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DELEGATES GUIDE: WHO

ABA MUN 2021

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CONTENTS

What is The Model United Nations? ............................................................................................................. 3

MUN Committees: ........................................................................................................................................ 3

Introduction to WHO ........................................................................................................................................ 4

MUN conference structure ............................................................................................................................... 5

Motions, Points and Formalities: ..................................................................................................................... 5

Motions .......................................................................................................................................................... 5

Points .............................................................................................................................................................. 5

How to research a topic .................................................................................................................................. 6

What should I look for and where? ......................................................................................................... 6

Roll Call .............................................................................................................................................................. 8

Position Papers .................................................................................................................................................. 8

What is a Position Paper and what do you need? ............................................................................... 8

Components of a Position Paper .............................................................................................................. 9

Example Position Paper ........................................................................................................................... 12

What happens during position paper reading? ................................................................................. 12

How do I come up with questions? ......................................................................................................... 13

What if I don’t know the answer to a question? .................................................................................. 13

Key points to remember ........................................................................................................................... 13

Moderated Caucus ......................................................................................................................................... 14

What if I don’t understand the question? .............................................................................................. 15

Unmoderated Caucus ..................................................................................................................................... 15

Resolution Papers ............................................................................................................................................ 15

Who writes a resolution? ......................................................................................................................... 15

Why do we write resolutions? ................................................................................................................. 16

Example Resolution Paper ....................................................................................................................... 17

Components of a Resolution Paper ........................................................................................................ 17

Amendments: .............................................................................................................................................. 20

Tips .................................................................................................................................................................... 21

Conclusion to the Conference ....................................................................................................................... 21

MUN Terminology ........................................................................................................................................... 22

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WHAT IS THE MODEL UNITED NATIONS?

Model United Nations (MUN) is an educational simulation of the United Nations in

which students can learn about diplomacy and international relations. MUN teaches

participants to be able to speak and debate confidently and develop their writing

skills, in addition to critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership abilities. It engages

participants and delegates and allows them to a develop deeper understanding of

current world issues.

MUN COMMITTEES:

Security Council: The Security Council is the primary organ of the UN mandated to

maintain international peace and security.

International Court of Justice: The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the

United Nations. In accordance with International Law, its role is to settle legal disputes

submitted to it by the Member States and to give advisory opinion on legal questions.

Disarmament and International Security Committee: DISEC deals with issues

regarding the promotion, establishment, and subsequent maintenance of global

peace while simultaneously working to prevent weapons proliferation.

Human Rights Council: The role of the HRC is to form, strengthen and promote the

basic Human Rights. They assess situations of violations of these Human Rights and

make recommendations and form resolutions to these issues.

World Health Organization: The WHO is responsible for international health of all

humans and aims to aid those less fortunate medically and prevent global outbreaks.

United Nations Children’s Fund: In cooperation with governments and non-

governmental organizations, UNICEF saves and protects the world's most vulnerable

children, working to ensure child rights and providing health care, food, access to

safe water and sanitation services, basic education, and emergency relief.

International Monetary Fund: The IMF works to foster global monetary cooperation,

secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and

sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.

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INTRODUCTION TO WHO

The World Health Organization is the international body responsible for public

health. Known as the WHO, it is part of the United Nations and was established in

1948. It is involved in many aspects of health policy and planning.

The WHO’s vision is to provide a world in which all peoples attain the highest possible

level of health, and its mission is to promote health, keep the world safe and serve

the vulnerable, with measurable impact for people at country level.

Its Purposes:

• To act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work.

• To promote technical cooperation.

• To assist Governments, upon request, in strengthening health services.

• To furnish appropriate technical assistance and, in emergencies, necessary aid,

upon the request or acceptance of Governments.

• To stimulate and advance work on the prevention and control of epidemic,

endemic, and other diseases.

• To promote, in cooperation with other specialized agencies where necessary, the

improvement of nutrition, housing, sanitation, recreation, economic or working

conditions, and other aspects of environmental hygiene.

• To promote and coordinate biomedical and health services research.

• To promote improved standards of teaching and training in the health, medical

and related professions.

• To establish and stimulate the establishment of international standards for

biological, pharmaceutical, and similar products, and to standardize diagnostic

procedures.

• To foster activities in the field of mental health, especially those activities affecting

the harmony of human relations.

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MUN CONFERENCE STRUCTURE

1. Roll call.

2. Position paper reading.

3. Moderated Caucus.

4. Unmoderated Caucus.

5. Resolution writing and reading.

This is repeated for the second topic.

MOTIONS, POINTS AND FORMALITIES:

In MUN, personal pronouns (I, you, we, us, he, she) are not used at all. Everyone is

referred to as “the delegate".

Whenever done speaking, you say “The delegate yields the floor back to the chair”.

Delegates may request a formal apology from other delegates if they are slandered

or personally attacked. Diplomacy should be emphasized.

MOTIONS

A motion is a request to do something during formal debate. Motions are voted on

by the committee.

The chair asks, 'Are there any motions on the floor?' before the start of each

component. For example, to initiate Position Paper reading a delegate would say

when recognized, “motion to start reading position papers for a time of 2 minutes for

each paper.

Other delegates can support the motion by raising their placards and depending on

the majority it is then approved or denied by the chair.

However, if it does not pass, another delegate can state another motion when re-

asked by the chairs.

POINTS

There are different points in MUN which have different purposes:

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Point of information: A question directed to another delegate, for example after

they have read their position paper.

Point of personal privilege: Refers to the comfort of the delegate. For example:

“Point of personal privilege! Can you open the window?” “Point of personal privilege!

May the speaker raise their voice”.

Point of order: Used when there is a wrong fact stated by one of the delegates. You

say after they have finished speaking, “point of order! ...” And correct them.

Point of Parliamentary Enquiry: Point of information to the Chair concerning rules of

procedure. Example: “Could the Chair please explain to the house what is meant by

closed debate?”

A point CANNOT interrupt a speaker UNLESS it’s a point of personal privilege due

to audibility (voice of speaker).

HOW TO RESEARCH A TOPIC

In preparation to the conference, you need to conduct a lot of research and take

notes regarding background information around the topic and your country’s stance,

in addition to actions it has taken or is planning to take to address the issue. You

should also conduct research on how the issue has affected other countries in your

committee and how they dealt with it, to prepare questions to ask them during

moderated caucus. This is vital to find common ground and know what countries agree

with your nation and would form a bloc with your delegation during unmoderated

caucus, as well as to build an idea of resolutions you would propose.

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR AND WHERE?

When researching a nation’s stance and policies, or actions it has taken towards a

particular issue, use SPEAR:

• Speeches: by the country’s or government’s leaders.

• Programs: what the nation has done or is planning to do about the issue.

• Events: did the country host or attend an international or regional event about the

topic, and what did it conclude?

• Agreements: this includes resolutions, treaties, conventions, laws; things that the

government has agreed to on the topic.

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• Reports: governments, the UN and NGOs produce reports on what a country is

doing about the topic or how the topic has impacted the country.

Make sure all sources you use are reliable.

Useful resources:

Not sure where to look? Try out some of these resources to get started! Some of them

might suit your research, some might not, but they are excellent places to look.

1. The CIA World factbook compiles information on the geography, society,

government, economy, energy, communications, transportation, and military of

267 world entities. This is a one-stop shop for all of the basics that you will need

to know about your country. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-

world-factbook/

2. The World Health Organization website is a great resource for health related

information for its member countries. It includes statistics and information on the

country's health profile, mortality, nutrition, and important health risk factors.

http://www.who.int/countries/en/

3. Official government websites. Check out the government website for your

assigned country. E.g. https://www.canada.ca/en.html

4. Looking for information on current events? It is important to stay informed on news

relating to the topic, in addition to current events in your country and region. Try:

Arab News (Middle East), ABC News (Australia), BBC News (UK), CBC News

(Canada), SABC News (South Africa), DD News (India), Deutsche Welle

(Germany), teleSUR (Latin America), NHK World News (Japan), Xinhua News

Agency (China), CNN (USA), or The New York Times (USA)!

5. BBC Timeline also has standard information about each country and includes a

timeline of key historical events that shaped each country into its current state of

affairs. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profiles/

6. Resolutions, Treaties & Conventions

• Resolutions are documents containing a list of all the issues to be solved and

proposed solutions to each issue.

• Treaties are written binding agreements between two states or international

organizations that follow international law.

• Conventions are similar to a treaty, but are normally open to a larger number

of states or the wider international community.

• http://www.un.org/en/sections/documents/general-assembly-

resolutions/index.html contains a list of past resolutions, treaties and

conventions that can help you to develop an understanding of what has

already been done. It’s a good idea to refer to them in your position paper.

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7. The RAND Corporation is a non-profit organization that conducts research and

suggests solutions to global public policy challenges in various areas, including

health. https://www.rand.org/about.html

ROLL CALL

The Chair starts by saying, at the start of the session, that “roll call shall now begin”,

listing out the delegations afterwards.

Once the name of the delegate’s country has been called, the delegate must respond

saying, “Present and Voting”.

This establishes a delegation as present in the committee. There is no opportunity to

abstain during substantive votes; delegations must vote “yes” or “no.”

POSITION PAPERS

After the roll call, the Chair asks, “are there any motions on the floor?” Delegates

may then raise their placards. When a delegate is recognized, they make a motion

to “start reading position papers for a time of _____ minutes for each paper”.

The motion is put for a vote, delegates who support the motion vote for it, while if

they don’t (for example, because they need more time to read their paper), they can

vote against it. The chair can also discard the motion if it is not appropriate or is out

of order.

If the motion is not passed a delegate may create a new one with a different time.

Once a motion is passed, the reading of position papers begins. Delegates read their

position paper when they are recognized by the chair.

WHAT IS A POSITION PAPER AND WHAT DO YOU NEED?

Position Paper reading is the first part of the conference. A position paper is a short

speech that each delegate reads out to the rest of the committee. It is an essential

part of MUN because it lays the foundation for a country’s stance on the topic and

gives other delegates ideas as to what should be said over the course of the

conference. Position Papers are prepared beforehand to be read at the start of the

conference. Position papers are usually one page in length. They should be read in

about 1.5 or 2 minutes.

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Once you have an idea of what the paper is going to look like, it's time to focus on

the content. You will be required to do some research. Keep in mind that the position

paper should be limited to 1 page – so this research is not extensive. With this said,

the more research done before the conference, the more valuable information can

be brought to the conference about your country.

You should research your country in the context of health care policy and the WHO.

Become familiar with your assigned country, the topic, and how it relates to your

country. A quick Google search will help you get started. You should focus your

research on the topic, guided by the “components of a Position Paper” section. It may

also be helpful to look at the sources suggested in the “how to research a topic”

section.

Narrow down your findings to one page, you don't have to say it all! By simply doing

your research, you become very informed on for the conference – find the most

important and significant information to incorporate into your position paper. Though,

you should keep all your findings saved; there will be many opportunities to offer

additional information when debate gets started!

Write your rough draft and edit your paper for grammar, flow, and content, and

then proofread your position paper – and get others to read it for you! Getting

others to read it who have little knowledge of your topic is particularly helpful

because it will give you a good idea on your ability to express your knowledge on

the subject – a skill which will help you in conference discussion and debate.

Enjoy the researching and writing process and try not to stress over the paper – if

you become interested in the process, it will make the writing happen in no time!

However, if you do have any questions or struggles, don't hesitant to contact your

Chair.

COMPONENTS OF A POSITION PAPER

- You should place a heading at the top of your paper including your country, issue,

and committee. You could also include a picture your country’s flag in the header.

- Begin your position paper by addressing the committee, saying: ‘Honorable chairs

and fellow delegates.’

- Typically, your position paper should include three main sections:

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Paragraph 1 – Issue and Position:

The point of this paragraph is to outline the main problems and provide a basic

foundation as to the current situation associated with your topic. After generally

describing the issue, give your country’s history and stance regarding the issue, and

how it has affected them, as well as whether they support the situation or not. Be sure

to include statistics to back up your country’s position on the issue.

Paragraph 2 – Detailed Background information:

This paragraph is an opportunity for you to show the depth of your knowledge about

the past and current situations regard your topic.

Be sure to discuss:

❖ Historical origin of the problem, particularly why the problem arose.

❖ How does the issue relate to the international community and why is it of

international concern?

❖ Previous actions taken to try and solve the problem (if any).

❖ Successes and failures of past actions and why they succeeded or failed.

❖ Problems that continue to exist or ones that have not yet been addressed.

❖ What actions your country has taken recently in regard to the topic – any

policies they have implemented and their justification for these policies.

❖ Quotes from any important figures regarding the issue – President, Ministers,

Ambassadors etc.

❖ Conventions and resolutions that your country has signed or ratified.

❖ UN actions that your country supported or opposed.

Having two to three sentences per item on this list should allow you to sufficiently

discuss the topic and to set the foundations for the final paragraph of your position

paper.

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Paragraph 3 – Proposed Solutions Regarding the Issue:

This paragraph is the one that will set your paper apart from the others. After

identifying the problems in paragraph two, utilize this paragraph to list your solutions

to all the problems you enumerated above.

The quality of your solutions could be a great determinant in the overall evaluation

of your position paper.

Be sure to discuss:

❖ Specific proposals regarding how to solve specific issues.

❖ How each individual proposal will be implemented, including the feasibility.

❖ Global impact of solving the problem or implementing these solutions.

❖ How your country is willing to help solve specific issues.

❖ What advice you would give other nations on how to approach the topic and

what you want them to consider.

❖ How the positions of other countries affect your country’s position.

❖ What your country would like to accomplish in the committee’s resolution.

At the end, say ‘The delegate yields the floor back to the chair.’

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EXAMPLE POSITION PAPER

WHAT HAPPENS DURING POSITION PAPER READING?

- The chair will call upon your country when it is your turn to read out your paper.

- After you finish, you are asked, “is the delegate open to any points of information”

from other delegates. You can reply with “No” (not recommended), “Any and all”,

or “The delegate is open to __ points of information”.

- This process will repeat for every delegate, so listen attentively and try to come

up with questions to ask other delegates after they finish reading.

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- If you are not satisfied with a response to a question you have asked, you may

ask permission from the chair to follow up.

HOW DO I COME UP WITH QUESTIONS?

- Listen closely to what the speaker is saying.

- If there are any inconsistencies/loopholes in their points, ask them to clarify.

- If there is something they have not explained properly, ask them to.

- If they have not backed up a point with evidence, ask them to provide some.

- Refer to the suggestions under ‘components of a position paper’ for more ideas.

- Be intuitive! There is no exact formula to create a question, as every position

paper varies. Instead, use your instincts and creativity to start a debate.

WHAT IF I DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER TO A QUESTION?

- Don’t worry – you can ask the chair for permission to reply in note form.

- This gives you extra time to find an answer, write down your response, and send

it to the delegate who asked you the question. Though, it is unrecommended.

- You should at least attempt to answer the question based on your background

information because it’s better, however if you absolutely have no idea then

request to reply in note form. This is why conducting thorough research about your

country is vital.

- If a question is too irrelevant to the topic you should point that out.

- If you do not understand the question/cannot hear it, you can ask them to rephrase

it/repeat it.

KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER

- Keep your position paper concise and clear; you want other countries to easily

recognize your ideas.

- You are writing based on your country’s point of view, not your own, even if you

disagree with your country’s stance.

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- Your paper does not have to be long; you will typically have a designated time

of 1-2 minutes so make sure you can say everything you need to in this timeframe.

- Write one position paper for each topic and print each position paper on its own.

- Speak loudly and don’t rush; it is important that other delegates understand what

you are saying so that they can ask you questions later.

- Always provide factual information only, and from reliable sources – your claims

may be cross-checked.

- Make sure your headline is done correctly.

MODERATED CAUCUS

Moderated Caucus takes place when position paper reading has finished. This is time

allocated for formal debate. You have the opportunity to address questions to other

countries and debate about anything related to the topic. You should typically have

your questions prepared beforehand from your research.

To initiate a Moderated Caucus, the Chair would say, “Position Paper reading is now

over. If there are any motions on the floor, please raise your placards now” after

this, you raise your placards and if you are recognized, you should say, “The

delegate of ____ would like to raise a motion for initiating the Moderated Caucus”.

If you wish to take part and ask questions to other delegates (which you should), you

will need to be added to the Speakers’ List. When the chair asks, ”Are there any

delegates who wish to be added to the Speakers’ List”, raise your placard. When

you are recognised by the chair, you may begin to ask your questions.

You may request a follow up question if you are not satisfied with a response, or if

you wish to continue the debate. To follow up, you say “The delegate requests the

right to follow up”. The chair can grant the request or deny it, depending on the

situation.

After a speaker is satisfied by the answer provided, they must say “satisfied, the

delegate yields the floor back to the chair.”

You may only address one country in a round. When everyone on the Speakers’ List

have had their say, the process may repeat several times (or until the time ends) if

anyone still wants to address questions to another country.

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WHAT IF I DON’T UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION?

You can ask the other delegate to clarify or rephrase the question. If you are still

struggling to find an answer, you may say “request to reply in note form”. Replying

in note form is not good practice, as it shows that you aren’t prepared.

UNMODERATED CAUCUS

The Unmoderated Caucus takes place next. The Chair will start by saying, “The

Moderated Caucus is now over. If there are any motions on the floor, please raise

your placards now.” You then raise your placard and if you are recognized, you

should say, “The delegate of ____ would like to raise a motion for initiating the

Unmoderated Caucus”.

- Unmoderated caucus is an informal session.

- Delegates are allowed to get up from their places and talk to other delegates.

- Now that different country policies are clear and different ideas have been

mentioned earlier throughout the conference, alliances can now be formed, and

blocs are made.

- Blocs are a group of delegates who form an alliance due to common interests

regarding solutions for the topic whilst also considering the real life relations of

their respective countries.

- There are usually two blocs but there can be more than two blocs. The

unmoderated caucus will lead to resolutions being made.

- Resolution Papers are written and read during Unmoderated Caucus.

RESOLUTION PAPERS

A resolution paper is a document which clearly outlines the main issues related to the

topic and then proposes a list of possible solutions to solve those issues. Once made,

the resolution is shown to the rest of the delegates. If delegates feel that they wish to

change any clauses, then they can say so. Once the change has been suggested, the

delegates vote on whether the clause should be changed or not. In the end, after all

the clauses are finalized, the entire committee votes on whether the resolution is

passed or not.

WHO WRITES A RESOLUTION?

• Any delegate in the committee can write a resolution.

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• The author of a resolution is called a sponsor.

• Most resolutions have multiple sponsors because it takes a group of countries to

share good ideas and to come to a consensus.

• The sponsors will present the resolution to the rest of the committee.

• There are also signatories.

• Signatories are delegates who have not been involved with the resolution and do

not necessarily agree with it but would like to see the resolution presented and

debate it.

• In order for a resolution to be brought to the floor, it must have 20% of the body

(committee) as either sponsors OR signatories.

WHY DO WE WRITE RESOLUTIONS?

• The ultimate purpose of a committee session is to pass a resolution.

• All the speeches, debate, negotiation, and teamwork are supposed to lead up to

a resolution which contains all the proposed solutions to the issue.

• The resolution(s) that the majority of the committee agrees upon during voting will

be passed.

• Most conferences allow multiple resolutions to pass as long as they do not

contradict each other.

• You might want to use some of the solutions the members of your bloc have

proposed in their position papers.

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EXAMPLE RESOLUTION PAPER

COMPONENTS OF A RESOLUTION PAPER

1 – Heading:

The heading contains four pieces of information: the committee name, the topic name,

the sponsors, and the signatories (both have been explained in the “who writes a

resolution” section).

2 – Pre-ambulatory clauses:

The pre ambulatory clauses states all the issues about the topic that the committee

has discussed during the course of the conference and wants to resolve. 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:

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• 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.

It’s very simple to write a pre-ambulatory clause. 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 that you can choose from:

For example, a country wants to address the issue of how Ebola spread rapidly in

sub-Saharan Africa. They would pick a pre-ambulatory phrase from above — let’s

use “Alarmed by” — and then combine it to say:

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Alarmed by the 17% increase in Ebola contraction among sub-Saharan African

countries in the past year,

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.

3 – Operative clauses:

Operative clauses state the solutions that the sponsors of the resolution propose to

resolve the issues. The operative clauses should address the issues specifically written

in the pre-ambulatory clauses above it, in the order that it is mentioned.

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 you can choose from:

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For example, the first solution is to distribute low cost medicines for Ebola to sub

Saharan African countries. Let’s pick an operative phrase from above – “Calls upon”

– and then combine it and number it to say:

1. Calls upon the developed countries and major pharmaceutical countries to provide

low cost, generic medicines for Ebola to sub Saharan African countries;

Tip: Usually more details in an operative clause will make it stronger or at least make

the idea clearer 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.

AMENDMENTS:

How to write an amendment:

Approved draft resolutions are modified through amendments. An amendment is a

statement that adds, deletes, or changes an operative clause. The pre-ambulatory

clauses cannot be modified. The amendment process is used to strengthen consensus

on a resolution by allowing delegates to change the operative clauses. The Chair

would ask “are there any amendments on the floor” once the resolution paper has

been read. Delegates then can raise their placard to propose an amendment.

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

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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. Depending on the majority, the amendment will be

approved or denied. 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…”

TIPS

1. Come Prepared.

2. Maintain Diplomacy.

3. The best debater is the best listener.

4. Find a “universal principal” everyone agrees on.

5. Capture the audience’s attention.

6. Use Facts.

7. Capitalize on your strengths.

CONCLUSION TO THE CONFERENCE

After the conference has ended, along with official award for Best Delegate and

Most Improved Delegate, individual committees can hold a fun and informal

Committee Awards Session. Delegates can decide which delegate best fits a certain

award/category.

Some examples of committee awards include:

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Best Hair, Best Dressed, Most likely to work in the actual UN, Most likely to not

participate again, Most peaceful, Most passionate, Most likely to go to war…etc.

(Committee members can decide on more during the session).

MUN TERMINOLOGY

o Abstention: A vote during the voting process; to abstain is to be considered as

not voting. An abstention does contribute to the passage of a draft

resolution/report segment. Note: Member States may only abstain if they are

“Present” during formal roll call. Example: A draft resolution that received 30

votes in favour, 10 votes against, and 40 abstentions would still pass due to a

larger number of votes in favour, as compared to votes against.

o Appeal of the Chair: A motion to challenge the decision of the Chair and refers

to a specific NMUN rule.

o Chair: People who are in charge of leading the committee’s formal debate in

accordance with the NMUN Rules of Procedure.

o Explanation of Vote: Allows a sponsor of a draft resolution/report segment to

explain why they voted against the draft resolution/report segment after it had

been amended or changed by a division of the question

o Friendly Amendments: Amendments proposed by ALL the sponsors of a draft

resolution; once approved by the Dais these amendments are automatically

included in the draft resolution.

o General Assembly: The main deliberative organ of the UN system, comprised of

all Member States of the UN.

o Majority Vote: A threshold at which many motions pass. A motion passes with

majority vote if more people vote yes than vote no (in the case of substantive

votes, ignore abstentions). To determine if something passes, compare yes votes

to no votes only. Tie votes fail.

o Model United Nations: Educational conferences that simulate the purpose and

practices of the UN.

o Motion: A request to do something during formal debate; motions are voted on

by the body (see below). Procedural: all members of the committee vote;

Substantive: only Member States vote.

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o Motion Out of Order: An incorrect (non-NMUN) motion or a motion used at the

incorrect time during the conference.

o Moderated Caucus: This occurs when position paper reading has finished. The

chair will say, “The position paper reading is now over. If there are any motions

on the floor, please raise your placards now” after this, you raise your placards

and if you are recognized, you should say, “the delegate of ‘whatever country

you represent’ would like to raise a motion for initiating a moderated caucus for

a time of ... minutes”

o National Model United Nations: An experiential education program in which

groups of students are organized as delegations and are assigned to play the

role of Member States of the UN.

o Non-governmental organization: NGOs, also known as civil society

organizations or CSOs, are non-profit groups independent from governments.

Normally organized around specific issues, NGOs deliver a variety of public and

humanitarian services.

o Operative Clauses: Proposes a new measure(s) and/or an extension of an

existing measure(s), which has not already been outlined in a previous

resolution.

o Perambulatory Clause: Sets up historical context and relevant international law

for a resolution, which justifies future action.

o Present: Establishes a delegation as present in the committee, with the

opportunity to abstain during substantive votes.

o Present and Voting: Establishes a delegation as present in the committee.

There is no opportunity to abstain during substantive votes; delegations must vote

“yes” or “no.”

o Principal Organs: Principal Organs are established pursuant to the Charter of the

United Nations. There are six principal organs of the UN: The General Assembly

(Art. 9), the Security Council (Art. 23), the Economic and Social Council (Art. 61),

the Trusteeship Council (Art. 86), the International Court of Justice (Art. 92), and

the Secretariat (Art. 97). Each organ maintains its own area of responsibility

from international peace and security (Security Council) to human rights and

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economic affairs (ECOSOC). The only organ that is currently inactive is the

Trusteeship Council.

o Programs and Funds: Programs and Funds are established pursuant to

Article 22 of the Charter of the United Nations in order to meet needs

not envisaged in the founding of the UN, such as addressing the needs of

Palestinian refugees, development assistance, food aid, or the environment.

They are subordinate to the UN, but since they are immediately controlled by

distinct inter-governmental bodies and are financed through voluntary

contributions rather than assessed contributions.

o Proposal: In the NMUN Rules of Procedure, “proposal” means any working paper,

draft resolution or draft report segment, an amendment thereto, or a

portion of a draft resolution or draft report segment divided out by motion.

o Related Organizations: Related organizations are not officially part of the UN,

but their support and cooperation is outlined by special arrangement. Related

organization's all have their own separate members, governing bodies,

executive heads, and secretariats.

o Right to follow up: Used to respond to the delegate after they have said

something. You should say, “Request the right to follow up”. The chair will then

decide and say, “Right granted/denied”

o Secretariat: The Directors, the Assistant Directors, the Under-Secretaries-

General, and the Assistant Secretaries-General, are designates and agents of the

Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary General and are collectively

referred to as the “Secretariat.”

o Secretary-General: Member of the NMUN Secretariat. Chief administrative

officer of the Conference.

o Security Council: The Security Council is the primary organ of the UN

mandated to maintain international peace and security.

o Signatories: Member States/NGOs or Observers who are interested in

bringing the resolution paper forward for consideration of the committee.

They are only allowed to vote and cannot speak for the resolution.

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o United Nations: An intergovernmental organization established in 1945,

designed to promote international cooperation.

o Unmoderated caucus: This occurs after the moderated caucus is over. The chair

will start by saying, “The moderated caucus is now over. If there are any motions

on the floor, please raise your placards now.” You then raise your placard and

if you are recognized, you should say, “The delegate of ‘whatever country you

represent’ would like to raise a motion for initiating an unmoderated caucus

for a time of ... minutes”. An unmoderated caucus is informal. Delegates are

allowed to get up from their places and talk to other delegates. This is the time

where alliances are formed, and blocs are made. Blocs are a group of

delegates who form an alliance due to common interests. There are usually two

blocs but there can be more than two blocs. An unmoderated caucus is when the

resolutions are made.