It’s not as boring as it seems! MUN Research It’s not as boring as it seems!

Okay,so you have a country and topic...now what? MUN research can seem a bit daunting at first, but the key is to plan how you approach the topic and plan accordingly There are three areas you focus on when doing research: What issue(s) concerning the topic Your country and its position on the topic Some possible solutions to solving the topic These are all things that must be addressed in your position paper

Step 1: The Topic Before conference, your chairs will provide you with a “topic brief”, which gives you basic background on the topic and some of the issues it entails. Your first step in researching is gauging a deeper understanding of the topic and all its aspects. Some questions you should answer include: What is the problem? Why does it matter to the global community? What does the UN have to do with this? Does this violate international law? How? What has the UN tried to deal with this in the past? Any resolutions? Why hasn’t it been solved before? Why is it still an issue? How/when did this become an issue? Who does this affect? Your main focus should be explaining why this matters and why we need to address it together. If you can answer this, you’ve completed topic research!

Step 2: Your country This step focuses on policy. Your country’s position shapes how you approach the topic and what you’d like to see accomplished. It even influences what solutions you propose. Country research is in done with respect to the topic. Some questions you should answer include: What is your country’s opinion on the topic? How do they interpret it? How does it affect your country? What is its history in relation to the topic? What are some past actions your country has taken to address the topic? What current issues do they struggle to address? What particular aspect does your country want to highlight? Are there countries that share similar policy goals as you? Are there others who are different? (i.e. US vs. Iran) If you can explain what your country’s policy and its goal in committee, you’ve completed this step

Step 3: Solutions Solutions are the main goal of committee. This is what defines you as a delegate and how others will identify with you. While doing research on the topic and your country, you will come across possible solutions. The most interactive part of research, most solutions require some critical thinking on your end. Some questions/pointers to guide you: You don’t necessarily need to address every aspect, just what you deem most important Are there any solutions your country has made that can be applied internationally? Are there past actions that have been proposed and you’d like to improve upon? How? Who/what does your solution impact? How flexible is it? What organizations (NGOs, UN subcommittees) can help you with implementation? What other countries can you collaborate with? If you can explain what you’d like to accomplish and exactly how, you’ve completed this stage

Putting it all together: Position Papers Your position paper is the product of your research, and will encompass every aspect. The format is fairly similar to your research steps: Your topic’s importance Your country’s history and position in relation to the topic How you plan to solve it and ensure your solutions applicability