Parliamentary Procedure & Resolution Writing

 

Parliamentary Procedure & Resolution Writing

Tonight, we will be discussing the flow of a MUN conference, parliamentary procedure, and how to write resolutions in preparation for NoMUNC on Friday, October 20th.

NoMUNC: 8:30am-5pm on Friday, October 20th. Please dress in Western Business Attire.

Position papers: Due on Monday, October 16th. Please turn in your position paper (pdf, one document) using the link here.

MUN Conference Flow: Most Model UN conferences follow a similar pattern or flow of debate. It usually looks like this:

1. Set the agenda (determine the topic of debate)

2. Introductory speeches (initial thoughts and ideas about the issue); typically 1 minute or so in length

3. Unmoderated Caucus (informal discussions about discussed ideas and initial bloc formation)

4. Moderated Caucus (formal discussions on discussed ideas)

5. Unmoderated Caucus (informal discussions and drafting of working papers)

6. Moderated Caucus (formal discussion on draft working papers/resolutions)

7. Unmoderated Caucus (informal discussion and revisions of working papers)

8. Moderated Caucus (formal discussion on draft working papers/resolutions and possible amendments)

9. Unmoderated Caucus (informal discussion on amendments, mergers, etc)

10. Moderate Caucus (formal discussion on final draft resolutions)

11. Motion to close debate

12. Vote on resolutions

Basically, we will be alternating between formal and informal debate on the topic. Unmods are where the work of committees gets done.

Parliamentary Procedure

We will be following the MUNUC Parliamentary Procedure for our conference. A few important terms/procedures for you to be aware of:

Dais: This is the committee staff that runs the committee room. It consists of a chair (final decisions rest with this person), moderator (handles the flow of debate), and assistant chairs. 

Decorum:A call to order or attention. During formal sessions and speeches, cross talking among delegates should not take place. You will hear this frequently in committees, especially in the larger committees. Please respect the delegates speaking.

Speaker's List: A list of countries wishing to speak on the given topic. The moderator will ask what countries would like to be on the list. You should ALWAYS have your country's name on the list. Once you have spoken, simply send a note to the dais to add your name to the list again. At many conferences, the Speaker's List is typically quickly abandoned in favor of moderated caucuses.

Motion: A request by a delegate. The most common motions are:

• motion to set the agenda-used at the beginning to determine which topic will be addressed first
• motion to comment-if the speaker does not yield, two comments are typically allowed (this is only from the speaker's list NOT moderated caucuses)
• motion for a moderated caucus-must state length, speaking time, and purpose (i.e. Motion for a 10 minutes moderated caucus with 1 minutes speaking time to discuss proposed amendments)
• motion for an unmoderated caucus-must state length and purpose (i.e. Motion for a 15 minute unmoderated caucus for the purpose of discussing working papers.
• motion to close debate-used at the end to move into voting procedures (Requires 2/3 majority vote and chair may allow 2 speakers opposed to closure of debate)

Yields: A delegate recognized to speak may yield (give up) part of their time either to another delegation, to questions, or simply back to the chair. This is only used during substantive speeches from the speakers' list, not during moderated caucuses.

• Yield to another delegate-give the remaining time to another delegation to speak (typically another member of your bloc)
• Yield to questions-Used to explain positions/working papers, etc. The moderator will call on what delegates are allowed to ask questions.
• Yield to the chair-the time simply elapses and we continue on the speakers' list (no comments allowed)

Points: Points are used to raise questions or draw the moderator/chair's attention to something. Some common points are:

• Point of inquiry-question about parliamentary procedure
• Point of personal privilege-used to address a discomfort or problem in the committee (i.e. cannot hear the speaker); this should be rarely used
• Point of order-used if you believe parliamentary procedure is not being followed (use at your own discretion, but generally frowned upon)

Working papers vs. Resolutions: During the committee sessions, initial ideas will be collected and submitted in the form of working papers. Working papers are typically written in resolution format, but cannot be referred to as resolutions. Multiple working papers are combined to form resolutions. Resolutions are the final goal of the committee. They are the committee's solution to the problems. There is a proscribed format that all resolutions must follow. A typical conference will have multiple "draft resolutions" on the floor at the same time and the goal is to gain enough support through consensus building and merging of resolutions to pass your resolution through.

Resolution Writing! The end goal of any conference is passage of a "comprehensive" resolution (preferably one that you are the main sponsor/author of) that addresses the issues raised in the background guide. For more information on resolution writing, please click on the Resolutions tab above.

Practice Resolution Writing: Craft a draft resolution to address the issues of lunch at school.

Conducting Research & Position Paper Writing

WUMUNS Update

Nest Fest: Remember to sign-up here to help.

NoMUNC Update: 

We currently have 7 schools with over 100 delegates signed up for our conference. We have added an additional committee (Security Council) to accommodate the increased numbers.

Upcoming Meetings:

October 9th: Parliamentary Procedure & Resolution Writing

October 13th: Position Papers DUE

October 16th: NoMUNC staff meeting only

October 20th: NoMUNC!

October 23rd: NO Meeting

October 30th: NO Meeting

Research

Research before a conference is the most important thing that can be done to prepare yourself and be the most competitive delegate you can be. A successful MUN delegate researches their country, their committee, and the assigned topics thoroughly.

Best Delegate has a great overview of how to research and links to begin your preparation. It includes ways to look at past resolutions, voting records/treaty members, and how to organize your information.

The United Nations also has a great section on researching for Model UN.

Delegate Pal is one of the best resources for Model UN students. You can find virtually anything MUN related through this website for research purposes.

Your assigned country's government page on foreign policy can be another valuable tool when conducting research. Many countries will have some sort of webpage devoted to their foreign policy and positions on various topics. Just search for your country and foreign policy statements or something similar. Here are a couple of examples: Denmark and South Africa.

Another trick that may work when researching is to place your country's name and said in quotes (i.e. "Pakistan said") the topic or terms associated with the topic, and the search filter site:un.org. Here's an example:

Position Papers 

Position papers are one-page statements on your country's position on a given topic that your committee is potentially discussing. These are the summaries of your research and outline potential solutions to the problems presented in the background guide. Some conferences give out position paper awards or make them a condition for consideration of delegate awards. All position papers are due on Friday, October 13th. To be considered for MUNUC (Chicago), you must submit a position paper.

Go to our position paper tab above to learn more about position paper writing. We will begin outlining your position paper tonight.