Topics

• Ending foreign exploitation of mineral resources in Democratic Republic of Congo
• Helping developing and midde income countries reduce reliance of fossile fuels
• Respect for principles of national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of States in their electoral processes

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The President of the General Assembly addresses the Fourth Committee on 7 October 2019 [UN Photo].

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Background

Special Political, GA Fourth Committee, specializes in some of the most demanding issues facing the international community, issues that divide the UN's 193 member states, including disputes over state sovereignty, shared resources and rival paths of economic and social development. Unlike the Security Council, General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, but the path they create influences everyone.

Issues focusing on peoples lacking national self-determination (ruled by other countries) are among the most controversial of all for the UN system. How do states adjust with rising demands of previously unrecognized or powerless groups? Do they give up territory, concede autonomy, or assert their sovereign authority? Should the UN create special structures to deal with such problems? How does the international community ameliorate the suffering of peoples caught up in rebellion and political turmoil?