Bryn Mawr MUN Beginner’s Guide to MUN
MUN can seem a bit confusing at the start but once you get the hang of it is great fun. By reading this guide and bringing it with you to MUN you will have a much better time at the conferences and at our fun Bryn Mawr bi-monthly debates.
Words to remember:
MUN = Model United Nations
UN = United Nations
Chairs = People who run the debate
Floor = Place where delegates go to talk
Delegates = Representatives of each country who debate
Resolution = Solution to a topic; resolutions are debated and voted on
Operative clauses = Paragraphs (numbered) in a resolution saying what we’re going today about a problem
Preliminary clauses = Paragraphs at the beginning of a resolution outlining what the problem is
Yielding = Giving the floor to people with the same viewpoint as you after you have spoken
Point of information = Questions asked after a speaker has finished his/her speech
Point of personal privilege = What you shout out if you can’t hear what’s going on
Point of order = What you shout out if something someone says is against the UN Constitution (don’t worry too much about this!)
Amendment = In time against a resolution you can submit one of these to change, add or delete an operative clause; these proposed changes are voted on
Amendment sheet = Sheet on which to write an amendment
Submitter = Country which writes the resolution
Co-submitters = Countries which sign the submitter’s resolution
Lobbying = Getting people to support your resolution i.e. co-submit it
Committee = Place where debates take place
General Assembly = Committee involving all delegates from all countries (only in bigger conferences)
Motion to extend time for/ against = Asking chairs for more time; you can second or object to this proposal
Motion to go directly to voting procedure = Asking chairs to end debating time on particular issue (seconding and objecting applies)
Abstaining = Being neutral – not voting for or against a resolution; you can’t abstain from voting on amendments
Dividing the floor = If a vote is particularly close the chairs can ask people who abstained to choose one way or another
Admin = People who pass round notes
Emergency debate = Made-up crisis you have to deal with on the spot
What happens at the conferences:
1. Lobbying: During lobbying you can try to get you resolution signed and/or sign other people’s resolutions.
A sample resolution:
A resolution is a solution to a problem. The preliminary clauses identify the problem; operative clauses say what your country thinks we should do about the problem. At lobbying, you should sign the resolutions your country would agree with and if you write your own you should get country’s who agree with your country to sign it.
2. Resolution Selection:
After lobbying the Chairs will select the resolution with the most signatures to be the one which will be debated. If two or more resolutions have the same number of signatures, the Chairs will decide. Their decision will be final!!
3. Time for the Resolution:
On the day of the conference, the selected resolution will be debated. At this point you can go up and talk if your country is supporting the resolution. You can also ask the speakers questions called ‘points of information’. Points of information usually start with: ‘does the honourable delegate not agree….?’ Don’t be scared by this. You’ll pick it up really quickly.
4. Time against the resolution:
Once time for the resolution has elapsed (ran out), delegates who come from countries which disagree with the resolution get up to speak. If you like most of a resolution but wish to either change part of it, add in a new clause (point) or get rid of a clause entirely you can submit (hand in) an amendment (change) to do this. You then get up to speak in time for this amendment and people who don’t like it can talk in time against it. The amendment is then voted on. If it passes it becomes part of the resolution.
5. Voting on Resolution:
Once time against the resolution has elapsed, everyone votes. You can either vote for the resolution, against the resolution or if you are not sure you can abstain. If a vote is too close to call, there can be a motion to split the house when those who abstained have to make their minds up one way or the other.
Don’t worry if this all sounds confusing; most of it is just fancy words meaning simple things. If you want to have a go at writing a resolution that is great but if not you can still participate fully without doing that. If there is anything you still have questions about, don’t fret, just ask. If you want, just shoot us an email too: Nathalie Schallock (nschallock@brynmawr.edu), Lilly Amirhekmat (lamirhekmat@brynmawr.edu) or Gretchen Knoth (gknoth@brynmawr.edu)!
Remember Ladies, we are here to have fun and enrich ourselves intellectually and culturally!
