MUNA Instruction Booklet 2017
Alfrink College
Werflaan 25
2725 DE Zoetermeer
The Netherlands
www.munalfrink.nl
www.facebook.com/MUNAlfrink
www.twitter.com/MUNAlfrink
www.youtube.com/channel/UCqGN9QF_Sd_-TeTOrGrsD3g
1 TABLE OF CONTENTS
2
Introduction to Model United Nations
3
MUNA Committees
4
Issues on the agenda
6
Participation at the Conference
8
Course of the Debate
9
Muna rules of procedure
12
Preparation and Research
18
Sample Policy Statement
21
Resolution Writing
21
Sample Resolution
23
Introductory Phrases
24
General Preparation to MUNs
Some suggested activities to prepare students
26
Final Assignment
33
Practical Information
34
MUN Terminology
35
2 INTRODUCTION TO MODEL UNITED NATIONS
The Model United Nations Programme
The Model United Nations Programme is an extra-curricular programme in which
students simulate the work of the real United Nations. They represent the member
nations of the United Nations represented in the different UN bodies. The students
will debate a number of different issues such as the improvement of the environment
to the settlement of disputes. There are many Model United Nations conferences in
the world, with MUNA being one of them.
The MUN-programme is a unique learning programme. It enables you to learn about
international affairs and global issues, about different countries and organizations.
Apart from that it is a great way for students to practice their English language skills
as well as develop debating and lobbying skills. The MUN-programme also enables
you to meet different people from all over the globe. Participating in the MUNprogramme is a truly unique experience.
Alfrink College and the Model United Nations
MUNA stands for Model United Nations Alfrink and is the annual three days
simulation of the United Nations held at Alfrink College in Zoetermeer. Alfrink College
has been involved in the Model United Nations Programme for many years.
Starting as a small project for only Alfrink students in 2005, MUNA has grown to
become a friendly and international Model United Nations with approximately 300
delegates each year.
With grabbing subjects, absorbing questions and fierce debates, MUNA 2017 is a
challenge you shouldn’t miss as an experienced debater. Yet, MUNA is proud to be a
‘starters’ conference and gives beginners a chance as well. Consequently, every
committee will start with a workshop, which will cover MUN language, terminology
and procedures, as described in this handbook.
More details about MUNA can be found on our website: www.munalfrink.nl
3 MUNA COMMITTEES
The MUNA conference will have a number of different committees. The purpose of
these different committees is to address issues on certain topics. Most but not all
committees at MUNA are based on the committees present at the real United Nations.
The committee will be headed by two or three student officers who are responsible for
chairing the committee. The committees at this years’ MUNA will be:
1. The Security Council
The Security Council is the most powerful body in the United Nations and deals with
questions regarding international security. The Security Council at MUNA will have one
or two delegates representing each nation. MUNA always selects the countries that
were present in the SC of the real UN in the year before the MUNA conference. The
permanent members China, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the
Russian Federation and France are always present. The permanent five have veto
power.
2. The International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations,
established in 1945. It functions as a normal judicial court, in which cases between
nations are examined by utilization of international agreements and treaties. The Model
ICJ procedures differ from the original court in order to keep the debate attractive and
to stimulate involvement for all participants. Important: the rules of procedures of the
MUNA ICJ can be found under Conference > Downloads on the MUNA website.
General Assembly Committees
Each GA committee will have one delegate per country. These delegates will be
representing their country’s policy in those committees. After the sub-committees of the
General Assembly have debated and approved a number of resolutions one or two of
these approved resolutions will be addressed in the plenary session of the General
Assembly on Friday. The General Assembly sub-committees will address 3 or 4 issues
per committee. The MUNA staff is introducing a new concept this year – action events.
We won’t spoil what it is yet, but it’s sure to spice up the debates…
3. General Assembly 1 - Disarmament and International Security
This committee will focus on issues concerning disarmament and international security.
This is the equivalent of the First committee of United Nations General Assembly.
MUNA will not have another separate disarmament committee.
4. General Assembly 2 - Human Rights
At the real UN the Second Committee deals with Economic and Financial issues.
Human rights issues at the real UN are discussed in the Human Rights Council.
Because we have limited classrooms available at MUNA we have no room for more
than ten committees. Therefore we decided to run a GA2 on human rights. The
procedures are similar to other GA committees.
4 5. General assembly 3 - Environmental, Humanitarian and Health Issues
This committee will focus on a number of different issues concerning current
Environmental, Humanitarian and Health Issues that affect people all over the world.
Because of the pressing issue of the environment, MUNA added environment to its
"Third committee", and gave it a slightly different name than the name used at the real
UN for its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).
6. General assembly 4 - Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL)
This commission of Special and Political decolonization (SPECPOL) is mainly
concerned about the well being of non-self-governing territories, such as ex-colonies. It
focuses on resolving the issues concerning the road to independence in a peaceful
way. Over the years the focus of GA 4 has changed from dealing with ex colonies to
border issues and issues regarding (new) territories in general. For example GA4 is
also concerned about protecting natural resources and protecting the rights of
indigenous people.
7. Crisis Committee
The crisis committee is a committee in which delegates must respond quickly and
decisively to sudden dramatic political, social, or environmental events. These events
(or 'crises') become more intense and interconnected during the course of the
conference, usually culminating in large-scale disasters by the
end of the day, unless delegates are able to prevent them.
8. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
The Economic and Social Council is one of the primary organs of the United Nations
which is responsible for promoting higher standards of living, economic and social
progress. Whereas in most committees money is not a topic of discussion, delegates
may ask delegates how they plan to fund their plans.
9. The Global Mayors Forum
The Global Mayors Forum a committee that was introduced in MUNA 2016. The idea
for this new committee is based on the idea of professor Benjamin Barber in his book:
‘If mayors ruled the world’. In this book Barber states that mayors of the worlds cities
are better equiped to deal with the global problems of the 21st century than sovereign
nation states. At MUNA 2017 we will put this idea to the test. Delegates will not present
nation states but mayors of big cities. Together the mayors will discuss and try to solve
major urban issues of the 21st century. The rules of procedure are similar to the
General Assemblies, since the Global Mayors Forum will not be ad-hoc this year.
5 ISSUES ON THE AGENDA
On the MUNA website www.munalfrink.nl you can view the issues that will be debated
in each committee this year. You can also look below, but also look regularly on the
MUNA website, because there might be some minor changes.
MUNA 2017 ISSUES
GMF
Preventing terrorist attacks during large-scale celebrations
Reintroducing ex-convicts into society
Creating inclusive cities
GA1 – Disarmament and international security
Combating Boko Haram
State funding of terrorist groups
Protecting citizens and access to emergency health care in conflict areas
GA2 – Human Rights
Securing the human rights of refugee children in refugee camps
Securing and sustaining the human rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Africa
Combating human trafficking in Asia
GA3 – Environmental, humanitarian and health security
Combating inhumane imprisonment conditions
Combating the global spread of viral diseases
Ensuring that every citizen receives basic education
GA4 – Special political and decolonisation
Territory claims in the Arctic and Antarctic
The territorial dispute concerning Jammu and Kashmir
Situation in Libya & neighbouring countries
SC
Crisis to be announced shortly before the conference
Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
The question of ISIL
ECOSOC
Combating the trade & transport of illicit substances in Central and SouthAmerica
Breaking the glass ceiling
The unfair distribution of wealth around the world
ICJ
Maritime delimitation in the Indian Ocean
Armed activities on the territory of The Congo
6 PARTICIPATION AT THE CONFERENCE
The first time at a MUN-conference may be overwhelming. Participating may appear
complex, but it basically all hinges on the two following points:
•
•
Lobbying & negotiating: building consensus
Debate
Lobbying (or: ‘concurring’) & negotiating: building consensus
The first point on the agenda at MUNA is lobbying. You come to Model United Nations
Alfrink with a resolution on each issue that will be debated in your committee.
Lobbying gives you the opportunity to interest other delegates with your solutions to
world problems stated in your resolutions. You negotiate with other delegates in your
committee and try to influence them with your ideas, and try to convince them of the
brilliance of the draft resolution you wrote.
If you have almost no points in common it is better to find another delegate to figure out
a way to cooperate, and to start merging: you form a group of two or more delegates
and you start merging all the resolutions everyone made into a big one, which contains
all the good points from the different resolutions.
When you’ve finished merging, you again start lobbying with your new resolution
(together with the others from your merging-group). You try to find as many supporters
of your resolution as possible, who are willing to ‘co-submit’. If you don’t find enough
co-submitters, your resolution will not be discussed in your Assembly and that would be
a shame after all the hard work you put into creating it.
Approval Panel
The Approval Panel is a group of chairs, teachers and MUN-Directors whose task it is
to assist students in correcting the resolutions after merging. They will ensure that the
resolutions are written in “proper” English according to the correct format.
The approval panel is a body of MUNA consisting of Chairs, teachers and MUNDirectors. During the lobbying process, after you have merged and checked it yourself,
you have to send your resolution to the approval panel to be checked on spelling and
punctuation. You first send your finished resolution to your Chair, who will check on
content and layout, and will in turn pass it on to the approval panel. After checking, the
approval panel may send back your resolution (if it is not approved already) for you to
make some changes on it. After having done this, you have to send the resolution back
to the approval panel. The approval panel will now either approve the resolution or
disapprove it. If the resolution is disapproved for the second time, you can’t send it in
again, and so your resolution won’t be able to be discussed in your committee. To
make sure everything runs smoothly, you have to save your resolutions in a specific
way.
This is for the first submission: “committee – main submitter – issue – (1)”
And for the second submission: “committee – main submitter – issue – (2)”
7 COURSE OF THE DEBATE
Rules of Procedure
The debates in the General Assembly committees 1, 2, 3 and 4 all have the same
structure. These debates will take place on Wednesday and Thursday. On Thursday
afternoon the four above mentioned committees will form the General Assembly. The
structure of the debate in the General Assembly is the same as the structure in the
committees, but amendments will not be allowed.
Structure of the formal debate in a GA committee (moderated caucus)
After the official opening by the Chair, the resolutions made by the members of the
Assembly will be discussed.
1.
The Chairs will decide which resolutions that are approved by the Approval panel
will be discussed and in what order.
2.
The Chair will cal upon the main submitter of the resolution to read out the
operative clauses.
3.
After this, the Chair decides whether an open or a closed debate will be
entertained and sets a debate time. For example 10 minutes in favour and
then 10 minutes against the resolution in a closed debate. Amendments are only
allowed in closed debate, in time in favour.
4
Firstly, the main submitter has the floor. He or she will have the time to defend
the resolution, for example by explaining why the plans in the resolution are a
solution to the issue. After the main submitter has finished his or her speech, the
Chair will ask if the speaker is open to ‘Points of Information’. In other words, is
the main submitter willing to take questions from other delegates.
There are three options:
•
•
•
The speaker can be open to all Points of Information and just answer all
questions.
The speaker can be open to a certain number of questions. (You can for instance
say “I’m open to two Points of Information.”)
The speaker is not open to Points of Information. This isn’t advisable, because it
may look unprofessional. However, when you’ve just made a short statement
and you are absolutely sure that everyone understood what you meant, not
being open to a Point of Information can look quite effective.
After the speaker has finished answering Points of Information,
5.
8 He or she has to ‘Yield the Floor’ to someone else, either to the Chair or another
delegation.
•
•
Chair: The Chair can now decide who the next speaker will be. The Chair can
ask for the delegates who request the floor, to raise their placards. It is also
possible for the Chair to call on a delegate, who doesn’t request the floor, but
should speak anyway in the interest of debate.
Delegation: It is also possible for the speaker to Yield the Floor to another
delegation. In that case you say: “I yield the floor to <name of the delegation>”.
The longest ‘yield-chain’ consists of two links. For instance, the Netherlands can
yield the floor to Sweden, but Sweden can then not yield the floor to Spain, but
only to the Chair.
The whole process of giving a speech, entertaining Points of Information and Yielding
the Floor will repeat itself, when another delegate is taking the floor.
When debate time has elapsed, the debate will go into a certain number of minutes
against and follow the same procedure as debating in favour of the resolution.
Informal discussions (unmoderated caucus)
During the formal debate the Chairs may give time for small breaks to give delegates
time to discuss clauses and amendments and the best way to move forward informally in
small groups.
Moderated and unmoderated caucuses.
In especially American MUN simulations the MUN procedure makes a distinction
between ‘moderated and unmoderated caucuses’.
A caucus is ‘a group within a legislative or decision-making body seeking to represent a
specific interest or influence a particular area of policy’. So this is the committee
discussing an issue.
A moderated caucus is the formal debate in a committee, guided by the Chairs.
An unmoderated caucus is the informal discussions between delegates in between
formal debates.
6.
9 Amendments
During the debate delegates have the opportunity to submit amendments in
closed debates in time in favour. An amendment is a suggested change of a point
(a clause) in the resolution. All amendments must be submitted to the Chair, on a
separate amendment sheet, that will be available in each committee. The Chair
will give you the floor when you can read out and explain the amendment.
7.
Voting Procedure
To vote on the amendments and resolution. You can vote either in favour,
against or you can abstain. Don’t try to abstain too often. It is better to show that
you really have an opinion on the resolution. You cannot abstain on an
amendment. Non Member Delegations (such as NGO’s) do not have the right to
vote. Some decision require a simple majority, others a 2/3rd majority, in the SC 9
members should agree (an if the P5 use their veto there is a No Go). The MUNA
chairs will make clear what majority is needed for an amendment, clause or
resolution to pass.
Three committees follow a different procedure:
Security Council
Security Council members prepare themselves the same as they would for other
committees. However, the Security Council does not follow the same course of debate
as other Committees, but it has a so-called ‘ad-hoc debate’. This debate follows the
same structure as normal debate, but it does not start with an entire resolution: the
resolution is built up clause by clause during the debate. This however does not mean
that delegates of this council won’t need a resolution beforehand. It is often useful to
have prepared some clauses for each issue, because it is hard to write good clauses
while having to pay attention to the debate.
The Permanent members (P)5 can entertain a veto. If not a 9 majority is needed for a
clause and resolution to pass.
Furthermore delegates in the Security Council need to be well informed about the latest
pressing global issues and they should know the stance of their country regarding those
issues as well as be well informed about who their partners are. Because this is the
most powerful committee, schools should select their best students for this committee
and the students should be very well prepared.
Crisis Committee
Delegates of the Crisis Committee don’t have to prepare resolutions about topics for
MUNA. The Chairs will not give any information before the conference about the issues
that will be debated. The chairs will confront the delegates at MUNA with shocking
events. The delegates have to respond to these events and try to solve the issues by
writing resolutions on the spot. So called ad hoc resolution writing and ad hoc debating
(see procedure Security Council).
This doesn’t mean that delegates don’t have to prepare for this committee. They need to
know precisely what the foreign policy of their country is and who their country’s partners
are. They also need to be informed about the latest pressing global events that most
likely will be discussed in the committee at MUNA.
The Crisis committee will follow the ad-hoc debate structure as explained above (see
Security Council).
10 Global Mayors Forum
Delegates in the Global Mayors forum will debate similarly to the General Assemblies.
The delegates should prepare well and the debate is not ad-hoc. The main thing that
differentiates the GMF from the rest of the committees is that the delegate does not
represent a country, but a city. Because of this, they should work with more local
research on a smaller scale.
International Court of Justice
Delegates should refer to the ICJ Booklet that they received for rules of procedure
concerning the ICJ.
MUNA rules of procedure.
The following pages give an explanation of the rules of procedure.
Roll call list
At the beginning of debate after a break or on the start of the day, the chair should
entertain a roll call. This is to show which delegates are absent. These lists will be
provided to you by the staff daily and will have to be handed in at the end of the day.
Please note that all P5 nations should be present in the SC to vote on anything.
Duties of each delegate
1. Speakers are not allowed to address each other directly. Always “honourable
speaker” or “fellow delegates”, never “You” or “I”. Furthermore delegates should
refer to themselves in plural, as “we” or “the delegation of …”
2. Delegates should stand when speaking and should not sit down until the speaker
has finished answering the delegate’s question.
3. Delegates must avoid the use of informal, insulting or abusive language.
Cursing is absolutely forbidden.
4. Delegates must yield the floor when required to do so by the Chair.
5. Delegates should address the chair and the house before presenting their
speechExample: “ Dear Chair, fellow/honourable delegates…”
Rising to Points
General: Points during the debate are always a personal matter; hence they never
require a second. Points during debate may NOT interrupt a speaker except for a Point
of Personal Privilege, which refers to audibility. All other points will be dealt with only
when there is a debating pause, i.e. when the speaker having the floor yields to points of
information, to another delegation, or to the Chair.
11 Point of Personal Privilege
This point always refers to the personal comfort and well-being of a delegate and is
therefore not debatable nor does it require a second. It may only interrupt a speaker
when it refers to
audibility.
Example: “Could the windows please be closed? It is getting cold in here.”
Point of Order
This point refers to mistakes in the rules of procedure, i.e. the chair making a mistake in
debating time or when a delegate insults another delegate. It is not debatable and may
never interrupt a speaker.
Example: “Is it in order for the delegate to yield the floor to another delegation since the
floor was previously yielded to him by Saudi Arabia?”
Point of Information to the Speaker
This point is a question directed to the delegate having the floor, and who has indicated
that he/she is willing to yield to points of information. After a delegate finishes his/her
speech a chair should always ask whether or not the delegate is open to any points of
information, before recognizing delegates to ask such a point. The point must always be
formulated as a question, i.e. ‘Is the speaker aware of the fact…’ A short introductory
statement may precede the question.
When the delegate asking this point feels a more specified answer is needed, the
delegate may want to ask another point, the delegate does this through a ‘request for a
follow up’. This may only be done once consecutively, the chair may decide to grant this
or not.
Example: “Could the honourable delegate, as she is the main submitter of this
resolution, please explain to the house what she intends with clause 3?”
Point of Information to the Chair
This point is a question to the chair, which could refer to almost anything, from issues to
personal priorities. It may never interrupt a speaker. Please answer clearly and swiftly in
order to move on with the debate quickly.
Example: “At what time do we adjourn for lunch?” or “Could the Chair inform the house
whether Western Sahara is a sovereign state?”
Point of Parliamentary Inquiry
This is a point of information to the chair concerning Rules of Procedures, which may
never interrupt a speaker.
Example: “Could the Chair please explain to the house what is meant by closed
debate?”
12 Motions
General: Different than points, motions involve the committee as a whole, and therefore
always need a ‘second’. Similarly, a delegate is also allowed to object to a motion.
Motion to Move the previous question
(Motion to move to Voting Procedure)
When this motion is called in an open debate, it means that the house will be moving to
the voting procedure. When it is called in a closed debate there are two situations: if it is
the time in favor, the motion calls for moving to the time against; if it is the time against,
the motion calls for moving to the voting procedure. It is also known as the “Motion to
Move to Voting Procedure.” Remember that it requires a second and it may not
interrupt a speaker. In any case of objections from the house, the final decision is up to
the chairs. Do not forget that chairs have the right to overrule the motions.
Motion to adjourn the debate
This motion calls for a break in the debate and if passed the debate will come to an
immediate end, but can be restarted by any member of the committee. During the
debate on an issue, any delegate may move the adjournment of the issue debated on.
The proposer of this motion will give a short speech on why the item should be
adjourned. The Chair will then recognise two speakers in favour and two against this
motion, the chair may limit the time of the speakers but please be consistent. For this
motion to pass, a simple majority is needed. Tied results, mean that the motion has
failed. Try to prevent this motion from being used, as it will not ensure an efficient
debate.
Motion to table a resolution
This motion calls for the temporary disposal of a resolution, could be done if a deadlock
in the debate occurs and more informal lobbying is needed. This mostly means the
resolution can only be re-discussed after all other resolutions have been debated.
Because of the tight schedule at MUNA this will mostly mean the death of a resolution,
as there will quite likely not be enough time left to re-discuss it. Therefore chairs should
strongly discourage tabling. When it does occur a 2/3 majority is needed.
Motion to extend debate time
This motion asks for more time to debate. It is at the chairs discretion, thus not
debatable. A second is needed, if proposed from the floor.
Motion for the division of the house
This motion calls for the chairs to ask each delegation separately what they vote, when
voting results are very close (abstentions no longer in order). This is very time
consuming and should only be used on very important votes when results are quite
close or the voting procedure was not clear enough.
13 Yielding the floor to other delegations
v The floor may be yielded by one delegation to another only ONCE consecutively
v Where delegations consist of more than one member, delegates from the same
delegation may not yield the floor to each other
New Organizations
v New organizations are costly and tend to increase bureaucracy, which is why the
actual UN limits their creation.
v At MUNA we will do the same: chairs will not allow new organizations to be
created unless absolutely necessary. Generally creating an organization is just a
way to avoid addressing the problem itself. Delegates could always refer to
organisations that are already in existence.
Amendments
An amendment is a proposed change in a clause that is presented to the Chair via an
amendmentsheet. The delegate can propose a new amendment in closed debate in
time in favour, when they are recognised by the Chair and allowed to speak (to ‘move’
the amendment).
Amendment to the First Degree
14 1.
An amendment can only be submitted by a speaker who has the floor.
2.
An amendment is only in order if it is submitted to the Chair on the official
Amendment Sheet before the delegate takes the floor, and must be easily
legible.
3.
Amendments will only be entertained if the speaker having the floor moves the
amendment. This means that the delegate asks the Chair if it would be in order to
‘move’ (propose) an amendment. The Chair should therefore first recognize the
delegate and allow the delegate to take the floor and defend the amendment.
Short speeches before the speaker moves the amendment are perfectly in order.
4.
Delegate moves proposes and defends the new amendment, but the Chair first
reads it out slowly and clearly for all delegates to note down.
5.
Closed debate will be the norm for amendments. Chair must use his/her common
sense to decide on the limit of debate time on an amendment (max.: 5 min in
favour and 5 min against, min: 30 secs in favour and 30 secs against).
6.
Only ONE amendment (max: one entire clause) per amendment sheet will be in
order.
7.
On an amendment to the first degree, delegations can vote in favour, against or
abstain.
8.
Amendments to previously amended clauses should only be sustained if the
amendment refers to an element in the clause that has not previously been
discussed, or if it is necessary to make the clause compatible with later changes
to the resolution.
9.
All passed amendments should be kept together by the chairs. This is important
for updating the resolution when it passes.
Amendment to the Second Degree
1. Same procedure as for amendment to the first degree (set debate time, closed
debate, official amendment sheet only, amendment to the amendment must be
legible, only speaker who has the floor moves (proposes) amendment to the
amendment, chair reads out)
15 2.
Debate on the original amendment will not resume if an amendment to the
Second Degree passes that affects the original amendment in its entirety
Example: Amendment: to insert the clause: “Endorses the work of organization
A”. Amendment to the Amendment: “Endorses the work of organization B”.
If the amendment to the amendment passes, debate on the original amendment
is not resumed. Passing the amendment to the amendment, after all, means the
forum prefers B above A. If the forum desires a combination of A and B, it should
fail the amendment to the amendment, and submit a new amendment to the
amendment, which proposes: “Endorses the work of organizations A and B”.
3.
Debate on the original amendment can be resumed after an amendment to
the amendment passes that refers to one element in the original
amendment only
Example: Amendment: to insert the clause: “Calls upon organization A to support
faction X”. Amendment to the Amendment: “Calls upon organization B to support
faction X”. If the forum passes this amendment to the amendment, it may still
prefer to continue discussing whether to support faction X at all. Hence, debate
on the original amendment can in this case be resumed.
4.
An amendment to the Third Degree is out of order.
5.
Chair needs to explain clearly the consequence of the vote on the amendment to
the amendment, as it quite often confuses many delegates.
6.
On an amendment to the second degree abstentions are not allowed at MUNA.
Voting
1. When voting on resolutions as a whole or amendments to the first degree,
delegates can vote in favour, against or abstain from voting. But when voting on
amendments to the second degree, abstentions are not in order.
2. Delegations voting on procedural motions, such as a motion to table the
resolution or an amendment to the agenda may only vote in favour or against.
3. During voting procedures, all points are out of order, except for points of order
connected with the actual conduct of voting; there needs to be silence, and Chair
to instruct Administrative Staff clearly to take voting positions and to close the
doors
4. A resolution will pass if the number in favour exceeds the number against
regardless of the number of abstentions; i.e. abstentions do not count either
for or against the adoption of a resolution; the Chair still has to record the number
of abstentions(SC, majority of 9 needed and not veto by P5 in order to pass).
5. A resolution or an amendment with a tied vote fails. Close votes should be
followed by a re-count (they have to vote the same way) or a roll-call vote (Chair
to go through every delegation on the roll-call list and ask for the vote, takes a lot
of time).
16 PREPARATION AND RESEARCH
Research
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is the issue?
What is the background to the issue?
Is the issue related to recent events?
Who is involved in the issue? (For example, NGOs, countries, organizations,
government)
What has been done to solve the issue? (For example, agreements, actions
taken, previous resolutions)
Has it been effective? Why or why not?
Country Policy (on the country you are representing)
General information:
•
Is the country a LEDC (lesser economically developed country) or a MEDC
(more economically developed country)? For example, does the country have a
low standard of living? Ordoes the country have widespread poverty?
•
What type of government does the country have? For example, a dictatorship or
a democracy.
•
Which nations are my country’s allies? For example, what are the country’s
trading partners?
•
What are the greatest difficulties or issues my country faces? For example, a
civil war, or economic recession.
Geological information:
Location
•
Does the country border any other countries?
•
How big is the country?
•
Is the country landlocked?
Natural resources:
•
Does your country have a lot of natural resources?
•
To what extent is your country dependent on the import of energy resources?
•
What is the overall energy policy of your country?
Economic information:
•
What does the country import or export?
•
Does the country rely on import?
•
Is the economy in my country stable?
Cultural information:
•
What religion is most common in my country?
*
Are there any tensions between different religions?
•
Which ethnic groups live in my country and are there clashes between them?
17 Information Concerning the Issue
•
Is my country directly involved in the issue? And if so what is my country’s point
of view on the issue?
•
On whose ‘side’ is the government of the country you are representing
concerning the issue?
•
Is my country indirectly involved? Is your country a peacekeeper nation? Does
your country’s
economy suffer from the issue? Does the problem concern one of your country’s
allies?
•
Has the country signed any treaties concerning the issue, and if not, why hasn’t
the country signed it?
NGO/UNO Policy
What is the purpose of the organization? For example, Amnesty International is working
to protect Human Rights.
•
How does it attempt to achieve this?
•
How is the NGO/UNO organized? For example, where does it get its funding
from?
•
Where does the NGO/UNO mainly operate?
•
Is the NGO/UNO affiliated to other organizations?
•
Is the NGO/UNO directly or indirectly involved in the issue?
Policy Statement (also called ‘a Position paper)
All delegates have to write a policy statement (also called a ‘position paper’) about each
issue on the agenda in their committee before getting started on preparing a resolution.
A policy statement is a brief explanation of their country’s view regarding the issues. It
can be seen as a sort of summary of your research, and as a base for writing your
resolution. Usually, a policy statement includes:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
18 a summary of the main points of the issue;
a summary of recent international action taken related to the question;
reference to key documents and previous UN resolutions relating the issue;
and specific suggestions for a solution to the question.
What has been done already and what has been effective and hence should be
continued?
Are there new developments regarding the issue that should be considered?
What would be the best possible issue?
How can I combine the solution with my country’s or NGO/UNO policy?
Research Reports
The chairs of each committee or council have made research reports on the issues on
the agenda to get you started and to point you in the right direction. You can view the
research reports on the MUNA website. Go to issues and click on the issues of your
committee. If the research reports have not been uploaded yet don’t be afraid to ask
your Chair via the form on the website. The Chairs are looking forward to helping you
with your research.
Sites
Here are some sites that will give you reliable and useful information on your country or
NGO/UNO when you are doing research. International newspapers, such as the New
York Times often feature articles on a variety of countries from around the world.
www.un.org
www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/
www.ciafactbook.gov
www.guardian.co.uk
www.bbc.co.uk
www.cnn.com/WORLD
www.globalpolicy.org
www.countryreports.org
www.globalissues.com
On the website under main bodies you will find more useful links
How to prepare for a MUN conference
A series of instructional videos for delegates will be uploaded on our YouTube channel:
Mun Alfrink ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqGN9QF_Sd_-TeTOrGrsD3g )
See also the material available under downloads on the MUNA website.
19 SAMPLE POLICY STATEMENT
DELEGATION: Kenya
FORUM: GA 3: Environmental, Humanitarian and Health Issues
QUESTION OF: The drought and food crisis in the sub-Saharan countries
Africa’s food shortages have reached famine levels. The food shortages are being
blamed on unpredictable weather as a result of climate change. Floods and droughts
over the last two or three years have badly affected agricultural production, and have
pushed up food prices. Most affected are the sub-Saharan countries and farmers on the
countryside. About 3 million people are estimated to be facing starvation as a result of
the food insecurity.
Governments of various sub-Saharan countries have sent food relief to the areas
hardest hit. The crisis could have been averted, as potential problems could have been
picked up by local authorities and the government before now. New technology could be
used to help prevent serious problems, rather than waiting for disaster to strike before
acting. The Ugandan government has called for US $79 million to help fight the famine.
NGO’s and agencies, such as Amref and Farm-Africa play a key role in collecting
information and helping the villagers by getting food aid delivered to them directly.
Kenya is asking for financial support from members of the UN to deal with the crisis, and
in the long term, to invest in new technologies and in crops that are less reliant on
rainfall for example, to help its people cope with future erratic weather conditions.
20 RESOLUTION WRITING
What Is A Resolution?
·
A resolution is a formal statement of a proposal to a UN Council, Committee or
Commission. It consists of one long, but coherent, sentence divided into clauses
and sub-clauses. A resolution should not represent the position of one country but
rather of a majority of the UN member states.
Do I Have to Write a Resolution?
·
Before the MUNA conference, you will write a resolution about at least two issues
on the agenda in your comittee. Exceptions are the CC, SC and the GMF
committees; here you only have to write a policy statement, although it it would be
a good idea to practice writing resolutions anyway.
How To Write A Resolution
·
The language of a UN resolution is very formal. In order to help you, please read
the 4 following questions:
A – What is the preamble?
The preamble is the introduction of the resolution. It describes the background of
the issue and for example refers to former resolutions, conventions on the issue
as a means of introduction.
B – How to write the preambulatory clauses?
You can first state references to former UN resolutions, ratified
conventions, and/or declarations. You can also provide official figures, the most
recent ones possible, to illustrate the issue. You can furthermore congratulate
countries and/or organizations (i.e. UN organizations, NGOs) which have worked
on the issue. You can emphasize the difficulties that have been encountered in
the past. You will need to begin the preambulatory clauses with a present
or a past participle or an adjective. See the list on one of the following pages.
C – What are the operative clauses?
The operative clauses contain the policy statements of the body making the
resolution. The clauses should be clear and unambiguous. They present by order
of importance what the UN (memberstates) should do or what attitude it should
adopt.
D –How to write the operative clauses?
This question is the most difficult one. You must ensure that your proposals are
actually workable and that they fully reflect the existing policies of the country or
agency that you represent. You encourage, and/or invite countries to sign/ratify a
convention/declaration. You may propose, welcome or deplore all new situations.
You may support, congratulate or refuse new proposals. You may confirm, or
21 regret what already exists. You have to begin the operative clauses with verbs in
the third person singular of the Present Tense. See a list on one of the following
pages.
22 Please realise this while writing a resolution
Rather than just borrowing/copying clauses from UN resolutions or resolutions from
previous conferences, you will be in a much better position to defend and debate during
the conference if you write your own resolution from scratch.
How to Present A Resolution
·
The heading will appear in the upper-left hand corner of the page and it should
include the following:
Committee Name
(Main)Sponsor(s)/Main Submitter(s): .....
Signatories/Co-Sponsors/Co-submitters: ........
Topic/Issue:
·
The opening verb of each clause is underlined. There is a line-space between
each clause. The lines of the preambulatory clauses are NOT numbered. Each
operative clause IS numbered. The sub-clauses begin with a), b), c), etc.; subsub-clauses begin with i), ii), iii), etc. Acronyms and abbreviation are written out in
full the first time they are used. Each preambulatory clause is followed by a
comma. Each operative clause is followed by a semicolon. There is only one full
stop, that is, at the END of the resolution.
Sample Resolution
Have a look at the sample resolution you can find under downloads on the MUNA
website.
23 PHRASES FOR INTRODUCING RESOLUTIONS
Every clause of your resolution has to start with one of the phrases stated below. There
are separate phrases for pre-ambulatory clauses and operative clauses. Some phrases
only delegates of the SecurityCouncil are allowed to use (of course they can also use
the other phrases). These phrases are listed separately.
Pre-Ambulatory Phrases
Acknowledging
Affirming
Alarmed by
Approving
Aware of
Bearing in mind
Believing
Confident
Congratulating
Conscious
Contemplating
Convinced
Declaring
Deeply concerned
Deeply conscious
Deeply convinced
Deeply disturbed
Deeply regretting
Desiring
Emphasizing
Expecting
Expressing its
appreciation
Expressing its concern
Expressing its
satisfaction
Fully alarmed
Fully aware
Fully believing
Further recalling
Guided by
Having adopted
Having considered
Having devoted
attention
Having examined
Having heard
Having received
Having studied
Keeping in mind
Noting
Noting further
Noting with appreciation
Noting with approval
Noting with deep
concern
Noting with regret
Noting with satisfaction
Observing
Pointing out
Reaffirming
Realizing
Recalling
Recognizing
Referring
Reminding Seeking
Stressing
Taking into account
Taking into
consideration
Taking note
Viewing with
appreciation
Welcoming
Expresses its hope
Further invites
Further proclaims
Further recommends
Further requests
Further resolves
Hopes
Insists
Invites
Proclaims
Proposes
Reaffirms
Recommends
Regrets
Requests
Resolves
Seeks
Stresses
Strongly affirms
Strongly urges
Suggests
Supports
Trusts
Urge
Operative Phrases
Affirms
Approves
Asks
Authorizes
Calls for
Calls upon
Confirms
Congratulates
Emphasizes
Encourages
Endorses
Expresses its
appreciation
24 Security Council Pre-Ambulatory Phrases
Declaring
Deploring
Further deploring
Decides
Further declaring
Security Council Operative Phrases
Condemns
Decides
Declares
Declares accordingly
Deplores
Designates
Strongly condemns
25 GENERAL PREPARATION TO MUNS
Below you will find some suggested activities that might be helpful preparing your
students for the conference.
Activity 1
Explanation of Certain Phrases for Introducing Resolutions:
Phrases
To
acknowledge
To affirm
To recognize
Concern
To recall
To observe
To reaffirm
To
contemplate
To approve
To endorse
To proclaim
To call for
To call upon
To confirm
To urge
To resolve
To deplore
To designate
To declare
To encourage
26 Explanation
To accept or admit that something exists, is true
Function
Pre-amb
To state that something is true and you agree with it
To accept that something is true or important
Feeling of Worry
To make you feel something you have felt or experienced
in the past
To accept and obey something such as a rule or
agreement
To formally state something again, repetition of affirm
To consider carefully
Pre+Oper
Pre-amb
Pre-amb
To give official agreement or permission
To express support someone or something in public
To state something publicly
To say publicly that something should happen
To officially ask a person or organization to do something
To formally support something and allow it to happen
To advise someone very strongly about their attitude or
actions
To find a satisfactory way of dealing with a disagreement
To condemn (because of immoral grounds)
To formally choose someone or something for a
particular purpose
To announce officially
To provide conditions that help something to happen
Pre+Oper
Operative
Operative
Operative
Operative
Operative
Operative
Pre-amb
Pre+Oper
Pre-amb
Operative
SC
SC
Pre+SC
Operative
Exercise activity 1: Fill in the appropriate word
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
27 Rebel forces say they will no longer ……………… the peace treaty.
Nobody has been……………… as Head of the Peace keeping operation yet.
The U.N. has ……………… them to honour the peace treaty.
Several newspapers were ……………… his resignation.
The year’s budget package has been formally ……………… by parliament.
The parliament’s decision still has to be ……………… in a referendum.
Saudi Arabia is pressing for a U.N. resolution that would ……………… the
alleged Iranian plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States.
The school ………………its commitment to its students.
The crisis was ……………… by negotiation.
Australia ………………its support for the agreement.
He never ……………… his mistakes.
She ……………… most of her conversation with the President.
I haven’t got time to sit around and ……………… the meaning of life.
Many people expressed……………… over moves to restore the death penalty.
All ……………… the treaty as critically important to achieve peace
Poor hygiene ……………… the spread of disease.
The human rights group has ……………… the US to end the death penalty.
They still ……………… that their policy was successful.
Tomorrow the House can ……………… its endorsement of the resolution.
Most fishermen……………… the need to limit fishing.
Activity 2: USEFUL PHRASES FOR DEBATING
All phrases mentioned below consist of your delegation name, one of the phrases,
followed by your statement. Syntax: [delegation] + [one of the phrases] + [statement]
Practice in groups
Step one
Divide the class in groups of 4 (3-5).
Step two
Divide the following countries amongst the group members:
1. China
2. France
3. Russian Federation
4. United Kingdom
5. United Stated
Step three
Use the sentences below to give your country’s opinion (in this case your own
opinion) about the following statements
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
High schools should only sell healthy food in the canteen.
High school students should wear school uniforms.
Citizens in developed countries should pay a 3% incomes tax to support the
poor in developing countries.
All nuclear countries should destroy their nuclear weapons.
To stop air pollution countries should allow citizens to use their cars only
two times a week.
Child labour should be banned under 16 years old.
e.g. The delegation of France strongly objects to the purge of Christians
… is absolutely certain that…
… is afraid this is unacceptable…
… is convinced that…
… is of the opinion that…
… assumes that…
… can imagine why…
… cannot take this seriously…
… couldn’t agree more…
… has (not) decided to …
… has no intention to …
… intends to …
28 … strongly objects to …
… supposes that …
… understands your indignation …
… will explain why …
… wishes to complain about …
To … it is obvious that …
To… it seems that …
… feels disappointed about …
… holds the view that …
… resents the implication that..
Use these frequently used phrases in your discussions about the issues as
well:
With reference to the previous speaker …
According to [your delegation] there is no excuse for …
What the delegate of [your delegation] is really saying is that…
Is the delegate of [other nation] aware that…
Does(n’t) the delegate of [other nation] agree that…
In reaction to previous points…
Following up what the delegate of [other nation] just said…
Regarding the point made by [other delegation] …
Having heard the arguments made by [other delegation] …
In response to what has just been said …
Is the honourable delegate aware of the fact that …
I yield the floor back to the chair
29 Activity 3: USEFUL LINKING WORDS FOR DEBATING AND SPEECHES
All in All
Although
As
As a consequence
As a result
Because
Compared to
Consequently
Contrary to
Equally
Even though
First
For
For example
For instance
Hardly
However
In brief
In comparison with
In contrast to
In short
In spite of
Instead
Last merely
Moreover
Nonetheless
On the one hand
On the other hand
Scarcely
Similarly
Since
Still
Summing up
Therefore
Thus explaining
To a certain extent
To a large degree
To conclude
Whereas
Yet
30 Exercise activity 3: Put the phrases mentioned on the previous page into one of the
following categories:
Comparing
31 Conclusion
Contradiction Explanation
Ranking
Result
Activity 4: What do you say?
Using the Points and Motions, determine which point or motion is being made under
the Description. Then write exactly what you would say to make this point or motion.
What do you say?
1.
The delegate has a question regarding the rules of procedure.
2.
Delegate wishes to tell the chair about of a physical
discomfort they are experiencing (the inability to hear
another delegate’s speech, that the room is too hot, etc.).
3.
A delegate has just finished their speech. Another delegate
would like to ask them a question about speech. (Please note,
that a speaker must be open to questions.)
4.
The delegate has a question if an NGO can vote in a committee?
5.
Delegate wishes to close the debate and move to voting.
Answers What do you say?
1.
The delegate has a question regarding the rules of procedure.
Honorable Chair, (Country Name) has a point of Inquiry.
2.
Delegate wishes to tell the chair about of a physical
discomfort the delegate is experience (the inability to hear
another delegate’s speech, that the room is too hot, etc.).
Honorable Chair, (Country Name) has a
point of Personal Privilege, we cannot hear
the speaker, the room is too hot, etc...
3.
Honorable Chair (Country Name) has a point of Information.
4.
Honorable Chair (Country Name) has a point of Inquiry.
5.
Delegate wishes to close the debate and move to voting.
Honorable Chair, (Country Name) motion to move previous question
(motion to move to Voting procedure) .
Work in pairs
-­‐
-­‐
-­‐
32 Have a look at the points and motions used at MUNA
Now think of five situations yourself.
For each situation ask your partner to tell the correct point or motion to use.
FINAL ASSIGNMENT
In order to prepare more in detail for the conference your teachers can ask you to
write a paper (for a mark?).
A good outline of a MUNA paper could look like this:
Introduction
Introduce briefly country and issues, include research questions and work scheme.
Use the policy statement you prepared for MUNA!
Chapter 1 Overview of your country, focus on a political profile.
Chapter 2 Overview of the issues
Start every issue with a research question
Chapter 3 Your country’s policy on the issues
Chapter 4 Your goals and strategy for the MUNA conference
•
What do you want to achieve (goals/targets)?
•
How do you want to achieve your goals?
Evaluation of the MUNA Conference
•
Did you achieve your goals?
•
What went well?
•
What was hard to achieve?
•
What would you do differently next time?
•
What did you learn from participating in MUNA?
•
Any tips for future participants?
Appendix: At least two written resolutions.
Marking Grid, based on Dutch marking system (1-10)
S= Sufficient: 8*S = mark 6.
I= Insufficient (you lose 0.5 point for each insufficient)
G =Good (you winn 0.5 point for each sufficient)
Introduction
Overview country, incl.
country assessment
Issue 1
Country’s views
Goals and Strategy
Evaluation
Resolutions
Level
33 I S
G
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Modes of Address
A MUN debate is a very formal means of discussion. Therefore Delegates and Chairs
have to follow certain rules and have to use some formal phrases. The most important
rules and phrases for delegates are listed below.
•
•
•
•
When you give a speech, you have to address the Presidents/Chairs and the
other Delegates
first, e.g. ‘Distinguished chairs, honourable delegates…’
You are not allowed to use the word ‘I’, because you are representing the
opinion of another
country or organization. You would, for example, have to say: ‘France is in
favour of this clause,
because…’
When you have finished your speech (and have answered Points of
Information), you can say ‘I yield the floor to the chair’ In this case you are
allowed to use the word ‘I’, because it is just about you as a speaker.
You are not allowed to address other Delegates by saying ‘you’. So you should
begin a Point of Information with ‘Is the honourable delegate (not) aware of the
fact that…’ instead of ‘Are you aware’, for example.
Notes and official note paper
During the meetings you can send notes to Delegates in your Committee. Admins will
screen it and pass it on if the content is okay. Messages not related to the meeting
and informal messages will not be passed on. For example: a note asking another
Delegate what he is doing in the evening will not be passed on. A message such as
“What do you think of sub-clause 3?” or “I’m for this Resolution, back me up when I
give my speech” is perfectly fine, and will be passed onto the addressee.
The notepaper should be official. Therefore your delegation must create its own
notepaper, with official letterhead and logo identifying the country your delegation
represents, before the conference.
Opening Speeches
During the opening ceremonies of MUNA a limited number of country’s ambassadors
will get the opportunity to give an opening speech of one minute. They will be notified
in advance. You may not insult other members of the United Nations or present your
own delegation in an unworthy fashion.
Dress Code
To emphasize the serious and diplomatic nature of the conference, all delegates must
be dressed appropriately. This means that men have to wear a suit and tie, and for
girls a skirt (below the knee) or smart trousers and a blouse (preferably with a jacket).
Access may be denied to meetings if you are not dressed appropriately. This year the
MUNA staff will be extra strict concerning the dress code, so think before you dress!
34 MUN-TERMINOLOGY
Ad-hoc debate
A debate that does not start with an entire resolution, but in which
a resolution is built up clause by clause during the
debate. This type of debate is used in the Security Council
and Crisis Committee.
Administrative Staff The assistants of the Chair. They assist in voting procedures
and passing notes
Amendment
An amendment is an alteration to a specific part of the
resolution. The intention of a proposed amendment should be to
improve the resolution, thus helping the resolution to
pass. Amendments are either of the first or the second
degree
Amendment
An amendment made to a resolution.
to the first degree
Amendment
An amendment made to an amendment to the first degree.
to the second
degree
Chair
The person who is in charge of the debate. The Chair
decides who may speak, what is and what is not in order.
The Chair’s decision is always final.
Co-submitter
A delegation that supports the resolution before the debate has
started.
Delegate
A member of a delegation.
Delegation
A group of delegates representing a certain country or
organization.
Executive Staff
Students in charge of the organization of the MUN- conference.
General Assembly The General Assembly (GA) is the main deliberative body of
the UN.
GMF
The Global Mayor Forum is the committee where there are no
delegates representing countries. Instead, they are representing
cities.
International
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial
Court of Justice
organ of the UN. It settles, in accordance with international
law, the legal disputes between States and gives advisory
opinions on legal questions.
Lobbying
The negotiating, concerning resolutions, between delegates
before
The actual debate.
Main submitter
The delegation submitting the resolution. The main submitter will
read out the operative clauses at the start of a debate
and will give the first speech.
Merging
The process where several draft resolutions are put together and
become one resolution, which can be discussed in the
forum.
MUN-director
The teachers accompanying the students from a school
MUNA-staff
NAC
35 These are the people who are responsible for the organization
of the MUNA-conference.
The highest decision-making body of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization.
NGO
Non-Governmental Organization. NGOs are not allowed to
vote.
NMD
Non-Member Delegation (NGOs, OOs and UNOs) Non
Member Delegations are representatives of organizations or
nations which are not members of the UN. These NMD’s have
speaking rights but no voting rights.
Operative Clause A clause in a resolution, that tells the reader what the
resolution proposes to do and what measures need to be
taken.
Policy Statement A brief but comprehensive definition of the issue, plus the
relationship to the country’s national interest.
Point of Information A question to gain clarification either to the speaker who has
the floor or to the Chair by a member of the house, who has
been duly recognized by the Chair.
Pre-ambulatory
Clause
A clause in a resolution, which tells the reader what has gone
before, why or on what basis the resolution was written.
President
The person who is in charge of the debate in the General
Assembly.
Resolution
The proposal made by the delegates on how to deal with a
certain issue.
Secretary General The ‘leader’ of the conference.
Security Council
The UN Charter gives the SC primary responsibility for
maintaining international peace and security and the Council
alone has the power to back up its declarations with actions
to ensure compliance with them.
Student Officer
Abbreviated to StOff, a synonym for the chair (see chair above)
United Nations
Organization set up after the Second World War, with the aim
to achieve peace, justice and social progress.
UNO
United Nations Organization. UNOs are not allowed to vote.
36