INDIA’S INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT TO UNITE NATIONS

1. Applicability: The below-mentioned rules apply to all the Indian Committees, International
Body/ organisation Simulations, Other Governmental Simulations, Fictional and Crisis
Simulations, Historical and Futuristic Simulations, Special Committees and any other committee
which is a part of India's International Movement to Unite Nations or any of its affiliated
conferences unless specific instructions have been provided for in the rules. Any deviation from
the Rules of Procedure requires written permission with the 2/3rd majority of the Core Council
and the assent of the Founder/President of the Organisation. 
 STANDARD RULES

2. Representation: All councils shall have delegates/’s representing one country/portfolio having
one vote. Non-governmental Organisations & Special Observers will be allowed to vote on
Working Papers, Amendments and Resolutions that pertain to them, id est, in an agenda directly
concerning them. They will be allowed to vote on all issues except Working Papers,
Amendments and Resolutions on all other agendas. The Presiding Officer’s decision shall be
final and binding in a dispute.

3. Language: The official language for the conference shall be English or Hindi. However,
committees can be conducted in local/ regional languages if written notice is sent at least 21 days
before the event to the Substance Department of the organisation. In case of any ambiguity
regarding the language (or its usage), delegates can take clarification from the Substance
Department of the organisation.

4. Attire: Delegates and the Presiding Officer(s) are expected to wear either Western or Traditional
Formals per the conference itinerary.

5. Use of Electronic Equipment: Laptops, notepads, and other electronic devices are allowed during
committee time. However, a restriction on this can be imposed by the Presiding Officer.

6. Sessions: Each committee session shall be 3 hours at maximum, followed by a mandatory break
for a minimum of 10 minutes. The Conference shall have a minimum of 4 and 12 such sessions.

POWERS OF PRESIDING OFFICERS & ORGANISING COUNCIL

7. Presiding Officer(s): The decision of the Presiding Officer on matters regarding debate is final
and binding on all delegates. Suppose a representative is not behaving in a parliamentary fashion.
In that case, they can be barred from the council after being given three warnings. The Presiding
Officer(s) can question any delegate and ask about their stand on a particular issue, which could
help better enlighten the committee. However, delegates can appeal against a decision of the
Presiding Officer(s) (Rule 8), and the presiding officer can also impeach them (Rule 9).

8. Appeal: If delegates are dissatisfied with how the Presiding Officer conducts the committee,
they can appeal to the Presiding Officer. After being recognised via a ‘Permission to appeal to
the Presiding Officer’, the delegate can voice their grievance to the Presiding Officer within a
minute’s time frame, after which the Presiding Officer may or may not take into consideration
the delegate’s recommendation. If further dissatisfied with the verdict of the Presiding Officer(s),
a delegate can raise a plea to follow up. A maximum of two pleas will be allowed, which may or
may not be recognised.

9. Impeachment: If the delegates in the committee are highly dissatisfied with the way the
Presiding Officer is conducting proceedings, delegates can submit a written request signed by at
least 2/3rd’s of the committee’s members to the Charge d’Affaires of the Conference whose
decision shall be final and binding.
10. Charge d’Affaires: Charge d’Affaires of the conference is the head of the conference. Suppose
any delegate or observer is found to be misbehaving. In that case, they can be barred from the
conference for an entire day or for the full conference by the Charge d’Affaires, whose decision
on such matters is final and binding. The Charge d’Affaires also have sweeping powers
bestowed upon them. Their decision is final and binding in all matters concerning debate.

11. Core Council: If there is a dispute regarding the verdict given by the Charge d’Affaires, then
delegates can make a written request to the Core Council. The request should be couriered to the
I.I.M.U.N. H.Q., Mumbai, within seven days of the event.

RULES REGARDING DEBATE

A) NORMAL DEBATE

12. Op-ed: Op-eds are a precursor to the committee sessions. This paperwork comprises the
delegate/’s solution or the framework for dealing with the agenda. It has a specific format
[Annexure I(A)]. It may not necessarily be in tandem with the portfolio(s) allotted, but it must
address the question at hand. They have to be prepared by the delegates before the committee can
begin its proceedings (prepared before the conference starts). They are to be submitted to the
Presiding Officer during the first committee session, and the minimum number of Op-ed to be
submitted is the same as the Quorum of the council. Suppose the prerequisite number of
submissions is not met. In that case, the delegates prepare and submit the Op-eds before starting
the formal committee session.

13. Quorum: The minimum number of members required to be present in the council to begin its
proceedings. The Quorum should be 1/5th of the total committee strength.

14. Setting an Agenda: A committee shall decide on Setting an Agenda in the following manner:

a. The Presiding Officer shall call for any Points or Motions on the floor. To this, a delegate
can raise a motion to set the agenda for a particular topic area.
b. The Presiding Officer shall call (only) for those who are against the motion. If there is
any opposition, there shall be One For, One Against the topic area, to a maximum of one
minute each.
c. The One For, One Against motion shall be followed by an informal vote with a simple
majority for the motion to pass. The second topic area is automatically set for discussion
if the motion fails. The council moves into an Emergency Debate if there is no second
agenda.

15. Speakers’ List: A Speakers’ List is automatically opened and remains open throughout the
discussion of the topic area unless the committee chooses to move into a Moderated Caucus or
an Unmoderated Caucus. A Speakers’ List is where a delegate expresses their country’s stand on
the topic area. The time limit is set to one and a half minutes per delegate. At least ten speakers
or the committee size, whichever is lower, should be exhausted alphabetically for the floor to
open to other Motions.
16. Yields: Utilized in the Speakers List at the end of a speech. Yields cannot be exercised during
any other part of the debate. Yields are compulsory, and a delegate has the following ways of
yielding:

a. Yield to Another Delegate: This only applies if the delegate has more than 15 seconds
remaining. They can give their remaining time to another representative after taking
written approval from the delegate.
b. Yield to Questions: A delegate can Yield to Questions; the committee can ask a
maximum of two Questions, and a maximum of two follow-ups per question can be
entertained with the permission of the Presiding Officer. Presiding Officer(s) can ask
questions to the delegates.
c. Yield to comments: The Presiding Officer recognises up to two 30-second comments on
the speech made by the Speaker.

17. Moderated Caucus: A Moderated Caucus is a formal form of debate wherein a detailed
discussion on a sub-topic of the main agenda happens. The main reason for starting a Moderated
Caucus is to know the committee’s opinion on such an issue. A delegate can Motion for a
Moderated Caucus in the following manner: ‘Motion to open a Moderated Caucus to discuss
[Sub-topic] for the total time duration [max. 15 minutes] and time per speaker [max. 1 minute]’.
A Motion for a Moderated Caucus requires a Simple Majority to pass and can be passed through
an Informal Vote. In case of multiple motions, with 5 being the maximum, the Presiding Officer
shall decide on which one to put to the vote first. A Moderated Caucus can be started in the
middle of the Speakers’ list, id est; it is not compulsory for the delegates to finish hearing all the
speakers on the list, provided the floor is open. Presiding Officers should recognize speakers at
best in lots of two only.

18. Unmoderated Caucus: An Unmoderated Caucus is an informal form of debate and is raised
when the committee feels the need to discuss or decide upon a particular issue informally.
Delegates can also use it to formulate Working Papers and Resolutions. A delegate can call for
an Unmoderated Caucus in the following manner: Motion to open an Unmoderated Caucus for
[Purpose] for the time duration [max. 15 + 5 minutes]’. A Motion for an Unmoderated Caucus
requires a Simple Majority to pass. It can be passed through an Informal Vote.

19. Points: During the debate, the following points are in order from most disruptive to least
disruptive:

a. Point of Personal Privilege: This is the only point that can interrupt a speaker and is
used when a delegate cannot hear the speaker or is experiencing mental or physical
discomfort and wishes to be excused from the committee.

b. Point of Information: This helps clarify any factual inaccuracy in a delegate's speech.
Suppose one finds that another delegate has misstated a particular fact after completing
the delegate's speech. In that case, one may raise their placard and, on being recognised,
may ask for valid documentation supporting the delegate's facts. However, this point
cannot be used to question a change in the country's policy. The accepted documentation
source includes but is not limited to Reuters, Amnesty International, Government
Websites and any other credible source approved by the Presiding Officer(s). For Indian/
Regional Bodies, the accepted source depends on the committee's Presiding Officer. For
Fictional Committees- books or any documentation basis on which the committee has
been construed.
 c. Point of Clarification: A delegate can raise this whenever they have a question or would
like clarification from the delegate who has just spoken. The question can have up to two
follow-ups, requiring approval from the Presiding Officer.

d. Point of Order: This points out the procedural inconsistency or deviation from the
existing Rules of Procedure.

e. Point of Parliamentary Inquiry: This is exercised when a delegate wants to know

anything about the Rules of Procedure from the Presiding Officer(s).

20. Working Papers: Working Papers are the paperwork with the committee's views on a particular
sub-topic of the main agenda. They provide direction to the committee and indicate how the
committee is flowing. A Working Paper has a prescribed format (Annexure I(B)) and needs no
signatories.
Still, the following needs to be incorporated: 'Authors', Sub-topic, Number (IIMUN/[Year]/
[Chapter_Name]/[Committee_Name]/WP/[0000]). Before the introduction to the committee, a
Working Paper needs to be approved by the Presiding Officer. A Working Paper needs a Simple
Majority to be introduced on the committee's floor, and voting can be carried out informally. In
the case of multiple working papers, the Presiding Officer can decide the order in which they are
put to the vote. If a Working Paper is passed, it has to be incorporated in the resolution
compulsorily. The voting on a Working Paper is done informally.

21. Presidential Address: A delegate, during the course of the debate, can make a Presidential
Address, id est, the Head of State is addressing the council. This will help them express their
stand on a particular issue. Delegates can utilize this speech to change their foreign policy so
long as they think this will positively impact society and the discussed problem. A compulsory
Yield to questions (Max. 2 Questions) will follow the speech. Delegates can do this any time
during the debate, but a maximum of 3 will be allowed throughout the conference. There is no
time limit, but the Presiding Officer(s) can impose the same.

22. Resolution: A Resolution is a paperwork that contains the solution to the entire agenda. A
Resolution, before being introduced, requires the prior approval and signature of the Presiding
Officer. The voting on introducing the resolution for debate can be done informally. However,
the vote regarding the passing of the resolution must be done through the Formal Voting
procedure. The resolution must be according to the prescribed format mentioned in Annexure
I(C). If multiple resolutions are brought to the Presiding Officer simultaneously, the one with
more signatories shall be put to the committee first for voting.

i. Authors: An Author is a person who writes, structures and ideates over the
resolution. They have to abide by the resolution. A minimum of 1 author is
required for the resolution, and there is no limit on the maximum, subject to
fulfilling the criterion of signatories, id est, and committee strength without the
signatories. An author cannot vote against the resolution. However, an author can
withdraw a resolution.
 ii. Signatories: Signatories consent only to discuss the resolution in the council and
can exercise their voting rights the way they please. A minimum of 3 signatories
are required for the resolution.

23. Amendments: All amendments must be written and submitted to the Presiding Officer(s). The
format for modifications should include: Authors, Type (Add, Delete or Replace), Form and the
Clause with its number (Annexure I (E)). There are two forms of Amendments, which can be
raised by raising a Motion for Amendment and followed by the approval of the Presiding
Officer:
i. Friendly Amendments: An amendment agreed upon by all the authors/’s does
not require voting.
ii. Amendments: Amendments introduced by any other need to be voted upon by
the council to be incorporated in the resolution. A Simple Majority is required to
introduce an Amendment, followed by Discussion and Informal Voting.

24. E-mendments: Any correction of grammatical errors or deviation from the prescribed writing
format is called an E-mendment and does not require any voting but a simple approval of the
Presiding Officer.

B) EMERGENCY DEBATE

During the emergency debate at I.I.M.U.N. (or its affiliated conferences), an emergency’s
maximum duration should be 3 hours. No observers should be allowed on the committee.
Delegates are not allowed to leave the committee during the Emergency Debate. A detailed
introduction to the crisis is a must. Presidential statements are not permitted during the
Emergency.

25. Quorum: At least 1/5th of the member countries involved in the emergency should be present.

26. Recognising Speakers: In case of an emergency session, there will be no Speakers’ List, and the
Presiding Officer shall recognise a minimum of 5 individuals, in the order of involvement in the
crises, to speak for a period of a minute and a half each.

27. Moderated Caucus: The Presiding Officer shall decide upon the topics for the Moderated
Caucus, the time frame and the time per speaker. A maximum of five moderated caucuses are
allowed.

28. Points: All points except for the Point of Personal Privilege shall be suspended for the duration
of the Emergency.

29. Unmoderated Caucus: At least one Unmoderated Caucus should be utilised in formulating the
Declaration.

30. Declaration: This combines a Working Paper and a Resolution but is easier and faster. A
Declaration is similar to the Resolution but does not have Introductory Clauses. The format of a
Declaration is mentioned in Annexure I(D). It requires 1 ‘Author’ and 3 Signatories apart from
prior approval from the Presiding Officer. An Informal Vote is enough to decide which
declaration to discuss and for passing a declaration.
C) RULES COMMON TO BOTH FORMS OF DEBATE
31. Challenge: This is an informal bilateral talk on a multilateral forum. It is raised when a delegate
wants to challenge another delegate over a particular issue for a specified time; this may be over
a specific sub-topic or portfolio policy. It can also be used as a dispute resolution technique by
delegates. This is a one-on-one debate and requires only approval from the Presiding Officer and
the delegate that has been challenged. A delegate may Motion for it in the following manner:
‘Motion to Challenge the delegate/delegation of [Country] over [topic area] for a time duration
of [Max. 3 minutes].’

32. Private Bilateral Talk: This is a private conversation between two countries/delegations and is
used for solving/settling any contentions via informal negotiations. Delegates can raise this at
any time during the debate, but a maximum of 3 such motions per delegation are allowed. It only
requires the approval of the Presiding Officer, provided all the delegates involved are in
consensus. Delegates can only move into this by making a written request to the Presiding
Officer. If granted, the delegates can leave the committee for a maximum of 10 minutes. The said
talk can also include arbitration by the Presiding Officer(s), provided all the parties agree and
feel the need for the same.

33. Question Answer Session: This is when many delegates wish to ask questions to a delegate/‘s.
Any delegate may call for the same. If passed by an informal committee vote and agreed upon by
the delegates/‘s being questioned, then the committee can ask a maximum of up to 10 questions
to that delegate/‘s. A maximum of 2 delegates are allowed to be on the dais to answer questions
posed by the committee. To call for the same, a delegate can Motion: ‘Motion to move into a
Question Answer Session with the delegate of [Country], for the total number of [Max of 10
Questions] Questions’.

34. One For One Against This is when the committee usually cannot decide on a particular issue or
is divided on the question. Therefore, before the final vote, one needs to hear both sides of the
argument. This can be extended to a Two For and Two Against. The Time Limit for each speaker
is 1 minute.

35. Formal Voting: This is required only for passing a Resolution or a Declaration and takes place
in three rounds. No observer other than those who have been bestowed the Right to Vote,
member of the Press or the Administration staff is allowed to be present during voting. A
resolution passes if it has the Special Majority. The three rounds of voting are:

Round 1: All delegates have an option between choosing:

a. Yes
b. No
c. Yes with Rights
d. No with Rights
e. Pass
f. Abstain

Round 2:  All delegates that have opted for rights get to justify their positions. This round is
entered only if there is a Yes with Rights or a No with Rights and a Pass.

Round 3: Delegates must cast their final vote, and their three choices are: a Yes, a No and an
Abstain.
36. Clause-by-Clause Voting: This applies only to the Resolutions, not the Declarations. A delegate
may motion for this, and informal voting shall occur for every clause. A Simple Majority is
required for each clause to pass. However, the full resolution shall be put to the vote through the
Formal Voting procedure.

37. Majority:

A. Simple Majority: A simple majority is met when 50% + 1 of the members present in the
committee vote in favour of a motion or paperwork.

B. Special Majority: A special majority is met when two-thirds of the members present in
the committee vote in favour of a motion or paperwork.

38. Informal Voting: Informal voting is required to pass various motions during the debate. It is
conducted simply by asking for the ones in favour and counting the number of placards raised,
followed by counting the ones against.

39. Tabling of Paperwork: The delegates of the council have a choice to ‘table’ any of the three
mentioned documents, id est, Working Paper, Resolution, and Declaration, at any point of time
during their deliberation in council for which they require a Special Majority, Informal Vote. The
tabling of Paperwork means that the same cannot be discussed again.

40. Joint Statement: Two or more countries can come together and make a joint announcement
regarding their views on the topic areas. Delegates can utilize this to change their foreign policy
so long as they think this will positively impact society and the problem being discussed at the
time. Delegates can make a joint statement at any time during the committee. The Presiding
Officer(s) must approve a joint statement before being introduced to the committee. This is in a
written format (Annexure I(F).

41. Censure: The delegates can censure a fellow delegate by motioning for the same, but for it to be
successful, it has to have a Special Majority through an informal vote. This Motion can be
overruled at the discretion of the Presiding Officer.
 ANNEXURE I

FORMATS
1. OP-ED FORMAT

NUMBER: IIMUN/2023/[Chapter_Name]/[Committee_Name]/OE/0000
PORTFOLIO/COUNTRY: [1 Max.]

1. Point 1
2. Point 2
3. Point 3

Or

Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3

2. WORKING PAPER FORMAT

NUMBER: IIMUN/2023/[Conference_Name]/[Committee_Name]/WP/0000
AUTHOR(s): [1 Min.]
SUB-TOPIC: XYZ

1. Point 1
2. Point 2
3. Point 3

3. RESOLUTION FORMAT

NUMBER: IIMUN/2023/[Conference_Name]/[Committee_Name]/RES/0000
AUTHOR(s): [1 Min.]
SIGNATORIES: [3 Min.]
AGENDA: XYZ

1. Introductory Clause 1.
2. Introductory Clause 2.
3. Introductory Clause 3.

(continued)
 The [Committee_Name_FullForm],
1. Actionable Clause 1.
2. Actionable Clause 2.
3. Actionable Clause 3.

4. DECLARATION FORMAT

NUMBER: IIMUN/2023/[Conference_Name]/[Committee_Name]/DEC/0000
AUTHOR(s): [1 Min.]
SIGNATORIES: [3 Min.]
AGENDA: XYZ

The [Committee_Name_FullForm],
1. Actionable Clause 1.
2. Actionable Clause 2.
3. Actionable Clause 3.

5. AMENDMENTS FORMAT

AUTHOR(s): [1 Min.]
TYPE: Add/Delete/Replace
FORM: Friendly Amendment or Amendment
CLAUSE:

6. JOINT STATEMENT
AUTHORS: [Min 2.]
TOPIC:

1. Point A.
2. Point B.
3. Point C.
 ANNEXURE II

LIST OF CLAUSES

1) Introductory Clauses: These clauses are an introduction to the resolution or

solution and often refer to past resolutions, citations of speeches made. A few of the
introductory phrases are listed here: Affirming, Alarmed by, Approving, Aware of,
Bearing in mind, Believing, Confident, Contemplating, Convinced, Declaring, Deeply
concerned, Deeply conscious, Deeply convinced, Deeply disturbed, Deeply regretting,
Desiring Emphasizing, Expecting, Expressing its appreciation, Expressing its
satisfaction, Fulfilling, Fully alarmed, Fully aware, Fully believing, Further deploring,
Further recalling, Guided by, Having adopted, Having considered, Having considered
further, Having devoted attention, Having examined, Having heard, Having received
Having studied, Keeping in mind, Noting with regret, Noting with deep concern, Noting
with satisfaction, Noting further, Noting with approval, Observing, Reaffirming,
Realizing, Recalling, Recognizing, Referring, Seeking, Taking into account, Taking into
consideration, Taking note, Viewing with appreciation, Welcoming

2) Actionable Clauses: Actionable clauses contain the actual solution to the agenda
or crisis. A few of the actionable phrases are listed here: Accepts, Affirms, Approves,
Authorizes, Calls, Calls upon, Condemns, Confirms, Congratulates, Considers, Declares
accordingly, Deplores, Designates, Draws the attention, Emphasizes, Encourages,
Endorses, Expresses its appreciation, Expresses its hope, Further invites, Further
proclaims, Further reminds, Further recommends, Further requests, Further resolves, Has
resolved, Notes, Proclaims, Reaffirms, Recommends, Regrets, Reminds, Requests,
Solemnly affirms, Strongly condemns, Supports, Takes note of, Transmits, Trusts

The official rules of procedure of India's International Movement to Unite Nations are the
organisation's property. Any copy, re-printing, or usage must be done with express written
permission from the organisation. For further details, contact [email protected].

India's International Movement to Unite Nations