What is MUN?
Model United Nations
Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or simply MUN, is an educational activity typically done by students in secondary and higher education. According to the United Nations, “[MUN] is one of the most popular ways to learn about the United Nations (UN). Educational institutions hold MUN conferences so students can hold UN-style debates and conversations.”
Within MUN, students represent a delegate from a particular country or place. The delegates spend weeks researching and crafting a background to represent their chosen nation.
Parliamentary Procedure
Chairs
Each committee is led by two chairs who orchestrate the debate for their committee. The committee will start with the chairs taking roll call. Afterward, a delegate will motion to open debate. After this motion is passed, a delegate will make a motion to open the speaker's list. A motion to open the speakers list will include a speaking time.
Debate Format
Overall, there are three debate formats. The default debate format is called the speakers list. This is where delegates take turns making speeches in front of the room in the order that they are listed on the speakers list as selected by the chairs. Speeches are typically around 1 minute or 1 minute and 30 seconds, but the speaking time can be changed by a majority vote from the delegates. If a delegate does not utilize all of their time, they may yield their time to one of three places: the chair, another delegate, or points. If the delegate yields to the chair, their time is absorbed, and the next speaker on the speakers list is given the floor. If a delegate yields to another delegate, that delegate absorbs the remaining time and may make a statement using that time. If a delegate yields to points, other delegates may be called upon by the speaker to ask the speaker questions, which the speaker will answer within the allotted time.
Motion for Debate
After a certain number of speeches, the delegates may motion to alter the debate format to either a moderated caucus or an unmoderated caucus, though a moderated caucus is preferred at the beginning of a committee session. Either motion must be approved by a simple majority.
Moderated Caucus
A moderated caucus is proposed with a motion for a moderated caucus, and the motion must include a topic of discussion, a time limit for the moderated caucus, and a speaking time for individual speeches. These speeches are usually 30 seconds or 45 seconds. Delegates will raise their placards to be called on to speak, and the chairs will call on speakers one by one until the moderated caucus's time has expired. The purpose of a moderated caucus is to incite debate and to provide delegates with a platform that can be used to make their respective nations' positions evident.
Unmoderated Caucus
An unmoderated caucus is when delegates are free to get up out of their seats and roam around the room to work with other delegates with similar policies. An unmoderated caucus is proposed with a motion for an unmoderated caucus, and the motion must include a time limit for the unmoderated caucus. While a portion of the first unmoderated caucus will be spent finding allies, most unmoderated caucuses are spent writing draft resolutions with your caucus bloc (your group of allies). All delegates are encouraged to be a sponsor of a draft resolution, though the number of sponsors of an individual resolution is generally limited to three, four, or five.
Caucus Motions
The committee will switch between the speakers list, moderated caucuses, and unmoderated caucuses until draft resolutions are complete, merged, and ready to be presented. Transitions between caucuses are simple. Once a caucus is completed, the chairs will entertain motions for an extension to the current caucus, a new moderated caucus, or a new unmoderated caucus. Once all the motions have been made, the committee will vote in order of destructiveness (extension, unmoderated caucus, longer moderated caucus, shorter moderated caucus). Motions are carried by a simple majority vote. If no motions are agreed to and the motions list is exhausted, the committee returns to the speakers list.
Resolutions
Resolutions will be presented either as they are ready or all at once near the end of the conference. Conferences allow a brief question-and-answer period after each resolution is presented, and also allow additional time (in the form of unmoderated caucuses) to make mergers or amendments to the resolutions. The amendments and mergers are presented once agreed to. After the amendments and mergers are presented, a motion to suspend the rules of debate and enter the voting procedure must be made. This motion requires a two-thirds majority to pass, and no delegate may leave the room once it is passed.
Resolution Passing
Finally, all the countries in the committee will vote on whether or not they want each resolution to be passed. Resolutions are passed with a simple majority vote, and delegates may vote "yay," "nay," or "abstention." Regardless of the outcome of the votes, the committee session concludes with a motion to close debate once all the resolutions are voted on.
Points & Motions
Point of Inquiry: This motion is addressed to the chairs and is utilized to ask a question about the proceedings of the committee. This motion can be performed at any point during the committee.
Point of Personal Preference/Privilege: This motion is addressed to the chairs and is utilized to ask a personal question, such as a request to close the window. This motion can be performed at any point during the committee.
Point of Order: This motion is addressed to the chairs and is utilized when a delegate believes that there has been a breach in Parliamentary Procedure. This motion can be performed at any point during the committee.
Writ/Right of Reply: This motion is addressed both to the chairs and to a speaking delegate and is utilized when a speaking delegate directly insults the character of another delegate. If recognized by the chairs, the insulted delegate may give a brief response exclusively to the insult. This motion can be performed during moderated caucuses.
Round Robin: This motion is an advanced form of debate and is rarely used. If recognized by the chairs and approved by a simple majority, every delegate in the room must give a short, usually 30-second to 1-minute, speech on their respective position on the topic of discussion. A round robin is utilized to make evident the positions of every attending delegate. This motion, which must include a speaking time and topic of discussion, can be performed during a transition period between caucuses.
Question of Competence: This motion is addressed to the chairs and is utilized to address the scope of the committee's power and its ability to pass a draft resolution. A delegate may make this motion if he or she believes that the committee does not have the power to implement parts of or an entire draft resolution. If the chairs agrees, the resolution will not be voted on. This motion can be performed anytime after a resolution is presented until it is voted on.
Resolutions
Who?
Any delegate in the committee can write a resolution (although in rare instances, an observer state is not allowed to directly write a resolution). The author of a resolution is called a sponsor. Most resolutions have multiple sponsors because it takes a group of countries to share good ideas and to come to a consensus. Some conferences allow delegates to sponsor multiple resolutions for each topic, while others only allow delegates to sponsor one per topic.
What?
A resolution is a document that contains all the issues that the committee wants to solve and the proposed solutions to those issues. It’s called a resolution because that’s what the United Nations calls the documents they produce. Technically, the resolution should be called a draft resolution before it is voted upon and then called a resolution after it is successfully passed during the voting bloc.
When & Where?
Most conferences require students to write resolutions during the conference. Specifically, resolutions are usually written during an unmoderated caucus (sometimes called an informal caucus) where delegates are free to roam around the committee to collaborate on ideas with each other, and sometimes students work outside in hallways or computer labs as well. Resolution-writing becomes more focused during the latter sessions of the committee when different country policies are clear and different ideas have been mentioned already. These conferences will not allow any pre-written resolutions.
Why?
The ultimate purpose of a committee session is to pass a resolution. All the speeches, debates, negotiations, and teamwork are supposed to lead up to a resolution that contains all the proposed solutions to the issue. The resolution(s) that the majority of the committee agrees upon will be passed during the voting bloc, and the sponsors will be informally commended for building consensus on good ideas. Most conferences allow multiple resolutions to pass as long as they do not contradict each other, but a few conferences allow only one resolution to pass.
