Delegate resources

1. Understand your committee and topic

Start on the Committees page. Read your committee’s description and topic carefully, and the background guide when it is published. Ask yourself:

• What is the actual problem? Who is affected, and where?
• What has the United Nations (or the African Union) already done about it?
• Why hasn’t it been solved yet?

2. Research your country

You represent your country’s views, not your own. Find out:

• Its government, economy, population and region.
• Its allies and the groups it belongs to (for example the African Union, SADC, the G77 or the European Union).
• What it has said or done about your topic. Look for speeches at the UN, votes on past resolutions and national laws.
• How the topic affects it directly.

If your country has said nothing about the topic, work out a sensible position from its general policy and its allies’ positions.

3. Research the topic in depth

Read past UN resolutions and reports on the topic. They show what has been agreed before and what language the UN uses. The Research resources section lists good places to look.

Keep notes with the source of every fact, so you can back up what you say.

4. Write your position

Summarise your research in a short position paper. See the Position paper guide, even if you are not asked to submit one. It is the best way to organise your thinking.

5. Prepare your opening speech

Write a speech of about one minute that states your country’s position and one or two solutions it supports. See Speech and debate guidance.

6. Plan your solutions and your allies

• Write down three or four concrete solutions your country would support.
• Think about which countries are likely to agree with you, and which will oppose you.
• Think about what you could accept as a compromise.

7. On the day

• Refer to yourself as “the delegate of [country]”, not “I”.
• Use formal language, and address the chair as “Honourable Chair”.
• Raise your placard to speak, and wait to be recognised by the chair.
• Listen carefully. The best delegates build on other people’s ideas.
• Keep your research notes organised so you can find facts quickly.

Rules of procedure are the rules that keep debate fair and orderly. Different conferences use slightly different versions. What follows is the common core that most Model UN conferences share.

Roll call

At the start of each session the chair calls each country’s name. Answer:

• “Present”: you may abstain on votes on resolutions.
• “Present and voting”: you must vote yes or no on resolutions; you cannot abstain.

The speakers’ list

This is the default form of debate. Delegates are added to a list and each speaks for a set time, often one to two minutes. If you finish early, you can yield your remaining time:

• to the chair: your time ends;
• to another delegate: they use your remaining time;
• to questions: other delegates may ask you questions.

Caucuses

A delegate can propose a motion to leave the speakers’ list for a while:

• Moderated caucus: short speeches on a specific sub-topic, with the chair choosing speakers. The motion states the total time, the speaking time and the purpose. For example: “Motion for a ten-minute moderated caucus, with a speaking time of one minute, to discuss protecting water supplies.”
• Unmoderated caucus: delegates leave their seats to talk freely, form groups and write draft resolutions. The motion states the total time.

The committee votes on motions. A simple majority usually passes them.

Points

A point is raised to deal with a problem, not to argue about the topic.

Point	Use it when…	Can it interrupt a speaker?
Point of personal privilege	Something stops you taking part, e.g. you cannot hear	Yes, if it is urgent
Point of order	You think the rules have not been followed	No
Point of parliamentary inquiry	You have a question about the rules	No
Point of information	You want to ask a speaker a question (only if they yield to questions)	No

Draft resolutions and amendments

• A draft resolution needs a minimum number of sponsors (who wrote it) and signatories (who want it debated) before the chair accepts it.
• An amendment changes a draft resolution. A friendly amendment is one every sponsor agrees with, and it is added without a vote. An unfriendly amendment is voted on.

Closing debate and voting

When debate has run its course, a delegate moves to close debate and the committee moves into voting procedure:

• The doors are closed and no one enters or leaves.
• Each draft resolution is voted on: yes, no or abstain.
• A simple majority of those voting usually passes a resolution.
• In the Security Council, a resolution needs nine votes in favour, and any one of the five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) can block it with a veto.

A position paper sets out your country’s view on your committee’s topic, usually in about one page. Writing one is the best way to organise your research, even when it is not required.

Heading

At the top, list:

• Committee: e.g. World Health Organization (WHO)
• Topic: the full topic title
• Country: the country you represent
• Delegate: your name
• School: your school

Paragraph 1: the problem

Explain the topic briefly. What is the problem, how big is it, and who is affected? Mention important UN resolutions, treaties or reports that already exist.

Paragraph 2: your country’s position

Explain your country’s view and why it holds it. Include:

• how the topic affects your country;
• what your country has already done, nationally or at the UN;
• past votes, speeches or policies that show its position.

Paragraph 3: proposed solutions

Set out two to four realistic solutions your country supports. Say who would carry them out and how they would be paid for.

Tips

• Write formally and in the third person: “The Republic of Zambia believes…”, not “I think…”.
• Use facts and figures, and note your sources.
• Stay in character. Argue for your country’s real position, even if you disagree with it personally.
• Keep it short and clear. Quality beats length.

A resolution is the formal document a committee votes on. It is one long sentence made of preambulatory clauses (the reasons) and operative clauses (the actions).

Heading

• Committee: the committee’s name
• Topic: the topic title
• Sponsors: the countries that wrote it
• Signatories: countries that want it debated, but do not necessarily support it

Preambulatory clauses: the reasons

These explain the background and why action is needed. Each one starts with an italicised phrase and ends with a comma.

Useful opening phrases: Recalling, Reaffirming, Recognising, Noting with concern, Deeply alarmed by, Bearing in mind, Emphasising, Acknowledging, Welcoming, Guided by.

Operative clauses: the actions

These say what should be done. They are numbered, each starts with an italicised verb, and each ends with a semicolon. The last one ends with a full stop.

Useful opening verbs: Calls upon, Encourages, Urges, Recommends, Requests, Supports, Invites, Establishes, Endorses, Further requests.

Only the Security Council can make decisions that countries must follow, so words like Decides, Demands and Condemns are normally used only there.

An operative clause can have sub-clauses, labelled (a), (b), (c).

A short example

Committee: World Health Organization Topic: Global pandemic preparedness

The World Health Organization,

Recognising that infectious diseases do not respect national borders,

Noting with concern that many health systems lack early-warning systems for outbreaks,

1. Calls upon member states to share outbreak data with the World Health Organization within 24 hours of detection;
2. Encourages wealthier member states to fund laboratory training in lower-income countries, including: (a) training for laboratory staff; (b) equipment for testing samples;
3. Requests a yearly report on progress towards these goals.

Tips

• Be specific: who does what, by when, and how is it paid for?
• Keep each clause to one idea.
• Check that your solutions fit what your committee is actually able to do.

United Nations sources

• United Nations: the starting point for everything about the UN.
• UN Digital Library: past resolutions, voting records and reports. Search your topic, then check how your country voted.
• UN Meetings Coverage and Press Releases: summaries of what each country said in UN meetings.
• UN News: up-to-date news on UN work.
• Security Council Report: independent explanations of Security Council issues.
• UN Sustainable Development Goals: background on development topics.

Your committee’s own organisation

• World Health Organization
• UNICEF
• UNESCO
• Food and Agriculture Organization
• World Food Programme
• UN Environment Programme
• UN Women
• UN Human Rights Office (supports the Human Rights Council)
• African Union

Country information

• Your country’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations website. Search “[country] mission to the United Nations”. Missions often publish their speeches.
• Your country’s foreign ministry website.
• The World Factbook: quick facts on every country.
• BBC News country profiles: short, readable overviews.

Research tips

• Check the date. Positions change, so prefer recent sources.
• Cross-check important facts in at least two sources.
• Write down where every fact came from.
• Be careful with opinion pieces and social media. Look for official statements and reputable news.

The opening speech

Your first speech tells the committee who you are and what you want. Aim for about one minute, though the chair sets the actual time. A simple structure:

1. Opening line. A striking fact or a short statement that gets attention.
2. Your position. What your country believes about the topic, and why.
3. Your proposals. One or two concrete solutions your country supports.
4. Closing. An invitation to work together, e.g. “The delegate of Ghana looks forward to working with all nations that share this goal.”

Speaking with confidence

• Practise out loud, and time yourself.
• Use notes, not a script. Bullet points let you look up at the room.
• Slow down. Nerves make everyone speak too fast.
• Stand straight and look at different parts of the room.
• Stay formal. Say “the delegate of…”, never “you”.
• It’s fine to pause. A second of silence feels longer to you than to the room.

Answering questions

• Listen to the whole question before you answer.
• If you don’t know, say what your country’s general position is. Don’t make up facts.
• Keep answers short and polite, even if the question is hostile.

Debating and negotiating

• Respond to what others said. Agree, build on it or politely disagree, with reasons.
• Find your allies early, in the first unmoderated caucus.
• Include people. Ask quieter delegates for their ideas. Chairs notice delegates who bring others in.
• Compromise. A resolution that passes with small changes is better than one that fails.
• Write things down. The delegates who draft the resolution shape the outcome.

What chairs usually look for

Knowledge of the topic, staying true to your country’s position, taking part in debate and negotiation, diplomacy and respect for others, and contributing to resolutions.