SPECPOL, the Special Political and Decolonization Committee, is the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. As a UN body, SPECPOL oversees global issues relating to decolonization and its aftereffects including; atomic radiation, peacekeeping operations, space exploration, international cooperation, and statelessness. Delegates in the SPECPOL committee can expect to discuss real-world issues, reflect on the legacy of global colonization, and collaborate to make this planet a safer decolonized space. 

Topic one: Future of Non-Proliferation Movement

First put into effect in 1970, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) set guidelines for defining nuclear-weapon states with the aims of preventing the spread of nuclear weaponry worldwide, advancing non-military uses of nuclear energy and advocating for nuclear disarmament. However, since its implementation, several countries have either left or never signed the agreement. Moreover later international agreements such as 2017’s Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), did not sign any country that possesses nuclear weapons, and the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the United States and Russia expired in February 2026. Considering this current stalemate in global affairs, delegates in the SPECPOL committee will be tasked with navigating the future of non-proliferation and what it means to be a nuclear state in the 21st century. 

Topic Two: Advancing Civilian Protections in Wartime

Beginning in 1864, the Geneva Conventions have been the hallmark of humanitarian rights for non-combatants in times of war. From sick and wounded soldiers, to shipwrecked sailors and prisoners of war, to civilians, the Geneva Conventions have established an international protocol to protect the lives, rights, and dignity of noncombatants. However, in recent years the scope of war has changed dramatically. The introduction of unmanned aerial and naval vehicles (drones), cyber and electronic warfare, and joint-all-domain operations (combined land, sea, and aerial attacks) have left civilians extremely unprotected in this ever-evolving twenty-first century. Delegates in the SPECPOL committee can expect to redefine and evaluate the meaning of humanitarian rights for civilians in wartime in this modern world.