VICTORIA SCHOOL

The Special Political and Decolonisation Committee (SPECPOL) is the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly (GA) in the United Nations. It handles a range of issues from that of outer space and peacekeeping to the remaining issues of Palestinian refugees, human rights and decolonization. As such, SPECPOL can be seen to be one of the most diverse committees in the GA. It is important to note that the SPECPOL cannot implement sanctions or military actions, nor can it pass binding resolutions on the states in the committee; it predominantly provides suggestions as to what the UN can do with regards to the issues raised.

 

In VSMUN 2015, delegates of SPECPOL will discuss on the use of outer space by countries in terms of its commercialisation and militarisation. The militarisation of space is defined as “the placement and development of weaponry and military technology in outer space” whereas the commercialisation of space refers to “the use of equipment sent into or through outer space to provide goods or services of commercial value, either by a corporation or state.“ In the recent few years, exploring and carrying out activities in space have become more common in multiple countries, with hundreds of satellites being sent and are orbiting in space. Concerns are therefore being raised about the possible domination and monopolisation of space by certain parties. Thus, this issue needs to be urgently discussed so that the potential of outer space can be maximised to benefit all of humanity.