Procedure

Introduction

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization devoted to the objective of promoting world peace, co-operative security and friendly relations among most of the world’s nations. They aim to achieve this through collaboration between nations in international law, international security, and economic development, as well as social, cultural, and humanitarian issues.
The UN was officially established on 24 October, 1945 at the end of World War II to protect future generations from the scourge of war. The organization presently has 192 Member States.
The purposes of the United Nations, as set forth in the Charter, is to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems, and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these ends. In today’s day and age, however, the role of the UNO is vast and much beyond the premise of this definition.
A Model UN is an educational simulation of the United Nations where students take to the shoes of delegates as envoys to various nations and seek to arrive at a mutual consensus regarding the issues that plague the peace of our world.

Rules of Procedure

Rules of procedure are utilized by most Model UN conferences to maintain order and decorum by deciding who speaks, on what and when. This is essential as delegates put forth their points of view and interact with other States on lengthy agendas.
Each committee is led by an Executive Board who facilitates the discussion for their respective committee. The session will commence with roll call. After which the delegates will vote on one of the assigned topics to discuss first. After the topic is selected, the committee is ready to begin debate.

1) Roll Call

Before formal session begins, the committee is required to move into roll call to establish required quorum as per strength per populous of each respective committee. It is an attendance formality conducted also to clarify the voting status of a country. There are two possible and appropriate responses when a country is called: ‘present’ and ‘present and voting.’ Delegates who identify their status as ‘present and voting’ are not permitted to abstain on any substantive vote while in this session of the committee. Instead, these delegates must vote strictly in favour of or in opposition to any motion before the committee. By definition, an abstention is a non-vote or, on a more objective level, the decision of the delegate to refrain from voting either in favour or in opposition to a particular substantive question. Therefore, it is inconsistent and inappropriate to respond to roll call as ‘present and voting’ if the possibility exists that your State may wish to abstain on a substantive matter. Please also note that all delegates must vote on procedural motions; the dais will not recognize abstentions on any procedural vote.

2) Setting Working Agenda

The first order of business for the committee shall be the consideration of the Agenda. The only motion in order at this time will be raised by a delegate to set the Working Agenda as Agenda.
A provisional speakers’ list shall be established with two people speaking for and two people speaking against the motion; after the provisional speakers list is exhausted, the committee shall move into an immediate vote. A simple majority is required for the motion to pass. A motion to proceed to the second topic area comes into order only after the committee has voted on a resolution regarding the first topic area or tabled the topic.

3) General Speaker’s List

Once the working agenda has been set by the committee, delegates move into the formal sphere of debate to discuss the same. A motion is to be raised by one of the delegates in committee to open general speakers’ list- the delegate proposing the motion should also specify the time to be allotted for each speaker. The Executive Board puts forward the question to all the delegates wishing to make a speech by requesting them to raise their placards, and enlist themselves on the speakers’ list. The Executive Board will then choose delegates to be placed on the speakers’ list. After a delegate of a country has spoken, they may be added on the speakers’ list again by sending forth a note to the EB stating, 􏰂The Delegate of 􏰀Tuvalu􏰁 wishes to be added to the General Speaker􏰁s List􏰃. When the delegate is to deliver their speech, he/she walks to the podium and is required to divulge their respective country’s stance on the agenda at hand. The remainder of the allotted speaking time can either be used for Points of Information, which are comments or questions, or the delegate can yield the time back to the EB.

4) Moderated Caucuses

A moderated caucus is a concoction of both formal and informal debate; it is when the committee decides to focus on a sub-issue and get a back-and-forth debate going. When a motion for a moderated caucus is passed, the Executive Board calls upon delegates who have been recognized, to address the committee for a stipulated amount of time. The speaking time is set through a motion from a delegate (the default time being 90 seconds). When the committee is in formal debate, all rules of procedure are enforced. Delegates will raise their placards to be acknowledged to speak, and the Chairperson will call on the speakers one-by-one until the time allotted for the Moderated Caucus has expired.
During the course of debate through Moderated Caucuses, many pointers come up and thus, a provision has been made for the same.

5) Points

a) Point of Parliamentary Inquiry
This point is used when a delegate is unsure of or wants clarification on the rules of committee, or procedure; it can also be used if a delegate has a non-substantive question (such as Point of Parliamentary Inquiry, ’Would it be in order to start handing in Working Papers at this time?’ ). This point can be used when the chair is
taking points from the floor. It is not allowed to interrupt a speaker.

b) Point of Personal Privilege
This point is used when a delegate’s ability to participate in committee is impaired. For example, one could use this point if the speaker is not audible or coherent. This point can be used at any given time, even during another delegates’ speech. Using too many points of personal privilege can be unproductive to the committee; therefore it is advised to use this point only when necessary and only if the issue is truly impairing to your abilities. It is the only point that can interrupt a speaker.

c) Point of Order
A delegate can raise a point of order when there is a factual inaccuracy. The EB will decide whether there is a violation or not. If the EB rules in favour of a violation, then it is corrected or stopped. This point can be used at any time, but must not interrupt another delegates’ speech. A point of order is a very serious procedural matter, therefore it should be used in a responsible manner. It should be used only if a delegate is certain that a breach of conduct has taken place, i.e a rule is broken, or facts are being manipulated. If a delegate is unsure on whether the fact is incorrect or if it is insignificant to the committee proceedings, it could be prudent for the delegate to rephrase the question at a more appropriate moment in the form of a point of parliamentary inquiry.
Note: The EB has the ability to adopt rules of debate at their own discretion. All modifications will be announced at the beginning of the conference and delegates are encouraged to use Points of Parliamentary Inquiry if anything is unclear.

d) Points of Information
Points of Information comprise of questions and comments. These points are usually used to gain information from the Executive Board, or the committee at large, regarding matters at hand. After a
delegate gives a speech, and if the delegate yields their remaining time to Points of Information, one Point of Information (a question) can be raised by delegates from the floor. The speaker will be allotted the remainder of his or her speaking time to address such Points of Information. It is used after a General Speakers’ list as well as in the midst of a crisis. If such a point should arise at a point of time other than those mentioned above, it shall be left to the discretion of the Executive Board of that particular committee to decide.

e) Right to Reply
A right to reply is a reciprocal that can be raised in committee in the event that a certain delegate’s integrity or a nation’s sentiments have been hurt or compromised upon. This is often sent in writing to the Executive Board and is validated and discussed only in the presence of the Secretary General. Each delegate, (one who made the remark as well as one who raised the right to reply) is allowed to make a speech for 1 minute stating why the other’s remark is viable or not. Having heard both speakers, the committee moves into procedural voting to decide if suspension is in order or not.

6) Un-moderated Caucus

Un-moderated Caucus essentially means informal debate. Here, delegates are free to move about in order to work with other countries with similar policies. The first few un-moderated caucuses will be spent funding allies, but afterward most of the un-moderated caucuses are spent writing draft resolutions/working papers with your caucus bloc (group of allies). Delegates are either Sponsors or Signatories to a certain resolution. Most resolutions have multiple sponsors because it takes a group of countries to share good ideas and to come to a consensus. Some conferences allow delegates to sponsor multiple resolutions for each topic while others only allow delegates to sponsor one per topic.

7) Resolutions

The ultimate purpose of a committee session is to pass a resolution. All speeches, debates, and negotiations are fundamentally expected to lead to a resolution which contains all proposed solutions to the issues at hand. The resolution(s) that the majority of the committee agrees upon will be passed during voting bloc and the sponsors will be informally commended for building consensus on good ideas. Most conferences allow multiple resolutions to pass, as long as they do not contradict each other, but a few conferences allow only one resolution to pass.
A resolution has three main parts: the heading, the pre-ambulatory clauses, and the operative clauses.

a) The pre-ambulatory The pre-ambulatory clauses state all the issues that the committee wishes to resolve based on the agenda at hand. It may state reasons as to 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 information or facts about the topic, its significance and its impact.

Sample Pre-ambulatory Clauses

Expressing its appreciation
Fulfilling
Fully aware
Expecting
Expressing its appreciation
Further deploring
Further recalling
Guided by
Having adopted
Having considered
Approving
Bearing in mind
Deeply conscious

Deeply regretting
Desiring
Emphasizing
Noting with deep concern
Nothing with satisfaction
Noting further
Observing
Reaffirming
Realizing
Recalling
Recognizing
Referring

SeekingTaking into consideration
Taking note
Viewing with appreciation
Welcoming
Deeply convinced
Deeply disturbed
Believing
Confident
Contemplating
Convinced
Declaring
Deeply concerned

b) Operative clauses
Operative clauses list out the solutions that the sponsors of the resolution have proposed during debate. It should address the issues mentioned specifically in the pre-ambulatory clauses as mentioned above. These clauses are action oriented and should include both an underlined verb at the beginning of the sentence followed by the proposed solution.
Note:
> Clause 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. –

Sample Operative Clauses

Accepts
Affirms
Approves
Authorizes
Calls
Calls upon
Condemns
Conforms
Congratulates
Considers
Declares accordingly
Deplores
Designates
Draws the attention
Emphasizes
Encourages
Endorses
Expresses its appreciation
Expresses its hope

Further invites
Further proclaims
Further reminds
Further recommends
Further requests
Further resolves
Has resolved
Notes
Proclaims
Reaffirms
Recommends
Regrets
Reminds
Requests
Solemnly affirms
Strongly condemns Supports
Takes note of
Transmits
Trusts

c) Working papers
Working papers are simply a list of ideas or solutions formed by the blocs after the duration of an un- moderated caucus. They may or may not be written in resolution format. The working paper needs to be approved by the Executive Board.

d) Sponsors
Delegates who authored the draft resolution or actively contributed ideas are often eligible to sponsor a resolution. This process may also vary from committee to committee. They support the draft resolution and are committed to getting it passed in the house. Sponsors must agree to all causes under their respective resolution. All resolutions will require a minimum number of sponsors.

e) Signatories
The Signatories are the delegates who wish to see the draft resolution debated on and hopefully tabled, but may or may not agree with all of the ideas. However, they think there is some merit to it and want to see it presented. Each resolution will require a minimum number of signatories.

d) Draft Resolution
A document written in resolution format, (with legitimate clauses) approved by the chairs, and introduced to committee but not yet voted upon is called a draft resolution. Delegates will be spending most of their time writing and amending the draft resolutions. Once a draft resolution is passed by a committee, it becomes a Resolution.

Tips for Writing a Resolution
Be sure to follow the format for resolutions provided by the conference organizers.
Each conference may have a slightly different format. Create a detailed resolution. For example, if your resolution calls for a new program, think about how it will be funded and what bodywill manage it. Try to cite facts whenever possible.
Be realistic. Do not create objectives for your resolution that cannot be met. Make sure your body can take the action suggested.
Try to find multiple sponsors. Your committee will be more likely to approve the resolutions if many delegates contribute ideas.

8) Amendments

Once the Executive Board approves of the draft resolution, they are modified through amendments. An amendment is a written statement that adds, deletes or changes an operative clause in a draft resolution. Each alteration is voted upon by the committee after being acknowledged by the sponsors as friendly or unfriendly. The amendment process is used to strengthen consensus on a resolution by allowing delegates to change the operative clauses (the pre-ambulatory clauses cannot be modified). There are two types of amendments:
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.
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.
An example of an amendment is as follows:

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…”

9) Voting Procedure

Once all draft resolutions have been presented, all amendments have been made, and the delegates or the Executive Board feels that the committee is ready to move into voting bloc, a delegate will make a motion to do the same. This motion requires two speakers for the motion and two speakers against the motion, and a two-thirds majority is needed for it to pass. If it passes, the committee is now in voting bloc. The committee can also automatically move into voting bloc if the Speaker’s List is exhausted.

When the committee is in voting bloc, there will be no speaking, passing of notes, or entering and exiting of the room. This is in order to ensure that delegates are not influenced by others to vote in a certain way. The Executive Board will name different draft resolutions (typically in the order they were submitted or presented) and the committee will vote for resolutions to either pass or not pass. Every delegation member has equal voting rights – everyone has one vote that they can only cast on their behalf—and they exercise these rights by raising their placards when the Executive Board calls for all nations voting yes, no, or abstain on a draft resolution.

An abstention means that the delegate does not vote either for or against the draft resolution, and it is typically used as a diplomatic way of not supporting a draft resolution. The ways one can vote during a roll call vote are yes, no, yes with rights, no with rights, abstain, and pass. If a delegate votes yes, it means he/she is in favour of the resolution. If a delegate votes no, it means the delegate is against the resolution. If a delegate abstains, it means he/she does not wish to cast a vote on the resolution. If a delegate votes yes/no with rights, it means the delegate wishes to explain his/her vote. The delegate, upon completion of the roll call vote, will receive a thirty second speech. Also, if a delegate votes yes/no with rights it usually means that the delegate would like to explain why he/she is voting against their country’s position or against what the country was arguing for during debate. If a delegate passes, it means that the delegate is unsure of how to vote, and will be called upon at the end of the roll call vote.

Any unfriendly amendments made by non-sponsors to draft resolutions are first voted upon. Friendly amendments made by all the sponsors always automatically pass. Then the draft resolutions will be voted upon either as amended or in its original state if no amendments were made to it. A simple majority – 50% of all delegations voting yes or no, plus one delegation – is required for a draft resolution to pass. Note that abstentions are not counted in the simple majority calculations. Draft resolutions that pass are then called resolutions and the committee will congratulate the sponsors and the rest of the committee for their diplomatic success.
One must note that observer nations are not allowed to vote at this point and voting is dependent on the status that was chosen during roll call at the start of session. (i.e: Present and Present & Voting).

Voting in the Security Council – All Security Council members still have voting rights, but the five Permanent Members – China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States – have veto power. A negative vote by any of these five members automatically prevents the draft resolution from passing.

10) Position Paper

The Position Paper is an approximately two paged document that is essentially a summary of your knowledge on the topic, and the position your country plans to take when it enters committee. It typically contains three sections: Background of Topic, Past International Actions, and Country Policy & Possible Solutions. Position Papers are usually due before the conference.

A good position paper will include:

• A brief introduction to your country and its history concerning the topic and committee; how the issue affects your country;
• Your country’s policies with respect to the issue and your country’s justification for these policies;
• Quotes from your country’s leaders about the issue;
• Statistics to back up your country’s position on the issue;
• Actions taken by your government with regard to the issue;
• Conventions and resolutions that your country has signed or ratified;
• UN actions that your country supported or opposed;
• What your country believes should be done to address the issue;
• What your country would like to accomplish in the committee’s resolution; and
• How the positions of other countries affect your country’s position.

Tips for writing a Position Paper

• Keep it simple. To communicate strongly and effectively, avoid flamboyant wording and stick to uncomplicated language and sentence structure.
• Make it official. Try to use the seal of your country or create an official letterhead for your position paper. The more realistic it looks, the more others will want to read it.
• Get organized. Give each separate idea or proposal its own paragraph. Make sure each paragraph starts with a topic sentence.
• Read and reread. Leave time to edit your position paper. Ask yourself if the organization of the paper makes sense and double-check your spelling and grammar.
• Position paper makes a great introductory speech. During debate, a good position paper will also help you to stick to your country’s policies.
• Try not to let your proposals get lost in a sea of information.
• It is good to note here that a position paper is an important facet of your country’s stance and will influence how you will be finally marked

Sample Position Paper

Introduction:

“If the United Nations once admits that international disputes can be settled by using force, then we will have destroyed the foundation of the organization and our best hope of establishing a world order.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th U.S. President)

• A dispute over territory involves a disagreement regarding the possession over a piece of land or a natural resource such as hydrocarbon, mineral reserves, or water sources; or a strategic location, between two or more states or a state and a new occupying power.
• The disputes can also be driven by culture, religion and ethnic nationalism. In many cases territorial disputes result from vague and unclear language in a treaty that set up the original boundary.
• Wars and terrorism is a common result of such disputes, as states often try to affirm their sovereignty over a territory through invasion, and non-state entities resort to terrorism in order to manipulate the politicians.
• Disputes over territories eventually impinge on the social and economic ties between countries, which in the long run could have a major impact on the global economy.
• In addition to avoidance of threats or use of force (Article 2.4), the United Nations Charter obliges the states to “settle their international disputes by peaceful means, in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered” (Article 2.3.).

Examples of territorial conflicts:

• The India-China conflict: India and China continue to dispute Aksai Chin and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, claimed by China as South Tibet. China’s extensive air and rail infrastructure buildup in Tibet has enabled recurrent military incursions into Indian-claimed territory.
• The India-Pakistan conflict: The continuing enmity between India and Pakistan is a consequence of the British divide-and rule policy dividing one nation into two. The territory of Kashmir is now being contested over.
• The Israel-Syria conflict over the Golan Heights: Israel justifies its annexation of the Golan Heights through its victory in the 1967 War. Syria argues that the United Nations (UN) forbids land acquisition through war, and therefore Israel’s occupation is illegal.
• The Russian-Ukrainian conflict: the Ukrainian rebels want a split from Ukraine and want to become a part of the Russian territory. Territories like Donetsk wish to break off from Ukraine and join Russia like Crimea.
• Falkland Islands dispute: Argentina says it has a right to the islands because it inherited them from the Spanish crown in the early 1800s. It has also based its claim on the islands’ proximity to the South American mainland. Britain claims the territory because of the inhabitants who are of British descent.

Greece’s stance:

• Greece, proud of its contribution to the creation of the principles of democracy and sovereign republics (in Ancient Greece) is firmly dedicated to the principle of peaceful resolution of disputes based on international law. Greece’s dedication to international law is not theoretical – it is manifest, given that Greece has stated its acceptance of the general mandatory jurisdiction of the International Court in The Hague, with the exception of disputes involving the taking of military measures of a defensive nature for security reasons, while, Greece has signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982).
• Greece stresses the importance of the principle of good neighbourly relations – one of the pillars of the European Union – and makes every effort to strengthen and consolidate this principle.

The delegation of Greece advises:

• Person to person contact as well as Economic and social contact which could be put pressure on the government to maintain friendly relations
• The disputing states should strengthen trade relations with one another which would make them so interdependent that they could not afford to let the other fall short of their trading activities.
• In situations of wars over territories, it would be desirable to create special, joint commissions to regulate use rights and protect the resources, while providing additional support and assistance to the inhabitants.

11) Research

Prior to the conference, delegates are required to be informed about all current domestic and international news. Here are a few tips to research for the MUN:

• Your committee’s actual UN website. The goal of a committee is to pass a resolution, which depends on what a committee can and cannot do. You want to understand your committee’s mandate(why it was created), powers (what it can do), organization (how it fits into the UN and the larger international community), and membership (who’s in it).
• UN Charter. The source of your committee’s power is the UN Charter, thus it is required that every delegate is aware of the mandate and the provisions under the charter.
• Background Guide. Although you are provided with a background guide by your respective executive boards, delegates are advised to use it only as reference.
• News Articles. Delegates ought to read news articles from official country websites, BBC and Reuters which will serve as main form of research and proof during the course of debate. Kindly use the study guides as a reference to viable sources and not research.
• Resolutions, Treaties, and Conventions. Before you can do anything on the topic, you need to know what has already been done. You can find past resolutions through the UN Documentation Centre, although it can be difficult to navigate. Once you have found the latest resolution, the pre- ambulatory clauses should direct you to other resolutions. Also, the most relevant piece of international law on your topic might not be a past resolution, but instead a treaty or convention.
• Voting Record. Actions speak louder than words. If your country’s leaders have not clearly articulated a policy on your topic, then you can infer it from how your country has voted on past resolutions, treaties, and conventions (or whether they were even present). Note that recent speeches may indicate a change in policy away from however your country has voted in the past, especially if your government has changed administrations. Nonetheless, you still want to know your country’s past actions on the topic.
• Speeches and Press Releases. These are the ways that policy-makers set policy. Be sure to use speeches and press releases from people in the executive branch of your country’s current government (President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister / Secretary of State, Ambassadors). Legislators and judges may say something different, but as a representative of your country, you work for the Head of State / Head of Government. Start with the website for your country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Department of State.

Delegates, kindly note that Muller Model United Nations is a formal conference. Thus, we request you to ensure utmost decorum and modesty throughout. We look forward to hosting you and your institute at our Model UN!