Model United Nations Club Handbook

1. Model United Nations Club Handbook Ulus Jewish Schools

2. Dear Club Members, The MUN Club of the Ulus Jewish Schools was established in 2000 by Ms. Engin Arik, the Head of the English Department, and Mr. Reagan Light, a former English teacher of our school. Since then, our club has grown both in terms of the number of its members and conferences it has attended. This handbook has been prepared by the executive board to provide the club members with a comprehensive guide for MUN. It contains information about MUN conferences, general procedures, explanations of the language of MUN, the nature of the club and its executive board, the rules and terms of the club, and the expectations from its members. You can use this handbook while getting prepared for a conference, working for an in–school meeting/debate, or in any other phase during your membership in this club. We hope that the handbook will be beneficial and useful to the highest possible extent. Try to enjoy it! Best Wishes, Executive Board

3. Ulus Jewish Schools MUN Club Information • ADVISORS • The advisors of the UOML MUN Club are Ms. Engin Arik, Ms. Kristin Gergis, and Mr. Ralph Hubbell. • The responsibilities of the advisors are: • Monitoring the club meetings, • Hosting the executive board meetings, • Supervising the executive board and club members, • Playing an active role at decision making, • Handling the administrative aspects of the club, • Proofreading policy statements, resolutions, and letters of application and recommendation. • EXECUTIVE BOARD • The responsibilities of the President of the Executive Board are: • Being in charge of all executive board members, • Planning and hosting the weekly club meetings, • Communicating with the advisors, • Assigning the delegations, ambassadors, and committees, • Making sure that all deadlines, both for the conferences and for the club itself, are met, • Communicating with the conference secretariats. • The responsibilities of the Vice President of the Executive Board are: • Assisting the President in all his duties and taking over club management if the president is ill or unable to perform his duties, • Sharing the President’s responsibility for planning and hosting the weekly club meetings, • Helping the President assign the delegations, ambassadors, and committees.

4. The responsibilities of the Secretary of the Executive Board are: • Being in charge of all documents, announcements, conference registrations, fees, and other paper work. • The responsibilities of the Training Coordinator of the club are: • Training, encouraging, and helping new club members about all aspects of MUN and preparation for club meetings and conferences, • Making “Introduction to Model United Nations” presentations to the Prep classes, • Hosting workshops for researching and writing policy statements and resolutions. • The responsibilities of the Information Technologies (IT) Manager of the club are: • Updating and utilizing the Teacher Web, the website of the club where all documents, deadlines, announcements, and photos from conferences are on display, • Making sure that every student is a member of the Yahoo! Group, which provides a platform with advisors, executive board, and club members to communicate with each other via mail, • Helping prospective delegates research their country policies and issues on the agenda.

5. Club Constitution • EXECUTIVE BOARD • Executive board members are chosen by the club members and should have the approval of the advisors as the final say. • JOINING THE CLUB • Students starting from the ninth grade can only join the MUN Club either at the very beginning of the year or at the end of the midterm whereas Prep students are welcomed to join the club during the whole academic year. • New club members are required to fill out an application form and go through an interview which analyzes their enthusiasm and qualifications for joining the club. • Club members who leave the club of their own will cannot re–join the club in the same academic year. • Members who are expelled from the club cannot re–join unless the advisors, the President, and the Vice President are fully convinced that they are eligible to be in the club.

6. COMMUNICATION • Every club member has to join the Yahoo! Group, preferably by getting a Yahoo! Account. • All club members are required to check their email on a daily basis since no repetition or reminder of an announcement and/or a deadline will be made afterwards. • CLUB MEETINGS • Attendance to weekly club meetings is mandatory unless the absence is due to a reasonable excuse. • Members who do not attend a maximum number of three club meetings without a justified, reasonable excuse will not be permitted to participate in any conference during that academic year. • PRE–CONFERENCE PREPARATION • All students should research their country policies and issues, write policy statements for every issue and a resolution for at least one of the issues. • Students are responsible for handing in both the soft and hard copies of their policy statements to Mr. Hubbell and resolutions to Ms. Kristin Gergis before the deadlines. • The materials of the club members who do not meet the deadlines will not be proofread and revised by the advisors, which will lead them to attend conferences with their unchecked first drafts.

7. CONFERENCE ATTENDENCE • Before attending an MUN conference, students need to hand in a conference fee, the amount of which differs from one conference to another, to the MUN advisors prior to its deadline. • At the beginning of the year, a petition will be signed by the parents stating that there won’t be a refund of any conference fee even if their children are not allowed to attend the conference due to their lack of pre–conference preparation and attendance of the in–school club meetings. • MUNESCO, a conference held by the Bilkent Laboratory & International School (BLIS), formerly known as Bilkent University Preparatory Schools (BUPS), Ankara, is the first conference of all new club members but might be subject to exceptions in case a reasonable excuse, such as the financial status of the family, can be put forward. • Before attending an international conference, students must first attend at least one local conference. • After conferences, all participants should fill out a self–evaluation form and hand it in to Ms. Arik. • Prospective Student Officers, ICJ/MICC Members, and Press Members have to send their letters of application to Ms. Arik at least one month prior to the deadline. (They are the only ones who are responsible for reminding Ms. Arik that she needs to write their letters of recommendation and rank themselves among other applicants.) • The advisors, the President, and the Vice President of the club are the only ones who have the authority to make the assignments of delegations, ambassadors, and committees.

8. Model United Nations BACKGROUND INFORMATION What is the United Nations (UN) The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. What is Model United Nations (MUN) Model United Nations (informally abbreviated as Model UN or MUN) is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about civics, effective communication, globalization and multilateral diplomacy. In Model UN, students take on roles as foreign diplomats and participate in a simulated session of an intergovernmental organization (IGO). Participants research a country, take on roles as diplomats, investigate international issues, debate, deliberate, consult, and then develop solutions to world problems. MUN CONFERENCES The MUN Club of our school attends approximately four conferences in an academic year. Three of these conferences are usually local conferences, which are TIMUN, MUNESCO, and RCIMUN, and an international conference that is subject to the decision of the executive board.

9. Turkish International Model United Nations (TIMUN) TIMUN is a local, THIMUN affiliated MUN conference held by the Uskudar American Academy (UAA) usually in December. Due to its well organized structure, the conference attracts many students from abroad as well as from the high schools in Turkey. As opposed to many conferences, TIMUN has two substituting committees for the Political Committee. These two committees are Territorial Disputes and Legal. Finally, the conference has a committee called the International Court of Justice (ICJ) where criminal cases are discussed rather than global issues. Model United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (MUNESCO) MUNESCO is a local MUN conference held by Bilkent Laboratory & International School (BLIS), formerly known as Bilkent University Preparatory Schools (BUPS), in Ankara usually in March. Despite its fairly recent foundation, it turns out to be a well–organized and successful conference. It is compulsory for the new members to attend MUNESCO as their first conferences in order to have a better experience and a stronger grasp of the MUN language.

10. Robert College International Model United Nations (RCIMUN) RCIMUN is a local, THIMUN affiliated MUN conference held by Robert College (RC), usually in April. It is one of the most prestigious conferences in Turkey. Consequently, the conference offers an international platform for its participants where they can have intense debates and make international friendships. Other than that, RCIMUN has a sub–conference called Robert College Model International Criminal Court (RCMICC) that is in theory more or less similar to ICJ of TIMUN. The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) THIMUN is an international conference held in the Hague, the Netherlands. It is one of the biggest, most prestigious conferences in the whole world along with Harvard MUN, a United States centered MUN conference.. It gives affiliations to other conferences worldwide after analyzing and evaluating their organization, and following of rules and procedures.

11. Some THIMUN Affiliated Conferences • Bath Model United Nations [BSMUN], Bath, United Kingdom • Berlin Model United Nations [BERMUN], Berlin, Germany • Deutsche Schule Athen Model United Nations [DSAMUN], Athens, Greece • Genoa Model United Nations [GeMUN], Genoa, ITALY • Haarlem Model United Nations [HMUN], Haarlem, The Netherlands • Haileybury Model United Nations [Haileybury], Hertford Heath, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom • Iberian Model United Nations [IMUN], Lisbon, Portugal • International MUN of Alkmaar [IMUNA], Alkmaar, The Netherlands • Johannesburg Model United Nations [JOMUN], Johannesburg, South Africa • Leiden Model United Nations [LEMUN], Leiden, The Netherlands • MINIMUN [MINIMUN], The Hague, The Netherlands • Malaysian Model United Nations (MYMUN), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • MUN of the Int. School of The Hague [MUNISH], The Hague, The Netherlands • Paris Model UN [PAMUN], Paris, France • Robert College International Model United Nations [RCIMUN], Istanbul, Turkey • Royal Russell School Model United Nations [RRSMUN], Croydon, Surrey, United Kingdom • SHAPE Model United Nations [SHAPEMUN], SHAPE, Belgium • South American Model United Nations [SAMUN], Caracas, Venezuela • St. Petersburg Int. Model United Nations [SPIMUN], St. Petersburg, Russia • St. Andrew's International Model UN [SAIMUN], Dublin, Ireland • Turkish International Model United Nations [TIMUN], Istanbul, Turkey • UN Int. Student Conf. of Amsterdam [UNISCA], Amsterdam, The Netherlands • Zambia Model United Nations [ZAMUN], Lusaka, Zambia

12. Committees of an MUN Conference General Assembly (GA) GA is the assembly of the Human Rights, Environment, Political, and Disarmament Committees. The last day of an MUN conference is reserved for GA Plenary Session. In this session all four committees come together and debate four resolutions in total, one from each committee. At the end of the session the house votes for only one resolution to go to the real UN. The GA does not have any members from the Security Council, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and Special Conference. These three committees continue their routines on the last day as well. Security Council (SC) The SC is a group of which the members are ambassadors of countries that have active power to participate in the political and economical decision–making. Some countries, though, have the power to veto a resolution clause even though there is a majority of agreement. These countries are called The Permanent Five (P5). China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America are the members of this group. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) This committee focuses on the issues that are categorized in the fields of economics and social structure such as equal rights of women and men or macro- and micro- economies. Special Conference Every MUN conference has a theme of its own. Special Conference is a sub–committee that adopts issues related to this general concept of the conference. For example, the title of the TIMUN ‘09 Special Conference was “The Law of the Sea” because it was selected as the conference theme.

13. Pre–Conference Preparation RESEARCH There are two parts of research that you have to focus on while getting prepared for an MUN conference. First, you need to learn about your country that you represent and then you need to research the issues on the agenda. How to Research a Country When researching your country, Internet should be your best friend. A widely used website for this is the CIA World Fact Book. Choose the country you represent and you will find the information you need. If you need a guideline on what you need to know about your country, you can refer to the Council of World Affairs. This is a very useful site, by the way, in preparing for many aspects of a conference. Alternatively, you might try individual countries’ websites. How to Research an Issue The issues on the agenda of a conference are mostly taken from the UN website. Hence, going to this website and typing in the issue on the agenda into its search engine will be a good way to start your research on these issues. Member States have websites for their permanent missions at the UN that can also be useful if you want to learn about the views of your country on a given issue.

14. Useful Sites • United Nations – http://www.un.org/english • Permanent Missions in New York – http://www.un.org/members/mission.shtml • UN Cyber School Bus – http://cyberschoolbus.un.org • CIA World Fact Book – https://www.cia.gov • Embassies Worldwide – http://www.embassyworld.com • The Economist -http://www.economist.com • International Debate Education Association – http://www.idebate.org/index.php • CNN – http://www.cnn.com • BBC World – http://www.bbcworld.com • POLICY STATEMENTS (A.K.A POSITION PAPERS) • What is a Policy Statement • In preparation for an MUN conference, you should write a policy statement. This is a document that briefly and clearly explains the policies of your country/organization with respect to the issues dealt with at the conference. There are two important reasons for drawing up this document: • - First, it forces you to focus on the exact points of view of your • country/organization; • Second, it serves as a reference document to your delegation members and committee members during the conference. • Thus, policy statements may provide an excellent tool in the lobbying process; they may also serve as the basis for your opening speech in your committee.

15. What Does a Policy Statement Consist of? In order to produce a useful policy statement, you ought to carry out thorough research. You should also bear in mind that a policy statement consists of five parts in which you: Explain and define the issue and its most important terms; Provide a short summary of recent international action related to the issue; Refer to key documents that relate to the issue; State the country’s general position on the issue; Make suggestions of your own that are in line with your country’s policies to provide a solution to the issue. Make sure your policy statement does not exceed 300 words. To sum up, the policy statement sets out to answer three basic questions: 1. What is the background of your country’s point of view on the issue? 2. What is your country’s current position on the issue? 3. What does it hope to achieve in relation to the issue? Additionally, you might add strength to your position by answering the following question: 4. What have other member states that share my country’s view done in this area?

16. A Sample Policy Statement / Position Paper Delegation: Brazil Committee: Disarmament Question of: Measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction Brazil fervently supports measures to support the Weapons of Mass Destruction Branch of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs in its attempts to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction (WMD), as it firmly believes such efforts are necessary to combat the global threat of terrorism. Brazil endorses the Outcome Document of the 2005 World Summit, adopted 13 September 2005, which condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and strives to set up an international system that strictly monitors the transfer of materials that may be used to produce WMD. Brazil, one of the driving forces behind the 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco, which turned Latin America into the world’s first nuclear–free zone, applauds the recent efforts made by the Members of the UN to free the world of any type of WMD. We feel especially responsible as our nation commands huge uranium resources. We view with satisfaction the recent efforts of Member States to prevent the use of WMD by terrorists. However, Brazil expresses its deepest regret that, in spite of recent efforts to combat the acquisition of WMD by terrorist groups, some countries have refused to abide by the will of the international community. It is our deepest interest to ensure a world untroubled by the transfer of WMD and materials that can be used in the production of any such weapons.

17. RESOLUTION PAPER Debating is a major part of MUN, but MUN debates are always centered around resolutions. A resolution is one long sentence declaring a nation’s opinion concerning a topic, and the actions it intends to take. A resolution consists of both preambulatory clauses and operative clauses. Preambulatory clauses establish a nations motivation, while operative clauses determine what action to take. These resolutions will form the primary documents at the conference. Any resolution you write must be in accordance with your country’s stated policy. Remember that a resolution is a text setting out problems and suggested solutions in a formalised way. Resolutions should state at the top of the page the Committee, the subject matter, the submitter, and the prospective co–submitters. Resolutions should be submitted by one country and co–submitted by other delegates, the number of which changes from one conference to another, before they can be debated. The format of a resolution is strict, and certain rules must be followed. A resolution, as has already been noted, is divided into preambulatory clauses and operative clauses. The preamble contains the background to the problem and should be kept fairly short, as the background will be covered in the debate itself. The preamble has little effect on the purpose of the resolution. The arguments for the action you are proposing, and the reasoning behind the calls for action should be in the operative clauses. To gauge the real meaning of a resolution, look at the operative clauses first, and consider how they might be adapted to meet your country's needs. A resolution is contained within one sentence. At the end of each perambulatory clause there is a comma (,); at the end of each operative clause there is a semicolon (;), the last clause ends with a full stop (.).

18. Preambulatory Phrases Acknowledging Affirming Alarmed by Approving Aware of Believing Bearing in mind Confident Congratulating Convinced Declaring Deeply concerned Deeply conscious Deeply disturbed Deeply regretting Deploring Desiring Emphasizing Expecting Expressing its appreciation Expressing its satisfaction Fulfilling Fully alarmed Fully aware Fully believing Further deploring Further recalling Guided by Having adopted Having considered Having devoted attention Having examined Having received Having studied Keeping in mind Noting further Noting with appreciation Noting with approval Noting with deep concern Noting with regret Noting with satisfaction Observing Pointing out Reaffirming Realizing Recalling Recognizing Referring Reminding Seeking Taking into account Taking into consideration Viewing with appreciation Welcoming

19. Operative Phrases Accepts Affirms Approves Asks Authorizes Calls for Calls upon Congratulates Confirms Declares accordingly Deplores Designates Encourages Endorses Expresses its satisfaction Expresses its hope Further recommends Hopes Invites Proclaims Proposes Recommends Regrets Requests Resolves Seeks Strongly affirms Strongly urges Suggests Supports Trusts Transmits Urges The Format of a Resolution • The text should be in Times New Roman, and size twelve (12). • The opening verb of each clause is underlined. • There is a line – space between each clause. • The lines of the resolution are NOT numbered. • Each operative clause IS numbered. • The sub–clauses begin with a), b), c), et cetera; sub–sub–clauses begin with i), ii), iii), et cetera. • Acronyms and abbreviations are written out in full the first time they are used. • Each preambulatory clause is followed by a comma (,). • Each operative clause is followed by a semicolon (;). • There is only one full stop (.) that is at the end of the resolution. • Note: Do make sure that you not only take a number of hard copies of your draft resolution but also an electronic version. You should have enough copies to distribute to other members of your forum during the lobbying process.

20. A Sample Resolution Forum: General Assembly Question of: Peace, security and reunification on the Korean peninsula Submitted By: ___________________________________________ The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 55/11 of 31 October 2000, in which it welcomed and supported the inter–Korean summit and the joint declaration adopted on 15 June 2000 by the two leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea, Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations regarding the maintenance of international peace and security, Convinced that inter–Korean dialogue and cooperation are essential for consolidating peace and security on the Korean peninsula and also contribute to peace and stability in the region and beyond, inconformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter, Recognizing that the summit held in Pyongyang from 2 to 4 October 2007 between the two leaders and their Declaration on the Advancement of North–South Korean Relations, Peace and Prosperity represent a major milestone in improving inter–Korean relations, Recalling the statements welcoming the inter–Korean summit made on 1 October 2007 by the Secretary–General and the President of the General Assembly, and recalling also the statement welcoming the adoption of the Declaration made on 4 October 2007 by the Secretary–General,

21. Welcomes and supports the inter–Korean summit held from 2 to 4 October 2007 and the Declaration on the Advancement of North–South Korean Relations, Peace and Prosperity adopted on 4 October 2007 by the two leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea; Encourages the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea to implement the Declaration fully and in good faith, thereby consolidating peace on the Korean peninsula and laying a solid foundation for peaceful reunification; Invites Member States to continue to support and assist, as appropriate, the process of inter–Korean dialogue, reconciliation and reunification so that it may contribute to peace and security not only on the Korean peninsula but also in north–east Asia and the world as a whole. OPENING SPEECHES (A.K.A AMBASSADOR SPEECHES) If you are the Ambassador of the country you represent in an MUN conference, you can be asked to do an opening speech in the opening ceremony right after the registration and start of the conference. An opening speech should last 1 minute. In this minute, you should address very clearly to the audience the position of the country/organization you represent on the primary concerns about the state of the world. There are a few things to keep in mind when preparing for an opening speech: – First of all, there is the beginning of the speech. It is customary to address the President of the GA and the delegates present by starting your speech with something like: ‘Honorable President, Distinguished Delegates’ – And then go on to the main body of your speech.

22. A Sample Opening Speech Honorable President, Distinguished Delegates, France recognizes the need for multilateral efforts to achieve a greater balance in terms of development between the nations of the world. However, France also believes that any hope of achieving an acceptable economic balance in terms of global standards of living must take into consideration the environmental impact of such efforts. France applauds the recent changes in tone apparent in the North–South dialogue and calls for greater attention to be paid to the interrelatedness of development planning and environmental security. Environmental threats from industrialization must be eliminated from development planning. This is why France stands firmly behind the idea that aid and investment should occur at the local level, where traditional knowledge about the environment can play an important role in the development. Thank you, Mister President.

23. MUN Procedures LOBBYING This is probably the most important yet baffling part of the conference. The key to successful lobbying is to be pro–active, which means taking active steps to present and discuss your proposals. Keep an eye on the fact that the aim is to negotiate in order to reach consensus. Before the start of the formal conference you informally try to gain the interest and support of other delegates for their draft resolution. As a basis for a draft resolution, a well–researched and well–written policy statement can be used. You may find other delegates with a similar resolution and decide to merge the two, making the resolution stronger and more likely to succeed in debate. This is the time for delegates to air their views. Allies need to be found to support the draft resolution. Sometimes a delegate might abandon his/her own resolution in favor of another, better one. Your draft resolution should not be longer than two A4 pages, and be clearly expressed in the official format. It forms the basis for discussion and you should expect your resolutions to be merged with others as long as national interests and security are not undermined. You should create resolutions that are representative of the policies of specific interest groups and that make realistic recommendations for actions to be taken in dealing with the issues. The Chairs should coordinate the work of the delegates in the lobbying process to prevent unrealistic or illogical resolutions being produced. This is the time when you will try to obtain sufficient co–submitters to register your resolution. Generally, time spent on lobbying usually results in a stronger resolution.

24. JOURNEY OF A RESOLUTION Resolution Lobbying – Chairperson of the Committee gives the green light for resolution to go to the Computer Room for preparation. After the resolution has been prepared, it is printed (one copy for the Chair to check and one copy for the submitter). A “D” (Draft) number is written on the two copies of the resolution in the Computer Room and a digital back–up copy is also saved. Resolution goes back to the Chair of Committee to be checked for format (header, page numbers, indentation, outline numbering) and appropriate content. If necessary it goes back to the Computer Room for revision and a new draft number. It goes back to the Chair who keeps checking it until it is correct. When the Chair approves the format and content, it goes to the Approval Panel.

25. Resolution goes to the Approval Panel where only the language is corrected. (Content and format have already been checked by the Chair.) Small changes can be made at the time of checking. Otherwise it goes back to the Computer Room for the correction and a new “D” number after which the resolution goes back to the Approval Panel. When it has been approved by the Approval Panel, “approved” is written on the resolution. It is brought back to the Computer Room for printing and to receive its “A” (Approved) number. It is printed (one copy for the Committee Chair and one copy for the submitter) and a back–up copy in case the Chair needs it later. OFFICIAL NOTEPAPER What is the Use of Official Notepaper During debating time, conversation between delegates is not allowed. You should focus your attention on the different interventions within the House. You should also be well ready to intervene in the debate at any time. However, it is instrumental that you should remain, during this period, in contact with your fellow delegates in order to establish a common strategy. The notepaper is the perfect way to communicate. On your notepaper, write the delegation name of your addressee. Write in English, and English only, what you want to say to the other delegate. Then raise your hand with the notepaper. A member of the Admin Staff will take your note and take it to your addressee.

26. A notepaper should have: • A5 format, • A flag of your delegation, • The names of your Forum, delegation, and addressee. • A list of the whole delegation with their positions (optional) A Sample Notepaper Forum: GA2 – Human Rights From: The United States of America To: The United Kingdom _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ GA1 – Disarmament: Venis Kalderon, GA3 – Political Committee: Hayat Levi, GA4 – Environment: Aylin Çiprut, SC: Berk Diler, ECOSOC: Suzi Asa, Special Conference: Rahel Levi

27. RULES OF PROCEDURE • Rising to Points • Points during debate may NOT interrupt a speaker except for a Point of Personal privilege which refers to audibility. • Point of Personal Privilege • Refers to the comfort of the delegate. • May ONLY interrupt the speaker if it refers to audibility. • Does not require a second. • Example: “Could the windows please be opened? It is very hot in here.” • Point of Order • Refers to the procedural matter only, i.e. if the chair makes an error in the order of debate or in the setting/observing of debate time. • May NOT interrupt a speaker. • Is not debatable. • Can only refer to something that just happened, otherwise out of order. • Example: “Is it in order for the delegate to yield the floor to another delegation since the floor was previously yielded to him by Saudi Arabia?”

28. Point of Information to the Speaker • A question directed to delegate having the floor, and who has indicated that he/she is willing to yield points of information. • Speaker asking the Point of Information may only speak if recognized by chair. • Must be formulated in the form of a question, i.e. “Is the speaker aware of the fact that…” A short introductory statement may precede the question. • ONLY ONE question by the same delegate may be directed. There will be no dialogue between the speaker and the questioner on the floor. There are NO “follow–ups”. • Example: “Could the honorable delegate, as she is the main submitter of this resolution, please explain to the house what she intends with clause three?” • Point of Information to the Chair • A question directed to the chair. • May NOT interrupt a speaker. • Question referring to anything that does not fall under the category of Point of Parliamentary Enquiry, Point of Order, or Point of Personal Privilege. • Example: “At what time do we adjourn for lunch?” or “Could the chair inform the house whether Western Sahara is a sovereign state?” • Point of Parliamentary Enquiry • Point of information to the Chair concerning rules of procedure. • May NOT interrupt a speaker. • Example: “Could the Chair please explain to the house what is meant by closed debate?”

29. Rising to Motions • Moving to Previous Question (Motion to Move Directly into Voting Procedure) • Calls for the closure of debate and a vote to be taken on the motion (Resolution/Amendment) pending. • May be moved by the Chair or a delegate, may NOT interrupt a speaker. • The motion can only be made in the against time of the debate, if the debate mode is closed debate. • Requires a second by the house, and is quickly voted upon if objection is voiced. • May be overruled by the Chair if time needs to be filled. • Although delegates like to say “Motion to move directly into voting procedure” the correct expression is “We would like to move to the previous question.” • Motion to Adjourn the Debate (Motion to Table the Resolution) • Calls for the temporary disposal of a resolution. • Practically means the death of a resolution, due to lack of time as it can only be re–discussed after all other resolutions have finished being debated. • The proposer of this motion will give a short speech on why the item should be adjourned. • If the motion fails, debate will continue. If the forum passes the motion, the debate on the resolution will come to an immediate end but can be restarted by any member of the forum if a two–thirds majority of the forum supports its re–debate. • For this motion to pass, a simple majority is needed. Tied result means that the motion has failed.

30. Motion to Reconsider a Resolution • Calls for a re–debate and re–vote of a resolution that has already been discussed (adopted). • Done at the end of all other business. • Only necessary if no other draft resolutions are present. • Needs two–thirds majority. • Is not debatable. • Motion to Refer a Resolution to Another Forum, e.g. Security Council • A MUST if a resolution includes operative phrases, such as: “Condemns, Demands, Imposes, Decides, Authorizes, Deploys, etc.” with no reference to the mandate of the forum. E.g. • “The General Assembly decides to send peacekeeping forces into Kosovo.” This is out of order as it is not within the mandate of the GA. • “The General Assembly decides to include in the provisional agenda of its 61st session the item entitled ‘Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty’” This is in order as it is within the GA’s mandate. • A MUST if resolution takes action, such as imposing sanctions, embargoes, • sending peacekeeping troops (military force). • Can be avoided by quickly changing a clause from, for example: “Demands …” to “Strongly Urges the Security Council to demand …”. • Needs simple majority. • Motion to Extend Debate Time: • At the Chair’s discretion. • Is not debatable. • Needs a simple majority or a ruling by the chair to be adopted.

31. Objections to the Main Motion • In order only in exceptional circumstances. • Delegate proposing the objection has one minute to explain his/her proposal; the submitter of the resolution is then accorded a right of reply of equal length. • Objection needs a two–thirds majority. • One a resolution has failed following an objection, it cannot be reconsidered at any time. Motion No objections Objections Motion Passes At least one of the delegates takes the floor to explain his/her reason for objecting Submitter of the resolution has the right to reply Delegates vote against the objection with at least 2/3 majority Delegates vote for the objection with at least 2/3 majority Objection is in order, motion does not occur Objection is out of order, motion takes action

32. Amendments • Amend, by its definition, means to alter or to change. Consequently, amendments are alterations on resolutions. Amendments are instrumental to add, modify, or strike out operative clauses, only. • Amendment of the First Degree • Amendments can only be submitted by a speaker who has the floor. • An amendment is only in order if it is submitted to the Chair on the official Amendment Sheet before the delegate takes the floor, and must be easily legible. • Amendments will only be entertained if the speaker who has the floor moves the amendment. • Delegate moves the amendment, but the Chair reads it out slowly and clearly for all delegates to note down. • Only ONE amendment (maximum one entire clause) per amendment sheet will be in order. • If an amendment fails, the speaker who proposed the amendment retains the floor to finish the speech that he/she started before moving the amendment. • On an amendment, delegations can vote for, against, or abstain. • Amendments to previously amended clauses should be sustained if the amendment refers to an element in the clause has not previously been discussed, or if it is necessary to make the clause compatible with later changes to the resolution. • Amendment of the Second Degree • Same procedure as for normal amendment. • If the amendment of the second degree passes/fails, the Chair resumes with the debate on the amendment of the first degree. • There are two types of debate modes in MUN conferences.

33. Debate Mode • Open debate is when delegations can either speak for or against a resolution. • Closed debate is when the durations of the time for and against are separated by the Chair and the delegates can take the floor in accordance with that. Closed debate is required when debating amendments. • Voting • Only Member States of the UN may vote. No Non–Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are allowed to vote, on amendments and resolutions. • Delegations voting on a resolution or an amendment may vote in favor, against, or abstain. • Delegations and NGOs voting on procedural motions, such as to table the resolution or an amendment to the agenda may only vote in favor or against. • During voting procedures, all points are out of order, except for points of order connected with the actual conduct of voting. • A resolution will pass if the number for exceeds the number against regardless of the number of abstentions; i.e. abstentions do not count either for or against the adoption of a resolution. • A resolution or an amendment with a tied vote fails. Close vote may be followed by a recount or a roll–call (chair to go through every delegation on the roll–call list and ask for the vote). A roll–call vote is also known as division of the house. • There are NO informal votes; all votes count and are real. • Note–Passing • Note–passing between delegations is allowed except for the personal messages. • Chair has the right to suspend note–passing if it gets too noisy in the house. • Only official delegation note–paper will be transmitted by the Admin Staff.

34. Funding • Funding may be discussed and included in resolutions. However, no resolution shall include either names or financial amounts and specific resources. • Example: “Asks IMF to fund abovementioned proposal”  In order. • “Asks IMF to sponsor the UN to pay $ 50 million out of their Rapid • Reaction Fund”  Not in order. Important Note: Rules of procedure are subject to change from one conference to another. The information presented in this handbook is the most common version of these procedures but when the official handbook of the conference is distributed to you, please DO read it again just in case there may be slight differences. If there are some, please adopt them during that conference. General Conduct of MUN Conferences HOW TO BE A GOOD DELEGATE What is the General Behaviour of a Delegate MUN is a simulation of the United Nations Organization. Therefore you are, as a student, expected to behave like a diplomat of the country you represent. In addition, you are a representative of your own school. This double representation implies that you must behave at all times as properly as possible inside the Conference Centre during the conference itself and, outside.

35. Why Does MUN Have a Dress Code For you as delegate and as for all participants at MUN, Student Officers, Admin Staff, MUN–Directors, a correct outfit is mandatory during the whole time of the conference. This dress code has been fixed in order to prove our respect towards the countries that are represented at the MUN Conference. • What to Wear • Men’s Clothing • A suit, a pair of trousers • and a jacket • A tie • Dark shoes • Women’s Clothing • A skirt, a dress • A pair of trousers • A blouse • What not to Wear • Clothes • Sportswear, sports shoes • Jeans • Too short skirts • Traditional clothes • Military uniforms • Accessories • Facial piercing • Colored hair • Delegation shawl

36. HOW TO BE A GOOD AMBASSADOR What is the Role of an MUN Ambassador Before the Conference In a sense, all MUN delegates assume the role of an ambassador in the committees they have been assigned to. However, each country delegation is also headed by the ambassador of that particular country. Ideally, the ambassador as head delegate of the team is the most reliable and experienced delegate. The ambassador is given responsibilities prior to and during the MUN conference. First of all, you guard the team spirit of your delegates; you also make sure that all members of your team are preparing themselves properly for the conference. You take special care with new members of the team. At all times you show respect. Your MUN Director will also stress the importance of the following points, but in your team you must take care of the following: appropriate delegate notepaper and proper attire of the whole team. What is the Role of an MUN Ambassador During the Conference More importantly, at most conferences you will be given the opportunity during the opening ceremony to put forward your country’s general views and policies in a formal, one–minute speech. Obviously, this speech is based on your excellent research of your country and all of the issues to be discussed at the conference. It will also stand you in good stead when team members wish to find out how their particular committee issue relates to the general set of policies your country adheres to. You yourself will need it if you are called upon in the General Assembly or the Security Council.

37. Appendix ABBREVIATIONS • AIDS – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome • EU – European Union • FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization • G8 – (Group of Five) A body comprised of eight of the world’s most powerful nations: Canada, the U.S.A, U.K, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, and Russia. • GA – General Assembly • GDP – Gross Domestic Product • GM – Genetically Modified • GNP – Gross National Product • HCHR – High Commissioner for Human Rights • HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus • HRW –Human Rights Watch • IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency • ICC – International Criminal Court • ICJ – International Court of Justice • IDF – Israeli Defense Force • IFAD – International Fund for Agriculture Development • IMF – International Monetary Fund • LDC – Less Developed Country • LEDC – Less Economically Developed Country • MEDC – More Economically Developed Country • MUN – Model United Nations • NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization • NGO – Non–Governmental Organization • OPCW – Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons UNEP – United Nations Environment Program

38. P5 – Permanent Five (A body comprised of five of the world’s most powerful nations: The U.S.A, U.K, China, France, and the Russia Federation. • PNA – Palestinian National Authority • SC – Security Council • UDHR – Universal Declaration of Human Rights • UN – United Nations • UNCTAD – United Nations Conference on Trade and Development • UNDP – United Nations Development Program • UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization • UNHCHR – United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights • UNHCR – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees • UNICEF – United Nations Children’s Fund • UNIFEM – United Nations Development Fund for Women • UNO – United Nations Organization(s) • WFP – World Food Programme • WHO – World Health Organization • WTO – World Trade Organization • WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature • World Water Forum GLOSSARY • Abstain: To refrain from casting a “Yes” or “No” vote • Activist: An individual who is extensively and vigorously involved in political activity, either within or outside the governmental system • Adjourn: To suspend a session to another time or place or indefinitely • Agenda: A list of specific items of business to be considered at a legislative session, conference, or meeting • Armistice: A temporary peace agreement • Auspices: Protection or patronage • Autonomy: Independence, self-government

39. Belligerent: Group or nation which is engaged in a war or military conflict • Bilateral: Having or involving two sides • Boycott: Refusing to deal with a person, group, nation, or group of nations so as to punish or show disapproval • Capitalism: an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods by investments that are determined by private decision rather than by state-control, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market • Caucus: A meeting among delegates to discuss policy and topics outside of the formal meeting • Censorship: Broadly, any government restrictions on speech or writing; more precisely, government restrictions on forms of expression before they are disseminated • Censure: To blame, criticize adversely, or express disapproval • Coalition: Combination of two or more factions or parties for the purpose of achieving some political goal • Communism: A totalitarian system of government in which a single authoritarian party controls state-owned means of production with the professed aim of establishing a stateless society • Demilitarize: To free from military control • Disarmament: The act of disarming; reduction of military forces and equipment • Expansionism: The process of broadening a nation’s borders • Forum: An assembly for discussing questions of foreign interests • Gross National Product: The total value of the goods and services produced in a nation during a specific period of time • Ideology: A comprehensive set of political, economic, and social views or ideas, particularly concerned with the form and role of government • Jurisdiction: Authority vested in a court to hear and decide certain types of cases; term literally means “to say the law”

40. Mandate: A commission given to one nation by a group of nations to administer the government and affairs of a territory or colony • Mediation: Process in which an outsider is brought into a dispute negotiation in the hopes that this person can lead the two sides to a voluntary agreement through persuasion • Non-Aligned: A nation not politically tied to another, usually taking a neutral position between large power blocs • Plenary Session: A session attended by all of its qualified members • Proliferation: a spreading; propagation • Recession: Period during which the total output of the economy declines • Saction: An action by several nations toward another nation intended to force it to obey international law • Secretariat: The official office or position of Secretary-General; the department, including staff, buildings, etc. controlled by the Secretary-General • Self-Determination: The decision by the people of a nation as to what form of government they shall have, without reference to the wishes of any other nation • Socialism: A theory or system of social organization by which the major means of production and distribution are owned, manages, and controlled by the government, by an association or workers, or the community as a whole • Sovereign: Independent of all others; supreme in power, rank, or authority • Suspend: To cause to stop temporarily, as a meeting; to set aside or make temporarily inoperative, as the rules • Tariff: A schedule of duties, rates, or charges imposed by the government • on imported or exported items

41. BIBLIOGRAPHY • Internet • UN – http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/index.shtml • Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_United_Nations • “Basic Guidelines for New Delegates” – THIMUN Conference Website • “Rules of Procedure” – THIMUN Conference Website • “HMUN Beginning Delegates Workshop” – http://hmun.nl/downloads.php • “Guide to Writing Resolutions” – Pan-American Model United Nation • “Tricks of the Trade: Nuances, Tactics, and Strategies for Model UN” – UNA Model UN 2001 Summit by Brian Endless • THIMUN Conference Website – http://www.thimun.org • “Model United Nations Booklet” – Mike Keenan • Conference Booklets/Handbooks • “Rules for Chair” – GeMUN ‘08 Chairing Workshop • “How to be a Good Chair” – GeMUN ‘08 Chairing Workshop • “Genoa Model United Nations” – GeMUN ’08 • “Chairing Handbook” – JMUN ‘08 • “Junior MUN Handbook” – JMUN ‘08 • “Information Booklet” – TIMUN ’08 • “Rules of Procedures” – SPIMUN ‘09 • “Orientation Meeting for Chairs” – SPIMUN ’09 • “Delegate Handbook” – RCIMUN ’08 • “Chairing Guide” – RCIMUN ‘09 • “Student Officer Handbook” – RCIMUN ‘09 • “Handbook” – RCIMUN ‘09 • Miscellaneous • MUN Documents Archive – Mr. Reagan Light