Work and Goals of the Six Main Committees of the UN General Assembly (as of late 2011)
The six Main Committees handle the bulk of General Assembly business. They review agenda items, debate issues, negotiate texts, and recommend draft resolutions for plenary adoption. In 2011, priorities included advancing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with a 2015 deadline approaching, supporting stabilization in conflict areas such as Afghanistan, managing peacekeeping, addressing human rights, and handling budgets and legal matters.
This picture is incomplete. While the committees followed established rules with incremental reforms, overlaps and repetitive outputs slowed impact. The Second Committee addressed economic development and MDG progress, including support for sustainable economic development in post-conflict settings. The Third Committee tackled social and humanitarian issues, notably education for women and girls in contexts such as Afghanistan. Resolutions often reaffirmed prior language rather than driving new action, and coordination across committees on integrated issues remained limited.
Regional groups rotate chairmanships and bureau positions. Major donors and Security Council members shape outcomes on peacekeeping and development assistance. In 2011, resolutions related to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reflected contributions from key players in security, reconstruction, and rights. Smaller states relied on consensus practices and streamlined procedures to participate effectively.
Delays or generic resolutions carried real consequences. In Afghanistan, committee work on sustainable economic development (Second Committee) and women’s and girls’ education plus broader rights (Third Committee) supported UNAMA efforts, yet implementation gaps left many without stable livelihoods, safe schooling, or protection from violence. Similar shortfalls affected other MDG priorities and conflict-affected populations.
Stronger focus on specific crises such as Afghanistan could crowd out attention to other global needs. Consensus-driven processes protect broad buy-in but often produce cautious texts. The committee structure balances sovereignty with collective action, yet political sensitivities around missions like UNAMA limited depth on contentious elements such as governance reforms or security transitions.
A practical path strengthens mechanisms by linking resolutions more explicitly to on-the-ground needs (e.g., MDG-linked support for Afghanistan’s reconstruction and girls’ education). The smallest first step is for relevant committees to schedule targeted briefings on major missions like UNAMA during agenda planning.
Sources
- Historical note on Main Committees (A/58/CRP.5, 2004) and subsequent practices.
- MDG-related resolutions and UNAMA reports (2011 session).
- General Assembly committees overview: https://www.un.org/en/ga/about/background.shtml
- Afghanistan / Civilian Casulties 2011: https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/u120/u120206f
