delegate preparation guide

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1. The United Nations page 1-6

- Origins, purpose page 3

- Representation .. page 3

-

Structure . page 4- Bloc politics page 5

Chapter 2. Research and preparation page 7-13

Areas of research .. page 7

Resources .. page 9

Role playing .. page 11

Chapter 3. Resolution and position paper writing page 14-18

Resolutions overview page 14

Reports overview .. page 14

Life of a resolution page 15

Structure page 16

Chaper 4. Rules of procedure in the Security Council,

GA Committees, ECOSOC page 19-29

Administrative rules .. page 19

General rules .. page 21

Rules that relate to the rules page 22

Draft resolutions, amendments and statements . page 23 Voting page 24

Points of procedure in order of priority . page 26

Motions in order of priority page 26

Annexes.

Order of Precedence of Rules: GA / ECOSOC Short Form .. page 30

Order of Precedence of Rules: Security Council Short Form page 31

Sample Resolution ... page 32

Amendment form page 33

CHAPTER 1: THE UNITED NATIONS

Model United Nations IRIM 2011 Delegate Guide page1


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O RIGINS OF THE UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations came into existence on 24 October 1945. On that day, the United Nations Charter

became operative, having been signed by the fifty-one original members. The concept of all nations

uniting together in one organization designed to settle disputes peacefully was born of the desire of

civilized nations to avoid the horrors produced by the First and Second World Wars. The United Nations

developed as a successor to the League of Nations, which represented the first attempt by nations to

achieve this unity. The League failed in large part because the United States never joined as a member. In

1942, President Roosevelt first coined the term United Nations, when the Declaration of the United

Nations was signed by forty-seven nations in support of the Atlantic Charter. In 1944, the United States,

United Kingdom, USSR and China met in Washington, DC at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, where the

first blueprint of the United Nations was prepared. In 1945, the final details for the United Nations were

worked out at the Yalta Conference. Fifty-one nations gathered from 24 April through 26 June in San

Francisco to draft the Charter of the United Nations, which was signed on 26 June 1945.

PURPOSE OF THE UNITED NATIONS

The primary purposes for which the United Nations was founded are detailed in Chapter I, Article 1 of the

Charter. These are:

1. To maintain international peace and security;

2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-

determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;

3. To achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of economic, social, cultural or

humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental

freedoms for all without distinctions as to race, sex, language and religion;

4. To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.

HOW THE UNITED NATIONS SEEKS TO ACHIEVE ITS PURPOSE

Since 1945, the United Nations has established itself as a forum for the discussion of international

disputes. Also, Member States recognize that the United Nations has an established machinery which can

be utilized as the means of solving international problems. The United Nations seeks, both through its

principal organs and various subsidiary bodies, to settle disputes through peaceful means, without

resorting to the threat or use of force. It should be recognized that the United Nations is not a world

government, nor does it legislate. Rather, the actions of the United Nations, as evidenced by resolutions

passed by its bodies, have a strong moral persuasive effect. The Member States frequently in it within their

own best interests to follow UN recommendations.

REPRESENTATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS

The role of the United Nations is to serve as an international forum for addressing a wide range of global

concerns. Its work includes intergovernmental negotiations resulting in collective decisions that both

guide the work of the United Nations and shape new international, regional and national policies and

actions. Aside from governments, a wide variety of stakeholders, including NGOs, attend and in some



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cases contribute to UN decision-making processes. They do this through formal and informal, direct and

indirect advocacy efforts. Only governments can negotiate, vote and affirm or reject official UN

agreements. Nearly every nation in the world belongs to the United Nations, with membership totaling 191

countries by the end of 2002. States that become Members remain sovereign countries, but they also agree

to uphold the UN Charter, the international treaty that established the UN after World War II.

Forty-two other entities, such as the non-Member States of Palestine and the Holy See, as well as

intergovernmental organizations, including the Commonwealth Secretariat, the International Committee of

the Red Cross and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, have a standing invitation to

participate as observers in the General Assembly. Most recently, in November 2002, the General

Assembly adopted a resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary

Union (IPU), granting the IPU observer status at the GA and the exceptional right to circulate its official

documents.

Most Member States maintain permanent missions to the United Nations in New York (and in some cases

to the United Nations in Geneva, Nairobi and Vienna as well). These missions are staffed year

round with diplomats who attend to routine and ongoing processes and debates. Since the UN is viewed by

most governments as the key international arena to express their foreign policy goals, diplomats often

come from the Foreign Ministry.

For special conferences or other events, diplomats and government officials may come in from capitals.

These delegations usually comprise one or two top government officials, up to the Head of State or

Government; senior ministry representatives; technical experts; representatives from the mission or

embassy where the meeting is being held; and sometimes NGOs and members of the private sector,

although this is not obligatory.

High-level officials and political figures, such as Heads of State, generally do not participate directly in

negotiations. They are more likely to be found in closed bilateral or small high-level meetings or

delivering plenary speeches that outline their governments position on an issue.

STRUCTURE OF THE UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations has six primary bodies:

-The General Assembly (GA): The GA is the central organ of the United Nations. The GA has been

described as the nearest thing to a parliament of mankind, as all Member States are members of the

GA, and each member has one vote. The GA makes recommendations on international issues, oversees

all other UN bodies which must report to the GA annually, approves the UN budget and apportions UN

expenses. On the recommendation of the Security Council, the GA elects the Secretary-General and

holds the authority to admit and expel Member States. Voting in the GA is ordinarily by simple

majority, although on important questions a two-thirds majority is required.

-The Security Council (SC): The Security Council is charged with the primary responsibility for

maintaining international peace and security. It has the power to employ United Nations forces and

direct action against threats to the peace. Fifteen members sit on the Security Council, including the five

Permanent Members (China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States)



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and ten at-large Members who are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. A majority in

the Security Council consists of nine members voting yes. However, a no vote by any of the

Permanent Members has the effect of vetoing or blocking motions.

-Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): ECOSOC is the primary body dealing with the economic,

social, humanitarian and cultural work of the United Nations system. ECOSOC oversees five regional

economic commissions and nine functional, or subject-matter, commissions, along with a sizeable

system of committees and expert bodies. ECOSOC is composed of fifty-four Member States, elected by

the GA for three-year terms.

-Trusteeship Council (TC): In 1945 there were eleven Trust Territories, which were regions without

their own governments. These eleven regions were placed under the TC, which helped them prepare for

and achieve independence. With the admittance of Palau as a UN Member State in 1994, the TC has

now completed its original mandate. The TC today is inactive, but is formally composed of the

permanent Security Council members.

-The International Court of Justice (ICJ): The International Court of Justice, or World Court, is the

primary judicial organ of the UN and decides international legal disputes. All UN members are

automatically able to bring matters before the ICJ; however, States must agree to accept the jurisdiction

of the ICJ before it can decide a dispute involving that State. Fifteen judges serving nine-year terms sit

on the Court.

-Secretariat: The Secretariat is composed of the Secretary-General and the United Nations Staff.

Approximately 16,000 people are employed as the staff of the UN, one-third of whom work at the UN

headquarters in New York City. The other two-thirds work for various subsidiary bodies of the United

Nations. The Secretary-General serves a five-year renewable term.

- In addition to the six main bodies, the United Nations includes a large family of specialized agencies

and programs which the UN administers. Examples include the Food and Agricultural Organization

(FAO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the UN

Childrens Fund (UNICEF).

BLOC POLITICS

The system of bloc politics in the UN is one in which nations have organized themselves into groups

based on areas of mutual interest. These blocs tend to be made up of nations with similar political,

historical or cultural backgrounds. They are often formed on a geographic basis, but this is not exclusively

the case. By organizing themselves with other nations that hold similar interests, bloc members hope to

increase their influence above the level that they would have as a single nation in the General Assembly.

Bloc politics in the UN today is a misunderstood and rapidly changing phenomenon. The necessity of

blocs in the UN was formally established in 1957, when the General Assembly endorsed four regional

groups: the Latin American group, the Asian and African group, the Western European and Others group,

and the Eastern European group. Since that time, the bloc system has grown to encompass many of the

political, economic and military organizations of the world. Examples of the major blocs include the Non-

Aligned Movement, the Group of 77, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the African



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Union (AU), the Organization of American States (OAS), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

(NATO), the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the European Union (EU).

Major changes in the utilization of blocs at the UN have occurred since the end of the Cold War, as

explained below. Please note, however, that these groups do not have official standing as caucus groups at

the UN, but are rather groups that meet, depending on the circumstances, in an attempt to reach a

consensus on various issues. Blocs are often thought of as Voting Blocs, but this is a definite misnomer.

They can be more realistically seen as Caucusing Blocs: groups which discuss issues together based on

areas of mutual interest, but that often do not reach full agreement on all issues. A key consideration is that

every country in a bloc will have different priorities based on its own national interests. Countries will

often discount bloc considerations and vote in their own best interest in these priority areas. Blocs usually

attempt to form a consensus among their members allowing them to act as a cohesive group. The

effectiveness of any given bloc in exerting its positions in the General Assembly often depends upon its

ability to form a consensus among its own members.

These acts of compromise form the basis of UN politics, and often must occur within the various

caucusing groups before they can begin to apply to the UN as a whole. Bloc politics have changed

considerably over time. Their viability as a political tool is diminishing; blocs are falling out of use. The

most historically cohesive bloc, the Warsaw Pact, has ceased to exist as a military and political unit.

Several other blocs, including the Western, are undergoing structural changes that will have a profound

effect on the future of UN politics. The more organized blocs at present are the African Union (formerly

the Organization of African Unity), the Organization of American States, and the European Union. One

often misinterpreted area of bloc politics is that of the Third World, or developing bloc. A Third World

Bloc has never existed.

In actuality, several blocs of developing countries have existed. The Group of 77 (now consisting of

125+ nations) is the largest and is still sometimes thought of as the Third World Bloc. There are, however,

developing nations which are not members of this organization, and many members also belong to several

other organizations, particularly the Non-Aligned Movement. Representatives should be aware that the

Member State they represent may no longer actively participate in bloc politics, or may vote outside of its

traditional bloc based on circumstances. For example, at the June 1992 Environmental Summit in Rio de

Janeiro, several Group of 77 countries including India, a previous leader of the bloc, ignored bloc

positions on environmental issues and followed their own national interests when participating at the

Summit. The most accurate thing which can be said about bloc politics today is that they are in a state of

lux. Many States are increasingly neutral on issues on which they once held strong views and that were

shared with other members of their respective bloc. Other States are becoming increasingly independent

on issues, or are concerned only with regional issues. One example of a more recently formed bloc is the

Alliance Against Biopiracy formally known as the Group of Allied Mega-Biodiverse Nations, which

was formed to work together on sustainable development and similar issues. This group is comprised of 12

of the most biodiverse countries on the planet (China, Brazil and India, among others), with a combined

total of over 70% of the worlds biodiversity within their collective borders. For the purposes of the

AMUN Conference, blocs will not be treated as official bodies. Representatives are encouraged to

caucus their bloc groups only when appropriate. Please remember there are many issues which cross bloc

lines and many opportunities to invite an interested party to another bloc caucus in an effort to achieve a

consensus.

CHAPTER 2: RESearch and preparation



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As a general rule, Representatives should become familiar with several items in their preparations for

the Conference, from the UN system as a whole to the specifics of their countrys position on the topics of

discussion for their respective committees. Research and preparation can be broken into 8 areas:

1. The UN System as a Whole: It is vitally important for each Representative to

understand the basics of the organization which they are simulating, the United Nations. A well-

prepared student should not only know the basics of the UNs structure, but should have a good

understanding of how the Committee they will be working on it into the organization. In building this

base of knowledge, Representatives will better understand what their Committee/Council can or

cannot do within the UN system, what they can make recommendations on, what they can reasonably

demand, and what issues are beyond the purview of the body they are simulating. The Issues at

AMUN handbook includes a brief description under each Committee of what is within the purview for

that body. This is provided to assist students in understanding the place of their work in the UN

system, and it should be supplemented with additional research.

2. Current statistical information and a general background of therepresented nations history and policies: This is the first key to understanding what

actions a nation may prefer on the specific issues. Research should include, but certainly not be limited

to, such areas as population, government type, natural resources, and trade data for the nation being

represented. Traditional allies and adversaries should also be noted. Additionally, a countrys history

can be crucial to its contemporary actions, including the question of whether that country was

previously colonized or was a colonial power, when the country gained statehood, and what means

were used in gaining independence (civil war, violent struggle, peaceful movement, etc.).

3. Specific background of the nations viewpoints on the issuesto be discussed

at the Conference: This is the center point of most Model UN preparation, focused research on the

issues being discussed in each committee and on your governments position on those issues. Research

can come from a variety of sources, beginning with UN documents (often found on the Internet or in

paper form in a library or documents depository) and moving to articles, periodical sources, books, and

Internet resources beyond the UN web site. UN resolutions and reports on the issues under discussion

are especially helpful because they provide a quick reference to what has already been accomplished

by the UN, and to what still needs to be done in the future. These documents also frequently provide

voting information, which allows Representatives to quickly determine their countrys past positions

on issues. A number of relevant sources are provided in the bibliography section of each topic brief in

the Issues at AMUN handbook. Contacting the represented countrys Permanent Mission to the UN

can also be helpful, but the level of assistance provided varies with each countrys policies and the

resources they have available to help others.

For some countries it will be very easy to find specific information to determine a position on most or

all topics, and for others this information will be difficult to come by or simply not available. When

clear cut information is not available, it is incumbent on the students preparing to make the best

possible interpolations of what the countrys policy would be, given the facts available. This might

include knowing the countrys background, their traditional allies, the stance of a regional group with

whom they tend to agree, or a variety of other factors. Regardless of the facts available, knowing

exactly what a country would do in a given situation is typically not possible. Representatives should



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strive in their research to know as much as they can about the country and its stance on each topic, and

to educate themselves enough to make reasonable policy assumptions on issues which are not totally

clear.

4. The current world situation as it applies to the nation: This is a subset of the

previous two areas of research, but is important enough to be mentioned in its own right. There is a

significant difference between the policies of the only remaining superpower and a nation with very

little military might. Even more significant at the UN is the difference between the policies of the

relatively rich, industrialized nations and the relatively poor, developing (and especially least

developed) nations on many issues. Additionally, a nation which is currently involved in a civil war, or

a nation which is under UN sanctions, may have unique responses on some issues which are very

different from those of the remainder of the international community. Knowing where the nation you

represent its in the current world geo-political context, as a complement to your country specific

research, can answer many questions which will come up during the simulation.

5. A specific background of the perspectives of nations with differingviewpoints on the issues: This is one of the more difficult areas in preparation. While it is

reasonable to expect that a Representative will know who their general allies and adversaries on a

given issue should be (regional partners, long-standing allies, etc.), it is very difficult to have detailed

information on what the policies of each country in the simulation will be on a given issue. Limitations

in preparation time by definition require that students focus primarily on the policies of their own

country, often learning about others through references in their own research. This is an area where

complete knowledge will serve participants well, but it is much more likely that each Representative

will be learning the formal policies of the other countries in the committee when they give speeches

from the floor and confer behind the scenes in caucus sessions.

6. The rules of procedure (provided in this Guide): While substantive discussions of the

issues form the basis of any good simulation of the UN, the rules of procedure are used to facilitate the

substantive debate which occurs. In general, these rules are intended to provide an even playing field,

allowing each country to accomplish its individual goals in advocating their policies, while also

maximizing opportunities for the group to reach agreement, or even consensus, on the issues. Several

levels of preparation are possible on the rules. For new Model UN participants, it is recommended that

each person has a working knowledge of the principal motions which can be made during the

simulation, as encapsulated on the Rules Short Forms of this Guide. The chairperson of each

committee will assist Representatives in using these rules on the first day of the Conference, and assist

in bringing everyone onto an even playing field. For experienced Representatives, especially those

who have not attended AMUN in the past, we suggest reading AMUNs rules in depth, both as a

refresher on these rules of procedure and to note differences from other conferences a school might

attend. Most Model UN conferences use at least slightly different rules of procedure, and in some

cases the contrasts are signiicant. In order to best facilitate everyones experience, it is incumbent upon

every participant to learn and use the rules as laid out for this Conference.

7. Practicing Public Speaking. You should practice public speaking and presentation of

policy statements prior to your arrival at the conference. Your school should organize several practice

simulations to improve speaking ability and topractice the rules of procedure. Please consult the final



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section of this manual for a simulation script whichhas been designed to provide an introduction to the

rules of procedure and the rhetoric of committeeproceedings.

8. Practicing Diplomacy. Delegates to the United Nations and other international bodies

treat one another with the utmost of objectivity and respect. While two States may have political

difficulties with one another at any given time, the meeting of your MUN committee is not a time to

carry these out unless that conflict is specifically relevant to the topic at hand. Even then, delegates are

expected to act with the utmost of decorum and in a professional manner befitting their status as a

diplomat. You may not wish to work with delegations with whom you have conflicts while in

committee, but you must maintain the proper level respect for your fellow diplomats. Be sure that you

understand this distinction prior to arriving at the Conference.

RESOURCES

General Sources of Information

American Model UN recommends the following general sources of information to use when researching

your country and the issues of the Conference. Note that many of these sources are available on the

Internet, either publicly, or through subscriptions that are often held by your school library.

Basic Facts about the United Nations (UN Department of Public Information)

The World Almanac and/or The Universal Almanac

Permanent Missions to the United Nations (Write for information on your nation and the specific issues

under consideration)

UN Department of Public Information (Write for a publications list)

United Nations Handbook (Published annually by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and

Trade)

Various periodicals, including: the UN Chronicle, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, The

Economist (weekly), Keesings Record of World Events (monthly)

Utilizing the Internet

- American Model UN Web Site: When using the Internet, a great starting point is AMUN

Internationals home page, which includes links to these and many other UN-related sites. This home page

is updated with UN links as they become available and includes a great deal of background information toassist in your preparations for a conference. American Model UNs Home Page can be reached at

www.amun.org.

- News Sources: Most major newspapers and news organizations now publish directly to the web. A few

sites of particular interest include:

The New York Times atwww.nyt.com,

The Washington Post at www.washingtonpost.com,

CNN at www.cnn.com

BBC s at http://news.bbc.co.uk/Asian News database juxtaposed by country athttp://www.kidon.com/media-link/asia.php

News sources by region at http://www.kidon.com/media-link/index.php

http://www.amun.org/http://www.amun.org/http://www.nyt.com/http://www.nyt.com/http://www.washingtonpost.com/http://www.cnn.com/http://news.bbc.co.uk/http://www.kidon.com/media-link/asia.phphttp://www.kidon.com/media-link/asia.phphttp://www.kidon.com/media-link/index.phphttp://www.amun.org/http://www.nyt.com/http://www.washingtonpost.com/http://www.cnn.com/http://news.bbc.co.uk/http://www.kidon.com/media-link/asia.phphttp://www.kidon.com/media-link/index.php


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Note that the Washington Post site also includes all Associated Press stories filed during the week. All of

these pages (and many others) provide both daily news, as well as searchable archives of previous news

stories. Google News at www.news.google.com is also an excellent source for country and topic

information, allowing you to input specific key words, and then providing a daily synopsis of worldwide

news using those words.

- UN Links: Many United Nations resolutions, documents, speeches and other resources can be accessed

through the Internet. Most UN agencies are represented, along with databases containing information on

various regions around the world. In particular, the main United Nations Home Page at www.un.org

provides up-to-date information on UN Documents passed in the General Assembly, Security Council, and

ECOSOC, as well as historical information from these bodies, reports of the Secretary-General on various

issues, and other very useful documents, along with excellent search capabilities. Additionally, many UN

members now have home pages for their permanent missions in New York and Geneva. When a home

page is available, it often includes details on the countrys policy and may have actual speeches given by

Representatives of that country at the United Nations. These addresses can be found at

www.un.org/members

The UN also provides public access to its Optical Disk System (ODS), which includes nearly all of the

documents published by the UN, including many that are not available on the UNs main web site. The

ODS system is available at documents.un.org Please note that the search engine available on ODS is not

always easy to use, but it is very easy to find files if you know the UN document number. You may want

to utilize the UNBISNET search engine to find your document name/number, and then move to ODS to

find the actual document. UNBISNET also provides access to voting records and country speeches. It is

located atwww.unbisnet.un.org. One of the best sources of up-to-date, timely and broad ranging news

is the UN Foundations UN Wire daily newsletter. This publication, which is provided for free by the UN

Foundation, provides 20+ daily stories on UN related issues and topics. These usually involve a brief

The UN Information Centre (UNIC) also provides a weekly update on UN activities. You can request this

free e-mail service at www.unicwash.org

See also:

- United Nations Documentation Research Guide online at www.un.org/depts/dhl/resguide

- Independent information and analysis on proposals to strengthen the UN at Center of UN Reform

Education at http://www.centerforunreform.org/

- Access to UN links at United Nations Information Centres at

http://unic.un.org/aroundworld/unics/en/usefulLinks/index.asp

- UNs inter-governmental body for protecting human rights around the world at UN Human Rights

Council at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/

- A documentation centre which includes all info about UNs peacekeeping principles and Operations at

http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/

- Breaking news from UN news sources and officials at UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/News/

- More information about the member states of UN by country at http://www.un.org/en/members/

- United Nations Development Programme and Millennium Goals at UNDP at http://www.undp.org/

http://www.news.google.com/http://www.un.org/http://www.un.org/membershttp://www.unbisnet.un.org/http://www.unbisnet.un.org/http://www.unicwash.org/http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/resguidehttp://www.centerforunreform.org/http://unic.un.org/aroundworld/unics/en/usefulLinks/index.asphttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/http://www.un.org/News/http://www.undp.org/http://www.news.google.com/http://www.un.org/http://www.un.org/membershttp://www.unbisnet.un.org/http://www.unicwash.org/http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/resguidehttp://www.centerforunreform.org/http://unic.un.org/aroundworld/unics/en/usefulLinks/index.asphttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/http://www.un.org/News/http://www.undp.org/


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- UNs organ which is responsible for health at http://www.who.int/en/

- The world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide at World Food Programme at

http://www.wfp.org/

- The Charter of the United Nations at http://www.hrweb.org/legal/unchartr.html

- Alphabetic Index of Websites of the United Nations System of Organizations at

http://www.unsystem.org/

- Official UN databases http://www.un.org/en/databases/

- Official UN Documents Quick Links at http://www.un.org/en/documents/index.shtml

- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml

- UN Statistics Division at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/default.htm

- UNAUSA at http://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=220

- Daily news from the UN foundation athttp://www.smartbrief.com/un_wire/index.jsp

- See the effect of UN worldwide at UN Works at http://www.un.org/works/

- For your country research:

- CIA World Fact Book - the best source to check all info about your own country, at

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

- Country Watch - country-specific intelligence and data, at

http://www.countrywatch.com/cw_default.aspx

- Global Policy Forum works particularly on the UN Security Council, the food and hunger crisis, and

the global economy, at http://www.globalpolicy.org/index.php

- France at the UN Thematic Files - permanent mission of France to the UN, at

http://www.franceonu.org/spip.php?rubrique111

- Multilaterals Project - Multilateral Conventions Organized by Subject and other Links, at

http://fletcher.tufts.edu/multilaterals/

- Crisis Watch - the worlds leading independent, non-partisan, source of analysis and advice to

governments, and intergovernmental bodies like the United Nations, on the prevention and resolution of

deadly conflict, athttp://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?

- Nation by Nation History Centre - Alphabetical Country List to get Basic Facts, at

http://www.historycentral.com/nationbynation/

ROLE PLAYING

The Representative Delegates are fundamental to any Model UN conference. A delegates job is toresearch the positions of a UN Member State, both on the specific topics that will be discussed at the

Conference and as a general overview of that nations policies. Delegates should then be ready to discuss

the issues with their counterparts and to prepare draft resolutions, or other documents based on the

specifics of each simulation, which codify solutions to problems. These draft resolutions and documents

may be submitted for debate at the Conference.

Finally, delegates attend the Conference to represent their nation in discussing the various issues

presented. When delegates reach the floor of the Model UN conference, they assume the role of the

Distinguished Representative from their country, with all the rights and responsibilities which that entails.

At the Conference, Representatives, in the role of their countrys spokesperson, will debate the issues onthe agenda to seek solutions to the problems facing the world community. They will also create and

discuss draft resolutions, caucus with Representatives who are role playing other countries, and work to

http://www.who.int/en/http://www.wfp.org/http://www.hrweb.org/legal/unchartr.htmlhttp://www.unsystem.org/http://www.un.org/en/databases/http://www.un.org/en/databases/http://www.un.org/en/documents/index.shtmlhttp://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtmlhttp://unstats.un.org/unsd/default.htmhttp://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=220http://www.smartbrief.com/un_wire/index.jsphttp://www.smartbrief.com/un_wire/index.jsphttp://www.smartbrief.com/un_wire/index.jsphttp://www.un.org/works/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/http://www.countrywatch.com/cw_default.aspxhttp://www.globalpolicy.org/index.phphttp://www.franceonu.org/spip.php?rubrique111http://www.franceonu.org/spip.php?rubrique111http://fletcher.tufts.edu/multilaterals/http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfmhttp://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfmhttp://www.historycentral.com/nationbynation/http://www.who.int/en/http://www.wfp.org/http://www.hrweb.org/legal/unchartr.htmlhttp://www.unsystem.org/http://www.un.org/en/databases/http://www.un.org/en/documents/index.shtmlhttp://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtmlhttp://unstats.un.org/unsd/default.htmhttp://www.unausa.org/Page.aspx?pid=220http://www.smartbrief.com/un_wire/index.jsphttp://www.un.org/works/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/http://www.countrywatch.com/cw_default.aspxhttp://www.globalpolicy.org/index.phphttp://www.franceonu.org/spip.php?rubrique111http://fletcher.tufts.edu/multilaterals/http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfmhttp://www.historycentral.com/nationbynation/


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solve the problems facing the world. In the UN today, nations will usually debate an item in an attempt to

reach a consensus that can be agreed to by all, or at least by most, nations. The draft resolutions under

discussion at Model UN can be accepted by consensus, adopted, amended, combined or even debate to the

point that no final document can be produced on a given issue. Special effort should be made to achieve

consensus on issues, rather than requiring a formal vote, thus showing solidarity and strong support for

UN decisions. Over seventy-five percent of the General Assemblys resolutions are now adopted by

consensus. While not always achievable on every issue, passage of resolutions by consensus illustrates the

importance of an issue to the international community.

By striving for universal agreement on their resolutions, MUN committee and council simulations

strive to emulate this aspect of international diplomacy.

Model UN is a simulation of the UN. By its very nature, the quality and tone of debate will be

dramatically different than in the real UN. At the UN, Representatives and their consular staffs spend

months in preparation, behind doors caucusing, and interacting with other nations before an issue is

brought to a vote. A UN Representative, or Head of State, will almost always make a prepared speech that

will not be news to the other Representatives present.

At Model UN, Representatives will only have 2-4 days to assume the role of their nations

Representative and simulate the actions of the UN. This consolidation of time leads to many different

circumstances with which each delegation will have to contend. Among the considerations is the fact that

Representatives will rarely have the opportunity to make a pre-written speech on a topic. Instead, they will

often be forced to verbally react to circumstances as they arise, and they may be in a position where it is

reasonable to reinterpret their nations position in light of new facts. Representatives should not simply

read from their countrys established record on the issues presented; they should be prepared to

compromise with the other nations represented, and adapt their policies where needed to meet the current

circumstances of the world as simulated at the Conference.

Note that this in no way gives delegations license to act out of character. Representatives should

research and generally follow the policies of their country, modifying these as new circumstances dictate.

Successful role playing involves walking a careful line on policy; avoid the extremes of either reading

verbatim a countrys past statements, or creating an ad hoc policy with no previous basis.

Delegations That Are Out of Character

Since students attending the Conference are not career diplomats representing their country, and

since most students will not have lived or been raised in the country they are representing, questions do

sometimes arise at a conference as to whether the actions of an individual are out of character in relation

to their delegations policy in the real world. MUN has several specific suggestions to address this issue.

First, and most importantly, being in character is the responsibility of each delegation, and

ultimately falls to the Permanent Representative and/or the Faculty Advisor. There is no possible

substitute for extensive preparation on your country and the issues to be discussed BEFORE attending the

Conference. Model UN Staff expects that the members of each delegation will enter the Conference

prepared and knowing more about their individual country and their countrys stance on the issues than

any other Representative present. If you, or your delegation, feel that a Representative has not done

sufficient research and is misinformed or acting out of character on a particular issue, MUN

recommends several steps which can be taken:

First, please revisit the actions taken by the Representative in question. Is the Representative out

of character given the particular resolution and situation on the floor? Have circumstances (either in the



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real world or at Conference) changed such that the Representative could realistically modify their

countrys stance on a particular issue? Are you certain that you know the actual stance of the country in

question on the issue? Many cases of a Representative appearing out of character are actually just

misinterpretations of what was said or of a countrys previously stated policies.

If you still feel that the Representative is out of character, MUN asks that you talk to the

Representative about the issue before bringing the problem to the Secretariat. This can be easily done in a

non-confrontational manner by stating something like: I hadnt realized that was your countrys position

on the issue, where did you see that? or I thought I read something in (state your source) about your

countrys having a different opinion on this issue; have you seen that information? Directly confronting a

Representative to say Youre wrong on this will likely not succeed and could damage your diplomatic

relations in the future.

The Representative will likely respond in one of three ways to your question, either with

information to justify their statements, with a statement like I did the research and this is my countrys

view on the issue, or with interest in the new information you have provided. If this response answers

your question, the problem is resolved. If a Representative is interested in more information, please send

that person to the Home Government office, which has many files and resources to help with questions. If

the Representative is non-responsive or chooses not to answer your question, you can bring the issue to the

attention of the Dais Staff, who will request that the Home Government Secretariat look into the situation.

Please note that Model UN Chairs and Rapporteurs are specifically instructed to NOT provide

advice to Representatives on the issues being discussed. MUN staff members have different roles. Chairs

are specifically trained on the Rules of Procedure. Rapporteurs provide some basic content assistance to

Representatives in the room, especially focusing on the drafting of resolutions and reports. The Home

Government Secretariat is trained on assisting Representatives with content questions. Chairs and/or

Rapporteurs may arbitrate disagreements but will never render an opinion regarding an out of character

disagreement.

If a delegation or individual is found to be acting out of character, MUNs goal is to provide

them with the information needed to correctly represent their country on a given issue. The delegations

Permanent Representative will always be sought out by the Secretariat if someone from their delegation

may be out of character to inform them of the situation.

Since all participants at MUN are learning about the United Nations as they participate, these

situations may occur. MUN expects that all delegations will take the time necessary to prepare and

correctly portray their country on each issue under consideration. MUN also asks that Representatives not

jump to conclusions on other delegations role playing without having detailed background on the other

countrys position on the issue. Finally, MUN asks that Representatives on all sides handle potential out

of character situations with the utmost of diplomatic courtesy for all parties involved. The MUN

Secretariat will be the final arbiter of any out of character disputes that arise at the Conference.

CHAPTER 3: Resolution and position paper writing

The substantive work of committees at the MUN Conference generally takes the form of either resolutions

or reports. Please refer to the chart below which designates whether delegates will be writing resolutions

or reports in the committee:

Resolution Writing Committees Report (or variation thereof) Writing Committees

GA Plenary, GA 1st, GA 2nd, GA 3rd UNICEF, WFP, AU, ASEAN

ECOSOC Plenary IAEA, CSW, ECLAC, OIC



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Security Council CDP, CSD

UNHCR CAAC, ICJ

Although delegates are encouraged to develop resolution and report writing skills, both in workshop

scenarios and at home, the MUN will not accept any pre-written resolutions or reports, and which have

not been developed by a plurality of the committee. This determination is at the sole discretion of the

Secretariat. Due to the goal of creating an environment where the skill of compromise and conflictresolution skills can be learned, delegates may be asked to merge working documents with other

individuals working on the same issue in a committee. In addition, any delegates found to be submitting

plagiarized material within resolutions will be subject to dismissal from further participation within the

Conference. Although UN documents are within the public domain, the verbatim exploitation of these

documents will not be permittedat the Conference.

RESOLUTIONS OVERVIEW

A resolution is the most appropriate means of applying political pressure on Member States, expressing anopinion on an important issue, or recommending action to be taken by the United Nations or some other

agency. Most UN resolutions are not binding law; the only body which may produce resolutions that are

binding upon the Member States of the United Nations is the Security Council. Under UN rules of

procedure, unlike other more generalized rules of procedure, the topic on the floor is debated in its

entirety. This means that during debate, delegates should discuss the whole issue and all of the resolutions

regarding that issue. When debate is exhausted, or is ended, the body then votes on each resolution and

amendment and the issue are considered closed.

The goal of formal debate and caucusing is to persuade enough countries in the committee to support aparticular solution to the topic under discussion. Resolutions formally state the agreed-upon solution by

outlining the relevant precedents and describing the proposed actions. The committee is not limited to one

resolution per topic; often the committee will pass multiple resolutions dealing with different aspects of a

topic.

REPORTS OVERVIEW

Some committees at the Conference will draft reports during the course of negotiations, instead of

resolutions. These reports represent the full work of the committee in question. These reports should no beconfused with the summary reports of a committees work which are presented at Plenary Sessions of

either the General Assembly or ECOSOC. Directors of report writing committees will elaborate on the

process used in reporting writing committees on opening night. Reports are similar in nature to

resolutions, with only a few key differences. Reports represent the formal recommendation and/or decision

of the committee on the agenda topics at hand, in the same manner as resolutions, but in the form of one

document. Committees that write resolutions typically produce a number of draft resolutions for each

topic, and each one is subject to a substantive vote by the body. In a similar manner, committees that write

reports produce several draft report segments and then vote on each one. The final report of these

committees will combine the adopted draft reports into one comprehensive report at the end of thesimulation. Another key difference is the format of reports. While resolutions consist of one long sentence,

reports are a series of complete sentences. Thus, where the clauses of a resolution each contain one whole



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concept, a report is composed of paragraphs, each constituted by a sentence or a few sentences which

contain one whole concept.

LIFE OF A RESOLUTION

As a given agenda topic is debated in both formal and informal debate, blocs of delegations will begin to

work together on writing resolutions. During the initial writing and revision stages, these documents are

referred to as working papers. Working papers are drafted and are then discussed with a larger number of

delegations and revised or merged as needed according to their input. In order to be formally introduced to

the floor, a working papers must garner a certain number of signatures and then be approved by the

director for printing and distribution as draft resolutions. There are two types of supporting a working

paper to be brought to the floor.

The sponsors of a working paper are often the ones who created the content of it and who will be most

responsible for seeing it through until it is voted on as a resolution. Sponsors of a working paper have the

right to allow friendly amendments or to force a committee vote on an amendment. Sponsorship has no

other advantages at the MUN and is not one of the awards criteria. Member States acting as sponsors of a

working paper should be prepared to be available to defend the paper and answer questions regarding it

during session hours

.

Signatories are Member States, observers or NGOs who are interested in bringing the working paper

forward for consideration by the committee. They often support the content of the paper, but were not

necessarily instrumental in creating it, and may ultimately disagree with its content. The required number

ofsignatures usually for a paper to be submitted totals 20% of the membership, depending on committee

size.

The Director will provide the required number during the second committee meeting. When the sponsors

feel that the working paper is complete, in the correct format, and ready to be

distributed to the entire body, they must submit it to the committee director. The Director will examine

the working paper and may require changes before it can be distributed to the committee at large. The

committee director is the final authority on all resolutions. A working paper or draft resolution may not be

sent for printing, or be distributed to the committee without the approval of the Director. The Director may

require revisions to a working paper, including changes in format and/or content. The Director may also,

at his or her discretion, require two or more groups to combine or merge similar working papers before

approval.

After approval, the working paper is assigned a number, upgraded to a draft resolution, and sent to

Conference Services for printing. At this time, the names of all sponsors and signatories are removed

from the document. The draft resolution cannot be introduced on the floor of the committee until copies

have returned from Conference Services, and the committee must be in formal session in order to

distribute copies. Once a resolution has been introduced, it is formally debated as part of the topic area,

and amendments may be proposed. A draft resolution only becomes a resolution if it is approved by the

committee in voting procedure. Delegates should be aware during the process, that the committee should

not pass contradicting resolutions but speak with a coherent voice. For more information, see the section

of this Guide that discusses voting procedure.



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Drafting Working Papers during Committee

When drafting and sponsoring a working paper, keep in mind the wording will greatly influence its appeal,

or lack thereof. The working paper should be clear, concise, and specific. The substance should be

wellresearched and reflect the character and interests of the sponsoring States and drafting NGOs or

observers. Sponsors and other supporters should expect to discuss and defend the document throughout the

session.

STRUCTURE

UN resolutions follow a common format. Each resolution has three parts: the heading, the preambular

clauses, and the operative clauses. The entire resolution consists of one long sentence, with commas and

semi-colons throughout, and only one period at the very end. Working papers should be single-spaced,

with each line numbered in the left-hand margin. The first word in each clause should be italicized. The

Conference Services department will provide a template for working paper format.

Preambular Clauses

The purpose of the preambular clause is to supply historical background for the issue as well as justify

the action. Preambular clauses usually begin with a participle and cite appropriate sections of the UN

Charter, past UN resolutions and precedents of international law relevant to the topic. The preamble

should also specifically refer to factual situations or incidents. Finally, the preamble may include

altruistic appeals to the common sense or humanitarian instincts of Members with references to the

Charter, UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights, etc. The importance of the preamble depends on the

question under consideration. In some cases, the preamble is merely a formality; it is the operative clauses

that are difficult to agree on. However, the preamble is still critical because it provides the framework

through which the problem is viewed. Remember that preambular clauses begin with participles, are in

italics, and are always followed by a comma.

Some common preambular clause beginnings are:

Affirming

Deeply disturbed Guided by

Alarmed by

Deeply regretting

Having adopted

Having considered

Observing

Having considered

further

Aware of

Emphasizing

Having devotedattention

Believing

Expecting

Realizing

Bearing in mindHaving examined

Recalling

Confident

Having studied

Recognizing

Contemplating

Fulfilling

Having heard

Convinced

Fully aware

Having receivedDeclaring

Fully alarmed

Keeping in mind



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Deeply concerned

Fully believing

Noting with regret

Deeply conscious

Further deploring

Noting with

satisfaction

Deeply convincedFurther recalling

Noting with deep

concern

Taking note

Welcoming

Desiring

Noting further

Seeking

Referring

Operative Clauses

The solution in a resolution is presented through a logical progression of sequentially numbered operative

clauses. These clauses may recommend, urge, condemn, encourage, request certain actions, or state an

opinion regarding an existing situation. Each operative clause calls for a specific action. The action may

be as vague as denunciation of a certain situation or a call for negotiations, or as specific as a call for a

cease-fire or a monetary commitment for a particular project.

It is important to bear in mind that only Security Council resolutions are binding upon the international

community. The General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council can only make

recommendations. The power and authority of a committee determine what may be included in the

operative clause. Resolutions are seldom complete solutions to a problem; they are usually only one step

in the process of developing a solution. Prior research should have revealed alternatives that failed.

Operative clauses begin with an active, present tense verb and are followed by a semi-colon, with a period

placed after the final clause.

Some common operative clause beginnings are:

Accepts

Affirms

Approves

Authorizes

Calls

Calls upon

Condemns

Confirms

Considers

Declares accordingly

Deplores

Designate

Draws attention

Emphasizes

Encourages

Endorses

Expresses its hope

Further invites

Further proclaims

Further recommends

Further reminds

Further requestIntroducing International Instruments

UN resolutions are not adopted in a vacuum, but in the context established by prior international

instruments, such as the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and various

international treaties or other agreements. These instruments establish the political and legal foundations

upon which deliberations can begin. As such, delegates are fully expected to integrate the relevant

documents in position papers and in draft resolutions and reports.

Reports



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Reports follow a drafting process similar to resolutions: working paper; draft report; final report. At the

end of the week, each report segment the committee has adopted is combined into one comprehensive

report. As the final report is to combine all the draft segments into one coherent document, it is vitally

important for delegates to work with this goal in mind. Though different resolutions passed by a body

should not contradict each other either, the need for coherence is emphasizes in a report. Delegates need to

be conscious from the first night of committee sessions that theirsegments will need to be combined

with those of other groups. Delegates will be able to articulate diverging viewpoints in a report on

matters where there is disagreement; however, this needs to be made explicit in the respective segment of

the report dealing with a certain issue. Even if such disagreement exists, it may not lead to contradicting

recommendations. Directors and Assistant Directors are aware of the difficulties facing delegates in

drafting a coherent report, and their acceptance of draft segments will take into consideration the status of

working papers still circulating.

CHAPTER 4: rules of procedure in the security council, gacommittees, ecosoc

1. ADMINISTRATIVE

1.1. Quorum/ Majority.

In the Security Council a quorum is made up of all member delegations; to begin a Council session

all members must be present,

In GA Committees/ECOSOC a quorum will be one-fourth of the member delegations in attendance

for each Committee/Council

The Secretariat reserves the right to adjust the quorum as it deems necessary.



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A majority is required for a substantive question to be put to a vote,

It is the responsibility of the Chair/ Co-chairs to ensure that a quorum is present at all times.

1.2. Council/Committee Officers. The Secretariat shall appoint the President and Vice President of the

Security Council/ GA Committees/ ECOSOC, and shall select any other positions necessary to help

conduct the sessions of the Council/Committee.

1.3. General Authority of the President. The President shall be the chairperson at all Council/Committee

sessions. In addition to exercising such authority conferred upon the President elsewhere in these rules, the

President shall have the authority to:

Declare the opening and closing of each session,

Ensure the observance of the rules,

Direct the discussions of the Council/ Committee, and accord the right to speak,

Advise the Council/Committee on methods of procedure that will enable the body to accomplish its

goals,

Rule on points and motions, and subject to these rules, shall have complete control of the

proceedings of the Council/ Committee and the maintenance of order at its meetings,

During the course of the session the President may propose:

Limits on Debate, Closure of Debate, Enter Consultative Session and Suspension and Adjournment

of the Meeting,

1.4. Attendance at Sessions. Each member delegation assumes the responsibility to have present a

minimum of one accredited Representative at each session.

* 1.5. Emergency Security Council Sessions. Emergency Security Council Sessions may be called by the

Secretariat at any time international conflicts require immediate Council attention, as established in the

Charter of the United Nations.

1.6. Provisional Agenda. The Secretariat shall distribute a provisional agenda to all delegations prior to

the start of the Conference,

This agenda provides the delegates with topics that are the basis for its deliberations, but in no way

limits the Council/Committees topics.

1.7.Daily Order of Consideration of Agenda Topics. The Council/Committee will establish the daily

order of consideration of agenda topics at the start of each daily session. Once established, this will

become the working agenda for the duration of that day,

Agenda topics will be discussed in the order in which they appear on the working,

A delegation wishing to change this order may move to change the order of consideration of the

working agenda.

* 1.8. Participation by Non-Council Member States and International Organizations. When an issue

before the Security Council involves a non-Council UN Member State or Observer, the Council may

request that the delegation be represented during Council sessions in which the issue is being discussed,

To do this a Council member delegation must move that the nation is Party to the Dispute, A non-

Council UN member or observer that has been requested to attend Council sessions will usually be



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given debating privileges; this would allow the delegation to be recognized by the President during

debate,

A non-Council UN Member State or observer may submit draft resolutions of amendments, but may

not move these to the floor or vote at any time,

A non-Council member requested to attend a Council session, but not given debating privileges, will

be subject to a question and answer period. If the Security Council, when discussing any issue, finds it

necessary to have present a Representative of a non-UN Member State, an international organization,

or any other persons it considers competent for the purpose, it may request one by means of Party to

the Dispute. A Representative will be made available to the Council in a timely fashion,

These Representatives may not be given debating privileges, but will be subject to a question and

answer period,

The Secretariat will assume full responsibility to certify Representative credentials prior to their

appearance before the Council,

If it is determined that many nations outside of the Security Council have an interest in a specific issue,

the Council may declare an open meeting on any issue being discussed,

In order to allow all delegations time to prepare their comments, an open meeting in the Council

should be announced at least two hours in advance of the open debate session,

Any UN Member State or observer may participate in an open meeting.

* 1.9. Security Council Priority Relating to Issues Concerning the Maintenance of International

Peace and Security. The Security Council, as established in the United Nations Charter, shall have

priority over the General Assembly on issues that pertain to the maintenance of international peace and

security,

Issues of this type, while under discussion in the Security Council, shall be seized from General

Assembly action,

Accordingly, any General Assembly draft resolution pertaining to a seized issue cannot be put to a

final vote until the Security Council has completed its deliberations on the subject,

General Assembly draft resolutions that deal with a seized issue may be discussed and amended, but

no final vote on the draft resolution may be taken,

If no resolution has been adopted, the Security Council will be considered to have completed its

deliberations on a seized issue once that agenda topic is no longer under discussion. The Council may

declare itself actively seized on a topic by stating this in a resolution; this seizure will prevent the

General Assembly from taking action until a two-hour time period has elapsed. Throughout the

General Assembly, Representatives will be kept informed by the Secretary-General of any seized

issues.

2. GENERAL RULES

2.1.Statements by the Secretariat. The Secretary-General, or any member of the Secretariat, may make

verbal or written statements to the Security Council at any time.

2.2Diplomatic Courtesy. Representatives must accord diplomatic Courtesy to all other Representatives

and Secretariat members at all times,



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Any Representative or visitor who, after being advised by the President, persists in an obvious

attempt to divert the meeting from its intended purpose, or who otherwise attempts to disrupt the

proceeding, shall be subject to disciplinary action and expulsion from the Committee by the

President,

The Secretariat reserves the right to expel any Representative/delegation from the Conference,

Decisions of the President on diplomatic Courtesy are not appealable.

2.3. Speeches. No Representative may address the Committee/ Council without previously obtaining the

permission of the President,

The President shall call upon delegations in the order in which they signify their desire to speak,

Delegations, not Representatives, are recognized to speak; more than one Representative from the

same delegation may speak when the delegation is recognized,

Speakers must keep their remarks germane to the subject under discussion,

A time limit may be established for speeches,

Representatives, at the conclusion of a substantive speech, will be allowed to answer questions

concerning their speech, if they are willing, to answer questions concerning their speech,

A delegation that desires to ask a question should signify by raising a Point of Inquiry

All questions and replies are made through the President,

A speaker who desires to make a motion may do so after their speech and questioning, but prior to

yielding the floor,

By making a motion the speaker yields the floor,

Motions may not be made from: Points of Order, Information or Inquiry.

2.4. Recognition of Speakers. Delegations wishing to speak on an item before the body will signify by

raising their placards,

The exception to this rule occurs on any Point of Order, Information , or Inquiry, at which time a

Representative should raise their placard and call out Point of ___________ to the President,

Points will be recognized in the order of their priority,

Speakers will be recognized in a fair and orderly manner,

Speakers lists will not be used, except during an open meeting for the Security Council

2.5. Right of Reply. The President may accord a right of reply to any Representative if a speech by

another Representative contains unusual or extraordinary language clearly insulting to personal or national

dignity,

Requests for a Right of Reply shall be made in writing to the Chair, Requests shall contain the specific language which was found to be insulting to personal or national

dignity,

The Chairs decision is not subject to appeal,

There shall be no reply to a reply,

The Chair may limit the time for reply.

2.6. Withdrawal of Motions. A motion may be withdrawn by its proposer at any time before voting on it

has begun,

Seconds to a motion may also be withdrawn, if a withdrawn sponsorship or second brings the

proposal below the required number the motion is withdrawn,

A withdrawn motion or second may be reintroduced by any other delegation.



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2.7. Dilatory Motions. The President may rule out of order any motion repeating or closely approximating

a recent previous motion on which the Committee/ Council has already rendered an opinion,

This ruling is not subject to appeal.

* 2.8. Consultative Session in the Security Council. The Council may choose to suspend its rules and

enter an informal, consultative session moderated by the Council President if the members determine that

this process will better facilitate the discussion of a particular issue,

The Council will move immediately into a formal session at the conclusion of discussions on the

consultative topic.

3. RULES THAT RELATE TO THE RULES

3.1. Rule Priority and Procedure. The rules contained in this Guide are the official rules of procedure of

American Model United Nations and will be used for all Council sessions. These rules take precedenceover any other set of rules.

3.2. Precedence of Rules. Proceedings in the Committees/Councils and GA Assembly sessions shall be

conducted under the following precedence of rules:

1. Rules of Procedure in the Delegate Guide,

2. Security Council Precedence Short Form,

3. Rulings by the Rules Committee,

4. Historical Usage of the Rules of Procedure,

5. The Charter of the United Nations.

3.3. The Order of Precedence of Motions. The order of precedence of motions is listed in order of

priority in both the GA/ ECOSOC/ Security Council Precedence Short Form and in these rules under

Section 7,Procedural Motions in Order of Priority. These motions, in the order given, have precedence

over all other proposals or motions before the Committee/Council or the GA.

4. DRAFT RESOLUTIONS, AMENDMENTS & STATEMENTS

4.1. Definition of Draft Resolutions. A draft resolution is a written proposal consisting of at least one

preambular and one operative clause.

4.2 Draft Resolutions. Draft resolutions may be submitted to the Committee Chair/Co-chairs for

approval at any time during the Conference,

For a draft resolution to be considered it must be organized in content and low, be legible, have a

proper format, have a minimum of 25% of the delegations in attendance listed as sponsors, and the

signature of the Committee/Council Rapporteur,

The final required number of sponsors will be determined by the Committee at conference

registration and announced at the opening of each committee session,

After acceptance by the Rapporteur, draft resolutions shall be processed in the order in which

they are received and distributed to all delegations as soon as feasible,



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A draft resolution that has been distributed may be proposed when the Council considers the agenda topic

that is the subject of the draft resolution,

Once a draft resolution is on the floor for discussion, additional sponsors may only be added to

that draft resolution with the consent of the original sponsor(s),

Only one draft resolution may be considered on the floor at any time-during formal debate,

Once a vote has been taken on a contested amendment to the draft resolution, no additional

sponsors may be added,

Friendly amendments do not limit the addition of sponsors as above,

4.3 Definition of Amendments. An amendment to a draft resolution is a written proposal that adds to,

deletes from, or revises any part of the draft resolution.

4.4 Amendments. All amendments must be submitted on an official amendment form to the Dias for

approval ,

Amendments to draft resolutions must be signed by 15% of the delegations in attendance

Amendments will be approved if they are legible, organized in content and low, and in proper

format,

Approved Amendments will be assigned an identification letter by the Rapporteur,

Typographical errors will be corrected by the Dais Staff and announced to the body,

One or more amendments may be considered on the floor at any given time,

An amendment will be considered friendly if all sponsors of the draft resolution are also sponsors to the

amendment,

A friendly amendment becomes part of a draft resolution upon the Chairs announcement that it

is accepted,

No vote is required to add a friendly amendment to a draft resolution,

The Chair shall announce the acceptance of a friendly amendment on the first opportunity at

which no speaker has the floor,

Friendly amendments cannot be accepted after a vote has been taken on a contested amendment,

4.5. Withdrawal of Sponsorship. Sponsorship of a resolution or amendment may be withdrawn at any

time before voting on it has begun,

Sponsorship of a resolution may not be withdrawn after a vote has been taken on a contested

amendment,

If a draft resolution or amendment falls below the number of sponsors required for consideration,

additional sponsors may be added to that draft resolution or amendment with the consent of the

original sponsors,

If a draft resolution or amendment has all sponsorship withdrawn, any delegation may take up

sponsorship of that draft resolution or amendment by informing the Chair/ Co-chairs,

If all sponsors withdraw from a draft resolution or amendment, it is automatically removed from

consideration.

* 4.6. Definition of Presidential Statements. The Security Council may choose to issue a Presidential

Statement on issues which do not warrant a resolution. This statement is formally from the President of the

Council, but is drafted by the body, or its designate(s)



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* 4.7. Presidential Statements. Presidential Statements are discussed, drafted and accepted in informal

debate or outside of a formal Council session,

This statement must be accepted by a consensus of the Council,

As this type of statement does not represent a formal decision of the Council, a formal vote is not

recorded on a Presidential Statement,

Unlike resolutions, Presidential Statements are not binding on Member States.

5. VOTING

5.1 Voting Rights. Each member state delegation shall have one vote in each Committee/Council on

which it is represented,

No Representative/delegation may cast a vote on behalf of another country.

5.2. Votes Required for Passage. Unless otherwise specified in these rules, decisions in the Council

require nine affirmative votes for passage.

Historical Security Councils occurring prior to 1963, consisting of eleven members, require

seven affirmative votes for passage of decisions.

5.3. Adoption by Consensus. The adoption of amendments and draft resolutions by consensus is desirable

when it contributes to the effective and lasting settlement of differences, thus strengthening the authority

of the United Nations,

Any Representative may request the adoption of an amendment or draft resolution by consensus

at any time after Closure of Debate has passed,

The President shall ask whether there is any objection to a consensus,

If there is no objection, the proposal is approved by consensus,

If any Representative objects to consensus, voting shall occur as otherwise stated in these rules.

5.4. Method of Voting. The Council shall normally vote on motions by a show of raised placards,

The votes of Council members on all substantive matter shall be officially recorded, and all

substantive matters are subject to the Consent of the Permanent Members,

regardless of the means by which they are voted upon,

Any nation may request a roll call vote on substantive matters, unless adopted by consensus; this

request shall then automatically be granted by the President,

When applicable, roll shall be called in English alphabetical order beginning with a nation

selected at random by the Vice President,

Representatives shall reply yes, no, abstain or abstain from the order of voting,

A nation may abstain from the order of voting once during a roll call; a second abstention from

the order of voting will be recorded as an abstention.

5.5. Conduct During Voting. Immediately prior to a vote the President shall describe to the Council the

proposal to be voted on, and shall explain the consequences of a yes or a no vote. Voting shall begin

upon the Presidents declaration we are in voting procedure, and end when the results of the vote are

announced,

Once in voting procedure, no Representative shall interrupt the voting except on a Point of Order

or Information concerning the actual conduct of the vote,



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Following Closure of Debate, and prior to entering voting procedure, the President shall pause

briefly to allow delegations the opportunity to make any relevant motions,

Relevant motions prior to a vote include: Suspension of the Meeting , Adjournment of the

Meeting, Enter Consultative Session, Division of the Question or Adoption by Consensus.

5.6 Changes of Votes. At the end of roll-call, but before rights of explanation and the subsequent

announcement of the vote, the Vice President will ask for any vote changes. Any delegation that desires to

change its recorded vote may do so at that time.

5.7. Rights of Explanation. Rights of explanation are permitted on all substantive votes after voting.

Rights of explanation may be limited in time by the President.

5.8. Consent of the Five Permanent Members. As established in the Charter of the United Nations, each

of the five Permanent Members: China, France, Russian Federation,

the United Kingdom and the United States, shall have the right to veto any substantive matter

which comes to a vote before the Security Council,

A no vote by any Permanent Member, along with nine affirmative votes by other Council

members, shall constitute a veto and cause the motion to fail.

6. POINTS OF PROCEDURE IN ORDER OF PRIORITY

6.1. Point of Order. During the discussion of any matter, a Representative may rise to a Point of Order if

he/she believes that the Council is proceeding in a manner contrary to these rules,

The Representative will be immediately recognized by the President and the point ruled on,

A Representative rising to a Point of Order may not speak substantively on any matter,

If a Representatives ability to participate in the Councils deliberations is impaired for any

reason related to the Councils physical environment, the Representative may rise to a Point of

Order,

A Point of Order may interrupt a speaker.

6.2. Point of Information. A Point of Information is raised to the President if a Representative wishes to

obtain a clarification of procedure or a statement of the matters before the Council,

Representatives may not interrupt a speaker on a Point of Information.

6.3. Point of Inquiry. During substantive debate, a Representative may question a speaker by rising to a

Point of Inquiry,

Questions must be directed through the President and may be made only after the speaker has

concluded his/her remarks, but before he/she has yielded the floor,

Representatives may not interrupt a speaker on a Point of Inquiry,

See also rule 2.3, Speeches.

7. MOTIONS IN ORDER OF PRIORITY



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7.1. Suspension of the Meeting. During the discussion of any matter, a Representative may move to

suspend the meeting. Suspending a meeting recesses it for the time specified in the motion,

The motion is not debatable,

The President may request that the delegation making the motion modify the time of suspension,

If the motion passes, the Council, when it reconvenes, will continue its business from the point at

which suspension was moved, unless otherwise stated in these rules.

7.2. Adjournment of the Meeting. The motion of adjournment means that all business of the Council has

been completed, and that the Council will not reconvene until the next annual session,

A motion to adjourn is not debatable,

The President may refuse to recognize a motion to adjourn the meeting if the Council still has

business before it,

This decision is not appealable.

7.3. Adjournment of Debate. During the discussion of any amendment, draft resolution or agenda topic

before the Council, a Representative may move for adjournment of debate,

This motion is subject to open debate. Upon closure of the open debate period, the motion shall

be put to a vote,

Adjournment of debate on a draft resolution or amendment would end debate on that draft

resolution or amendment,

An adjourned draft resolution can be resubmitted to the floor by any delegation, at the discretion

of the President as to the dilatory nature of such a motion,

Adjourning debate on an agenda topic has the effect of postponing debate on the topic and

allowing the Council to move on to consideration of other topics or issues,

The Council may return to discussion of an agenda topic by either placing the topic on the

working agenda, or by changing the order of consideration of the working agenda.

7.4. Closure of Debate on an Agenda Topic. A motion to close debate on an agenda topic is in order at

any time during discussion of that topic. The effect of this motion, if passed, is to put a draft resolution

that is on the floor to a vote,

If no draft resolution is on the floor, the effect of this motion is to end debate on this topic and

move on to the next topic on the working agenda,


then be put to a vote.

7.5. Closure of Debate. A motion for Closure of Debate is in order at any time during the discussion of an

amendment or draft resolution. The effect of this motion is to bring the issue under discussion to an

immediate vote,


then be put to a vote,

Representatives should specify whether the motion for closure applies to an amendment or a draft

resolution,

If closure passes on the draft resolution or agenda topic, all amendments on the floor will be

voted upon in the reverse order from which they were moved to the floor,



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After voting on all amendments is completed, the draft resolution shall be voted upon in

accordance with these rules,

At the conclusion of voting procedure, the draft resolution or amendment being voted on is removed from

consideration for future discussions, regardless of whether it passes or fails. Debate then continues on the

current topic under discussion.

7.6. Appealing a Decision of the President. Rulings of the President are appealable unless otherwise

specified in these rules,



An appeal must be made immediately following the ruling in question,

This motion may be made by a delegation that has been recognized through a Point of Order,

The President shall put the question as follows: Shall the decision of the President be

sustained? A yes vote supports the Presidents decision; a no vote signifies objection,

The decision of the President shall be sustained by a tie,

Rulings by the President on the following rules or motions are not appealable: Diplomatic

Courtesy, Right of Reply, Dilatory Motions, granting of a roll call vote, Adjournment of the

Meeting, and any time a ruling by the President is a direct quotation from these Rules of

Procedure.

7.7. Enter Consultative Session. A motion to enter consultative session is in order at any time.



The motion should specify a length of time for the consultative session,

This can be set to a specific time, or based on the discussion of a specific amendment, draft

resolution or agenda topic.

7.8. Add an Agenda Topic. A motion to add an agenda topic to the Working Agenda is in order during

any Council session,



Once an issue is added as an agenda topic, it is placed as the last topic on the working agenda.

7.9. Change the Order of Consideration of the Working Agenda. A motion to change the order of