Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL)
Committee History, Mandate, and Premise
The Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, commonly known as the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL), deals with many different issues including decolonization, the effects of atomic radiation, peacekeeping, and international cooperation in outer space. Prior to 1993, SPECPOL only handled questions of decolonization, while an additional committee addressed political questions, but the two were combined to create the mandate SPECPOL has today. With the Trusteeship Council, one of the main organs of the United Nations alongside the General Assembly, SPECPOL was responsible for overseeing the 11 United Nations trustees, the last of which, Palau, became a United Nations member in 1994.
SPECPOL is charged with a diverse mandate of topics, making it one of the most unique committees of the United Nations General Assembly. In past sessions, SPECPOL has addressed the consequences of decolonization, conflicts in the Middle East, and the status of peacekeeping operations. SPECPOL plays a key role in supporting worldwide attention on these different but important issues, especially regarding the promotion of peaceful cooperation.
Committee topic: Digitizing and Innovating Peacekeeping Efforts
Introduction
One of the most visible ways the United Nations operates worldwide is through its peacekeeping missions. Peacekeeping missions help countries and regions navigate the process from conflict to peace, helping create lasting peace processes and build political institutions for good governance.
With almost 70,000 individuals serving in 11 peacekeeping missions around the world and a combined budget of around $5.6 billion, peacekeeping is central to the United Nations’ mission. A majority of these 11 missions, however, were established before the turn of the 21st century, meaning that they remain under somewhat outdated missions, organizations, and systems. Delegates must consider the current state of peacekeeping around the world and how it can be innovated, digitized, and otherwise brought into the modern day to further optimize peacekeeping missions, especially given criticism that its current peacekeeping efforts are ineffective.
Potential Topics for Discussion
While the full backgrounder is being created, suggested topics for further research include:
What UN peacekeeping currently looks like
Ethical concerns of digitization and innovation
Future paths for peacekeeping
Potential Sources to Consider
“Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee).” United Nations General Assembly. Accessed December 2, 2025. https://www.un.org/en/ga/fifth/pkofinancing.shtml.
Aloyo, Eamon, and Geoffrey Swenson. “Ethical Exit: When Should Peacekeepers Depart?” European Journal of International Security 8, no. 3 (2023): 299–318. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-journal-of-international-security/article/ethical-exit-when-should-peacekeepers-depart/2263C4801D503675914A53C3F7B0D98A.
“Armed Conflicts are Changing Rapidly in Nature.” United Nations Peacekeeping. Accessed December 2, 2025. https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/a4p-factsheet-challenges.pdf.
“Artificial Intelligence (AI).” United Nations. Accessed December 18, 2025. https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/artificial-intelligence.
Axworthy, Lloyd, and A. Walter Dorn. “New Technology for Peace & Protection: Expanding the r2p Toolbox.” Daedalus 145, no. 4 (Fall 2016): 88–100. https://direct.mit.edu/daed/article/145/4/88/27121/New-Technology-for-Peace-amp-Protection-Expanding.
Azcárate, Cristina. “Artificial Intelligence in peacekeeping missions and humanitarian operations.” Universidad de Navarra. March 12, 2024. https://en.unav.edu/web/global-affairs/la-inteligencia-artificial-en-misiones-de-paz-y-operaciones-humanitarias.
Bara, Corinne, and Maurice P. Schumann. “Partnership Peacekeeping Works: What Does this Mean in a Divided World?” IPI Global Observatory. October 17, 2023. https://theglobalobservatory.org/2023/10/partnership-peacekeeping-works-what-does-this-mean-in-a-divided-world/.
“Can UN Peacekeeping Enter the Digital Age?” Council on Foreign Relations. July 2, 2015. https://www.cfr.org/blog/can-un-peacekeeping-enter-digital-age.
“Deploying Peacekeepers.” United Nations Peacekeeping. Accessed December 2, 2025. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/deploying-peacekeepers.
Dorn, A. Walter. United Nations Peacekeeping Intelligence. Oxford: Oxford Press. 2010. https://www.walterdorn.net/pdf/PK-Intell_Dorn_OxfordHandbook_LargePrint_AsPublished-OCR_2010.pdf.
“Gender Equality in Peacekeeping: Why it Matters for Global Security.” UN Women. May 9, 2025. https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/explainer/gender-equality-in-peacekeeping-why-it-matters-for-global-security.
Hansen, Annika, and Naomi Miyashita. “UN Peacekeeping Embraces the Digital World.” IPI Global Observatory. September 17, 2021. https://theglobalobservatory.org/2021/09/un-peacekeeping-embraces-the-digital-world.
“How We Are Funded.” United Nations Peacekeeping. Accessed December 2, 2025. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/how-we-are-funded.
Nesa, Meherun. “The Ethical Failure: Gender Exploitation and Moral Accountability in UN Peacekeeping Operations.” Women in International Security. February 24, 2025. https://wiisglobal.org/resource_library/the-ethical-failure-gender-exploitation-and-moral-accountability-in-un-peacekeeping-operations/.
“Our Peacekeepers.” United Nations Peacekeeping. Accessed December 2, 2023. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/our-peacekeepers.
“Peacekeeping Missions Stand as ‘Important Deterrent to an Even Grimmer Reality’, Senior United Nations Official Underlines in Briefing to Security Council.” The United Nations. September 7, 2023. https://press.un.org/en/2023/sc15404.doc.htm.
“Principles of Peacekeeping.” United Nations Peacekeeping. Accessed December 2, 2025. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/principles-of-peacekeeping.
UN Secretary-General. Identical Letters dated 17 June 2015 from the Secretary-General Addressed to the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council. A/70/95–S/2015/446. June 17, 2025. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/795940?ln=en&v=pdf.
United Nations Peacekeeping. List of Peacekeeping Operations 1948–2013. New York City: United Nations. 2014. https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/peacekeeping/en/operationslist.pdf.
United Nations Peacekeeping. Peacekeeping Operations Fact Sheet. New York City: United Nations. October 31, 2025. https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/peacekeeping_fact_sheet_october_2025_english.pdf.
United Nations Peacekeeping. Strategy for the Digital Transformation of United Nations Peacekeeping. New York City: United Nations. September 17, 2021. https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/20210917_strategy-for-the-digital-transformation-of-un-peacekeeping_en_final-02_17-09-2021.pdf.
“United Nations Peacekeeping.” United Nations. Accessed December 1, 2025. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en.
“United Nations Truce Supervision Organization: Background.” United Nations Peacekeeping. November 29, 2016. https://untso.unmissions.org/background.
United Nations Women. UN Women: Coordination Strategy 2024. New York City: UN Women. July 2024. https://gendercoordinationandmainstreaming.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2024-03/UN%20Women%20Coordination%20Strategy%202024.pdf.
“What We Do.” United Nations Peacekeeping. United Nations. Accessed December 2, 2025. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/what-we-do.
“Where We Operate.” United Nations Peacekeeping. Accessed December 2, 2025. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/where-we-operate.
Wiederhold, Brenda K. “The Future of Peacekeeping: Navigating Ethical AI Deployment in Conflict Zones.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking 28, no. 7 (June 2025). https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/cyber.2024.0486.