WHAT IS MODEL UNITED NATIONS?

Model United Nations (MUN) is an academic simulation of the United Nations where every
participant plays the role of a delegate of the country they are assigned within a particular
committee of the UN. In accordance with the rules of the United Nations, the delegates then
engage in constructive discourse concerning issues of international or regional relevance and
try to find effective solutions to tackle them.

THE BASICS OF DELEGATING IN A MUN

Foreign Policy
Foreign policy is the mechanism that national governments use to guide their diplomatic
interactions and relationships with other countries. Simply put, it is a set of objectives
including political and economic aims that governments set as their main priorities, according
to which they base their regional and international policies such as trade alliances. The
actions or statements of the government concerning a foreign entity are largely influenced by
their foreign policy towards that entity.

Research
Research is the most important aspect of any MUN conference and the key to giving
impactful speeches. Here is a simple, easy to understand and focused framework on how to
proceed with research:

● Read the study guide provided thoroughly. This should give you a good idea of the
agenda and what points the executive board wants you to focus on during committee
sessions.

● Research the agenda thoroughly. This preliminary research is to collect as much

background information as possible and can be done from any sources such as
newsletters, articles, and YouTube videos. However, any data, facts or figures
obtained in this manner must be cross-checked with valid sources. Breaking down the
agenda into smaller comprehensible sections may aid in efficient research on the said
agenda.

NOTE: Sources that are considered valid vary from country to country. In general, UN
official documentation, meeting records and websites are considered to be valid. For a
country to consider the validity of sources, the country’s own official Foreign Affairs
website, National Agencies and Statements of Government officials are generally used.
For example, United States of America’s official state news agency is CNN; United
Kingdom’s official state news agency is BBC

● Research your country’s relevant policies in relation to the agenda. This is known as
the country stance, i.e. whether your country is for or against the given agenda.
Alternatively, it can also maintain a neutral stance. Listening to speeches given by
 your allocated country's president, prime minister or other political figures at press
conferences and UN meetings can be of immense help in determining the stance.

● Research on the foreign policy of the P5 countries (United States of America,

United Kingdom, People’s Republic of China, French Republic and Russian
Federation) and the main stakeholders of the agenda. The main stakeholders are
the countries, organisations or parties most affected by a conflict. For instance, in the
ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, the main stakeholders are Israel and Palestine, while
countries such as the USA and Yemen fall under secondary importance due to their
proactive involvement.

● Research past UN Resolutions adopted on the agenda and the voting status of your
allocated country on that resolution. It is advised to find out whether your country
was in support or against the resolution and its reason for the decision. It is also a
good idea to brainstorm why past resolutions did not resolve the conflict and what
changes can be made to it to ensure it does. Find out if there is any pre-existing UN
Convention on the agenda and whether your allocated country ratifies it. Researching
on these documentations can help you with coming up with resolution at the end of
the conference.

● Find out what solutions have been proposed by your country. Strengthen those
solutions by finding loopholes and eliminating them, or if you can, find completely
new solutions of your own in line with your country’s foreign policies.

NOTE: When researching solutions, make sure to use the 5W Questions (What,
Where, When, Why and How) to eliminate possible lackings in the suggested
solutions.

TIP: It is better to organise all your research into a specific Google Drive folder OR print it
out and compile it together in order to stay organised during the conference

Some General Terms

Decorum: order in committee.

It refers to the formal, polite and diplomatic behaviour that all delegates are expected to
maintain at all times. If the delegates are being loud or disrespectful, the Chair may call for
decorum. Delegates found to be violating proper decorum when addressing the committee
may have their speaking privileges revoked at the discretion of the Chair or the
Secretary-General.

Motion: a specific action taken by delegates to navigate the flow of debate.

To be more precise, every action taken in a MUN conference is done through a motion. It can
be thought of as a proposal to act, on which the delegates vote (usually) to decide whether to
 follow through with the proposal or not. All kinds of motions that a delegate is expected to
raise are covered in the subsequent paragraphs, along with relevant examples.

Blocs: different groups of countries with similar ideas, opinions or foreign policy about the
topics.

Discretion of the Dais: it refers to the power reserved by the dais to entertain or deny a
motion, or to judge whether a particular motion is appropriate or not at that point in time.

Plenary and Main Committees: According to the definition provided by the UN,
“Plenary is where the conference opens and closes, where major statements are made and
broad-ranging debate may be conducted and where all decisions by the conference are taken.
The Committees undertake a detailed discussion of issues, negotiation and drafting.”
To put simply, in general tasks and discussions are carried out in the Plenary whereas
focussed discourse takes place in the Main Committees.

Rules of Procedure (ROP)

First Committee Session

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Roll call and Beginning of Formal Session
3. Setting the Agenda (In most conferences, the agenda are always set beforehand)
4. Speakers List is Opened
5. Formal and Informal Debates

Quorum
For the Chair to start the meeting and the General Assembly (GA) to take decisions or
simply, to start the conference, a minimum number of Member States needs to be present.
This number is called the quorum.

● The quorum for opening a GA meeting is

a. one-third of the Member States in the Plenary.
a. one-fourth of the Member states in the Main Committees

● The quorum for the adoption of resolutions/decisions and elections is a simple

majority of Member States. The simple majority refers to 50% + 1 of the
committee members.

NOTE: After the introductory remarks, the quorum is taken into account.
Roll-Call and Voting

The floor is then opened for motions and the motion for a beginning of the committee session
is raised.

Example of a motion to start the formal session is as follows: “The Delegate of

_________ would like to raise a motion to commence the formal committee session.”

After the motion to start the formal session has been taken in order, you might also have to
raise a motion for a roll-call session. For most conferences this is not necessary, however the
EBs might open the floor for one, in which case you can follow the same format of the
‘motion for formal committee session’ and replace the words formal committee session with
roll-call.
During roll-call, the dais calls the country names one by one and the delegates reply Present
or Present and Voting.

● Present: The delegate is present and reserves the right to abstain on substantive (i.e.
having a firm basis or importance) matters. This includes resolutions, presidential
statements, press statements (for Security Council only) and amendments. This means
that the delegate can vote Yes, No or Abstain.

Abstain: to refrain from voting

● Present and voting: The delegate is present and will vote on all resolutions i.e. only
vote Yes or No; the delegation does not reserve the right to abstain from voting.

NOTE: Only Member states can vote on substantive matters which include adoption of
resolutions and passing amendments. Observer states cannot participate in voting of
substantive matters. No delegate is allowed to abstain from voting on procedural matters such
as voting for motions. This refers to the official way of doing something like voting on a
motion for a moderated caucus, regardless of whether they are Members or Observer States.

NOTE: Voting on procedural matters is a two step process. Once the motion is raised for a
particular matter, the executive board asks the committee if any other delegate seconds that
motion i.e if anyone was going to raise a similar motion as that of the delegate. If at least one
delegate seconds that motion, then the committee moves to vote on that motion. However if
no delegate seconds that motion, that motion fails immediately and no voting is conducted on
it.

A Present status can be changed to Present and Voting status at any point in time
during the conference up until the final roll call before voting of resolution, but not vice
versa.

Some general rules about voting:

● Every delegate has only one vote per voting session.

 ● There are two ways in which voting is carried out for an action to be taken: a
two-thirds majority and a simple majority.
● Instances where they are used:

a.Two-thirds majority (also known as special majority):

○ election, suspension and expulsion of new/old members into various
councils and committees.
○ tabling and closing debate, passing unfriendly amendments to
resolutions

b. Simple majority:
○ Setting the Agenda
○ Initiating a moderated/unmoderated caucus
○ Suspension or adjournment of meeting
○ Resuming Debate
○ Raising a motion for the Introduction of draft resolution
○ Raising a motion for the voting session of draft resolution
○ Reordering voting on Draft Resolutions
○ After the roll call, session begins

NOTE: If a motion fails, then that motion can no longer be presented again without being
rephrased.

Setting the Agenda

Setting the Agenda is usually the first order of business for most committees. Most school
MUNs usually have one agenda per committee due to time constraints. However, if there are
multiple agendas and more than one motion for setting the agenda is on the floor, they are
voted on in the order they are received. The executive board recognizes a maximum of 2
speakers for and 2 against the motion, each with a speaking time of one minute, and the
motion is put to voting. The first motion to receive the support of a simple majority of the
committee is adopted, and the agenda is set according to the specification of that motion.

Seeking the floor and addressing the executive board

● Only the executive board may intervene in the debate (i.e. speak so as to be heard by
the conference); others must be given the floor (i.e. the permission to speak) by the
executive board first.
● When anyone other than the executive board intervenes, they must address their
remarks to the executive board even if it is directed at the entire committee.
● A delegate can seek the floor by asking the executive board or the secretary to add
their name to the list of speakers.
 ● All delegates must refrain from using personal pronouns (e.g. I, you, he, she, it, me,
him, and her). They should always refer to themselves in the third person, as they are
representing their country and government, not their individual opinions.
General Speakers List (GSL) - (Formal Debate)

After the agenda is set, the executive board calls for a motion to open the speakers list. The
motion should also specify each speaker's speaking time. The motion is raised as follows:

“The delegate of would like to raise a motion to open the General Speakers
List with each speaker getting 60 seconds each.”

If the speaking time is not mentioned, a speaking time of 90 seconds is adopted. The
speaking time cannot be set to lower than 45 seconds.

The speaker's list is a list of delegates wishing to give speeches. These speeches are usually
very generalised discussions on the topic, and Moderated Caucuses are used for more
detailed discourse. Delegates wishing to add their name to the speaker's list usually raise their
placards until they are recognised by the executive board.. A delegate may only be on the
speaker's list once at any given time and only after giving their speeches can they request to
be added to the list again. They shall not be listed back-to-back in any way.

The first time a delegate speaks on the speaker's list is called the opening speech. This
speech is usually used to provide clarification on the country’s views and policies regarding
the agenda.

NOTE: The general speaker's list is non-exhaustive throughout the entirety of the
conference; i.e it can only be adjourned. If the GSL is exhausted, the committee is
suspended for the conference.
Yielding
After a delegate delivers their speech in the GSL if they still have time remaining, there are 3
three ways in which they can yield the rest of their time:
● To another delegate (The said delegate has to be aware of this decision before the time
is yielded to them. If the delegate is not made aware, then the yielding is not in order
and shall be reverted back to the dais.)
● To the dais, and the dais then decides on how to utilize it.
● To be asked POIs
● Follow the below example to yield your time:
“The delegate would like to yield the remainder of their time to ….”

NOTE: If a delegate does not specify how to utilise their remaining time at their speech’s
end, it is yielded to the dais by default
Points
Points that are taken into consideration in MUNs are given below in decreasing order of
importance:

1. Point of Personal Privilege: Points of personal privilege can be raised by

Member States at any point in the meeting and the dais shall immediately answer
the point. A Point of Personal Privilege is raised to address a matter of personal
discomfort. For instance, a delegate can raise it for a washroom break or if they
cannot hear another delegate’s speech clearly.
2. Point of Parliamentary Inquiry: It is used to ask the dais any question and
clear confusions regarding the parliamentary procedure.
3. Point of Order: Points of order can be raised by Member States at any point in
the meeting. If a delegate believes that the executive board is not following the
Rules of Procedure or not being sufficiently active in ensuring others do so, they
may raise a point of order. The executive board then has to interrupt proceedings
to hear the point of order and rule immediately on it (i.e. decide whether the
objection is valid or not, should be accepted or not, and whether to take action
on it or not). The Rules also allow any delegate who believes that the executive
board’s ruling is incorrect to appeal against the verdict. The appeal must
immediately be put to a vote and if successful, the executive board must
immediately rule according to the appeal. However, delegates are advised not to
raise points of order for minor divergence that may be accidental or
inconsequential; and the dais may deliberately divert from the Rules of
Procedure to some extent better facilitate the needs of the committee.
4. Point of Information (POIs): Points of information allows other delegates to
directly ask questions to the speaker on matters related to his speech or
resolutions, and the speaker then has to answer them.

How to raise a point?

The delegate must raise their placard and wait to be recognised by the dais. After they have
been recognized, they raise their point as follows:

“The delegate of would like to raise a point of .”

At times the dais itself may ask if there are any points on the floor. In such cases, the delegate
can raise the point then.

Upon further recognition by the dais, they state their point.

For example, “The delegate would like to request the delegate of Bangladesh to speak louder.”
or “The delegate would like to ask the delegate of the USA ….”
Right of Reply
It is used when a delegate feels that their country's sovereignty or personal integrity has been
insulted or harmed by a comment or statement made by another delegate. Validity and course
of action are determined at the discretion of the chair. If the executive board feels the right to
reply is in order, the executive board may grant the delegate 30 seconds to respond. While
exercising the right of reply, the delegate should specify which statement or part of a
statement has offended them and why.

Moderated Caucus
A moderated caucus is a style of debate where the delegates discuss focusing on important
subtopic(s) of the agenda, rather than the agenda as a whole. It is advised that the delegates
decide upon the moderated caucus topics beforehand to ensure good debate during the
committee session.

A motion for a moderated caucus can be made by any delegate and must include a time limit
for the caucus, a speaking time for the caucus and the purpose of the caucus. There are no
yields in a moderated caucus. The delegate proposing the caucus may speak first or last.

For example, a motion under the Agenda of Israel-Palestine conflict may be:
“The delegate of the Federal Republic of Germany would like to suspend the General
Speakers List and raise a motion for a moderated caucus of 15 minutes with each
speaker getting a speaking time of 60 seconds on the legitimacy of the Israeli West Bank
settlements.

The total time set for a moderated caucus must be divisible by each speaker’s speaking time:
i.e, the caucus must support an integer number of speakers. Therefore a motion for a
moderated caucus of 20 minutes with each speaker getting 90 seconds will not be entertained
however the a moderated caucus with a total time of 15 minutes can accommodates 10
speakers, each with 90 seconds of speaking time and hence will be enter

Additionally, the individual speaking time set at the beginning of the formal debate (GSL)
cannot be exceeded while raising a motion for a moderated caucus. For example, if at the start
of GSL, the individual speaking time is set at 60 seconds, then for any moderated caucus, the
individual speaking time shall not exceed over 60 seconds.

A moderated caucus is entered by a simple majority vote. Voting on caucuses proceeds in

the order of "most disruptive". Hence the motion that disrupts the flow of formal debate
the most will take precedence. This refers to motions for a higher time limit (for instance, a
motion for a 15- minute moderated caucus would be voted on before a motion for a
10-minute moderated caucus), or if they have the same time limit, the motion supporting a
higher number of speakers is voted upon first (for instance, a moderated caucus for 5 minutes
with a speaking time of 45 seconds takes precedence over a 5-minute moderated caucus with
a 1 minute speaking time). When moderated caucuses are proposed with the same time limit
and speaking time, the moderated caucus proposed first takes precedence.
 A motion for an unmoderated caucus is always voted on before a moderated caucus
regardless of time.

Unmoderated Caucus

During an unmoderated caucus, the rules are temporarily suspended. It is called an informal
session since the dais is not presiding. The delegates may get out of their seats and converse
freely. It is usually done to reorganise the committee, for negotiations and lobbying, to write
draft resolutions and working papers, etc. A motion to begin an unmoderated caucus must
include a time limit for the caucus. A motion for an unmoderated caucus is raised as follows:

“The delegate of would like to suspend the General Speakers List and raise a
motion for an unmoderated caucus of minutes.”

The caucus requires a simple majority to pass.

Seconds on motions for caucusing are not required but may be asked for at the discretion of
the chair. All caucuses are at the discretion of the chair and may be ruled out of order.

At the conclusion of every moderated and unmoderated caucus, the committee reverts back to
the GSL.

CHITS:
Chits are pieces of documentation written in small papers. They can be sent by a delegate to the
dais or to another delegate. The purpose of using a chit is to pass across a message or a question
in private when the delegate cannot do so in front of the whole committee. This may be because
another delegate is speaking, the dais is not allowing any direct communication between
delegates, the delegate wants to point out factual errors or breaking of foreign policy in another
delegate’s speech through written evidence, etc. There are two types of chits:
a) Formal Chits: These types of chits are used when they are directly sent to an executive
board member or sent to a delegate via an executive board member. The content of such
chits can be as follows:
1. POI to a delegate which you want the Executive Board to see and mark
2. Amendments that you want to make to a draft resolution (Refer to the
Amendments Section of this Guide)
3. Request put forth to an executive board member to add your name to the General
Speakers’ List.
b) Informal Chits: These are unofficial chits shared among delegates and can include content
related to the agenda or other arbitrary content which the delegates wish to share only among
themselves.
Note: Informal chits are usually not sent to/via the dais and it is recommended that this practice
be maintained.

Format:
Take a page, fold it in two as then write in it as follows:
Front Portion:
From: Your Country
To: The country you want to send the chit to via dais (if you are sending a POI
via chit that you want the EB to see).

Inside, write your question.

The Draft Resolution:

The draft resolution is the most important document presented by the committee as a whole at
the end of the conference. It is basically a detailed account of the solutions presented by the
committee during the entirety of the conference.

The draft resolution can be divided into three parts:

1. The first section states the Draft Resolution’s name and identity of its authors, all of
which is in left alignment.

It starts with the name of the draft resolution, which is Draft Resolution X.X.X (in
bold), where X is an integer digit. Each of these integers holds special significance:
● The 1st digit denotes the number of agendas. If there is only one agenda
discussed in the committee, all the draft resolutions presented are named as
1.X.X. If there is more than one agenda, the draft resolutions presented under
the 1st agenda are named as 1.X.X., the draft resolutions presented under the
2nd agenda discussed are named as 2.X.X. and so on.
● The 2nd digit denotes the number of blocs (or simply, the number of draft
resolutions presented under each agenda). Therefore, the 1st draft resolution
presented under the 1st agenda is 1.1.X, the 2nd draft resolution presented
under the 1st agenda is 1.2.X and so on.
 ● The 3rd digit denotes the number of unfriendly amendments passed. For
instance, if there are 3 unfriendly amendments passed for the 1st draft
resolution presented under the 2nd agenda, it is named Draft Resolution 2.1.3.

After the name of the draft resolution, the name of the committee is written in full-form in the
second line, followed by the Agenda in the third line. The fourth line contains the list of
sponsors, that is the official country name of the delegates presenting the draft resolution. The
sponsors are the ones responsible for each and every word and punctuation mark on the draft
resolution, and their foreign policy must comply with every clause and subclause of the draft
resolution. The next line contains the list of signatories. These are the delegates who would
like to see this resolution introduced in the committee, but they do not have to necessarily
support the resolution. The names of the countries are separated by commas and there must be
no punctuation mark after the last name.

2. The second section begins with the name of the main organ that is adopting the
resolution (e.g., The General Assembly or The Security Council) followed by a comma.

It then contains a list of preambulatory clauses.

It is basically an acknowledgement of the problem that you are attempting to solve. You can
use a Preambulatory Clause to highlight the severity of the issue that you will attempt to fix
later on while also acknowledging past resolutions, international agreements and any relevant
documentation pertaining to the agenda.

Each preambulatory clause starts with a preambulatory phrase, which is basically a verb+ing
used as an introductory phrase in the draft resolution. Each preambulatory clause must end
with a comma.

List of Common Preambulatory Phrases:

Affirming Expressing its appreciation Keeping in mind

Alarmed by Expressing its satisfaction Noting with regret
Approving Fulfilling Noting with deep concern
Aware of Fully alarmed Noting with satisfaction
Bearing in mind Fully believing Noting further
Believing Further deploring Noting with approval
Confident Further recalling Observing
Contemplating Guided by Reaffirming
Convinced Having adopted Realizing
Declaring Having considered Recalling
Deeply concerned Having devoted attention Recognizing
Deeply conscious Having examined Referring
Deeply convinced Having heard Seeking Taking into account
Deeply disturbed Having Received Taking into Consideration
 Deeply regretting Having studied Desiring
Taking note Emphasising Viewing with appreciation
Expecting Welcoming

3. The third section contains the operative clauses.

Operative clauses set out what action the body may take to resolve the problem under
discussion. Each operative clause starts with an operative phrase, which is basically a
verb+s/es used to list the actions or decisions taken by the committee. Each operative
clause ends with a semicolon, except the last one, which ends with a full stop. Hence,
each resolution is basically one long sentence. Except for this last full stop, there must
not be any other full stop in the resolution. The moment there is a full stop in the middle
of the draft resolution, it signifies that the draft resolution ends there and so the rest of the
draft resolution is not taken into account. Therefore, delegates should check their draft
resolution for punctuation errors several times before presenting it to the committee.

List of common operative phrases:

Accepts Affirms Approves
Authorises Calls Calls upon
Condemns Confirms Congratulates
Considers Decides Declares
Deplores Emphasises Demands
Designates Encourages Endorses
Expresses its hope Further invites Further recommends
Further reminds Further requests Proclaims
Reaffirms Recommends Regrets
Reminds Requests

Each operative clause of the draft resolution should answer the following 4 questions:
● What is the solution?
● How will the solution be implemented?
● Who will implement the solution?
● When will it be implemented?

In addition, any other relevant details which are required for the solution to come to fruition has
to be mentioned in the clause. It should also be carefully considered whether the clauses comply
with the mandate of the Committee or not. Every committee has a mandate which specifies the
committee's purpose, powers, limitations and the measure it can and cannot take. Anything
outside the committee's mandate cannot be part of the draft resolution. Any draft resolution
found to have mandate breach is generally scrapped. As per the mandate and general rule, only
UNSC can undertake definitive actions, while other committees such as DISEC and SOCHUM
are considered to be recommendatory committees.

NOTE: The draft resolution CANNOT contain anything that has not been discussed in the
committee sessions. While new details may be added to the solutions proposed during the
committee session, completely new solutions cannot be introduced. For example, if during the
committee sessions, a delegate has promised to provide monetary aid, they may specify the exact
amount of aid that will be given and how it will be given. However, if nothing about aid is
mentioned during the committee sessions, it cannot be added to the draft resolution.

The draft resolution is presented to the committee after a delegate raises the motion as follows:
“The delegate of would like to raise the motion to introduce draft resolution
.”

If there is more than one motion to present a draft resolution under the same agenda, the
committee shall vote on the resolutions in the order in which they are received. After the draft
resolution is presented to the committee, the dais usually calls upon the sponsor(s) to read out the
clauses to the committee.
Following the presentation of the draft resolution, the committee may decide to go for a POI/
QnA session by raising a motion as follows:

“The delegate of ___________ would like to raise a motion to begin/commence a POI

session for the draft resolution.”

NOTE: In the POI session, the EBs go through the clauses and the committee is given a specific
amount of time to ask any POI on that specific clause. if no POI is available for a clause, the EBs
move onto the next clause, and so on. The motion for a POI session shall pass on a simple
majority.

Amendments
If the committee members want to bring changes to the draft resolution, a motion to begin the
amendment session is raised as follows:
“The delegate of would like to raise the motion to introduce the amendment session.”
Amendment sessions are generally undertaken after POI sessions; but if there is no POI session
in order, then the committee may directly move into an amendment session. In the amendment
session, the delegates (except the sponsors) propose changes to the draft resolution. Amendments
to a tabled draft resolution are either formally submitted to the dais or proposed orally from the
floor, depending on the decision of the Chair. If there are several amendments proposed, the
Chair decides on the sequence of consideration. Amendments can be of 3 types:
● Amendment for Deletion, where an entire clause and its sub-clauses are deleted.
● Amendment for Modification, where part of a clause is altered; it may include adding,
removing or changing a specific word or phrase of the clause; it may also include
deleting or adding a separate sub-clause.
● Amendment for Addition: It refers to the addition of completely new clauses into a draft
resolution, the likes of which were not previously in the resolution.

Format:

Amendment for Addition

From: The People’s Republic of China

Addition of new Clause 6 - “ABCDEF”

Amendment for Modification

From: The United States of America

Replace the words “terrorist groups” in clause 4 with “militant groups”

OR
Delete/Add the word “terrorists” to clause 4
OR
Delete/Add new subclause (x) “ABCDEF” to clause 4
OR
Change the spelling of “Republic of China” to “People's Republic of China"
Amendment for Deletion

From: Russian Federation

Delete clause 5 and 6

Once the amendment has been proposed, the sponsor(s) gets to decide whether the amendment is
friendly or unfriendly.
● A friendly amendment is where the sponsor agrees to the change proposed and that
change is immediately brought into effect without any voting.
● An unfriendly amendment is where the sponsor does not agree to the change proposed
and hence the change goes into voting. A vote of 2/3rd majority is needed for the
amendment to pass. Observer Nations cannot vote for an unfriendly amendment.
If after the amendments the draft resolution gets altered by 60% or more, or if the core meaning
of the draft resolution changes, the draft resolution is rejected as a whole and does not go into
voting.
If not, the draft resolution goes into voting, where delegates can either vote Yes, No or Abstain,
depending on their voting status- whether they chose present or present and voting during roll
call. A simple majority is needed for the draft resolution to pass.

Tips and Tricks

● Prepare the opening speech beforehand to leave a good impression on the other delegates.
The more experienced you seem, the higher the chances that the other delegates will
listen, and the greater your chances of successful lobbying; especially in committees with
a lot of beginners.
● Give frequent and informative speeches. Try to speak in every Moderated Caucus and
every time the committee reverts back to the GSL. However, make sure your speeches
are not repetitive but rather impactful and packed with ingenious ideas on how to solve
the given crisis.
● Ensure all your information is from valid sources and keep a list of those sources, as the
dais or another delegate may want to know that to check its credibility. UN websites and
your country’s official government and news websites are the best sources for you to
refer to.
● Stay active during the committee sessions by raising frequent points and using the
unmoderated caucus effectively (for lobbying, negotiating, preparing documents, etc.)
rather than to just take a break.
 ● Send chits: Chits should be used to ask questions/points of information during moderated
caucus and in GSL (if not recognised by the dais, otherwise can be asked directly after
the delegate’s speech) to remain actively engaged in the committee proceedings.
● Ensure that the clauses in the draft resolution are detailed and organised. Similar clauses
should be grouped together. If the preambulatory clauses in the draft resolution refer to
the UN Charter, it should be put first. Further reference should be made to specify which
article, clause or subclause of the Charter is being taken into consideration. Similar
detailed reference is appreciated for all past conventions, resolutions, agreements and
treaties adopted by the UN in both preambulatory and operative clauses.
● During unmoderated caucus, while it is important to speak and be heard by other
delegates in order to bring them to your side, do not spend the whole time speaking. Try
to listen to what they have to say as well in order to make them feel included and part of
the discussion.

A sample draft resolution has been given in the next page

United Nations A/RES/1.1(2023)
______________________________________________________________________________

General Assembly

Distr: General
2nd September 2023
______________________________________________________________________________
Draft Resolution 1.1.0

Committee: United Nations General Assembly Fourth Committee (Special Political and
Decolonization)

Agenda: Question of Privacy following Advancements in Satellite Navigation

Sponsors: The United States of America, Arab Republic of Egypt, Republic of Ghana, Republic
of Turkiye

Signatories: State of Israel, Republic of Peru, Kingdom of Finland, State of Japan, Kingdom of
Netherlands, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Republic of Poland, Republic of Kenya,
Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Serbia,
Russian Federation, Republic of Colombia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Commonwealth
of Australia, Kingdom of Thailand, Hellenic Republic, Romania, Republic of Korea, Republic of
Albania, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Chile, Italian
Republic, Republic of Singapore, Islamic Republic of Iran, Argentine Republic, State of Brunei,
United Mexican States, Republic of Croatia, Kingdom of Denmark, Republic of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Kingdom of Sweden, Federative Republic of Brazil, Republic of Austria, Republic
of Hungary, Republic of Venezuela, French Republic, Republic of Philippines, United Arab
Emirates, New Zealand, The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, The Republic of Montenegro, Czech
Republic, Republic of Ireland, Portuguese Republic, Swiss Confederation, Kingdom of Belgium,
Kingdom of Norway, People’s Republic of China, Federation of Malaya, Federative Republic of
Germany, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Federal Republic of
Nigeria, Dominion of Canada, Republic of India, People’s Republic of Bangladesh
The General Assembly,
Guided by the Charter of the United Nations on its course to achieve peaceful use of satellite
navigation systems,
Acknowledging the rapid progress in satellite navigation technology and its widespread adoption
globally,
Recognizing the potential benefits of satellite navigation systems for navigation, communication,
and emergency services,
Recalling the resolution 1962 (XVIII) of 1963 adopted by the United Nations General Assembly
referring to the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the
Exploration and Use of Outer Space,
Noting with deep concern the potential misuse of location data obtained through satellite
navigation systems,
Reaffirming the importance of international cooperation in addressing privacy challenges arising
from satellite navigation,
Welcoming initiatives aimed at enhancing privacy safeguards in satellite navigation systems,
1. Emphasizes on the immediate need for transparency between third party organizations
and its users which includes the provision for a framework that stands as follows:
(a) Complete freedom to the users regarding the decision of sharing their real time
location with the third party platform,
(b) Consent from the users shall depend on the clear mentioning of the specific data to be
collected and utilized,
(c) Provision for clear and concise privacy policies that clarify how the parties are to
collect and utilize location data, additionally, platforms being obliged to simplify the
procedures for users to opt out of location monitoring,
(d) Platforms to disclose the specific details of third parties with whom the collected data
is to be shared;
2. Recommends governments of respective nations to consider:
(a) Possible imposing of restrictions on the collection and utilization of location data by
mandating platforms to obtain consent from users prior to acquiring their location data,
following the framework suggested in clause 1,
(b) Imposing limits on the length of time location data that is allowed to be stored,
mandating that platforms safeguard and prioritize user privacy when collecting and
utilizing location data;
3. Encourages interested nations to consider adopting the following measures to safeguard
the location-data access:
(a) Selective authorized personnel to be permitted access to location information, possible
through the use of role-based access control (RBAC), which allows defining different
access levels for various users and used to grant users fine-grained access to resources,
(b) Platforms to routinely audit access to location data to ensure that only authorized
users have access to it, which can assist in the detection and prevention of unauthorized
access,
(c) Storage in a secure location, such as a database with firewalls and security measures
 which include modern encryption models, namely the Advanced Encryption Standard;

4. Further recommends the creation of a framework that shall regulate the following:
(a) Specification of the types of data which will be retained to be submitted and only
upon ratification by the department of Information and Technology of the respective
State, Governments, the party is eligible to retain data with full responsibility and
accountability under the constitution of the nation,
(b) Valid reasons behind the need to retain data, which requires validation and discretion
from the respective state government,
(c) The specific time period for which the data will be retained, with additional
provisions to hold the involved parties accountable in cases of violation of time limit in
the form of temporary revocation of license, as well as fines,
(d) Detailed procedures of: i) Complete deletion of the said data
ii) Accessing and transferring of data
iii) Protection of data from unauthorized access, disclosure or
modification,
(e) Specific responsibilities to the protection and accountability in case of mishaps;
5. Further suggests the creation of a committee under the collaboration of the respective
department of Information and technology and department of Home/Domestic Affairs
who will be monitoring the effective implementation of the framework mentioned in the
clause 4 and be given the permission to provide official license to third party
organizations who completely ratify and abide by the framework, while also reserving the
right to revoke/terminate the license at any point in time, if the committee feels the need
to conduct an investigation into the proper implementation of the framework by a third
party organization;
6. Urges all nations to safeguard their satellite navigation devices, systems and the
configuration of the satellite firmwares with state-of-the-art encryption technologies such
as the Advanced Encryption Standard by:
(a) Implementing the 256-bit key significantly preventing unethical hacking and possible
spoofing attacks on relevant servers,
(b) Assessing the current capabilities of satellite firmware while determining the
necessary firmware required to support the necessary encryption,
(c) Configuring the satellite firmware by generating and safely storing the encryption
keys.
SAMPLES OF DOCUMENTATION WHICH MAY BE NEEDED DURING A MUN
1.Position Paper: Position paper is a one or two page document that summarises your country
policy on the agenda and the measures that your country wants to be adopted to solve the crisis.
Delegates are usually required to submit the position paper before the day of the conference, and
it may or may not be marked, depending upon the decision of the executive board members.

While there is no rule as to how the position paper must be written, a good position paper
contains the following sections:
a) Background: This contains a brief explanation of the agenda and highlights the urgency
of the situation.
b) Past international actions: This brings into attention the measures that have been taken
worldwide to solve the crisis, and their impacts.
c) Country policy: This states your country stance on the agenda, domestic programs
undertaken by your country and its voting on key treaties and resolutions regarding the
agenda.
d) Possible solutions: This includes possible solutions proposed by NGOs or citizens
(domestic or abroad) that your country believes should be implemented to solve the
crisis. You can also propose completely new intuitive solutions of your own in line with
your country's policy
e) References/Bibliography: A position paper requires you to add reference links from
which you were able to articulate the position paper at the end of it.

NOTE:
The position paper is a formal document and therefore has to maintain strict formatting;
Font: Times New Roman (This can vary depending on the discretion of the Executive Board
Members)
Size: 12
Spacing: 1.5
Alignment: Justified

A sample position paper has been attached in the next page.

Format:

Committee: United Nations General Assembly Fourth Committee (Special Political and
Decolonization)
Country: The United States of America
Agenda: Question of Privacy following Advancements in Satellite Navigation

With the recent development in modern satellite navigation and location tracking, the risks of
privacy breach and data leakage has been at an absolutely high. There have been increased
tracking abilities with formidable accuracy where individuals can now be tracked through their
daily activities in real time. This is made possible in lieu of the advanced developments of better
algorithms required to calculate accurate positioning as well as stronger bandwidth which
enables the satellite devices to formulate more data and transmit them efficiently. Additionally,
satellite navigation devices and their data collection setups are being integrated within social
media and other networking apps which further increases the potential for privacy breach. The
threats posed by data interceptions by malicious parties raises concerns at extensive levels as the
data may include sensitive information such as the user’s location and details. The United States
of America, considers itself the protector of the world, and is committed to a stable situation
regarding the question of privacy after advancements in satellite navigation.

The United States and satellite navigation go back a long history. In 1978, the United States
Ministry of Defense launched its first experimental satellite for navigation, Navstar 1, and since
then, has not looked back. The nation has seen immense success in the field of space exploration
and satellite navigation, but with success, comes its own set of problems. The advancements in
satellite navigation has seen the potential threat of data breach and privacy concerns, something
which the United States of America is actively working to combat against. The global
positioning system, (GPS), one of the most commonly used platforms for navigation, travel and
location sharing, is operated and monitored by the United States, encrypted with the
state-of-the-art Advanced Encryption System 256-bit setup to prevent all forms of unethical
hacking.
In light of the concerns regarding privacy breaches due to satellite navigation, the United States
of America suggests a number of solutions, firstly, regarding protection of the satellite navigation
devices from unethical hacking. The United States proposes all nations to adopt and implement
the Advanced Encryption Standard of 256-bit, given that this setup has yet to be cracked and will
protect the firmware from malicious intent. Additionally, the delegation suggests improving
transparency between the operators of the satellite navigation systems and third party
organisations who look forward to commercialising navigation data to gain profit-oriented
outcomes. Including transparency, there should be certain barriers and limitations set on the third
party organisations such as keeping a strict barrier on the data which are safe to be
commercialised and does not breach privacy. Additionally, a subsequent body can be formed in
order to monitor that the third party organisations are collectively abiding by the policies. In
terms of international cooperation, it is incredibly vital to work in a united manner in time of
these security concerns, therefore the United States suggests hosting an annual conference at San
Francisco to discuss the ways forward in terms of peaceful use of outer space and space
navigation satellites while making sure of the retention of privacy.

References

https://www.wyden.senate.gov/priorities/gps-act
https://www.c4isrnet.com/c2-comms/satellites/2019/05/17/government-leaders-worry-about-gps-
spoofing-hacking/
https://www.space.com/us-government-warning-space-industry-satellites-hacking
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gps-is-easy-to-hack-and-the-u-s-has-no-backup/
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-space-force-holds-war-game-test-satellit
e-network-under-attack-2021-12-14/
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/techops/navservices
/gnss/gps/howitworks
2. Communique / Joint Communique: A communique serves as an official announcement
from a particular delegate to the committee of a action being undertaken by the country the
delegate is representing. A joint communique is simply a communique signed by more than one
party or state. Both communique and joint communique follow the same format.

Remember that a communique must only be signed by the Head of State of your country OR, if
you are a member state in UNSC, it may be signed by the permanent representative of your
country to the UNSC.
Format:
No need to fold the page, writing on one side is enough.

Individual Communique

From: The United States of America

To: UNSC
In response to the unjustified and irrational attack on two US bases within South Vietnamese
borders that resulted in the death of 11 US troops soldiers, the United States of America hereby
opens a military operation on the forces of Khmer Rouge in order to restore peace and stability
within the territories of Cambodia. For the military forces mobilised by the previous action
orders, this is the official order for the initiation of the instructions.

Signed,
Paul Nixon
President, United States of America
15th of April, 1972

3. Press Release: A press release is a statement from a delegate or the state being represented by
the delegate to the general public, and is broadcasted via a news agency or the media. It is a
quick way to disseminate information and is often used to publicise a passed directive.
Format:
Xin Hua News Agency
To all the concerned people of People's Republic of China, the country has overcome the
wrath of Covid-19 from our state and all of you do not need to panic at all. Our President Xi
Jing ping always believes that the safeties of the citizens are given the first priority and they
can completely enjoy their human rights. So the government believes there is no need to
panic in the situation.

[Tip: Make sure you use the official news agency of your country]

4. Portfolio Requests: A portfolio request is used as a strategic document used during cases of
war. It is a document released by the defence ministry of a state, giving vague details regarding
the military capital possessed by the state. This is often done in order to create deterrence,
instigate fear and make a portrayal of fairness. It is advised to avoid too many details in a
portfolio request in order to make sure that the opposition does not get a strategic advantage.
Such documents are mostly used in UNSC, DISEC and CCC.

Format:

PORTFOLIO REQUEST
From: Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defense of India
To: The Dais
Following the recent attack in the region of Kashmir by Pakistani-government funded terrorists,
we have decided to send an additional number of troops, ranging from 20,000 to half a million,
from the Indian Armed Forces to region for further security. Air defence has been increased with
the inclusion of more fighter jets, one of them being the armoured Boeing’s F-15 EX fighter jet.
Any further attacks will be strongly defended by the Indian forces stationed in the region.

5. Directives: A directive is used to propose an action to the committee, which, if passed

through voting, will immediately come into force. A directive is different from a resolution in the
sense that it is much more precise and only talks about immediate necessary actions, while
resolution provides long term suggestions. There is no requirement for perambulatory clauses in
a directive and it is mostly used in crisis committees such as CCC.
Format:
Directive 1.1
Authors: USA, UK, France, Poland
Committee: NATO
Mobilise all troops in the NATO battlegroup positioned in Poland.
Place all troops in the battlegroups in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania on high alert.
Mobilize anti-tank missiles such as the FGM-148 Javelin along Polish borders with Belarus.
Do not fire unless fired upon first.

6. Action Orders: While a directive is an immediate action taken by the entire committee if
passed, an individual action order is used to demonstrate any immediate action solely taken by a
country. A joint-action order is technically the same with the only difference being that it is an
action taken by a group of countries. These are also used in crisis committees such as CCC.

Format:

Individual Action Order

From: United States of America
Order to: Chief of Naval Operations
Commander of Military Operations, Southeast Asia

Presented in: UNSC

Instruction
-Under my authority as Chief of Staff you are to mobilise at once-
(a) USS Carronade (IFS1)
(b) USS Clarion River (LSMR 409)
(c) USS Francis River (LSMR 525)
(d) USS white River (LSMR 536)
(e) USS Montrose (APA-212)
(f) USS Okanogan (APA-220)
(g) USS Bexar (APA - 237)
(i) USNS Geiger (T-AP -197)
(j) USNS Barrett (T-AP-196)
(k) USS Monticello (LSD-35)

-They will be moved on 15th of April, 1972 at 09:00 (American Standard Time) (Pacific time
zone)
- They will be moved to the Gulf of Siam, Latitudes 10°30'N and Longitudes 101°E, awaiting
further command.

Signed,
General John D. Ryan
Chief of Staff
US Naval Forces

14th April, 1972

A note from the Department of Academics

Dear Delegates,

We positively hope that you will find this detailed MUN Guide useful for your experience in
SDMUN and your future conferences as well. This Guide contains all the basics that you need to
know to pave way for a solid performance in MUN conferences, however do bear in mind that
there is a lot more to learn and read up from beyond this MUN Guide. A lot of procedures and
regulations mentioned here may vary depending on different Executive Board Members and their
discretion. We sincerely hope for you to enjoy your experience at SDMUNC and that it will fuel
you to do more conferences in the future. The Department of Academics cannot wait to welcome
you to the conference!

Aayan Ahmed Wasif ul Huq

Co-USG of Academics Co-USG of Academics

Lavina Amarissa and Md. Irfan Shafi

Officers, Department of Academics