Delegate's Guide

Research | Position Paper | Speeches | Resolutions | Amendments

Research: The first thing you should do when you receive your topic, country, and committee.

1. Topic Synopsis: This was prepared for you by the chair to give an overview of the topic(s). The chair may even choose to include controversial issues about the topics and what bloc positions are.

2. The Committee: Especially in specialized committees, learn how the committee is supposed to be run. The best way to do this is to visit the committee's website or by asking a fellow delegate who has been in the committee before.

3. Your country. Learn a bit about your country, specifically, the type of government and it's policy on your debate topic. A good resource for this is the CIA World Factbook.

4. The topics. The most important part of your research. Study the topic's history and current issues. Read articles from newspapers and magazines. When researching on the internet, be sure it is from a reputable source, usually groups with .org or .edu in their URLs. 

5. Policy and Solutions. Develop the policy you want to argue and possible solutions. Be sure to consider whether or not the plan is feasible and past UN actions.

A good thing you can do is organize your research in a binder. Sample sections could be: General info on the topic, Country position and actions, and Past UN actions.

Position Paper: Most conferences will require a position paper. The following is a generic outline to a position paper, however, specific conferences or committees may have different requirements, so be sure to check the conference's website for details.

Format: 12 pt font, double spaced, typed, stapled (no covers), correct spelling and grammar.

Sample: 

Country: _______ Committee: ______ Topic: _________ I. Description of the Topic II. Past UN Actions III. Country policy and solutions

Speeches: Perhaps the most important part of the conference is speeches. Often it yields the most points. When writing a speech, use a technique that is most comfortable for you. Remember to practice the speech and use good vocal projection and eye contact.

Key parts of a speech:

1. The hook: Grabs the listener's attention and holds on to it. Try to get this out as soon as possible.
2. The facts: Try to find a unique point of view. Do not just state statistics or dry facts. Make sure to point out why the facts are important.
3. The conclusion: Repeat the thesis, and end with a strong statement of your country's position.

Resolutions:

All resolutions are expected to comply with the following format:

 

 

Sponsors: List the countries that were directly involved with the resolution writing process. For our conference there should be only one sponsor per resolution: your country.

Committee: Insert the name or acronym for your committee.

Topic: Insert the title of the topic as it is printed on your Topic Synopsis.

 

 

Insert the title of your resolution

 

Address your resolution to the forum that corresponds to your committee (either General Assembly or ECOSOC),

 

Now, insert the perambulatory clauses, the statements that open the resolution and set up the operative statements. They begin with italicized verbs in the gerund form, like "recognizing" or "recalling". They are ended with commas.  They do not take action to solve the problem; the solutions are left to the operatives. The purpose of perambulatory clauses is to acknowledge the facts of the problem at hand and previous measures that have been taken to solve the problem.

 

 

Next come the operative clauses. These numbered statements are the measures to achieve the goals that your resolution is trying to accomplish. They can contain lettered sub-operatives to add more detail. For even more specific clauses, you may include lower case roman numerals for sub-clauses to the sub-operatives. Operative statements begin with an underlined verb conjugated in the third person, singular form, like "suggests" or "calls upon". Operatives are ended with semi-colons, except for the final operative clause, which is ended with a period. Sub-operatives and sub-clauses are ended with commas. Chairs will be looking for clauses that will take effective and feasible action.

Sample Resolution:

Sponsor: United Kingdom Committee: General Assembly Topic: Peacekeeping Reform   Solutions to the Question Regarding UN Peacekeeping Reform   General Assembly,   Recognizing the forty-nine missions that the UN has embarked upon and learning from the successes and failures of each one,   Recalling the conferences of the past, such as the Declaration on the Prevention and Removal of Disputes… (1988), that provided a framework as to how the UN has come to be able to command its Peacekeeping forces,   Agreeing for all nations to abide by the doctrines decided upon in this resolution,   Wishing to see more member states willingly donate troops to the UN Peacekeeping effort;     1.      Provides funding for the needed training improvements through: a.      donations from willing nations and willing Non-Governmental Organizations such as the UN General Fund and World Bank, b.      utilizing the reserve fund created by resolution A/47/832, c.      funneling a portion of UN funding directly toward these improvements;   2.      Recommends further development of the UN standby force, a.k.a. the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), focusing specifically on the areas of: a.      getting all nations to sign on to its benevolent ideals, b.      compiling data from participating nations such as: i.        major equipment, ii.       organization, iii.     level of self-sufficiency, iv.    movement, c.      eventually utilizing this dynamic force;   3.      Desires to see the UN intervene with the use of force only in matters of the utmost priority.

Amendments:

·         Pre-ambulatories cannot be amended.

·         If you want to add, edit, or delete sub-operatives you must re-write the entire operative with the new changes included. 

·         The necessary number of sponsors and signatories per amendment is at the discretion of the chairs of each committee.

Note: A signatory does not necessarily agree with the amendment – his or her signature merely allows the amendment to be submitted for consideration.  The amendments you sign as a signatory do not reflect your policy, but rather a resolution you would like to see debated. The amendments that you sponsor must follow your country’s policy.

·         The purpose of pre-written resolutions is to give an idea of delegate's research and some of their solution ideas. Your amendments should show the chairs all of your solution ideas, those of your caucus group, your ability to work constructively with other delegates, and your grasp of the topics.  Hopefully, you will conduct further research after the resolutions are turned in, and will bring fresh, innovative ideas to committee, as well as those ideas presented in your resolutions.  Be realistic, be specific, and most importantly, be on policy.

Sample Amendment:

Amendment to resolution C/3 Sponsors: Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Chad Topic: Tuberculosis Committee: FAO   Deletes operative 2;   Changes operative 4 to read: 4.      Recognizes the importance of research and development, especially: a.      the development of new tuberculosis drugs; b.      the investigation of gene therapy;   Adds an operative 12 to read: 12.   Supports the use of testing facilities in tuberculosis hotspots which would provide: a.      WHO trained technicians and doctors; b.      DOTS treatment and educational materials; c.       testing persons suspected to be infected with tuberculosis;   4.   Renumbers accordingly.