prepguide


Preparation Guide Model United Nations Guide to Procedure Prepared by: Tim Kersey
*Basic Definitions* Committee Officers

Chair:		The chair is the main procedural officer of the committee. The chair is responsible for ensuring that the proper procedural rules and decorum are observed. The chair also makes rulings on motions, germanity of speech, and other procedural matters.

Director:		The director is the chief substantive officer of the committee. The director is responsible for approving working papers and draft amendments, and generally assists the chair in overseeing the committee activity. Some committees will also have an assistant director, who works with the director in overseeing substantive matters.

Rapportuer:		The rapportuer performs the secretarial functions of the committee. The rapportuer is responsible for conducting roll calls, maintaining the speakers list, and organizing draft resolutions and amendments.

Dais:		Technically, this refers to the table at which the committee officers are seated; informally, the dais refers to the group of committee officers as a whole.

Votes

Procedural:		A procedural vote occurs on matters related to committee operations: i.e. suspension of the meeting, setting the speakers’ time. Abstentions are not allowed on procedural votes.

Substantive:		Substantive votes occur on matters directly related to the committee topics: i.e. votes on draft resolutions and amendments. Abstentions are allowed on substantive votes.

Sessions

Formal Session:		Formal session is when the committee meets and conducts business as a whole. Motions, speakers’ lists, and voting all occur during formal session.

Informal Session:		When the meeting is suspended, the committee is in informal session. During informal session (also known as caucusing), delegates meet with other delegates to discuss topic items, write working papers, and negotiate for support. It is during informal sessions that most of the actual substantive debate takes place.

Decorum:		During formal session, delegates are expected to observe decorum, or proper delegate behavior. Any talking, movement, or passing of notes should be kept at a level which is not noticeable to those around you. This applies especially when another delegate is speaking in front of the committee. If you must leave the room for any reason, do so in between speakers. Decorum is especially important to observe during simulations where individual delegates are scored for awards or grading purposes.

Germane:		When speaking in formal session, a delegate’s speech is expected to remain germane, or relevant to the topic at hand. Non-germane speech will often be ruled as out-of-order during simulations, and will reflect poorly on the delegate.

Dilatory:		During formal sessions, some delegates may use dilatory tactics to slow or stall the committee functions. While these practices are usually tolerated in small amounts, know that most chairs will not allow them to be used excessively.

Resolutions
Introduction
		Before starting into the particulars of resolution writing, it is important to understand what a resolution is and is not, along with what purposes they serve. Resolutions are documents written and voted on by the members of a committee. Depending on the committee and the topics addressed, resolutions may broadly cover many aspects of a topic, or specifically address certain issues.
		Resolutions are not laws. With the exception of Security Council Resolutions, any resolution passed out of the United Nations is not binding on member states. Resolutions serve other purposes, including
		· Applying political pressure on member states · Expressing the opinions of member states · Recommending actions to be taken by the United Nations, or other agencies · Drawing international attention to issues

Stages of Resolution Writing
		The writing of a resolution is often long and laborious, involving lots of rewording and revising in order to generate support. There are three distinct stages in the resolution writing process.

Working Paper:		Writing a working paper is the first stage in resolution writing. During this stage, the bulk of both the writing and the negotiating take place. Delegates come together during caucusing to discuss the topic and begin to write clauses and phrases which express their views. These clauses and phrases are combined into one working paper, which before being sent to the dais for approval, must receive the required number of sponsors and signatories as established by the dais. Although it may not be required, it is preferred that working papers be submitted typed, not hand-written.

Draft Resolution:		Once a working paper receives the required number of sponsors and signatories, it may be submitted to the dais for approval. The director, and/or assistant director, reviews the working paper for format and substance. If there are no format errors, and the working paper is considered to be logically consistent, relevant to the topic, congruent to the existing UN framework, and substantively different to any other draft resolution(s), the working paper will most likely be approved. After a working paper has been approved by the dais and given a code (see below), it is considered a draft resolution.

Resolution:		Once a committee enters voting procedure, it votes on draft resolutions. If a draft resolution fails during voting procedure, it is discarded and receives no further debate or voting. If a draft resolution passes during voting procedure, it is sent on to the General Assembly for future debates and voting. Some committees, especially Inter-Governmental Organizations, simply adopt resolutions for themselves, and passage to the GA does not take place.

Sponsors:		A sponsor is one of the main writers of a working paper. The act of sponsoring a working paper shows that your State is fully committed to the language of the working paper; therefore, delegates should refrain from frivolously sponsoring documents which they do not heartily support. Because of this level of commitment, sponsors do not vote against their own resolutions.

Signatories:		Being a signatory to a document bears almost no commitment to its passage. Delegates often sign working papers which they only marginally support, in order to facilitate their introduction to the dais. Being a signatory to a working paper does not require a delegate to vote for that working paper.

Format of a Resolution
		A resolution is one long sentence with clauses that are separated by commas and semi-colons. The left margin of the resolution contains line numbers and the first word / phrase in each clause is underlined.

Parts of a Resolution

Heading:		The heading contains the basic organizational information of the draft resolution.

Code:		The code on a draft resolution is established by the dais and contains the committee abbreviation, topic number, and draft resolution number.

Committee:		This is simply the full name of the committee.

Subject:		This is the general topic that the resolution addresses

Preambular Clauses:		Preambular clauses provide background information and establish proper context for reading and interpreting the resolution. Preambular clauses may serve to
		· Justify proposed action · Cite historical precedents · Refer to previously adopted UN documents (especially the UN Charter) · Refer to factual situations, past or current · Make altruistic appeals

Operative Clauses:		Operative clauses establish a solution to the topic addressed and call for specific actions to be taken. Clauses may be broad or specific, depending on the subject matter.

		A comma must follow all preambular clauses. A semi-colon must follow all operative clauses, except for the last clause which is followed by a period. A well-balanced draft resolution has roughly the same number of preambular and operative clauses.

Amendments
		Amendments are additions to draft resolutions. They may add, remove, or change certain words, or entire clauses. Amendments may slightly or drastically alter the substance of the draft resolution. There are two kinds of amendments:

Friendly:		A friendly amendment is one that has been agreed to by all the sponsors of the resolution that it amends. Once a friendly amendment has received the required number of sponsors and signatories (often the same ones as the original draft resolution), it is submitted to the dais for approval. Once approved, the amendment language becomes part of the draft resolution.

Unfriendly:		An unfriendly amendment is one that is not supported by the sponsors of the draft resolution that it seeks to amend. Unfriendly amendments can be used to make language changes that the sponsors would not concede to making. Unfriendly amendments may also attempt to ‘kill’ the draft resolution, altering its language so as to make it impassable. As with a friendly amendment, unfriendly amendments must receive sponsors, signatories, and the approval of the dais. If approved, the amendment is voted on during voting procedure. If it passes, it permanently alters the resolution; if it fails, it is discarded.

Committee Operations

Call to session:		The chair will call the committee into formal session. Delegates should find their seats as quickly as possible.

Roll call:		The rapporteur will begin taking a roll call attendance. When called, States will indicate their voting status as one of the following:
		· Present: States which indicate present may abstain from substantive votes · Present and Voting: States which indicate present and voting are not allowed to abstain from substantive votes
		If a State arrives late, it must send a note to the dais indicating its voting status.

Speakers’ List:		Once the roll call is completed, the chair will accept speakers. States that wish to be placed on the speakers’ list should raise their placards when instructed to do so. Once the chair stops accepting speakers, the speakers’ list remains open, however, States who wish to be placed on the list must pass a note to the dais indicating this. Other points regarding the speakers’ list include:
		· A State cannot be placed on the speakers’ list more than once. A State can be placed at the bottom of the list after it has spoken. · A State can request to be removed from the speakers’ list · Remaining time can be yielded to the chair only. Yielding to other States is not allowed. · Requests to be placed on or removed from the speakers’ list should be passed to the dais in writing at all times, unless explicitly indicated by the chair.

Setting Agenda:		The first order of business for the committee is establishing the order of agenda topics. Typically, there are a few speakers and a small amount of caucusing before the agenda is set.

Motions:		After the chair has stopped taking speakers, he/she will entertain motions from the floor. As the agenda has not yet been set, the available motions are somewhat limited.
		· Motion to suspend the meeting: this motion would allow a period of caucusing for States to discuss their preferred agenda order with one another. · Motion to set the agenda (specify topic order): this motion would establish the agenda order as specified. · If no motions are made, or no motions pass, the chair will move to the speakers’ list. In between speakers, the chair will entertain motions from the committee.

Voting on Motions:		Motions are voted on according to their order of precedence. If more than one of the same motion is made (i.e. a motion to suspend the meeting for 10 minutes and a motion to spend the meeting for 20 minutes), the motions will be voted on in the order that they were taken.

Discussing Topics:		Once the agenda has been set, the previous speakers’ list is discarded, and a new list is begun. After the chair has accepted speakers to be put on the list, debate on the first topic begins. Again, speakers are given the floor and motions are entertained.

Caucusing:		As stated before, the bulk of the debating and negotiating occurs during caucusing, or informal session. Delegates find states with similar views on the topic, often from within their regional bloc, and begin to draft and debate working papers. As most of the work occurs during informal session, it is not uncommon, especially in large committees, to be in informal session for hours at a time.

Motions		(listed in order of precedence)

Point of Order:		This motion allows a delegate to question or seek clarification on a procedural matter. The chair (dais) will immediately make a ruling on the procedural issue.

Appeal of the Chair:		Delegates may motion to appeal a procedural ruling made by the chair. This motion is rarely ever used.

Suspension of the Meeting:		Delegates may motion to suspend the meeting for a specified amount of time.

Adjournment of the Meeting:		Delegates may motion to end the meeting.

Adjournment of Debate:		This motion ends debate on the current topic without voting on any draft resolutions. If this motion passes, all draft resolutions and amendments are discarded and debate immediately begins on the next topic.

Decision of Competence:		This motion declares that the committee is unable to consider the current topic. If it passes, the committee moves directly to debating the next topic.

Closure of Debate:		Delegates may motion to end the debate on the current issue and move directly into voting procedure.

Roll Call Vote:		A delegate may request that substantive votes be conducted by roll call, rather than by a show of placards. There is no voting on this motion, as the request is automatically granted.

Reconsideration:		Delegates may motion to re-open the debate on a previously adjourned issue.

Set the Speakers’ Time:		Delegates may motion to set or change the time allotted for speakers.

Close / Open Speaker’s List:		Delegates may motion to close the speakers’ list, preventing any additional speakers to be added. This motion can be made to re-open the speakers’ list after it has been closed.

Adoption of the Agenda:		Delegates may motion to set the order of the topics to be discussed.

Voting Procedure
		When a committee has produced a number of draft resolutions and no longer feels that debate on a topic is necessary, it can move into voting procedure.

Getting There:		A committee can go into voting procedure two ways
		· Exhausting the Speakers’ List: once all of the speakers on the list have spoken, debate is considered to be over and the committee moves directly into voting procedure. · Motion for closure of debate

Decorum:		During voting procedure, a few special rules of behavior apply.
		· There should be no talking whatsoever · No one is allowed to enter or leave the room during voting procedure. If a delegate is outside of the room during voting procedure, that delegate does not vote. · The only motions allowed during voting procedure are motions for a roll call vote, and motions for division of the question (see dais for a guide to this motion).

Voting Order:		Draft resolutions are voted on in their coded order. If a draft resolution has unfriendly amendments, the amendments are voted on first, according to their coded order. If unfriendly amendments pass, then the draft resolution is to be considered as amended when it is voted upon.

Passing Resolutions:		Resolutions pass by a simple majority. The dais may declare that two or more draft resolutions substantively exclude each another. If so, passage of one of the draft resolutions will automatically exclude passage of the others.

End of Procedure:		Once all draft resolutions have been voted on, voting procedure ends, and the committee moves directly into the next topic.

Motion	Purpose / Description	Debate	Vote
Point of Order	Question or correct a procedural matter	None	None
Appeal of the Chair	Challenges a decision of the chair	None	Majority
Suspension of the Meeting	Recess meeting	None	Majority
Adjournment of the Meeting	End meeting	None	Majority
Adjournment of Debate	End debate of active topic without entering voting procedure	2 pro / 2 con	Majority
Decision of Competence	Declare committee unable to consider issue or resolution	None	Majority
Closure of Debate	End debate of active topic; move directly into voting procedure	2 con	2/3rds
Roll Call Vote	Conduct vote by roll call, rather than a show of placards	None	None
Reconsideration	Re-open debate on a topic	2 con	2/3rds
Set the Speakers' Time	Set or change time limit for speakers	2 pro / 2 con	Majority
Close / Open Speakers' List	Close or Open the Speakers' List	None	Majority
Adopt / Set the Agenda	Approve agenda order	None	Majority

Purpose / Description