Overview

The Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM) is the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. In reaction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it was founded in 1945. SOCHUM focuses on matters pertaining to fundamental human rights that everyone on the planet ought to be able to enjoy.

The Committee addresses topics pertaining to women’s advancement, child protection, indigenous issues, refugee treatment, the promotion of fundamental freedoms through the eradication of racism and racial discrimination, and the right to self-determination. Important social development concerns like those pertaining to youth, families, ageing, people with disabilities, crime prevention, criminal justice, and worldwide drug control are also addressed by the Committee.

Topic overview

The act of disclosing knowledge of wrongdoing within a private or public institution, whether fraudulent, unlawful, immoral, illicit, hazardous, or unethical, is known as whistleblowing. Whistleblowers frequently experience reprisals for their revelations, such as losing their jobs.

The conflict between national security concerns and the public’s right to knowledge has been brought to light by high-profile cases like those of Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning. There is no internationally enforceable framework guaranteeing uniform rights for whistleblowers, despite the fact that certain nations have put in place legal measures.

Delegates are invited to discuss the ethical, legal, and social aspects of whistleblowing, such as how to strike a balance between freedom of speech and state security, the role of international organisations in establishing safeguards, and ways to prevent the abuse of whistleblower status.