Model United Nations Student Starter Pack

By Sheehan Karamitas
Faculty Mentor & Acting Secretary General

This pack belongs to:____________________________________________

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 Contents

1) A Note from your Faculty Mentor and currently Acting Secretary-General.

2) What will this pack help you with?
3) Important terminology to understand.
4) Basic Rules and Procedures. (RoPs)
5) Some Advice on Public Speaking.
6) Objectives and Scoring of MUN.
7) Knowledge and steps needed to begin preparing.
8) Difference between Motions and Points.
9) The flow and sequence of a conference.
10) Crafting Resolutions
11) Making Amendments
12) Templates and tools for research.
13) Additional resources and suggested reading materials.

A Note from your Faculty Mentor and currently Acting

Secretary-General.
Welcome to MUN, Delegate! I am happy you have decided to join in this training,
you are very brave to attempt this public speaking challenge – something that is
deadly scary to some, and utterly natural to the point of exhaustion to others. No
matter what, you will always feel a bit nervous, especially when there is a room full
of delegates dressed in business clothes and all looking at you, paying attention to
your speech. However, this will not be the first time this will happen to you as this
happens nearly daily when you are an adult in the working world. MUN is a great
way for you to meet new people, get to know your schoolmates and also to improve
your general communications and collaboration skills. You will definitely have an
advantage if you practice the art of negotiation, strategy and diplomacy. Lastly, a
general passion for learning, especially learning history will help you to thrive in
understanding the context of the nations that will be debating. Have fun and enjoy
the journey! May the force be with you.
References and quotes to warfare may be present throughout this pack due to the
following quote:
‘Diplomacy is War by other means,’ – Carl Von Clausewitz

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 What will this pack help you with?
In this pack, you will find a collection of the points that need to be known so that you will
become an effective Delegate in the MUN. The pack will be like a lifeboat to you in your new
endeavor of debating (or ruling the earth as the supreme ruler). You will use it in all your training
sessions and up to the conference, where you will then not be allowed to use it as a
demonstration of your abilities. This demonstration will be marked, and will demonstrate not only
to the Committee Chairs, but also to the other Delegates. Furthermore, it will also demonstrate
to yourself if you have put in the hard work needed to become successful – a skill much needed
in life, and a fun way to develop it will be through this training! Make yourself proud!
Aside from the above, you will also find that this pack will help you with how to figure out what’s
happening and what’s being spoken about. How to do the needed tasks and how to follow the
procedures. What’s expected of you and what happens at the conference. This pack has been
made so that you can prepare for our own in-school conferences, as well as outside
conferences and even international ones too!
We are only going to focus on the delegate’s point of view and not the chairpersons. That is a
separate training course that can be given, once you have done enough conferences and been
through the trenches as a delegate. Good luck, but above all else, have fun!

Important terminology to understand.

Before beginning, as with anything that is new, you will need to understand any
terminology. Lets see what this new vocabulary you will learn is:
Amendment: A change in the working draft resolution
(Amendment)
-Friendly = Will not be debated upon by delegates. Things like incorrect written
English or grammar.
-Unfriendly = Will be debated upon by delegates. Amendments that change the
clause meaning or Resolution. This requires a speech to justify why the Amendment
was made.
(Amendment) Delegates may wish to amend a resolution by doing the following:
-add = Add a new clause, sub clause or sub-sub clause
-modify = Make changes to an existing clause
-strike = Removing a clause, subclause, or sub-sub clause
Committee: The group of Delegates and Chairpersons who will debate the topic of the
conference.

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Conference: The event where Delegates and Chairpersons will come together for
debating, awards and other activities, which can sometimes include lunches, dinners,
galas, Q&As or guest speakers.
Chair: The person (who would typically be a delegate actually) that leads the committee
and keeps the debate moving forward and ensures the rules are being followed.
Communique: An official piece of news or announcement given to the public by an
authority. Commonly used in Crisis Committees.
Caucuses: A group of delegates who form an alliance or faction.
- Moderated Caucus: A form of debate where the speakers list is set aside, and
speakers will be called upon by the chair. This less formal style of debate allows
for a freer flow of ideas and exchange between Delegates.
- Unmoderated Caucus: A suspension of the rules allowing Delegates to
converse freely.
Caucus Bloc: A group of delegates representing nations that team up/ally on a
common cause or stance.
Directive - A Command and set of instructions that need to be carried out with no room
for interpretation.
Diplomatic Conduct: Presenting yourself and speaking in the most respectful and
polite way possible.
Delegation: A team of delegates representing a country.
Delegates: An individual representing a country.
Decorum: Behavior that shows a high degree of politeness.
Dais: The Dais is the Chairperson and the Rapporteur (Deputy Chair)
Fact-Sheet: This is an overview of your assigned country.
Motion: An action that is taken or requested by a delegate and voted on by the
committee.
Operative Clauses: Operative clauses offer solutions to issues addressed earlier in a
resolution through the preambulatory section. These clauses are actions that should
include both an underlined verb at the beginning of your sentence followed by a
proposed solution. Each clause should follow the following principles:
- Clauses should be numbered.
- Each clause should support one another and continue to build your solution.
- Add details to your clauses in order to have a complete solution.
- Operative clauses are punctuated by a semicolon, with the exception of your last
operative clause which should end with a period/full stop
- (See example later in the pack)

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Page: The person who transfers communications between delegates and/or chairs at
conferences, a messenger.
Preambulatory Clauses: The preamble of a draft resolution states the reasons for
which the committee is addressing the topic and highlights past international action on
the issue. Each clause begins with a present participle (called a preambulatory phrase)
and ends with a comma.
Preambulatory clauses can include:
- References to the UN Charter
- Citations of past UN resolutions or treaties on the topic under discussion
- Mentions of statements made by the Secretary-General or a relevant UN body or
agency
- Recognition of the efforts of regional or non-governmental organisations in
dealing with the issue
- General statements on the topic, its significance and its impact
Plenary: A meeting or session attended by all participants at a conference or assembly.
Position-Paper: This is the view, policy or belief the government/nation of your
assigned country holds towards the topic being debated in the committee. You are
supposed to use this position to know what stance to take in the debate.
Point of…: Essentially, it is a question or request to be made. Will be explained further
later in the pack and RoPs.
Quorum: the minimum number of members of an assembly or society that must be
present at any of its meetings to make the proceedings of that meeting valid.
Resolution: A written document that contains your caucus bloc's solutions to the topic.
- Draft-Resolution: A document that is being worked on by delegates to be put
forward at the official resolution document. Will be voted on.
Roll-Call: calling off a list of names (as for checking attendance) of Delegations who will
be present or Delegations who will be present and voting.
Rapporteur: a person who is appointed by an organization to report on the proceedings
of its meetings.
Secretariat – The executive team that leads the UN/MUN.
Yield/Yielding: When you have made a speech, but still have time left, you can end
your speech and either give the remaining time to The Chair or to another Delegation,
perhaps the stronger ally in the bloc depending on the topic being debated.

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 Basic Rules and Procedures. (RoPs)
The Rules of Procedure at MUN conferences are a document in which the respective
MUN secretariat manifests the rules and principles of a particular MUN simulation in
writing. In short, the RoPs are the game instructions as well as a list of possible “moves”
that are allowed in the game. The RoPs communicate to all MUN participants—such as
the members of the secretariat, delegates, faculty advisors, chairs, rapporteurs and
special guests—clearly which rules to obey so that conference sessions and other
associated meetings take place in order. RoPs will say clearly how respectful
collaboration and diplomatic conduct should be performed at this particular MUN
conference as well as the dress code.
A delegate well versed in the RoPs is generally better able to become immersed
in committee discussions—and will probably also enjoy MUN sessions more.
The better a MUN delegate knows the RoPs of their particular MUN conference, the
better they are able to respond to specific tasks in the committee. They will be able to
follow the flow of debate closely and participate in and also actively shape and influence
sessions of the committee. Also, generally, the more all delegates of the particular
committee know and apply the RoPs, the more fluid the pace of debate will be—as well
as the overall progress of the committee.
Therefore, being aware of as well as understanding the RoPs, participants/delegates
will know which actions are in order at which particular time in session, less time will be
spent on procedural explanations by the dais and the overall flow of the session is likely
to be smooth, fun and more engaging. When RoPs are known and adhered to by all
MUN participants/delegates, a very enjoyable flow of discussions, speeches and
resolution writing should emerge, making for a fun vibe.
A demonstration of RoPs can be found at this video on YouTube.

[Link]

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The parliamentary RoPs typically followed at MUN conferences are based off of US
Army Officer Major Henry Martyn Robert’s guide, named ‘Roberts Rules of Order’ in
1876 and revised extensively since that time, and adapted for use by The United States
Congress.
As a rule of thumb, the content of RoPs at MUN conferences will usually be grouped
into the following six sections:
[Link] rules
[Link] governing debate and motions
[Link] governing speeches
[Link] governing points
[Link] procedure to (draft) resolutions
[Link] governing the voting procedure

A rule to note that is always in any MUN rule set, you cannot speak using personal
pronouns! You are representing a nation and therefore refer to yourself as the nation.
For example, you can’t say “I believe…” instead, you need to say, “The Delegate of
(Country Name) believes…”

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 Some Advice on Public Speaking
• Survey studies have proved that many people are more afraid to speak publicly than of dying.
Therefore, if you feel like dying, you are not the only one feeling that way.
• Keep your statements short and to the point (concise), using short, easily understandable
sentences. Other delegates have to be able to follow your arguments easily and be able to
understand what your countries’ position is regarding a topic. It should become clear who your
allies are and which countries are rather opposing your proposals. Mention facts and figures
including the source of information. This makes your statement more credible and other delegates
can verify the information given by you for themselves. Pay attention to what has been said
before/previously.
• Often students are not sure if they have understood other delegates correctly because of language
barriers/accents/acoustic reasons. One solution to this particular dilemma would be to then to
simply be to request a Point of Personal Privilege and thenrepeat what the other delegate has said
and refer the statement to that particular delegate. Then one could state if he/his country’s
delegation does agree or disagree with the statement that has been put forward previously. Such
behaviour indicates and shows active listening skills which are often received favourably at MUNs.
• To avoid inconveniencing your fellow delegates speak with a loud and clear voice.
• At MUNs you are usually required to stand when making a speech.
• It cannot be mentioned enough: Decorum is important at MUNs. When others are talking be
silent. It is impolite and disrespectful to remain talking to someone else while another delegate is
delivering a speech. Usually, chairs intervene when the committee gets too unruly or noisy to keep
order.
• Body Language is important when speaking. Your body language should be consistent with your
spoken words. Try practicing your speech before the conference and dress the way you would at
the conference, so that you look good and work on sounding good too!
• You can be bold. Try to emphasize issues your country feels strongly about by saying for example:
“We strongly believe XYZ.”
• Everyone speaks in a different way and all ways are perfectly fine. The art is to find the way that
you are comfortable with and that suits your own – and, in the case of MUN, also your countries-
demeanour well.
• If you have no idea how to reply, don’t use filler words, for example, words such as "Uh, Uhm, Em,
Hmm, Like”.
• Very important: A preliminary analysis and good preparation of relevant issues are almost always
an advantage. Think of it as a game of chess: Try to anticipate the other delegations next move
and map out for yourself what you must do to achieve the desired outcome.
• Most people are nervous when asked to speak in front of others. You are not the only one! This is
a feeling almost all delegates are likely to experience. Nervousness in such a situation is a
completely natural occurrence. Still – trust yourself to do it. Dare to speak as ambassador for your
countries’ position and needs on pressing issues in times of crisis.
• You are very likely to improve your confidence and increase your vocabulary when routinely
speaking in front of others. Practice makes perfect!

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 Objectives and Scoring of MUN.
Introduction (for example a summary describing

and outlining the problem and how it affects the region) 1 2 3 4 5

Main Resolution Body: 2-3 coherent arguments displayed? 1 2 3 4 5

Strong Conclusion 1 2 3 4 5

Established adherence to county’s policy? 1 2 3 4 5

Clear actions for problems proposed? 1 2 3 4 5

Leader or important person quoted on the topic? 1 2 3 4 5

(Adopted) legislation concerning the issue cited? 1 2 3 4 5

UN reports and UN resolutions quoted? 1 2 3 4 5

Some important facts/figures/numbers/polls provided? 1 2 3 4 5

Covering sheet included? 1 2 3 4 5

Footnotes included? 1 2 3 4 5

Bibliography (on a separate sheet) included? 1 2 3 4 5

Proposed length/word count adhered to? 1 2 3 4 5

One page per topic font size 10, 11 or 12? (Use readable font) 1 2 3 4 5

Spelling 1 2 3 4 5

Grammar 1 2 3 4 5

Layout – same front size and well edited? 1 2 3 4 5

Institutions’ guidelines about research adhered to? 1 2 3 4 5

At least 20 credible sources consulted AND

included as footnotes and in bibliography? 1 2 3 4 5

Conference:

Helped to plan conference? 1 2 3 4 5

Participated in the conference? 1 2 3 4 5

Appropriately dressed (and behaved)? 1 2 3 4 5

(Participation in conference?) 1 2 3 4 5

(1- Unsatisfactory/2 – Just about sufficient/3- Satisfactory/4 – Good/5 – Very good)

The above is an example of the conference scoresheet and may be subject to change.

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The basic objective to essentially winning the MUN conference is to get your resolutions
passed and to achieve the highest score/s. This would get you an award at the end of
the conference and perhaps a prize (If the finances can afford it). Certificates are also
given for various aspects of conference participation and attendance. Sometimes, you
can be awarded for silly things too, such as:
Best Dressed Delegate
Best Speaker
Best Lobbyist
Best Bloc
Delegate most likely to start The Third World War
Delegate most likely to sell out/end humanity
Delegate most likely to end up in prison
Most Corrupt Delegate
Most Peaceful Delegate
Please note that the above are not really awards you should strive for but can win
certificates for. What you must strive for is to get your resolutions passed! If you can get
your resolution paper adopted as the official working document of the conference, that
will give you big points in the score and display how shrewd of a negotiator you are.
Delegates who display the most gumption and leadership ability will be considered for
MUN Secretariat positions. Secretariat positions will be fantastic exposure to knowledge
and experience in various fields, such as marketing, finance, logistics, academics and
management, with the potential of the positions to lead into actual job-shadowing.

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 Knowledge needed to begin preparing
You need to know that you are preparing to dive into the world of politics. It is a heated
subject that can get your feelings very inflamed. MUN will be a great tool to help you
control your ego and emotions. When you learn that you need to let your feelings come
and go, you will learn how to be steady in life and stay clear-headed. In MUN, you will
be getting argued with, opposed and demolished. However, I leave you with these
quotes to understand why it is necessary:
"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight -- it's the size of the fight in
the dog."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, and former General of the
Army
"To err is nature, to rectify error is glory.”
- George Washington, 1st President of the United States, and Commanding General of the
Continental Army
"The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get
along with people."
- Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States

A personal favorite Latin phrase that will remind you that in adversity, you will find peace
or clarity.

“In sterquiliniis invenitur” – In filth, it will be found. In other words, what you need most is
always to be found where you least wish to look. The delegates you least wish to look at
and debate, will perhaps be the greatest source of inspiration to you without you even
knowing it. In moving ahead with MUN, I hope that you develop the mindset needed to
accept that you will be challenged, but it will be done respectfully and usually very
interestingly.

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Now, let’s begin with how you survive and thrive in this desert of politics, diplomacy, and
conferencing.

When you are assigned a country, we need to begin by having the following:

• A Fact Sheet – which gives you an overview of your country.

• Research – what is your country’s position on the topic of debate. This follows
the S.P.E.A.R principle, which is:
o Speeches – speeches given by the government of your assigned country.
o Programs – any established programs that deal with the topic that have
been created or are operating to tackle the problem.
o Events – any events setup by the government relating to the topic.
o Agreements – any diplomatic agreements with other governments about
the topic
o Reports – reports made on the topic by the government of your country.
• The Position paper.
• Historical context of the topic (If any, unless the topic is a fictional crisis topic)
• The Opening Statement/Speech you will make for a topic.
• A draft Resolution that will be put forward in the conference where you will then
lobby and vote on adopting it as the official working paper.
• Conference RoPs (to be explained in this pack but only given before the
conference)

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 Difference between Motions and Points
The difference Between Motions and Points is that raising a point or a motion is about
how the debate flows. Delegates who are aware of how things work with the RoPs,
Motions and Points can influence how debates flow as they aren’t always set to follow
specific times. An example is Motioning to Suspend the meeting, which the chair would
agree to and it would need to be voted on, like if everyone wants to have lunch for
example.
Both points and motions are asked for by delegates.

Motions
Motions can be raised/requested by a delegate to determine the flow of the sessions
and rather frame/guide the debates that take place. This means that in committee
sessions, there will be an agenda/topic that delegates must vote on at the start of the
committee session. Take note that, neither the chair of your committee nor the secretary
general of the conference or other people involved with the conference will determine
when, e.g., moderated caucuses are being held, the session is adjourned or the debate
is closed.
Even though there is a planned lunch at a certain time, the delegates need to raise a
motion to suspend the meeting. The delegates must take initiatives and make motions
to steer the debate.
The chair “only” finds the motions made ‘in order’ or ‘not in order’. Sometimes, when
no delegates suggest a further motion to move the flow of the session along, chairs
have been seen to “suggest” particular motions to be made. Motions have to be
made/volunteered by delegates. The responsibility to make motions always lies with
the delegates of the committees.
The chair has a guiding and helping position. For example, even when wanting to leave
the debate around the time lunch was planned, delegates have to make a motion to
suggest suspending the meeting until a later time to the chair. How many moderated
and unmoderated caucuses and breaks a committee has, how long they are and topic
to be debated, when sessions end and when they begin, all lie in the hands of the
delegates and depend on which motion they bring to the floor of the house.
What motions can delegates move or vote for? Here is a list:

• Motion to extend speech times – as the name says, you move to vote on
giving delegates more time to speak during speeches.
• Motion to move the session into a moderated caucus – this means that a
vote is held to have a debate relating to the topic, but on a specific part of the
resolution. The Dais (Chairpersons) will preside and lead the debate.

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 • Motion to move the session into an unmoderated caucus – this is a vote that
will be held to allow delegates to leave their tables and discuss the topic. This is
also where delegates lobby other delegates to form blocs or get sponsors on
resolutions. Alliances and enemies are made here.
• Motion to extend the debate – If a delegate feels the topic hasn’t been debated
enough or the resolution isn’t sufficient enough, then the debate can be extended
if the motion is passed.
• Motion to suspend the meeting – to stop the session, usually for a lunch-break
or tea/coffee break.
• Motion to open the debate or Motion to establish quorum – this must be
done at the beginning of a session as it allows the committee to begin.
• Motion to close the debate – this will be done when delegates want to move on
towards the next part of a resolution.
• Motion for division of question - is used to split a motion into separate motions
which are debated and voted on separately.
• Motion to conduct a roll call vote – this is the first motion of any committee as
it begins the attendance procedure.
• Motion for an adoption of the resolution by acclamation – this means that
the committee signifies it is in consensus(agreement) as to what is in the draft
resolution.
• Motion for a division of the question – this is one of the most complicated
Motion procedures. It focuses on a specific part or clause in a draft-resolution. If
a delegate feels that half of a clause relates to the topic or resolution and the
other half of the clause does not, then it can be divided into two parts that are
voted on. The first part can be kept and the second part removed and deleted.
• Motion to set the agenda – also done at the beginning of the conference. This
is where delegates vote on which topic shall be debated first.
• Motion to open the Speakers’ list – this ties in with which topic will be debated.
This is normally done anyway by a Chair and can be called for by a delegate.
Here, delegates try to get put onto the Speakers’ List where they will then give a
speech on their country’s position relating to the topic and can then announce
their proposal as a resolution.
• Motion to be put on the general speakers’ list – If a country didn’t manage to
get onto the Speakers’ List or an allied country wants to strengthen their position
and support an ally, then this would be done to help the delegate that didn’t get to
speak.

Keep in mind that motions need to be seconded! If you Move for a Motion, then a
second delegate must also agree by raising their placard! If nobody does, your
motion has failed automatically.

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 Points
To be put simply, a Point is if you want to raise a point about something, usually
personal. These do not influence the debates or committee and are more like asking
questions very formally. However, there is a point, called ‘Right of Reply’ which can be
requested and will allow for a two-minute response to another delegate, say if they are
accusing your nation of certain crimes and accusations.

The points that delegates can use are:

• Right of Reply – as said above.

• Point of Personal Privilege – if you want to go to the bathroom, get fresh air, or
have the AC turned up/down.
• Point of Inquiry/Information – If you feel that a Chair has missed the correct
procedure or made a mistake, or if you require information on the procedures.

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 The Flow and Sequence of a Conference

This is the standard operating procedure of a committee. Knowing which motions

happen at which stages will ensure you have more fun because you will know what’s
going on and can try to use the strategies you have made. An example is Motioning to
set the Agenda to the topic you are most likely to be strongest in.

Welcome and
Introduction

Dais will take roll call,

and the formal
session begins.

Speakers’ List is Have a Motion and Vote

Agenda Setting
Opened. Moderated or to set the
Unmoderated agenda.
Caucus

Topic 1/2/3
Debate

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 Crafting Resolutions
Just like in Minecraft, but nothing like Minecraft, you will be doing crafting in MUN. Not
crafting enchantments or weapons. It will be a war of words. You will be debating every
clause in a Resolutions here. These clauses are used as the solution to the topic being
debated. If you get yours used as the ‘working-paper’, then that will give you big points.
That will be the first step, with the second being to debate in its defense and to ensure it
gets passed by you and your allies as well as cosponsoring Resolutions.
How do you craft one?
As with anything, to have a craft, you need to have mastery. To have mastery, you need
to practice. To practice, you need to put in effort. Resolutions are a lot of work; however,
they are the main points of focus in MUN conferences. There will be a template to make
one with help along the way.

Procedure to (Draft) Resolutions

As the picture above shows, these are the stages of a resolution. Now to write one and
format it, you need to understand the two components which actually make a
Resolution.
Preambulatory Clauses: The preamble of a draft resolution states the reasons for
which the committee is addressing the topic and highlights past international action on
the issue. Each clause begins with a present participle (called a preambulatory phrase)
and ends with a comma.

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Operative Clauses: Operative clauses offer solutions to the issues addressed in a
resolution through the preambulatory section. These clauses are actions that should
include an underlined verb at the beginning of your sentence followed by a proposed
solution. Each clause should follow the following principles:
- Clauses should be numbered.
- Each clause should support one another and continue to build your solution.
- Add details to your clauses in order to have a complete solution.
- Operative clauses are punctuated by a semicolon, with the exception of your last
operative clause which should end with a period/full stop

You can see the template of a Draft Resolution below divided into two sections by the
line:

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The pre-ambulatory clauses states all the issues that the committee wants to resolve on
this issue. It may state reasons why the committee is working on this issue and highlight
previous international actions on the issue. Pre-ambulatory clauses can include:

▪ Past UN resolutions, treaties, or conventions related to the topic

▪ Past regional, non-governmental, or national efforts in resolving this topic
▪ References to the UN Charter or other international frameworks and laws
▪ Statements made by the Secretary-General or a relevant UN body or agency
▪ General background info formation or facts about the topic, its significance,
and its impact.

It’s very simple to write pre-ambulatory clauses. First, take a statement that you want to
write about (perhaps an issue you want to solve or a specific fact from one of the five
bullet points above). You then take that statement, combine it with an underlined pre-
ambulatory phrase, and end it with a comma. Here are some example pre-ambulatory
phrases:

Sample Preambulatory Phrases

Acknowledging, Affirming, Alarmed by, Approving, Appreciating, Aware of, Aware that, Bearing in mind,
Believing, Condemning, Confident, Cognizant of the fact, Concerned about, Conscious that, Considering
that, Contemplating, Convinced, Declaring, Deploring, Desirous of, Deeply concerned, Deeply conscious,
Deeply disturbed, Deeply regretting, Desiring, Emphasizing, Encouraged, Expecting, Expressing concern,
Expressing its appreciation, Faithful to, Fearing, Fulfilling, Fully aware, Further believing, Further
deploring, Further recalling, Guided by, Having adopted, Having considered, Having examined, Having
received, Hopeful that, Indignant that, Inspired by, Keeping in mind, Mindful of, Noting with appreciation,
Noting with deep concern, Noting with regret, Noting with satisfaction, Noting further, Observing,
Persuaded, Reaffirming, Realizing, Recalling, Recognizing, Referring, Regretting, Reiterating, Seeking,
Sharing the concern, Stressing, Striving to, Taking into account, Taking into consideration, Taking note,
Viewing with appreciation, Welcoming, Wishing to

For example, my country wants to address the issue of how HIV/AIDS has spread
rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa. I pick a pre-ambulatory phrase from above — I’ll use
“Alarmed by” — and then I combine it with a fact to say:

Alarmed by the 17% increase in HIV/AIDS contraction among sub-Saharan African

countries in the past five years,

Strategy Tip: In general, you want fewer pre-ambulatory clauses than operative clauses.
More operative clauses convey that you have more solutions than you have problems.

Operative clauses
Operative clauses state the solutions that the sponsors of the resolution proposes to
resolve the issues. The operative clauses should address the issues specifically
mentioned in the pre-ambulatory clauses above it.

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It’s very simple to write an operative clause. First, take a solution that you want to include in
the draft resolution. You then take that solution, combine it with an underlined operative
phrase, and end it with a semicolon (the last operative clause ends with a period). Operative
clauses are also numbered. This differentiates them from pre-ambulatory clauses, helps
show logical progression in the resolution, and makes the operative clauses easy to refer to
in speeches and comments. Here are some example operative phrases:

Accepts, Accepts with appreciation, Accepts with gratitude, Adopts, Affirms, Appeals to (e.g. all states),
Approves, Asks, Authorizes, Calls, Calls upon, Condemns (SC), Confirms, Congratulates, Considers, Decides
(SC), Declares accordingly, Demands, Denounces, Deplores, Designates, Determines that, Draws attention
(to), Emphasizes, Encourages, Endorses, Entrusts (e.g. the committee), Envisages, Establishes, Expresses
its concern, Expresses its confidence, Expresses its appreciation, Expresses its hope, Expresses its
solidarity, Extends (e.g. the mandate), Firmly supports, Further invites, Further proclaims, Further
recommends, Further reminds, Further requests, Further resolves, Having resolved, Insists that, Instructs,
Invites, Makes the urgent appeal, Mandates, Notes, Pays tribute to, Proclaims, Proposes, Reaffirms,
Realizes, Reasserts, Recognizes, Recommends, Regrets, Rejects, Reminds, Renews, Requests, Resolves,
Solemnly affirms, Stresses, Strongly condemns, Suggests that, Supports, Takes note of, Transmits, Trusts,
Urges

For example, my first solution is to distribute low-cost medicines for HIV/AIDS to sub-
Saharan African countries. I pick an operative phrase from above — I’ll use “Calls upon” —
and then I combine it and number it to say:

1. Calls upon the developed countries and major pharmaceutical countries to provide
low-cost, generic medicines for HIV/AIDS to sub-Saharan African countries;

Strategy Tip: Usually more details in an operative clause will make it stronger or at least
make the idea more clear to other delegates. A simple way to strengthen each operative
clause is to answer the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of each resolution. These
details can actually be broken down into sub-operative clauses underneath the main
operative clause.

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 Making Amendments
Draft resolutions that are approved by the committee are modified through
amendments. An amendment is a written statement that adds, strikes/deletes or
changes an operative clause in a draft resolution. The amendment process is used to
strengthen consensus on a resolution by allowing delegates to change the operative
clauses (the pre-ambulatory clauses can not be modified). There are two types of
amendments:

1. A friendly amendment is a change to the draft resolution that all sponsors agree
with. After the amendment is signed by all of the draft resolution’s sponsors and
approved by the committee chair, it will be automatically incorporated into the
resolution.

2. An unfriendly amendment is a change that some or all of the draft resolution’s

sponsors do not support and must be voted upon by the committee. This also
refers to delegates who did not write this resolution at all but see potential in it as
long as several changes are made to it. The sponsors of the amendment will
need to obtain a required number of signatories in order to introduce it. Prior to
voting on the draft resolution, the committee votes on all unfriendly amendments.

Writing an amendment is very simple. All you have to do is make an operative clause
that adds, deletes, or changes an operative clause in a draft resolution. Examples
include:

▪ Adds an operative clause that reads “14. Encourages all Latin American
countries to…”
▪ Deletes operative clause 9.
▪ Changes operative clause 1 to read “1. Calls upon the Red Cross to provide
low-cost medicines…”

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 Templates and Tools for Research

Fact Sheet
Name of country:

Flag:

National Emblem:

Governmental system:

Current Head of State:

Official Languages:

Ethnic Groups:

Religion/s:

Population:

Currency:

Time Zone:

Climate:

Driving Side:

Capital:

Largest City:

Situated in the following region:

Natural Resources:

Energy Sources:

Military Spending:

Militarily associated with the following allies or blocs:

Further information about the country’s military:

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Economic System:

Economic Growth:

Economically associated with the following allies or blocs:

Further information about the country’s economy:

Scientific and/or technological advances?

Current status of country’s infrastructure?

Important Historical Facts and Occurrences:

Any particular/special/important foreign relations with other countries? If so, which countries and
why are these relations particularly important?

1.
2.
3.
4.

Date admitted to the UN:

Any information on relation with the UN and/or information about any UN involvement:
Implementation of UN Resolutions? Which and when?

Name four current challenges this country faces at this moment:

1.
2.
3.
4.

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Position Paper Template

[Logo of MUN]

Conference:

Date:

Committee:

Topic 1: The Right to Self-Determination (example topic)

Topic 2: Preventing an Arms Race in Outer Space (example topic)

Delegation: Federal Republic of Germany

Represented by: (Delegate/Student Name)

[Insert UN Logo here]

[Insert Committee Logo here, if any]

[Insert Flag of country you represent here]

Delegation from Represented by

The Federal Republic of Germany

Position Paper for Committee General Assembly

[Insert precluding preamble here, approximately 3-4 lines of text about background of your committee,
introducing your committee and what it stands for/is trying to achieve]

I. The Right to Self-Determination

[Insert your text about Topic 1 here]

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 II. Preventing an Arms Race in Outer Space

[Insert your text about Topic 2 here]

[Remember that Position Papers are in total not more than two pages long!]

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