MAYOOR

MODEL UNITED NATIONS

BEGINNER'S GUIDE

INTRODUCTION TO

MUN
 WHAT IS UNITED NATIONS?

THE UNITED NATIONS IS AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL

ORGANIZATION AIMING TO MAINTAIN INTERNATIONAL

PEACE AND SECURITY, DEVELOP FRIENDLY RELATIONS

AMONG NATIONS AND ACHIEVE INTERNATIONAL

COOPERATION.

WHAT IS MODEL UNITED NATIONS?

MODEL UNITED NATIONS IS AN ACADEMIC SIMULATION OF

THE UNITED NATIONS THAT AIMS TO EDUCATE

PARTICIPANTS ABOUT CIVICS, CURRENT EVENTS, AND

DIPLOMACY. STUDENTS FORM TEAMS, ARE ASSIGNED AND

RESEARCH A COUNTRY, TAKE ON ROLES AS DIPLOMATS,

INVESTIGATE INTERNATIONAL ISSUES, DEBATE, AND

DEVELOP SOLUTIONS TO WORLD PROBLEMS

 WHO IS A DELEGATE?

-PARTICIPANTS IN MODEL UNITED NATIONS

CONFERENCES ARE KNOWN AS DELEGATES.

-YOU ARE A DELEGATE.

-IN COMMITTEES LIKE THE ONES OF THE

UNITED NATIONS, DELEGATES PARTICIPATE IN

COMMITTEES AND ARE ASSIGNED COUNTRIES

TO REPRESENT.

-IN SOME OTHER COMMITTEES LIKE THE

YOUTH PARLIAMENT, DELEGATES REPRESENT

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS OR POLITICAL

FIGURES, BASICALLY MEMBERS OF THAT

BODY.

-DELEGATES IN UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEES

MUST REFRAIN FROM USING FIRST-PERSON

PRONOUNS SUCH AS “I”.

-DELEGATES MUST ALWAYS CONSIDER

THEMSELVES AS THIRD- PERSON. IF YOU ARE

REPRESENTING THE COUNTRY INDIA, YOU’LL

ADDRESS YOURSELF IN THE UN COMMITTEE AS

“THE DELEGATE OF INDIA...”

 WHAT IS A REGISTRATION
FORM? HOW TO FILL IT IN?

-ANYBODY BECOMES A DELEGATE BY

ENROLLING THEMSELVES IN A CONFERENCE.

FOR THIS, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO FILL IN A

REGISTRATION FORM WHEREIN THEY ARE

REQUIRED TO GIVE DETAILS LIKE FULL

NAME, CONTACT NUMBER, EMAIL ADDRESS

AND OTHER DETAILS (GIVEN BELOW).

-PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE

DETAILS YOU ARE FILLING IN THE FORM SO

THAT THERE IS NO DISCREPANCY AND

HENCE, THE REGISTRATION PROCESS

REMAINS SMOOTH.

WHAT IS A COMMITTEE?

-A COMMITTEE IS A BODY OF PERSONS

DELEGATED TO CONSIDER, INVESTIGATE, TAKE

ACTION ON, OR REPORT ON SOME MATTER.

-IT IS A SELF-CONSTITUTED ORGANIZATION

FOR THE PROMOTION OF A COMMON

OBJECT. IT IS ALSO CALLED “COUNCIL”.

 TYPES OF COMMITTEES

- GENERAL ASSEMBLIES (GA): THESE

COMMITTEES SIMULATE THE SIX GA, DISEC,

ECOFIN, SOCHUM, SPECPOL, ADMINISTRATIVE

AND BUDGETARY, AND LEGAL. THEY ARE

TYPICALLY THE LARGEST COMMITTEES AND

PASS NON-BINDING RESOLUTIONS.

- SPECIALIZED COMMITTEES: THESE

COMMITTEES DO NOT ALWAYS SIMULATE

UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEES, BUT WHEN

THEY DO, THEY SIMULATE ONE OF THE

FOURTEEN ECOSOC COMMITTEES. THEY CAN

ALSO SIMULATE OTHER CONGREGATIONS OF

DELEGATES, SUCH AS THE INTERNATIONAL

OLYMPIC COMMITTEE OR THE UNITED STATES

SENATE. TYPICALLY, SPECIALIZED

COMMITTEES ARE SMALLER THAN GA.

- CRISIS COMMITTEES: THESE COMMITTEES

ARE MADE TO FORCE DELEGATES TO THINK

ON THEIR FEET. THEY CAN BE ANYTHING FROM

HISTORICAL SECURITY COUNCILS TO

FUTURISTIC REBEL MEETINGS. DELEGATES ARE

CONSTANTLY PROVIDED WITH RANDOM CRISIS

UPDATES THAT CAN COMPLETELY CHANGE

THE FLOW OF COMMITTEE AT THE CHAIRS

DISCRETION. THESE COMMITTEES, TYPICALLY

FOR MORE ADVANCED DELEGATES, ARE

AMONG THE SMALLEST IN MUN.

 WHAT IS AN AGENDA?

-AN AGENDA IS A PLAN OF THINGS TO BE

DONE OR PROBLEMS TO BE ADDRESSED IN

A FORMAL MEETING.

-FOR EXAMPLE, IN MAYOOR SCHOOL MUN

2021, THE COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED

NATIONS ENVIRONMENT ASSEMBLY HAS THE

AGENDA “DELIBERATION OVER THE

FRAMEWORK AND THE ACTION PLAN OF

ACHIEVING THE AGENDA 2030”

-HENCE, THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSES AND

DELIBERATES UPON THE GIVEN AGENDA TO

FIND SOLUTIONS TO IT.

WHAT IS A PORTFOLIO?

-A PORTFOLIO IS SIMPLY THE NAME OF THE

COUNTRY OR POLITICAL FIGURE A DELEGATE

IS REPRESENTING IN A COMMITTEE.

-FOR EXAMPLE, INDIA, PAKISTAN, UNITED

STATES OF AMERICA, ETC. IN UN COMMITTEES

AND NARENDRA MODI, SONIA GANDHI, ETC. IN

ALL INDIA POLITICAL PARTIES MEET.

 WHO ARE THE EXECUTIVE
BOARD MEMBERS?

-THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF AN MUN IS

COMPRISED OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN

SELECTED AFTER AN EXTENSIVE PROCESS OF

JUDGING THEIR MERIT AND SKILLS, VERIFYING

THEIR EXPERIENCE, CALCULATING THE

DYNAMICS OF THE ENTIRE BOARD WITH THE

REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECRETARIAT, TO

GUIDE THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNCILS

THROUGH DEBATE ON THE AGENDA AND

THROUGHOUT THE DEBATE, TO JUDGE THE

DELEGATES WHO PUT IN A TREMENDOUS

EFFORT TO RISE ABOVE THE REST IN ALL

ASPECTS OF BEING A DELEGATE.

-THEY REGULATE THE DEBATE AND MAKE SURE

IT’S GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

-THEY JUDGE AND MARK THE DELEGATES ON

THE BASIS OF THEIR PERFORMANCE AND

INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMMITTEE.

 WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE THE
CONFERENCE?

1. GUIDES
GUIDES LIKE STUDY GUIDES AND BACKGROUND

GUIDES ARE BASIC SUPPORT MATERIALS PUT

TOGETHER BY THE EXECUTIVE BOARD TO ASSIST

THE DELEGATES IN RESEARCHING FOR THE

AGENDA TO BE DISCUSSED AND DELIBERATED

UPON IN THE COURSE OF THE COMMITTEE.

2. RESEARCH
PLEASE LAY EXTRA EMPHASIS ON THE

FOLLOWING POINTS WHILE RESEARCHING-

-BASIC IDEA OF YOUR COUNTRY.

-FOREIGN POLICY OF THE COUNTRY- ALLIES AND

RIVALS KNOWLEDGE REGARDING THE AGENDA,

-COUNTRY’S STANCE ON THE AGENDA.

-READ THE BACKGROUND GUIDE THOROUGHLY.

-PREPARE 10 OR MORE LOGICAL SOLUTIONS.

SOME CREDIBLE SOURCES FOR RESEARCH ARE:

1)REUTERS

2)BCC

3)CNN

4)THE OFFICIAL UN WEBSITES

5)PLEASE REFRAIN FROM USING WIKIPEDIA.

3. LOBBYING GROUPS
-LOBBYING GROUPS ARE ONLINE GROUPS

MADE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ICE-BREAKING

BETWEEN DELEGATES AND THE EXECUTIVE

BOARD.

-EVERYBODY INTRODUCES THEMSELVES IN THE

GROUP, PARTICULARLY WITH THEIR

PORTFOLIOS.

-THE LOBBYING GROUPS FOR ALL

COMMITTEES OF MAYOOR SCHOOL MUN

2022 WILL BE MADE ON WHATSAPP.

4. POSITION PAPER
-A POSITION PAPER IS A DOCUMENT

DESCRIBING A TOPIC, YOUR COUNTRY'S

POSITION, AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS.

-AN MUN POSITION PAPER, ALSO KNOWN AS

POLICY PAPER, IS A STRATEGIC DOCUMENT

THAT GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF A DELEGATE’S

COUNTRY’S POSITION.

-A POSITION PAPER MUST INCLUDE:

1)BACKGROUND OF THE AGENDA

2)HISTORY OF THE AGENDA WITH RESPECT TO

YOUR COUNTRY

3)STANCE AND ROLE OF YOUR COUNTRY IN

AGENDA

4)RESEARCHING POSITIONS OF KEY COUNTRIES

(OPPONENTS AND ALLIES)

SAMPLE OF A POSITION PAPER
 WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE
CONFERENCE?
(WE ARE GOING TO BE FOLLOWING THE UNA-USA

RULES OF PROCEDURE.)

1.ROLL CALL

BEFORE EACH SESSION, ROLL CALLS WILL BE TAKEN.

THIS INCLUDES THE START OF EACH DAY, AND WHEN

YOU RETURN FROM MEALS OR OTHER

SUSPENSIONS. ALL DELEGATES PRESENT ARE

REQUIRED TO STATE THEIR POSITIONS, AND HAVE

TWO OPTIONS-

“PRESENT”: THIS MEANS YOU CAN CHOOSE TO

VOTE ‘YES’, ‘NO’ OR ‘ABSTAIN’ ON ANY

RESOLUTION/REPORT/AMENDMENT

“PRESENT AND VOTING”: THIS MEANS YOU MUST

CHOOSE EITHER ‘YES’ OR ‘NO’ ON ANY

RESOLUTION/REPORT/AMENDMENT

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? IF YOU CHOOSE

‘PRESENT’, YOU ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO SUPPORT

OR OPPOSE ANY DOCUMENT, AND CAN CHOOSE TO

REMAIN NEUTRAL. THIS IS A POPULAR CHOICE FOR

NOT SO POWERFUL NATIONS THAT DON’T WANT TO

OFFEND ANYONE. LIKEWISE, LARGE NATIONS MAY

CHOOSE ‘PRESENT AND VOTING’ TO MAKE CLEAR

THEIR STANCES. WHICHEVER ONE YOU PICK

DOESN’T MATTER THAT MUCH, SO JUST PICK ONE

AND GET IT OVER WITH.



2. GENERAL SPEAKERS’ LIST

-A GENERAL SPEAKERS' LIST (GSL) IS THE

BACKBONE OF COMMITTEE SESSIONS.

SPEAKERS ON THE LIST, WHEN GRANTED

PERMISSION BY THE CHAIRPERSON, CAN

EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON THE TOPIC IN

DISCUSSION. THE LIST WILL RUN

THROUGHOUT THE COMMITTEE SESSIONS

UNTIL IT IS EXHAUSTED OR A MOTION TO

CLOSE THE DEBATE IS PASSED.

-WHEN THE COMMITTEE BEGINS, THE CHAIR

WILL CREATE A LIST OF DELEGATES WHO

WISH TO GIVE SPEECHES. THESE SPEECHES

ARE TYPICALLY ABOUT HOW EACH COUNTRY

FEELS ABOUT THE TOPIC, AND RANGE FROM

1-2 MINUTES LONG. THE FIRST TIME YOU

SPEAK ON THE SPEAKERS LIST IS REFERRED

TO AS YOUR OPENING SPEECH. YOU SHOULD

PREPARE THIS SPEECH BEFORE THE

CONFERENCE. AFTER YOUR FIRST SPEECH,

YOU CAN SEND A NOTE TO THE CHAIR TO

REQUEST TO BE PUT ON THE SPEAKERS LIST

AGAIN.
3. CAUCUSES

MODERATED UNMODERATED
CAUCUS CAUCUS

-IT IS A FORMAL -IT IS

SESSION. COMPARATIVELY AN

INFORMAL SESSION.

-IT IS MODERATED

BY THE EXECUTIVE -IT IS NOT

BOARD MEMBERS. MODERATED BY THE

DELEGATES ARE EXECUTIVE BOARD

RECOGNISED IN A MEMBERS,

SPECIFIC ORDER BY DELEGATES MAY

RAISING THEIR FREELY TALK TO

HAND BY THE EB IN ONE ANOTHER TO

WHICH THEY ARE TO LOBBY.

SPEAK.

-INDIVIDUAL

-INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER’S TIME IS

SPEAKERS' TIME IS NOT FIXED. A

FIXED. A DELEGATE DELEGATE MAY

MAY SPEAK FOR A SPEAK AS MUCH AS

DEFINITE TIME THEY WISH TO,

THERE ARE NO TIME

CONSTRAINTS


4. POINTS

- POINT OF PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY -

USED TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

- POINT OF ORDER - USED WHEN A

DELEGATE BELIEVES THE DIAS HAS

MADE A PROCEDURAL / FACTUAL

ERROR

- POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE -

USED TO EXPRESS CONCERNS

ABOUT COMFORT SUCH AS THE

TEMPERATURE OF THE ROOM OR THE

ABILITY TO HEAR A SPEAKER

- POINT OF INFORMATION - USED

TO ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION

ABOUT THE CONTENT OF A SPEECH

OR STATEMENT (ONLY DURING THE

SPEAKERS’ LIST)


5. HOW TO RAISE A MOTION?

MOTIONS CHANGE WHAT THE COMMITTEE IS

DOING AND GENERALLY REQUIRE A VOTE.

- GENERAL SPEAKER'S LIST- “THE DELEGATE

OF XYZ WOULD LIKE TO RAISE A MOTION TO

ESTABLISH THE GENERAL SPEAKER'S LIST WITH

INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER’S TIME

BEING(__)SECONDS”

- MODERATED CAUCUS- “THE DELEGATE OF

XYZ WOULD LIKE TO RAISE A MOTION TO

SUSPEND THE FORMAL DEBATE AND MOVE

INTO A MODERATED CAUCUS ON THE TOPIC

(___)FOR TOTAL TIME BEING (_) MINUTES

AND INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER'S TIME BEING (___)

SECONDS.”

- UNMODERATED CAUCUS- “THE DELEGATE

OF XYZ WOULD LIKE TO RAISE A MOTION TO

SUSPEND THE FORMAL DEBATE AND MOVE

INTO AN UNMODERATED CAUCUS FOR TOTAL

TIME BEING (____) MINUTES.” -

ADJOURNMENT- “THE DELEGATE OF XYZ

WOULD LIKE TO RAISE A MOTION TO

ADJOURN THE COMMITTEE.”



6. CHITS

CHIT PASSING IS DONE IN A COMMITTEE

WHICH IS SO LARGE THAT GETTING

RECOGNISED BY THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

EVERY TIME BECOMES DIFFICULT. THE TYPES

OF CHITS ARE-

-PROCEDURAL CHITS ARE CONCERNED WITH

POINTS OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE SUCH AS IF

THE DELEGATE WANTS TO BE EXCUSED IF A

DELEGATE WANTS HIS/HER NAME TO BE

ADDED TO THE GSL, OR QUESTIONS

PERTAINING TO POINTS OF PARLIAMENTARY

INQUIRY SUCH AS WHAT IS A GSL. THESE

CHITS ARE NOT MARKED BY THE EXECUTIVE

BOARD.

-SUBSTANTIVE CHITS ARE THE CHITS THAT

CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEBATE. THEY ARE

RELATED TO THE AGENDA AND CAN BE

ADDRESSED TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OR

ANOTHER DELEGATE VIA EXECUTIVE BOARD

OR BOTH


7. DOCUMENTATION (RESOLUTION)

-THE RESOLUTION IS THE FINAL DOCUMENT PREPARED

BY THE COMMITTEE.

-IT GIVES A SUMMARY OF THE SOLUTIONS DISCUSSED

BY THE VARIOUS DELEGATES.

-THE RESOLUTION CONSISTS OF THE ACTIONS THE

COMMITTEE HAS DECIDED TO TAKE.

-IF NO RESOLUTION IS PASSED BY THE COMMITTEE,

THE COMMITTEE FAILS.

SPONSORS AND SIGNATORIES-

-SPONSORS ARE DELEGATES WHO WROTE THE

WORKING PAPER, OR WHOSE IDEAS ARE

SUBSTANTIALLY REPRESENTED IN THE PAPER.

-SIGNATORIES ARE DELEGATES WHO WOULD LIKE TO

SEE THE WORKING PAPER DEBATED.

NOTE: SIGNATORIES NEED NOT AGREE WITH THE

CONTENT OF THE RESOLUTION THEY ARE SIGNING,

THEY MUST ONLY AGREE THAT IT IS WORTHY OF

DISCUSSION.
SAMPLE OF RESOLUTION


PREAMBULATORY CLAUSES

PREAMBULATORY CLAUSES STATE ALL THE ISSUES THAT THE COMMITTEE

WANTS TO RESOLVE ON THIS ISSUE. IT MAY STATE REASONS WHY THE

COMMITTEE IS WORKING ON THIS ISSUE AND HIGHLIGHT PREVIOUS

INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS ON THE ISSUE.

PREAMBULATORY CLAUSES CAN INCLUDE:

-PAST UN RESOLUTIONS, TREATIES, OR CONVENTIONS RELATED TO THE

TOPIC.

-PAST REGIONAL, NON-GOVERNMENTAL, OR NATIONAL EFFORTS IN

RESOLVING THIS TOPIC.

-REFERENCES TO THE UN CHARTER OR OTHER INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORKS

AND LAWS.

-STATEMENTS MADE BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OR A RELEVANT UN BODY

OR AGENCY.

-GENERAL BACKGROUND INFO FORMATION OR FACTS ABOUT THE TOPIC, ITS

SIGNIFICANCE, AND ITS IMPACT

OPERATIVE CLAUSES

-OPERATIVE CLAUSES STATE THE SOLUTIONS THAT THE SPONSORS

OF THE RESOLUTION PROPOSES TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES. THE

OPERATIVE CLAUSES SHOULD ADDRESS THE ISSUES SPECIFICALLY

MENTIONED IN THE PRE-AMBULATORY CLAUSES ABOVE IT.

8. AMENDMENTS-

-AN AMENDMENT IN MUN IS A CHANGE IN

THE TEXT OF A DRAFT RESOLUTION

DESIGNED TO MODIFY THE CONTENT.

-AMENDMENTS IN MUN CAN ALSO BE

USED AS A TOOL TO ALTER ANOTHER

DRAFT RESOLUTION, OR YOUR OWN, AT

SOME POINT BEFORE THE FINAL VOTE.

-AN MUN AMENDMENT IS WHEN YOU:

ADD A NEW CLAUSE.

-HENCE, AMENDMENTS ARE ADDITIONS,

DELETIONS OR CHANGES IN A CLAUSE

OF A RESOLUTION.

-IN MODEL UNITED NATIONS, A "FRIENDLY

AMENDMENT" IS A CHANGE TO A

RESOLUTION THAT EVERYONE IS IN

FAVOR OF, WHILE AN "UNFRIENDLY

AMENDMENT" IS ONE THAT DOES NOT

HAVE EVERYONE'S SUPPORT

9. VOTING

-EACH RESOLUTION IS VOTED ON IN THE ORDER

THAT IT WAS PRESENTED (RESOLUTION 1.1, 1.2,

ETC.).

-VOTING ON UNFRIENDLY AMENDMENTS OCCURS

BEFORE VOTING ON THE RESOLUTION AS A WHOLE.

-EACH RESOLUTION IS PASSED BY A SIMPLE

MAJORITY.

-MAY VOTE YES, NO, YES WITH RIGHTS, NO WITH

RIGHTS, ABSTAIN.

-VOTING WITH RIGHTS MEANS THAT A DELEGATION

IS VOTING CONTRARY TO ITS EXPECTED VOTE

BASED ON ITS DECLARED FOREIGN POLICY.

DELEGATIONS VOTING WITH RIGHTS MAY GIVE A

SPEECH AT THE CONCLUSION OF VOTING GIVING

THEIR REASONING FOR SUCH A VOTE. IT IS NOT

SUGGESTED THAT YOU VOTE WITH RIGHTS;

RATHER, VOTE ACCORDING TO POLICY!



FURTHER LINKS FOR RESEARCH

HTTPS://BESTDELEGATE.COM/MUN-MADE-EASY-

HOW-TO-GET-STARTED-WITH-MODEL-UNITED-

NATIONS/

HTTPS://TEIMUN.ORG/YOUR-MUN-DICTIONARY/

HTTPS://TEIMUN.ORG/MUN-101-THE-RULES-OF-

PROCEDURE/

HTTPS://WWW.WORLDMUN.ORG/RULES-OF-

PROCEDURE

HTTPS://PROMUNERS.COM/EN/UN-

MODEL/RESEARCH/THE- RULES-OF-PROCEDURE/

HTTPS://BESTDELEGATE.COM/MUN-MADE-EASY-10-

THINGS-YOU- SHOULD-KNOW-BEFORE-YOUR-FIRST-

CONFERENCE-2/

HTTP://MUNKICONFERENCE.WEEBLY.COM/HOW-

MUN- WORKS.HTML

GOOD LUCK!