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Smun Rop PDF

This document outlines the rules of procedure for the Harvard Model United Nations conference. It discusses the flow of debate, including roll call, setting the agenda, the general speakers' list, caucuses, and introducing resolutions and amendments. The chairs will moderate debate and ensure the rules are followed to have productive discussions around the conference topics.

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Chaitanya Mishra
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
248 views32 pages

Smun Rop PDF

This document outlines the rules of procedure for the Harvard Model United Nations conference. It discusses the flow of debate, including roll call, setting the agenda, the general speakers' list, caucuses, and introducing resolutions and amendments. The chairs will moderate debate and ensure the rules are followed to have productive discussions around the conference topics.

Uploaded by

Chaitanya Mishra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 32

Scottish Model United Nations 2020

Harvard Model United Nations Rules of Procedure

HMUN 2019 OFFICIAL


RULES OF
PROCEDURE

General Assemblies and


Crisis Committees

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Introduction:
Model United Nations Rules of Procedures (ROP) are directly adapted from
the ROP of the United Nations itself. However, due to the simplified nature
of MUN conferences, ROP have been known to vary depending on the
nature of conferences. This set of procedures was specifically developed
for HMUN and compiled from countless sources as well as the organizers’
own experience with MUN.

Furthermore, note that because there is no single correct set of ROP, these
rules may seem different from what you have experienced. While they have
been modified to best suit HMUN’s newbie-friendly purposes, if you find
anything confusing or incorrect, please talk to your chairs to resolve your
discrepancies.

Throughout the conference, the dais, consisting of your chairs, will act as a
moderator to keep track of time, speakers, and general flow of debate. They
will also be the ones revising your draft resolutions as well as deciding final
awards. They should be your first point of contact for any questions or
concerns.

Having said that, while ROP may seem lengthy and difficult to understand,
your chairs’ explanations in committee will make the process much less
daunting. As HMUN is newbie-friendly, focus on having fun first and
foremost, and your chairs will help you with technicalities!

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Flow of Debate
1.Roll Call and Voting Preference:

Before each session, a roll call will be conducted by the Chair to


determine delegate attendance and establish a quorum. All
delegates are required to announce their presence and voting
preferences. Delegates shall establish their presence in the
committee by raising their placards and declaring ‘‘Present’’ or
“Present and voting” when the names of their delegations are
called.

• “Present”: This means you can abstain when it comes to


substantive votes.
• “Present and voting”: This means you cannot abstain on
substantive votes.

After roll call is conducted, the Chairs will announce the simple
majority and two-thirds majority. A simple majority is half of
the number of delegates present in the conference plus one, and a
two-thirds majority is two-thirds of the number of voting delegates
present in the conference plus one. A simple majority is required
to pass a procedural matter, and a two-thirds majority is required
to pass a substantive matter. Delegates are not allowed to abstain
from voting in a procedural matter.

Committee activities and debate shall start when at least 1/3 of the
delegates are present. If quorum is not met 30 minutes after the
beginning of the committee session, the committee shall start its
session with the number of delegates already present, unless
otherwise instructed by the Secretariat.

Delegates that arrive late to session or does not reply at roll call
must submit their attendance and voting preferences in writing to
the Dais. If, in the case of late arrival or no reply, attendance
submission in written form has not been delivered, Members shall
not be able to speak or exercise their right to vote.

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A roll call is held every time a new session starts and the response
does not carry over from the previous session. Once roll-call is
finished, note passing opens up.

2. Setting the agenda

Upon the opening of debate, after the committee Directorate will


have performed roll-call and established quorum, the first motion
to be entertained is that of setting the agenda. When there are more
than one topic, the body must set the agenda to begin working on
one of these issues. Setting the agenda is the first order of business
for most committees, through which the committee decides the
order in which the topics will be discussed, and debate proceeds in
the order determined.

The order of the entire agenda must be set at the same time; for
example, the committee cannot decide to discuss Topic A and to
postpone the decision on the other topics until debate on Topic A
is complete. Motions for setting the agenda will be taken one at a
time by the Director and voted on in the order received. The Chairs
will call upon speakers in favour of and against setting the agenda
as per the motion. The first motion to receive enough votes from
the committee will be adopted, and the agenda will be set according
to the terms of that motion. Setting the agenda requires a simple
majority vote.

3. General Speakers’ List

After conducting roll call and setting the agenda, the committee
will move into General Speaker’s List to begin formal debate.

The GSL is the default format of debate and will proceed until a
delegate raises a motion for a different debate format. The GSL is
effective whenever the committee is not in a caucus or introducing
resolutions/ amendments, or voting. The GSL is often called open

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debate as unlike moderated caucuses, there is no set topic as long


as speeches pertain to the agenda.

To be added to the General Speaker’s List, a delegate must raise


their placard and be recognized by the chairs. The specific order of
speakers will be determined by the chairs. After formal debate has
begun, delegates wishing to be added/ removed from the list or
change the order of speaking must send a note to the Dais. The
default speaking time in the GSL is 90 seconds. After speaking, the
delegate can yield the floor back to the chair, to another delegate
or to POIs.

There must always be speakers on the GSL. If the GSL is


exhausted, the committee will move directly to voting procedure.

4. Caucuses
• Moderated Caucus:

Moderated Caucus is a session when delegates take the floor to


make formal statements, including but not limited to speaking for
or against resolutions or amendments, stating the nation’s point of
view and alluding to any particular agenda-related issues. Instead
of being added to the general Speaker's List, delegates wishing to
speak shall raise their placards and be called upon at the discretion
of the Chairs.

• Unmoderated Caucus:

Unmoderated Caucus is considered quite an informal form of


debate, during which delegates are able to roam around the room
to discuss freely all issues with other delegations, lobby for their
interests, resolve difficult questions about the topic on the agenda
and work on working papers and resolutions.

5. Resolutions and amendments

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• Working Paper

Working papers are documents in which ideas of some delegates


on how to resolve an issue are suggested. They are frequently the
precursor to a draft resolution. Unlike draft resolution, working
papers do not need to be voted on, nor do they need to be introduced
to the

committee before being debated on. Since they do not follow any
particular type of format, usually they are not as formal as draft
resolutions and do not necessarily follow the formatting rules of an
official resolution.

• Resolution

Resolutions are the final product of debating, negotiating and


writing. They are written suggestions for a particular problem or
issue, and the United Nations use resolutions to make
recommendations for future action. Any resolution that has been
approved by the chairs and introduced to the committee but not
voted upon is called a Draft Resolution (DR).

Please see the final pages for a detailed description of what a DR


entails.

• Amendment

An amendment is an official request in the form of a written


statement to modify the draft resolution on the floor. An
amendment is introduced in the form of a written statement that
adds, deletes or revises an operative clause in a draft resolution.
The amendment process is used to strengthen consensus on a
resolution by allowing delegates to change certain sections. Once
an amendment has been passed, the draft resolution is modified
accordingly.

Any grammatical, spelling or formatting mistakes in the draft

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resolution shall be corrected without a vote at the discretion of


Chairpersons. Amendments to Pre-ambulatory Clauses are out of
order. Amendment can be proposed by any delegate on any part or
Clause of the Draft Resolution. All amendments shall be submitted
in the written form to the chairperson.

There are three kinds of adjustments that can be made:

• Strike clause: This is used to strike an entire clause. If this


amendment is passed, the clause and all of its sub-clauses will
be removed from the final resolution.
• Add clause: This is used to add a new clause to the original
Operative Clauses of the draft resolution. This new clause
must be inserted before the amendment is submitted.
• Amend clause: This is used to change an existing Operative
Clause of the draft resolution. The modified version of the
clause must be inserted before the amendment is submitted.

There are two types of amendment:

• A friendly amendment is a change to the draft resolution that


is approved by all sponsors of the draft resolution. After the
amendment is signed by all of the draft resolution's sponsors
and approved by the committee director or chair, it will be
automatically incorporated into the resolution without debate
and without the need to be voted upon.
• An unfriendly amendment is a change to the draft resolution
that is not approved by some or all of the draft resolution's
sponsors and must be voted upon by the committee. There will
be time for debate in favour and against the amendment. Prior
to voting on the draft resolution, the committee votes on all
unfriendly amendments.

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List of points, motions and yields


Motions
{Motions Prior To Entering The General Speaker’s
List (GSL)}

Motion to Set the agenda:

Setting the agenda takes place directly after Roll Call and before
Opening Speeches to decide the order of topics the committee will
discuss.

To make a motion to set the agenda, the delegate must raise their
placard and state: “The delegate of X would like to move Topic
A first on the agenda, followed by topic B.”

After that, the chair will invite 2 delegates to speak for and 2
delegates to speak against the motion. Once all 4 speeches have
been made, the committee will be moving into voting procedure for
the motion. Setting the agenda requires a simple majority to pass.
Motion to Open General Speaker’s List:

After the agenda has been set, the committee will start formal
debate by opening the Speaker’s List. The motion to open the GSL
should be raised once at the beginning of each new session, and is
normally immediately in order at the chair’s discretion. An
exception may be if there were unfinished caucuses/ procedures
from the previous session.

In the first committee session, the GSL begins with opening


speeches, followed by the chairs calling for speakers to be added
to the list. In subsequent committee sessions, there will be no
opening speeches.

To make this motion, the delegate must raise their placard and
state: “The delegate of X would like to motion to open the

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General Speaker’s List/ Motion to open the General Speaker’s


List.”

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Motions Regarding Caucuses


Motions to Open a Moderated Caucus:

The motion for the moderated caucus can be raised by any of the
delegates once the floor is open for Points and Motions. The
delegate must specify the total time for the motion, each speaker ́s
time for delegates (not exceeding the speaker ́ s time set for the
general Speaker's List) and the topic of the motion: “Motion for a
moderated caucus of __ minutes, __ speaking time, on the topic
of __.” The topic, i.e. the purpose of the motion needs to be
connected to the issue currently being discussed on the agenda and
shall be more particular than the general discussion topic. This
motion requires a simple majority to pass.
Motion to Open an Unmoderated Caucus

The motion for Unmoderated caucus can be raised by any of the


delegates once the floor is open for Points and Motions. The
delegates are recommended to specify the purpose of the motion
and shall state the total time of the motion (not exceeding 30
minutes). This motion requires a simple majority to pass. Delegates
may motion by saying: “Motion for an unmoderated caucus of
__ minutes.”
Motion to Extend the Previous Caucus

This motion can only be raised after a moderated caucus or an


unmoderated caucus has just passed. The maximum time of the
extension is limited to half the time of the previous caucus. This
motion requires a simple majority to pass. The delegate may motion
by saying: “Motion to extend the previous caucus by __
minutes.”

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Motions Regarding Resolutions


Motion to introduce Working Paper

Working papers are informal documents meant to aid the


committee in its discussions. They may or may not be written in
resolution format. Delegates may raise a Motion to Introduce a
working paper only once it has been approved by the Dais. This
motion is used when a delegate wants to introduce (meaning read
it to the committee and make it an official document) a working
paper. To motion, the delegate may say: “The delegate of X would
like to introduce a working paper./ Motion to introduce a
working paper.”
Motion to introduce Draft Resolution

A document written in resolution format, approved by the chair,


and introduced to committee but not yet voted upon is called a draft
resolution. After finished writing, the draft resolution written by
the delegates must then be sent to the chairperson. A member of
the Dais will read the draft resolution to ensure that it is relevant
and in proper format. Only when the Dais formally accepts the
document can it be introduced. The main-submitter may motion to
introduce a draft resolution to the floor only after the chairperson
approves of it. To motion, the delegate may say: “The delegate of
X would like to introduce a draft resolution./ Motion to
introduce a draft resolution.”
Motion to introduce Amendment

The delegate may say: “The delegate of X would like to introduce


an amendment.” An amendment is a suggestion or changes want
to make to the draft resolution being introduced. Delegate may
either add, delete or rephrase the operative clauses of the
introduced resolution. There are two types of amendment: friendly
amendment and unfriendly amendment.

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o Friendly amendments must be submitted via note form


to the chairperson with the approval of all co-submitters
or sponsors; they are included into the draft resolution
automatically.
o Unfriendly amendments must be submitted via note
form to the chairperson and doesn’t need the approval of
sponsors of the introduced resolution. Once approved,
the chairperson will send a note to the submitter to allow
the introduction of the amendment. A debate will be
carried out, after which the delegates will vote on the
amendment.

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Motions regarding voting procedure


Motion to move to voting procedure

This motion is used if a delegate wants to end debate on a topic and


move into voting procedure. Delegates may motion to vote on a
resolution at any point during the debate, but it will not be taken
seriously unless an ample amount of debate on the issue has
occurred or there is no speaker wishing to speak on the topic. The
delegate may motion by saying: “Motion to move to voting
procedure.”

After entering the voting procedure, all delegates will need to


decide which type of voting they will conduct. There are three
types of voting for a resolution:
Motion to Divide the House

Motion to Divide the House is adopted if the majority of the final


vote is too small to be concluded on a controversial matter. The
house is then asked to vote again, but this time, with no abstentions
allowed. If the motion to Divide the House passes, those who
abstained would be forced to vote either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on a
document. No delegate may abstain to this vote.

Any delegate may request a Division of the House at any time after
the question has been put (the voting procedure has started), and
even after the vote. It cannot be debated, or amended, or have any
other subsidiary motion applied to it. After division has been called
for by a delegate, the chair must initiate voting procedures on the
call. It requires a majority vote to pass.

The delegate may motion by saying: “The delegate of X would


like to motion to divide the house.”

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Motion to Divide the Question

During voting bloc, delegates may motion to vote on certain


clauses of a resolution separately, so that only the clauses that are
passed become part of the final resolution. This is known as Motion
to Divide the Question.

This motion is used if a delegate wishes to divide out a portion


(certain clauses) of a resolution; each portion of the resolution will
then be voted on separately. A delegate would use this motion if
they agree with the majority of a resolution but cannot or will not
vote for it because of one or some certain clauses. He/ she may
request through a Motion to Divide the Question to vote on an
individual or group of operative clauses or clause by clause. A
Delegate must specify how they wish to divide the operative
clauses during the Motion. For example, a delegate may wish to
vote on the main clause (numbered clause) or subclause (additional
clause underneath the main clause).

Should there be more than one Motion to Divide the Question on


the floor, the committee shall vote on the motion from the least to
the most splitting of the draft resolution. A 2/3 majority is required
to pass the Motion. The divided section that fails during voting
will be taken out of the final Draft Resolution; only those sections
that have been passed will remain. The committee will then proceed
to vote on the new final Draft Resolution as a whole after all the
divisions have been voted on. If all operative clauses fail or there
is no meaning coming from the remaining clauses, the Draft
Resolution, as a whole, fails.

To motion, the delegate may say: “The delegate of X would like


to motion to divide the question./ Motion to divide the
question.”

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Motion to Vote by Roll Call

At any time during the voting procedure, delegates may raise a


motion for a Roll Call vote. A roll call vote may be requested on
substantive votes only. With the chair’s approval, this motion is
automatically adopted without voting. In the event of a Roll Call
vote, the Chair will conduct a one-by-one oral vote from each
country in alphabetical order as per the Roll-Call attendance, and
each representative is given six possible responses:

• Yes: a substantive vote in the affirmative.


• No: a substantive vote against.
• Yes, with Rights: a substantive vote in the affirmative that
allows the delegate to explain their vote.
• No, with Rights: a substantive vote against that allows the
delegate to explain their vote.
• Abstain: Neither a vote in favor nor against. An abstention
lowers the total vote count.
• Pass: If a delegate declares “pass”, the roll call will be
continued with the next delegate. After all delegates have
been asked, the delegates who answered “pass” in the first
round will be asked again. This time, they are not allowed to
use “pass” again OR to abstain and have to vote “yes” or
“no”.

To motion, the delegate may say: “The delegate of X would like


to motion to Vote by Roll call./ Motion to Vote by Roll call.”

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Motions regarding ending debate


Motion to Adjourn the Meeting

The adjournment of the meeting means the postponement of all


Committee functions for the duration of the Conference. The Chair
may rule such motions out of order; these decisions shall not be
subject to appeal. This motion is not debatable and requires a
simple majority to pass. The delegate may motion by saying: “The
delegate of X would like to motion to adjourn the meeting./
Motion to adjourn the meeting”
Motion to Suspend the Debate

The suspension of the meeting means the postponement of all


Committee functions until the next meeting. When in order, such
motions are not debatable but will be immediately voted upon,
barring any motions taking precedence, and requires a simple
majority to pass. The delegate may motion by saying: “The
delegate of X would like to motion to suspend the debate./
Motion to suspend the debate”

In short, ‘adjourn’ means to stop the meeting or the current agenda


for a duration, and ‘suspend’ means to defer the meeting
completely.
Motion to Table the Topic

This motion is for ending debate on the topic until it is reopened


with a Motion to Reconsider. This motion is debatable (two
speeches in favor and two against), and requires a second and a
two-thirds majority to pass. The delegate may motion by saying:
“The delegate of X would like to motion to table the topic.”

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Miscellaneous
Motion to Appeal

If a delegate thinks that any of the Chair’s decision is incorrect,


they may raise a motion to appeal against the Chair’s ruling. This
motion can be made without being recognized by the chair and will
require two rounds of voting.

After the motion has been raised, a simple majority is required for
the motion to be entertained. Once it is entertained, the delegate
has 60 seconds to explain their stance, followed by the Chair’s
explanation of their decision. Then, the committee must vote on
whether the motion is valid, requiring a supermajority to pass. This
motion is unamendable, and if passed, the Chair must rule
according to the appeal.

To make an appeal, the delegate must raise their placard and clarify
their motion: “The Delegate of X would like to appeal against
the Chair’s previous decision to _____”
Right of Reply

If a delegate feels that they’re being personally insulted by another


delegate, they can make a Right of Reply in order to reply to that
delegate’s speech. This motion can either be granted or denied by
the Chair, and this decision cannot be appealed. If granted, the
delegate has the right to clarify their stance and demand an apology
from the delegate that has offended them.

To raise a right of reply, the delegate simply has to raise their


placard and declare: “Right of Reply.”

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Yield
The delegate, who has been recognized by the Chair to address the
body on a substantive issue, may yield any time following their
remarks after their speech. Yields may be made in three ways: to
another delegate, to points of information (questions), or to the
Chair.

Yield to another d e l e g a t e : After the completion of a


speakers list speech, a delegate may yield to another delegate. This
means that with the time remaining in the speech, another delegate
will be able to elaborate on the idea that the first delegate
presented; the second speaker may not talk about a topic the first
speaker did not mention. Please note that only one yield may be
made per speaker on the speakers list. Once a delegate yields
his/her time, the second delegate (the one who has been yielded to)
may not yield any remaining time.

Y i e l d t o q u e s t i o n s : After the completion of a speakers list


speech, a delegate may yield to questions. This means that with the
remaining time, the chair will call upon other delegates to ask the
delegate giving the speech questions that must pertain to the speech
that was just given. The Chair has the right to call order to any
delegate whose question is, in the opinion of the Chair, not
designed to elicit information. Answers to questions are limited to
the time remaining in a delegate's speech.

Y i e l d t o t h e C h a i r : After the completion of a speakers list


speech, a delegate may yield to the chair. This means that the chair
will absorb the time remaining in the speech (meaning nothing will
happen with any time remaining). Such a yield should be made if
the delegate does not wish his/her speech to be subject to comments
or POIs (Point of Information). The Chair shall then move on to
the next speaker.

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Points
Points are used as a formal means of communication during the
session. Points can be asked when the floor is open by the Chair.
Points are a way to ask a question in committee, or bring something
of non-substantive importance to the committee’s attention.
PoInt of Information:

POIs used when a delegate has a substantive question for a speaker


during formal debate. This point can be used any time the chair
says that questions are in order and when other speakers open for
POIs during their speech. There are two types of points of
information: the points of information directed to the Chair (Point
of Inquiry) and the points of information directed to the delegate
that has the floor. It is important to remember that all requests for
information are addressed to the Chair, even when aimed at another
delegate. All answers to questions are also addressed to the Chair.
A member rising too often to points of information should not be
given recognition by the Chair.
Point of Personal Privilege:

Whenever a delegate experiences personal discomfort which


impairs their ability to participate in the proceedings, they may rise
to a Point of Personal Privilege .For example, one could use this
point if it is difficult to hear the speaker or it is very cold in the
room. This point can be used anytime, even during another
delegates’ speech. While a Point of Personal Privilege may
interrupt a speaker, delegates should use this power with the utmost
discretion. It is looked unfavorable if this point is used simply to
interrupt or set other delegates off guard during their speeches.
Point of Order:

During the discussion of any matter, a delegate may rise to a Point


of Order to indicate an instance of improper use of parliamentary

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procedure. The Point of Order needs to be approved by the Chair.


The Chair will decide whether there is a violation immediately, and
if there is, then the violation is corrected or stopped. This point can
be used anytime, including during another delegates’ speech.
Point of Inquiry:

During the session, a delegate may rise to a Point of Inquiry if they


are unsure of or want clarification of a rule or committee procedure
or if he has a non-substantive question (such as “Point of Inquiry,
would it be in order to start handing in working papers at this
time?”). This point can be raised any time when the chair is taking
points from the floor. A Point of Inquiry may never interrupt a
speaker. If a delegate has an important question, he can approach
the Chair directly by passing on a note through the logistics team.

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Exclusive: Crisis
Committees

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During debate
a. Use of personal pronouns

In crisis committees the use of personal pronouns is allowed.


b. Use of electronic devices:

Unlike in General Assembly Committees, delegates are allowed to


bring electronic devices for the purpose of researching, looking
into the details of the situation, and sending directives. All are
encouraged to bring along a personal computer.
c. Crisis updates:

Crisis updates are usually information that notify the whole


committee of what happens following the acts (personal or of joint
effort) and delegates shall have the chance to raise a Point of
Information to the Crisis Directors for more information on the
latest crisis update.

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Directives
Directives are how delegates can carry out actions in a crisis
committee. There are three kinds of directives: committee
directive, personal directive and joint directive.
a. Committee directives:

Committee directives are direct actions for the entire committee to


carry out. Their formatting is similar to that of a draft resolution.
The differences are that while resolutions are simply suggestions
for action, committee directives are direct command for action, and
in committee directives, pre-ambulatory clauses are not
compulsory. To write a successful committee directive, you must
both address the problem in a way that not only helps the entire
committee but also benefits you the most. Like resolutions,
committee directives require a simple majority to pass, and at least
⅓ of the committee is signed as sponsors or signatories.

See a sample committee directive at the end of the guide.


b. Personal directives:

Personal directives are actions that are carried out by one single
delegate, addressed to the crisis director. The crisis team then
decides the chance of success of such directives, and whether it will
be granted or not. For a higher chance of success, personal
directives must be as detailed as possible (address the questions:
Who? When? Where? How? Why?). The actions carried out must
be in the realms of power of the delegate and keep in character with
the delegate’s roles.

See a sample personal directive at the end of the guide.

c. Joint directives:

Joint directives are actions that are taken by two or more delegates,
and can either be publicized to the committee or private (sent to the

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crisis team only). Joint directives need the consensus of all


delegates concerned in order to be carried out, and can be used to
share resources, carry out shared attack, or as a treaty. Like a
personal directive, joint directives also need to be as detailed as
possible and be consistent with the delegates’ role to have a high
chance of passing.

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Draft Resolution (details)


Sponsors and Signatories
Sponsors:

Sponsors are delegates who actively and directly contributed to the


resolution-making process. Therefore, they must be delegates who
support the resolution and want it to pass. Sponsors control a draft
resolution and are the only ones who can approve immediate
change. All resolutions require a minimum number of sponsors,
Signatories:

Signatories are delegates who don’t necessarily agree with the DR


but want to see it debated. The number of required signatories for
a DR is 20% of committee members.

Clauses:
Pre-ambulatory clauses:

Pre-ambulatory clauses are statements in the first section of a DR


that explains the issue being addressed and highlights past
measures taken to combat the problem. Each clause begins with a
present participle (pre-ambulatory phrase) and ends with a comma.
Pre-ambulatory clauses are usually italicized or underlined but not
numbered. Usually, there are fewer pre-ambulatory clauses than
operative clauses. Pre-ambulatory clauses can include:

• References to the UN Charter,

• Citations of past UN Resolutions or treaties regarding the


topic,
• Mentions of statements made by the Secretary General or
relevant UN bodies or agency,
• General statements on the topic, its significance and impact,
why it needs to be addressed

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Operative clauses:

Operative clauses are specific solutions that the sponsors suggest


to the issue being addressed. These clauses should be numbered,
include an underlined verb followed by the proposed solution and
end with a semicolon (except for the last clause which should end
with a period).. Operative clauses should be as detailed as possible
and support each other as they build your resolution, and generally
answers the questions “who, what, when, where, why, how”.
Operative clauses can be broken down into smaller sub-clauses to
make it more specific.

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General formatting:
Sample Resolution:

General Assembly Third Committee

Sponsors: United States, Austria and Italy

Signatories: Greece, Tajikistan, Japan, Canada, Mali, the


Netherlands and Gabon

Topic: "Strengthening UN coordination of humanitarian assistance


in complex emergencies"

The General Assembly,

Reminding all nations of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of


the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the
inherent dignity, equality and inalienable rights of all global
citizens, [use commas to separate pre-ambulatory clauses]

Reaffirming its Resolution 33/1996 of 25 July 1996, which


encourages Governments to work with UN bodies aimed at
improving the coordination and effectiveness of humanitarian
assistance,

Noting with satisfaction the past efforts of various relevant UN


bodies and nongovernmental organizations,

Stressing the fact that the United Nations faces significant financial
obstacles and is in need of reform, particularly in the humanitarian
realm,

1. Encourages all relevant agencies of the United Nations to


collaborate more closely with countries at the grassroots level
to enhance the carrying out of relief efforts; [use semicolons
to separate operative clauses]

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2. Urges member states to comply with the goals of the UN


Department of Humanitarian Affairs to streamline efforts of
humanitarian aid;

3. Requests that all nations develop rapid deployment forces


to better enhance the coordination of relief efforts of
humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies;

4. Calls for the development of a United Nations Trust Fund


that encourages voluntary donations from the private
transnational sector to aid in funding the implementation of
rapid deployment forces;

5. Stresses the continuing need for impartial and objective


information on the political, economic and social situations
and events of all countries;

6. Calls upon states to respond quickly and generously to


consolidated appeals for humanitarian assistance; and

7. Requests the expansion of preventive actions and assurance


of post-conflict assistance through reconstruction and
development. [end resolutions with a period]

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Sample Committee Directive

DIRECTIVE: SEOUL FOOD

In light of the alarming humanitarian situation mounting in the


Northern end of the country, the cabinet will:

1. Release emergency food stores to the Korean public, to be


distributed by police forces over the next two weeks, to reduce
rates of malnutrition and starvation from this conflict;

2. Request assistance from the International Committee of the


Red Cross is providing clean water to residents of Seoul,
Incheon, Uijeongbu, and Ansan as needed;

3. Establish emergency lodging centers in non-essential


government buildings for individuals that have been displaced
due to recent violence;

4. Temporarily cease exports of agricultural products and order


mandatory sale of all foods to the Ministry of Agriculture for
50% below market value to help mitigate the current food
crisis.

Through these steps, we hope to stem the humanitarian crisis in our


country and regain the trust of the public.

Signed: Minister of Commerce, Minister of Culture, Minister of


Foreign Affairs

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Sample Personal Directive

The Minister of Health

Enact the following changes to properly addressed the unique


challenges posed to our offices:

1. Set up camps across the country to house internally


displaced persons from the resulting conflict, and route all
sanitation, medicine, and food aid provision through our
offices;

2. To ensure that our troops have the proper level of ability


to administer field medicine, place 1 field medic for every 50
troops in the field;

3.Reach out to the United States State Department requesting


vaccinations and medical professionals to combat Spattergroit
before it becomes a major international health crisis and
destabilizes the region. Allow them to place advisors in our camps
if they are willing to commit to aiding us.

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References
http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-
model-un/how-to-participate/getting-
started/model-un-glossary
http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-
model-un/how-to-participate/model-un-
preparation/resolutions/friendly-and-
unfriendly-amendments
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59ff648c
d55b411a14e3116d/t/5a7e87530852294ef6a6624
f/1518241619924/Procedure+Guide+-
+Vietnam.pdf
https://teachforindiamun.files.wordpress.com/2
013/05/tfi-mun_handbook.pdf
http://bestdelegate.com/how-to-write-a-crisis-
directive/
http://www.floridacrisissimulation.org/uploads/
5/1/3/4/51342171/what_is_a_crisis_committee_.
pdf
http://bestdelegate.com/the-three-crisis-notes-
to-send-at-the-beginning-of-any-model-un-
crisis-committee/
http://bestdelegate.com/model-un-made-easy-
how-to-write-a-resolution/
http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-
model-un/how-to-participate/model-un-
preparation/resolutions/sample-resolution
http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-
model-un/how-to-participate/model-un-

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preparation/resolutions/preambulatory-and-
operative-clauses
http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-
model-un/how-to-participate/model-un-
preparation/resolutions/sponsors-and-
signatories

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