The Legal Committee
6th Committee of the General Assembly
TOPICS
A: Initiating Accountability for Cybernetic Warfare
B: Suspending Human Rights Law Breacher States from the UNHRC
Topic A: In this day and age of rapid technological advancement, one of the most horrifying global problems has also changed with the times: war is no longer hands-on, but has taken a cybernetic form as well. Hostile actions in the informatic space include propaganda attacks, the spreading of viruses, and attempts to destroy communication infrastructure, for purposes of espionage and sabotage. Countries and international bodies such as the European or the African Union have attempted to develop ways to regulate cyber crimes, alongside the UN’s First Committee, but it has hardly been enough. With tensions growing in all parts of the world and criminals ranging from hacktivists to actual military personnel under the cover of anonymity, the specificity of the international legal framework needs to be a top priority. Will you help the Legal Committee in ensuring better protection against the horrors of modern-day war?
Topic B: Members of the HRC are obligated to uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights and to fully cooperate with the United Nations’ human rights mechanisms. The General Assembly ordered that members of the Human Rights Council uphold human rights and established standards and a procedure to protect the Council. Even though stringent standards have been established, nations like China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia continue to violate human rights systematically, and some Council members have considered it unacceptable that these nations should continue to be a part of the organization.
The Legal Committee’s decision or inaction in this case of breacher states will determine whether the criteria for membership in the Human Rights Council established by the GA in 2006 are still relevant or are utterly devoid of meaning, as well as whether a member of the P5 must abide by international law or is granted complete impunity for violations of international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and the UN Charter itself.
