An ad hoc committee is a body convened for a single, narrowly defined purpose — typically drafting a treaty, investigating an incident, or negotiating a specific instrument — and disbanded once that work is complete. The Latin phrase ad hoc means "for this," signaling the committee's limited scope and lifespan, distinguishing it from standing or permanent committees that maintain a continuous mandate.
In the United Nations system, the General Assembly has established numerous ad hoc committees under Article 22 of the UN Charter, which authorizes it to create subsidiary organs as needed. Notable examples include the Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean, established in 1972, and the Ad Hoc Committee established by General Assembly resolution 51/210 of 17 December 1996, which negotiated several counter-terrorism conventions, including the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (1999) and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005). More recently, the Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes was established by resolution 74/247 (2019) and concluded its draft in 2024.
In Model UN, "Ad Hoc" often refers to a specialized crisis committee whose topic is revealed only at the start of the conference, testing delegates' ability to research, caucus, and draft directives under extreme time pressure. Ad Hoc committees are commonly featured at conferences such as Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN), the University of Pennsylvania's UPMUNC, and Yale's YMUN, and admission is typically by application. Delegates are usually expected to represent individual figures (advisors, ministers, operatives) rather than member states, and the committee operates with crisis mechanics — directives, communiqués, and personal portfolio powers — rather than standard parliamentary procedure.
Whether in diplomacy or simulation, the defining feature is the same: a focused mandate, finite duration, and dissolution upon completion.
Example
At HNMUN 2023, the Ad Hoc Committee of the Secretary-General was revealed on opening night to simulate a covert response to a fictional cyberattack, requiring delegates to draft directives within hours.
Frequently asked questions
A standing committee has an ongoing mandate and meets regularly, while an ad hoc committee is created for one specific task and dissolves once that task is complete.
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