During Committee

Debate Flow Overview

Session 1
Your committee staff will introduce itself and begin the first task of setting
the Agenda
after having taken roll call. During this time only a Speakers List will be
used, and only
points of personal privilege will be allowed. No caucuses will take place.
Debate on either topic will begin, pending the outcome of the vote on the
topic. Given the time limit and the number of delegates the Committee
Director will allow delegates to use the Speakers' List to express their
countrys stance.
Session 2 and 3
These will be your first committee sessions solely focused on a topic. All
points and
caucuses will be in order now; points are generally raised for personal
reasons and
questions concerning procedure. This committee session will typically go to
building a
substantive basis for the committees stance on the topic.
Session 4 and 5
During this committee session, substantive debate will continue and more
areas of the
topic will be addressed. In addition, working papers will begin to be formed,
which are
extremely important as far as getting resolutions formed. They do not need
signatories to be introduced, nor do they need to have a proper format.
Session 6 and 7
Working papers will be discussed and revised during this session while
ensuring to
incorporate new points. Coalitions may form and so will oppositions as
delegates move
to critique an opposing blocs working paper, but remember that in the end,
collaboration and diplomacy are important to passing a resolution. On that
note, this committee session will also see the first draft resolutions being
formed, which should have signatories (a certain amount depending on your
organ) and in proper formatting.
Session 8 and 9

Draft resolutions will be critiqued, new points will be raised, and debate will
continue to include topics not yet explored. But remember that introducing
too many resolutions can stunt progress---hence, be careful to make sure
that malleable resolutions are formed (can be altered with amendments).
Session 10
This is the time to form amendments (requiring a certain number of
signatories) to those draft resolutions on the floor. Once Amendments have
been made, the next step will be voting procedure, during which resolutions
will be voted on. Should all fail, no resolution will be passed.

Committee Etiquette
Delegates often overlook the issue of committee etiquette. How should one
behave
towards fellow delegates? How should one behave towards the Committee
Director and the rest of the dais staff? Etiquette means respecting your
fellow delegates positions and opinions even though you may not agree with
them. Most importantly, excellent etiquette can help you win Outstanding
Diplomacy.
If you have a question about the committee or the topic matter, the initial
Information Session is an excellent time to ask, however be sure to be polite
to both
the Committee Director and the rest of the Committee Staff. Being polite
does not
guarantee a win, but it certainly grabs the chairs attention. Impressed chairs
will
look forward to hearing you speak.
This should be your attitude towards the Committee Staff throughout the
committee. You should not be afraid to approach him. The dais is always
knowledgeable on the subject and offer good advice when you are stuck in
committee.
A polite attitude also applies to interactions with your fellow delegates. You
have
to present yourself as an easily approachable, easy-going person who is
willing to
discuss other peoples ideas and compromise on them. In most cases, the
delegate
who wins the committee is the one who leads it to a consensus. You cannot
be that
person if you refuse to work with other delegates, especially the delegates
who
have all the good ideas. Even if you do not like other delegates, you need to
overcome your personal likes and dislikes and be an effective diplomat.
Remember that Model UN is not a naturally competitive activity, but one that
demands negotiation and consensus.

The best way to present yourself to other delegates is in the first session.
Get to
your committee room early, reserve yourself a good seat, then walk around
the
room and introduce yourself to the other delegates. You can ask them what
they
think about the topics or a trivial piece of celebrity gossip. The point is to get
out
there and get to know your fellow delegates.
Being polite and approachable is equally important during unmoderated
and
moderated caucuses. Be respectful to others while they speak or hold the
floor.
Simultaneously make sure that every delegate in your bloc gets a say during
unmoderated caucuses as well. Committee Directors look favorably upon
those
who are able to keep a bloc united and not those who let their competitive
nature
get the better of them. It is vital that delegates maintain decorum in an
unmoderated caucus specially and do not yell or boss others to get notice.
Those
who listen to you due to such actions do not do so out of respect, and that
reflects
in the eyes of the dais which watches the unmoderated caucuses as well.
This skill is not as obvious as research or public speaking, but it is crucial to
your
success in committee. When you are in unmoderated caucus, meeting
people and
finding others you can work with, you are essentially building a team. Your
team,
also known as a caucus bloc or an alliance, needs to work together to write
resolutions and get them passed. Being a leader on your team also helps you
become a leader in committee and in the eyes of your chair.
The most important rule when preparing for committee is to dress well. This
pertains to all delegates regardless of gender and their choice of wardrobe.
Delegates at an MUN can choose to attire themselves in Business, Eastern or
the
official dress of the country they are representing. Regardless of the
ensemble you
choose please maintain professionalism throughout the committee sessions.
Those
who abandon this rule will be asked to leave the committee room by the
Committee Dais.

Setting the Agenda

At an MUN Committee Chairs will open debate with a temporary Speakers

list. The
purpose of this list is so delegates get the opportunity to discuss and debate
which topic
will be address first. During this discussion it is in order at any time to motion
to set the
topics. Whether or not that motion will be entertained is based on the
Committee Chairs discretion.
When a motion is made to set the topic to either Topic A or Topic B, the
Committee
Chair will entertain two speakers in favor and two speakers against. After
both sides
are given a chance to speak, the committee will vote. The motion of setting
the agenda
requires a simple majority to pass. In that instance debate will open on the
topic at hand
and a new Speakers List will be created. If the motion fails, the other topic
will be
automatically be debated upon first. Please note that these rules do not
apply in case the
committee has only a single topic area to focus on.

Caucuses and Informal Debate

While debate runs on parliamentary procedure for most committees, there
are certain
terms you may want to familiarize yourself with before committee begins.
The majority
of what you need to know can be found in the Rules of Procedure document
on our
website. Of course, the best way to learn is through practice, so do not fret if
these terms
look confusing now. After your first session much of this will begin to make
more sense.

The Format of Debate

Below are some tools listed in roughly the order you will need them to help
you better
understand the various aspects of debate. For detailed rules please refer to
the Rules of
Procedure provided on our website.
Speakers List
Any facet of the topic at hand can be discussed in this list. The list will also
be utilized for agenda setting where it is in a For and Against layout. When
there arent any motions for caucuses, or all fail, the committee
consequentially returns to the Speakers list as a means to form consensus.

Moderated Caucus
This form of debate is a little different from the Speakers list. This is
because; the topic,
the individual speakers time, and the time for the caucus should be
mentioned and voted upon before the caucus begins. Moderated caucuses
are used to discuss specific issues surrounding the topic and are used to
direct debate forward. Discussion in moderated caucuses is interactive, as
delegates are meant to listen to the suggestions of others and critique and
strengthen them to create a more comprehensive draft resolution.
Un-Moderated Caucus
Only the time length of such a caucus must be specified. In this caucus,
delegates are free to move around the room, interact with fellow delegates
and discuss issues informally. This time is also utilized to form working
papers and resolutions. At times, these caucuses prove to be the real test of
diplomacy and negotiations skills.
Tips for Effective Caucusing
Formulate ideas on what your country would like to see included in a
resolution.
Decide which clauses you are willing to negotiate on and which you are not.
This is the easiest way to seek out allies. However, if you find that the
group you
are working with is not meeting your needs, do not be afraid to switch
groups.
Tell others what your country is hoping to achieve. If you do not agree with
an
idea, do not hesitate to say that it is against your country's policy.
While it is often necessary to give up something that you want, make sure
that you
are not giving up anything too important.
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By listening to what others are saying you will able to build on other
people's ideas
and add more to the discussion. Listening also shows respect for each
delegate in
your group.
Allow other delegates to finish their thoughts rather than interrupting
others in
the middle of a sentence. It sometimes helps to write down your idea so that
you
can bring it up when the delegate is finished speaking.
Start to formulate a resolution in writing. Rather than waiting until the last
minute,

begin recording fellow delegates' ideas right away.

By providing fellow delegates with resolution text, maps or information as
they
need it, you will show that you are valuable to the group.
Speaking with an individual or in a small group is the best way to find out a
delegate's position on an issue. Larger groups are better suited to
brainstorming.
In caucuses, delegates can sometimes "lose their cool." Staying calm will
not only
help your group be more effective, but will be noticed by the conference
staff.
Always keep your voice at a normal level. If you see that you are becoming
upset
or raising your voice, excuse yourself from the group for a few minutes
Make sure you have enough time to hear everyone's ideas so that you can
discuss
them during formal debate. Try not to waste time arguing over small details
that
do not seriously affect the draft resolution.
Never give orders or tell other delegates what they should or should not do.
Be
polite and treat all your fellow delegates with respect.
Rather than negatively criticizing another delegate, focus on providing
constructive critique. If you dislike an idea, try to offer an alternative.
Critique
ideas, not people.
Although it can be tempting to call a fellow delegate "Pakistan," "Brazil" or
"Sweden", you can form a better connection with a delegate by learning his
or her
name and where he or she comes from. Ask the delegate about his or her
ideas and
impressions of the debate. Showing interest in your fellow delegates at the
beginning of the conference will help you gain more support later on and can
help
you to form lasting friendships.
Yields
Yields only pertain to formal debate Speakers List and help the delegate
speaking
spend any remaining time in his speech fruitfully. Yields may be to questions,
to the
Committee Director or to another delegate. Details are specified in the Rules
of
Procedure.

Points
Points are used to ensure that the running of the committee is smooth and
that the
delegates are able to perform well with no undue obstacles hindering their
success.
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Delegates who are new to the Model UN circuit can use points of
parliamentary inquiry
to gain assistance with understanding Rules of Procedure. Whereas personal
discomfort
can be corrected using points of personal privilege. Lastly, to make sure all
events go
according to procedure use a point of order to correct any incorrect action on
the Dais
end.
Working Papers
Working papers act as a catalyst for discussion in a committee by helping
delegates
congregate abstract notions ideas and solutions in a tangible written
document. They are usually short and help dissect the topic under
discussion. The papers also help delegates to know about the stances and
interests of other delegates. More details are given under the documentation
section.
Draft Resolutions
Draft resolutions, are more formally-organized versions of the working
papers. The
resolutions are the final documents that come about on any topic given all
the debate that has taken place on the ways of solving the issues at hand.
Amendments
Amendments help delegates to garner support by allowing delegates to alter
sections of
the resolutions with which they disagree. An understanding of the rules of
procedure is
pertinent to the process of proposing, debating, and voting on an
amendment, so please
be sure to the website to download the Rules of Procedures.
Voting
Substantive voting takes place for draft resolutions and amendments. A
substantive vote is a vote on a matter that is already on the floor. Only
member states, not observers or non-government organizations, are allowed
to vote on substantive issues. During

substantive voting procedures the chambers are sealed and no interruptions

are allowed to take place.
Substantive voting beings when the committee moves to close debate on the
general
Topic Area. After the chambers have been sealed the only points and motions
in order
are: Division of the Question, Reordering Draft Resolutions, and motion to
vote by
Acclamation, Motion to Roll Call Vote, Point of Personal Privilege, Point of
Parliamentary Inquiry, and Point of Order. For details regarding these tools
please use the Rules of Procedure available on the website. If there are no
such motions, the Committee will vote on the draft resolutions. During
substantive voting, each committee member has one vote that may be
either yes, no, or an abstention as long as they are not an observer nation or
a member of Third Party Actors. In the Security Council, specifically, a No
vote by one of the five permanent members is considered a veto. Abstaining
members are not considered to be voting. All matter will be voted on by a
show of placards, unless a motion for a roll call vote is accepted. A simple
majority
requires more countries voting in the affirmative than the negative. If a
Resolution passes, voting procedure is closed, as only one Resolution can be
passed per Topic Area.