Sample Position Paper for Traditional-Side Committees
Committee Name: United Nations Security Council
Topic Area: (A) The Situation in Somalia
Country Name: United States of America
School Name: Chicago High School
Delegate Names: Jane Doe and John Roe
The United States of America has long been engaged in international efforts to stabilize Somalia
and provide it with support for a new government. By the time Siad Barre’s regime was ousted
in early 1991, many of Somalia’s states had collapsed into turmoil and conflict.¹ Without any
central government to keep the peace, the United States supported the passage of Security
Council Resolution 733 in early 1992, which called for an immediate ceasefire between all
parties of the conflict.² When Somalia further devolved into conflict later that year, the United
States led Operation Restore Hope in order to stabilize the country and ensure the delivery of
humanitarian aid.³ Although responsibility for the situation has been transferred to a Federal
Government of Somalia, the United States has $1.5 billion in humanitarian aid and support in
the fight against Al-Shabaab.⁴ Our government has worked tirelessly to support the people of
Somalia through humanitarian aid and political support for stability.
As the largest financial supporter of the legitimate government, the United States believes that
the Somali people should have the fiscal and political support of the United Nations Security
Council. With rampant famine, fighting, and disease threatening the country each day, our
challenge will be to maintain support for the people without overstepping our role as supporters
of international peace. There are two challenges facing the world in addressing Somalia: adequate
humanitarian aid for those affected, and the stabilization of the political fractures underlying
Somalia. The threat of famine and drought still looms large over Somalia: warlords threaten the
delivery of food, water, and medical supplies to those in need across the nation. Without these
essential goods, the people of Somalia will continue to suffer. More fundamentally, though,
the problem of political instability will prevent any lasting peace in Somalia without further
support from the United Nations and the African Union. These issues underscore the ongoing
need for humanitarian assistance and political stability, as ensured by ongoing support for the
Federal Government of Somalia.
The United States believes that we must continue to support stability and prosperity in Somalia
without the direct intervention of the international community. Instead, the responsibility
of military intervention must be left with the African Union. First, the body must ensure
the delivery of humanitarian aid to Somalia in order to provide a platform upon which a
stable government can be formed. Second, we must offer support to the legitimate Federal
Government of Somalia in order to buttress it against rebel forces. Third, the Security Council
must provide ongoing support for the African Union Mission in Somalia. Together, this will
expand the impact of the international community’s support for Somalia without infringing
upon Somalia’s sovereign rights. By passing a resolution that abides by each of these three
guidelines, the Security Council will be able to continue the path towards short-term and
long-term stability within Somalia and its people.
¹Annabel Lee Hogg, “Timeline: Somalia 1991-2008,” The Atlantic, December 2008, accessed September 3, 2016,
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/12/timeline-somalia-1991-2008/307190/.
²“UNOSOM I,” United Nations, accessed September 3, 2016, http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/
unosom1backgr2.html.
³Hogg, “Timeline: Somalia 1991-2008.”
⁴“U.S. Relations with Somalia,” U.S. Department of State, June 30, 2016, accessed September 3, 2016, http://www.
state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2863.htm.
Position papers for traditional-side
committees should be written in
the third-person (whereas crisis
committees use the first-person).
Be sure to cite your sources.
Chicago style is preferred but MLA
and APA are fine too.
Here, the delegate discusses
the previous actions of their
country within the United Nations
regarding the topic at hand.
Mention what your country has
done outside of the UN as well.
The delegate here does an
excellent job outlining the
overarching philosophy of their
country on the topic at hand.
Here, the delegate does an
excellent job contextualizing the
issues that are most pressing
to their country and what the
delegate will be focusing most on.
In this final paragraph, the
delegate outlines the specific
steps that should be taken by
the committee to solve the
problem at hand and offers
several suggestions on what the
final resolution should offer.
Sample Position Paper for Continuous Crisis Committees
Committee Name: The Cabinet of Germany, 1991
Position: Günter Krause, Minister of Transport
School Name: United Nations High School
Delegate Name: Mr. Ban Ki-moon
As the first freely elected cabinet to represent all Germans since the 1930s, Chancellor Kohl’s
Cabinet has a monumental task ahead of us. The Cabinet must work effectively to integrate
West and East Germany into one country, rapidly respond to Europe’s quickly changing political
balance, and ensure the voices of all Germans are heard under this new government.
Having served as the chief unity negotiator for East Germany’s only freely elected government, I
am able to draw attention to issues that are especially important for East Germans. For instance,
much of former East Germany’s infrastructure lies in ruin. Compared to infrastructure in the
West, Eastern infrastructure is obsolete, ineffective, and in some areas downright dangerous. This
is clearly an issue that the Cabinet must address at once in order to fulfill reunification’s promise
of a better life for all Germans.
While the situation may seem dire, there are clear steps forward the Cabinet may take to
address the issue. Unemployment has skyrocketed in the former East Germany due to East
German companies’ inability to compete with West German companies’ advanced technology.
However, these unemployed people are the ideal candidates to revamp the former East Germany’s
crumbling infrastructure. As Minister of Transportation, I propose that the Cabinet set aside
funding from the federal budget to create a new division within the Ministry of Transportation
that is devoted to modernizing the former East Germany’s transportation infrastructure. This
division will hire unemployed East Germans, provide them with new skills, and work to end
the disparity between East and West German infrastructure.
Outside of Germany’s transportation needs, it is also imperative the Cabinet address the issue
of European integration. Having just left an era of political division between the East and West
in Europe, the Cabinet cannot turn its back on Europe. That said, it is also clear we will have to
convince the German people that European integration will benefit them. The Cabinet must,
therefore, undertake a public campaign in favor of European integration while simultaneously
ensuring that Germany’s needs are met in negotiations with other European powers.
In the second sentence, the
delegate shows main points that
they will advocate for in the
committee.
Unlike traditional committees, it is
acceptable to use the first-person
in continuous crisis committees.
The delegate identifies a major
problem they will address with the
rest of the committee and using
their own portfolio powers.
The delegate clearly articulates
proposed solutions to problems
facing the committee, as laid out
in the background guide.
Position papers should address
more than one issue, as this
delegate does in the second
paragraph.
First and foremost, Germany should support freedom of movement between countries in an
integrated Europe. The inability to move across borders freely was one of the defining shames
of the Cold War. Becoming a leader in the post-Cold War era means Germany needs to ensure
borders will no longer stop the flow of ideas and people through Europe.
Convincing Germans of integration’s merits, however, is an entirely different issue, especially
for former East Germans. While reunification is only in its nascent stages, East Germans worry
that it could further hurt their precarious economic situation. The Cabinet will need to make a
concerted effort to persuade East Germans that increased access to Europe through integration
will benefit them in the long term. This campaign should be distributed across multiple media
entities and include opportunities for public input.
While these solutions will not address all of reunified Germany’s problems, they represent
important steps. As Minister of Transportation, I will ensure to advocate for them to end the
disparity between the former East and West Germany and provide security for Germans in this
uncertain post-Cold War era.
The delegate concludes the
position paper by restating their
vision for what the committee
needs to accomplish.