Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee SOCHUM

The Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM) is the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. The committee was established in 1945 and three years after its establishment, it ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which remains the cornerstone of human rights policy worldwide. Each year, SOCHUM discusses a broad range of issues in regard to social, humanitarian and cultural issues, including women’s rights, refugee protection, and cultural preservation. This year’s SOCHUM committee will focus on two critical topics: the implications of smart cities on human rights and freedoms; and the effects of job automation of workers’ rights and job security.

TOPIC A: Smart Cities
With the advancement in technological sophistication within urban planning and the shrinking resources for current metropolises in terms of housing people, smart cities are becoming an increasingly popular solution to effective population distribution. A critical aspect of smart cities is their integration of personal information within the way that the city functions: from fingerprints and eye detection to accessing personal records, smart cities run on private information. Throughout the committee, delegates will explore how governments – aiming to optimize resource allocation – can advance their cities into the modern age while simultaneously respecting civil liberties of their citizens. Delegates will answer several key questions, including: what constitutes an ethical smart city? How can international frameworks regulate the flow of citizen data collected by smart city infrastructure? What mechanisms can ensure accountability for governments and corporations that misuse personal information, and how can vulnerable populations be protected from discriminatory algorithmic biases?

TOPIC B: Job Automation and Unemployment
In the past few decades, AI and associated technology have been gradually taking jobs from humans, and in some cases, entire industries within the global economy. The economic benefits of this technological revolution is undeniable, but mass implementation of revolutionary technologies such ensure its negative downstream effects are inevitable. Although automation enhances productivity and profitability, the shift in the labor market may result in very high levels of unemployment. This may render individuals whose skills can be automated largely unemployed and unemployable. Throughout the committee, the delegates will consider the ways in which government structures should be transformed in order to accommodate citizens who find themselves in the new digital age, especially in places where the welfare state is underdeveloped. Delegates will discuss how it is possible to establish regulatory systems that will ensure that the rights of workers are protected and that the process of reeducation is facilitated without stifling innovations or hindering economic growth. The topic will also examine the broader social and humanitarian dimensions of automation, including, but not limited to widening inequality between high-skilled and displaced workers, the ethical responsibilities of corporations deploying these technologies, and how nations can proactively prepare their growing populations for an increasingly automated world.