mun handbook

8/3/2019 MUN Handbook

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Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction Page 1

Chapter 2 Student Delegates Page 5

Chapter 3 Student Leaders Page 16

Chapter 4 Faculty Sponsors Page 24

Chapter 5 Additional Resources Page 30

Chapter 6 Model U.N. Workbook Page 35

Thank you for

taking part in the

Councils Model U.N.

program, and we wish you

the best of luck in

preparing for a successful

Model U.N. experience.

How to use this handbookThis handbook is designed to prepare students and teachers to successully

participate in the World Aairs Councils agship education program Model

United Nations [Model U.N.]. Three dierent groups take part in our Model U.N.:

studentdelegates, studentleaders and facultysponsors. Once you have

reviewed those sections o the handbook most relevant to your role, we encourage

you to read through the rest o the handbook and complete the exercises in the

Model U.N. Workbook, as well as consult the Additional Resources chapter.

Welcome to the world o Model U.N. and good luck!

TheWorldAffairsCouncilwww.wacphila.org

This book was created by the World Aairs Council o Philadelphia, with special

thanks to Alex Martins, an accomplished Model U.N. delegate and generous riend

to the World Aairs Council.

Copyright 2009 World Aairs Council o Philadelphia.


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Model United Nations Handbook 1

Chapter 1: Introduction

What is the World Aairs Council?

The World Aairs Council o Philadelphia is a nonproft, nonpartisan, educational

organization dedicated to inorming and engaging people o all ages in matters

o national and international signifcance. With an emphasis on providingopportunities or students to learn about these issues outside o the classroom, the

Council sponsors programs that help enrich extracurricular experiences. Every

year, these programs reach about 2,600 students and teachers rom more than 200

schools. For additional inormation about the Council, its programs and how to

contact us, please visit our website atwww.wacphila.org.

What is Model U.N.?

Model U.N. is a simulation o the United Nations, with students assuming the roles

odelegates (country representatives) or leaders. Delegates represent one o

the U.N. member states in a specifc committee, in order to debate and explore a

pertinent global issue. During the Model U.N. conerence, delegates work in their

committees to crat solutions to these specifc global issues.

The World Aairs Councils Model U.N. is one o the longest running programs in

the country and is open to all high school students in the Greater Philadelphia area,

including New Jersey and Delaware. We simulate sessions o the General Assembly,

Security Council and other branches o the United Nations during a dynamic

and engaging conerence that takes place near the end o the academic year. In

the months leading up to the conerence, students also participate in a variety o

activities to prepare or the fnal day, including an intensive all-day preparatory

conerence where participants learn more about the substantive issues rom college

proessors and Model U.N. experts.

Note: I you have participated in a Model U.N. simulation elsewhere, you may

fnd the Councils version somewhat dierent. This is because our Model U.N.

takes place over one day as opposed to three or our days. We have made several

modifcations to condense the Model U.N. into one day, including requiring pre-

written resolutions and simpliying certain rules.

What the Model U.N. can do or you

Why should you and your school take part in Model U.N.? Why is this simulation o

the United Nations so popular? While everyones Model U.N. experience is unique,

the opportunity to explore important global issues by actively participating in a

simulated international conerence alongside ellow students o varied interests andbackgrounds holds universal appeal. Assuming the role o a diplomat or delegate

is an exercise in role-play. As a delegate, you act on your countrys behal, while

addressing important and oten complicated global issues like climate change, gender

equality and universal access to education. Negotiating sustainable solutions to

these issues is challenging and exciting and ultimately enhances your understanding

o what it means to be a citizen and diplomat in the twenty-frst century.

Ismael Gaspar Martins, permanent representativeo Angola, who was elected by acclamation as

the Peacebuilding Commissions rst chairman,addresses the Peacebuilding Commissionsinaugural session at U.N. Headquarters in New York

Photo: U.N. Photo/PaUlo FilgUeiras


4/522 TheWorldAffairsCouncilwww.wacphila.org

Objectives

By taking part in the Councils Model U.N., we hope students will begin to:

developanunderstandingoftheUnitedNationsandthecomplexitiesof

working in an international system o laws, rules and policies;

expandtheirknowledgeofglobalissues,trendsandconicts;

increasetheirunderstandingofdifferentpolitical,cultural,socio-economicand

religious views;

engagewithadiversegroupofstudentsinchallengingdiscussionsonmatters

o international, political, economic, social and environmental importance; and

enhancetheirleadershipandadvocacyskillsbyhoningtechniquesinpublic

speaking, negotiation and debate.

What is the United Nations?Although many people have heard o the international organization known as the

United Nations, ew understand how it works. Though itis immensely complex,

getting involved in Model U.N. is one o the most eective ways to grasp not

only what the U.N. does, but also how it unctions. Model U.N. is one o the

best examples o learning-by-doing, as it gives you a closer look into the real

challenges o international negotiation and diplomacy.

How did the U.N. emerge?

The United Nations was created in 1945 at the end o World War II with the purpose

o promoting international peace and security among nations. At the time o itscreation, 50 countries met in San Francisco to write the charter o an organization

that would grow into the U.N. we know today. The charter was ratifed on October

24, 1945now celebrated as U.N. Dayand, since then, the United Nations has

grown to be the most important international organization in history.

For more inormation about the history o the U.N., visit:

www.un.org/aboutun/unhistory/.

The General Assembly Hall during ameeting on the revitalization o its workat U.N. Headquarters in New York.

Photo: U.N. Photo/eskiNder debebe


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What does the U.N. do?

The U.N. system has expanded dramatically since its ounding. Today, the U.N. has

192 member states and many branches and components. The six main organs o

the U.N. are the:

GeneralAssembly(GA)

SecurityCouncil(UNSC)

EconomicandSocialCouncil(ECOSOC)

InternationalCourtofJustice(ICJ)

TrusteeshipCouncil

Secretariat

This Model U.N. only ocuses on the frst three organs. Delegates sit in

committees created rom one o these three organs, all o which are situated inthe U.N.s New York headquarters. Its other headquarters are located in Geneva,

Switzerland.

General Assembly Acts as a orum or all 192 member states to

arrive at collective decisions regarding the worlds

most pressing problems.

www.un.org/ga

Security Council Consists o 15 members and acts as the decision-

making head o the U.N., particularly in matters

related to international peace and security around

the globe.

www.un.org/Docs/sc

Economic and Social Council Consists o 54 members and coordinates the

economic and social actions o the U.N., ostering

cooperation between other development agencies.

www.un.org/ecosoc

The leader o the U.N. is called the Secretary-General. The Secretary-General is

responsible or representing its mission around the world. Past Sec-Gens include

Dag Hammarskjld (Sweden), Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt) and Kof Annan

(Ghana). Ban Ki-Moon (South Korea) is the current Secretary-General. He was

elected in 2006.

For more inormation, visitwww.un.org/aboutun.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses theMillennium Development Goals event in the

Dag Hammarskjld Library Auditorium at U.N.Headquarters in New York.

Photo: U.N. Photo/Mark garteN



The U.N. System Chart

This chart illustrates the structure o the United Nations. As you can see, each

o the three main organs is responsible or several commissions and committees.

The delegation o responsibilities is just one way in which the U.N. deals with the

diversity o issues it has to tackle on a daily basis.

For a complete breakdown o the U.N. System, visitwww.un.org/aboutun/chart_en.pd.

The United Nations

UnitedNationsPeacebuilding

Commission

International

Criminal

Tribunal for

Rwanda(ICTR)

and former

Yugoslavia

(ICTY)

Economic and

Social Council

General AssemblySecurity Council

U.N.DevelopmentProgramme

(UNDP)

U.N.Environment

Programme

(UNEP)

U.N.Childrens

Fund(UNICEF)

U.N.Refugee

Agency(UNHCR)

WorldFood

Programme(WFP)

WorldHealthOrganization

(WHO)

U.N.Education,

Social and

Cultural

Organization

(UNESCO)

Foodand

Agriculture

Organization

(FAO)

International

Labor Organ

ization(ILO)

Members o the Security Council unanimously adopta resolution imposing sanctions on the IslamicRepublic o Iran.

Photo: U.N. Photo/devra berkowitz


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Chapter 2: Student DelegatesAre you a student taking part in Model U.N. this year? This section will help you:

1. Understand your role in Model U.N.;

2. Research and prepare or the conerence; and

3. Perorm well in committee.

From this point on, you will be reerred to as a delegate.

What is a delegate?

A delegate is a person who is authorized to represent or act on behal o someone

else. In Model U.N., a delegate serves as a representative o his or her country.

When you decide to take part in Model U.N., you will be assigned a specifc

country to represent, a committee on which to serve and a topic to discuss. Always

keep in mind that when you assume the role odelegate, you must represent the

position and belies o your country, not your own personal opinions.

Your goal as a delegate

When preparing or Model U.N., it helps to understand and visualize the goal

you are working toward. In this case, your preparation will culminate in a fnal

conerence held in the spring. The diagram to the right illustrates the steps you will

take to reach that point.

Research and preparation

Being prepared to attend a Model U.N. conerence is the surest way to do well and

to have un at the same time. Preparation involves researching all the inormationthat may be useul in a committee. Research can seem daunting at frst, but it

becomes much easier once you know where to look. In Model U.N., there are three

areas to research beore the fnal day arrives: country, committee and topic.

1. Country

To aithully represent your country, you must fnd out basic inormation about

its history, geography, politics, economy and involvement with the U.N. Use the

country profle worksheet ound in the workbook to guide you in your research.

AgoodplacetostartlookingforbasicfactsandinformationistheCIAWorld

Factbook atwww.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-actbook.

Forinformationfromyourcountrysgovernment,usetheU.N.snational

government site atwww.un.org/esa/national.htm.

TondoutaboutyourcountrysparticipationintheU.N.,lookatits

permanent mission to the U.N. atwww.un.int.

.Research and

Preparation

Learn about your country,

committee and topic.

Resolutions

Writearesolution

addressing a solution

to a problem related

to your topic.

Final Model

U.N. Conference

Debateandamend

resolutions in one of

seven committees.



2. Committee

You must know how your committee unctions and the issues it addresses. Start

by reerring back to the U.N. system chart in the introduction to see how your

committee relates to other U.N. bodies.

Find out whether your committee alls under the authority o the Security Council,

the General Assembly or the Economic and Social Council, and then conduct

research about the relevant group. (Note: i it does not relate to any o these, the

committee is likely an independent branch o the U.N.) Next, fnd the website or

your particular subsection o the U.N., which should give you a good introduction

to its work.

3.Topic

Researching your topic can be challenging because the issues dealt with by the U.N.

are oten very broad. However, although gathering acts on topics like climate change

or poverty may be difcult, your particular committee will only address one specifcaspect o the issue. For example, i your committee is the U.N. reugee agency

(UNHCR), you may ocus on the reugee problem in the eastern reaches o the

Democratic Republic o the Congo, rather than the reugee crisis in Arica as a whole.

Begin by reading your committee background guide, which will be distributed by

the World Aairs Council in late January. This will provide you with an overview

o the topic and an introduction to the scope o the committee. The trick then is to

fnd inormation that is relevant to your country and position. Use the ollowing

questions to direct your research:

Whatisthenatureoftheproblem?

Whatarethevarioussidesinthedebate?

Howdoesitaffectyourcountry?Whatothercountriesaresimilarlyaffected

by this problem?

Whathasyourcountrydonetotackletheproblem?

Isthereanyevidenceorstatisticaldatathatsupportsyourcountrysposition?

Whatarethepolitical,economic,social,environmentaland/ortechnological

consequences o this issue or your country? For the international community?

Howwouldyourcountrydefenditspositionagainstopposition?

Lookingattheissuefrombothanationalandglobalperspective,whataretheshort-term (fve 10 years) consequences o this issue i no action is taken?

What are the long-term (15 or more years) consequences o this issue i no

action is taken?

School girls attend classes in a school built by theUnited Nations High Commissioner or Reugees(UNHCR) in Wad Sjeroe reugee camp. The schooloperates two shits, one in the morning or girlsand another in the aternoon or boys, to provideeducation to many reugee children in Sudan.

Photo: U.N. Photo/Fred Nov


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Doothercountriesorblocs share your perspective and interest in this issue,

and will they be more likely to support your position?

Whichcountriesorblocsaremorelikelytoopposeyourproposal?

Wheredoyouseethepossibleareasofcompromise?

Once you complete your research, you must write a position paper. This is a

chance to put your research to use by expressing your countrys views in writing.

You should do three things in a position paper:

1. Write an overview o the issue;

2. Describe how the topic relates to your country; and

3. Outline possible solutions to the problem.

Keep in mind that your proposed solutions should be easible or other countries

that have a direct stake in the topic. The position paper should be one to two

pages, so keep your inormation ocused and to the point. Position papers arealso useul in helping you organize your thoughts so that you are better prepared

on the conerence day.

Writing a resolution

The goal o a Model U.N. conerence is to discuss global issues and address possible

solutions with ellow delegates. In the actual United Nations, these delegates

present their solutions in a document known as a resolution, so called because

it reers to actions that countries jointly resolve to undertake. As a delegate,

you are responsible or writing a resolution beore arriving at the conerence.

Your resolution should do two things: outline the problem and oer solutions.

Essentially, all you need to do is put the inormation rom your position paper into

the ormat o a resolution.

The best way to think about a resolution is as a sentence with three main parts:

1. The header indicates the committee, the topic and the sponsor country;

2. The preamble provides context, describing why the issue is important and

what previous action has been taken; that is, it describes the problem; and

3. The operative clauses describe what action the committee should take to

solve the problem; in other words, it describes the solution.

This may seem complicated, so please take a look at the example on the next page,which illustrates the main eatures o a resolution.

Dontforgettolookatthechapter on additional resources

for a complete list of websites

and references that are useful

for your research.

Doyoufeeloverwhelmedbyall

ofthisinformation?Dontworry

thisisnatural.Ifyouneedmore

help, talk to your faculty sponsor

and keep in mind that you

will attend the Model U.N.

preparatory conference early in

the spring, where you will hear

presentations on each of the

topics addressed in

this handbook.



What does a resolution look like?

The three sections o a resolution are illustrated by bold ovals; the ormatting

points are in dashed ovals. Punctuation is important because a resolution reads

as one long sentence.

The Security Council meets to considerthe report o the Secretary-General on thesituation in Sudan at U.N. Headquarters inNew York.


Organ: General Assembly

Topic:SustainableEnergyandDevelopment

Sponsor: Germany

The General Assembly,

Recallingitsresolution57/254of21February2003establishingaDecadeof

EducationforSustainableDevelopmentbeginningon1January2005,

Emphasizing the importance of individual decision making in the larger

problems and solutions of worldwide consumption and development,

Further emphasizing that education is an indispensable element for achieving

sustainable development and consumption,

1. DecidestoconveneaRoundtableonWorldwideEnergy

Consumption in October 2006, in cooperation with the United

Nations Environment Program and the Commission on Sustainable

Development,forthepurposesofidentifyingpotentialmodications

to individual energy consumption patterns;

2. Urges all member states of the United Nations to engage in

substantial research to identify the energy consumption patterns of

their citizens;

3. Invitesgovernmentstosharetheirndingswiththeinternational

community at the 2006 Roundtable;

4. Encourages governments to educate their citizens on the options for

energy consumption, in order to promote a culture of sustainability.

Header

Preamble

Italics

Underline

Comma

Operative clauses

Semicolo


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The preambulatory clauses in this resolution use language such as recalling

and emphasizing to note previous action taken on the issue o sustainable energy

and to highlight what Germany, the sponsor, fnds important.

The operative clauses use more direct language, such as decides and

urges, in order to encourage action in the committee. The solution outlined inthis resolution is or member states to engage in more research and public

education. Remember, i you decide to support this resolution in committee,

your country is agreeing to implement its suggestions.

You will fnd more examples opreambulatory and operative clauses below.

Choose each one careully to make sure it expresses exactly what you want to say,

and use dierent phrases or each clause to ensure variety.

Preambulatory clauses

Acknowledging

Afrming

Alarmed by

Approving

Aware o

Bearing in mind

Believing

Confdent

Considering

Convinced

Declaring

Deeply concerned

Deeply disturbed

Deeply regretting

Desiring

Determined

Encouraged

Endorsing

Emphasizing

Expecting

Expressing its

appreciation

Fulflling

Fully alarmed

Fully aware

Fully believing

Guided by

Having adopted

Having considered

Having examined

Having heard

Having received

Having studied

Hoping

Keeping in mind

Mindul

Noting with regret

Noting with

deep concern

Noting with satisaction

Noting urther

Noting with approval

Observing

Reafrming

Realizing

Recalling

Recognizing

Reerring

Regretting

Reiterating

Seeking

Stressing

Taking into account

Taking into consideration

Taking note

Welcoming

Riyad H. Mansour, permanent observer o thePermanent Observer Mission o Palestine to the

United Nations, addresses the Security Councilmeeting on the situation in the Middle East,including the question o Palestine, at U.N.Headquarters in New York.




Operative clauses

Accepts

Adopts

Afrms

Appreciates

Approves

Authorizes

Calls upon

Commends

Condemns

Confrms

Congratulates

Considers

Declares

Designates

Directs

Draws the attention

Emphasizes

Encourages

Endorses

Expresses its appreciation

Expresses its hope

Expresses its regret

Expresses its sympathy

Further invites

Further proclaims

Further reminds

Further recommends

Further requests

Further resolves

Has resolved

Instructs

Invites

Notes

Proclaims

Reafrms

Recognizes

Recommends

Regrets

Reminds

Renews its appeal

Repeats

Requests

Resolves

Solemnly afrms

Strongly condemns

Suggests

Supports

Takes note o

Trusts

Urges

A member o the Security Council casts a voteduring the election o the ve members o theInternational Court o Justice (ICJ).



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Use this inormation to write your own resolution on the topic assigned to you.

Closer to the actual conerence, your studentleaders will pick three resolutions

to debate in each committee. Remember, even i your resolution is not chosen,

the process o writing one is still important because you will have the opportunity

to include some o your own ideas during the debate.

Resolution writing dos and donts

Once you have reviewed this inormation, use the resolution template in the

workbook, on page 43, to practice writing your own clauses, based either on your

assigned topic or any issue you would like to explore urther.

Do write the correct names o the country and committee that you are assigned

Do use many dierent sources to support your point

Do look at the problem rom dierent points o view

Do represent your country and its actual oreign policy

Dontsimply copy an existing U.N. Resolution

Dontuse I when reerring to yoursel; say your country name or the

delegate rom ____

Dontwrite long resolutions; be specifc when giving solutions

Parliamentary procedure

Parliamentary procedure, or Parli is a ancy name or the rules used during

committee. Many delegates fnd Parli challenging, but it exists to make the

committee run smoothly. Use the ollowing guidelines to understand and practicethe rules beore the actual conerence day arrives.

Six main things can happen during a committee session:

1. Opening speeches: introduce your countrys position

2. Resolution Q&A: clariy points on a resolution

3. Speakers list: give your opinion

4. Caucusing: debate sections o each resolution

5. Amendments: propose and add changes to the resolution

6. Voting: vote on whether to pass each resolution

You may never have heard these terms beore, but they are easy to use and

understand once you have taken part in a Model U.N. committee. The terms

are explained in more detail below.

Remember, the preparatory

conference offers another

opportunity for you to

learn more about Parli

and ask any questions

you may have.



The rules

The most important Model U.N. rules are listed below. You dont have to memorize

each one, but you should be amiliar with them beore attending the conerence.

Points: Points are questions or concerns a delegate may raise with thechair. You may raise three kinds o points:

1. Point of order: to correct the chair i he or she violates the rules

2. Point of parliamentary procedure: any question or clarifcation

regarding the rules

3. Point of personal privilege: or issues o personal comort, such as

room temperature or using the restroom

Speeches: Most o your participation in committee will occur during speeches.

Each time you wish to speak, you must raise your country placard (given to

you at the beginning o the conerence) and wait or the chair to recognizeyou. Keep in mind that all speeches will have a time limit.

Yielding: At the end o your speeches, you may yield (or give up) your

remaining time to one o three options:

1. Questions: posed by other delegates regarding your speech

2. Comments: two 30-second comments rom other delegates ollowing

your speech

3. The chair: your speech ends with no comments or questions

Note: Yielding is not necessary in a moderated caucus (explained below).

Motions: In committee, motions are used to make suggestions to the

chair. For example, i you would like to move into more specifc debate,

you may motion or a moderated caucus. I you would like a break rom

committee rules to speak with your ellow delegates, you may motion or

an unmoderatedcaucus.

Moderated caucuses: A caucus is any group or meeting organized to urther

a special interest or cause. A moderated caucus, thereore, is simply a section

o the committee dedicated to discussing one aspect o a topic or resolution.

The ollowing example is taken rom the sample resolution above: Motion or

a moderated caucus to discuss clause 1, specifcally relating to the agenda o the

proposed Roundtable.This caucus would then be devoted to creating an agenda

outlining what countries want to achieve during this meeting.

Unmoderated Caucus: This is a break rom committee rules where

delegates may communicate without the moderation o the chair. For

example, i you think you would make more progress by speaking to another

delegate one-on-one, you would motion or an unmoderated caucus or a

specifc period o time to discuss a certain topic.


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Amendments: These are changes made to resolutions throughout a

committee session. To amend a resolution, you can revise, add or delete one

or more clauses. Remember, you amend a resolution to make it stronger.

For example, clause 4 o the sample resolution [page 8] is vague on how

governments should educate their citizens. A good amendment would add

details to make this clause more specifc.

Voting: Although the chair moderates the committee, the delegates make

the most important decisions by voting. There are two types ovoting:

1. Procedural: votes pertaining to the ow o committee, such as on motions

or moderated or unmoderated caucuses

2. Substantive: voting on amendments and resolutions

The conerence

The fnal conerence runs rom 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Here is a schedule o the

days activities:

8:10 8:30 a.m. Registration

8:30 9:15 a.m. Opening plenary session

9:30 11:30 a.m. Morning committee sessions

11:30 12:15 p.m. Recess or lunch

12:15 1:45 p.m. Aternoon committee sessions

1:45 2:30 p.m. Committee reports

2:30 3:15 p.m. Guest speaker

3:15 p.m. Adjournment

During the plenary session, delegates rom all schools will hear welcoming

remarks by Council members and studentleaders. Delegates will also be told

where to fnd their committee rooms. There are usually seven committees running

at the same time, and each delegate is assigned to one. The selected committees

will either be part o the General Assembly (GA) or the Economic and Social

Council (ECOSOC) o the U.N. Be sure to research your committee to determine

where it belongs in the U.N. system.

Debate will begin during the morning committee session and conclude in the

aternoon session. The details o what to expect in committee are includedbelowbe sure to read this section careully! The closing plenary session o the

conerence will eature a guest speaker.

A young woman patient waits to check in ortreatment under a tent in the compound o the FistulaUnit o Zalingei Hospital in Sudan.




Whattoexpectincommittee

Model U.N. is the perect example o learning by doing. This section will provide

you with a sense o what takes place during your committee session in a Model

U.N. Conerence. The inormation here is a good start, but you will learn even

more by sitting in committee and ollowing the instructions provided by yourstudentleaders.

ACTION DETAILS

1. Opening

speeches

Eachdelegate delivers three lines on their countrys

position on the topicuse your position paper to

guide you

2. Introduction of

resolutions

Sponsorsofthethreeselectedresolutions read them

aloud to the committee

AshortQ&Asessionfollowseachreadingof

a resolution

3. Speakers list Delegates have the opportunity to speak about all

three resolutionsnoting which clauses are the

strongest and which can be improved

4. Moderated

caucus

Thechair presents three issues addressing key aspects

o the resolutions

Delegates are given time to debate each issue by

making speeches

Attheendofthethreemoderated caucuses,

delegates may propose their own topic to discuss

5. Unmoderatedcaucus

Aftereachmoderated caucus, delegates are broken

up into blocs to write an amendment

Onceeachamendment is presented, the committee

votes on each one separately

Delegatesmayalsocombineamendedresolutions to

produce a stronger solution

6. Closing

speakers list

Approximately1015minutesareallocatedforgeneral

comments on the amended resolutions

7. Votingprocedures

Oncedebate is ofcially closed, the committee votesseparately on each resolutionthe possibilities are

yes, no or abstain

Thechair announces the voting results. (Note: you

may pass more than one resolution.)

Operation Lieline Sudan helps about 2.5 milliondisplaced people acing amine in the Sudan. Ababy is being given oral rehydration solution bya nurse belonging to Doctors without Borders, anongovernmental organization based in Belgium.

Photo: U.N. Photo/eskiNder debebe


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Summary

Use the ollowing chart to guide you through the three steps o Model U.N.:

research, resolutions and debate.

Step 1:Research

Country Research basic inormation about your country, as well as its relationship withand participation in the United Nations.

Topic Begin research on your topic by reading your background guide thoroughly.

Take notes on anything you dont understand or want to ollow up on, and

use the websites and materials listed in this book to fnd out more about the

problems and potential solutions.

Position How does your country act and eel about this issue? Taking a stance does not

mean you are inexible or unwilling to compromise, but it is important to know

your countrys bottom line on important issues. Writing your position paper

will help you defne this stance.

Step 2:

Resolutions

Research Search the U.N. website (www.un.org) or resolutions that have been passed

on your committees topic. This will give you an idea o what previous actionhas been taken.

Writing Once you have researched your topic, use the resolution template ound in the

workbook to write your own resolution. Remember to reer to your position

paper to drat the preambulatory and operative clauses.

Draft

Resolutions

Read all the dratresolutions (posted on the Council website, www.wacphila.org,

beore the conerence) beore arriving in committee. As you read, think about

what changes (or amendments) your country will propose during committee to

make each resolution as strong as possible.

Step 3:

Debate

Parliamentary

Procedure

Review the section that explains how a committee session works. Though it may

seem complicated, the best way to learn Parli is by taking part in committee. Iyou eel lost at any point during committee, you may ask the chair or help.

Speeches Making speeches is a great way to participate in committee. Write down your

main points on a piece o paper beore delivering your speech to make sure you

get your message across. Be sure to stay within the time limit.

Amending

Resolutions

Proposing amendments is the best way to improve a resolution. This process

happens during an unmoderated caucus, when the committee is split into blocs.

Make sure that you take part in your bloc by voicing your ideas and suggestions.

Participation You will get as much out o the conerence as you put in to it. Dont hesitate to

raise your placard and discuss an issue. Remember, your countrys voice will

only be heard i you speak out!



Chapter 3: Student Leaders

What is a student leader?

Studentleaders are responsible or creating the best possible Model U.N.

experience or their delegates. These students help run the conerence and sta

the committees. This section ocuses on leadership positions and the preparationnecessary or each one.

There are two main components to the role o a student leader: preparation and

participation. Each o the ollowing positions requires meeting with World Aairs

Council sta in the months leading up to the spring Model U.N. conerence, as well

as participation in the preparatory conerence, Council briefng sessions and fnal

conerence activities.

Ater reading this section, you should also study the section on delegates to

amiliarize yoursel with their process o preparation and participation.

Leadership positions1. Secretary-General: The sec-gen acts as the ace o student leadership during

the Model U.N. conerence. Main responsibilities include delivering an address

at the opening session o the conerence, supervising committees throughout

the day and possibly chairing a committee.

2. President o the General Assembly: The role o the President o the General

Assembly is to assist the secretary-general throughout the conerence day.

This includes helping to chair the opening session, conducting a roll call o all

nations, supervising committees and also possibly chairing a committee.

3. Committee chair: The chair manages the committee sessions during the

conerence. This requires thorough preparation in terms o both the topic athand and the rules oparliamentary procedure.

4. Committee rapporteur: The rapporteur unctions as a vice-chair, helping the

chair run the committee session by keeping track o all documents, caucuses

and votes.

To sum up, the conerence includes one secretary-general, one President o the

General Assembly, and seven chairs and rapporteurs, one per committee.

A United Nations vehicle drives through thevillage o Alaimbata that was burnt to the groundduring the recent unrest in Timor-Leste.

Photo: U.N. Photo/MartiNe Perret


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Preparing to chair a committee

The chair is one o the most important roles in Model U.N. The chair is

responsible or moderating the activities o the committee and ensuring that

delegates adhere to the days schedule. The chair must strike a balancebetween ollowing the delegates suggestions and steering the committee

in the right direction. The duties o this position include:

1. Thoroughly reading the background guide or your committee and conducting

extra research as necessary

2. Helping selectresolutions to debate in committee

3. Selecting three topics in preparation or three moderated caucuses during the

committee session

4. Understanding the rules oparliamentary procedure

5. Facilitating debate and encouraging participation during the committee session

6. Preparing committee remarks to deliver at the conerences closing session

The rapporteur unctions as the chairs assistant and is responsible or keeping

track o everything that happens in committee. This student leader should also be

prepared to run the committee in case o a temporary or permanent absence o the

chair. The duties o this position include:

1. Thoroughly reading the committee background guide

2. Helping selectresolutions to debate in committee

3. Keeping detailed notes o the days proceedings

4. Writing and tracking the progress oamendments

5. Recording all important votes

During your time as a student leader, you will meet Council sta to help you

prepare or this role in Model U.N. The frst Council meeting will give you an

overview o our expectation o studentleaders. Subsequent meetings will ocus

on reviewing resolutions and Model U.N. procedure.

A young boy plants the rice crop in the village elds

Photo: U.N. Photo/Martine Perret



Selecting resolutions

Ater meeting Council sta, the student leaders frst responsibility is to choose the

resolutions to debate in committee. Your job is to select three o the resolutions

submitted by students to serve as the ocus o debate and discussion on the day o theconerence. You will help edit these three resolutions in preparation or committee.

Guidelines to help you choose suitable resolutions: First, make sure the resolution includes all three parts:

1. Header (committee, topic, country)

2. Preamble

3. Operative clauses

Note: Good resolutions oten vary in their selection opreambulatory and

operative phrases; that is, they do not use Acknowledges or Requests or

every clause.

The preamble

The preamble states why the topic is important to the U.N.

The preamble should do at least one o the ollowing:

u AcknowledgepreviousactiontakenbytheU.N.and/orotherbodies

u Introduce new or pertinent acts relevant to the issue

Operative clauses

Operative clauses propose solutions to the problem addressed by

the committee

They must recommend specifc and concrete action or the U.N.s

member states

Creativity is also important; good resolutions will propose unique,

innovative and sometimes unexpected solutions to problems

In summary, make sure the resolution:

u Is well-written and ocused on the topic

u Is ormatted correctly, according to the template

u Proposes specifc action or the members o the committee and

u Proposes new and interesting ideas

Keep in mind that these dratresolutions should generate debate in the

committee. I every delegate agrees on each proposal, the session will be dull.

Thereore, look or diversity in your selections.


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Moderated caucuses

To acilitate discussion o the selected topics, the chair is responsible or preparing

three moderated caucuses beore the day o the conerence. For example:

You may notice thatclause 1 o the sample resolution on page 8 suggestsa Roundtable to identiy potential modifcations that will provide an

opportunity or delegates to discuss ways to modiy energy consumption in

their own countries. Thus, as chair, you may propose the ollowing:

Motion for a moderated caucus to discuss the agenda of the

Roundtable on Worldwide Energy Consumption. The length

will be 10 minutes with a 30-second speaking time.

Your committee may take matters into its own hands and make changes to

your suggested moderated caucuses. This is a good sign, indicating that the

delegates understand the procedures o debate and are ready to propose original

ideas. You must balance two responsibilities: acilitating the suggestions o thecommittee and, i no suggestions are made, oering your own topics to explore.

Running a committee session

As a chair, you ace the challenge o making sure your committee stays on

schedule, while also ostering substantive debate throughout the session. The best

way to prepare yoursel is to ollow guidelines that allow you to set various goals

or the day. Keep in mind that you will have roughly fve hours to debate and vote

on your committees resolutions.

Cheick Sidi Diarra (ourth rom let), highrepresentative or the least developed countries,landlocked developing countries and small islanddeveloping states, moderates a panel discussionon the role o international support in establishingecient transit transport systems to expand tradeopportunities or landlocked developing countries.



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Unmoderated Caucus 10 minutes Chair: Once the moderated caucus has elapsed, split

the committee into our blocs by dividing the room into

our corners.

Eachgroupmustwriteoneamendment to any or all o the

resolutions.

Chair: Encourage delegates to think creatively and remind

them that they may combine dierent parts o each resolution.

Amendments 15 minutes Eachblocwillnominatearepresentativetoreadthe

amendment to the committee.

Chair: Call on the representatives and allow each to answer up

to two questions about their blocs amendment.

Rapporteur: Collect each amendment and write it out or

the entire committee to see.

Vote on Amendments 510 minutes Afterallamendments are read, the committee will voteseparately on each one.

Rapporteur: Read each amendment aloud and ask

delegates to raise their placards in avor or against each one.

Chair: Once voting is complete, summarize the results by

announcing which amendments passed and which ailed.

(Amendments and resolutions both need a majority vote

to pass.)

Repeat Chair: Introduce the topic o the second moderated caucus and

repeat the above steps until a second round oamendments

is passed.

Rememberthatyoumustleavetimeforyourthirdtopicand

fnal voting, so allocate time accordingly.

Closing Speakers List 510 minutes Chair: Encourage delegates to deliver short speeches on their

reactions to the amendments. This is a good opportunity or

them to also express their support or a particular resolution.

Voting Procedures Rapporteur: Ater the last speaker, lead the committee into

voting procedures. Deal with each resolution separately.

Start by providing a summary o all the amendments to that

resolution. Delegates will then vote eitheryes, no orabstain.

Repeatthisprocessuntilyouhavevotedonallthreeresolutions.

Chair: Summarize the results by announcing which

resolutions were passed and which were not. I a roll call vote

was conducted, announce the number voting or and against.

Closing Remarks Chair: Wrap up the session by summarizing the procedure and

progress o the committee. Point out things that went well and

suggestions on what to improve in the uture.

Allowtimefortherapporteur and other committee sta to

make their own brie comments.



Setting Goals

Its easy to get bogged down by the details o running a committee session, so try

to ocus on specifc goals. The ollowing chart shows what each procedure o the

committee should achieve, so you can make a checklist as you go through the day.PROCEDURE GOAL

Opening Speeches Allow each delegate to introduce him or hersel

Resolutions Familiarize the committee with the dratresolutions

and allow delegates to clariy points o conusion

Speakers List Provide opportunities or delegates to speak about

all three resolutions and point out strengths and

weaknesses

Moderated Caucus Divide the resolution into smaller segments to allow

ocused debate on the most important issues

Unmoderated Caucus Provide delegates with time to discuss the moderated

caucus among themselves and propose amendments

Closing Speakers List Allow time or delegates to express their approval

or disapproval o the amended resolutions and

encourage others to vote

Voting Decide which resolutions to pass and which to ail

ater a ull day o debate, diplomacy and compromise

A young girl attends one o the thousands ocommunity based schools supported by the UnitedNations Childrens Fund to make ormal educationaccessible to children.

Photo: U.N. Photo/roger leMoyNe


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What to do i things dont go as planned

Flexibility is a key component o chairing. Things may not always go according

to plan during committee, so you must be prepared to handle several dierent

outcomes. In general, you should allow any suggestions and motions rom thecommittee, as long as they dont severely disrupt the ow o debate.

The ollowing chart identifes common problems and oers suggestions on how to

keep your committee on track.

ISSUE SOLUTION

There are no points or

motions on the oor, and

debate seems to be stalled.

Debate will sometimes slow down. This is normal. Allow or moments o inormal

questions and discussion throughout the committee session, during which you can

oer advice to the delegates about how to next proceed. You may also talk inormally

about the topic itsel and how its being handled in the United Nations today.

Delegates are behaving

poorly and not paying

attention.

Maintaining decorum can sometimes be difcult, especially with high school students.

Try to engage their attention by being riendly but strict. Impose high standards at the

beginning o the committee and allow them to relax slightly as the session goes on. I the

problem continues, the Council sta in your committee can handle disciplinary issues.

The delegates are acting

too inormally.

Establish a level o ormality at the beginning o the session and enorce certain

standards, such as reerring to each other as country delegates and not as

individuals. Emphasize that these rules are used in the real U.N., so it is important

to know them well.

You hear a motion to appeal

the decision o the chair.

Delegates will sometimes disagree with the decision o the chair. This can happen

even i the decision seems reasonable. In this case, the speaker will present his case, the

chair will respond and the committee will then vote. A two-thirds majority is needed

to overturn the chairs decision. I this happens, take it in stride and resume thesession as beore.

A delegate mentions an

unamiliar rule.

Keep a copy o the rules oparliamentary procedure with you during the

committee session. I a delegate brings up an unamiliar point, ask the rapporteur

to check the rules. In the meantime, continue with debate and return to the question

once you have confrmed the procedure.

Points o order. Chairs oten make minor mistakes in using parliamentary procedure. Delegates

may raise points o order regarding these mistakes. I this happens, apologize or the

oversight and correct your mistake.



Chapter 4: Faculty Sponsors

What is a aculty sponsor?

A faculty sponsor is a teacher who acts as a representative rom his or

her school and takes responsibility or coordinating all programs and activities

between their students and the World Aairs Council o Philadelphia. Thefaculty sponsor is invaluable to the Model U.N. process, especially because

the majority o student preparation occurs beyond the Councils reach. Whether

Model U.N. preparation takes place inside a classroom or as part o a school club,

faculty sponsors are responsible or corresponding with the World Aairs

Council, as well as helping students with preparation or the Model U.N.

conerence. This chapter is designed to ensure that you have all the materials

you need to serve eectively in your role as a faculty sponsor.

I you have taken part in Model U.N. beore, your school is already part o our

program. I you are new to the World Aairs Council, please contact the Councils

Education and Public Programs sta to be added to our distribution list.

How does the Model U.N. program work?

The Councils program is designed to give students the opportunity to experience

the world o international aairs and diplomacy frsthand. The faculty sponsors

role in Model U.N. includes:

Encouraging student participation at school;

Corresponding with the Council regarding registration and event instructions;

Guiding students during the Model U.N. process;

Helping students prepare or the fnal conerence; and Attending the fnal conerence.

All Model U.N. deadlines and events occur in winter and spring. The calendar

below lists the events leading up to the conerence. Specifc dates are sent out via

e-mail closer to each event.

February

Registration orm

deadlines

Model U.N. Faculty

Sponsors workshop

Student Leader

selection interviews

March

ModelU.N.

preparatory

conerence

Student Leader

Briefng 1

Student Leader

Briefng 2

April

Deadline or

submitting

resolutions

Student Leader

Briefng 3

Final Model U.N.

conerence

Jan Eliasson (let), Special Envoy o the Secretary-General or Darur, meets with the ormer traditionalleader o the Fur Tribe in Nyala, Sudan.



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Registration

To participate in Model U.N., you must register your schools delegation.

Please submit all necessary orms beore the deadline. You will receive both the

application and deadlines via e-mail.

Sampleregistrationform

Schools are required to submit separate orms i they are applying or a Big Five

country,SecurityCouncilpositionsand/orstudentleadershiproles.

Participating schools will be assigned up to three countries in the U.N. General

Assembly. Each school must send three studentsper country. Each student

willbeassignedtooneofthreecommittees.IfyouarerepresentingaBigFive

nation(China,France,RussianFederation,U.K.,U.S.A.),youmustselectseven

studentsto represent that country. Each of these students will represent their

country on one of the seven committees.

All schools must complete this registration form to participate in the Model U.N.

program. The earlier your reply is received, the more likely you are to be assigned

thecountrydelegation(s)ofyourchoice.Note that there are additional forms

(enclosed) to complete and return if you wish to represent a Big Five country in

the General Assembly.

Please print

School: ___________________________________________________________

Faculty Sponsor: ____________________________________________________

Email: _____________________________________________________________

COUNTRY PREFERENCE: General AssemblyWriteyourchoicesbelow

in order of preference.

1. _________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________

TotalnumberofGeneralAssemblydelegationsyourschoolWOULDLIKEto

send: _________

NOTE:Intheeventthatourquotaisnotreached,wemayassignschools

additional countries. Please indicate your interest in this option by stating the

total number of countries you would like to represent.



Assignments

Ater receiving all applications, Council sta will assign each school one or more

countries to represent during the conerence, as well as the committees in which

they will sit. Please note that each countrys delegation should have three students.Each student in that delegation will be assigned to one o three committees.

Big Five countries(U.S., U.K., China, France and Russia) are assigned to all

committees. To represent one o the Big Five countries, a one-page essay

explaining that countryspriorities or the United Nations in the current session

must be submitted to the Council along with the other registration materials. Be

sure to put the countrys U.N. agenda in context by explaining why the agenda

isshapedasitis(e.g.,internaland/orexternalfactors).Youmustalsonominate

seven students that you believe are capable o handling a Big Five role.

You must fll out an additional orm i any o your students want to participate

in the Security Council. Again, you are responsible or nominating students you

believe will do well in this advanced committee. Only 15 students will be chosento participate. You will need to provide the ollowing inormation on the Security

Council orm:

1. Please list the students previous Security Council experience. Has the student

previously assumed a Model U.N. Security Council role? I yes, describe when

and what country.

2. Whatleadershipqualitiesand/orotherrole-playingexperiencedoesthe

student have?

3. Please confrm that the student agrees to attend the Model U.N. preparatory

conerence as well as the Security Council briefng.

Once you have received your country allocations, you should assign positions to

your students. Model U.N. works best when students are genuinely interested

in their topics, so we suggest allowing them some reedom in choosing their own

country and topic rom those assigned to your school. Be mindul o the level o

difculty o each committee, as well as the prior experience o your students.

Three young girls in the Bam Sarai village inBamyan province prepare or exams as part oan eort in which UNICEF and the government o

Aghanistan aim to increase girls primary schoolattendance by 20 percent by the end o 2008.

Photo: U.N. Photo/shehzad NooraNi


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Student Leaders

Nominating studentleaders is a crucial component o the facultysponsors

role. These leadership positions are essential to the success o the Model U.N.

Any student who would like to take on a leadership position is required toattend a selection interview (approximately 20 minutes) held at the Council ofces.

During the selection interview, candidates should demonstrate the ollowing:

experienceconductingmeetings;

familiaritywiththeUnitedNations;

generalknowledgeofworldaffairs;and

experienceoftheModelU.N.orsimilarsimulationprograms(preferredbut

not required).

Please reer to the sample recommendation orm or studentleaders below.

Student Leader Recommendation Form

Iampleasedtorecommend___________________________________________

toserveasanofcerattheModelUnitedNations.Belowaremycommentson

thestudentsqualications:

1. Leadership qualities and experience:

2. Ability to speak articulately before a group:

3. ModelU.N.andotherrole-playingexperience(preferredbutnotnecessary):

4. Commitment, dependability and assurance of attendance at the preparatory

conference,ofcersbriengsandtheModelUnitedNationsconference.

StudentwillattendselectioninterviewsattheCouncilon(circleone):

February X, 200X February X, 200X

Faculty sponsor signature: ____________________________________________

School: _____________________________________________________________



Preparation

Once you have completed the registration and applications orms, you should begin

preparing your students or the program. This preparation can begin during the all

school semesterprior to any ofcial spring deadlineswhether in a classroom orclub setting.

In the Fall

Yourschoolwillnotreceiveitscountryassignmentsuntillatewinter/earlyspring.

However, you should begin a general study o the United Nations, including an

overview o its history, structure and actions, as soon as possible. Teaching the

U.N. can be daunting, but there are many resources and online publications

dedicated specifcally to this.

Two good online resources on the United Nations are the U.N.s website at

www.un.org, and the United Nations Associations o the USA (UNA-USA) at

www.unausa.org. Bear in mind that the Model U.N. procedures used by the Councilare dierent rom those listed online; however, the preparation and research

activities are both pertinent and helpul. See Chapter 5 or additional resources.

When your students are comortable with the basics o the U.N., you may consider

conducting mock Model U.N. sessions. I you have never witnessed a committee

beore, we suggest starting with the committee session script included in Chapter

5 o this handbook. We recommend distributing the roles in the script among your

students or a read-through. Once everyone is amiliar with the procedures, you

may deviate rom the script to choose a new topic and assign new countries to your

students. For example, you may wish to discuss the topic o war in Sudan among

several Arican nations, as well as members o the Security Council such as the

U.S., China and the U.K.

IntheSpring

The pace o Model U.N. picks up during the spring, but, i you adhere to Council

deadlines, you will have all the resources you need to prepare your students or the

conerence. The ollowing inormation is presented in greater detail in the chapter

dedicated to delegate preparation, so we suggest going through each section o

that chapter careully with your students.

1. Country research: Once you have allocated country roles among your students,

ask your students to begin their research and complete the country profle

worksheet starting on page 36.2. Committee/topic research:Delegates must possess detailed knowledge o their

assigned committee and topic. Each student is required to write a position

paper summarizing his or her research.

3. Preparatory Conerence:Your students must attend the preparatory

conferenceheldinMarchtohearpresentationsonresearch/preparationand

parliamentary procedure and to learn more about their committee topics.

Two Haitian girls wait at a warehouse operatedby the humanitarian organization CARE, in whichcivilians are receiving ood and water rationsdistributed by the World Food Programme (WFP)in the atermath o hurricane Ike. United NationsStabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) militarypersonnel provide security.

Photo: U.N. Photo/logaN abassi


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4. Resolution Writing:Each student must prepare a dratresolution that will be

submitted to the Council a ew weeks beore the Model U.N. conerence.

Sample Model U.N. schedule

The Model U.N. conerence is highly structured, and it is important that activities

run on schedule. The ollowing is a detailed schedule o the day.

8:10 8:30 a.m. Registration

8:30 9:15 a.m. Opening plenary session

9:30 11:30 a.m. Morning committee sessions

11:30 12:15 p.m. Recess or lunch

12:15 1:45 p.m. Aternoon committee sessions

1:45 2:30 p.m. Committee reports2:30 3:15 p.m. Guest speaker

3:15 p.m. Adjournment

How you can get more help and/or more involved

I you need any urther assistance, do not hesitate to e-mail a Council sta member

or extra help.

The best way to get help early in the process is to attend the Model U.N. aculty

workshop held in late winter. Even i you have attended beore, we suggest

registering again to fnd out about any changes made to Model U.N. rom theprevious year. We also suggest reading the entire handbook to get a sense o what

preparation is necessary or both delegates and studentleaders.

I you are a seasoned Model U.N. faculty sponsor, we encourage you to become

more involved in the preparation or the conerence. There are two main options

or greater participation:

1. Committee expert: The Council is always searching or experts in specifc areas

to orm the basis o a Model U.N. committee. The expert will be responsible or

conducting a presentation on a specifc topic during the student preparatory

conerence. Please e-mail the Council i you believe your area o expertise may

be useul in a Model U.N. setting.

2. Advisor:The Council would also like to establish partnerships between teachers

rom dierent schools, so that more experienced teachers can help those less

experienced. I you would like to help ellow faculty sponsors with the

logistics o participating in Model U.N. or help prepare their students or the

conerence, please e-mail the Council.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (ront row, sixthrom let) joined by his wie, Yoo Soon-taek(ront row, eighth rom let), visits the GrameenBank project or poverty eradication in Bogra,Bangladesh.

Photo: U.N. Photo/Mark garteN



Chapter 5: Additional Resources

GlossaryAbstain: I a delegate abstains rom voting, he or she casts a neutral vote towards

a resolution.

Amendments: Changes made to a resolution by delegates in committee. There

are three possible amendments: modiying, deleting or adding a clause. In addition,

delegates may choose to merge elements rom several resolutions.

Background guide: A document that provides the important inormation and

details concerning a specifc committee topic. Delegates should read this guide as

part o their research and preparation.

Blocs: A united group o countries with a shared goal; in the case o Model U.N.,

countries in a bloc work together to create amendments to resolutions.

Chair: The chair is the moderator o the committee. He or she is responsible or

conducting the committee session.Clauses: Phrases in any given resolutions, either preambulatory or operative

(explained below).

Delegate: A student who represents a country in any given committee.

Faculty Sponsors: High school teachers or aculty members that help their

students become involved in and prepare or the Councils Model U.N. program.

Header: Section at the beginning o a resolution that specifes the committee,

topic and sponsor country.

Leaders: The students who assume leadership roles during the conerence,

including the chair and rapporteur.

Member States: Countries that are part o the United Nations. Currently there

are 192 U.N. Member States.

Moderated Caucuses: Periods o a committee session that are dedicated to

addressing one specifc aspect o the topic.

Motion: A suggestion that a delegate makes to the committee about the next step

in the debate.

Operative clauses: Phrases in a resolution that propose action on the topic at hand.

Parliamentary Procedure: The set o rules that govern debate in committee.

Pass/Fail: A resolution passes i it receives more than hal the votes in committee;

it ails i it does not.

Placard: Sign indicating the country each delegate represents.

Plenary session: The opening ceremony on the day o the conerence where

delegates rom all committees sit together in the General Assembly.

Jackie Chan (center), kung-u master, actor andUnited Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) goodwillambassador, poses or a photo during a visit topromote the use o martial arts or peace.

Photo: U.N. Photo/MartiNe Perret


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Points: Questions or comments made by delegates to the chair, including a point

o order (correcting a mistake in the rules), a point o parliamentary procedure

(question about the rules) or a point o personal privilege (such as speaking louder).

Position Paper: A document written by all delegates that discusses both the

reasons why this topic impacts their country and what solutions they will presentin their resolution. Delegates should use their position papers to write their fnal

resolutions.

Preambulatory clauses: Phrases in a resolution that provide background

inormation or statistics on the topic, as well as acknowledge previous action taken

by the U.N. and its members.

Rapporteur: Student that assists the chair during committee by keeping track o

all actions taken by the delegates.

Resolution: Document written by delegates, and discussed and amended during

committee.

Roll call voting: A system o voting on a resolution or amendment that requires

a ormal record o the presence and vote or abstention o each delegate individually.

Speakers Lists: The opening and closing lists o countries that wish to speak

generally about the topic at hand. Delegates must raise their placards to be included

on the list.

Sponsor country: The country (or countries) that has written a resolution on

the given topic.

Unmoderated Caucuses: Breaks rom ormal debate during which delegates

are divided into separate blocs to write an amendment relating to the topic o the

preceding moderated caucus.

Voting: Occurs at the end o the fnal committee session. Each resolution is voted

upon separately.

Yields: Options or using your time ater delivering a speech, either to comments,

questions or back to the chair. Yields are only necessary or delegates on a

speakers list.

A nongovernmental organizations sta member(let) explains to children o the Al Salam InternallyDisplaced Persons camp in Omdurman themeaning o mines warning boards, as part o theactivities or the observance o the International Dayor Mine Awareness and Assistance. This program

was organized by the Public Inormation Oceo the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission inKhartoum, Sudan.




List o Reerences

General U.N. Resources

United Nationswww.un.org

U.N. CyberSchoolBus

www.un.org/cyberschoolbus

U.N. Peace and Security

www.un.org/peace

U.N. Human Rights

www.un.org/rights

U.N. Economic and Social Development

www.un.org/esa

U.N. Humanitarian Aairs

www.un.org/ha

U.S. Department o State

www.state.gov/p/io/mdlun

Country Inormation

The U.N.s National Government Inormation

www.un.org/esa/national.htm

BBC News Country Profles

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profles/deault.stm

CIA World Factbook

www.cia.gov/cia/publications/actbook

Embassies in Washington, D.C.

www.embassy.org/embassies

Library o Congress Country Studies

lcweb2.loc.gov/rd/cs/cshome.html

U.N. Missions

www.un.int

U.S. Department o State Country Background Notes

www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn

U.N. Member States

www.un.org/members

U.N. News Centre

www.un.org/news

PrincipalOrgansoftheU.N.

General Assemblywww.un.org/ga

Economic and Social Council

www.un.org/docs/ecosoc

Security Council

www.un.org/sc

International Court o Justice

www.icj-cij.org

U.N. Programmes and Funds

U.N. Childrens Fund (UNICEF)

www.unice.org

U.N. Development Fund or Women (UNIFEM)

www.uniem.org

U.N. Development Programme (UNDP)

www.undp.org

U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP)

www.unep.org

U.N. Habitat

www.unhabitat.org

U.N. High Commissioner or Reugees

www.unhcr.ch

U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA)

www.unpa.org

World Food Programme (WFP)

www.wp.org

U.N.SpecializedAgencies

Food and Agriculture Organizationwww.ao.org

International Fund or Agricultural Development

www.iad.org

International Labour Organization

www.ilo.org


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International Monetary Fund

www.im.org

U.N. Educational, Scientifc and Cultural Organization

www.unesco.org

World Bank Group

www.worldbank.org

World Health Organization

www.who.int

RelatedOrganizationsandOther U.N. Bodies

International Atomic Energy Agency

www.iaea.org

International Criminal Courtwww.icc-cpi.int

JointUnitedNationsProgrammeonHIV/AIDS

www.unaids.org

U.N. Department o Peacekeeping

www.un.org/depts/dpko

U.N. Ofce on Drugs and Crime

www.unodc.org

World Trade Organization

www.wto.org

Major News Outlets

Newspaper rom around the World

www.onlinenewspapers.com

World Magazine and Newspaper Directory

www.ecola.com

Associated Press

www.ap.org

BBC Newsnews.bbc.co.uk

The Economist

www.economist.com

The Financial Times

www.t.com

The New York Times

www.nytimes.com

Reuters

www.reuters.com

The Washington Post

www.washingtonpost.com

International Aairs

Brookings Institution

www.brookings.org

Foreign Aairs

www.oreignaairs.org

Council on Foreign Relations

www.cr.org

Foreign Policy

www.oreignpolicy.com

Global Policy Forum

www.globalpolicy.org

Carnegie Endowment or International Peace

www.ceip.org

Development

United Nations Development Programmewww.undp.org

United Nations Development Programme

Human Development Report

hdr.undp.org/statistics/data

Human Rights

Amnesty International

www.amnesty.org

Center or the Study o Human Rights

www.hrcolumbia.org

Human Rights First

www.humanrightsfrst.org

Human Rights Watch

www.hrw.org

Universal Declaration o Human Rights

www.un.org/Overview/rights.html



Friendsof...Organizations

Americans or UNFPA

www.americansorunpa.org

Friends o WFPwww.riendsowp.org

U.S.A. or UNHCR

www.unreugees.org

U.S. National Committee or UNDP

www.undp-usa.org

U.S. Committee or UNIFEM

www.uniemusa.org

U.S. Fund or UNICEF

www.uniceusa.orgWomen carry their ration o ood ater feeing theirhomes in the village o Abyei, enguled by heavyghting between the Sudan Armed Forces and theSudan Peoples Liberation Army.

Photo: U.N. Photo/tiM MckUlka


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Chapter 6: Model U.N. Workbook

UsethisworkbooktoreviewandpracticesomeoftheconceptsintroducedintheModelU.N.handbookandtofurtherpreparefortheModelU.N.conference.The ollowing are included in this section:

1. Countryproleworksheet

2. Committee worksheet

3. Resolutiontemplate

4. Committeescript

Cheerul young students in their traditional dressproudly wave their national fags during the PeaceBell ceremony o the observance o the InternationaDay o Peace: PeaceA Climate or Change, atU.N. Headquarters in New York.




Country profle worksheet

Ater receiving their country assignments, delegates should complete this

worksheet in order to better understand the country they will represent during

the Model U.N. conerence.

Overview

1. What is the ull name o your country?

___________________________________________________________________

2. Where is it located? (Include the continent, bordering countries and

bodies o water)

___________________________________________________________________

3. How does its geography aect its political relationships?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

4. What is the capital city o your country?

___________________________________________________________________

5. Describe your countrys ag.

___________________________________________________________________

People

1. What is your countrys population and growth rate?

___________________________________________________________________

2. Which ethnicities can be ound in your country (include percentages)?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

3. Describe any prevalent cultural characteristics o these ethnicities.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

4. Which languages can be ound in your country (include percentages)?

___________________________________________________________________

5. Which religions can be ound in your country (include percentages)?

___________________________________________________________________


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Government

1. What sort o government does your country have?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. What types o ideologies (political, religious or other) inuence your countrys

government?

___________________________________________________________________

3. Which domestic issues might inuence your countrys oreign policy?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

4. Whoistheheadofstate?Howiss/heelectedorappointed?Whatistheirtitle?

What is the name o the legislative body?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

History

1. What are some major events in your countrys history? Why are they important?

___________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Did your country colonize any other country(ies)? I so, which ones?

___________________________________________________________________

3. Was your country ever colonized? I so, by which country(ies)?

___________________________________________________________________

Economy

1. Defne Gross Domestic Product (GDP).___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. What is your countrys GDP? How does it compare to other countries in the world?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________



3. What is the growth rate?

___________________________________________________________________

4. What are its major exports?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

5. What are its major imports? Who are your countrys major trading partners?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

6. What are the general characteristics o your countrys economy?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Health

1. What is the lie expectancy or men and women?

___________________________________________________________________

2. What are the birth and ertility rates?

___________________________________________________________________

3. What is the maternal mortality rate?

___________________________________________________________________

4. What is the inant mortality rate?

___________________________________________________________________

5. What are the major inectious diseases?

___________________________________________________________________

6. WhatistheHIV/AIDSinfectionrate?

___________________________________________________________________

7. What are the major general health concerns or your country? (Examples

include lack o healthcare, malnutrition, obesity, inectious diseases, malaria,TB, access to clean water, etc.)

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________


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Education

1. What is the literacy rate?

___________________________________________________________________

2. Iseducationfreeand/ormandatory?

___________________________________________________________________

3. How many years, on average, do children attend school?

___________________________________________________________________

4. At what age do children begin school?

___________________________________________________________________

5. How many colleges or universities does your country have? What are the

admission/attritionrates?

___________________________________________________________________

DevelopmentandForeignAid

1. Is your country considered part o the developed or developing world?

What is its Human Development Index (HDI) ranking? (The HDI is an index

combining normalized measures o human developmenthealth (lie expectancy

at birth), knowledge (adult literacy rate and combined primary, secondary and

tertiary gross enrollment ratio) and the standard o living (GDP per capita).)

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

2. What percentage o the population lives below the poverty line?

___________________________________________________________________

3. Does your country receive signifcant external assistance rom other countries or

organizations? I so, what type o assistance does it receive? Food, medicine, etc?

____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Environment

1. Describe your countrys climate.

___________________________________________________________________

2. What environmental problems does your country ace? What solutions has

your country implemented or proposed to address environmental issues?

____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________



3. What are its most important natural resources?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

4. What are its main energy sources?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Military

1. What percentage o GDP is spent on deense?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. Doesyourcountryhavemissile/nuclearcapabilities?Pleasedescribe.____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

3. How does your countrys military acquire members? Is there a drat? Voluntary

sign-up?

___________________________________________________________________

4. Are children involved in your countrys military? I so, at what level?

___________________________________________________________________

Conficts/Issues1. What are two major problems aecting your country?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. Which countries are considered adversaries o your country?

___________________________________________________________________

3. Which countries are considered allies o your country?

___________________________________________________________________

4. Have any ethnic, cultural or political issues led to violence? Please describe.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

5. Provide details o the most recent conict, either domestic or international, i

one exists.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________


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6. Has conict in your country created a reugee crisis? I so, explain.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

7. Does your country host reugees rom any external conicts?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

United Nations

1. When did your country become a member o the U.N.?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. Doesyourcountryoweanypayment/duestotheU.N.?

___________________________________________________________________

3. Has the U.N. ever intervened in a conict involving your country? I yes, when

and how?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

4. How does your country contribute to U.N. peacekeeping?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

5. Has the U.N. ever cited your country or human rights violations? I yes, when

and why?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

6. Does your country belong to any intergovernmental organizations outside the

U.N. system such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the

Organization o the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)? Please describe.

___________________________________________________________________

7. Does your country belong to any regional organizations such as the European

Union (EU), the Arican Union (AU) or the Organization o American States

(OAS)? Please describe.

___________________________________________________________________

8. Does your country belong to any trade organizations or agreements such as

the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or the Organisation or

Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)? Please describe.

___________________________________________________________________

Bonus

Trytondatleastonerecent

article that focuses on or refers

to your country.



Committee Worksheet

Afterreceivingtheircountryand/orcommitteeassignments,delegatesand

student leaders should complete this worksheet in order to better understand the

committee in

mun handbook

Documents