally addressed. The body continues to be an important international avenue for law enforcement, while simultaneously committing to fight crime with respect for human rights.

    Topic 1: Combatting Human Trafficking Networks

    Human trafficking isn’t a back-alley, undercover syndicate; oftentimes, it occurs in plain sight – embedded within multi-billion dollar corporate enterprises on the global economic stage, or people you know in daily life cunningly operating as recruiters. The most unsuspecting procedures are recruitment tactics: labor contracts at a reputable factory, a convivial family member, or an online “friend” who suggests an in-person meet-up. Traffickers prey on individuals facing structural marginalization – poverty, displacement, a lack of legal documentation, etc. – and subject them to an unending cycle of relentless exploitation. While many associate human trafficking with the publicized category of sex trafficking, and this is obviously valid too, as it accounts for a substantial share of detected victims worldwide and disproportionately affects women and girls, there also exists trafficking for forced labor, deeply ingrained, widespread, and subjecting millions to modern slavery in harsh labor jobs. With the advent of technology, recruitment tactics have moved online, allowing exploitation to begin digitally. As human trafficking grows more ingrained into society, manipulating helpless individuals, how might we dismantle the systems that let traffickers operate in plain sight, while protecting the people most vulnerable to being recruited?

    Topic 2: Addressing Prison Overcrowding and Facilities Reform

    Many countries with “tough-on-crime” legislation, such as mandatory minimum sentences, face this dilemma – there are more criminals requiring jail cells than there are spaces to house them. The United Nations reports that more than 60 percent of countries with available data run their prison systems at over 100 percent capacity. Overcrowding in facilities results in inevitable shortages and downfalls. Cramped, poorly ventilated spaces breed infectious diseases. Forced proximity and competition elicit physical violence. Budget limitations to accommodate overcapacity cut into nutritious meal operations. The dilemma is a push and pull – for poor countries ridden with high crime rates specifically, the only way to contain crime is to, obviously, remove crime from the streets. Judicial procedures allot longer incarcerations to violent crimes. Yet a poor country, in the first place, doesn’t have the extra budget and time to hurriedly accommodate a new, abrupt arrest – and arrests are never-ending. Governments question where to put their budget – arresting forces, jail facilities, personnel – all in an effort to keep their country safe, while recognizing that criminals are humans deserving of decent living conditions as well. Currently, the top country, the Republic of Congo, reports being at 617% of its maximum capacity. Haiti, Uganda, and the Philippines report high 300%s as well. How might we balance the urgent need to keep citizens safe with the dignity owed to every person behind bars?

Specialised Committees

Specialised committees are fast-paced committees geared towards delegates wishing to explore historical topics. Delegates must quickly negotiate, formulate, and enact lasting solutions for pressing issues as individuals in response to new information and updates.

  • The Bondi Beach Conservation Council (BBCC) is a specialized committee formed in 2024 centered around Sydney’s world-famous stretch of coastline. The committee was established following reports that Bondi Beach “isn’t what it used to be.” piles of waste coating the once-glimmering sand to a significant decrease in animal sightings, locals and visitors alike have been disappointed by the conditions of the landmark beach. Drawing inspiration from the Waverley Council, BBCC focuses on what is causing the diminishing quality of the coastal environment and how to eliminate those causes at the source through new local legislation, as well as the resolution of issues regarding crowd control and the proper usage of the space. While varied in background and motive for joining the committee, at its core, members of BBCC envision a brighter future for Bondi Beach and are prepared to work tirelessly to achieve success.

    Topic 1: Pollution on the Pacific

    Pollution poses the most direct threat to Bondi Beach today. Sydney’s urban environment produces an abundance of air and water pollution from sources like diesel-powered vehicles and construction sites, which spoil Bondi’s natural beauty and once-thriving ecosystem. Additionally, a worker shortage at the Cape Breton Waste Management Facility has resulted in overflowing waste bins and excessive litter in the sand and sea. To combat these difficulties, delegates will begin by exploring which forms of pollution are most harmful and which solutions are most effective to protect Australia’s natural wonders and all of the creatures that live in it.

    Topic 2: Sustainable Tourism Efforts

    Because of Bondi Beach’s diverse range of flora and fauna, scientists have long been drawn to the area to conduct research. However, a recent influx in tourism to the beach has created tensions between the seasoned researchers and the new patrons. The crowds bring in an immense amount of noise which disturbs the animals, beach equipment which flattens the greenery, and movement which disturbs the scientific environment. Yet those tourists also cause Sydney’s economy to skyrocket, so local government officials want to ensure that the guests thoroughly enjoy their Bondi Beach experience. Delegates will navigate conflicting interests and a committee ridden with stubbornness in order to bring balance to the Australian dunes and waves.

  • It's late 1932, and Australia is facing a crisis: emus. While wheat crops depreciate in value because of the Great Depression and farmers across Western Australia struggle to survive, 20,000 emus emerge and begin ravaging hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. Farmers are angry and have already been let down by false promises of subsidies by the Australian government. As a result, the government launches a military operation to mitigate the crisis. However, it seems they may have underestimated the strength of the emus. This committee throws delegates into the midst of the Emu Wars, with delegates representing a range of individuals from farmers to senators to scientists and more, to solve the emu crisis. Delegates must consider different military strategies, wildlife implications, economic needs, public perception, and more to win the Emu Wars and create a future Australia that is not susceptible to another strike.

    Topic 1: The Initial Emu Assault

    The assault of 20,000 emus across Western Australia has begun and has created an unprecedented crisis for already financially struggling Australian farmers. As emus destroy crops and threaten the livelihoods of rural communities, public frustration with the government's failure to provide relief places pressure on political leaders to act. Military operations using soldiers with machine guns to kill the emus offer a potential solution, but initial operations suggest mixed effectiveness of these tactics against the agile emus. Delegates must consider the immediate needs of farmers who continue to lose income,  the environmental consequences of the attack and potential responses, and public perception. By having conversations with locals, reallocating resources, and strategizing military operations, delegates will work to create an effective response to the emu assault.

    Topic 2 Blurb: Post-Emu War Reconstruction

    Following the conclusion of the Emu Wars, Australia must figure out how to rebuild agricultural communities and launch new policies amidst economic instability, potentially unsuccessful military campaigns, and falling public trust. Australia's agricultural infrastructure, wildlife policies, and political response systems have all been weakened and must be fixed. Supporting agricultural communities and ensuring this tragedy never happens again will require delegates to look long-term and consider the future of Australia. Delegates must manage their competing interests, like compensation for farmers, wildlife concerns from activists and scientists, government spending, and military effectiveness. Ultimately, delegates will create a reconstruction policy that bolsters Australian agriculture, rebuilds public trust, and creates an Australia that is better prepared for future environmental and economic crises.

Crisis Committees

Crisis committees are fast-paced committees catering towards delegates wishing to be challenged. Delegates must quickly navigate communication with other delegates, create new solutions, and impact the committee’s flow through crisis arcs.

  • As delegates for the Crisis in the Beehive Bunker committee, you will be directly transported to the New Zealand government’s situation room, tasked with solving high-stakes challenges during Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s term (2017 to 2023). Set in the National Crisis Management Centre—an executive command center for national emergencies colloquially known as the “Beehive Bunker—you will each lead decision-making as ministers within Ardern’s Cabinet. Featuring right-wing populists like Winston Peters and environmental champions like James Shaw, delegates will be responsible for resolving political differences and producing effective responses to each major crisis. Public accountability mechanisms, in the form of critical media, protests, and elections, will influence how you craft these potential solutions.

    Topic 1: Whakaari Volcanic Eruption: It is December 9, 2019. Prime Minister Ardern receives an emergency briefing — Whakaari, an active volcanic island in northeastern New Zealand, has erupted. Tourists were visiting the island during the explosion and remain stranded. Recovery efforts are stalled due to low visibility and the proliferation of toxic gases in the air. As members of Ardern’s Cabinet, you are immediately called to the Beehive Bunker to develop a rapid response to this crisis. Delegates must consider the most effective way to rescue the people trapped on the island, while accounting for any injuries that resulted from the eruption. Moreover, following the immediate crisis, government leaders should investigate the situation to determine who was at fault for the tourists’ presence in a highly volatile volcanic zone. Long-term policy solutions are necessary to prevent further risk. Lives are at stake.

    Topic 2: The Covid-19 Pandemic: It is now February 28, 2020. Prime Minister Ardern receives another urgent briefing — New Zealand has detected its first confirmed case of COVID-19. With rapid proliferation across the globe, this mysterious virus threatens to spread throughout New Zealand and inflict irreparable damage on the country’s population. As members of Ardern’s Cabinet, you are immediately summoned to the Beehive Bunker to develop an emergency response. Delegates must consider whether to close New Zealand’s borders and ports of entry and impose travel restrictions on the population. You should also examine New Zealand’s healthcare system, evaluating its capacity to sustain a COVID-19 outbreak of significant scale. Long-term strategies are recommended in order to gain public trust amidst potential restrictions on freedom and prepare for future strains.

Regional Bodies

Regional Bodies are UN Committees that are specifically focused on regional issues and nations often within marginalized diplomatic circles. Delegates will be able to engage in challenging and vivid debate in smaller bodies on issues pertaining to a specific region.

  • The Pacific Islands Forum unites 18 nations and territories to confront some of the planet's most urgent challenges. In this committee, delegates will represent nations facing issues ranging from defining their own borders to regulating ocean-floor mining amid climate change. The Forum is rooted in the principle of consensus, where no one nation’s goal is superior to another. The goal is to provide concrete solutions to the rapid development of globalization while balancing the variety of different political interests that often create policy paralysis. The committee recommends that delegates be familiar with basic macroeconomic principles and international statutes on maritime exploration, which can be found more extensively in the topic guide.

    Topic 1: Frameworks for Indigenous Rights

    Across the Pacific, Indigenous peoples are still fighting for rights that most nations take for granted, such as land and a political future that represents their interests. These interests are often cited as an afterthought, but this topic changes that. In this topic, delegates will navigate all of the mechanisms that this Forum has to ensure that Indigenous peoples are accurately represented in the policymaking process. More importantly, delegates must answer the skepticism that some nations carry about the growing polarization of indigenous sovereignty and whether a sovereignty issue is appropriate for an intergovernmental body to intervene. This topic tests what Pacific solidarity is actually worth when it costs something.

    Topic 2: Ocean Floor Mining

    Beneath the waters of the Pacific lie vast amounts of cobalt, nickel, and manganese, some of the most valuable minerals in the world for production. The growing attitude is to pursue ocean floor mining to enhance technological production, but it is not exactly clear how much damage it will do to the ocean floor, which acts as a heat sink for the planet. In this topic, delegates will navigate the economic advantages of mining while understanding the unresolved conflicts in international law regarding maritime navigation. The chase after these minerals could revive the Pacific’s economy or accelerate the globe’s timeline towards ecological destruction. Therefore, any nation’s solutions will have to answer the central question: does the risk outweigh its harms?