MUN

The Rules of Procedure – Your Guide into the Unknown

The Ground Rules

An MUN can normally be separated into different parts of the discussions,
which all have their own functions in furthering a topic. As they perform
differently, the rules within these procedures differ slightly as well.

Structurally you have:

1. The Opening of the Debate
– Roll Call
– Setting the Agenda

2. The Debate
– Opening Statements
– The General Speakers List
– Moderated and Unmoderated Caucuses
– Draft Resolutions

3. Closing the Debate

– Voting Procedure

Opening the Debate: Roll Call

Within Model United Nations, the Roll Call is normally used to check who is
attending, and how many people are attending. Through this, the Chairs are
able to calculate the majority which is required within procedural and
substantial voting.
When you hear your Countries name, you can simply reply with “Present.” If
you want to spice things up, and declare how serious you are about the topic
that is being discussed, you can also say “Present and Voting.”
But beware! This comes at a cost. If you use “Present and Voting.” you are NOT
able to abstain during substantive votes, meaning you have to truly have an
opinion on a matter.
Once the list has been read, you continue to the next Step.
Opening the Debate: Setting the Agenda

Sometimes you will be given one subject before entering the debate, in which
this part is technically unnecessary. If you have been given multiple possible
topics to discuss however, it will depend on you and the other delegates which
one will be chosen. You should be careful with these things – depending on
your country and their positions, you might have a certain preference for one
topic, therefore you should really try to get the discussion topic which fits you
best off the ground. Setting such an agenda, requires a motion.

You raise your hand/placard (if your MUN provides placards, use placard), and
wait until the Chair acknowledges you. You ONLY speak, if the Chair
acknowledges you. This is a universal rule, which is present in all sections of
the MUN debate (except for the unmoderated caucus). Once you have been
acknowledged, you say your country’s name and move to place your
preferred topic first on the agenda. Remember to always speak as an
ambassador of your Country.
No “I’s” allowed!
It’s “we”, your country’s name, or “as the representative of Country Name.”

Either way, once a motion has been raised, the Chairs will call for a procedural
voting process, meaning that delegates are unable to abstain and MUST vote.
Only a simple majority is needed.

The Debate – Opening Statements

Once a topic has been chosen, each state’s delegate, according to the
alphabetical order of each State present, will give an opening speech in which
they briefly outline their opinion on the matter at hand.
Within your opening speech, you can: position yourself with like-minded
countries to already try to secure an alliance and raise specific themes within
the topic that your country particularly cares about.
This is your moment to steer the discussion in a way that benefits your
country.
As you listen to the other Countries opening debates, it may be a good idea to
make some notes, to see who cares about what aspect of a problem, and who
you might find yourself to be in agreement or disagreement with regarding
certain issues.
This is really useful for later on when you have to create Draft Resolutions with
other Delegates. Once this process is over, the discussion will move on to the
General Speaker’s List.

The Debate – The General Speakers List

The GSL is essentially your default section within a discussion. Chairs will
establish a time limit that each speaker should adhere to, and Countries can
then ask to be added to the list, taking turn to speak in the order the Chairs
have provided.
Within the GSL, a delegate can aim to move the debate into a direction they
would like to see, this is your moment to look for people who would vote for
you, if you were to raise the motion for a moderated Caucus. Others might
disagree, and are able to answer you within their time frame on the GSL.
To join the GSL, you wait for the Chair to ask who wants to be added to the
list, at which moment you should raise your placard, until they acknowledge
you.
If you finish your speech before your allotted time is over, the Chair may open
the remainder of the time for other Delegates to ask you a question, which you
then are able to answer, you may let your time seize, or you may give your
time to another Delegate. What the best choice is truly depends on your
tactical reasoning for it.

Moderated and Unmoderated Caucuses

While the GSL is ultimately a tool to allow general discussions, sometimes one
needs to spend more time on certain specifics, in which case one can call for an
unmoderated or moderated caucus.
A Moderated Caucus requires speakers to only hold speeches based on the
topic at hand. It might be fruitful to raise a motion for a moderated caucus on
a certain topic (for a certain amount of minutes, with a certain amount of
speakers time), if, within the GSL, a trend towards such a topic was already
foreseeable.
This is an opportunity to really shape the debate, and more often than not,
multiple motions for multiple moderated caucuses exist at the same time, so
voting is necessary.
Pro Tip: Normally the longer motion takes precedence within a voting
procedure, and the secondary motion will only be voted on, if the first one
doesn’t get enough votes. Hence, it’s not a bad idea to make your own motion
just a tad bit longer than the others. Being tactical is key within the MUN
World!

An Unmoderated Caucus is a whole other tactical game. Within it, general

rules seize to exist for a while, and one is able to be within a freeform debate,
no turns, no points, no speaking time, You are allowed to move around within
a room , you get to meet the other countries in a more personal manner, and
you get to negotiate and write your draft resolutions.
This is where you look for cooperation amongst other states and try to create
something based on your shared values. Like the moderated caucus, a motion
for this has to be raised. It’s a procedural vote, so no abstaining is possible. The
unmoderated caucus takes time for as long as the allotted time allows.

Draft Resolutions

What is a Draft Resolution?

A draft resolution is a document which states the proposed solution of the
issue at hand and is supposed to be representing the viewpoints and the
agenda of those who have written and signed it. It must have a minimum
number of sponsors who support it and will vote in favor of it, once debates
have ended. The number of necessary sponsors differs based on the Council
and the Chair, according to the size of a Committee.

Once a draft resolution is finished, it should be sent to the chair who will then
hopefully approve it, at which point a motion may be raised to introduce it to
the rest of the Council. You then get to read the operational clauses, one by
one, within a certain time frame. Afterwards, countries are able to ask for
amendments regarding the clauses you have written. If an amendment is
friendly, that means no one has objected to the change within a clause, and it
can be written anew accordingly. If a sponsor however should decide to object,
a vote must follow.

Amended clauses are unable to be re-amended, so make sure you truly do not
object to a change being made within your resolution.

Closing the Debate:

For a draft resolution to be voted for, the GSL must first be closed, hence one
must either wait until the GSL list runs its course, or one must raise the motion
to close the debate. If two-thirds agree and are in favour, the debate will end.
If there is more than one draft resolution on the table, the committee will vote
on the one which had been handed in first, based on their serial number.
Hence, it’s also important to act quick in getting together a group and writing a
professional and well worded Draft Resolution.

The Committee then votes on the Draft Resolution.

Voting Procedure:

The voting procedure is a substantive vote for everyone except those

countries which said that they are “Present and voting.” Meaning, that
everyone who said that they are present at the Roll Call gets to either vote
“Yes”, “No”, or gets to abstain. You are furthermore not allowed to abstain if
you are a sponsor for the draft resolution at hand.

Once voting is completed. and a proposal has been passed, it becomes the
resolution of the committee, at which point the council will move on to the
next topic that was on the agenda. If it should however fail, the draft
resolution next to the first one will be voted on. Once one has been approved,
or all have been voted on, one moves on to the next topic.