PREPARING FOR AN MUN

Preparing as a MUN delegate requires determination, research and organizational skills. The MUN is a simulation of the foremost international body, the United Nations. Model UN is an educational exercise, where individual exploration and hands-on learning are fundamental. The conference on October 24th, 25th, and 26th should be the culmination of months of hard work. Pre-conference preparation is a prerequisite for success.

The Preparation There are three equally important aspects of delegate preparation: Functional preparation: equips the delegates with basic tools, including an understanding of the rules, necessary to perform in committee. Substantive preparation: element provides a groundwork of specific information on the topic areas. Positional preparation: requires the student to adopt an international perspective

Functional Preparation In order to perform in committee, delegates must have an understanding of the basic structural elements of Model UN. The delegate guide contains most of the functional information such as rules of debate, how to write resolutions and working papers, and specific details of the United Nations system.

Substantive Preparation The Background Guide: They are the foundation of substantive preparation for each committee. We suggest that you read them, discuss them, and read them again. If a delegate has not read and absorbed the information in the Study Guide, he or she will not be able to contribute effecitively to the committee. The Study Guides will enable you to fully understand the topics and begin to flesh out your own ideas. Remind yourself that you must act as policy makers, analyzing and molding the information you have received into solutions and resolutions. While the Study Guide and Updates will provide most of your substantive preparation, independent research is useful, rewarding and necessary for a successful conference. Research on the topic areas should be carried out in conjunction with the exploration of country policies and position papers.

Positional Preparation An MUN requires delegates to adopt the position of a specific country throughout the UN simulation. This is a key element of the “international” experience of Model UN as it forces delegates to examine the perspectives, problems, and policies of another country at a very fundamental level. It is also one of the most difficult aspects of MUN because students must confront inherent biases of their own national perspectives and historical information. The position papers are the focus of positional preparation before the conference. Although relatively short, we ask you to spend time and effort on researching and writing them.

How to Begin Your Research 1.Study Guide: The Study Guide is the center piece of substantive preparation. Read through each topic area at least twice to make sure you pick up all the details and subtleties of the issue. Background guides usually contain sections entitled “Suggestions for Further Research” and a bibliography, in which you will find specific sources that are particularly helpful in investigating that topic area. Take advantage of both of these source lists. However, your study guides not meant to be a substitute for your individual research. Instead, they should provide a starting point, inspiring you to ask yourself questions about the issues at hand. The best-prepared delegates are those that take the provided materials as the beginning of their research and delve deeper into the topic areas.

2. Know your Committee The goal of a committee is to pass a resolution, which depends on what a committee can and cannot do. Every committee has an official website. You want to understand your committee’s mandate (why it was created), powers (what it can do), organization (how it fits into the UN and the larger international community), and membership (who’s in it). Learn the basics of the UN and your committee, including their history, structure, and current events. Excellent sources include: the UN website, and the UN Charter, your committee’s website the UN Documentation Center, UN News Centre, which is the official press agency of the UN and posts up-to-date information about UN activities and world problems current periodicals

3. Know Your Country Delegates should learn as much as possible about the country they will be representing – both in general and in relation to the topics they will be discussing. Knowing your country’s position is an essential part of representing your country in formal speeches, when forming alliances, and in sponsoring and voting on resolutions. Know Your Allies At the UN and in Model UN, it is vital to know your allies. This allows you to form groups to co-sponsor resolutions, negotiate as a team, and vote as a bloc. Often countries from the same region vote as a bloc. Other times, voting is more issue- specific. So, as you research your country, the UN, and the topics before your committee, think about which countries are like yours (culturally, economically, politically, and otherwise), and make a note of any alliances and other forms of cooperation you discover. For information on some UN blocs, go to the website of your country’s foreign ministry CIA Fact book “Voting Practices in the United Nations,” a US State Department website with detailed information on country’s voting records,

4. Know Your Topic Developing a full understanding of the issue will put you in a position to fully defend your country's position and debate confidently at the conference. It's always best to consult several sources. Yearbook of the United Nations: The Yearbook is a good starting point for your research. The Yearbook will provide you with general information on what has been done on your topic during any particular year. It also provides very helpful references to previous articles and resolutions. United Nations Chronicle: This magazine gives you general information on the proceedings of the UN. Keep an eye out for special reports on your topic area, which will inform you about the topic and nations’ positions on it. UN Document Index: This index for all UN documents comes in three different versions: UNDI ( ), UNDEX ( ), and UNDOC (1979-present). Depending on which of the three you are using, you will find a subject index, a country index, and an alphanumeric list of all documents published (this is useful be- cause each committee has its own unique alphanumeric prefix and thus you can find all the documents put out by a committee during a certain year regardless of the specific topic). UN Resolutions: This series is both valuable and very easy to use. The index is cumulative from 1946, which means that you need only check the most current index to find all the resolutions on your topic that the UN has ever passed. The resolution voting records (located in the front of the book) will indicate where your coun- try and others stood on the issues. Other UN Sources: Depending on the topic, there might be additional relevant UN sources. Check for books and special reports put out by your committee. Beyond United Nations sources, however, are general sources of information. Check out journals, periodicals, and newspapers for more current sources.

Questions To Ask Yourself: What is the problem? How does it affect your country? What has your country done to combat the problem? What are the various “sides” in the debate? Which aspects of the issue are most important to your country? If your country is not involved with the issue, how can it become involved? How will your country shape the debate at the conference? What arguments will other countries make? How do the positions of other countries affect your country’s position? Is there evidence or statistics that might help to back up your country’s position? What are the most recent UN actions on your issue? What conferences and meetings have been held with regard to your issue? What have UN officials said about your issue?

Students should familiarize themselves with the rules of formal debate, parliamentary procedure, and the proper format for a resolution. Our training materials, available once background guides are posted, help both experienced and first-time delegates learn about the goals, accomplishments, limits, and powers of the UN and the international system. Familiarizing yourself with the Rules of Procedure is another vital part of your preparation General Preparation

Position Papers The structuring of the Position Papers is intended to elicit responses from the delegates that provide a clear picture of a nation’s stance on a particular topic area. By providing an outline of a Position Paper, we hope that delegates will be able to illustrate clear knowledge of their country’s policies and interests instead of simply regurgitating parts of the Study Guide.. Each position paper has three basic parts: your country’s national interests, your country’s national policies, and your opinion on potential resolution components. National interests are what a country would like to see happen in the world. These interests are not subject to compromise, but instead generally idealized goals or methods of solving specific problems. National policies are the country’s attempts to secure its interests. These policy positions are usually open to negotiation. Your opinions on potential resolution components are your Proposed Solutions. Although these sections provide flexibility, you need to keep in mind the interests of your nation. Possible resolutions must be consistent with your country’s national interests and current national policies

Writing a Position Paper THSMUN requires delegates to write one single-spaced page paper for each topic area. Position Paper should include three sections, outlined below: A. Background of the Topic In your country’s opinion, what are the main elements of the problem? What are the roots of those elements? B. Position taken by your delegation What are your national interests in the situation? What are your nation’s policies on the topic? What steps would you like to see taken to deal with the problem? C. Solutions What does your nation believe needs to be done to solve the problem? What do you predict will be the main opposition to your proposals?

Sample Position Paper

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