Preparations
Preparing for a model United Nations conference can be both frustrating and overwhelming. Knowing the right places to look and how to use available tools properly can increase your success at researching your country. A good place to begin your research is the CIA World Fact Book. From there you can find your country’s basic information. Some other good places to look are the New York Times, Washington Post and the BBC. At those sites you can find recent and relevant news about your country. Another great place to find specific information is at your county’s permanent mission to the UN Web site. These can be easily accessed from the Member States icon on the UN’s main page. These sites will have any major press releases or speeches given at the UN. Also, your country’s foreign ministry or state department Web site will have major speeches given by your nation’s diplomats. Many of these sites will have brief policy statements on specific issues. These are not the only resources available, but they can be the most helpful when preparing for a MUN.
POSITION PAPERS
Many conferences require that each delegation submit a position paper, which is information outlining each delegation's policies on the topics being discussed in their specific committee. The position paper helps the delegates organize their ideas and share their foreign policy with the rest of the committee. Most conferences that require such documents ask for them about one month before the actual conference. Most position papers are one page in length for each topic, and contain a brief introduction and a comprehensive breakdown on a country's position.
What the paper should include:
The position paper should include a brief introduction and a comprehensive breakdown of the country's position on the topics that are being discussed within the committee. An excellent position paper must include:
- a clear statement of policy on each topic;
- the country's background on the topic;
- political and/or foreign policy
- action taken by the specific government in relation to the topic
- conventions, and resolutions that the country has approved
- quotes taken from speeches made by heads of government
- the type of resolution the country hopes to accomplish.
A Click here for a sample position paper.
RESOLUTIONS
Many Model United Nation Conferences require delegates to bring previously prepared resolutions with them. UMLMUN does not allow delegates to bring resolutions that they have previously prepared. Delegates are to work together during the conference to combine their ideas and mold them with other member states to form resolutions that can be used for debate. There are basic criteria required for each resolution. Each resolution is called a working paper until it is introduced to the committee as a resolution. Each working paper must have (pending on the committee) 3 sponsors and 3 signatories. A sponsor of a resolution is a country that has been one of the principle authors of the document and agrees with its substance. A signatory is a country that may or may not agree with the substance of the resolution, but would like to see it debated on the floor.
Click here for a sample resolution.
The format is as follows:
- Committee: the committee in which the resolution is introduced
- Topic: the topic of the resolution
- Sponsored by: the sponsoring countries
- Signatories: List the signatories
The preamble is to show that there is a problem that needs to be solved. The preamble of a resolution does everything but proposes action or makes any substantive statement in the topic at hand. Each clause must begin with one of the perambulatory clauses that are included in this background guide. The first word in each clause should be underlined, and each clause in the preamble should end with a comma.
Click here for a list of preamble clauses.
OPERATIVE CLAUSES
The operative clauses are the statements within the resolution that explain and request action. This is the most crucial portion of the resolution because this outlines the actions that are to be taken by the Member States to alleviate the issue. Remember, only the Security Council can enforce an action. The other committees can only request action to be taken. All operative clauses end with a semicolon except that final clause, which ends with a period.
Click here for a list of operative clauses.
AMENDMENTS
These are the alterations or the changes to a resolution that will occur while debating a resolution. The style, wording and intent of the amendment should complement the original draft resolution. These follow the pattern of the resolution already stated in the document but present new viewpoints or suggestions. There are two types of amendments:
Friendly Amendments: This is a change to the resolution that ALL of the sponsors agree upon and allow it to be changed in the resolution.
Unfriendly Amendments: This is an amendment that the sponsors of the resolutions do not support, therefore it is put to the committee for debate and is then voted upon by the committee as a whole.
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