Committee Types

General Assembly (GA) and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) committees are the largest committees offered at YMUN Brasil and are based upon real United Nations committees. Delegates will debate contemporary issues related to economic, social, political, and environmental issues with the hopes of establishing lasting multilateral solutions. These committees will operate using UNA-USA procedure, meaning that the flow of debate will primarily progress through an alternation between moderated and unmoderated caucuses. During committee sessions, delegates will debate, develop, and ultimately present proposed resolutions to committee topics.

Progress is made through working papers and draft resolutions. Delegates will first form smaller groups to craft a rough draft of their ideas (a working paper). The working papers that are approved will then merge with others and incorporate the ideas of the papers not passed to develop fleshed-out draft resolutions that must pass with a simple majority.

Specialized and crisis committees are smaller and faster-paced committees that offer delegates the opportunity to debate unconventional topics in unexpected and ever-changing circumstances. Specialized committees are usually tuned more towards fictional and historical scenarios, with crisis topics being more realistic and modern. In addition, specialized and crisis committees operate through individual character assignments/positions rather than typical United Nations debates between distinct countries.

While these committees will also operate using UNA-USA procedure, their moderated and unmoderated caucuses will be accompanied by crisis updates that present groundbreaking information on the committee’s circumstances. Delegates will be expected to adapt to these changes quickly and address new issues thoroughly. In crisis committees, delegates will have the additional opportunity to send crisis notes to real or fictional characters, which will then be used by the chairs to formulate future crisis updates. This strategy is developing a backroom crisis arc, and it allows delegates to privately request resources, services, or support that will further their personal and communal goals in committee. In both crisis and specialized committees, progress is made through passing directives, which are short, hand-written resolutions approved by the committee to spark change. Directives, similar to crisis notes, will drive crisis updates.