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 d’MUN DELEGATE’S HANDBOOK AND RULES OF PROCEDURE

WELCOME3

A letter from the Academic Team 3

THE STRUCTURE OF the UNITED NATIONS 4

Introduction to the United Nations 4

How does it Work? 5

The principal organs of the United Nations 5

What is not the United Nations? 6

What does the United Nations stand for? 7

MODEL UNITED NATIONS 101 8

But what exactly is Model United Nations? 8

WHY MODEL UN? 10

Educational experience 10

University, career, CV 10

Hall of fame 11

Dress code 11

Awards policy 12

CONFERENCE PREPARATION 13

Information based preparation 13

How to turn information into knowledge? 14

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POSITION PAPER 16

Sample Position Paper 16

DELEGATE JOURNEY 19

Components of a Committee 20

Points20

Motion21

Opening Debate 21

Opening Speech 22

General Speakers’ List 22

Moderated Caucus 23

Unmoderated Caucus 24

Extensions25

Most Disruptive Motion 26

Working Paper Submission 26

Draft Resolution Submission 27

Importance of Sponsors and Signatories 27

Amendment Process 28

VOTING PROCEDURE 29

Difference between Substantive and Procedural Voting 29

Voting on Resolution 29

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Motion for Roll Call Vote 29

Adjournment of the Debate 30

RULES OF PROCEDURE 31

Precedence of Motions 39

FROM A WORKING PAPER TO A RESOLUTION 41

On How to Write a Working Paper 41

On How to write a Resolution 43

Anatomy of a Resolution 43

Amendments45

SAMPLE DRAFT RESOLUTION PAPER 46

ROAD TO ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE 47

What to Do Before the Conference 47

What to Do During Your Opening Speech 48

What to Do During GSL Speeches 48

What to Do During Moderated Caucuses 48

What to Do During Unmoderated Caucuses 49

APPENDIX50

PREAMBULATORY CLAUSES 50

OPERATIVE CLAUSES 52

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WELCOME

A letter from the Academic Team

Greetings! Welcome to the Delegate Handbook!

This document is not only to guide you, but also to introduce the Model United
Nations (MUN) concept, to show how you can get the most out of this unique
experience, to bring you closer if you are a stranger to MUN, to show you the
intricacies of MUN if you are a strict MUN follower and to prepare you for the
upcoming conferences.

Preparing for an MUN conference can mean a number of different things from
your own personal point of view. If you have not been a participant in any MUN
conference before, you will lay the foundations of many concepts with this
document and you will find yourself in a whole new world. Do not let this scare
you. The handbook is designed to take you from the very beginning of everything
to the very end in the safest and smoothest way.

If you are an experienced delegate who has attended many MUN conferences
before, you will discover the secrets of being a successful delegate at an MUN
conference with this document.

As it is mentioned above, the Handbook aims to target all audiences that are a
part of the Model United Nations world. Hence, we have prepared a document
in which different people from very different backgrounds can find their way
through the concepts without getting lost and read many different and unique
information about the MUN world.

Throughout this Handbook, what is expected of the reader is also hidden in the
purpose of preparing the document. What we really want to offer you is to map
out a journey, and our expectation is that you use this map throughout your MUN
careers to increase the efficiency of all the experiences you face down the road.

For this reason, never forget the concrete goal in mind when reading this
document;

“I will maximise the fun and learning of my MUN experiences”

We also hope that this document will become your sole guide at many different
conferences that you will experience in the future!

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THE STRUCTURE OF THE

UNITED NATIONS

Introduction to the United

Nations
You have a long way to go with committees, procedures, diplomatic rules, but
before we dive into all of this, let’s all take a look at what the United Nations is
and how it works, where the Model United Nations finds its origin.

World War II, the most terrible war that human history has ever seen to this day,
had left behind a lot of destruction and uncertainty. The borders of many countries
have changed, nuclear weapons have been used, and humanity has felt beyond
even the most pessimistic forecasts where the consequences of the war could
lead. After this decade-long war, in which only weapons spoke and diplomacy,
humanity’s greatest weapon since Ancient Greece, was forgotten, an international
organization was needed to restore the stability that had been disrupted.

It was April 1945, when the rest of the World was still facing the consequences of
the Second World War, one hundred delegates representing 50 countries decided
to gather in San Francisco on behalf of humanity for a loftier goal; to restore world
peace. Despite all the obstacles at that meeting, the first UN Charter was written.
And in October 1945, the United Nations, with a total of 51 countries, was officially
established.

The UN, whose historical adventure was started by the winners of the war, has
since faced many large and small conflicts and human crises. The United Nations,
while still ensuring global peace and international security is its priority, has been
appointed with very broad goals such as ensuring basic human rights and gender
equality and the economic and social well-being of all peoples and unlike the
League of Nations, the decisions were supported by socio-economic and military
measures that would increase the sanctioning power.

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How does it Work?

Now that we have understood the historical background of the UN and why
its existence is important, let’s take a closer look at how this international
organization which consists of 193 countries works today.

When states become members of the United Nations, they accept the obligations
of the UN Charter, an international agreement that establishes the basic principles
of international relations. This condition, according to the UN has four purposes:

1. to maintain international peace and security;

2. to develop friendly relations among nations;

3. to cooperate in solving international problems and in the development of

respect for Human Rights;

4. and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.

The principal organs of the United

Nations
The United Nations (UN) has six main organs. Five of them — the General Assembly,
the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council,
and the Secretariat — are based at UN Headquarters in New York. The sixth, the
International Court of Justice, is located at The Hague in the Netherlands.

The six organs of the United Nations are outlined in the sections below:

General Assembly
The General Assembly is the main deliberative organ of the United Nations. It is
composed of representatives from all Member States, each of which has one vote.

Security Council
Under the Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for the
maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members, and each

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Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to
comply with Council decisions.

Economic and Social Council

A founding UN Charter body established in 1946, the Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) is the place where the world’s economic, social and environmental
challenges are discussed and debated, and policy recommendations issued.

Trusteeship Council
The Trusteeship Council was established to provide international supervision for
11 Trust Territories and to make sure that adequate steps were taken to prepare
the Territories for self-government or independence. Since all the aforementioned
territories have attained self-government or independence the Trusteeship
Council suspended its operations.

International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United
Nations. The Court is charged with settling legal disputes between States and
giving advisory opinions to the United Nations and its specialized agencies.

Secretariat
The UN Secretariat, consisting of staff representing all nationalities working in duty
stations all over the world, carries out the day-to-day work of the Organization.
The Secretariat services the other principal organs of the United Nations and
administers the programmes and policies established by them.

What is not the United Nations?

UN Members are sovereign countries. The United Nations is not a world
government and does not make laws. Nevertheless, it provides the means to help
resolve the international conflict and formulate policies on issues affecting all of
us. At the UN, all Member States, large and small, developed, and underdeveloped,
with different political views and social systems, have the right to say and vote in
this process.

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What does the United Nations

stand for?
What is the auspicious Philosophy behind all those people with cool lawsuits?

The foundation upon which the UN was created is described in the Preamble of
the UN Charter as follows:

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED

to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice

in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and

to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and

worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women
and of nations large and small, and

to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the

obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international
law can be maintained, and

to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger

freedom.”

The Preamble describes four areas that are the pillars of the UN,

• Peace and Security

• Human Rights
• The Rule of Law
• Development
These four pillars are all interconnected. You cannot fully achieve one without
achieving all of them.

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MODEL UNITED NATIONS 101

Now that we have fully understood the United Nations, its structure, purpose,
and the philosophy behind it, we can start learning about MUN, which is a
simulation of it. MUN is a UN simulation that is growing day by day, with more
than 500,000 students participating every year worldwide, and teaches students
diplomatic manners, debate culture, and solutions to social and political problems
of the world. These conferences, where you can find a committee that suits you
regardless of your interest, are part of a larger habitat than the 4-day conferences
where many international diplomatic figures have been experienced in the past.

Friendly reminder: Do not be frightened by some terms and notions

that you are not familiar with yet. Try to understand the general scope
of the Model UN and grasp the idea behind it. We will get to those
notions you do not know. But we promise at the end of this Handbook
you will be not just knowing them but using them!

But what exactly is Model United

Nations?
At a Model UN conference, you become a World Leader for a weekend. As a
Model UN “Delegate,” you take on the role of a representative of another country
to the United Nations, where you will argue for the policies of that country on
your assigned topic, and eventually write a resolution on behalf of your assigned
country. This means you have to put yourself in the shoes of an international
diplomat and learn the issues facing another country, as well as how they would
respond to that issue.

As a Model UN delegate representing your country, you will participate in a

“committee” with assigned topics. You may learn about access to technology in
developing countries, how sports can help promote peace, how to reduce the
risk of nuclear war, or how the world can come together to stop the threat of
global climate change. It will be your job to decide what the UN should do about
these issues and lead the other delegates in your committee to approve your
“resolution”- your document of solutions to the issue.

Most of a Model UN conference is based on your “committee.” where you

will debate and discuss your topic, and ultimately write your resolution. Your

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committee is a room of 10-400 delegates, though usually 20-50, who are

representing countries just like you are. Throughout the conference you will be
led by your “Committee Board,” the conference staff that is there to make sure
the committee is orderly and that you are having a good experience. There are
many different types of staff roles, however you will be led by a “Chair” who helps
guide your committee through debate, and the other members of staff will help
your Chair maintain control of your committee. These staff are there to help you,
so feel free to write them notes to ask questions or ask them for help before or
after the committee; they’ll be happy to help you have the best time possible!

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WHY MODEL UN?

Educational experience
At Model UN, students gain a wide range of skills and knowledge in a broad
spectrum that is actually quite critical to their professional lives but has not found
enough room for itself in traditional educational models.

Are you afraid to speak out in public? Well, we were all there at some point. MUN
allows you to improve your speaking skills in front of your friends. It helps you to
see yourself through the eyes of other cultures by improving your research skills
and learning the policies of countries that you didn’t even know existed before.
Behind this multicultural structure, MUN will give you critical social skills that will
help you throughout your life.

Whether you are a lawyer who wants to win the debates, a doctor who is trying
to reconcile with his patient about his treatment, or a party leader who wants
to run in the next election, MUN conferences will give you all the political and
debate-based skills you need in these situations without you even realizing it.

During this journey, many of you will discover aspects that you have never
noticed thanks to MUN and gain self-confidence about it. To eloquently put it,
MUN teaches you not to be afraid to succeed.

University, career, CV
Especially if you are still a high school student and you are thinking about
whether MUN has a reputation in the eyes of international universities, our answer
is: yes, it has. Although many Ivy league universities have their own MUN clubs
and conferences, the conferences you will attend, and the unique leadership and
debate experiences you will have there will add prestige to your academic CV
wherever you are in the world.

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Hall of fame
From Monarchs to Secretary Generals to Hollywood actors, lots of successful
and influential people took part in MUN when in High School. For some MUN
inspiration in the run-up to an MUN conference, we’ve compiled a list of famous
people who took part in Model United Nations as students.

Ban Ki-moon
Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon began his United
Nations career as a High School MUN conference delegate. Speaking to a global
MUN conference, Ki-moon told the students: “I participated in a UN-style debate
when I was a college student. So, you never know where this conference might
lead. You could end up as Secretary-General of the United Nations, or maybe your
country’s UN ambassador.” For a career in the United Nations, there is no better
training on offer than at an MUN conference.

Rainn Wilson
The actor best known for playing beet farmer and Dunder Mifflin Paper Company
salesperson Dwight Schrute on The Office, was also an avid MUN participant
whilst in High School. In a 2010 interview, Wilson told USA Today that he was a
self-proclaimed “Model United Nations Nerd” as a child.

Stephen M. Schwebel
Former judge and president of the International Court of Justice (ICC), Stephen
Schwebel started his career with the United Nations as an MUN delegate like any
other. Having first got involved with MUN during High School, he later participated
in the founding of the United Nations Council of Harvard when studying towards
his bachelor’s degree at the university.

Dress code
In MUN we strive for professionalism in all aspects of the conference. Delegates
are expected to follow a dress code during all committee sessions and conference
events. Delegates are expected to dress in Western Business Attire. Delegates

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in violation of the dress code may be dismissed from the conference. See the
guidelines below for what to wear:

Awards policy
At MUN conferences, our priority is for every delegate to have a pleasant and
educational experience. We think that the conferences are a unique opportunity
for a high school student in Turkey to get acquainted with international relations,
to speak in front of the community and to learn parliamentary diplomacy.

Above all else, we hope that delegates leave the conference as better-informed
global citizens who are better able to engage with others in conversations about
important world issues than when they first arrived. However, we also value the
recognition of students and delegations that have contributed to the conference
in exemplary ways.

At Closing Ceremonies, the Secretariat will announce individual and delegation

awards.

Each Committee Board will determine individual awards on the basis of the
following criteria:

• Ability to work with and persuade other delegates through in-depth explanations
and convincing arguments;
• Quality of position papers and attendance at all committee sessions;
• Adherence to all of our policies;
• Exhibition of a desire to compromise, while adhering to the policies and interests
of the assigned individual or country;
• Ability to develop and convey pragmatic and actionable solutions, both orally
and in written form;
• Exhibition of an in-depth understanding of the intricacies of the topic area(s);
and,
• Skill and effectiveness in caucusing, resolution-writing, and debate.

The Secretariat will present awards to several delegates from the entire committee
based on the above features and your general position within the committee.
Although the number of awards varies depending on the number of participants;
usually one best delegate, two outstanding and three honourable mentions will
be selected from among the delegates on each committee.

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CONFERENCE PREPARATION
In this part of the document, in which we have given you the theoretical
information you need to know about UN and MUN so far, we will thoroughly
answer the question “How do I prepare for an MUN conference?” together with 3
fundamental points.

1. First, reviewing the informational part of the work, we will see the resources
and tools that are needed to most effectively and effectively prepare yourself
academically for a conference.

2. Second, in the light of the information you have obtained, we will examine how
to prepare for the discussions you will have during the conference process by
using this information.

3. Finally, we will review the position paper, which is the concrete output of your
pre-conference work.

Information based preparation

When preparing for an MUN conference, you first need to know which country
you will represent on which committee. At some times, this information may be
presented to you separately.

Knowing the topic of your committee without knowing which country you will be
a representative of is the first important fact that specifies the research area and
reduces it to a special area in preparation for the conference.

One of the most important issues that you should keep in mind when preparing
for your committee at the conference is to know the duties and responsibilities of
your committee, to see where it is in the structure of the UN and to understand
what powers it has.

Because, as we mentioned in the section “The Structure of the UN”, the UN

consists of bodies with many different powers and fields of activity. It is important
for a delegate to know the field of work designated by their authority when
making decisions on these issues, as well as what issues these bodies will discuss.

After reading your topic background guides, your objective is to gain a better

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understanding of the topic, your country’s policy on the topic, and what your
country wants to do about the topic. You are going to dive into many different
websites and research sources. You need a way to organize all your sources or
else you will lose track of your research.

After investigating the authority, scope, and subject of the committee, you can
proceed with a special study of the country you will be representing during the
conference.

The purpose of this special study is not limited to conducting research of your
country’s position only on the topic of your committee.

Drawing a general framework of the country you are representing starting from
this issue and learning about their real-life political attitudes is the beginning of
being a good delegate.

In addition, it will be useful for your committee to reconsider previous work done
by the related UN bodies and other international organizations on this issue and
have some perspective upon the agenda of your committee.

Let’s try to find the answer to the question of how to use the information in your
research folder that you have prepared most effectively without drowning yourself
in too many documents.

How to turn information into

knowledge?
We often use the terms “information” and “knowledge” interchangeably, but there
are differences between these concepts. In short, information is the facts about
a subject, whereas knowledge is an understanding of a subject, through either
education or experience.

In terms of research, “information” is the vast amount of data from many different
sources available to you. Often, delegates who prepare for a conference end up
with hundreds of crosstabs that start to look blurry and take more energy to
tame rather than draw conclusions and generate insights.

For this very reason, it is not expected that you will be able to master the topic
that your committee will handle as much as a university professor when preparing
for an MUN conference.

This because the MUN simulation requires you to represent not a good academic
scholar, but a good politician. Hanging out with all the statistics, reading old

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conference notes for pages, etc. these are tasks that require intensive work. After
overcoming this with your initial research, you start a solution-oriented work.

It will not be difficult for you to describe the political position you will take on the
committee after investigating what statements the country you will represent has
previously made about the committee’s agenda. it is possible for you to provide
solutions to your committee after you comprehend the three basic information:

1. The previous efforts made by different UN bodies, international organizations

etc.

2. Your country’s approach to the subject and its capacity to engage in the problem

3. Your country’s possible allies regarding the committee’s agenda

From this point on, what you need to do is to show a strategy for how to solve
the problems which are in the scope of your committee’s agenda.

For this purpose, there is a “position paper” that you sent to your Committee
Board before the conference.

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POSITION PAPER
As mentioned above, the position paper is a document in which you need to put
your political position on the issue in the committee’s agenda, as well as possible
solutions.

A good position paper, identifying problem the problem in the committee and
says something about all the problems it describes. What should be kept in mind
here is not the discussion of the correctness of the solutions that will be written
in your position paper, the problem is the recipe and the effort.

An ideal position paper should include three sections:

1. The History of the Agenda

• What are the roots of the problem laid out in your committee’s agenda?

2. Your country’s policies

• How does your country perceive the situation?

• What steps would you like to see taken to deal with the problem?

3. Your solutions to the Problem

• What do you believe it takes to solve the problem?

Sample Position Paper

Committee: United Nations General Assembly

Agenda: Consequences of Pandemic

Country: Spain

School: Tuzla Doğa

Spain is one of the hardest-hit countries in the pandemic, the

coronavirus speeded quickly and widely without being detected. Spain
imposed a tight lockdown on March 14 to slow the spread of the virus which
has so far killed more than 20,800 people, the third-highest number of deaths
in the world after the United States and Italy. While Spain has the world’s
highest coronavirus death toll after Belgium, the percentage of infected patients
who die stands at 10.4 percent,

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below other hard-hit nations like Italy, France, and Britain. The impact on society
and the economy is great and the Spanish government is putting measures in
place to support business owners. The main response of the Spanish Government
has been Royal Decree Law 8/2020 (DRL 8/2020), that includes a number of
extraordinary measures to address the economic and social impact of COVID-19
and provides an appropriate response to the situations arising as a result of the
current crisis.

The nationwide lockdown that began March 15 brought daily life to a halt. Public
gatherings were cancelled. Students were sent home. Businesses of all sizes had
to grapple with growing uncertainty about their prospects. As Spain is restarting
the economy, we must address a dual imperative: safeguarding both lives and
livelihoods. To succeed at this task, we must, first, craft effective policies that
could accelerate Spain’s recovery and lessen the financial impact on individuals
and business and, second, use the crisis to catalyse change and rethink the
fundamental structure of companies, sectors, and the overall economy.

Since the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the Spanish stock market index
IBEX- 35 suffered the consequences of the outbreak of the disease, much like
the rest of the world’s indexes. The biggest impact was reported during the first
few days of March, when Spain’s principal stock exchange saw a plunge in their
stocks that set the index under the 7,000-point mark.

The economic impact in Spain will be more severe than in other nations due
to its economic structure. The demography, the relative abundance of small
and medium sized businesses and the high level of dependence on the service
sector (tourism, retail, hotels and transport) make Spain more vulnerable than
most nations. Europe will probably enter recession in the first half of 2020, and
Spain is likely to do so in the second half. However, the duration and depth of the
recession are not yet known.

Billions of people are in lockdown, unable to visit one another, unable go to work,
unable to attend school, unable to meet one another in public places. People
around the world are in desperate straits, struggling at home, in care homes and
intensive care units, dying of the same cause, separated from their loved ones in
their hours of need. At times of existential danger, we instinctively desire to be
close to our family and friends, hold their hands and embrace them – but now
we are forbidden to do so, for every act of physical contact – every expression of
physical loving-kindness and compassion – could bring illness and death.

The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates to us that our economic, political and social
systems can serve our needs and purposes only when they induce us to cooperate
at the appropriate scale. The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented threat

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to both public health and the global economy. Only by avoiding nationalist rhetoric
and policies, and embracing stronger international cooperation, can governments
protect citizens. The world that emerges from the coronavirus pandemic may be
a warring collection of countries that are more closed off and nationalistic than
before. But without rapid and effective global cooperation, the world may not exit
this crisis safely at all

As you can see, there is a position above that has very clearly defined
the problems and offers solutions in its own way.

From a similar point of view, you should work for your position paper both to
concretely present your work up to the conference and to create a slightly
different first impression in the eyes of those responsible for the committee.

In this way, you will have taken the first concrete step to become a successful
delegate before you come to the conference.

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DELEGATE JOURNEY
In this part of the Handbook, we will try to explain the journey of a delegate
from the first day to the last day of an MUN conference. In doing so, we will do
a deep dive analysis of these concepts after presenting a storyline that is a little
more isolated from the rules and concepts. But before that, let’s see what kind of
adventure awaits a delegate at an MUN conference.

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Components of a Committee
In this section, we will answer the question of “Who creates an MUN committee?”.
A committee is composed of delegates, administrative staff, and the committee
board. Delegates, that is, you, as delegations of the countries to which they are
appointed, take part in discussions in the committee. There is also a committee
board for directing, moderating, and managing these discussions. A committee
board, although it varies from conference to conference, consists of the following
three components: USG, Head Chair, Co-Chair.

In addition to delegates and the committee board, there is also an administrative

staff, who are called “admins” for short. These people are also present at the
committee during the debate to meet the basic needs of the delegates and
members of the committee board.

It is important that you get along well with other components other than
you, have a nice conference and be an exemplary delegate. Never forget the
importance of respect and effective communication!

Points
Points are used to discuss something outside of substantive debate. They are
more personal and don’t require a vote. A Point of Order and a Point of Personal
Privilege have a special level of priority. However, a delegate may interrupt the
Speaker or Chair via Point of Personal Privilege in order to express their concern.
Delegates should only take advantage of this level of priority when necessary.

Points used in MUN

1. Point of Order - these are used to correct a procedural error.
• E.g., The chair forgot Roll Call.

2. Point of Inquiry - Used to ask the Dais a question regarding Parliamentary

Procedure.

3. Point of Personal Privilege - Used with to express a personal concern.

• E.g., The room is too warm, your placard broke, or you cannot hear the speaker.

4. Point of Information - Used to ask a question so they may clarify a speech.

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How to raise a Point in Committee

1. Raise your placard and get called, if it is a point of Personal Privilege or a Point
of Order, you may interrupt the flow of debate within reason.

2. State the point that you are going to raise and what you would like to say

E.g. – “Point of Order, we forgot roll call at the start of debate”

Motion
Perhaps the most common word you come across in this handbook is motion.
So, what exactly does motion mean?

“A specific action made by delegates to direct debate in a certain

direction.”

A delegate may wish to change the course of the committee by submitting a

motion of their choice during the committee session, when it is possible to raise
a motion. For example, we will examine the very first time we encounter the
concept of motion on the journey map.

One of the delegates pulled the committee in one direction by giving a motion
for” Setting the Agenda”. All the motions that will be given after that serve a
similar purpose. There are also motions, the characteristics of which differ by the
way they are voted. You can find the details of these in the Rules of Procedure
section of this document.

Opening Debate
Let’s start from the moment you set foot on the committee for the first time.

You are in a room where there are many delegates, like you and yourself, and
committee directors and administrative staff.

In order to start the debate in an official way, you must first set the committee’s
agenda.

You may think that your committee already has an agenda. There is no need
to get confused. For example, you could have a committee with more than one

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agenda. At this point, you could also choose which topic you want to open up
about first.

Your committee directors will guide you until your agenda is set.

After the agenda of your committee is set, there are no obstacles to start
discussing it. Then, as can be seen above, the opening speeches begin.

Opening Speech
The most important feature of the opening speech for a delegate is the first
impression it creates on other delegates and the committee board in the
committee. Please check out the tips we have prepared for you at the very
last section of this document.

At the moment, we will examine the concepts of formal debate and caucuses;
namely the General Speaker List, moderated caucus and unmoderated caucus,
which we describe as the forms of discussion.

General Speakers’ List

After the opening speeches are over, you have thrown off the excitement and are
now ready for discussions.

According to the Rules of Procedure, you have a chance to advance the committee
in two ways. The first is the discussion format that we call formal debate which
exists with the General Speaker List, (hereinafter as the GSL). This discussion
format is the basis of your committee.

As we mentioned above, debate opens on this basis. After the Speaker List
is created and the delegates who wish to have their names added to the list,
the speaker delegates, respectively, come to the committee stage in a format
similar to the opening speeches and give their speeches individually and receive
questions or comments depending on their wishes. Again, there is no need
to get panicked with all this information. We suggest you take a look at the
detailed information which can be found in the relevant sections of the Rules
of Procedure.

The point to be noted in this format is the following. The committee does not yet
have a tendency to lean on and focus on the subheadings, specific issues of the

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agenda. Delegates have the right to speak on any topic in such a way as to be
on the committee agenda. This is important for the development of ideas in the
committee and for the emergence of different positions. But sooner or later the
committee will need other discussion tools.

Yields
In MUN conferences, the only really effective way to share your point of view or
your ideas is in speeches. Speeches are normally given in the General Speakers
List (GSL) or in moderated caucuses.

In the GSL, there are four common ‘yields’ that you can use after your speech.
They are:

1. Yield to the Chair: This means that any extra time that you have not used is
absorbed by the chair, i.e., there is nothing else that happens. The next speaker
is then called up.

2. Yield to Questions: If a delegate would like to open to questions from the floor
based on their speech. The chair will then select an appropriate number of
delegates for questions. If a delate would like to ask a second, follow-on question
to their original one, they cannot just say it. They must make a Request to Follow
Up or a Plea to Follow Up. It is the chair’s discretion on whether or not to allow
the follow up.

3. Yield to another Delegate: This can be utilized when a delegate believes one of
his allies can add on to his/her speech. However, this yield should be discussed
with the delegate beforehand, so as to make sure both of you are on the same
page, and so that the delegate is not caught off guard.

4. Yield to Comments: Delegates can make a comment on your speech. The time
for each comment varies conference to conference. The comment can be as
simple as “The delegate agrees/disagrees with what the Delegate just said,” or
they can be much more comprehensive.

Moderated Caucus
Delegates take the stage one by one during the formal debate and bring the
discussions in the committee to a certain place by making their GSL speeches.

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There may be certain points that are tapering in these conversations. The
moderated caucus exists as a form of discussion to meet this need, that is, to
address specific issues that stand out in GSL conversations with a better focus.

A delegate can give a motion to switch to the moderated caucus. In doing so,
they also share the topic they would like to examine with a special focus. If the
proposed motion is accepted, the committee proceeds with a discussion format
in which each delegate speaks one by one with the moderation of the committee
board. This format is used for the discussion of the motion. The difference between
the moderated caucus and the GSL speeches is that the moderated caucus
speeches, although they are given individually, are dialogues, not monologues
and they are specifically focused on a part of the committee agenda.

There are 3 things that should be specifically mentioned when giving a

motion for the moderated caucus:

1. The topic of discussion

2. The duration of caucus

3. The duration of each individual speech

With these things in mind, let’s look at this motion proposal example for a
moderated caucus:

“As the delegation of Norway, we would like to give motion to have

a moderated caucus for 20 minutes on ‘Bureaucratic obstacles that
refugees face on educational issues”. We propose that each speaker’s
time should be 1.5 minutes.”

As it is clearly seen, the motion includes all of the three points that should be
specified. Total time of the caucus, the topic which is proposed to be discussed
during caucus and the individual speaker time are included in the proposal.

Unmoderated Caucus
So far, we have mentioned two different concepts that we have described as forms
of discussion. Formal debate and caucus. In formal debate, delegates continue
their speeches by following an existing speaker list and making GSL speeches.
They discuss a more angular topic in more detail in moderated caucuses.

If we remember that the main task of the committee is to produce a written

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document at the end of sessions, we see that a different form of discussion is

needed for this writing process. Delegates need a space where they can discuss
directly with each other in a relatively more informal context and work to create
the aforementioned written document.

The unmoderated caucus fulfils this need. An unmoderated caucus is a type

of debate in which, as its name implies, conversations and discussions do not
proceed with the control of a particular moderation. Delegates get up from their
seats and communicate directly with other delegates to conduct more intimate
discussions.

Just like in the moderated caucus, a motion proposal for the unmoderated
caucus must specifically include certain things:

• The topic of discussion

• The duration of caucus
As it can be understood, unlike the moderated caucus, no individual speaker’s
time is specified in this motion. Due to the nature of the unmoderated caucus, it
does not need such specificity.

With these things in mind, let’s look at this motion proposal example for an
unmoderated caucus:

“As the delegation from the United States of America, in order to

prepare a working paper, we would like to give a motion for an
unmoderated caucus for 25 minutes.”

As you can see, there is no specificity regarding an individual speaker’s time. There
we observe the topic of the proposed unmoderated caucus and its proposed
duration.

After talking about the types of discussions and the dynamics of the committee,
we come to the end of the delegate journey. The contents that we will talk about
next will describe how the written documents that the delegates have to create
in the committee will be included into the committee discussions.

Extensions
Caucuses can be extended only once, but only after the caucus has ended. The
total length of an extension may not surpass the total time of the motion. For
instance, a motion with a total time limit of 20 minutes can be extended up to 19
minutes and 59 seconds.

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Most Disruptive Motion

Voting on caucuses will proceed in the order of “most disruptive”, hence the
motion that impacts the rules of formal debate the most will take precedent.

For instance, a motion for a 15-minute moderated caucus would be voted on

before a motion for a 10-minute moderated caucus, as 15 minutes is more
disruptive than 10 minutes.

When moderated caucuses proposed with the same time limit and speaking
time, the moderated caucus proposed first will take precedent.

If moderated caucuses have the same time limit but different speaking times,
the moderated caucus that allows for more speakers shall take precedent (ex:
Moderated caucus for 5 minutes with a speaking time of 45 seconds will take
precedent over a 5-minute moderated caucus with a 1-minute speaking time.)

A motion for an unmoderated caucus is always voted on before a moderated

caucus regardless of time.

Friendly reminder: To comprehend the upcoming stations of the

delegate journey, (i.e., working paper submission, draft resolution
submission, amendment process, and the voting) we recommend you
go over the detailed introduction of those documents.

Working Paper Submission

You must submit your working papers, which you have brought out collectively
with the other delegates during the unmoderated discussions, in print or digital
form, depending on the initiative of the Committee Board. Any written document
that is not submitted to the Committee Board is not considered an official
document of the committee.

Another important point is that in a committee with more than one working
paper, these working papers are numbered and processed in accordance with the
order in which they are submitted. The Committee Board may take the initiative
to request that the working papers be presented to the committee. Or the Board
can ask the administrative staff to print the written documents and distribute
them to the delegates. In both cases, you can propose to submit your working
paper with a motion. Let’s look at the example for this:

“As the Iranian delegation, we would like to propose a motion to

introduce the Working Paper 1.1.”

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After all the working papers submitted as a result of these proposals, which were
accepted without the need for a vote, are introduced, the debate is resumed from
the place where it left off.

Draft Resolution Submission

Draft Resolution papers, which are formed in the discussions after the introduction
of working papers, also enter into the submission process in a similar way as
working papers. In this case, the Committee Board usually expects one of the
delegates who submits the paper to present their draft resolution paper. After
the presentation is made, the Q&A section is processed for a certain period of
time depending on the Board’s initiative. Then, before moving on to another draft
resolution, the amendment process is put to order.

The thing to pay attention to here is not to forget that time is your enemy!

As in the Working Paper process, Draft Resolution papers are processed in

the order in which they are submitted. It should be noted here that there will
only be one resolution paper for the same agenda. For this reason, if the first
Draft Resolution paper that has been processed is voted in favour of, the Draft
resolution Papers that have been submitted later will be useless before they are
processed.

Importance of Sponsors and

Signatories
When drafting a resolution or report segment, you might notice that delegates
may sign a document as a sponsor or signatory. What’s the difference?

Sponsors are the initial drafters of a document and are the visionaries of the
document’s ideas. They are expected to be fully supportive of it and may be called
upon by the Dais to explain its contents.

Signatories are delegates who assist, approve, or support a document, and wish
to see it in voting bloc. There are typically many more signatories than sponsors
for any document. Delegates who may not support a document but wish to see
it brought up in voting bloc may sign a document as well.

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Note: A draft resolution must have the signatures of one fifth of the total
members of the committee for it to be approved and introduced, of which at
least two voting delegations must be designated as sponsors.

Amendment Process
Approved draft resolutions are modified through amendments. An amendment
is a written statement that adds, deletes or changes an operative clause in a
draft resolution. The amendment process is used to strengthen consensus on
a resolution by allowing delegates to change the operative clauses (the pre-
ambulatory clauses cannot be modified).

There are two types of amendments:

1. A friendly amendment is a change to the draft resolution that all sponsors agree
with. After the amendment is signed by all of the draft resolution’s sponsors and
approved by the committee chair, it will be automatically incorporated into the
resolution.

2. An unfriendly amendment is a change that some or all of the draft resolution’s

sponsors do not support and must be voted upon by the committee. This also
refers to delegates who did not write this resolution at all but see potential in
it as long as several changes are made to it. The sponsors of the amendment
will need to obtain a required number of signatories in order to introduce it.
Prior to voting on the draft resolution, the committee votes on all unfriendly
amendments.

Writing an amendment is very simple. All you have to do is make an operative

clause that adds, deletes, or changes an operative clause in a draft resolution.
Examples include:

• Adds an operative clause that reads “14. Encourages all Latin American countries
to…”
• Deletes operative clause 9.
• Changes operative clause 1 to read “1. Calls upon the Red Cross to provide low-
cost medicines…”

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VOTING PROCEDURE

Difference between Substantive

and Procedural Voting
A parliamentary procedure has a lot of formalities to ensure that a democratic
process is upheld. Therefore, there are a lot of votes, and there is a difference
between types of matters that require a vote.

Procedural votes relate to the structure of the committee sessions. This includes
votes on motions for moderated and unmoderated caucuses, and appeals. In a
procedural vote, no delegate may abstain.

Substantive votes relate to the topics for discussion. This includes votes on
introducing draft resolutions and working papers, as well as the final vote.
Delegates must vote according to how they presented themselves at roll call.

Voting on Resolution
After the amendment process is completed on a Draft Resolution, the debate is
closed, and the voting procedure is started. As explained in the motion section, a
motion must be presented to the committee when moving from one process to
another. After the amendment process is completed, the delegates present the
“Closure of the Debate” motion and propose that the discussions be completed.
You can check out the related Rules of Procedure articles for a detailed description
of this process.

Motion for Roll Call Vote

A motion for roll call vote may be made by any delegate and must be automatically
accepted by the chair. In the event of a Roll Call vote, delegates are given six
possible first responses:

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1. Yes: a substantive vote in the affirmative.

2. No: a substantive vote against.

3. Yes, with Rights: a substantive vote in the affirmative that allows the delegate
to explain their vote. You may only declare “rights,” if you are voting against your
national policy or if you decide to switch your vote from your declared position
during committee.

4. No, with Rights: a substantive vote against that allows the delegate to explain
their vote. You may only declare “rights,” if you are voting against your national
policy or if you decide to switch your vote from your declared position during
committee.

5. Abstain: Neither a vote in favour nor against. An abstention lowers the total
vote count. For example, a draft resolution with a vote of 10 in favour, 5 against,
and 99 abstentions passes. Abstention votes are not votes against.

6. Pass: Upon declaring a pass, the chairperson will continue with roll call vote,
passing the delegate that has passed. After all states after having voted, the
chairperson will again call on the delegate to vote; however, if you use a pass,
you abandon your right to abstain and must vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’

Adjournment of the Debate

After the resolution voting process is completed, a final motion proposal is
submitted to terminate the committee’s activities because the committee has
achieved its goal. With the help of the Committee Board, the delegates submit
the motion proposal of “Adjournment of the Debate”. The details required for the
completion of this process can also be found in the relevant Rules of Procedure
articles.

As we have explained through the concepts and the flow of events, the delegate
journey ends here. After reading this section, you should look at the Rules of
Procedure articles we provide below to get details about how these processes
work. Finally, it will be useful for you to contact the Delegate Journey Map
frequently about where you are and what process you need to operate during
the committee sessions at the conference.

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RULES OF PROCEDURE
A delegate has three must-have weapons in their arsenal. One of them is your
debate and negotiation skills, which we mentioned above and which you have
been studying so far, one is your diplomatic attitude and leadership charisma,
and the other is how well you know the rules of this diplomacy game that you
will be playing.

If you managed to get this far, we can assume that you have largely achieved the
first two parts. In the next part of this Handbook, we will teach you how to put
your diplomatic skills in writing and how to represent your country in front of a
podium.

Now let’s start with the first and most important of them, the Rules of Procedure.

The procedure that we utilise is Robert’s Rules of Order dated 1847, which forms
the diplomatic backbone of the American Senate.

General Rules
1. Scope: These rules apply to all committees except for modifications provided by
the Secretariat and will be considered adopted in advance of session.

2. Language: English will be the official and working language of the conference.

3. Delegations: Each member state will be represented by one delegate and shall
have one vote on each committee.

4. Participation of Non-Members: A guest speaker, expert witness, or

representative of an entity that is neither a member of the committee nor an
accredited observer may address a committee only with the prior approval of
the Committee Board.

5. Credentials: The credentials of all delegations have been accepted upon

registration. The Secretary-General shall be the final arbiter of the validity of
all credentials. Any representative to whose admission a member objects will
provisionally be seated with the same rights as other representatives, pending
a decision from the Secretary General.

6. Statements by the Secretariat: The Secretary General or a member of the

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Secretariat whom they designate may make either written or oral statements
to the committee at any time.

7. General Powers of the Committee Board: The Board will declare the opening
and closing of each meeting and may propose the adoption of any procedural
motion to which there is no significant objection. Subject to these rules, the
Board will have complete control of the proceedings at any meeting. The Chairs
will direct discussions, accord the right to speak, put questions, announce
decisions, rule on points of order, and ensure and enforce the observance of these
rules. The Chairs may temporarily transfer their duties to another member of
the Committee Board. Committee Board members may also advise delegations
on the course of debate. In the exercise of these functions, they will be at all
times subject to these rules and responsible to the Secretary General.

8. Appeal: Any decision of the Chair, with the exception of those matters for which
the Rules of Procedure explicitly prohibit appeal, may be appealed immediately
by a delegate. The Chair may speak briefly in defence of the ruling. The appeal
will then be put to a vote, and the decision of the Chair will stand unless overruled
by a two-thirds majority. The Secretary General has ultimate discretion on any
ruling, whether it is appealed successfully or not.

9. Quorum: The Board may declare a committee open and permit debate to
proceed when at least one-fourth of the voting members of the committee
is present. A member of the committee is considered present if at least one
delegate representing that member is in the committee chamber. The presence
of a majority of the members will be required for a vote. A quorum will be
assumed to be present unless specifically challenged by a point of order and
shown to be absent. A roll call is never required to determine the presence of a
quorum.

10. Courtesy: Delegates will show courtesy and respect to the committee staff
and to other delegates. The Chair will immediately call to order any delegate
who fails to comply with this rule.

[Link] Devices: No laptops, tablets, cell phones, or other electronic devices

may be used in the committee room during formal debate or moderated
caucus. Computers may be used outside the committee room at any time, or
in the committee room during unmoderated caucus at the discretion of the
Committee Board.

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Rules Governing Debate

12. In the event of an international crisis or emergency, the Secretary General or
their representative may call upon a committee to table debate on the current
topic area so that the more urgent matter may be attended to immediately.
Under such circumstances, a delegate may motion to table the topic and
temporarily set the agenda to the crisis situation. After a resolution has been
passed on the crisis, the committee will return to debate on the tabled topic.
Until a resolution has passed, the committee may return to debate on the tabled
topic area only at the discretion of the Secretary General or their representative.

13. Debate: One continuously open speakers list will be established for the
duration of the topic area, except as interrupted by procedural points or motions,
caucuses, discussion of amendments, and introduction of draft resolutions.
Speakers may speak generally on the topic area being considered and may
address any working paper or any draft resolution currently on the floor. A draft
resolution can only be referred to as such once it has been introduced to the
committee.

14. Unmoderated Caucus: An unmoderated caucus temporarily suspends formal

debate and allows members to discuss ideas informally in the committee room.
A motion for an unmoderated caucus is in order at any time when the floor is
open, prior to closure of debate. The delegate making the motion must briefly
explain the purpose of the motion and specify a time limit for the caucus, not
to exceed twenty minutes. The motion will be put to a vote immediately, and a
simple majority is required for passage. The Chair may rule the motion dilatory,
and their decision is not subject to appeal. The Chair may prematurely end
an unmoderated caucus if the Chair feels that the caucus has ceased to be
productive, and this decision is not subject to appeal.

15. Moderated Caucus: A motion for a moderated caucus is in order at any

time when the floor is open, prior to closure of debate. The delegate making
the motion must briefly specify a topic, a speaking time, and an overall time
limit, not to exceed twenty minutes, for the caucus. Once raised, the motion
will be voted on immediately, with a simple majority required for passage. If
no delegates wish to speak, the moderated caucus will immediately conclude,
even if time remains in the caucus. The Chair may also decide, subject to appeal,
to suspend the caucus early.

16. Closure of Debate: When the floor is open, a delegate may move to close
debate on the substantive or procedural matter under discussion. The Chair

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may, subject to appeal, rule such a motion dilatory. When closure of debate is
moved, the Chair may recognize up to two speakers against the motion. No
speaker in favour of the motion will be recognized. Closure of debate requires a
two-thirds majority to pass. If the committee is in favour of closure, the Chair will
declare the closure of debate, and the resolutions or amendment on the floor
will be brought to an immediate vote.

17. Motion to Suspend the Meeting: This motion is made to suspend the meeting
for the purpose of a regular caucus or a moderated caucus, but its use also
depends upon the conference you are attending. When moving to suspend the
meeting, the delegate should specify a certain amount of time and the purpose.
This motion requires an immediate vote.

18. Adjournment of the Meeting: Whenever the floor is open, a delegate may
move for the adjournment of the meeting, to suspend all committee functions
for the duration of the conference. The Chair may rule such motions dilatory;
this decision is not subject to appeal. When in order, such a motion will not be
debated but will be immediately put to a vote and will require a simple majority
to pass.

19. Postponement and Resumption of Debate: Whenever the floor is open,

a delegate may move for the postponement of debate on a resolution or
amendment currently on the floor. The motion, otherwise known as “tabling,”
will require a two-thirds majority to pass and will be debated by two speakers in
favour and two opposed. No debate or action will be allowed on any resolution or
amendment on which debate has been postponed, and if debate on a resolution
or amendment has not been resumed before debate is closed, that resolution
or amendment may not be voted upon. A motion to resume debate on an
amendment or resolution on which debate has been postponed will require
a simple majority to pass and will be debated by two speakers in favour and
two opposed. Resumption of debate will cancel the effects of postponement of
debate.

Rules Governing Speeches

20. General Speakers’ List: The committee will have an open speakers’ list for the
topic being discussed. Separate speakers list will be established as needed for
debate on amendments. Periodically, the Chair will call on delegations wishing
to be added to the speakers list, and delegations may remove their name from
the list via written request. If all motions on the floor fail, the committee will

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temporarily return to the speakers list until a consensus on debate can be

established.

21. Speeches: No delegate may address a session without having previously

obtained the permission of the Chair. The Chair may call a speaker to order if
their remarks are not relevant to the subject under discussion, or offensive to
committee members or staff. Delegates who are absent when recognized by
the dais automatically forfeit their time, and debate will continue.

22. Speaking Time: When any speakers’ list is opened, the speaking time is
automatically set to one minute. Delegates may also make a motion to set a
new speaking time at any time when points or motions are in order during
formal debate. This motion requires a simple majority to pass.

23. Yields: A delegate granted the right to speak from a speakers list may,
after speaking, yield in one of three ways: to another delegate, to questions,
or to the dais.

• Yield to another delegate: Any remaining time will be given to that delegate,
who may not, however, then yield any remaining time to a third delegate. To
turn the floor over to a co-delegate is not considered a yield.
• Yield to questions: Questioners will be selected by the Chair and limited to
one question each. Follow-up questions will be allowed only at the discretion of
the Chair. Only the speaker’s answers to questions will be deducted from the
speaker’s remaining time.
• Yield to the Chair: Such a yield should be made if the delegate has finished
speaking and does not wish to yield to another delegate or to questions, and
further does not wish their speech to be subject to comments. The Chair will
then move to the next speaker. A yield to the Chair is in order, but not automatic,
when a speaker’s time has elapsed.
• Yields are in order only on substantive speeches and not during moderated
caucus.

24. Comments: If a substantive speech is followed by no yields, the Chair may

recognize two delegations, other than the initial speaker, to comment for thirty
seconds each on the specific content of the speech just completed. Delegates
who make comments may not yield. No comments will be in order during
debate on procedural motions, moderated caucus, or debate on amendments.

25. Right of Reply: A delegate whose personal integrity has been impugned by
another delegate may request a Right of Reply. The Reply, if granted, will take

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the form of a thirty-second speech. The Chair’s decision whether to grant the
Right of Reply cannot be appealed, and a delegate granted a Right of Reply will
not address the committee until requested to do so by the Chair.

Points
26. Point of Personal Privilege: Whenever a delegate experiences personal
discomfort which impairs their ability to participate in the proceedings, he or
she may rise to a point of personal privilege to request that the discomfort be
corrected.

27. Point of Order: During the discussion of any matter, a delegate may rise
to a point of order to indicate an instance of improper use of parliamentary
procedure. The point of order will be immediately ruled upon by the Chair in
accordance with these Rules of Procedure.

28. Point of Parliamentary Inquiry: When the floor is open, a delegate may rise to
a point of parliamentary inquiry to ask the Chair a question regarding the Rules
of Procedure.

Rules Governing Substantive Matters

29. Working Papers: Delegates may propose working papers for committee
consideration. Working papers are intended to aid the committee in its
discussion and formulation of resolutions and need not be written in resolution
format. Like Resolutions, working papers do not have sponsors – but the Board
will set a minimum number of signatories required for a working paper to be
discussed in committee. Working papers are introduced at the discretion of the
Board and no substantive motion is needed.

30. Resolutions: A resolution may be introduced when it receives the approval of

the Board and is signed by a sufficient number of countries. Signing a resolution
need not indicate support for the resolution, and the signatory has no further
rights or obligations and may sign more than one draft resolution. There are no
official sponsors of resolutions. Resolutions require a simple majority to pass
unless otherwise stated in specific committee rules. More than one resolution
may be on the floor at any one time, but at most one resolution may be passed
per committee.

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31. Introducing Resolutions: Once all resolutions have been approved as

stipulated above and have been copied and distributed, a delegate may make
a motion to introduce the resolutions. This motion should specify the order in
which the resolutions will be introduced. This motion requires a simple majority
to pass. Traditionally, a panel of those involved in the drafting of the resolution
will present a summary of the document, followed by a question-and-answer
period. There is some flexibility in how this arrangement may work, which
delegates should discuss with the Board.

32. Amendments: Delegates may amend any resolution on the floor after it has
been introduced. The Board will set a minimum number of signatories required
for an amendment to be considered, which will be communicated to delegates
following the introduction of resolutions. Amendments to amendments are out
of order. There are no official sponsors of amendments. Not every amendment
may be introduced and voted on. The procedure for amendments is as follows.

• Each amendment must be introduced by a motion to introduce an amendment.

This requires a simple majority to pass and is a procedural vote.
• If the motion to introduce the amendment passes, then the chair will draw an
alternating list of for and against speakers. The delegate who made the motion
may introduce may speak as the first for the speaker at the Chair’s discretion.
A motion to close debate will be in order after at least one for and one against
speaker.
• Votes on amendments are substantive votes and require a simple majority to
pass.

Rules Governing Voting

33. Division of the Question: After debate on a resolution or amendment has
been closed, a delegate may move to divide the question on any item which
is about to be voted on. Division of the question means that a specified set
of operative clauses may be voted on separately from the rest. Preambulatory
clauses may not be removed by division of the question. The motion may be
debated to the extent of two speakers for and two speakers against. This motion
requires a simple majority to pass.

• The Chair will accept motions to divide the question on a specific resolution.
This motion is about dividing the question in general and does not specify a
manner by which to divide the question. This motion is procedural and requires
a simple majority.

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• If the motion passes, the Chair will accept proposals on how to divide the
question. Such proposals may divide the question into two or more parts. After
all proposals have been accepted, the Chair will arrange them from most severe
to least, and each will be voted on, in that order. This is a substantive vote and
requires a simple majority. If no division passes, the resolution, or amendment
remains intact.
• If any proposal passes, all other proposals are discarded, and the resolution or
amendment is divided accordingly. A substantive vote must then be taken on
each divided part to determine whether or not it is included in the final draft.
A simple majority is required for inclusion of each part. After all divided parts
have been voted on, those that were voted to be included are recombined into
the final draft resolution which must then be voted upon under regular Rules of
Procedure. If all of the operative parts of the substantive proposal are rejected,
the proposal will be considered to have been rejected as a whole.

34. Reordering Resolutions: The default order in which resolutions are voted on
is the order in which they were introduced. After debate on a topic has been
closed, a delegate may motion to change the order in which resolutions on the
committee floor will be voted on. Such a motion must specify a desired order.

35. Voting: Once the committee is in voting procedure and all relevant motions
have been entertained, the committee will vote on the resolutions on the floor.
Voting occurs on each resolution in succession; once a resolution has been
passed, no further resolutions will be voted on. In all matters, both substantive
and procedural, each country will have one vote. Each vote may be a “Yes,”
“No,” or “Abstain.” All matters will be voted upon by placards, except in the case
of a roll call vote. After the Chair has announced the beginning of voting, no
delegate will interrupt the voting except on a point of personal privilege or on
a point of order in connection with the actual conduct of the voting. A simple
majority requires more “Yes” votes than “No” votes; abstentions are not counted
toward either total. A two-thirds majority vote requires at least twice as many
“Yes” votes as “No” votes. A procedural vote is a vote on any matter besides an
amendment or resolution and requires every country to vote either “Yes” or “No”
on the question.

36. Roll Call Voting: After debate is closed on any topic area or amendment, any
delegate may request a roll call vote. A motion for a roll call vote is in order only
for substantive motions. The Chair’s decision whether to accept the motion for
a roll call vote may not be appealed.

• In a roll call vote, the Chair will call all countries noted by the dais to be in
attendance in alphabetical order.

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• In the first sequence, delegates may vote “Yes,” “No,” “Abstain,” “Pass,” “Yes with
rights,” or “No with rights.”
• A delegate who passes during the first sequence of the roll call must vote “Yes”
or “No” during the second sequence. The same delegate may not request the
right of explanation.
• A delegate may only request the right of explanation if their vote appears to
constitute a divergence from his or her country’s policy and if he or she votes
“Yes with rights” or “No with rights” in the first round of voting. After all delegates
have voted, delegates who stated their vote with rights will be granted 30
seconds each to explain their votes.
• The Chair will then announce the outcome of the vote.

Precedence of Motions
Motions will be considered in the following order of preference. If a point or
motion is on the floor, points, or motions lower on this list are out of order.

• Parliamentary Points
• Points of Personal Privilege
• Points of Order
• Points in order only when the floor is open, i.e., Points of Parliamentary Inquiry

Procedural motions that are not debatable:

• Adjournment of the Meeting
• Suspension of the Meeting
• Motion to Extend the Previous Motion
• Unmoderated Caucus
• Moderated Caucus
• Motion to change the speaking time
• Introduction of a draft resolution
• Introduction of an amendment

Procedural motions that are applicable to a resolution or

amendment under consideration:

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• Closure of Debate
• Postponement of Debate
• Reordering Resolutions
• Division of the Question

Substantive motions
• Amendments
• Resolution
• Other procedural motions, e.g., Resumption of Debate
• or have a Roll Call Vote

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FROM A WORKING PAPER TO

A RESOLUTION
1. Working Paper

2. Approval

3. Draft Resolution

4. Amendments

5. Resolution

6. Voting

On How to Write a Working Paper

Congratulations, you have managed to survive so far. In this diplomatic journey,
which we started with the structure of the UN, we have learned many steps
from making speeches to the difficult and gloomy atmosphere of parliamentary
procedures, and we are now ready to write a resolution paper. But the resolution
process is a very gradual and careful process. Let’s take a look at the Working
Paper, which is our first stage together.

A Working Paper is usually a harbinger of a Draft Resolution. The lobbying you do

during the long committee sessions is a place where you can put forward, through
negotiation and compromise, the first draft of ideas that you hope to guide the
solution to committee’s agenda. However, the fact that a Working paper will turn
into a Draft Resolution does not mean that it should be formatted like a Draft
Resolution from the very beginning. You can choose to use the time you take to
find appropriate introductory or transactional phrases or appropriate formatting
and punctuation to convey your important ideas to many other delegates in a less
formal way. Doing this can be especially useful at the initial stages of the writing
process. In the following guide, we will give you some tips on how to better use
the working paper stage, which will make your valuable time on the committee
much more efficient for your lobbying activities.

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1. Keep it short and concise! Highlight important parts!

• In the lobbying rush of group meetings, many delegates will not have time to
read your entire document. You and your group will often find yourself explaining
the same concepts to different delegates over and over again. So, it would be a
good strategy to highlight the points you care about the most and write in bold.

2. Include maps and graphs!

• Since the Working paper you are going to prepare will not be an official
document, feel free to use a map when describing the movement of your troops
or where to set up your medical aid camp. It is a good idea to support your ideas
with visuals both to demonstrate your mastery of the geography of the region
and to go to other delegates with more concrete resources.

3. Use Equations!

• More food aid + Training of teenagers to cook = less idle hands in refugee camps
• Sometimes writing out the variables / stakeholders in an equation like the one
above can be clearer than an entire paragraph. Use an equation to establish
your main idea in a way that shows clear cause and effect. Even when you have
clauses written later on in the process you can keep your equation on the top
of the draft. With the draft in hand, you can tell others that they are welcome to
read further but your main idea is here in the math on the top of the page.
Now that we have learned the tactics of writing Working Paper in general terms,
we can now better understand and interpret the following example:

Committee: UN Commission on Trade and Development

Topic: Generalized System of Preferences

Signatories: Algeria, United States, Colombia, United Kingdom, South Africa,

Portugal, Republic of Korea, and Spain

The authors of this working paper believe that a GSP should be set up so that
Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) receive preferential treatment from Developed
Countries (DCs). To that end we propose:

1. Each DC reduces its tariffs to the lowest level possible. This level will be
determined by the below created subcommittee.

2. Bilateral trade agreements should be pursued for further reductions in tariffs.

3. Trade preferences should be granted in the following areas

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• a) Agriculture
• b) Manufactures
• c) Semi-manufactures
• d) Raw materials

4. Decisions on giving nations preference in product coverage should be made in

consultation with the affected LDC. Annual re-evaluation of coverage shall take
place with the LDC with dispute going to the below-created subcommittee.

Friendly reminder: The purpose of the working paper is to clearly

communicate the interests of one or more countries. Please note that
there is no set format for working papers; the below is just one example
of a possible working paper. To facilitate the photocopying and delivery,
working papers should include the name and topic of the committee.
After receiving the approval of the Board, working papers may be
copied and distributed to the committee.

On How to write a Resolution

One of the biggest questions in the minds of delegates who are just starting MUN
is undoubtedly how to write a resolution paper. The solution protocol contains all
the proposed solutions to a problem, and it is very important to write it down
because the ultimate goal of a committee is to link the problem given on the
first day of the committee to the solution after discussing it during the sessions.
The resolution paper also helps the secretariat about who has emerged victorious
from the ongoing lobbying activities in the committee and who has contributed
the most.

A resolution is:

• Legal document
• Product of debate
• Sustainable solution

Anatomy of a Resolution
Since a resolution is a legal document, it not only has to be original and brilliant,
but it also has to look a certain way. MUN resolution formatting following the

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guidelines of that is set by the United Nations. Every couple of years, the United
Nations updates their formatting guidelines for its variety of legal documents, but
let’s spare you the read.

A resolution is actually really simple to write. It has three main parts: the heading,
the pre-ambulatory clauses, and the operative clauses. We’ll break down the
example above into these three parts below.

1. Heading
The heading contains four pieces of information: the committee’s name, the
sponsors, the signatories, and the topic (not necessarily in that order depending
on each individual conference’s rules).

2. Preambulatory clauses
The pre-ambulatory clauses state all the issues that the committee wants to
resolve on this issue. It may state reasons why the committee is working on this
issue and highlight previous international actions on the issue. Pre-ambulatory
clauses can include:

• Past UN resolutions, treaties, or conventions related to the topic

• Past regional, non-governmental, or national efforts in resolving this topic
• References to the UN Charter or other international frameworks and laws
• Statements made by the Secretary-General or a relevant UN body or agency
• General background formation or facts about the topic, its significance, and its
impact.
It’s very simple to write a preambulatory clause.

First, take a statement that you want to write about (perhaps an issue you want
to solve or a specific fact from one of the five bullet points above). You then take
that statement, combine it with an underlined preambulatory phrase, and end it
with a comma. Let’s take a look at this example:

Imagine the country I am representing would like to address the issue of how
HIV/AIDS has spread rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa. I pick a preambulatory phrase
and then I combine it to what I would like to emphasize and write:

Alarmed by the 17% increase in HIV/AIDS contraction among sub-

Saharan African countries in the past five years,

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You can look at the end of this document to see the list for preambulatory
phrases.

Strategy Tip: In general, you want fewer preambulatory clauses than

operative clauses. More operative clauses convey that you have more
solutions than you have problems.

3. Operative clauses
Operative clauses state the solutions that the sponsors of the resolution proposes
to resolve the issues. The operative clauses should address the issues specifically
mentioned in the pre-ambulatory clauses above it.

It’s very simple to write an operative clause. First, take a solution that you want
to include in the draft resolution. You then take that solution, combine it with an
underlined operative phrase, and end it with a semicolon (the last operative clause
ends with a period). Operative clauses are also numbered. This differentiates them
from pre-ambulatory clauses, helps show logical progression in the resolution,
and makes the operative clauses easy to refer to in speeches and comments.

For example, my first solution is to distribute low-cost medicines for HIV/AIDS to

sub-Saharan African countries. I pick an operative phrase and I combine it with
my solution:

• Calls upon the developed countries and major pharmaceutical countries

to provide low-cost, generic medicines for HIV/AIDS to sub-Saharan African
countries;
You can look at the end of this document to see the list for operative phrases.

Strategy Tip: Usually more details in an operative clause will make

it stronger or at least make the idea clearer to other delegates. A
simple way to strengthen each operative clause is to answer the
“who, what, when, where, why, and how” of each resolution. These
details can actually be broken down into sub-operative clauses
underneath the main operative clause.

Amendments
Approved draft resolutions are modified through amendments. An amendment
is a written statement that adds, deletes or changes an operative clause in a
draft resolution. Writing an amendment is very simple. All you have to do is make

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an operative clause that adds, deletes, or changes an operative clause in a draft

resolution.

SAMPLE DRAFT RESOLUTION

PAPER
Committee: General Assembly 1st Committee Topic: Child Soldiers

Sponsors: China, Rwanda, Russia Signatories: DR Congo, India, North Korea

RESOLUTION 1.1

The General Assembly,

Concerned that children are being recruited for military purposes,

Recognizing that the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programmes

(DDR) are too rigid, unable to adapt to different situations of different soldiers,

Understanding that DDR programmes are costly and unaffordable for countries
who are having the issue of child soldiers,

Concerned for the safety of the people involved in carrying out DDR,

1. Endorses funding for the International Rescue Committee and NGOs to set
up schools as to give former child soldiers an education and equip them with
different skills to direct them away from a life of violence after conflict, including

a. Elementary schools,
b. Middle schools,
c. High schools, and,
d. Colleges;

2. Calls upon countries to create military units specifically to directly rescue or

counter the use of child soldiers in their country by rebel militias;

3. Recommends the setting up of “rehabilitation villages” to collect all former child

soldiers and rehabilitate them, focusing on sustainability, holistic skill building,
and education;

4. Reminds countries subscribing to these recommendations that rehabilitating

every child will depend on individual cases.

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ROAD TO ACADEMIC
EXCELLENCE
Welcome to the “WHAT TO DO TO EXCEL IN MUN AND WIN AWARDS!” part
of this Handbook.

In this very last part of the Handbook, we have come to the section where we
have again highlighted the points that we find important about the entire
processes described above and made recommendations to the delegates.

So far, we have seen together the process of a delegate from preparing for the
conference to voting on the resolution paper on the last day. From now on, every
time you look back at this document, you know where to find what and which
parts are more important. But we also wanted to make a summary by preparing
this section for you. We would like to share some tips with you in the light of the
information we have compiled from all the sections.

What to Do Before the

Conference
• For a good preliminary preparation, get to know your country before the topic.
Because a good delegate is a delegate who acts in accordance with the policies
of his country.
• Know your committee agenda! Mastering the subject does not mean having
all the statistical information about the subject, it is the ability to take an early
position and generate ideas in the discussions that will come before you in the
committee in the light of the information you have.
• Write a good position paper! No matter how well you prepare for the
conference, if you cannot show it on your position paper, the committee board
will not possibly know about it. Therefore, pay attention to your position paper,
which will reflect and summarize all the preliminary preparation you have made.
Remember also that a good position paper consists not so much of information,
but of knowledge! The point is not to promote your country, but to already give
signals to the committee on how you will lead it!

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What to Do During Your Opening

Speech
• Remember your position paper for a good opening statement! Try to explain
the perspective and solutions you offer on the Position paper without detailing
them.
• A good opening speech doesn’t have to include everything! You don’t have to
fit what you are going to do in a single keynote speech. Try to be more specific
and impressive!
• Show the other delegates that you know the committee! You have informed
the committee board with your position paper that you are well aware of the
committee. Now it’s time to show this to the other delegates. Because a good
delegate means the delegate who can make other delegates think that they
are good!

What to Do During GSL Speeches

• The name of your country should always be on this list! It’s always positive
to have your name on the list, even if you don’t think you have anything new to
talk about. You always have the right not to give your speech or hand it over to
another delegate, use it!
• Use this list as a tool to show your self-confidence! In some of your GSL turns,
keep your introductory speech short and leave the rest of your time for questions
and opinions. This will show the other delegates and the committee board that
you are confident. You can check out Rules of Procedure again for details about
the Yield process.

What to Do During Moderated

Caucuses
• Try to be creative! Use the discussion topic in the proposals you will submit to
discuss solutions that you have already prepared. Being creative in doing so will
allow other delegates to vote in favour of your proposal.

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• Don’t give motion to just give motion! It doesn’t matter how many motions
you propose to the committee. So do not feel the need to constantly open a
new topic and raise a motion. Follow the discussions and use your motions if
necessary.
• Learn to listen! Never forget that the Moderated Caucus format does not consist
of monologues! Listen to the delegates speaking before you, take notes. In order
to direct the discussion, you will need to know where the discussion is going.

What to Do During Unmoderated

Caucuses
• Do not be alone! Unmoderated caucuses are forms of discussion that you use
to prepare the necessary written documents for the committee. That is why
it will not be good for you to be alone during these sessions. Keep in touch
with other delegates, talk to them with references to previous discussions to
show that you are listening and that you are following the committee, and try to
rally people around you. As soon as you realize that you are struggling, ask the
committee board for help. Remember that nothing will be worse than for you
to sit on your own.
• Lead people! Unmoderated sessions always need a natural facilitator and leader.
Lead them by exploiting the power void in the unmoderated caucuses and
attracting other delegates to your side. But do not impose yourself on others
while doing this, wait for the process to develop naturally. The other delegates
should be impressed by your knowledge and abilities so that they come to you.
• Crowd up! Keep in mind that you need votes at the end of the committee. The
working documents you write may be much better, but if you are outnumbered
by the other group, you will lose to them at the end of the day. Therefore, try to
attract delegates from other groups to your side by making concessions. And
you do it best by promising them, listening to them. Because remember that
the best delegate is the one who can mobilize other delegates, not the one who
tells the best idea all the time!
Finally, whatever you do, try to enjoy the conference. Because every conference,
you will have time to correct your mistakes, to positively criticize yourself when you
look back. Enjoy your unique experience without bringing any negative thoughts
to your mind during the conference period. Be sure that each conference will
open doors to completely different experiences for you!

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APPENDIX

PREAMBULATORY CLAUSES
• Guided by
• Having adopted
• Having considered
• Having considered further
• Having devoted attention
• Having examined
• Having heard
• Having received
• Having studied
• Keeping in mind
• Noting further
• Noting with approval
• Noting with deep concern
• Noting with regret
• Noting with satisfaction
• Observing
• Reaffirming
• Realizing
• Recalling
• Recognizing
• Referring
• Seeking
• Taking into account
• Taking note
• Viewing with appreciation

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• Welcoming
• Affirming
• Alarmed by
• Approving
• Aware of
• Bearing in mind
• Believing
• Cognizant of
• Confident
• Contemplating
• Convinced
• Declaring
• Deeply concerned
• Deeply conscious
• Deeply convinced
• Deeply disturbed
• Deeply regretting
• Desiring
• Emphasizing
• Expecting
• Expressing its appreciation
• Expressing its satisfaction
• Fulfilling
• Fully alarmed
• Fully aware
• Fully believing

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OPERATIVE CLAUSES
• Accepts
• Affirms
• Approves
• Authorizes C
• alls for
• Calls upon
• Condemns
• Confirms
• Congratulates
• Considers
• Declares accordingly
• Demands
• Deplores
• Designates
• Draws attention
• Emphasizes
• Encourages
• Endorses
• Expresses its appreciation
• Expresses its hope
• Further invites
• Further proclaims
• Further recommends
• Further reminds
• Further requests
• Further resolves
• Has resolved
• Notes
• Proclaims

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• Reaffirms
• Recommends
• Regrets
• Reminds
• Requests
• Resolves
• Solemnly affirms
• Strongly condemns
• Supports
• Takes note of
• Trusts
• Urges
• Welcomes

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