Resolution Drafting

1. Resolution Drafting Presentation by GA officials 28.07.2009

2. Table of contents • Overview of drafting process • General structure of resolution • Preamble • general purpose • language • content • Operative part • general purpose • language • content • Numbering • Handy tips • Summary

3. Overview Resolutions are the channel by which Member States organise and implement their work

4. 1. General structure • Divided into 3 main parts • Name of organ e.g. General Assembly • Preamble • Operative part

5. 1. Name of organ • Ends with comma • Italics e.g. The General Assembly, • General Assembly only body that can adopt resolutions in GMUN • In the UN, can also be Security Council , Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Human Rights Council and other principal councils

6. 2. Preamble- general purpose • Sets overall tone of resolution and rationale for action in operative part • Outlines situation at hand • Hints at the action without mention of the specific action to be taken e.g. “Considering that the Security Council is developing joint activities with...”

7. 2. Preamble- language • Starts with present participle or other word or phrase e.g. Recalling Considering Aware of • Must be italicised • Points are not numbered- Referred to as “the first preambular paragraph...” etc. • Every paragraph ends with comma,

8. 2. Preamble- content • Recommend including reference to Charter e.g. “Recalling Chapter 11 of the Charter of the United Nations...” • After first reference to document, may say just “charter” without “of the United Nations” • May make references to past resolutions of GA, principle organs, or other organs e.g. if from GA- “Recalling its resolution 59/12 of 13 June 2007...” • After first reference, can just say “resolution 59/12” without date NB. Order of reference to the Charter and resolutions will depend on the importance they have to current resolution (but recommended to begin with Charter)

9. 2. Preamble- content • Refer to GA’s resolution as “its” resolution • If resolution from other organs, mention name, e.g. “Recalling Security Council resolution 63/10 of 19 January 2006...” • Never abbreviate in resolutions e.g. Cannot write ECOSOC, must write Economic and Social Council • If reports of SG are mentioned, number of report not included in text, instead given as a footnote

10. 2. Preamble- content • Can end preamble by taking note of reports e.g. “Taking note of the Secretary General’s report on HIV and AIDS in...” • ORif you consider the report VERY important, include it as paragraph 1 of operative part e.g. “Takes note of the Secretary General’s report on the progress taken on Millennium Development Goal 6...”

11. 3. Operative part- general purpose • Outlines specific action to be taken • Stronger the better- lays the ground for future resolutions • Most significant actions at beginning

12. 3. Operative part- language • Each paragraph begins with verb- 3rd person indicative (present tense). Must be italicised e.g. UrgesSuggests Decides • Could also begin with an expression or phrase. If so, whole expression or phrase must be italicised e.g. Takes note with satisfaction • Paragraphs must be numbered e.g. referred to as “paragraph 2 of the draft resolution...” • Every paragraph ends with semicolon; except the last one which ends with full stop.

13. 3. Operative part- language • Key words, often used: Declares, Requests, Decides • Key words, less frequent: Affirms, Notes, Welcomes, Notes with satisfaction, Notes with regret, Notes with deep regret, Expresses its appreciation, Expresses its deep concern • Infrequent, used mainly by SC: Deplores, Condemns

14. 3. Operative part- content • Sets precedent for future resolutions • End operative part must include follow-up paragraph • e.g. “Requests the Secretary General to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution” • OR • “Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-fifth session an item entitled ‘Cooperation of...’” etc. • Wording of new title of agenda item can affect the future focus of resolution

15. Numbering • Numbering must be in following order: • 3. Proposes that the Fund be governed by and Executive Committee which shall be: • Comprised of 21 Member States; • (i) To be proposed by the General Assembly; • (ii) To serve for a term of two years;

16. Handy tips • Capitals must be used for: • Member States • Secretary-General (with hyphen-) • The Secretariat • UN organs (General Assembly) • Numbers are written in letters, digits only used for very high numbers or dates • “Sixty-fifth” must also be written in letters • Percentages – 10 per cent • Resolution MUST have operative part, whereas it may not have to have preamble (rare cases)

17. Handy tips- • Order of strength of terms in operative part • Invites less strong- can still be declined • Calls upon- even stronger • Appeals- stronger still! • Urges/strongly urges- stronger... • Demands- strongest! NB. If you want another organ to do something, must use Requests – it is a request, not an order! E.g. “Requests the Secretary General...”

18. Summary • Resolution must include 3 main parts • Preamble- sets tone and rationale for action • Operative part- outlines specific action • Stronger the better! –Resolutions set precedent for following year’s work (Could be specific and focused ,or broad and wide-ranging- will depend on the issue at hand and its current progress)