GUIDE TO MODEL UN 

NSHS 2021-2022

By: Sri Paladugu

Introduction to Model United Nations:                                                                 

Model United Nations (MUN) is among the most popular student activities available today, with millions of students participating from nearly every country in the world. In MUN, students take on the role of delegates who represent one of the 193 Member States of the United Nations (UN). Because MUN delegates are representing governments, they don’t advocate for their own beliefs in their debates. Instead, they research their country’s policy on the topics assigned to them so that they can represent their country as best they can. After researching, delegates from many different schools come together at MUN conferences, each playing the role of different countries. Delegates must remain true to their country’s policy while also finding areas to compromise with other delegates to create a solution to their topic. These conferences usually take place over the weekend but can range from a single day to three days.

Participating in MUN will help students develop important argumentative skills that don’t get the full attention they need in traditional classroom environments. Students’ public speaking skills improve as they learn to advocate for their policy in small and large group settings. Students also become better critical thinkers by thoughtfully compromising on parts of their policy during negotiations to preserve the more valuable elements. Beyond academic learning, MUN also provides students with opportunities to connect with students from different countries and cultures, broadening their global perspective. Colleges and universities know that MUN trains these skills, so participation in MUN can also be a cornerstone of a strong college application.

1. Position Paper (or Policy Statement)

The Position Paper is a one or two page document that is essentially a summary of your knowledge of the topic and the position your country plans to take when it enters committee. It typically contains four sections: Background of Topic, Past International Actions, Country Policy, and Possible Solutions. Position Papers are usually due before the conference. It typically has you (1) reframe the topic in relation to your countries worldview, (2) shows your country’s past relation to the topic and (3) lays out policies you would want implemented for the future.

The key starting points for researching each section are listed below. They will help you get started with participating in your first Model UN conference, but you will want to dig deeper as you develop more experience.

• Background of Topic: Background guide of the topic provided by the conference, Google, the news, Wikipedia (to frame the topic)
• Past International Actions: UN website, your committee’s website, key treaties or resolutions mentioned in your background guide, UN or NGO reports
• Country Policy: CIA World Factbook, your country’s foreign ministry website, domestic programs within your country, and your country’s voting record on key treaties or resolutions
• Possible Solutions: NGO or think tank policy recommendations, past UN resolutions that you’d like to change or expand on, and your own creativity!

POSITION PAPERS:

A position paper is a brief presentation of the represented country’s position on the agenda items. In other words, it’s a useful summary of a delegation's major points and possible proposals to effectively deal with the topic to be discussed. Usually, the required length does not exceed 3 pages for both topic areas. However, specific instructions will be provided according to the rules and templates applicable to each conference. The position paper constitutes a rather important part of the final evaluation or casts the definitive vote between two equally powerful delegates! Therefore a good position paper sets the basis of a delightful MUN experience and will help you get that Best Delegate prize.

STEP-BY STEP ANALYSIS:

What is to be done from now on? How and where to research? The study/background guide (it is the same document under various names) of the conference-it’s a good start to understand the topic and most of the guides include recommended sites for research. For example if an international treaty is cited or past UN resolutions are commented it is suggested that these particular documents are read through. Also, do not forget that the background guide includes the key points that the chairs want to see being discussed during committee sessions. Another useful source is Google. With the right key points, or a google scholar search useful documents will be at your service! Here is a little tip that few know - if one types on a google search form “yahoo coverage on. . .” a really  good list of articles, links etc. will appear! So, a country’s policy is most commonly found in the CIA World Factbook, and if the represented country has a UNA (United Nations Association). Active NGOs or think tank policy recommendations (let it be noted that some of them may be of certain interests, so they’d better be used in the “resolutions” part or give good ideas for working papers or arguments during the debates. The UN is calling! Still in google search, it’s a good opportunity to browse through any relevant UN website. Take a look at your committee’s website as well and especially the previous agenda section (a lot of times, MUN agenda is based on this section).Usually, these sites link to any other potentially interesting documents, so do not be surprised if a dozen of different windows appear in your browser-actually it’s an indication that you are on the right track! Wikipedia is not an official source, but it is very helpful for generalizing information and finding facts.

HOW TO WRITE:

Having collected all the information needed, it’s time to put these ideas into order! As it may have been understood, the collection of data period can’t be limited to two hours before the deadline expires-this is how most plagiarized position papers are created. So, have the necessary questions outlined in the study guide been answered? The final task is to indicate a series of actions that answers the initial questions! Here are some check-list questions, if these can be answered then rest assured that the chairs will be happy!

FIRST PARAGRAPH: 

A recommended beginning is by outlining the topic in general and providing insight into the root of the conflict. In other words, state the problem and explain why it is significant but in no more than a small introductory paragraph.

MAIN BODY: (2 - 4 PARAGRAPHS): WHY THE TOPIC CONCERNS YOUR COUNTRY?

Has the topic affected your country in particular? Have any relevant actions/domestic programs/bilateral partnerships been adopted? Has the country decided to remain inactive and

why? If a dynamic and widely known plan has been implemented it is necessary to present the

reasons that will lead to the continuation of a particular policy. If historical background is required try to summarize it in no more than 3 sentences. Moving on, does your country have any particular interests? Are any possibilities under discussion? Can your State do something in the upcoming sessions of the Committee? Which are the areas that need reform? How should this process be accomplished? Is there any area of particular concern for your country and why? This could be anything according to the topic.

CONCLUSION: Finally, a conclusion could be written to repeat your country’s position and sum up what you hope to achieve throughout the duration of the conference. If there is no more space, a good quote from a well-known personality or a simple wish for generally fruitful debates, could help as well. So, to sum up: Start early, research, do not hesitate to ask anything you feel uncertain about and the most important thing of all - enjoy!

2. Opening Speech

The Opening Speech typically lasts about 1 minute or 1 minute and 30 seconds and is the first speech you give to the committee. It is the best opportunity for you to explain your country policy and the key sub-issues you would like the committee to focus on. Opening Speeches are the main way for countries to determine who they want to work with, so it’s important to prepare a speech that conveys this. There are many tips and strategies on how to deliver an Opening Speech, but use your Position Paper as a guide when you are starting out. The most important action is to just be brave and make your first speech.

Opening Speeches:

Attention-Grabbing Introduction:

• Interesting Facts: Facts demonstrating how serious a global issue is or how it affects your country specifically can help engage the audience.
• A Quote: Start with a quote from a well-known global figure. It can help the audience feel more connected to you through their connection to the person you’re quoting.
• A Question: By starting your speech with a rhetorical question, you can assure that your listeners are really thinking about the issue and how it may affect them or other people.
• A Story or Anecdote: A more personal appeal in the form of a story or anecdote can carry with it some emotion and demonstrate the real human effect that global issues have on individuals, rather than just statistics about large groups of people in tragic situations.

Argument:

• Should be limited to just a few main points so that your speech can be as memorable as possible. Each point can be broken down into two main parts:

The Why: Speak briefly about the components of the problem that your plan will seek to address, and cite relevant information about how the issue affects your country specifically.

The What: Make a clear statement of your country’s suggested solution for the issue, and briefly explain actionable plans for what you want the international community to do.

Call to Action: 

• With a call to action, you leave your audience with a task–why spend your time writing a speech about an issue if you’re not going to ask anybody to do anything about it? Simply put, a call to action asks your listeners to go forth and tackle this issue, whether through domestic policies or international cooperation.

Example: “Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.” These words were spoken by Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani and international activist fighting for global education and gender equality. Access to education is one of the most pressing global issues facing the international community today, and Colombia remains committed to providing that access to as many citizens as possible nationwide. One of the main obstacles to accomplishing the Millennium Development Goal of Universal Primary Education is the availability of qualified teaching professionals. To combat this issue, Colombia advocates for international cooperative agreements among countries with stronger education infrastructure to partner with countries in need of education support. These partnerships can be leveraged to promote the sharing of best practices and expertise to train educators in host countries and create long-term permanent systems, rather than the traditional method of simply flying in educators to train students temporarily. We’d like to invite all of you to move forward with us to collaboratively generate new and effective measures to provide education to as many of the world’s youth as possible. We encourage all Member States to form these partnerships for domestic, industry-oriented education, and to provide the next generation of global youth the greatest degree of opportunity possible.

3. Research Binder

Research Binders are optional but highly recommended, especially since many conferences do not allow the use of technology in committee. An organized Research Binder will be your go-to resource during the conference as new terms and acronyms, previous resolutions and treaties, and possible solutions are mentioned.

Once you have the background guide provided by the conference you should learn about the following:

1. Your country – History and Interests
2. The topic – Study guide and your own research
3. Your committee’s mandate and abilities
4. Past actions and future policy recommendations
5. Your allies and opponents relevant histories and interests

It is preferable to start with basic information about your country to get an idea through which lens you will be processing the rest of the information. Once you know who you are, read about the topic, followed by getting an understanding of what your committee can and can’t do. You should also see which other countries are in the room, map out who you think you can work with.

4. How to Write a Resolution

Delegates will be writing a document called a Resolution in committee along with other countries that they will be working with. It’s important to know the resolution format and phrases, but most conferences do not allow pre-written resolutions since they want countries to collaborate together during the committee.                

   Flow of a MUN Committee:                                                 

Opening Debate:

Debate typically starts with a speakers list: the list of countries in the order in which they will have the oor to speak. The speakers list is the most democratic of the forms of MUN debate. Each country is allowed to be on the speakers list only once at any given moment, allowing everybody in the room to share their positions equally. Speeches during the start of debate are typically expository in nature. Each country will frame the problem in a way that makes their solution make the most sense. They’ll also explain their country’s involvement in the issue and discuss the kinds of solutions they want to see pass.

This is also the time where countries identify their blocs: groups of countries that share beliefs about how to address the problem. Blocs are critical for getting anything passed through the committee, as a resolution with a single sponsor is unlikely to pass. By listening for opening speeches that advocate for similar policies, delegates can easily identify potential allies.

Working Papers:

After many speeches have passed and the different blocs have come together, each bloc will start to write their resolutions outlining how they want to see the issue addressed by the UN. However, because the resolution is a term reserved for things that have been voted on and approved by the committee, MUN uses the term working paper to describe the documents drafted during this phase of debate. A working paper is a document that aspires to be a resolution but hasn’t been submitted to the chair yet. Once a working paper is submitted to the chair, it is then introduced to the committee (usually by projecting it at the front of the room or making and distributing copies of it to each delegate). At the point that it is distributed to the committee, the document is known as a draft resolution. This distinction will become important when we discuss voting procedure.

The chair never formally announces that it is time to begin drafting working papers, and therefore the transition between opening debate and the start of writing working papers is never precise. However, once a bloc feels like it has enough members to start developing their solution to the problem, they should feel empowered to begin writing a working paper.

Points and Motions:

What is the difference between points and motions? If motions are here for you to request a change in the mode of the debate, points are created for you to make inquiries or ask for clarification regarding the rules of procedure, behaviour of the Chair or another delegate, or state the fact that something is wrong: you cannot hear the speaker, it’s too hot or cold in the room , or anything of this kind.

MAIN POINTS:

Point of Order: In the non-UN rules of procedure, it is used to point at the violation of the rules

of procedure coming from the Chair or another delegate. In the UN rules of procedure, it is the

only point existing and it summarizes all the other points.

Point of Personal Privilege: Use this point when you feel uncomfortable, for example you

cannot hear the speaker, you need to leave the room, the room is too hot.

Point of Information: Use it to ask a question (Normally, to other delegate, sometimes, to the

Chair).

Point of Parliamentary Inquiry: Use it to clarify the rules of procedure

During this phase, the speakers list will continue, but the committee will more often vote to enter caucuses. In short, caucuses are a suspension of the rules, meaning that countries no longer follow the speakers list. The committee usually decides when it will go into a caucus. First, a delegate raises their placard (a card with their country’s name on it), is recognized by the chair, and then makes a motion. A motion is essentially a proposal for the committee to temporarily change the rules of debate. Delegates most often move to enter caucuses. The two types of caucuses are:

• Moderated Caucus: Sometimes, the committee will want to focus on a specific c subtopic. For example, in a discussion about water scarcity, the committee may decide it wants to focus on the effects of desertification for a short period. This is where a moderated caucus is useful. In this form of caucus, delegates pick a single, narrow topic they want to make short speeches on. The chair will then call on countries that want to speak on that topic, and they must speak only about the topic.

○ Example Motion: “I move to enter a five-minute moderated caucus with a thirty second speaking time on the topic of water rights in Chad.”

• Unmoderated Caucus: An unmoderated caucus is where all delegates are invited to get out of their seats and move about the room. This is extremely useful when it comes time to draft working papers, as it allows blocs to speak freely with each other and debate ideas as they commit them to paper. It’s much easier to write together in a group than scattered across the room!

○ Example Motion: “I move to enter a ten-minute unmoderated caucus.”

Closely related to motions are points. Points are questions to the chair or comments about the way the committee is being run. They rarely relate to the topic being discussed and have more to do with the way debate is being run. An example of a point is the point of order, used to notify the chair that one of the rules of procedure may have been violated.

Throughout this phase, different blocs may split or merge depending on whether any issues become more or less important to the committee. It is not unusual for there to be varying numbers of working papers and draft resolutions as debate progresses.

These changes are usually the effect of caucus blocs splitting or merging, a normal thing for MUN conferences.

Finally, more advanced conferences will allow time to alter draft resolutions with amendments. We believe that new delegates should not be terribly concerned by this, and even many advanced conferences don’t feature amendments because the students don’t have any to propose. For those curious about amendments, please see the Advanced Delegate Guide.

Voting Procedure:

The committee ends with a voting procedure. Voting procedure begins when a delegate moves to close debate, which requires a two-thirds majority of the committee to pass. Once this motion is approved, only the draft resolutions continue to be recognized; any working papers are ignored. However, by this point, delegates have had ample time to write their draft resolutions and read everyone else’s draft resolutions, so a decision must be made. The committee does a final review of each draft resolution and then votes on them one by one. New delegates should only be concerned with whether they are going to vote yes or no on each resolution. The chair will walk the committee through the various steps on how to cast those votes. However, it is important to note that the UN and MUN committees can pass more than one resolution at a time, so there is no need for tit-for-tat voting. Countries are encouraged to vote according to their policy to produce the most realistic result from the simulation.

DRESS CODE/ EQUITY FOR CONFERENCES:

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Well 9 out of 10 times the first thing anyone will notice about you is your clothes. The first and foremost obvious thing any first timer will notice about MUNs is the dress. Formal dress is important for many reasons. To play the part you must look the part. MUNs are roleplay after all. The actual delegate of China would not turn up to the General Assembly in jeans and a polo so neither should you. It will also make you feel more professional, give you a little confidence and that extra edge to win the best delegate prize. Now on the other hand, do not go overboard, no one expects you to show up in a tux and black bow tie every day, nor six inch heels and a handmade evening gown. Standard formal business is fine, ties are mandatory for men and knee length skirts for women. This is not to say you can have fun, colour can always help you stand out and some go the extra mile and accessorise or supplement their outfits with traditional items from the country they are representing. Various international themed pins are also very common. But again, it is role play, items from your own country are not acceptable. In any case they may confuse other delegates if your placard says Canada and you have a US flag on your lapel. Remember to bring two or three outfits so that you can change things up a bit as well as some nice very formal dress for socials, such as Delegates’ Ball, or Gala. You will of course also need some more casual clothes for other social events.

Glossary                

Amendment: Before a draft resolution is analyzed and voted on, delegates have the ability to alter, edit, or remove the clauses using amendments.

Background Guide: In informative guide prepared by a MUN conference that explains the background behind the topic each committee is debating. These can vary widely in terms of format and length between conferences, but the goal is always to educate. However, delegates should not see these background guides as being the only research they’ll need. The background guide is simply a jumping off point for delegates’ individual research.

Bloc: A group of countries with similar policies that work together to advance their ideas. Blocs often draft working papers together during unmoderated caucuses.

Caucus: A suspension of the rules. A caucus is when the speakers list is temporarily abandoned, and the committee instead moves to different forms of debate to better serve its needs. Two types of caucuses: moderated caucus and unmoderated caucus.

Chair: The chair of a committee is the person that manages the committee’s rules of procedure. The chair is almost always a student at the institution that is hosting the conference (i.e. Harvard University’s conference is chaired by Harvard students). The chair has the power to bend the rules of procedure as needed if it is for the purpose of helping the delegates reach a fairer compromise before the conference ends.

• Chair: The chair is the leader of the committee who administers the rules of procedure. They sit at the dais at the front of the committee and use the gavel to get the committee’s attention. The chair does not participate in debate like delegates do. Instead, they listen to delegate’s motions and conduct votes to determine how the committee would like to debate. Many conferences will have multiple dais members, so the chair is usually the person holding the gavel.

Clause: The basic unit of a resolution. Two types of clauses: preambulatory clauses and operative clauses.

Committee: The UN body that is being simulated. MUN committees meet at MUN conferences to debate their topic with other students representing UN Member States.

Conference: The conference is the main event of MUN. At MUN conferences, delegates from different schools come together and advocate for their country’s policy with other countries that may have similar or very different policies. Conferences are usually hosted by universities and can last anywhere from a few hours to a whole week.

Consensus: The primary way in which the UN works. Because most UN resolutions are non-binding, UN resolutions are often passed by consensus so that all countries feel motivated to implement the resolutions in their own countries.

Dais: The term dais literally refers to the long table that the committee’s leaders sit at (e.g. “The dais in the town hall is made of oak”). However, in MUN, the term more often refers to the people who sit at the dais and run the committee. See: Chair.

Delegate: A representative of a country to the United Nations. Delegates don’t speak for their own points of view, but rather the policies of their home country.

Draft Resolution: After a working paper is submitted, it is redistributed to the committee, then becoming a draft resolution. Prior to being voted on draft resolutions are debated and amended.

Gavel: A tool somewhat similar to a hammer that chairs and dais members use to get the attention of the committee and indicate when a speaker’s allotted speaking time has run out. The “best delegate” of a committee is sometimes given the committee’s gavel as an award for their performance.

Moderated Caucus: Used to discuss a predetermined, specific c aspect of the topic, a moderated caucus is a formal style of caucusing, as a specific c number of speakers are designated by the motion and called on by the chair. When moving to enter a moderated caucus, the delegate proposing the motion must specify the length of the caucus, a speaking time, and the purpose (e.g. “I move to enter a five minute moderated caucus with 30 second speaking time for the purpose of discussing Draft Resolution 1.2.”). This motion would allow ten speakers to participate in the caucus (ten 30-second speeches in ve minutes). When the caucus time has exhausted, debate defaults back to the speakers list unless another motion is made.

Motion: Motions are proposals from delegate to change the way that the committee is debating. The two most common motions are to enter a moderated and unmoderated caucus. However, there are also motions to open and close the Speakers List, close debate, etc. See also: Points

Operative Clauses: These are the “how” of the resolution, detailing an action that the committee wishes to take, which can include recommendations from Member States, establishments of protocols and subcommittees, collaboration with NGOs, etc. These always start with a present tense verb that is underlined. Examples: calls upon, endorses, encourages, further invites, recommends, requests.

Organs of the United Nations: The UN is organized into six organs (one of which is now defunct) that each have their own domain of responsibility described in the UN charter. Most UN committees fall into one of these organs.

Placard: A name card or name tent that has the delegate’s country printed on it. Primarily used to signal to the chair that the delegate has a point or motion or wishes to speak.

Points: Points are similar to motions (chairs will ask “are there any points or motions on the floor?” between speeches) but are intended to be questions or comments to the chair that are not related to the debate itself. Examples include point of inquiry (used to ask a question about the rules), point of order (used when a delegate believes the chair has misapplied the rules), and point of personal privilege (used when a delegate isn’t comfortable with the environment, for example if the room is too hot). The points at each conference will be listed in that conference’s rules of procedure. See: motions.

Policy: A country’s opinion on a topic is often called their policy. For example, a country might have a policy that nuclear weap- ons are too dangerous and that no country should have any nuclear weapons. At a MUN conference, delegates with different policies meet and negotiate a solution to the world’s problems that everyone can agree on.

Position Paper: The research document that delegates typically put together prior to attending a MUN conference. Position papers typically reflect research the delegate did on their own country’s policy, past actions on the topic, and their proposed solutions.

Preambulatory Clauses: These are the “why” of the resolution, explaining why the topic and resolution are important. These could include general statements about the situation, references to actions already taken by the committee or other resolutions, quotations from Secretaries-General, statistics related to a topic or subtopic, etc. The first word or phrase is always written in italics and is an “-ing word” (a gerund). Examples: bearing in mind, deeply concerned, further deploring, keeping in mind, recognizing.

Research Binder: Most delegates come prepared to MUN conference with a research binder, a physical collection of their research on a topic. Research binders are more effective when they are detailed enough to have the most important pieces of evidence, but short enough so that they are easy to summarize and understand.

Resolution: After being amended and voted on this the final document that the United Nations (or a MUN simulation) passes, describing the action the committee wants to take.

Rule of Threes: A common speaking strategy where a speech has one main idea, three supporting arguments, and three pieces of evidence for each argument.

Rules of Procedure: These are the rules that govern how delegates debate in committee. The rules of procedure specify when and for how long delegates are allowed to speak and on what topic, as well as what motions are permitted, how voting procedure works, among many other topics.

Signatory: This is a delegate who recognizes the resolution as debate-worthy but does not necessarily contribute any content to the working paper or draft resolution.

Solutions: The concrete steps that a country proposes the UN take to address the topic being debated in a way that is consistent with that country’s policy.

Sponsors: The main authors and contributors of the resolution.

Unmoderated Caucus: A much more casual style of debate, an “unmod” allows for the free flow of communication among delegates. During unmoderated caucuses, delegates are encouraged to walk around the room, form blocs with other delegates, and begin writing working papers. Unlike the specifics required when motioning for a moderated caucus, a delegate moving to enter an unmoderated caucus only needs to specify the total length of time for the caucus (e.g. “Germany motions for a ten- minute unmoderated caucus.”).

United Nations (UN): The most prominent international organization, bringing together nearly every recognized country in the world in the spirit of peace and diplomacy. MUN conferences simulate various committees of the United Nations.

UN System: The series of international organizations, primary constituent organizations of the UN, that work to further the UN’s mission. Although it is called the UN system, there are some organizations that are not formally part of the UN, but work closely enough with the UN to be considered part of the UN system (e.g. the World Trade Organization)

Working Paper: A rough draft of a resolution that is still up for debate. A precursor to a draft resolution.