Saint Ignatius Model United NationsHandbookLast Updated in 2006

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Index

SIMUN leadership • 1-2

Past Conferences Attend by SIMUN • 3

Code of Conduct • 4

Tricks of the MUN trade • 5

SIMUN FAQ • 6-9

Preparation for a Conference • 10-12

Packing List • 13

Parliamentary Procedure Chart • 14-15

Parliamentary Procedure Details • 16-22

Resolution Writing • 23-28

How to Research • 29-30

Writing the Position Paper • 31-32

General Committees and Their Jurisdiction, Sample Position Papers • 33-37

Specialized Committees and Sample Position Papers • 38-44

Strategies to Use in Committee • 45

SIMUN ModeratorMrs. Diane Haleas-Hines – A mother of four, Mrs. Haleas has been teaching at Saint Ignatiussince 1996. She teaches World History and AP Comparative Politics. She was valedictorian of herhigh school class and is a graduate of Notre Dame, holding a BA in Government & InternationalRelations. She is also a graduate of Northwestern with a Masters in Education. In 1999, she foundedSIMUN. She is currently moderator for SIMUN and National Honor Society and has moderatedAmnesty International in the past. Today, she dedicates all her time to her students in class and to usModel UNers (and just a little bit to NHS)!Email: diane.haleas@ignatius.org Classroom: 256

SIMUN Executive BoardThe SIMUN executive board consists of the six to seven most worthy, dedicated, and responsiblemembers of the Model UN team as decided by all the conference attending club members of theprevious year. The board’s job is to aid Ms. Haleas in organizing everything Model UN related fromthe conferences to the meetings to our own conference we run every year to the end of the yearbanquet. The board meets, at the very least, weekly to discuss upcoming conferences, as well as runsthe meetings that are held for the entire club every Monday at 3:05 in the Foglia library. The board,however, is more than just the central planning committee for the club. They are also the people whodecide who goes on what conference based on meeting attendance, dedication to the club, andsometimes even interviews. Past awards won are also taken into consideration, but are by far not thecentral consideration in the decision making process. Finally, the board is here to help all youmembers. Any questions you have regarding the club, the proceedings, the conferences, or anythingtechnical, the board members are happy to answer for you. Find them in the library before or afterthe general meeting to ask them your questions. They can also assist you with any personal ModelUN related matters from concerns dealing with fellow members to your confidence and personal

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preparedness for upcoming conferences. And if you are a new member, no worries! The boardexpects you to ask many questions, and as you read this handbook, everything you need to knowabout Model UN is explained. There are committee simulations, practice conferences, and extensivepreparation aid leading up to conferences to help prepare you as well. Board members also readevery position paper written and return them to their authors with feedback before every conference,regardless of the member’s years of experience. So, please, continue engrossing yourself in ModelUN strategy, proceedings, and conference information without intimidation or apprehension!

The following will change when it is no longer the 2006-2007 school year, but otherwise, this handbook willapply to all future school years.

Executive Board Member Specific Obligations and Contact Information 2006-2007:Officer of Conference Prep: Dan Ioppolo '07In charge of position paper collection and return

djioppolo@aol.com

Secretary: Matas Tamosiunas '07Archivist for the Executive Board

matas.t@sbcglobal.net

Social Chair: John Simkus '07Organizes activities for group while on a conference, directory of photography

jmsimkus@hotmail.com

Simulation Director: Nikesh Patel '07Directs and in charge of prep for committee simulations during weekly meetings

Nikesh.patel@rcn.com

Public Relations and Communications Director: Cate Berger '07Relays all important messages and notices to club members via email, homeroom, etc.

Cate.Berger@hotmail.com

Treasurer: Tobi Ojo '08Collects forms and money for each conference/club event

Bitomi222@yahoo.com

SIMUN Website Coordinator: Greg Young '08Responsible for creating and updating SIMUN website

gpyoung@cellularex.us

Authors: Scott Chessare '06, Molly Fedick '06, Grace Green '06, Whitney Merrill '05, Yi Wei'06, Dan Ioppolo '07, Nikesh Patel '07, John Simkus '07, Tobi Ojo '08, Greg Young '08,Matas Tamosiunas '07, and Cate Berger '07Editors: Chris Ocasio '05 and Cate Berger '07

Thanks to: All the SIMUN members past, present, and future, Kinkos for getting thisprinted, Mrs. Haleas for all her hard work and maxed-out credit cards, the people whoworked on this over their summer vacations, and Microsoft Word for not losing the file.

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Past Model United Nations Conferences Attended by SIMUN

Here's an idea of the variety of places SIMUN has traveled and spread of conferences theclub has attended. Every year, the conferences the club will participate in are decided by theexecutive board. Generally, SIMUN goes to a number of local conferences held by local highschools and colleges and two conferences outside of the state, usually held by east coastuniversities. **We also host our own conference every year, in which every club member isexpected to participate, whether in preparing for the conference if he or she cannot actuallyattend, acting as a chair or staff member, or participating as a delegate.

**SIMUN- St. Ignatius Model United Nations conference (our conference)

SMUNC- Stevenson High School Model United Nations Conference

FUNC- Fremd High School Model United Nations Conference

CIMUN - Chicago, Illinois Model United Nations held by UIC

NUMUN - Northwestern University Model United Nations conference

NHSMUN - National High School Model United Nations conference held at the UN inNew York, NY

SSUNS - Secondary Schools United Nations Symposium held in Montreal, Canada byMcGill University

WMHSMUN - William and Mary High School Model United Nations conference held inWilliamsburg, VA

NAIMUN - Model United Nations conference held by Georgetown University inWashington, D.C.

MUNI - Model United Nations Illinois conference held by University of IllinoisChampaign-Urbana in Champaign, IL

BosMUN - Boston Model United Nations Conference held by MIT and BostonUniversity in Boston, MA

Harvard MUN - Harvard Model United Nations conference held by Harvard in Boston,MA

GLIMUN - Great Lakes Model United Nations conference

Yale MUN - Yale Model United Nations conference held by Yale University in

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Code Of Conduct

All rules and regulations as articulated in the St. Ignatius College Prep Handbookare to be followed during any and all SIMUN events, and consequences forinfractions will be enforced according to that same handbook.

Conference RulesThese rules are as stipulated by our moderator, Mrs. Haleas-Hines, and will be enforced.

1. Delegates from other schools are not allowed in any SIMUN hotel rooms.If you are meeting to discuss resolutions or anything similar, please meet in common areas, such as thehotel lobby.

2. Any SIMUN delegate must be accompanied by a St. Ignatius chaperone whenleaving the hotel premises.

3. Contact Mrs. Haleas-Hines or other St. Ignatius chaperone IMMEDIATELY in caseof emergency or illness.

4. Follow the curfew regulations as stated by Mrs. Haleas-Hines on each specificconference.

5. Respect the security personnel and other conference administration while at theconferences.Report any problems to Mrs. Haleas-Hines, but always treat the conference administrators withrespect.

6. YOU MUST BE ON TIME FOR COMMITTEE AND MUST ATTENDEVERY SESSION!!!Failure to do so will weigh heavily on a decision to allow you on future conferences.

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Tricks of the Trade & the Collective Wisdom of SIMUNersPast

• Get a seat in the front rows of thecommittee whenever possible

• Always be on the Speaker’s List• Don’t yield time to the Chair• Yield time to questions if possible• Defend your resolution, but don’t

be afraid to amend it• Make friends with the slacker

delegations and get them to vote foryour agenda

• Whenever there’s an obligatorymotion (to open/close debate), bethe one to make that motion

• Try to control the agenda• Always have a set of eyes and ears

in committee• Know parliamentary procedure,

general procedures and proceduresspecific to your conference, and usethem to your advantage

• Do not argue or crosstalk in frontof the chair

• Beware of slacker delegations whowant to be a sponsor. They coulddrag you down in the eyes of thechair

• Know the difference betweenworking papers and resolutions –these terms are NOTinterchangeable

• DO NOT be a page• Know your topic and country

policies inside and out• Read more about the topic than

what’s given in the Topic Guide• Always remain attentive• Never personally insult any race,

region, religion, ethnicity, etc.(except in extreme cases where itapplies to your position; i.e. you

represent South Africa in a timeperiod when apartheid is in place)

• Understand the differences betweena point of order, point of personalprivilege, and point of inquiry

• Have your wallet and conferenceID on you at all times.

• Get enough sleep and nourishmentto function properly

• Always arrive on-time (aka, 10minutes earlier than the assignedtime) to committee sessions. Usethis time to get settled and chat withother delegates and/or the chair(s)

• The first placards up are the firstplacards called. Raise them early,raise them often

• Have fun but take committeesessions seriously. There’s usuallyplenty of free time to chill outsideof committee

• Don’t pass any notes you wouldn’twant your parents to read. Somechairs like to intercept and collect“interesting” notes to read back tothe committee at the end of theconference

• Don’t be arrogant. Arrogance justmakes other delegates bandtogether to piss you off by blockingyour agenda

• Bring your research materials to theconference if possible. It helps tohave all your information handy

• Your biggest research tool are theother people in your committee:learn from them!

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Frequently Asked Questions about Model UN

Q. What is Model UN?

A. Model UN is an authentic simulation of the United Nations and other multilateral bodies.It’s been around, in one form or another, since the creation of the UN over 50 years ago. Weshould also include that it’s the best club to be in at Ignatius!

Q. What is a Model UN Conference?

A. Conferences are when groups of high school students from around the country, and insome cases, the world, gather to simulate the UN and other bodies. Each school representsone or more countries in each UN committee that country is in. They plan diplomaticstrategies, cooperate with other delegates, and give speeches, all while trying to solve real-world issues facing the United Nations. Delegates strive to write working papers that spellout the solutions to the problem, and the goal of the entire conference is to unanimouslypass a working paper/draft resolution (the term is one or the other, depending on theconference). Often working papers/draft resolutions compete against each other incommittee, and it is the each delegate's job to get his or her working paper/draft resolutionpassed and block others that oppose it, although multiple working papers/draft resolutionscan and should be passed, if they compliment each other. Once a working paper/draftresolution has been passed, it becomes a resolution and is permanent, unless anotherresolution is passed to counter-act it. A conference can be anywhere, from a few classroomsin a high school, to the campus of a college, and even at the actual United Nations Buildingin New York City. There can be as few as 20 students to upwards of 3,000!

See page 16 for further explanation of draft resolutions.

Q. What exactly happens at a Model UN conference?

A. After checking in at the hotel and changing into your spiffy “Western Business Attire”,you’ll attend an opening ceremony, which normally will include one or two keynote speakers.When this is done, you’ll most likely go to your first committee session and start debate.Debate will continue over the next couple days (the number of days, number of sessions,and length of sessions varies by conference) with breaks for meals. Delegates also get entireblocks of time free, usually one half day, to relax and enjoy the area the conference is in, andanother block of time one evening to enjoy a delegate dance or other activity of theirchoosing.

Unless otherwise noted, you’re free to eat with whomever you want and whereveryou want at meal times as long as you’re back for committee or curfew in time. Also notethat if you are eating anywhere but in the buildings the conference is held in, you must beaccompanied by an Ignatius chaperone.

Q. Is there financial aid available?

A. Absolutely. No one will ever be denied the chance to go to a conference because offinancial reasons. Talk to Mrs. Haleas if you need any information at all about financial aid.

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Q. What exactly is “Western Business Attire”?

A. The clothes you’d wear for a Mass Day at school. For girls, this means a nice skirt orpants with a nice shirt and dress shoes. For guys it’s khakis/dress pants, a dress shirt, tie, andblazer. Things to definitely avoid: flip flops, Birkenstocks, shirts with writing, and yourpajamas (though in a midnight crisis (see page 34) this may not apply).

Q. What’s a position paper?

A. A position paper states the opinion of the country you represent on the topic you’ll bediscussing in committee. They are usually quite short, anywhere from .75-1 page singlespaced per topic, and you will find that with all your research, it is easy to write even more.All position papers you write will be reviewed by a board member before the conference andhanded back to you with notes and corrections. This can only be guaranteed, however, if youget your paper to one of them by the deadline they tell you! Every delegate from Ignatiusmust write a position paper, even if they are optional for a conference. After you havecorrected your position paper accordingly, you will either turn it in on the first day ofcommittee or email it to your committee chair (see page 14 for an explanation of "chair") bya certain deadline. A quick note: Turn in a paper to your chair late at your own peril!!!Some conferences demand on-time filing of a school’s position papers, and if they don’treceive them on time they’ll usually penalize everyone in our delegation when deciding whogets awards.

Completion and effort on position papers is considered by the board when they arechoosing which delegates to send to future conferences.

See pages 29-33 for more information on position papers and directions on writing one.

Q. Ugh, all this work. Is there going to be some free time, too?

A. Yes, but the amount depends on the conference. For most college conferences, there is atleast one half day free for you to enjoy the surrounding city or town. What you do isdependent on the location of the conference and access to public transportation. Usually, theteam splits into as many groups as there are chaperones and will do any number of thingsincluding the following: going on tours, going the movies, enjoying something unique to thearea, going on a college tour, going shopping, exploring the city, or whatever the group votesto do! You’ll have free time to eat between sessions, and more than enough is usually allottedfor you to grab some food and even run back to your room for a little while as well. Inaddition to all this, there’s frequently an hour or two of free time after the last committeesession of the night, and even more time on the night of the delegate dance. If you don’twant to go to the delegate dance on that night, you’ll have the whole night free!

Q. How much money should I bring to a Model UN conference?

A. This is definitely a matter of personal preference and of how long you’ll be at a givenconference. You’ll need money for all your food and anything else you plan on buying. Becareful to take along a bit more than you think you’ll need, just in case you want to buy somesouvenirs. As far as food goes, five-star cuisine by Model UN standards includes anything

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that doesn’t come out of the vending machine or a pizza box, so plan on eating at IHOP-esque establishments A LOT.

As a rough guideline, $100 is plenty to suffice for a four day conference. If the conference isa local high school conference, enough for just lunch is fine, as those are only one day long.

Q. How much does it cost to participate in SIMUN?

A. This will vary depending on which conferences you attend. There is absolutely no fee forbeing in the club itself, but there are fees involved with most conferences, particularlyconferences involving long plane flights and hotel rooms. General rule of thumb: Thefarther away and the longer the conference, the more it’ll cost.

Q. Can I choose my roommates?

A. Yes. Just make sure you or your roommates let whoever is handling room assignmentsknow that you’d like to be put together. If we don’t know, then you probably won’t get aroom together.

Q. What happens if I skip a committee session?

A. Get ready for the wrath of Mrs. Haleas!!! Not to sound like the Ignatius StudentHandbook, but if you purposely skip a committee session you won’t be picked to attend anymajor conferences in the future. When you skip, it reflects badly on both yourself as adelegate and on our school’s entire delegation. Some of these conferences are by invitationonly, and by skipping you may cost the team its invitation next year. Skipping committeesessions is taken seriously, as there is plenty of time for leisure outside of committee.Exceptions are: illness or emergency

Q. How are people picked to go to conferences?

A. The board chooses delegates out of the pool of candidates that have stated they wish toattend. People are picked based on a number of things: meeting attendance, participation insimulations, effort on past position papers (not eloquence, just effort!), and merit asdemonstrated by how they’ve performed at other conferences. That doesn’t mean you haveto win 50 awards to go on a big conference, it just means you have to be actively andintelligently participating in committee instead of sleeping in the back. We are a seniorityblind club. We’d much rather have a devoted freshman than a slacker senior, and wherepeople get to go will reflect this. Having said all this about seniority, it is common that moreseniors or juniors are picked to attend the two away conferences, as they generally are theones that are more skilled, having more experience in the club.

Q. Can I be any country I want? What are my options for committees?

A. The country you get is the delegation that St. Ignatius will be representing at theconference. SIMUN may get more than one country, but you can only represent one countryat a time. Usually, we will allow you to pick your country and committee from the optionsgiven to us. You would submit your top three choices to the board, and they hand out

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assignments from there. Think about assignments that most people won't ask for, and youwill be very likely get it, instead of asking for an assignment that is popular. Also, somecommittees will be reserved for members with a lot of experience (usually, these committeesare small, 15-25 people, crisis oriented, and highly demanding of the delegate in terms oftime and research; see page 34 for explanation of these special committees). Sometimes, theboard may ask each member going on a conference to interview with the board to explainwhy they want a specific assignment.

See page 41 for explanation of general committees.See page 34 for explanation of specialized committees.

Q. Why should I join Model UN?

A. There’re too many reasons to count! Not only will you have a blast at the conferences,but Model UN will help you become more knowledgeable about foreign affairs, globalissues, current events, public speaking, problem solving, and researching and writing papers.Not least of all, it’s a great way to meet dozens of other students at Ignatius who share yourinterests.

Q. How can I get on the Executive Board?

A. At the end of every year, elections are held. The number of open slots will depend onboth the size of the club and on how many Exec. Board members will be around next year.We’ll let you know how many spots are available when you can apply to run. All you need todo is to fill out an application and make a speech about why you feel you should be on theExecutive Board. The biggest boost to your chances of winning is your devotion to the club,so make sure to participate every chance you get! Only those members who went one at leastone conference (no matter the size) in the past academic year are permitted to vote, and theyreally must be present at the voting meeting to cast their choices (unless arrangements aremade with Mrs. Haleas beforehand).

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So you’re going to a Model UN conference

In the Beginning

First, congratulations on getting chosen to go to a Model UN conference. Hopefully, it wasyour first or second choice, but if not don’t be disappointed. There are many conferencesthroughout the year, and a slot in your favorite could open up at any time.

***Before you leave the meeting, make sure you’ve written down the website of the conference you’ll beattending (if they have one) to get more information. Also, make sure you’ve got your committee name and thename of the country you’ll be representing***

For the next week or two you’ll get more directions from Mrs. Haleas and the ExecutiveBoard. They’re there to help you in any way short of actually writing and researching for you.Any questions about what to expect? Ask! Have your position paper done? We’re going toproof-read it and give it back to you for editing if necessary. During this time, check on thewebsite, email any committee-specific questions to your chair, and start your research (forinformation on how to research, see page 27-28 and for research resources, grab one of theresearch packets from Mrs. Haleas ).

As soon as you are assigned a date when your position paper is due, write it down with theother information you’ve already got. Increase the pace of your research if necessary, andstart to write a rough draft of your position paper. Leaving the paper until the last minute isnot a good idea. Make sure the paper is handed into the executive board and into yourcommittee chair on time! See page 29 for information on writing a position paper.

Don't forget, even if you have already submitted your paper to your chair, continueresearching your topic until the day of the conference!

The Week Before the Conference

You must give all of your teachers notice that you’ll be away at the conference as early aspossible. This gives them the time they need to get you your homework assignments as wellas to reschedule tests and quizzes if necessary.

The Deans Office does not need a note of absence. Your parents do not need to call you inabsent on the day you leave for the conference. Mrs. Haleas will take care of all this.

Check daily with Mrs. Haleas to confirm travel plans and receive updates about theconference.

Unless your delegation is going as a group, arrange your plans for how to get to the airport(if necessary), to school, or all the way to the conference. Ask around at conference meetingsfor rides and be sure to tell Mrs. Haleas all of your final plans at least a week inadvance if possible.

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Start packing early. It’s amazing how suddenly, the night before you’re supposed to leave,you realize you don’t have any stockings or dress shoes that fit. Check the weather forecastfor the area around the conference when you’re packing and take it into account. Startpacking by making a list of things you’ll need, and save the list for the next trip. We’ve alsoput down a mini-packing list below.

Finally, check the website of the conference you’re going to one last time. It’ll have anyimportant committee updates or new regarding changes in the conference schedule. Makesure your parents have the departing and arriving flight information, the hotel information,and Mrs. Haleas's contact information.

The Day Of

Eat breakfast even if you don’t normally. The whole process of either getting through theairport to your flight or getting to the conference by car can take a long time. If you’re flying,they most definitely will not be serving anything more than peanuts.

***Make sure you have your research binder, a copy of your position paper, and most importantly, if you areflying, HAVE A PHOTO ID. The student ID or a driver’s license works.***

Leave EARLY for school, the airport, or the conference. You never know what plans mightsuddenly change, and it’s always good to have some extra time in case you get stuck intraffic. Wait for Mrs. Haleas before checking in at the airport; call her cell once you are thereif you cannot find her in the pre-determined place. You are free to wear comfortable clothesfor traveling, but you are expected to have plenty of Western Business attire packed.

While At The Conference

The most important thing to remember at any Model UN conference is that you’rerepresenting yourself, the club, and oftentimes the city of Chicago. In order for the club tosucceed we need your full participation and excellent behavior. See page 3 for a code of conduct;for severe flouting of rules, you will not be allowed on any more away conferences, at theboard's discretion. Attending conferences, away from home and school, is a privilege. Don'tbe silly and break the rules or the law while on a conference and loose that privilege! Alsoremember that your behavior could affect the entire existence of our club, and kindly remindyour friends as such if they are planning something stupid. You do not want the club to bedissolved because of someone else's stupid decisions.

The only thing this handbook cannot teach you or tell you is how to work in yourcommittee. Every committee will be different, with different group dynamics calling for aunique diplomatic approach. What this book lacks, then, we will try to make up with ourSIMUN training conference and through the club meetings where we’ll focus on differentaspects of Model UN. Read on for strategies, tips, and pointers, but really, the best way tolearn is to do! That means you need to gather some courage, take a deep breath, and justplunge in! Volunteer of a conference, participate in simulations, and ask as many questionsas you need to along the way! Good luck!

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Before You Leave

Before you leave the conference, make sure you obtain the email addresses/phonenumbers/screen names of your (hopefully) new friends. Sometimes you’ll even see thesepeople again at other conferences.

Take one last look around your hotel room to make sure you have everything you camewith, get your room key/keycard and anything else that is the hotel’s and needs to bereturned, and head home for some well earned rest.

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Packing List

This list is to serve as a guide to newcomers and regulars, with some tips in regards to packingand presentation.

Essentials:• Binder complete with lots of notebook paper• Plenty of pens and pencils• Backpack/Purse/Messenger Bag or something else to hold and protect your stuff• Snacks: Food isn’t provided as part of the conference, so it’s advisable to either bring

extra money for munchies or to take your own. Watch out for fellow teammates whowill take swips at your snacks!

• Money: as mentioned above, food is not provided, so bring cash to buy meals; thegroup goes to dinner at least once together, but that doesn't mean Mrs. Haleas picksup the bill!

• Comfortable Shoes: For guys and girls alike, conferences often involve a great dealof walking around campus

• Extra Nylons: Obviously for the girls. Getting up early and putting on nylons is abad combination. Bringing extras is always a smart idea

• Toiletries: Deodorant, hair brush, toothbrush, towels, and a razor; people are onlygoing to be willing to work with you if you look somewhat like a human being afterrolling out of bed

• Camera: All too many people have complained of not bringing a camera. Bring one,so if you want to use it you’ll have it; whatever pictures you take, be sure to offer togive copies to the board member in charge of the end of the year slideshow, ofwhich anyone can get a copy! It includes pictures from all the conferences of everymember.

• Umbrella: C’mon, you’re from Chicago. The city where it’s sunny and 75 one minuteand pouring rain the next. Bring a small travel umbrella and save yourself fromgetting soaked

• Comfortable clothes: After all, you won’t be in session all the time.• Enough western business attire for every day of committee• Laptop: if you have one and the conference allows them, they are a great resource

(wireless internet at the conference) and are great to use as a tool to writeresolutions; having one ensures you can be the one to take charge of a resolution

Dress Code:

At conferences you must dress in Western Business Attire. This means guys should bewearing dress pants, dress shirt & tie, and dress shoes & socks. Blazer is optional, but mostdefinitely preferred. For girls, skirts, dressy pants, nylons, nice shoes and a nice blouse isappropriate.

Dress Up & Keep Up in Session!

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Parliamentary Procedure Chart

Keep in mind the best way to learn parliamentary procedure is by seeing and then doing.Chairs do not mind if you make mistakes, and you will only be politely corrected.

See pages 16 – 20 for detailed explanations of Parliamentary Procedure.

Shown in Order of PrecedencePoint orMotion

Description Debatable? InterruptSpeaker?

RequiresSecond?

Decision

Point of Order Used to point outmisuse of

rules/procedureNo Yes No

Ruling ofChair

Point ofPersonalPrivilege

Used to point out factorhindering personal

comfortNo Yes No

Ruling ofChair

Point ofInquiry

Used to ask question tochair about rules or

proceedingsNo No No

Ruling ofChair

Motion toOpen Debate

Opens theconference/session No No Yes

SimpleMajority

Motion to Setthe Agenda

Determines whichtopics are considered bythe body and the order

in which they areaddressed

Yes –2 Speakers

For, 2 Against No YesSimple

Majority

Motion toAdjourn the

Session

Adjourns the body andends the conference No No Yes

SimpleMajority

Motion toSuspend the

Meeting

Temporarily suspendsthe session No No Yes

SimpleMajority

Motion toEnter

UnmoderatedCaucus

Suspends the session fora set amount of time for

caucusingNo No Yes Simple

Majority

Motion toEnter

ModeratedCaucus

Suspends the rules ofprocedure for a setamount of time for

rapid discussionmoderated by chair

No No YesSimple

Majority

Motion toTable the

Topic

Ends debate on thecurrent topic

temporarily and changesthe order of topics to be

considered

Yes –2 Speakers

For, 2 AgainstNo Yes 2/3

Majority

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Point orMotion

Description Debatable? InterruptSpeaker?

RequiresSecond?

Decision

Motion toDivide theQuestion

Made during votingprocedure-divides a

resolution into separateitems to vote on

Yes –2 Speakers

For, 2 AgainstNo Yes Simple

Majority

Motion for aRoll Call Vote

Made during votingprocedure-requires thechair to conduct a roll-

call vote

No No YesOnly

RequiresSecond

Motion toAdopt byConsensus

Made during votingprocedure-requests that

the body adopt aresolution by consensus

No No Yes

NoDelegationcan Vote

“No”(May

Abstain)Motion toAppeal theDecision ofthe Chair

Appeals a proceduraldecision of the Chair to

the body – use withextreme prudence

No No Yes SimpleMajority

Motion toIntroduce anUnfriendly

Amendment

Formally introduces anamendment that has

already been approvedby the Chair with the

proper number ofsignatories

No No Yes SimpleMajority

Motion toIntroduce a

Working Paper

Formally introduces aworking paper that hasalready been approvedby the Chair with theproper signatories and

sponsors

No No Yes SimpleMajority

Motion toLimit Debate

Limits the speaking timein general debate to a

specified speaking time

Yes –2 Speakers

For, 2 AgainstNo Yes Simple

Majority

Motion toReconsider

Brings a previouslytabled topic or

resolution back to thefloor

Yes –2 Speakers

For, 2 AgainstNo Yes 2/3

Majority

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Parliamentary Procedure Details

Parliamentary procedure is the process used by members of the parliamentary bodies (TheCongress, UN, UK Parliament, and even a corporate board use some form of parliamentaryprocedure) to discuss topics in an orderly and calm fashion and to decide what action(s), ifany, to take. It is essential that all delegates become familiar with the version ofparliamentary procedure used at Model U.N. as it will increase your ability to participateactively and intelligently in the debate.

Most conferences follow these general rules; just be aware that each conference will haveslightly altered parliamentary procedure from below, so make sure you understand thespecific procedures of every conference you go to. The rules are accessible on theconference's web page at least a couple weeks before the conference.

General Rules of Debate

A. DEFINITIONS

The Chair: The Chairperson’s role is to conduct the debate and maintain order whileremaining totally impartial. The decisions of the Chair are final, and only the Chair, adelegate called on by the Chair for a point, or the speaker holding the floor has any right tospeak.

The house/committee: All the members of the committee, except the Chair.

The sponsor(s): The people who have created the working paper/draft resolution for debateby the committee.

To have the floor: To have been given the right to speak in debate.

To yield time: To give up one’s right to the floor either finally or temporarily when it is one'sturn to speak according to the speaker's list; either time has expired, or the speaker hasfinished speaking. The delegate must specify where he or she is yielding his remaining timeBEFORE they begin speaking: either

- to the chair (debate continues),- to questions (questions can be asked up the speaker for his or her remaining time),- to comments (comments can be spoken by other delegates for the remainder of

the time),- or to another, specified delegation (that delegation gets to speak for the remainder

of the time).If the speaker fails to yield his or her time, the default yield is to comments.

Speaker’s List: A list kept by the Chairperson of those delegations wishing to speak. As eachdelegation speaks, they will be removed from the list and must re-submit themselves to it.Default debate is the speaker's list and will most likely be where the most time is spent. Aseparate speaker's list is made to set the agenda, and a new speaker's list is made when a new

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topic is to be discussed. Verify with your chair before the first committee session about howto yield time; some are strict to the rules; others are much more lenient.

Signatories: Those who wish to hear a draft resolution discussed; they do not have tosupport the draft resolution. The minimum number required for a draft resolution to beintroduced is specific to the conference.

Draft resolution/working paper: A resolution that has not yet been passed and is beingdebated in committee.

Resolution: A draft resolution that has been passed and is now permanent (unless anotherresolution is passed to counter-act it).

Simple Majority: The number of countries in the committee divided by two, plus one.

B. RIGHT TO THE FLOOR

If you wish to address the assembly to give your opinion on the topic of the debate, you cansend a note to the Chair asking to be added to the Speaker’s List. You ALWAYS want to beon the speaker's list, for a silent delegate never gets his or her ideas into the draft resolutions!During suspension from the speaker's list, when the Chair calls for speakers during amoderated caucus or during the setting of the agenda, you must raise your placard and waitto be called upon.

C. RISING TO POINTS see chart on pages 14-15 for simple explanations

When a delegate wishes to speak outside of making a formal speech, he or she must rise to apoint. All points are made in the same way. When the current speaker finishes (only a pointof order can interrupt the speaker), raise your placard. The Chair will then call on thedelegate who has the raised placard, asking “To what point do you rise?” The delegate mustthen answer with one of the following points:

1. Point of Order: A Point of Order is about parliamentary procedure. You shouldmake a Point of Order when you feel that a delegate or a chair is not abiding bycorrect parliamentary procedure (as laid out for the conference), the UN Charter, orminimum levels of politeness. In the last case, if you or your country has beenoffended, you have the option of motioning for a Right of Reply (discussed below).Point of Order is the only point that can interrupt a speaker.

**note: refrain from making Points of Order unless the rules are flagrantly flouted, as thechair often is annoyed with the delegate who offers them; it is more important to havesmooth debate than to be nit-picky about the rules.

2. Point of Personal Privilege: This point is about the comfort of well being of thedelegate. If for any reason during the debate you cannot hear the speaker, feeluncomfortably hot or cold, etc., raise your placard and say “Point of PersonalPrivilege” followed by the reason for the point. This point must not refer to thecontent of any speech or working paper/resolution.

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3. Point of Parliamentary Inquiry: This point is directed at the Chair about the rules ofprocedure. Make this point when you don’t know a rule or have any question aboutthe conference’s particular rules of parliamentary procedure. Never hesitate to makethis point! It is important that you understand the rules, especially ones that areconference specific and you are unfamiliar with.

4. Point of Information: This point offers delegates who do not have the floor a chanceto ask a question of the delegate who does. A Point of Information may be directedto the speaker who has the floor ONLY if (s)he has indicated, through a Yield toQuestions (see notes on yields on the previous page), that (s)he is willing to acceptquestions. It must relate to the content of the debate and be phrased as a question.(E.g., “Does the speaker realize that…?”)

Please remember that a speech may not be interrupted by any point except a point of order.All other points will be dealt with only when a speaker has either yielded his/her remainingtime to questions, the chair, or when their time expires. The chair will ask "Any points ormotions on the floor?" and that is your cue to raise your placard.

D. MOTIONS see chart on pages 14-15 for simple explanations

The motions described below are listed in order of precedence. All motions on the floor atthe same time are heard and then are dealt with in order of precedence. (Additional motionsbesides these listed may be committee-specific and will be described at the beginning of theconference by those particular special committees.)

***It is up to the chair to decide which motions are in order at specific times. He or she may decide yourmotion is out of order for any number of reasons.

1. Motion to Open Debate on the Agenda: This is the first motion of the entireconference; the committee decides the order in which the topics will be debated. Aspeaker's list is created just for debating the agenda. After debate has been exhausted,a delegate motions to set the agenda (see below).

2. Motion to Set the Agenda: This motion is made with a specific topic mentioned tobe debated first and the other second. Two speakers for, two against, and requires asimple majority to pass.

3. Motion to Comment: This motion is only in order if a speaker does not yield toanything after concluding a speech. The moderation officer may entertain up to twomotions to comment, which allow for 30 second speeches (on average; again, this isconference specific) pertaining to the speech just given. This is an informal motionand will not hold in strictly run committee sessions.

4. Motion to Adjourn: This motion adjourns the committee sessions for good. It willonly be entertained by the chair at the end of the last committee session. Thismotion requires a second, is not debatable, and needs a simple majority to pass.

5. Motion to Suspend: This motion suspends the body between sessions. This motionrequires a second, is not debatable, and needs a simple majority to pass.

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6. Motion for an Unmoderated Caucus: This motion temporarily suspends the meetingfor a specified amount of time. Use it to create resolutions, talk to other delegates, oranything else you may need to do. Requires a second, is not debatable, and needs asimple majority to pass.

7. Motion for a Moderated Caucus: This motion brings the body into a moderateddebate on the issue on the floor for a specified amount of time. The moderatingofficer will then recognize speakers for a specified amount of time, who cannot yieldto anyone but the Chair at the end of their speech. This motion requires a second, isnot debatable, and needs a simple majority to pass. This motion may not be madeonce debate has been closed.

8. Motion to Change the Order of the Agenda: This motion changes the order of thetopics to be considered. The topic on the floor would be left aside until the newtopic was resolved, tabled, or the order was changed again. The work of the body onthe first topic would be left as-is until the topic was reopened. This motion requires asecond, is debatable (two speeches in favor and two opposed), and need a simplemajority to pass. This motion may not be made once debate has been closed.

9. Motion to Table the Topic: This motion tables a topic (ending debate on the topic)until it is reopened with a Motion to Reconsider. This motion requires a second, isdebatable (two speeches pro/2 con), and needs a simple majority to pass. Thismotion is often not entertained by the chair, because it is only used if votingprocedure has not yet occurred (topics are automatically tabled after votingprocedure is done), and thus no resolutions have been passed on the topic yet.

10. Motion to Table a Draft Resolution: This motion tables a draft resolution until it isreopened with a Motion to Reconsider. This motion requires a second, is debatable(2 speeches pro/2 con), and needs a simple majority to pass. This motion may not bemade once debate has been closed. Usually a chair will not entertain this motion,believing that if the sponsors have put in enough effort to write a draft resolution, itshould at least get the chance to be voted upon.

11. Motion to Close Debate: This motion closes debate on a specified topic and bringsthat topic's draft resolutions to a vote. This motion requires a second, is debatable (2speeches pro/ 2 con), and needs a simple majority to pass. Once debate is closed,ONLY the following motions are in order:

a.) Motion for a Decision of Competence: This motion requests the body firstvote on whether or not it is competent to deal with the issues addressed inthe resolution. This motion requires a second, is debatable (2 speeches pro/2con), and requires a simple majority to pass. A “yes” vote on a motion for adecision of competence indicates that the body is NOT competent to dealwith the issues addressed in the resolution. If the motion passes, theresolution is effectively tabled until a Motion to Reconsider passes.

*RARELY USED; some conferences don’t allow; double checkb.) Motion to Divide the Question: This motion may be made to request that

the resolution be divided in a manner specified by the motioner (it can be byevery other letter, by prime numbers, or even by every ten words). Theseclauses will then be voted on individually. This motion requires a second, isdebatable (2 speeches pro/2 con), and needs a simple majority to pass. If themotion passes, the body then votes on the operative clauses as they weredivided out. If an operative clause fails to receive a majority vote, it is left outof the resolution.

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c.) Motion for Adoption by Consensus: This motion requests that the bodyadopt the resolution by consensus, meaning that no delegation would becasting a “no” vote if the resolution were to be voted upon normally. Adelegation may abstain, but should one delegation object, the motion is outof order.

d.) Motion for a Roll Call Vote: This motion requests that the Chair conduct aroll-call vote on the resolution. This motion requires four seconds to beaccepted.

All amendments introduced to the body before debate was closed shall be voted on first,in reverse order of acceptance to the floor. After amendments have been voted upon,accepted divisions will be voted upon, finally followed by the resolution as it stands afteramendments and divisions. Motions 9b and 9c are only in order before the finalresolution is to be voted upon.

12. Motion to Appeal the Decision of the Chair: This motion appeals a decision of theChair to the body. This motion requires the consent of the Chair. If accepted by theChair, the Chair and the Delegate shall each be given one minute to present theirargument to the body. This motion needs a simple majority to pass. If passed, thedecision of the Chair is repealed. USE WITH EXTREME CAUTION.

13. Motion to Introduce an Amendment: This motion brings an amendment that hasalready been submitted to the Chair with the appropriate number of signatories tothe floor for general debate and a vote when debate is closed on the resolution. Nosecond is required. It is only for unfriendly amendments, for friendly amendmentsare just considered automatically part of the resolution.

14. Motion to Introduce a Resolution: This motion brings a resolution to the floor forgeneral debate. It requires a second, is not debatable, and needs a simple majority topass.

15. Motion to Set the Speaking Time: This motion is only used at the very beginning ofdebate, before the first speaker on the speaker's list has gone. It sets the amount oftime a delegate has the floor.

16. Motion to Change Speaking Time: This motion changes the set speaking time. Itrequires a second, is debatable (2 speeches pro/2 con), and needs a simple majorityto pass.

17. Motion to Reconsider: This motion reconsiders a previous decision of the body onmotions 7, 8, and 9a. It requires a second, is debatable (2 speeches pro/2 con), andneeds a two-thirds majority to pass.

E. AMENDMENTS

Amendments are simply changes to resolutions. There are two types of amendments:friendly and unfriendly. A friendly amendment is one on which all the sponsors of theresolution have already agreed to adopt; it is not debatable and does not require a vote.Friendly amendments will be incorporated automatically into the draft resolution before thefinal vote is taken. An unfriendly amendment is one to which the sponsors of the resolutionhave not agreed to adopt. Such an amendment will be open for debate and must be votedupon by the body. Unfriendly amendments require a simple majority to pass.

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A written copy of all amendments must be turned into the Chair by way of a note before theamendment can be introduced to the committee with a Motion to Introduce Amendment.They may be moved (acted upon) either in debate time for the resolution or in debate timeagainst the resolution. However, an amendment moved in debate time for the resolutionmust be an attempt to improve the resolution and should not change the general idea. Still, itis debatable. Amendments will be debated and voted upon separately from the resolution.

F. WITHDRAWING AN AMENDMENT OR RESOLUTION

A resolution/amendment may be withdrawn by either a decision of the sponsor countries orby a unanimous or simple majority vote to withdraw it. This motion is in order at any timebefore the debate on the topic is closed.

G. VOTING

Requires Motion to Close Debate. DO NOT BE OUT OF THE ROOM WHEN THISMOTION PASSES, for during voting procedure, no delegate is allowed to leave or enter; ifyou are stuck outside the committee room, you loose your right to vote on any of theamendments or draft resolutions.

Unless otherwise stated by the Chair, all votes upon a resolution require a simple majority topass. Exceptions are in special committees. See pages 38-39. The votes to accept or reject aresolution will follow either a roll-call procedure or one where placards are raised andrecorded as one of four possible responses:

1. “Yay”: vote to accept the resolution.*2. “Nay”: vote to reject the resolution. Special Note: In the UN Security Council, a nay

vote from a permanent member (USA, UK, France, Russia, China) represents a vetoand the resolution automatically fails.*

3. “Pass”: the Chair will skip the delegation and return to it at the end. When the Chaircalls the delegation a second time, they can only respond with yay or nay. Noabstentions after a pass are allowed, and a pass may be only used once during eachvote.

4. “Abstain”: a delegation chooses not to vote on this topic. Abstentions do not countas either for or against a resolution, no matter how many abstentions there are ifthere are more yay votes than nay the resolution will be accepted.

Once the Chair has announced the start of voting, no interruptions are allowed exceptpoints of order connected with the actual conduct of the voting. No notes may be passed,delegations may not speak with one another, and no one may enter or leave the room untilthe vote has been concluded.

* Delegations may choose to vote yay or nay WITH RIGHTS, which means that at the endof the voting they will be given a minute to explain to the committee why they voted as theydid. Use with caution, not just to hear yourself talk.

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H. THE UNMODERATED CAUCUS

The caucus is a short break during sessions which provides a chance to informally meet withother delegations, negotiate agreements, or ask questions. Caucus lengths are requested bythe delegate making the motion for an unmoderated caucus and accepted or modified by theChair. Normally they are about 5-15 minutes long, and the delegation that motions for thecaucus specifies the length.

I. THE MODERATED CAUCUSThis caucus is usually about 5-10 minutes long with 30 second speaking time (the delegatewho motions for the caucus specifies the length of the caucus and the speaking time).During moderated caucus, the speaker's list is suspended temporarily and delegates simplyraise their placards in the air for the chance to speak, and the chair calls upon them. It isgenerally done to speed up debate or to get a variety of opinions out on the floor to bediscussed.

J. THE RIGHT OF REPLY

The Right of Reply can only be used when another delegate has insulted you or yourcountry. To use it, simply send a note to the chair to request the right of reply after thedelegate has finished speaking. The Chair may either accept or reject your right of reply. Ifaccepted, you will be granted a specific period of time to respond to the insult made.However, you may NOT insult the delegate who insulted you. Doing so will allow thatdelegate a Right of Reply as well. **CAUTION: Use only where your person has beeninsulted, NOT your position on the topics.

K. THE PAGE SYSTEMDelegations may communicate with other delegations or the Chair using pages (whenavailable) to pass notes. To do this write a note, address the outside of it, and hold it up inthe air for a page to deliver. Delegations not abiding by these rules will be punished at thediscretion of the Chair and the Secretary General of the conference, which may includebeing removed from the committee if warranted. YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE APAGE. If you are a page you cannot participate in debate!

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Resolution Writing

See pages 27 and 28 fro examples

Each resolution is a single sentence with sections being separated by semicolons andcommas. Great care should be taken in the development of the language; it should be clear,concise, and as specific as possible. Remember that every world and clause in your resolutionshould serve a purpose. There are three main parts to a United Nations resolution: theheading, the preamble, and the operative clauses.

Heading:The heading simply identifies the committee, topic, and sponsoring and signatory nation-states in alphabetical. Generally each conference will have its own specific heading format.

Preamble:The preambulatory clauses typically explain the background of the topic and the purposes ofthe resolution. A well written preamble will reference all relevant past UN actions andresolutions dealing with the issue at hand and potentially other key documents such as theUN Charter or UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Other time the general moodor feeling of the international community will be expressed in the preamble, i.e. “keeping inmind the acts of genocide in the Sudan”.*Note: The preamble cannot be amended.

The statements in the preamble are not numbered and begin with special words known aspreambulatory clauses. Typically each preambulatory clause is indented and underlined (oritalicized) with the rest o the statement following and ended by a comma. That patterncontinues throughout all the preambulatory clauses like this:

Recognizing the plight of people throughout the world infected by the HumanImmunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS),

Aware of the rapid spread of HIV and AIDS within and among some countries,

Recalling Article 13.2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone hasa right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country”…

Operative Clauses:The operative clauses spell out the actual active policies of the resolution. Operative clausesbegin with a verb and should follow some sort of logical thought progression. In a goodresolution, the operative clauses will not be a random and vague hodgepodge ofunconnected thoughts. Rather, your resolution should be focused on one particular aspect ofthe problem or situation and specifically deal with that.

***Keep in mind that unless your committee is a Security Council, the operatives cannot take action, but justsuggest actions that should be taken!

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In writing the policy portion of your resolution each statement begins with, again, one worldfrom a special set of words known as operative clauses, the statements are numbered and theverb should be underlined (or italicized) and at the end of each statement there is asemicolon. A period is placed at the end of the final operative clause, like this:

1. Requests that all citizens of all member states be granted the minimuminternational human rights standards affirmed by the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights;

2. Deplores any state that impedes the basic human rights of and the internalmovement of its citizens that are infect with HIV and/or AIDS;

3. Notes that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights permits people sufferingfrom persecution to seek asylum in other countries.

Operative and Preambulatory Clauses

Preambulatory Clauses

AcknowledgingAffirmingAlarmed byApprovingAware ofBelievingBearing in mindCognizant ofConfident ofContemplatingConvincedDeeply concernedDeeply convincedDeeply disturbedDeeply regrettingDesiringEmphasizingExpectingExpressing satisfactionFulfillingFully alarmedFully awareFully believingFurther deploringFurther recallingGuided by

Having adoptedHaving consideredHaving further consideredHaving devoted attentionHaving examinedHaving heardHaving receivedHaving studiedHopingKeeping in mindNoting with regretNothing with satisfactionNoting with deep concernNoting furtherNoting with approvalObservingRealizingRecallingRecognizingReferringSeekingTaking into accountTaking noteViewing with appreciationWelcoming

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Operative Clauses

AcceptsAffirmsApprovesAuthorizesCallsCalls uponCondemns*CongratulatesConfirmsConsidersDeclares accordinglyDemands*DeploresDraws attentionDesignatesEmphasizesEncouragesEndorsesExpresses its appreciationExpresses its hope

Further invitesFurther proclaimsFurther remindsFurther requestsHas resolvedNotesNotes with…ProclaimsReaffirmsRecommendsRegretsRequestsResolvesSolemnly affirmsStrongly condemns*SupportsTrustsUrgesTakes note of

*Only for use in Security Council resolutions

Tips for Resolution Writing

The first and most important thing for you to remember in resolution writing (this goes forall of Model UN) is that you need to get involved in the process. This is a collaborativeprocess and you want to be a sponsor helping to write the resolution. In order to do that youneed to observe and discern what other nations’ positions are on the topic. Find those thatyou share common ground with on the topic and approach them about writing a resolutionbased on your common interests. It doesn’t matter whether the other country is the UnitedStates, Djibouti, Iran, or Mauritius.

Sometimes, however, your country may not share common ground or opinions on thesubject with any other nation. In that case you would not have enough sponsors to introducea draft resolution, but you could still introduce a working paper in an attempt to influencethe dialogue in and direction of your committee. It’s never too late to try to change thecourse of your committee. Don’t be fooled or discouraged by the big players in yourcommittee, you have an equal voice and vote in the UN (unless you are in the SecurityCouncil; see page 34)--- use it!

Finally, if you feel your ideas are not at all represented in a resolution that has beenintroduced there is one last thing you can do. You can introduce as many amendments tothat resolution as you want. By attempting to amend a resolution you can go so far as tocompletely reverse what the resolution stated originally. Sometimes a small coalition ofdisgruntled nations can use the amending process to effectively perform a “hostile takeover”

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of another group’s resolution. Again, it’s never too late (unless you’ve already begun to vote)to exert a substantial influence on the direction of your committee.

Some quick tips:- Most conferences allow delegates to write resolutions outside the committee room

even while committee is in session; find out if your conference allows that and takeadvantage.

- More than one resolution can be passed in committee:o get sponsors from other resolutions to promote yours as well.o You can write a resolution that only addresses one facet of the issue.

- Be aware of multiple almost identical draft resolutions; chairs look favorably ondelegates who work to combine them.

- Always keep representatives in committee to keep you aware of what is going on inthere as you write your draft resolution outside the committee room.

- Keep the number of sponsors on your draft resolution to a minimum, or you willalways be compromising. Tell the least pressuring wanna-be sponsors they can besignatories, and they will usually be placated.

- TAKE CHARGE in writing your draft resolution!

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Sample Resolutions

Resolution: 1.3Committee: Disarmament and International SecurityTopic Area: Responsibility of the United Nations to Alleviate Apartheid in South AfricaSponsors: Sweden, United StatesSignatories: Australia, France, Germany, Nigeria, People's Republic of Korea, UnitedKingdom

The General Assembly,

Recalling its Resolution 22/184 of January 1979 and 34/93 of 12 December 1979, aswell as Economic and Social Council Resolution 1980/50 of 23 July 1980,

Reaffirming once again the special responsibility of the United Nations and theinternational community towards the oppressed people of South Africa and their nationalliberation movement,

Nothing the great advance of the movement against apartheid and for nationalliberation and the rise of political consciousness of the oppressed people of South Africa,

Condemning the violence and repression by the apartheid regime against all opponentsof apartheid,

Recognizing the need for increased humanitarian and education assistance to theoppressed people of South Africa, as well as direct assistance to the liberation movements intheir legitimate struggle,

1. Appeals to all States to provide humanitarian, educational, financial and othernecessary assistance to the oppressed people of South Africa and their nationalliberation movement;

2. Urges the United Nations Development Programme and other agencies with theUnited Nations system to expand their assistance to the oppressed people ofSouth Africa and to the South African liberation movements recognized by theorganization of Africa Unity, in consultation with the Special Committee AgainstApartheid;

3. Urges all agencies within the United Nations system to ensure the participationof the South African liberation movements as recognized by the Organization ofAfrican Unity in their relevant conferences and meetings, and to providefinancial assistance for that purpose;

4. Decides to continue the authorization of adequate financial provisions in thebudget of the United Nations to enable the South African liberation movementsrecognized by the Organization of African Unity – the African NationalCongress of South Africa and the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania – tomaintain offices in New York to participate effectively in the deliberations of theSpecial Committee and other appropriate bodies.

Sponsors andsignatories

are inalphabetical

order.

Referencespast

resolutionspassed bythe UN.

Perambulatorywords areitalicized;

commas areafter the endof the clause.

Operativesare indented;introductorywords areunderlined.

First topic, thirddraft resolution

Clauses endin semicolon;

last clauseends in a

period: theentire

resolution isone sentence.

Last operativeclause promises

continuingobservation of

the matter.

First line only ofperambulatory

clause is indented.

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Resolution: 2.2Committee: Security CouncilTopic Area: IraqSubmitted by: United Kingdom, United States

The Security Council,

Reaffirming its resolution 687 (1991) of 8 April 1991, and in particular section C thereof,its resolution 707 (1991) of 15 August 1991 and its resolution 715 (1991) of 11 October 1991and the plans for ongoing monitoring and verification approved thereunder,

Having considered the letter 7 December 1995 (S/1995/1017) to the President of theCouncil from the Chairman of the Committee established under resolution 661 (1990), annex 1of which contains provisions for the mechanism for export/import monitoring called for inparagraph 7 of resolution 715 (1991),

Recognizing that the export/import monitoring mechanism is an integral part of ongoingverification by the Special Commission and the IAEA,

Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter,

Approves, pursuant to the relevant provisions of its resolution 687 (1991) and 715 (1991)the provisions for the monitoring mechanism contained in annex 1 of the aforementioned letterof 7 December 1995 (S/1995/1017), subject to the terms of this resolution,

Confirms until the Council decides otherwise under its relevant resolutions, that requestsby other States for sales to Iraq or requests by Iraq for import of any item of technology towhich the mechanism applies shall continue to be addressed to the Committee established underresolution 661 (1990) for decision by that Committee in accordance with paragraph 4 of themechanism,

1. Decides subject to paragraphs 4 and 7 of this resolution, that all states shall:(a) Transmit to the joint unit constituted by the Special Commission and the

Director General of the IAEA under paragraph 16 of the mechanism on theintended sale or supply from their territories of any items or technologieswhich are subject to such notification in accordance with paragraphs 9, 1113, 24, 25, 27, and 28 of that mechanism;

(b) Report to the joint unit, in accordance with paragraphs 13, 24, 25, 27, and 28of the aforementioned mechanism, any information they may have at theirdisposal or may receive from suppliers in their territories of attempts tocircumvent the mechanism or to supply suppliers in their territories ofattempts to circumvent the mechanism or to supply Iraq with itemsprohibited to Iraq under plans for ongoing monitoring and verificationapproved by resolution 715 (1991), or where the procedures for specialexceptions laid down in paragraphs 24 and 25 of the mechanism have notbeen followed by Iraq;

(c) 2. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

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How to Research for Your Debate and Paper

Ok....I have a topic and country, now what?RESEARCH

Finding exactly what you are looking for can be a task sometimes, and yes, there can betricks to it!!

First of all you must do extensive research, this means having at least 6 sources about yourcountry and your topic. The more sources and information you gather the better it is goingto be in the long run. It is essential for you to learn general information about the countryyou are representing, its political structure, history, culture, infrastructure, geography, people,economics, transnational issues and the country’s allies and enemies in the world.

Other important questions you should ask yourself when you are researching: What kind oforganizations does my country belong to? How much money does my country give to theUN each year? How much aid can my country afford to give in times of crisis and need?Has my country had good relations with the UN? Do I know the basics about how the UNworks? Do I have questions about what I am researching? If so, do I know who to contactto find out?

Where do I find all of the information I need?

A great place to find research is on the internet. There are BILLIONS of sites out in cyberworld but not all of them will give you the most reliable information. A tip is to stay withgovernment, newspaper, official, or well known websites. Search engines are a great way ofusing keywords to find what you are looking for. You should always put in similar keywordsabout the same topic because sometimes new sites and information appear. If your topic isnuclear weapons try putting in other keywords such as weapons of mass destruction,WMDs, WMD, bombs, or any other words that might pertain to your topic. Countryinformation can be found at the CIA fact book, embassy websites, and UN websites. Thecountry information should, and will be the easiest part of your research. The librarians atIgnatius are also always willing help. They have great tricks about getting tricky research,they also have connections to sources that you might not. Please feel free to head up to thelibrary at anytime ask them for help.

News and media sources can be very helpful. There is a list of news and media websitesavailable. These can be very useful for the current events portion of your position paper.** No matter if it relates to your topic, current events in your country may affect how you will vote or work incommittee; BE UP TO DATE ON CURRENT EVENTS until the day of the conference.

Make sure you browse your committee’s website. This can give you basic information aboutthe history of your committee and what kind of jurisdiction it has. It can also tell you whatkind of role it has played in the past dealing with your topic. Make sure to use this website,and other UN websites. It WILL provide helpful information.

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Please visit the UN Documentation Centre (www.un.org/documents) for previouspublications by the United Nations. This is the site to find resolutions, mission reports, andother documents. NGO websites are also helpful on giving background information on atopic, and usually give great links to further sources of research.

Finally, it is very important to cite your sources, no not necessarily for plagiarism, but so youcan return to that site if you need to. Plus, even though we do have an extensive list ofwebsites available it can always be updated and improved.

I hope that this helps you get a sense of how to start researching your topic and country.Remember, if you have any questions, please ask, but do not wait till the last minute becausedeadlines are very important.

Never give up! If the topic exists, your country has a position on it. If you can not find itspelled out for you, deduce what your country's position would be based on the type ofgovernment your country has, past events in the country, and what resolutions it hassupported or the stance it has had on similar issues in the past.

Make sure you also research other countries in your committee so you know who your allieswill be in writing draft resolutions and who you will have to defend your stance to beforeyou even step in committee! If they are available on the conference's website, browse yourallies and enemies position papers.

Preparation is the key to succeeding in a conference; if you are armed with knowledge, noone can beat you in debate!

Good sites to use in research:

https://www.cia.gov/redirects/factbookredirect.html The CIA World Factbook- CountryProfiles

your country’s embassy websitenewspapers printed in your nationnewspapers printed in other nationsgoogle search of you topic, country, or committee, and key words from your topicwww.un.org The UN home page; find copies of resolutions, descriptions of variouscommittees, and if any actual committee sessions were held on your topic s

**An extensive list is available through Mrs. Haleas if you need more direction

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Writing the Position Paper

See page 33 for examples of general committee position papersSee page 37 for examples of specialized committee position papers

As implied by its name, a position paper is a written document prepared before a conferenceoutlining your country’s position on the topic(s) that will be addressed by the committee. Asa general rule, one full page (single-spaced, 12 pt. font) should be devoted to each topic.

The foundation of all good position papers is good research. It is absolutely imperative thatyou begin collecting relevant and valuable research as soon as you receive your countryassignment, committee, and topic for a conference.

Position papers begin with a heading that is almost universal: country, committee, name(s) ofdelegate(s), and name of your school. Below the heading the topic paper title should beunderlined and used as a heading for the following text for that topic.

In writing a position paper, there are three main things you need to be thinking about: therelevant historical background of your country on the topic, what, if anything, you country isdoing currently with regards to the topic, and what your country proposes to do in the future(a.k.a, at the conference) to deal with the problem.

Historical BackgroundHow does your country relate to the problem? How do you have special insight into the issue?In general, the historical background of your country on the particular topic plays a lesserrole in the formation of the position paper. The UN is a forward-thinking organization, andthe purpose of historical background is to provide a context for the current situation. Youare recounting the historical context of your specific country’s involvement in the issue, asopposed to the historical background of the entire topic. DO NOT restate the informationgiven to you in the topic background guide. That information would merely be filler and badfiller at that. The chair of your committee would not look kindly on a position paper thatmerely recalls the general history of the issue. Therefore, all information should bespecifically about your country. Relevant background information might be previouslegislation on the topic in your nation, involvement with past UN resolutions, treaties yournation is party to, etc. Remember, the background information is going to serve as a contextand foundation for the plan of action or ideas you lay out to solve the problem later in yourpaper.

Current ActionsWhat is your country doing currently to deal with this issue? How do you know? Cite pastresolutions your country has supported. Cite prominent people in your nation that have spokenon the topic or policies your country has relating to the issue.This part of your paper should be pretty self explanatory. If your country is currently doingsomething to address the issues raised in the topic simply put it in your paper. Perhaps theleader of your nation has an interest in the problem, or maybe your nation is also strugglingwith the same problem (this is relevant in organizations such as the WHO or the UNEP).

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Again, this information is merely leading the reader along a linear and logical path to yoursolution to the problem.

Future PlanWhat solution to you purpose? Perhaps your country has implemented strategies within itsown borders that have succeeded.This section will be the real “meat and potatoes” of your position paper. If your reader getsnothing else out of it, she should understand very well what you propose to do in regards tothe topic. When writing this your should be thinking of potential resolutions or theoreticalsolutions, based on what you have found in your research. This is probably the hardest partof any position paper. You need to think of what your country would do in this situationbased only on whatever information you’ve gathered beforehand. Indeed, some largercountries may actually have a specific public policy laid out addressing the issues of yourtopic, but most will not. That means that this section may very well be largely theoretical foryou, where you will have to fill in the blank spaces with your own thoughts and ideas onwhat your country would be most likely to support and do. Once you’ve done that, you’velaid the foundation for debate at your conference; stick with it that foundation and you’ll beset!

Again, the most important part in the position paper writing process is actually the researchyou do beforehand. Good research can be found on any topic, no matter how obscure theissue to how tiny your country is. Indeed, if worst comes to worst and your library and theInternet fail you have one more option: Actually contact your nation’s government and askfor the information you need! You’d be surprised by how easy this can be and by howwilling most nations are to help students who are participating in Model UN.

Some sample position papers from different committees and people are included here togive you a general idea of how others have tackled the position paper writing process. Inaddition, beginning this year the club will be collecting a copy of every position paper writtento be kept for everyone to use in researching and writing their next position paper.

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General Committees and Their Jurisdiction

Now that you have an idea about the specialized committees, you might be wondering whatkinds of committees are considered "general" or normal at a conference. Here is a list ofcommittees in the United Nations structure and what issues they deal with. Thesecommittees are usually larger and involve much more of a worldwide perspective then manyof the Specialized Committees.

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Sample Position PapersIf you are in a Specialized Committee, skip to page 36 for sample position papers.

Gregory YoungDisarmament and International Security CommitteeRepublic of CubaSt. Ignatius College Prep

ForewordIn order to fully understand the gravity of the issues that have been brought before

this committee, they must not be examined as separate, isolated topics, but rather as partof a larger pattern of imperialist warmongering by the United States and their worldwidecollection of puppet states. Both of these issues demonstrate a clear aggressive,imperialist ambition that threatens to undermine the very fabric of international peace andstability; and the reasonable nations of the world now have the responsibility to takeaction once and for all to counter these horrific aspirations before it is too late.

Preventing a Space Arms RaceThe Republic of Cuba is greatly alarmed at the increasing movement towards the

weaponization of outer space that has been taking place over the last decades. It is ourfirm belief that the use of space for military purposes by the world’s superpowers wouldpresent a cataclysmic threat to the national security of every state not able to operate aspace program of their own. It is an unquestionable fact that only a very small number ofnations, many with a history of unchecked belligerent action towards the rest of theinternational community, have access to this type of technology, and the vast majority ofthe nations of the world, including Cuba, do not have the means to defend ourselvesagainst what would amount to a unparalleled threat to our wellbeing. Therefore, webelieve it is absolutely imperative for the international community to take immediateaction to prevent these countries from using outer space to undermine international peaceand stability in order to further their own imperialist ambitions.

For over twenty years, this committee has consistently passed a resolution callingfor the use of space only for scientific purposes. This commitment to banning the use ofspace, as a military tool is extremely admirable and very much supported by Cuba, aperennial signatory on the resolution; however, recent events have shown that the loosewording used in these resolutions will not be enough to counter the imperialist desires ofthe United States, who decided to vote against the most recent incarnation of thelegislation. This move by Washington is absolutely appalling, though not at all surprisingconsidering America’s history of unmatched aggression, and clearly shows their trueplans for their space program. It is clear now that the US intends to ignore the simple“calls” from the international community, as they have ignored many other near-unanimous international precedents and ethical standards throughout their existence, andstricter and more binding wording is obviously needed in order to prevent the US frommerely continuing with their plans. The international community must make itunmistakably clear that the weaponization of space will not be tolerated, regardless ofhow large a nation’s military may be.

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This is an issue of utmost international concern and importance, and it must bedealt with immediately. It is only through a firm international statement of opposition thatthe United States and its allies will ever be deterred in their imperialist agenda. If thenations of the world sit back and allow them to establish a military foothold in outerspace, the security of the world as a whole will no longer be guaranteed.

Nuclear Assurances for Non-Nuclear StatesThe Republic of Cuba considers the ongoing proliferation of nuclear weapons to

be among the greatest threats to peace and security that this world has ever seen. The vastmajority of these weapons are in the hands of nations with a long and consistent historyof belligerence and antagonism; it is our fear that, if left unchecked, these weapons willbe used in an aggressive fashion against the states that do not have access to nucleartechnology. As a result, it is more than reasonable to expect that other states would wantto protect themselves by developing arsenals of their own to counter this, showing thatthe NPT is outdated, and no longer a valid solution to this problem. If disarmament doesnot occur, and a practical, binding assurance of non-aggression is not put forth by theworld’s nuclear states, the buildup of nuclear arms will only continue. It is then only amatter of time before the breakout of a catastrophic conflict.

Currently, the United States of America, a nation with a long history of illegal,imperialist policies and actions, is by far the world’s leader in nuclear weaponstechnology. They are a nation with a long, unmistakable history of unmatchedaggression, and cannot be allowed to maintain such a powerful arsenal. They have showntheir clear imperialist intentions many times with interventionist campaigns in countriessuch as Nicaragua, Panama and Grenada that whose sole design was to undermine thewill of the people and establish their own capitalist puppet states. Perhaps the moststriking example of this unrivaled antagonism was their actions towards Cuba itself. Fornearly half a century, the regime in Washington has been determined to bring down thegovernment of the Cuban people, and has gone as far as attempting to assassinate ourbeloved President and arming a group of exiled criminals with the goal of thrusting ournation into a state of chaos and civil war. Surly, the world cannot be considered safe forany people when such extreme power is in the hands of such a dangerous nation.

For these reasons, Cuba calls upon the nations of the world to take immediateaction to denounce and prevent the use of nuclear weapons as a means to further theimperialist objectives of the United States and its puppets. In order for peace to ever besecured, all nations must be made to disarm immediately, especially the United Statesand the NATO powers. Also, while this process is going on, the United Nations must takedecisive action to establish a zero-tolerance policy for the use of nuclear weapons againstnon-nuclear states. With the absence of the Soviet Union as a world counter-balance forthe imperialist desires of the United States, the NPT is no longer a suitable solution. As isthe problem with the treaties pertaining to the weaponization of outer space, the loosewording in the NPT is no longer enough to secure peace and a more binding solutionmust be enacted until full disarmament is complete. This issue must be acted upon in adecisive manner, lest the rest of the world have no defense against the so-called“superpowers” of North America and Europe.

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Dan IoppoloEconomic and Social CommitteeDelegation of Sri LankaSt. Ignatius College Prep

NarcoterrorismSri Lanka is currently in an uneasy cease-fire with a rebel group called the Tamil

Tigers. This group is a terrorist organization, which funds itself by means of narcoticstrafficking. Despite vigorous attempts by the government to curtail this destabilizingpractice, we have been largely unsuccessful because our navy is preoccupied with maneuversrelated to the Tamil conflict.

Sri Lanka recommends, as a solution to the narcoterrorism problem, an internationalsystem that synergies drug fighting and law enforcement programs. We need to establishnew international conventions, which mandate that nations promptly inform each otherabout when and where drug bearing ships and drug money leave from their ports and wherethey are headed. No country has the police power to prevent any drug trafficking fromoccurring within their country, but if we pool our organizational and material resources wecan achieve greater success.

We need the United Nations to establish a system for communication andcoordination, so that our crime fighting resources can be used most effectively. Cooperationbetween the governments of the country from which the narcotics originated, the country towhich the drugs are headed, and the country in which the drug money is laundered will allowthe most effective war on drugs and the terror organizations they support.

MicrofinanceSri Lanka, being a less developed country, is a strong supporter of local and

international microfinance. Since the Tsunami devastated the economic infrastructure of ourcountry in December of 2004, microfinance has been a major part of our plan for economicrevitalization. Because an exceedingly large part of our economy was and is based on localentrepreneurships and small businesses, microfinance holds extremely viable potential forthe reinvigoration of our economy. One of the first major attempts of the Sri Lankangovernment to use microfinance to facilitate development was the creation of the NationalDevelopment Bank of Sri Lanka in 1999. Although this bank does more than microfinance,its microfinancial projects have been relatively successful. Since the Tsunami, thegovernment or Sri Lanka has offered direct microfinance loans to entrepreneurs as well asoffered incentives to banks that are in the microfinance business.

In addition Sri Lanka would also like to stress the great importance ofmicroinsurance as a concurrent goal along with microfinance. With out microinsurance therewill be very little investment in microfinancial enterprise because there will be no assurancesthat such investment will yield any profitable returns. We need to make certain that small,local enterprises have not only the necessary funds to start a business, but the riskmanagement to prevent dramatic loss of assets for the poor.

Sri Lanka believes that the primary goal of the United Nations should be to breakdown international barriers to microfinance and microinsurance. This initiative shouldinclude an agreement among nations to give preferential treatment to businesses involved inmicrofinance to the poor in the form of tax cuts and fee reductions. We must also makecertain that microinsurance is an integral part of this initiative. The UN should also begin a

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directly funding Microfinance programs to ensure that the developing world gets its fairshare of the benefits of microfinance.

Racial ProfilingSri Lanka believes that the security of its people and the stability of its country are of

the utmost concern. Therefore, Sri Lanka has chosen to follow a policy where the nationalsovereignty of a state to protect its people comes first, and the integrity of racialnondiscretion follows at the judgment of the national leaders. We would never allow thesafety of our citizens to be jeopardized simply because we don’t want to search too manypeople of a certain race or ethnicity. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of theterrorists in Sri Lanka are of Tamil descent, and this rightly makes the Tamil ethnicity part ofthe terrorist profile in our country.

Despite our tight security concerns, Sri Lanka does intend to keep its society as freeand fair as possible. We strongly endorse the UN Declaration of Human Rights. We hopethat no country would ever discriminate simply for the sake of discrimination. That said, wefeel it is of the utmost importance that individual states are left the national sovereignty todefend their citizens by any means necessary, especially if that country is under a highterrorist threat.

Following from this logic, Sri Lanka does not feel that the UN should pass restrictivelegislation that would hamper nation’s ability to fight terrorism. Surely, we would hope thatevery nation that participates in the UN would have the self-restraint and responsibility torefrain from needless discrimination and arrests. However, we must allow every nation thefreedom to respond to the problems that result from their respective individual contexts.

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Specialized Committees

At some point in your Model UN career at St. Ignatius you may get to participate in a specialcommittee: either the United Nations Security Council or a committee that isn’t part of theUnited Nations system. Some common examples of these committees and their jurisdictionand special parliamentary procedure variations are noted below.

Security CouncilThe Security Council is comprised of fifteen nations. Five of them, the United

States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China, are permanent members and haveveto power over any resolution. As the name of the committee suggests, the SecurityCouncil deals with matters of immediate concern; usually these matters pertain tointernational security. No resolution can pass without the support of the permanent fivemembers, so the emphasis in the Security Council is on compromise and consensus. Also,because of the wide array of issues that come before the Security Council, you should have abroad knowledge of the global situation if you are in this committee. The Security Councilputs together the big picture, so you should have a sense of the big picture.

Future Security CouncilThis is the Security Council several years in the future. Due to the creativity allowed

by a future setting, the topics can be somewhat exotic (i.e. the secession of Alberta fromCanada), and you should be accordingly creative in the solutions you present if you are amember of this body. It is important to note that often the composition of the Council isdifferent. For instance, there are often more than fifteen member states.

Historical CommitteesThese committees can include a Historic Security Council, a Historic General

Assembly, the Paris Peace Conference, a US-Soviet showdown over Berlin, or any numberof committees that have not been in session for decades. You are expected to do significantresearch, as you need to precisely know the historical background. The committees areusually always set on a certain date, so you can’t bring up anything that happens after thatdate. After all, you are shaping the future … or should I say the past. What happens afterthat date will be the result of your actions. Maybe the Great Depression never happens. Ormaybe Europe gets blown up.

British CabinetYou are a member of Her Majesty’s Government. The British Cabinet concerns

itself with any number of issues, both foreign and domestic. You are expected to act as thecabinet member you receive and contribute to the policy debate as relative to your area ofexpertise.

Chinese PolitburoThe Politburo is the most important political body in the People’s Republic of

China. As in other cabinet-style simulations, you will be acting as a specific person in aposition of influence. You will provide your knowledge of the topics at hand to help createa sound policy for China to follow. As a specialist, you will need to do significant research,and you should also familiarize yourself with China’s political system.

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Iranian CabinetYou will be advising Supreme Leader Ayatollah Haajj Sayyid Ali Khamenei on

matters essential to the survival of the Islamic Republic of Iran. As in any cabinetsimulation, you are acting out the role of a specific individual in the cabinet. You should beaware that the Supreme Leader can essentially veto any measure put forward that he doesnot like. This committee is both serious and light-hearted, given that the delegates are veryprepared yet approach Iran’s often outlandish government with a dash of humor.

Organization of American StatesThe OAS is a collection of thirty-five independent states in the Americas. The

purpose of the organization is to build solidarity amongst members, to strengthen theireconomies and fight poverty, and to promote representative democracy. As a delegate, youwill represent your country on issues common to the Americas.

There are many, many other specialized committees. Visit the UnitedNations home page, www.un.org, for descriptions or google thecommittee name, if you do not find you committee name or adequateinformation here.

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Sample Position Papers for Specialized Committees

If you are placed in a specialized committee, you may not be writing a position paper per se,and for the most part the requirements, if there are any, will vary greatly from conference toconference. However, here are two examples of specialized committee position papers.

Future Security Council

Christopher OcasioSecurity Council of 2050The Delegation of KoreaSt. Ignatius College Prep

US-East Asia Relations in 2050

Throughout the last century the United States of America assumed first the role ofone of two military and economic superpowers, and then the responsibility of being the solesuperpower in the world. In that time, the United States has not always acted in a spirit ofmultilateralism or of equal consideration of interest towards the people of East Asia. TheUnited States has deployed military forces both overtly and covertly in Vietnam, Korea,Cambodia, and Laos. Its motives the Vietnam and in both of the Persian Gulf Wars remainmurky and suspect at best. Also, the United States has not always acted in good faith in tradenor in consulting with the East Asian community before committing an action which mayaffect the region economically, socially, or politically. Such actions include the Steel Tariff of2001 and the construction of a Missile Shield in 2009.

In spite of all the current issues of tension between East and West, Korea looks withhope towards a future in which the United States and East Asia can work together equally tobring peace and prosperity to the world through a spirit of mutual trust and cooperation.Despite the increase in nuclear proliferation among the nations of the world, Korea believesthat with time such weapons will become unnecessary to maintain the peace which hashistorically been accomplished through the horrible possibility of Mutually AssuredDestruction (MAD). One solution to the problem of nuclear proliferation is to betterenforce the NPT (Nuclear Proliferation Treaty) of 1968, while another solution lies in agreater sharing of the anti-missile defense systems developed by the EU, USA, and China.This second solution would go far in alleviating much of the tension between the US and theEast Asian countries not protected from ICBM attack by a Missile Shield. However,relations between the US and East Asia cannot be improved by these acts alone, as they donot address the issues of commerce or the status of emerging East Asian countries inrelation to the United States. Korea sees these two issues as major stumbling blocks to betterrelations between East and West.

During the 20th Century, as much of East Asia was developing from third to secondworld countries, the United States played a major role both financially and militarily.Nevertheless, East Asia has moved on from its infant days to become a home to the threedeveloped nations in Korea, Japan, and China. Trade with these countries makes up half oftotal American trade. Korea and Japan in particular have become hotbeds of technologicalinnovation, and they are now among the top twenty nations in the world today in terms ofliving standards and education. As such, the United States should no longer look down upon

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Asia as the younger partner that still has much to learn, but should instead recognize thatEast Asia has achieved maturity and is its equal in nearly every way. Should the United Statesrecognize this fact, not only will Korea blossom greatly in terms of its economic ability, butit and the rest of East Asia will gain new respect and security by developing a working andmature relationship with the United States of America.

Korea fully expects that there will be some bumps on the road, as indeed tensionsbetween China and the United States have once again risen. Yet we also look hopefully tothe new Japanese Internationalist views and also to the World Party in the United States. Werecognize that many countries, such as Brazil, Israel, and India, may not be willing to partwith the security of their nuclear stockpiles which many have recently acquired. India andRussia may also resent the prosperity of their East Asian neighbors and seek to hinder anygrowth in commerce with the United States. While Korea is cognizant of these problems, welook as well to the other nations of the Security Council and see their hope for a peacefuland prosperous world reflected in their willingness to assist both sides in bridging the dividesbetween them.

Bioethics

In 1998, the 2nd Korean Consensus Conference, sponsored by the Korean NationalCommission for UNESCO, had found that Korean Society was unready for the implicationsof such technological developments as human cloning and genetic manipulation due toreligious beliefs. It was because of this that a temporary ban was put on all cloning researchand applications and later was made permanent by the United Nations ban on reproductivecloning in 2004. However, in the last twenty-five years, some Koreans have come to see thatcloning can provide certain benefits. Many of the worlds’ extinct and endangered species arereceiving a new lease on life thanks to cloning, while families unable to bear children cannow adopt a cloned baby. Also, diseases such as malaria and AIDS have been wiped out,while at the same time science seems to be able to control cancers. Unfortunately, theadvances in other, less legitimate, areas such as gene therapy and bioterrorism have also keptpace with those in cloning and the miracle medicines for devastating diseases. In such aworld, Koreans must confront both the good and evil of science.

Biological and chemical weapons raise the most concern for Korea, as they are mucheasier to produce than nuclear weapons and can also be much more devastating. Koreaconsiders the Geneva Protocols, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the BiologicalWeapons Convention to be the foundation upon which any new platform for destroyingthese terrible weapons must be built. However, there is no need to create more bureaucracyin the UN as the Department for Disarmament Affairs already exists. If the Dept. were tohave more funding and more clout, it would be able to accomplish the mission of destroyingall chemical and biological weapons.

While the Department would deal with biological and chemical weapons, Koreabelieves that modifications to human speed, intelligence, strength, etc should be banned.Such a ban would ensure that a nation that even considers creating a “super soldier” wouldbe placed immediately under international pressure to cease such an attempt. It is in the bestinterest of all nations to ensure that science does not create monsters out of human beings,that science is controlled so that it benefits everyone equally without fundamentally alteringthe very things that make us human, and that science will continue to provide cures insteadof plagues. All this and more, Korea hopes to achieve by a resolution from the SecurityCouncil.

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If the Security Council is truly committed to preventing the disasters that can occurwhen man delves too deep into the mysteries of life, it must act quickly to adopt a resolutioncalling for the two points outlined above. Also, it must show one face to the rest of theworld in an expression of solidarity on this issue. While Korea expects to find Cuba, Russia,and possibly the United States on the other side of this issue, we believe that much of therest of the world stands with us when we say that in this situation science has given us toomuch of a good.

Organization of American States

Cate BergerThe Organization of American StatesDelegation of CubaSt. Ignatius College Prep

Preparing for TsunamisIn the Caribbean region, it is said that there is a great risk for a devastating tsunami to strike.With the incident in the Pacific in December of 2004, it is no wonder concerns arise as tothe safety of Caribbean inhabitants. Cuba, however, would like to acknowledge the fact thatin recorded history, only three tsunamis have ever devastated the islands of our humble sea:the tsunami of November 18, 1867, which killed only 40 people, the tsunami of October 11,1918, which killed another 40 reported persons, and the tsunami of August 4, 1946. Thereare mere suggestions in the form of tsunami deposits that two tsunamis occurred beforerecords began, one between the years 1270-1410 AD and another sometime between 820-400 BC. It is the tsunami of 1946 that has caused the most concern, as it did kill 6,000people. Another cause for concern is the possibility a tsunami could cause damage to recentcoastal development. This development is key to revitalizing Caribbean economy. However,Cuba urges all nations to look at the facts: in all of recorded time, only three tsunamis havehit the coasts of the Caribbean, and relative to amount of years this encompasses, the deathtoll and economic loss attributed to tsunamis is extremely low. Other natural disasters causemuch more devastation and are much more likely to happen than a tsunami. One suchdisaster is a hurricane; Cuba averages about 1 hurricane every other year. These hurricanesdamage the coastal areas just as much, if not more, than tsunamis do, and the destruction ofcrops, the main economic support of many Caribbean islands, is insurmountable and a hardblow to the struggling economy of Cuba and its neighbors. Cuba urges the money andresources that are going into tsunami preparation to instead go towards hurricane educationand preparation.Cuba acknowledges that every nation has the right to spend its money where it will,however. If such nations wish to follow Puerto Rico in its spending of tragically hugeamounts of cash into tsunami detection systems and public education programs, theiridentity as a sovereign state guarantees them the right to do so. In this case, the delegation ofCuba suggests that the Organization of American States set up a fund to promote the alreadysuccessful and growing Early Bird detection system directed by the West Coast and AlaskaTsunami Warning Center, the ATWC, which installed a detection system into the PuertoRican Seismic Network, the PRSN. The Early Bird System (EB) in the Caribbean, monitoredby the PRSN, should continue to be monitored by this one organization. To improve thissystem, Cuba proposes that nations who donate monies to the UN created fund can the

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warning the PRSN issues extended to their nations. The PRSN, as the organization incharge of the Caribbean tsunami front, will have to be employed full-time, 24 hours a day, 7days per week, for response time now can take up to 2 hours after the earthquake to sendout a warning to Puerto Rican citizens when all employees are off hours. To improvedetection of tsunamis, DART buoys must be installed. The United States has already pledgedto place 32 of these in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean by mid 2007.Cuba understands that a warning system is useless unless the people are educated as to whatto do when warned of a tsunami. So many died in the tsunamis of December 26, 2004,because upon seeing the water recede drastically form the shoreline, citizens flocked to thebeach to witness the phenomenon instead of recognizing that as a sign of a killer tsunami.Thus, Cuba proposes that the funds also be used to sponsor education programs in at risknations, such as the PRSN has already suggested for Puerto Rico. These programs include:creation and circulation of a documentary designed to report on the devastation of pasttsunamis, tsunami warning signs placed in coastal areas, continuous update of websites,tsunami evacuation drills, the handing out of a tsunami fact sheet, and public serviceannouncements on the television. Police and other personnel need to be trained to recognizethe signs of a dangerous tsunami, be able to locate at risk flood areas, and learn evacuationprocedures and techniques. To properly prepare for a tsunami costs a lot of money and a lotof time; to man the PRSN 24 hours a day, to update the buoy technology, and to spread thebroadcasting zone of tsunami warnings all requires massive amounts of resources. If a nationwishes to donate to a fund established by the UN to improve the EB, to aid the US inplacing DART buoys, and to extend the warning broadcasts to their nation, it may do so asis its right. The OAS should not, however, under no circumstances, found its ownorganization to do what the PRSN already does, manage the EB. It would be a waste of timeand resources, especially considering the only nations likely to be affected by a tsunamiwould be Puerto Rico, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Dominican Republic,areas the PRSN already covers. Finally, the OAS certainly shouldn’t waste funds on creatinganother tsunami warning system when an effective system as already began manifestation.Overall, however, Cuba again urges nations to see that any efforts at tsunami preparation arenot worth the resources. The Caribbean needs to focus on such disasters as hurricanesbefore it should even think about tsunami preparation, for in the big picture of things,tsunamis pose very little threat in comparison to other situations that are problematic now.

The Situation in ColombiaThe Republic of Cuba firmly believes that what makes a nation a state is its

sovereignty. If the United Nations takes away a nation’s sovereignty, then it has taken awaythat nation’s right to call itself an independent, autonomous state. The Organization ofAmerican States has no right to do this, despite the situation that is arising in Colombia. Inthe past, the OAS has consistently opposed foreign intervention into a member state; thereare scare examples of approved intervention in the history of the OAS. Why should thisorganization interfere within a country’s own affairs? In 1979, the OAS refused to grantpermission to the United States to intervene in the Nicaraguan civil war, and that standardshould hold in the present case of Colombia.

In spite of the alleged human rights abuses, official intervention still must not bemade. Some may question the opinion of the Republic of Cuba, for the United States ofAmerica and its allies have been spreading rumors about human rights abuses in Cuba. Thatis absurd! The Republic of Cuba has 100% school enrollment, a 97.1 % literacy rate, and anunemployment rate of a mere 1.9%. This year it was announced by a representative of the

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World-wide Alimentos Program that Cuba is the only country in Latin America and theCaribbean that has almost completely eliminated severe infantile undernourishment. Clearly,the Republic of Cuba’s population is thriving and is being well provided for by the Cubangovernment. Many governments around the world are beginning to believe, rightly so, thatthe United States’s efforts to expound false human rights violations in Cuba are merely adesperate ploy to justify the longest standing embargo in trade history that the US currentlyhas placed on Cuba. Since the 1990s, all member nations of the OAS except the UnitedStates have resumed trade relations with our innocent nation. In 2005, the UN condemnedthe embargo for the 14th time, and but three nations voted against the UN Resolution toend the embargo: Israel, the Marshall Islands, and the US.The Republic of Cuba foresees that the United States will strongly urge the OAS tointervene in Colombia. This sort of action cannot be allowed, let alone promoted, by theOAS. This organization must be dedicated to ending imperialistic action, which is how aninvasion of Colombia will be perceived. The people must be allowed to establish their ownlegitimate government, instead of an illegitimate, false, unaccepted United States puppetgovernment that would surely be put into place. Secondly, to ensure stability in Colombiaafter the invasion, the OAS would have to dedicate a ridiculous amount of resources to theproject, and the necessary occupation of Colombia would be a large, expensive, unpopulartask. The government of Colombia must establish itself, and through those efforts, thenation will become more united.

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Strategies to Use in Committee

Small Committees (10-30 delegations)

- In small committees, personality matters most; be charming!- There is less business and more relationship building; work your manners and people skillsto gain allies and attention!- Focus on substance of your speaking rather than quantity.- Find your “niche” in committee so as to create a persona and a reputation for yourself.- Face-to-face communication is key, which is tough to make time for in large committees,where notes are the favored from of communication.- Keep in mind that in small committees, every vote counts.- Spearhead the resolution, understanding that most delegates will collaborate on ONEresolution.- There are fewer possibilities for allies, so be willing to compromise more

Note: If you represent a radical position, do NOT compromise more; understand that sticking outlike a sore thumb can be a good thing!

Large Committees (>30 delegations, usually 80 and up)

There are two main points to remember!- Stand out early, for it is difficult to be seen and heard in a large committee!- Make allies with fellow committee members early!

* Speak as often as possible.* Watch for the dynamic committee members and work with them.* Come early to your first session and meet people* First impression is key: dress well* Make people feel involved in resolution writing, even if they really aren’t; they will

vote for your resolution then!* Play up your position as STRONGLY as possible.

- Use amendments to change resolutions that you do not agree with but for which you haveno alternative.

LAST PIECE OF GENERAL STRATEGY FOR USE IN ANY COMMITTEE:

Your best research tool and resource are the people in your committee!Learn from them; play off them.

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!Isn’t it the best when you rule committee???