Model United Nations Handbook

By Emma G. and Gabrielle B.

What is Model UN?

            Model United Nations aims to teach students about international affairs, diplomacy, and the workings of the United Nations through interactive conferences.  In this forum, student delegates represent an assigned country or political figure in an international discussion of a variety of issues facing the world today.  Committees might look for ways to alleviate hunger, promote women’s rights, encourage nuclear disarmament, slow deforestation, and provide aid in the wake of humanitarian disasters like the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean or the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

          Norfolk Academy students have the opportunity to participate in four Model United Nations conferences each year. FALLMUNC, held at Norfolk Academy in October, serves primarily as an introduction for those who have never participated in a conference and gives them the confidence they need to travel with us to larger conferences.  William and Mary hosts a high school conference (WMHSMUN) each year in mid-November, and Old Dominion stages a similar event (ODUMUNC) in mid-February.  In April, Norfolk Academy hosts NAMUNC on campus. 

          The on-campus conferences are planned, organized, and run by Upper School members of the International Relations Club.  The student leaders from the group serve as Secretary-General, committee chairs, and crisis staff.  While neither of these events have the prestige or the sheer number of participants as the William and Mary or ODU conferences, they allow interested students to explore Model UN in a familiar atmosphere. Usually, Middle School participants form the General Assembly and Upper School students are split into two specialized cabinets. 

          WMHSMUN and ODUMUN are much larger conferences, and generally less experienced participants are assigned to larger General Assembly committees while those who are more familiar with the system have the chance to act on smaller, more specialized committees.

         Model UN does require research and preparation, but the benefits gleaned from participating are worth the effort.  Students gain an understanding of global problems facing the world today and an appreciation for cooperation and diplomacy.  They come to understand things from another perspective, as well as honing their public speaking and organizational skills while using their creative instincts.  And with all the debate and compromising, everyone should have plenty of fun.
 

Getting Started:

Research

          The truth is that the more effort you put in to preparing for the conference, the better informed you will be, and the more fun you will have.  Before every conference, your committee chair will make a background guide available on the internet.  This document is a wonderful tool: it outlines the issue for you, and may even indicate useful websites for further research.  In any case, it should give you a general understanding of the topic so that you can begin to research from the perspective of your specific person or country.

          You will find it very helpful to print out the background guides and bring them with you to the conference.  You should also bring a copy of useful pages you discover while doing your research.  Country maps, press releases, and statistics are all valuable things to have on hand.

Researching a Country:

If you have been assigned a country, the first step is to become familiar with the country you have been assigned.  What form does your country’s government take?  Is it a poor nation that receives aid or a wealthy nation that reaches out to others?  Who does your country get along with?  With whom do they have ongoing disputes and why?  What are your country’s primary concerns?  What are your natural resources, imports, and exports?  To what treaties are you party, and which have you refused to ratify?  Having a general understanding of your country’s political, economic, and cultural formation will help you immensely in understanding their dynamic.

After you have completed your preliminary research, focus on the given topics.  Use the background guides to get a general understanding of the topic so that you can begin to research from the perspective of your specific country.  Concentrate on the present, but also venture into the roots and causes of the issue. Explore how this problem affects the local and international community.  What measures has your government taken or plan considered taking?  Look into past attempts to solve the problem, especially previous UN resolutions, and see how they can be altered. Find relevant treaties and organizations.  Keep an eye out for other countries that share your opinions so you can forge alliances at the conference.

Researching a Political Figure:

          If you have been assigned to represent a specific political figure, your research is slightly different.  First, it is important to find out general biographic information.  Where was your person born?  Of what country are they a citizen?  Then you must begin researching your person in relation to the topics.  If your person has been particularly vocal on the issue at hand, then it will be easy for you to ascertain their opinion.  But if they haven’t made any public pronouncements, you will need to make some inferences.  What is your person’s job?  Are they a member of the government?  Of a non-profit organization?  If so, it is important to understand that country or organization as well.  What interests would the figure try to protect, and how would that influence their opinion about the topic?  What major events have they lived through that might have influenced them? 

          It may also be helpful to research your person’s relationship with the other people on the committee.  Do you have any reliable allies?  Anyone with whom you don’t get along?

Doing Research:

          Great research sources can be found in encyclopedias, books, or online, but be careful to check the legitimacy of your source and allow for a possible bias.  Remember that Wikipedia is not a valid source, but the references listed at the end of a relevant article may prove useful.

Useful Websites:

·        CIA World Fact Book- a good resource for statistics and background information:  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html

·        The United Nations Website- contains facts, past resolutions, the UN Charter, and archives of press releases:  http://www.unsystem.org/

·        World Politics- a Princeton site that has some good international relations articles:  http://www.princeton.edu/~piirs/publications/world_politics.html

·        World Politics and Review- a site where you can view articles and commentary on an event: 
http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/

·        The Institute of World Politics- a United States government sponsored page: 
http://www.iwp.edu/

·        Databases available through the Norfolk Academy webpage, such as Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO), and World History: The Modern Era can also be helpful sources

Position Papers

          A position paper is a summary of what you discovered when researching.  It usually runs about three-quarters of a page single-spaced. 

          If you are assigned to represent a specific country, your position paper should discuss the problem and its implications for your country.  Mention past efforts your county has made to tackle the problem or pre-existing treaties.  If your country is not concerned about the issue, try and explain why that is the case.  Does your county have isolationist policies?  Do financial, social, or religious ties require them to remain neutral?  What is your country’s history with the issue?

          Remember not to use “I,” but to refer to yourself instead by your country’s name.

          If you part of a Specialized Agency and have been assigned a specific political figure, your position paper will be slightly different.  You must still discuss the problem, but from the perspective of the person you’re assigned.  What does your person feel the best solution would be and why?

          In this situation, it is appropriate to use “I” instead of referring to yourself in the third person.

          A draft of your position paper will be due to an Upper School International Relations Club officer about two weeks before the conference.  The officer will read your position paper to let you know if you’re on the right track and if you need to go into more depth.  In addition, you should bring two copies of your position papers on the day of the conference: one to be collected by your committee chair and one you can refer back to throughout the event.

Sample Position Paper

Authors: Emma G. and Abby P.

Country: Germany

Issue: HIV/AIDS Epidemic

            Germany acknowledges the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus as a dire pandemic.  It applauds the creation of the United Nations Special Committee of UNAIDS to support each member of the international community in their fight to eradicate HIV and AIDS within their borders.  Germany fully supports the creation of the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS and Health to help meet the financial needs of countries struggling to control the virus. It would like to stress, however, the individual obligation each nation has to fight the disease within their own country, namely by working to educate their citizens, both adults and children, men and women, homosexuals and heterosexuals.  Emphasis must be placed on the elimination of gender inequalities, for it is the social and economic vulnerability of women and girls that force them into sexual situations that compromise their physical, as well as psychological, health.  In East Asia, the number of infected women increased 56% in only two years; in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, the increase was 48%.  In sub-Saharan Africa, 76% of infected persons between the ages of 15 and 24 are women.  Each government must also strive to break through the taboo surrounding homosexuality because the disease is spreading rampantly, especially among homosexual males.  The prevalence rate of HIV among homosexual men is 10-20% in Western European countries and diagnoses increased 22% from 2001 to 2002.  The safe-sex education campaigns directed at the homosexual population must be redesigned and their circulation intensified in order to combat the spreading virus.  Misunderstanding of the causes and treatments of HIV and AIDS is almost as widespread as the disease itself.  It is vital that each government works diligently to spread the truth among its citizens because it is only through understanding that the progress of this pandemic can be impeded.

At the Conference:

Speaking

Speakers List:

          This list, kept by the dais, is the order in which countries will be given time to address the entire committee.  At the beginning of the conference, there will be a motion to open the Speakers List and set the speaking time.  You can have your country added to the list by raising your placard.  There may also be a motion to allot time for a question and answer session, during which the body may ask questions of the speaker.  To ask a question during this time, raise your placard and you will be acknowledged by the Chair. 

          Once you have had your turn, you can be added back to the speakers list by sending a note to the Chair.  It is important that your country is always on the Speakers List to show your continued interest in the session.  Also, if you wait to add your name to the list until a point has been raised to which you wish to respond, it may be a long time before you have the opportunity to speak.

          When it is your turn to speak, it is appropriate to share your country’s general position with the body, or mention some solutions you feel are possible.  If you have a working paper in progress, you may also use the time to share with the body the ideas you are developing.

          Remember not to use “I” or “you” but refer to yourself by your country’s name, such as “Argentina believes that…”

          On smaller committees, the Chair may choose not to use a Speakers List but to acknowledge each speaker, much like a classroom.  In this case, you would raise your placard to speak and be acknowledged by the Chair.

At the Conference:

Working Papers and Resolutions

Once your committee has heard some debate on a topic, you and representatives of countries that have similar opinions may begin a working paper.  A working paper suggests a course of action to solve the problem at hand, and it follows a very specific form.  It begins with a series of perambulatory clauses which address the nature of the issue, its implications, and previously attempted solutions.  These are followed by operative clauses in which you propose your answer to the problem.  (Don’t worry, there’s an example on the next page.)

Some pre-ambulatory words:

Affirming, alarmed by, conscious of, declaring, imploring, convinced that, noting, realizing, guided by, desiring, demanding, recalling, having examined, emphasizing, contemplating, reviewing, having adopted, disgusted, hopeful that, recalling, seeking, taking into account, welcoming, recognizing, understanding, having studied….

Some Operative Words:

Accepts, affirms, appreciates, demands, calls upon, designates, draws the attention of, encourages, endorses, regrets, reminds, requests, supports, urges, asks, expresses, considers, congratulates, deplores, condemns, confirms, opposes, rejects, beseeches, pleads…

Your working paper must have a certain number of sponsors and signatories in order to be accepted by the Chair, so you must work with other countries.  The Chair will tell you at the beginning of the conference what the required numbers are. 

When your paper is written and signed, you will submit it to the Chair, who will approve it and either have it typed and photocopied or allow you to do so.  At this point, the working paper has become a draft resolution. The draft resolution is given a number like 2.1 and any changes or merges receive a subsequent identification like 2.2.

When a number of draft resolutions are completed, the sponsors of each will have time to present their solution to the body and answer any question that may arise.  First, other members of the body will have the opportunity to suggest stylistic changes and point out typos.  Then they can propose qualitative changes to the resolution that would bring it in line with their country’s opinions.  To offer your amendment, write it on a slip of paper and submit it to one of the sponsors.  If the sponsors agree to the amendment, it is considered friendly.  If they are not in agreement, the amendment is considered unfriendly and is voted on separately.

          Once all the draft resolutions and amendments have been presented, the committee will move into voting procedures.  Usually the Chair will call for a simple placard vote in which each country simply raises its placard in favor of whichever draft resolution best represents the interests of its country.  Once 2/3 of the body has voted in favor of a draft resolution, it is adopted by the body and becomes a resolution.  It is possible to adopt multiple resolutions.

Some notes on resolution-writing:

·        You may not start a written document before the conference has commenced.

·        Gain as much insight as possible before you begin a working paper.

·        Work with others on their paper and become a sponsor.

·        Remember that the idea of compromise is a fundamental part of the United Nations- they serve to negotiate peace, not cause war.

·        Try to think of plausible solutions.

·        Make sure you support what your country believes, not your personal ideals.

Sample Resolution

Committee: The General Assembly

Topic: Violence against Women

Sponsors: Israel, USA, Ireland, Romania, Sweden, Ivory Coast, Pakistan

Signatories: UK, Australia, Russia, Burkina Faso, South Korea

Acknowledging that violence against women is defined as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life,”

Noting that 40-70% of women who are murdered are so killed by their husbands and boyfriends, typically when the relationship involves constant abuse or male supremacy,

Noting that the “veil law” in France, which was originally intended to protect Arab girls by making it illegal for religious clothing to be worn, was not thought out entirely because it limits the freedoms of religion and is one result of a lack of understanding of the realities of hate crimes,

Respecting that all people have a right to religion,

Concerned that countries and individuals may be twisting the morals of those religions for dominance and power,

The General Assembly:

1.   Requests that each country compile and study the causes and consequences of violence against women in their own country, especially the statistics thereof;

2.   Urges the Security Council to eliminate or reduce the trafficking of women and assist the victims of trafficking and prostitution by developing educational programming and enacting legislation aimed at preventing violence against women;

3.   Demands that any countries that implement religion as part of their legal base look over their texts to make sure that they are in the best interest of all their people, men and women;

4.   Urges countries that support traditions or religions that allow violence against women to reflect upon what they are subjecting women to;

5.   Calls upon the countries identified in operative clause 4 to reform their ideals in order to allow women to be free of harm, if not reforming those laws to a greater level at which women are allowed to act as prominent members of society.

At the Conference:

Motions, Points, and Voting

Motions:

1.      You raise your placard

2.      The Chair acknowledges you

3.      You voice your motion

4.      The Chair requests a second

5.      Another member seconds your motion

6.      The Chair calls for a vote (all in favor, all opposed)

7.      The Chair announces the result (pass, fail)

Some common motions:

·        Motion to Set the Topic: At the beginning of a conference, a delegate must make this motion to the Chair.  Ex. You say “Motion to set the topic to implementing the Millennium Development Goals.”  If there is dissension, the Chair will call for “two speakers for, two speakers against.“  These delegates will have a brief time to argue why the committee should (or should not) turn its attention to the implementation of the MDGs.  If the motion fails, there must be another motion to set the topic to something else.

·        Motion for a Moderated Caucus:  used to make debate move more briskly.  Instead of following the speakers list, countries who wish to speak raise their placards and are acknowledged by the Chair.  Remember to specify a duration  Ex. you say “Motion for a 5 (or 10) minute moderated caucus.”

·        Un-Moderated Caucus:  begins an unstructured time that allows countries to begin working papers, forging alliances, or talking one-on-one with another country whose views interest them.  Remember to specify a duration  Ex. You say “Motion for a 10 (or 15) minute un-moderated caucus.”

·        Motion to Close the Speakers List:  As long as there is a Speakers List, the floor is open. Therefore if you wish to move into voting procedures, you can make this motion and no one else can be added to the Speakers List.

·        Motion to Suspend the Rules:  usually used to introduce working papers.  Ex. you say “Motion to suspend the rules to introduce working papers.”

·        Motion to Close Debate:  If you feel that the organization can make no further progress and want to move into voting, you can raise this motion.

·        Motion to Move Into Voting Procedures:  can only be raised after all the working papers have been presented and motions to close the speakers list and close debate have passed.

·        Motion to Postpone Debate on a Certain Topic or Table that Particular Subject:  If the committee feels that they are making little progress on a certain subject, or if a more pressing issue arises, especially in a committee that interacts with crisis staff, they may decide to set aside the topic and return to it later.

·        Motion to Recess:  A member of a committee must make this motion if the delegation is going to recess for a meal or until the next day.  Do not use this motion inappropriately.

Points:

·        Point of Parliamentary Procedure:  a question to the Chair about the rules

·        Point of Information:  an inquiry to either the Chair or another speaker.  If addressed to the Chair, this question can relate to the status of a working paper or clarification of what was just said.

·        Point of Personal Privilege:  This is normally addressed to the Chair if a delegate feels any discomfort, such as the room temperature. You may visit the bathroom or take a brief break outside without the Chair’s permission except during voting, when the doors are locked and no one is allowed to enter or exit the room.

·        Point of Order:  This is a point used when a delegate wants to draw attention to a procedural error made by another participant or the Chair.  Don’t abuse this; you can make yourself very unpopular.

Note:  In smaller committees, the Chair may chose not to follow full parliamentary procedure.  In this case, the Chair will specify which points and motions are appropriate and which are not.

Voting:

·        Show of Hands or Placards: A 2/3 majority is required.  This form is generally used in large committees and is quite efficient.

·        Roll Call Vote:  The Chair calls out the name of each country and the delegate responds with their vote.  It can be quite tedious, however there are two advantages to this form of voting: you have the opportunity to see how your allies vote, and you have the ability to say “yes, with rights” or “no, with rights” if your country’s vote is out of line with its traditional policies.  When you vote with rights, your delegation will have the chance to explain your vote.

·        Voice Vote:  A regular method of voting on a question that requires the majority’s approval for adoption

·        Rising Vote:  If the voice vote produced inconclusive results, members maybe asked to indicate their voting by standing

Note:  In the Security Council, the P5 countries (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) have veto power.  Thus, opposition from any one of those countries stops the bill.  If you represent one of these P5 nations, use this power carefully.

General Tips

1) Arrive on time and be prepared. Remember to bring printouts from your research, two copies of your position paper, pens, and writing paper.

2) Dress in Western business attire.  This means a suit for gentlemen, or at least coat and tie, and comparable attire for ladies.  No athletic footwear.

3) When addressing the body, speak clearly and confidently.  Remember that if you are representing a country, you should never speak in the first person.

4) Listen to what others have to say, and take note of who has interesting ideas, who agrees with you, and who does not.

5) Do not abuse your note-passing privilege.  If the Chair becomes aware of inappropriate notes being passed, the privilege will be suspended.

6) If you have a partner, divide and conquer.  One person can stay in committee to participate in debate while the other discusses a working paper outside.  Make sure someone is present when your name comes up on the Speakers List.