United Nations General Assembly Fourth Committee

The United Nations General Assembly Fourth Committee (also known as the Special Political and Decolonization Committee or SPECPOL or C4) is one of six main committees of the United Nations General Assembly. It deals with a diverse set of political issues, including UN peacekeeping and peaceful uses of outer space. However, the issues of decolonization and the Middle East take up most of its time.[1]

"Special Political and Decolonization Committee" redirects here. For other uses, see Special Committee on Decolonization.
United Nations General Assembly Fourth Committee
AbbreviationSPECPOL, C4
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersNew York, United States
Head
Chairperson
Mohammed Hussein Bahr Aluloom
Parent organization
United Nations General Assembly
Websitewww.un.org/en/ga/fourth
 Politics portal

Mandate

When it was first created, the Fourth Committee was solely responsible for trusteeship- and decolonization-related matters. However, after independence was granted to all the United Nations trust territories and the subsequent dismantling of the trusteeship system, the Committee's workload decreased. Consequently, the Fourth Committee was merged with the Special Political Committee, which had been created as a seventh main committee to deal with certain political issues.[2][3]

The Fourth Committee deals with: decolonization-related items, the effects of atomic radiation, questions relating to information, a comprehensive review of the question of peacekeeping operations, review of special political missions, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East, the report of the Special Committee on Israeli Practices and international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.[1][4]

Working Methods

The Fourth Committee meets every year from late September to mid-November, but also convenes briefly in the spring to adopt any resolutions and decisions relating to peacekeeping passed by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. All 193 member states of the UN can attend its meetings.

Unlike most other United Nations bodies, there is no general debate at the beginning of the Committee's work. The Committee also allows for petitioners, i.e. civil society representatives and other stakeholders, to address it on decolonization issues. Finally, the Committee usually adopts about 30-35 draft resolutions and several draft decisions annually, usually by consensus.[1]

Reporting Bodies

The following bodies report through the Fourth Committee to the General Assembly:[1]

Current state

In its 75th Session, the Committee will focus on:[5]

  • Maintenance of international peace and security
    • Effects of atomic radiation
    • International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space
    • United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
    • Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories
    • Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects
    • Comprehensive review of special political missions
    • Questions relating to information
    • Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations
    • Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories
    • Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations
    • Offers by Member States of study and training facilities for inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories
    • Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples

Bureau

The following make up the bureau of the Fourth Committee for the 75th Session of the General Assembly:[6]

Name Country Position
H.E. Collen Vixen Kelapile BotswanaChairperson
Darren Camilleri MaltaVice-Chair
Paul Hussar RomaniaVice-Chair
José Osvaldo Sanabria Rivarola ParaguayVice-Chair
Jassim Sayar A. J. Al-Maawda QatarRapporteur

See also

References
  1. The GA Handbook: A Practical Guide to the United Nations General Assembly (PDF) (2nd ed.). New York: Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations. 2017. ISBN 978-0-615-49660-3.
  2. "Main Committees". Dag Hammarskjöld Library. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  3. United Nations General Assembly Session 47 Resolution 233. Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly A/RES/47/233 17 August 1993. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  4. "Special Political and Decolonization (Fourth Committee)". United Nations General Assembly. United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  5. United Nations General Assembly Session 75 Annex 1. Allocation of agenda items to the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) A/C.4/75/1 18 September 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  6. Bureau (n.d.). "Special Political and Decolonization (Fourth Committee): Bureau of the 75th Session". General Assembly of the United Nations. United Nations. Retrieved 29 September 2020.


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