UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
SOCIAL, HUMANITARIAN AND CULTURAL COMMITTEE

The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM) is a United Nations General Assembly body directed to questions regarding the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights as its main reference guide. SOCHUM, the Third Committee of the General Assembly, deals mainly with issues in the social and cultural framework and collaborates with various organizations to implement the GA’s resolutions. Having all UN Member States represented within the Committee, SOCHUM allows space for varying experiences and positions, providing a forum for equitable discussions and negotiation among countries.

Topic Area A: Prevention and treatment of pandemics - The access to medication in the context of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis

Over 25 million people have died from HIV/AIDS since its identification in 1981, and today there are around 40 million individuals living with the disease. To this day, global researches have been unable to provide a vaccine or a cure for what is considered the worst pandemic in centuries: a pandemic that causes devastating effects on people’s lives and if not stopped may lead to complete economic and social turmoil. Although in some countries the HIV infection rates have decreased, the number of carriers is rising worldwide, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where the seroprevalence represents around 60% of the global number. Prevention practices and the availability of treatment with antiretroviral drugs are not sufficient, and are only available in very few countries.

The interaction of HIV/AIDS with Tuberculosis (TB), its worst opportunistic infection, has been called a ‘deadly combination’ by the World Health Organization (WHO). HIV is the most important agent in the spread of TB – the risk of a seropositive of contracting the disease is 10 times greater than that of a seronegative. TB is the leading cause of morbidity and death in HIV carriers. It is estimated that one third of the world’s HIV carriers are co-infected with TB; and the majority of them live in Southern Africa, one of the regions in which those two pandemics are out of control.

Although there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, drug treatment controls the virus and often leads to longer life. As to TB, it is known that in uncomplicated cases HIV carriers can be treated and cured with the standard therapy used by seronegative individuals. However, HIV/AIDS and TB treatment, has been neglected in most developing countries, and statistics indicate that if not controlled the diseases may reach global proportions.

In this sense, before HIV/AIDS and TB can be controlled, there are several obstacles to overcome. Prevention strategies, which can avoid up to two-thirds of the new HIV infections estimated until 2010, need further implementation. Accurate and early diagnosis, essential for an optimization of the treatment, depends on greater availability of health technology and higher trained specialists, remarkably in low-income countries. Full and equal access to medication and other health facilities is extremely needed for effective treatment of the diseases. Also, the conduction of drug trials in countries whose population rarely enjoy the profits of the researches they participate in calls for attention.

The international community now strains to solve the situation and to guarantee the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. SOCHUM members are, therefore, called upon to discuss policies and methods to make control of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis pandemics fully accessible and affordable worldwide.

Topic Area B: The freedom of expression and access to information

Established in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression is widely considered a fundamental basis for a democratic society, for it optimizes participation in decision-making processes. It also comprises the Right of Access to Information and is directly related to the fulfillment of other human rights and freedoms, mainly individual dignity. Notwithstanding that, the international community has been facing situations in which may be necessary constraining these rights. In this sense article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights reinforces the so-called information rights, but bounds them to (a) the “respect of the rights or reputations of others”, condemning libel and defamation, and (b) “the protection of national security or of public order”.

In contexts such as that of terrorism, the restriction of information rights can be essential to the protection of the population and the maintenance of national security. Therefore, some governmental control over freedom of expression and information access avoids incitement of hatred and violence, as well as promotes a more stable and peaceful environment. However, with an average of 60 journalists being murdered each year around the world, it is important to note that such limitation must be provided by law, in accordance to human rights principles.

There is a growing concern about the manner in which national security laws are misused by official agents to violate the right of freedom of opinion and expression. In this matter, it is important to recall the joint statement issued on December 10, 2001 by 17 experts of the CHR (E/CN.4/2002/75), which argues that “the fight against terrorism must not result in violations of human rights as guaranteed under international law”. It has been noticed that the abuse of power granted under the terrorist threat often leads to intimidation, closure of media outlets, banning of publications, banning of public gatherings, strict censorship over means of communications, not to mention summary and arbitrary execution, disappearances, torture and arbitrary detentions.

The international community now seeks a solution for this dichotomy. While the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in Article 4 gives framework for the intervention of the State in fundamental freedoms, the creation of the aforementioned exceptions may make matters even worse. Delegates of SOCHUM are called upon to discuss in what manner limitations on the information rights may be accepted, and how to cope with such inalienable rights when plurality promotes social disorder.