Model United Nations at Palmetto Sr. High

Resolutions A resolution is a statement of international opinion, or a piece of international law. These are the primary outcome of most gatherings of the United Nations and Intra-Governmental bodies. Most committees produce resolutions that are essentially statements of international opinion; however, the Security Council (and Reformed Security Council) produces resolutions that may be defined as having the force of law, and are legally binding on UN Member States.

Phases of writing Working Paper Draft Resolution Resolution You will go through three phases of drafting in committee: Working Paper Draft Resolution Resolution

Working Paper A document is a working paper from the moment it is created until it is approved by the dais and given a code. This will be the first thing you start writing from brainstorming to preliminary formation of ideas. Working Papers are not officially property of the committee, and cannot be referred to in speeches (according to NWMUN rules). The paper turns into a draft resolution when it has been edited and converted to format of the conference.

Draft resolutions/Resolutions The draft resolution phase begins when the code is given to the document, and the sponsor and signatory lists are removed. Members are now permitted to vote on this document when voting bloc commences. In voting bloc it will be printed and distributed to the delegates and can now be referred to in speeches. It is now the “property of the body”. The paper becomes a resolution when it is voted on in voting bloc and passes.

Parts of a resolution Code: Used for identification of each draft resolution Composed of the committee acronym, status, number of the topic, number of the document itself Ex. For the GA’s 1st draft resolution on it’s 3rd topic, the code is GA/DR/3/1. Committee – use the full name of your committee Title – title of your topic

Signatories & Sponsors Primary authors of the resolution Must vote to pass the resolution You want to be a sponsor on at least one resolution Signatories: Want the resolution to be debated and/or voted upon Not bound to vote in favor of it There will be a required amount of each for a paper to become a draft resolution. This varies by conference.

Preambular clauses Provide context, reasoning, and justification for the operative clauses. They explain why the committee needs to act. Go from less to more specific (hour glass structure). First portion is italicized. May not be amended or divided once the paper becomes a draft resolution. Broad references to the UN charter and relevant committee instruments, specific references to international documents, specific calls for Member State to take action domestically, specific list of relevant resolutions

Operative clauses Parts of the resolution that actually do something. Ex. sending in peacekeepers, condemning a country’s actions, calling for a ceasefire, or allocating money. First portion is underlined. Each operative clause is numbered and they go from most specific to less specific. Calling upon Member States party to specific agreements to adhere to guidelines and take action on implementation, calls upon a specific government to end human rights violations, etc.

Tips Check the format guidelines for each conference prior to writing your resolution. Be as detailed as possible. The more information you include in your resolution outlining what changes you'd like to make, the better. Ex. if you are advocating for a new program, detail what specific authority it will have, how it will be funded, and which body will be responsible for its oversight. Use your knowledge of previous international agreements and international statistics.

Tips Know the authority and enforceability of your committee. Call for realistic decisions. Take pragmatic steps rather than large leaps. Negotiate using your resolution and control any changes that may be made to the document. Ensure that your country puts forward a resolution which matches their foreign policy.

tips Logrolling seeks to gather consensus by adding additional sections to the resolutions advocated by others with a promise to approve the entire resolution. It is a useful tool to build support for your resolution and make political allies who will vouch for the resolution to others. Incorporate ideas and feedback. Draft resolutions will not pass if you don't make an effort to reach out to them. Your resolution should read as one sentence. There are commas after each preambular and semi-colons after each operative.

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