Explore Our Committees

Topic A: Expanding Green Energy in Rural Communities

Over two billion people worldwide still rely on traditional solid fuels like wood, coal, crop waste, and animal dung for cooking and heating. These fuels are highly inefficient and release harmful pollutants, including particulate matter and black carbon. As a result, they contribute to negative human health effects, including millions of premature deaths every year. They also release significant greenhouse gases, contributing to global climate change. Unfortunately, access to cleaner energy options like electricity, natural gas, solar power, and other renewable technologies remains deeply unequal. Only 54 percent of rural households have access to clean cooking fuels, compared to 88 percent of urban households. This is because rural communities have less energy infrastructure and may not be able to afford them. Not only will green energy access reduce health effects and help mitigate climate change, but it can also improve equality and economic circumstances in rural communities. For example, it will reduce the time rural residents, particularly women, spend collecting fuel. As a result, they will have more time to pursue other activities. Overall, expanding green energy is crucial to achieving the SDGs, particularly SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy.

Topic B: Promoting Green Manufacturing

Global industrialization has resulted in enormous economic benefits, but it has also led to serious environmental concerns. Manufacturing is one of the leading sources of air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, water contamination, and solid waste. Green manufacturing aims to combat these problems by redesigning production processes to be environmentally friendly. These changes must be made at every stage of the supply chain, from sourcing raw materials to delivering the final product to the consumer. Core principles of green manufacturing include improving energy efficiency, conserving natural resources, reducing pollution and waste, and promoting recycling and reuse of materials. Beyond environmental improvements, green manufacturing can also benefit the companies that implement it. Sustainable practices can lead to cost savings, reduce regulatory penalties, and help companies build stronger reputations. Because supply chains stretch across the globe, no single country can lead this change alone. Therefore, to truly mitigate climate change and environmental degradation, COP delegates must promote international cooperation on green manufacturing.

Topic A: Representation of Women in STEM

Women and girls remain significantly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). These fields are key to solving global challenges and driving innovation. While more girls are completing education than ever before, many still face barriers such as gender stereotypes, lack of mentors and role models, unequal access to opportunities, and limited encouragement to pursue STEM subjects. Globally, women make up only about one-third of STEM graduates and just 26 percent of the workforce in data and artificial intelligence. This gap limits innovation and reduces the diversity of perspectives in scientific development. For example, since men historically dominated research spaces, studies have found that women are up to 70 percent more likely to be seriously injured in car crashes because safety testing historically relied on crash-test dummies based on average male bodies. Closing the gender gap in STEM requires action from CSW delegates such as improving access to quality education for girls, expanding mentoring and scholarship programs, challenging stereotypes, and encouraging inclusive workplaces in science and technology sectors. Strengthening these efforts will help ensure that girls and women everywhere can participate equally in shaping technologies and discoveries of the future.

Topic B: Gender-Based Violence in Migration Routes

Migration corridors, while offering pathways to safety and opportunity, often expose migrants to significant risk, including exploitation and violence. Migrants, especially women and girls, are disproportionately targeted due to their vulnerability. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), five out of every ten trafficking victims are women, and two out of ten are girls. Sexual violence is also heightened along migration routes due to the secluded and dispersed nature of the routes. Furthermore, reporting mechanisms are often inaccessible or unsafe. Many migrants are fleeing dangerous situations or attempting to escape unstable home countries and often have no clear point of contact in their destination country. Fear of deportation and social stigma are also clear barriers to reporting for women. Migration routes cross borders and are often designed to evade detection. As a result, there are prolific gaps in oversight and enforcement. Delegates in CSW must consider protections for these vulnerable populations while considering the complex and often illicit nature of migration corridors.

Topic A: Illicit Trade of Small Arms and Light Weapons

The illicit trade of small arms and light weapons (SALW) remains one of the most pressing security challenges, fueling conflict, terrorism, organized crime, and human rights abuses across regions ranging from Haiti to the Sahel. There are over one billion firearms in circulation worldwide. Many are stolen, illegally sold, or trafficked across borders. These weapons contribute to what the UN has described as a “chain of violence” that sustains instability and displacement. These weapons are especially dangerous because they are cheap, easy to transport, and widely used, contributing to thousands of civilian deaths and worsening insecurity. The UN has created frameworks like the Programme of Action (2001) and the International Tracing Instrument (2005) to help countries better regulate, track, and control weapons, but enforcement remains uneven. New challenges, such as untraceable “ghost guns” and growing international trafficking networks, make the problem even harder to solve. In DISEC, delegates must consider how countries can work together to strengthen laws, improve cooperation, and reduce the flow of illegal weapons.

Topic B: Preventing Non-State Actors from Acquiring Advanced Weapons

The spread of advanced weapons has created major global security concerns. Modern technologies such as hypersonic missiles, highly accurate weapons, and AI-powered drones are being developed by both governments and private defense companies. These weapons are designed to bypass traditional defense systems. At the same time, non-state actors, including terrorist groups and organized crime networks, have tried to steal or obtain these weapons to strengthen their forces. Unlike traditional weapons, advanced weapons combine speed, precision, power, and easier access. Non-state groups no longer need large military bases or teams of expert scientists to use dangerous technology. In addition, while conventional weapons can often be tracked by satellites, many advanced weapons are harder to detect and less predictable. Many of these technologies are also “dual use,” meaning they can be used for both civilian and military purposes. For example, AI systems and drones can help businesses and researchers, but they can also be turned into weapons. This creates a major challenge for governments. States want to stop dangerous groups from obtaining advanced weapons, but they also do not want to slow down technological innovation or limit private companies too heavily. Because many non-state actors operate across borders, international cooperation is often necessary to track and regulate these weapons effectively.

Topic A: Human Rights Violations in Venezuela

Venezuela remains in a profound political and human rights crisis following the disputed 2024 presidential election. Amid widespread and credible allegations of election fraud, Nicolás Maduro was declared victorious by state-controlled institutions. This was strongly supported by countries like Russia and China. However, many countries (including the US) and the European Parliament publicly recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González as the rightful winner. On January 3, 2026, the situation escalated when the United States conducted a military operation in Caracas, capturing Maduro and his wife, who now face charges related to drug trafficking and terrorism. Subsequently, Maduro’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assumed the presidency on an interim basis. Despite the removal of Maduro, Venezuela’s authoritarian and repressive state apparatus remains intact. Reports indicate at least 87 new cases of politically motivated detention since January 3. Systemic human rights violations, including violations of due process, freedom of expression, and political participation, continue under the current authorities.

At the same time, Venezuela faces uncertainty regarding its democratic future. New elections are anticipated but have yet to be scheduled, raising concerns over prolonged political instability. The opposition remains excluded from formal governance processes. A central figure in this context is opposition leader María Corina Machado, who, despite being barred from office and forced into exile, continues to advocate for democratic reform and credible elections. Machado has expressed intentions to return to Venezuela and lead a transition toward democracy. SOCHUM delegates face critical questions: how to support free and fair elections, ensure accountability for past and ongoing human rights violations, and prevent further deterioration of Venezuela’s humanitarian and social conditions.

Topic B: Improving Global Literacy Rates

Despite several decades of global development efforts, literacy persists as a fundamental barrier to equity and economic mobility for millions of people. UNESCO asserts that an estimated 754 million youth and adults still cannot read or write, and two-thirds of this population are women and girls. The gap is not solely a product of educational failure; it is a result of intergenerational poverty, stifled health systems, and social exclusion. While primary school enrollment has increased significantly, a global ‘learning crisis’ persists due to crowded classrooms, educators with insufficient training, and scarcity of resources in mother-tongue languages. This challenge is further exacerbated in regions affected by conflict and climate displacement, where prolonged interruptions to formal schooling exist. Moreover, in an increasingly digital world, the definition of literacy also extends into digital and media skill sets, creating disadvantages for those without access to technology or connectivity. As literacy is tied to human rights and democratic participation, certain marginalized populations may be further sidelined or exploited.

Topic: Scam Compounds (Operation Shadow Storm)

Fraud is the most common cybercrime, targeting millions of people every day. These frauds are often disguised as innocent ads or offers. This makes it easy for fraudsters to lure people into giving up financial information. Aside from online scams, fraudsters will also call people and try to obtain personal information. Large, organized fraud operations often come from scam compounds. Here, multiple fraudsters collaborate to scam people globally. These compounds have also been linked to human trafficking networks, where individuals are lured with false job offers or forced through threats and violence to participate in online frauds. This creates a complicated challenge for law enforcement agencies, which must determine how to dismantle criminal networks while also protecting victims who may be trapped within the operations. Elderly and vulnerable people are the most at risk of being defrauded, and this problem grows every year. Countries around the world have begun to work together on fighting these scam compounds. With the creation of Operation Shadow Storm in early 2026, INTERPOL delegates will need to think about how to shut down fraud compounds. This includes finding out where compounds are, who might be victimized within the compounds, and what evidence is needed to prove the fraud. As crime evolves with the internet, INTERPOL must adapt and decide how to deal with this new type of organized crime.