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Delegate

Preparation Guide

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2010 University of Victoria

Model United Nations Conference

5, 6, & 7 November 2010 | Victoria, British Columbia

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Table of Contents Letter from the Secretariat 4 Itinerary 5 Secretariat 6 Executive 7 Campus Map 8 Awards 9 VicMUN 2010 Rules of Procedure 10 Precedence of Motions Reference Guide 13 Position Paper Guidelines 14 Sample Position Paper 15 Sample Resolution 17 Key Terms for Resolution Writing 18

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Letter from the Secretariat Dear Delegates, On behalf of the 2010 VicMUN Secretariat, we would like to welcome you to the 7th annual Victoria Model United Nations Conference. Since its induction, this conference has grown to span over the course of 3 days with over 175 participants. It is our hope that you will challenge yourselves to negotiate, compromise and build your diplomatic skills while further appreciating the act of cooperation and international relations. This year the Press Corp will once again be an integral part of VicMUN. They will be responsible for gathering information at VicMUN and reporting on it in several newspapers that will be distributed throughout the conference. Do not hesitate to approach one of the press members and speak your country's mind on one of the interesting topics in your committee. Upon arrival to VicMUN, you will receive a nametag and country placard from your teacher. You will then proceed to Opening Ceremonies were we will have a presentation from our keynote speaker as well as introductions of the representatives of the University of Victoria Model United Nations Club, as well as your Secretariat for the conference. After opening ceremonies, you will continue ahead to what is arguably the most exciting part of the conference – agenda setting. During your first committee session on Friday night, you will meet the Dais (chair and rapporteur) of your committee and discuss the rules of procedure. On Saturday you will be prepared for two exhilarating debating committee sessions in which you will have to create and vote on resolutions. The Secretariat in each committee will be ready to help you throughout the committee processes. New to the conference this year, after committee sessions on Saturday we will be holding a social dance on the UVic campus. Sunday will resume with committee sessions in the morning, followed by a speech competition in which participants will be making closing remarks in national character. We will then be holding the final committee session in which Delegates will be expected to wrap up debate and vote on (and hopefully pass) Resolutions. After the final debating session, there will be a Delegate Debriefing in which you will select the award winners of your committee based on the best position paper, their diplomatic skills, and how well they accurately portrayed their country. This will be followed by Closing Ceremonies in which the UVic Model UN Faculty Advisor, Dr. Scott Watson will speak and students from each committee will be presented with awards. Delegates will then be invited to adjourn the conference and depart from what will be an educational and challenging weekend Members of the UVic Model United Nations Club will be volunteering with VicMUN Delegate Services to overlook the operations of the conference. VicMUN 2010 has been as much of a learning experience for us as it will be for you. If you have any questions over the course of the weekend, please feel free to ask one of us (we are all very friendly and eager to help you in any way we can). We look forward to meeting all of you! Sincerely, 2010 VicMUN Secretariat

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Tentative Itinerary

Friday, November 5th, 2010

6:00 pm – 6:30 pm Registration: Foyer Engineering Computer Sciences Building (ECS) 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Opening Ceremonies: ECS 123 7:40 pm – 9:40 pm Committee Session I 9:40 pm – 10:00 pm Press Conference I: ECS 123

Saturday, November 6th, 2010

9:00 am – 12:00 pm Committee Session II 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm Delegate Lunch (provided): ECS 123 1:15 pm – 2:00 pm Press Conference II: ECS 123 2:10 pm – 5:30 pm Committee Session III 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Dinner (not provided) 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm Dance/ Social Event

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

8:30 am – 11:30 am Committee Session VI 11:40 am – 12:15 pm Speech Competition 12:15 pm – 1:45 pm Delegate Lunch (provided): ECS 123 1:55 pm– 2:30 pm Press Conference: ECS 123 2:30 pm – 4:25 pm Committee Session V 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Closing Ceremonies: ECS 123

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VICMUN Secretariat 2010

VicMUN Secretariat 2010

Secretary General Matt Swanson vicmun2010secgen@gmail.com Under-Secretary General Michelle Legassicke mll@uvic.ca Director of Logistics Roxanne Tang rtang@uvic.ca

Marketing and Media Katie Coughlin katycoughlin@gmail.com Corporate Relations Temporarily Vacant

Press Corps Paul Donaldson paul.j.donaldson@hotmail.com

UNSC- Chair Paolo Zacharia Ciavarella vicmun2010unsc@gmail.com GA6 - Chairs

Caroline Matthews Emma Hamilton

vicmun2010ga6@gmail.com

NATO- Chair Colin Etienne vicmun2010nato@gmail.com IAEA - Chair Ellora Howie vicmun2010iaea@gmail.com

Position Papers: Please send all Position Papers to the appropriate email addresses found here: UNSC vicmun2010unsc@gmail.com GA6 vicmun2010ga6@gmail.com NATO vicmun2010nato@gmail.com IAEA vicmun2010iaea@gmail.com

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The University of Victoria Model United Nations Executive 2010

President Ellora Howie Vice-President Matt Swanson Finance Minister Colin Etienne Student Affairs Michelle Legassicke PR and Communications Paul Donaldson Education Paolo Zacharia Ciavarella Travel Coordinator Katie Coughlin Fundraising Ministers Caroline Matthews, Emma Hamilton, Roxanne Tang & April Barry Corporate Relations Pending By-election Faculty Sponsor Dr. Scott Watson Club Email Address unclub@uvic.ca Club Website http://web.uvic.ca/~unclub

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Information About the Engineering Computer Science Building

The Engineering and Computer Science building is one of three Gold Level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings on the University of Victoria campus. Completed in 2007, this six-storey building includes many sustainable features including a dual plumbing system that recycles water, a partially green planted roof, natural landscaping to promote storm water retention, and extensive use of recycled materials. The building is also 25 percent more energy efficient than the Model National Energy Code suggests. The University of Victoria itself is very ambitious with its green initiatives owning three out of the seven LEED certified buildings in Victoria (with two more on the way to also receiving certification). Further, in 2008, UVic also completed and ratified its brand new Sustainability Policy and Action Plan. To find out more information about UVic’s sustainable initiatives check out: http://web.uvic.ca/sustainability/

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Awards This year at VicMUN we will be presenting awards for each committee based on a number of factors including: creating innovative solutions; caucusing and debating both skillfully and persuasively; acting in character; and providing exemplary position papers and resolutions. The awards will be distributed as follows: Best Position Paper This will be decided in advance by the Director of each Committee and the Secretary General. Only Position Papers that have been submitted on time will qualify. Best Diplomacy Award In each committee the students will vote and the Director will choose the delegate that demonstrates excellent diplomatic skills and a great willingness to negotiate. Best High School Delegate Award & Best University Delegate Award In each committee the students will vote and the Director will choose the delegate that is the overall strongest performer from each of the two aforementioned categories in their committee. Considerations will include participation in resolution writing, position papers, debating, negotiating, outstanding representation of foreign policy etc. Honourable Mention Because there is often more than one exceptional delegate in each committee, the Director of each committee may choose to award certain students or countries honourable mentions.

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Victoria Model United Nations Rules of Procedure The purpose of a Model United Nations conference is to simulate the inner workings of the UN, including its Councils, the General Assembly and its committees, and specialized agencies. This year at VicMUN, we will be simulating the Security Council, the General Assembly, the African Union, and the Counter-Terrorism Committee. It is very important during these simulations to accurately portray the foreign policy of the country you are representing. Remember at all times that you are speaking for the opinions and interests of a nation-state. These interests and opinions will often not reflect your own. Conduct The official language of the VicMUN conference is English. The official dress code is formal Western business attire. This typically means suits all around. If this is not possible, dress pants and shirts with ties are sufficient for men. Dress skirts/pants and dress shirts are fine for women. National costumes are not appropriate. As in the United Nations organization itself, delegates are not permitted to bring national symbols inside committee chambers. We suggest you bring a binder of information with you to your committee session and a laptop if possible. Delegates should speak as diplomatically as possible. The first person singular (I) should never be used. Instead, a delegate should refer to their policies in the following way: for example, “The Commonwealth of Australia believes”; “Australia believes”; “We believe.” It is very important to remain silent while another delegate has the floor. If this is not being observed, the dais may call for decorum, calling on delegates to remain silent and orderly. It is very important to remain “in character” throughout the simulation. However, accusing a delegate of inaccurate portrayal is as much a breach of procedure as is the inaccurate portrayal itself. Agenda-setting The first session of each committee is used to set the agenda. Delegates must decide in what order they wish to discuss their topics. Delegates should bear in mind that even in week-long conferences, usually only one topic is discussed all the way through to resolution. Delegates should know in advance which topic they wish to debate first, and should be able to convince others of this opinion. Speaking in a United Nations Simulation A committee session begins with roll call. Delegates must respond either “Present” or “Present and Voting”. Delegates who respond “Present and Voting” may not abstain in a formal vote. They can only vote in favour or opposition to every resolution put before the committee. Delegates must consider the debate at hand, as a “present” response will prevent them from voting on issues that may matter to them. Countries are usually known for their voting styles. For example, the United States always votes “Present and Voting”, whereas a smaller country like Cuba or Kuwait might only vote “Present”. All delegates must cast a vote

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in procedural motions, regardless of whether they are “Present” or “Present and Voting”. Debate in a United Nations simulation occurs in three ways: through a speakers’ list, through moderated debate, and through unmoderated caucusing. The Speakers’ List is created at the beginning of a committee. The initial speakers’ list is created by a show of placards. Additional delegates wishing to be added to the speakers’ list must do so by sending a note to the Dais. Countries currently on the speakers list may not be added. When a delegate has the floor, he or she is expected to come to the front of the committee chamber to address fellow delegates. Delegates may speak for an amount of time decided by the committee. Time limits are set through a motion. The delegates have a chance to speak in favour and opposition of the motion and then vote on the debated time limit. If a delegate is finished speaking before their time has expired, he or she may yield that time to another country of choice, or to the chair. Yielded time may not be (re)yielded. Withdrawal from the speakers’ list can be done through a note to the dais. Moderated debates allow delegates to address specific issues. They must be created by a motion from the floor. In moving for a moderated debate, a delegate must specify the topic of debate and the total time of debate. The committee may then vote on individual speaking time. Time may not be yielded in a moderated debate. Unmoderated caucus allows delegates to discuss issues with aligned countries, and begin working papers. Delegates are welcome to move around the chamber during a caucus. Feel free to express your country's opinions to the members of the Press Corp during an unmoderated caucusing period. Caucuses, like moderated debates, require both a stated purpose and a time. Moving to unmoderated caucus requires a motion to suspend the meeting for a stated time period for the purpose of caucusing. Unmoderated caucus is not “free” time however. Delegates are still expected to remain “in character” and represent their country’s interests, even in an informal setting, such as unmoderated caucus. Resolutions Resolutions are group projects that are developed while you are in committee that work to provide solutions/agreements for the issues you are discussing. Resolutions are an important part of the negotiation procedure at the United Nations and therefore will play a large role in committee. Having said that, it is clear that the practice writing of resolutions can be a valuable preparation tool in familiarizing you with the resolution process and in crystallizing your ideas about what might work. It might be a good idea to try writing one before you attend VicMUN. However, these will be for practice only and should not be used during the actual conference. In writing draft resolutions, delegates should consult the list of preambulatory and operative phrases. Please note that preambulatory clauses always end with a comma, while operative clauses end with a semicolon. The final operative clause ends with a period. Note: you will need to provide a Draft Resolution to your Director during the conference in order to obtain approval for Resolution status. A Draft Resolution should include at least 2

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Sponsors (the main drafters of the draft resolution). Depending on the size of a committee, working papers require a certain number of signatories in order to be submitted as a draft resolution. Remember, all Resolutions are non binding to member states except in the Security Council. They are considered strong suggestions of action that member states should take towards a specific issue. Working papers Working papers can be seen as “draft” draft resolutions. A certain number of signatories are required in order for working papers to be considered draft resolutions. This number will be announced by the chair during committee, and will depend on attendance. Once a working paper has the required amount of signatories, it should be sent to the chair for coding. If two or more working papers are similar in substance, the chair may ask that they be combined. Draft Resolutions Once a working paper has been coded, it is distributed among the committee for consideration. Once a country is satisfied that a working paper has the necessary support, a signatory or sponsor must introduce it from the speakers’ list by reading its operative clauses. Any delegate may propose amendments to draft resolutions. Friendly amendments are automatically adopted if they have the support of all of a draft resolution’s sponsors. Unfriendly amendments do not have the support of all sponsors, and are voted on by the committee. In order for an unfriendly amendment to be introduced, it must have the support of a certain number of delegates. This is the same number as is necessary for the introduction of a working paper, and will be announced by the chair. Draft resolutions are voted on upon closure of debate. When formal voting procedure is in effect, the committee chambers will be sealed. If delegates wish certain clauses removed from a draft resolution, they may move for division of the question. This requires a majority vote from committee members. Any delegate may move for a roll call vote. In a roll call vote, the chair reads the list of delegates, who must either vote “yes”, “no” or “abstain.” If a draft resolution receives majority support from the committee, it is considered adopted.

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Precedence of Motions Reference Guide

No. Rule Description Vote

Precedence of Motions Rules of lower number having higher precedence N/A

1 Point of Order Used to correct an error in procedure; ruling by chair (Appeal of Chair requires 2/3 majority)

N/A

2 Adjourn Meeting Requires no debate; put immediately to vote. 2 speakers for, 2 against

Majority

3 Point of Information Used to ask a question about the subject at hand; granted by the chair

N/A

4 Right of Reply Motion to respond when a country feels its dignity has been insulted

N/A

5 Suspend the Meeting (Caucus)

Allows for a break in a meeting; no debate Majority

6 Moderated Debate Less formal debate moderated by chair for a specific period of time

Majority

7 Close Debate Ends discussion on an issue and brings it to a vote; two delegates opposing the closure of debate may speak.

2/3

8 Limit Discussion Used to limit speaking time and number of speakers; two in favour and two opposed to limits may speak.

Majority

9 Postpone Consideration Delays consideration of an issue until a specific time 2/3

10 Adjourn Debate Ends consideration of an issue without voting on the issue; two in favour and two opposed to adjourning debate may speak.

Majority

11 Amend Proposal Used to modify a proposal in whole or part; may be accepted by the consent of the sponsors of the proposal or put to a vote once a proposal is amended by vote, the sponsor may no longer accept amendments

Majority

12 Reconsider Proposal Used to reconsider previous action taken on a proposal; two in favour and two opposed to reconsideration may speak

Majority

13 Withdraw Motion Used by sponsors to withdraw proposal prior to voting N/A

14 Voting Procedures Votes taken by placard unless a member requests a roll call vote.

N/A

15 Voting Conduct No entry or exit from room allowed during voting no talking except to raise a point of order or to cast and/or explain a vote

N/A

16 Division of Proposals Delegate may move immediately prior to a vote to divide the proposal into separate parts t be voted on separately in order set by chair.

N/A

19 Tie Votes Second vote take at next meeting of body if second vote results in a tie, then proposal fails.

N/A

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Position Papers Each delegate is required to complete a 1-2 page (single spaced, 12pt. Times New Roman) summary written in character from the position of the country the delegate is representing. This should be emailed to your Committee Director no later than Monday, November 1st, 2010 at 11:59pm. (If you send your paper after this date you will not be eligible for the “Best Position Paper Award”. If you do not send a Position Paper at all, you will not be able to participate in the conference.) The Position Paper should include a brief introduction and a comprehensive breakdown of the country's position on the topics that are being discussed within the committee. An excellent Position Paper must include a developed introduction as well as clear definitions of concepts and terms under discussion. The paper must then be broken down under the topic headings that your committee will be discussing. Each section should include three clear statements of policy on each topic: 1. The country ’s background and his tory on the topic 2. Pol i t i ca l fore ign pol i cy on the topic 3. Any act ions that the government has taken in re lat ion to the topic . Relevant conventions and previous UN resolutions should also be included as well as a brief statement of intention and an ‘action plan’ regarding the topic. Position Papers must be clear, concise and an accurate reflection of your country’s foreign policy. Good places to begin research include government websites from the country you are representing (ie, http://www.firstgov.gov for the United States) as well as the UN website database (www.un.org) for previous actions taken on a specific issue. Please send your position papers to the following Committee email addresses, not the Directors' personal email addresses. However, if you have any questions about your committee, send them to the Director's personal address (found in the background guides) and not the Committee address. For information specific to your country, we find it is also very helpful to start with the webpage of your Department of Foreign Affairs so as to evaluate your state’s position and maybe even find key quotes from political leaders. Also, don’t forget to bring a copy of your position paper to VicMUN! Position Papers: Please send all Position Papers to the appropriate email addresses found here: UNSC vicmun2010unsc@gmail.com GA6 vicmun2010ga6@gmail.com NATO vicmun2010nato@gmail.com IAEA vicmun2010iaea@gmail.com

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Sample Position Paper Please style all Position Papers in an identical format

Delegation from Represented by The Republic of Venezuela UN Secondary School

Position paper for the General Assembly Sixth Committee The issues before the General Assembly Sixth Committee are: Economic Sanctions and Human Rights; the Impact of Customary Law on State Sovereignty. 1. Economic Sanctions and Human Rights The Republic of Venezuela strongly believes that economic sanctions are a direct infringement of the guiding principles of the United Nations Charter. Our government strongly disapproves of economic and social restrictions imposed on States by other states, as we believe that they only add to the pressures and pain imposed on an already tremendously suffering and vulnerable population. The Republic of Venezuela believes that economic sanctions do not have a valid impact on the very system that they are seeking to change and that, on the contrary, they infringe on the principles of the sovereign equality of States. Our country strongly supports and encourages the implementation of democratic governments throughout Latin America and throughout the world. In agreement with the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights which clearly states in article 25 (1) that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services (…)” and with the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Venezuela condemns the creation of embargoes on States by other States. Our nation strongly believes that peaceful, diplomatic solutions should be found to have an effective impact on governments who are in direct or indirect violation of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and of international agreements and whose political situation and/or actions violate the international order. We support the idea of peaceful conflict resolution in both Cuba and Iraq's case in order to minimize the amount of human suffering. Thus, Venezuela reaffirms its opposition to the use of economic sanctions as they clearly violate human rights. 2. The Impact of Customary Law on State Sovereignty Our government has always felt strongly about State sovereignty and about the importance for States to have control of domestic matters. As we firmly agree with the value of treaties which protect human rights and provide security for Member States, we also believe that a country is the sole possessor of the right to determine what legislation will best benefit its population on matters such as nuclear weapons possession and testing. Venezuela does not believe that a nation is bound to conform to a treaty it has not signed or ratified as mentioned in the Vienna Convention, article 34: “a treaty does not create either

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obligations or rights for a Third State without its consent.” The Republic of Venezuela does not believe that the United Nations has the mandate to intervene in domestic and internal affairs as mentioned in the United Nations Charter, article 2 (7): “Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the UN to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter (…)” Venezuela believes that the United Nations would greatly benefit from the clarification of Article 51 of the United Nations Charter which states: “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence is an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.” We believe the United Nations Charter is unclear on the subject of the legality of possessing nuclear weapons. We believe that the United Nations does not have the right to infringe on the sovereignty of states and cannot force a country to conform to a treaty it has not agreed upon.

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Sample Resolution Resolution 1.2 Sponsors: The United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Signatories: France, China, Russia, Benin The Security Council: Reaffirming its commitment to peace in Rwanda as put forth in past resolution S/RES/925, Considering the sensitivity of the issue to Rwanda, its neighboring countries and cultural minorities in the region, Reaffirming its commitment to upholding the United Nations standards of human rights, 1. Demands an immediate and unconditional cease-fire; 2. Hence forth sends a UN mandate under African Member States in the UN leadership; 3. Requests that this mandate: a) suppresses any forms of UN human rights charter violations, b) secures the well being of any civilian persons under threat in the area c) controls flow of refugees in the area and within Rwandese borders, d) maintains control of the borders; 4. Authorizes this mandate to be armed for the sole purpose of self defense with the intent of peace keeping; 5. Calls upon the cooperation of all humanitarian organizations in the area; 6. Requests all neighboring states to take in refugees as much as possible and provide the upholding of human rights; 7. Demands all nongovernmental Rwandese troops to cease operation; 8. Reaffirming the importance of the provisions made under the Arusha Peace Agreement; 9. Urges the governments of the DRC and Rwanda to refrain from mobilizing their forces along the DRC/Rwanda border.

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Key Terms for Resolution Writing

Preambulatory Clauses Affirming Alarmed by Approving Aware of Bearing in mind Believing Confident Contemplating Convinced Declaring Deeply concerned Deeply conscious Deeply convinced Deeply disturbed Deeply regretting 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 considered further Having devoted attention Having examined Having heard Having received Having studied

Keeping in mind Noting with regret Noting with deep concern Noting with satisfaction Noting further Noting with approval Observing Reaffirming Realizing Recalling Recognizing Referring Seeking Taking into account Taking into consideration Taking note Viewing with appreciation Welcoming

Operative Clauses Accepts Affirms Approves Authorizes Calls Calls upon Condemns Confirms Congratulates Considers Declares accordingly Deplores Designates Draws the attention

Emphasizes Encourages Endorses Expresses its Appreciation Expresses its hope Further invites Further proclaims Further reminds Further recommends Further requests Further resolves Has resolved Notes

Proclaims Reaffirms Recommends Regrets Reminds Requests Solemnly affirms Strongly condemns Supports Takes note of Transmits Trusts