Rules of Procedure

NMSMUN 2021 will be following the Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN) format.
Points
S.no Point Purpose Usage
This is used when a
delegate has an inquiry
regarding parliamentary “Point of Parliamentary
procedure or any other Inquiry”. This can be used
Point of Parliamentary proceedings of the at any time but cannot
1 Inquiry committee. interrupt a speaker.
This is used when there is a
mistake in the rules of “Point of Order”. This can
procedure or when there is a be used at any time but
factual inaccuracy in a cannot interrupt a speaker.
2 Point of Order given statement.
This is used to ensure that
delegates are comfortable
and able to perform. In case
a delegate has any
discomfort in the “Point of Personal Privilege
committee, this may be *reason*”. This may
raised. Example: use of interrupt a speaker only in
3 Point of Personal Privilege washroom or inaudibility. the case of inaudibility.
The delegate need not say
anything. They may just
raise their hand/placard,
This is used when a when the chair asks “Are
delegate wishes to ask a there any POI’s on the
question to another delegate floor?” following a
4 Point of Information who is delivering a speech. delegate’s speech.
 “Request to follow-up”,
addressed to the chair. The
delegate may say this only
This is used when a after the other delegate has
delegate would like to finished answering the
follow up on their POI, by initial POI. It is the chair’s
asking another POI to the discretion to accept or
5 Request to Follow-up same delegate. decline it.
This is used when a
statement given by a “Right to Reply”. The
delegate is offensive to the delegate may raise this at
delegate's country or to any point but it may not
6 Right to Reply them personally. interrupt a speaker.

Motions

Passing
S.no Motion Purpose
Requirement
This is a formal procedure which Chair's
Motion to open the floor
1 means the committee would like to discretion/simple
for debate
start the committee session majority
This is a formal procedure to choose
Motion to set the which agenda to discuss. In case there
2 Chair's discretion
agenda/topic is only one topic, it is automatically
passed.
A GSL is a speakers list where
delegates are free to talk in relation to
the topic and their country’s stance.

3 Motion to open a GSL Simple majority

Delegates use this as an opportunity to
deliver their opening speeches. In case
a motion does not pass, the committee
automatically reverts back to the GSL.
Motion to open a
A moderated caucus is a formal debate
moderated caucus of
that is opened/established to discuss
4 individual speakers time Simple majority
different and specific aspects of the
of __ min and total
topic, to come up with good solutions.
speakers time of__ min
 on the topic *topic*
This is an informal debate where
Motion to open an
delegates can informally discuss the
5 unmoderated caucus of Simple majority
issue at hand, form blocs and come up
total time __ min
with resolutions.
The chair may
Motion to discuss This is proposed to discuss resolutions. choose to skip this
resolution proposed by It specifies which resolution the and discuss in the
6
*names of countries delegate would like to discuss at that order of
who are sponsors* point in time. submission/simple
majority
1. This is used when the delegate
Motion to extend:
would like more POIs to be asked to
1. Points of Information
the speaking delegate.
7 Chair's discretion
2. Time for the
2. This is when the delegate feels that
moderated/unmoderated
the committee could benefit from the
caucus
extra time of the caucus.
This is done in a situation where there
are large numbers of abstentions while
voting for a resolution. In this scenario,
Motion to divide the
8 the chair will take votes one by one, by Chair's discretion
house
roll call. No delegate is allowed to
abstain, even if they had chosen
Present during roll call.
This can be raised when a delegate
wishes to debate a topic with a certain
set of delegates only. This can help the
9 Motion to Challenge Chair's discretion
committee gain better clarity about a
certain topic from the viewpoint of a
specific country.
This is done when the delegate feels
that there are some good clauses in the
resolution, but the resolution as a
Motion to divide the
10 whole is not that great. In this situation, Chair's discretion
question
the committee will vote on clauses
individually, and the respective clauses
will pass or fail accordingly.
 This is done at the end of a committee
session of the conference. At the end of
a committee session (eg: before a
break), the committee is suspended
Motion to
until the next session.
11 adjourn/suspend Chair's discretion
committee
At the end of the MUN conference, the
committee is adjourned, meaning that it
is over. There will be no more formal
discussion on the topic.

Flow of Committee

S.no Procedure Purpose Usage

The chair will call out each
country in alphabetical order
and delegates may respond
by stating “present” or
“present and voting”.

“Present” - when a delegate

responds with Present, they
may vote for, against or
abstain from voting
procedures.*
To know which delegates are
1 Roll call present in the committee and
“Present and Voting” - when
their voting status
a delegate responds with
Present and Voting, they
may not abstain. They must
vote for or against in voting
procedures.

*This applies to the voting

procedures of resolutions
and amendments only. It is
mandatory to vote for or
against motions.
 This is a formal procedure in
It is done by saying “motion
2 Open floor for debate which the delegate asks to
to open the floor for debate”.
start a committee session.
It is done by saying “motion
This is a formal procedure to to set the agenda to
choose which agenda to *agenda/topic*”.
discuss. In case there is only
3 Setting the Agenda/Topic one topic, it is automatically Example: motion to set the
passed. agenda to Tackling the
Consequences of Harmful
Cultural Practices on Human
Rights.
The General Speakers List
(GSL) is a speakers list This is done by saying
where a delegate may speak “motion to open the GSL
about anything related to the with individual speakers
Opening/Establishing the
topic. Usually, most time of __ minutes”.
4 General Speakers List
delegates use it to deliver
(GSL)
their opening speeches. It is Example: Motion to open
typically no more than 1.5 the GSL with individual
minutes of individual speakers time of 1 minute.
speakers' time.
This is done by saying
“motion to open a
moderated caucus of
individual speakers time of
This is a formal debate. This __ minutes and total
is done in order to discuss speakers time of __ minutes
different and specific aspects on the topic
of the topic/agenda. *sub-topic/specific issue
Opening/Establishing
5 related to the topic*”.
Moderated Caucus
Speeches made in a
moderated caucus will be Example: Motion to open a
followed by Points of moderated caucus with
Information. individual speakers time of 1
minute and total speakers
time of 15 minutes on the
topic “Child marriage as a
harmful cultural practice”.
 It is done by saying “motion
This is an informal style of to open an Unmoderated
debate where delegates can Caucus of time __ minutes”.
Open/ Establishing
6 freely discuss, form blocs
Unmoderated Caucus
and come up with Example: Motion to open an
resolutions. Unmoderated Caucus of 15
minutes.
Selection of This can be done based on
This is to indicate which
Resolution the order of submission, by
resolution will be discussed
for the chair's discretion, or a
at that point in time.
Discussion motion can be raised.
Discussion
7 of The sponsor of the resolution
Sponsorship
Resolutions Speech by will explain the resolution to The chair will set the time
the whole committee for the sponsorship speech
the Sponsor
followed by Points of and call the sponsor of the
of the
Information within the resolution for their speech.
Resolution
allotted time.
The chair will declare which
The delegate who has sent in
amendment will be
the amendment will explain
Explanation discussed and the time for
their amendment to the
of the explanation of the
committee followed by
Amendment amendment, after which the
Points of Information within
chair will call the delegate to
the allotted time.
explain the amendment.
The chair will declare to the
For and
Discussion Delegates will give a speech committee the time and
Against
of explaining whether they number of speakers
8 Speeches
Amendmen support or oppose the speaking for and against the
for the
ts amendment. amendment, after which
Amendment
they will ask for speakers.
The chair will announce that
the committee will be
Voting
At this point in time, voting moving into voting
Procedures
procedures will take place procedures and the delegates
for
for the amendment. will be asked to vote For,
Amendment
Against or Abstain from
voting.
 For and The chair will declare to the
Against Delegates will give a speech committee the time and
Speeches explaining whether they number of speakers
for the support or oppose the speaking for and against the
Resolution resolution as a whole. resolution, after which will
Discussion as a whole ask for speakers.
9 of The chair will announce that
Resolutions Voting the committee will be
Procedures At this point in time, voting moving into voting
for the procedures will take place procedures and the delegates
Resolution for the resolution. will be asked to vote For,
as a Whole Against or Abstain from
voting.
This is used at the end, when It is done by saying “motion
10 Adjourning committee
the conference has finished. to adjourn committee”.

Position Papers
A position paper is a document submitted before any MUN Conference. A position paper
gives a basic outline of the topic nationally and internationally, and states your country's
position on the topic. This includes different laws, policies and actions your country has
implemented in an attempt to solve the issue.

Components of a good position paper

1. A brief outline and introduction of the topic.
2. Past actions taken by the International Community which includes Treaties, UN
Conventions, UN Resolutions, any other internationally-recognised document.
3. Your country’s stance on the issue, which includes actions taken by your country in
the past, present or future; your country’s views and opinions on the topic; rebuttals to
counter some of the allegations your country/government have received in relation to
the issue.
4. Propose some solutions that you have come up with.
5. Use facts and statistics throughout the position paper.
6. Include a bibliography and/or footnotes. Use credible sources for research.
Formatting of Position Papers
1. Font Style: Times New Roman
2. Font Size: 12 (all text including headings)
3. Limit: 1-1.5 pages (500-750 words) excluding bibliography.
4. No graphs, images or illustrations to be mentioned.
5. Line spacing: Single
6. All other settings should remain untouched and at the default mode.
7. Plagiarism less than 5%, including any quotes, sayings, etc.

Structure of a position paper

Delegate name: *name of the delegate*
Committee: *name of the committee (eg: United Nations Environment Assembly)*
Country: *country allotted*
*content of maximum 750 words*
Bibliography: *citing all the sources that have been used for research*

Sample Position Paper

Position Paper

Delegate Name: Fatma Ghayyour

Committee: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Topic: Growing Implication of the Dark Web and its Relevance in Today’s Societies
Country: Malaysia

The International Telecommunication Union estimates that today 53.6% of the global
population has access to the internet, which accounts for 4.1 billion people. The internet can
be divided into 2 main spheres, the World Wide Web and the Deep Web. Unlike the World
Wide Web, the Deep web is not easily accessible through a search engine. The Deep Web
mainly contains various databases such as personal data, corporate data, legal data and much
more. The Dark Web is a part of the Deep Web which can only be accessed through means
such as The Onion Router (TOR) or proxy servers which provide complete anonymity to the
user. According to the International Monetary Fund, there are more than 200 domains out of
which 75% account for marketplace mainly selling drugs and counterfeit products. The Dark
web is a platform commonly used for criminal/illegal activities which possess various threats
such as CyberSecurity, illicit trade on platforms such as “Silk Road”, access to abuse,
pornography and other violent acts on platforms like “PlayPen”, used for recruitment of
persons for terrorist/extremist organizations or organized criminal activity, money laundering
and violating the right to privacy to mention a few. The International community and major
stakeholders such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), United Nations
Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Civil Societies, Global Commission on Internet
Governance (GCIG) along with member nations will play a major role in tackling the issue.

In 2018 the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs published its thirty-second
occasional paper which focussed on the role of the dark web in the illicit trade of small arms
and weapons. The international community has addressed many of the implications of the
Dark Web through resolutions such as Resolution 55/63, Resolution 56/121, Resolution
57/239, Resolution 58/199, Resolution 64/211, Resolution 73/343, Resolution 68/167,
Resolution 42/15, Resolution 2462, Resolution 2396, Resolution 2388.

Malaysia has taken the issue of the Dark Web and its implications seriously and has taken
action to tackle them. Malaysia ranks 3rd on the Global CyberSecurity Index and a top scorer
on its Technical Performance Index. In 2005 the Ministry of Science, Technology and
Innovation conducted a study based on the National Cybersecurity Policy which is a
comprehensive policy covering major areas such as governance, legislative frameworks,
CyberSecurity frameworks, research and development, self-reliance and international
cooperation at its forefront. The Penal Code of Malaysia chapter VIA focuses on affairs
relating to terrorism and VIB focussed on organized crimes. The aforementioned laws pertain
to activities on the Dark Web as well. The Malaysian government has shown its commitment
to the issue and has worked with international bodies. We have been working with the
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to further strengthen and improve their laws pertaining
to terrorist and extremist activities in the region. We have also signed and ratified the
Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

Malaysia would like to work collaboratively with the international community. Malaysia
believes that the UNODC should collaborate with the ITU and form a department under the
ITU which will form an international legal framework for cybersecurity, tackling issues of
transnational cyberattacks through a proper framework and confidence-building measures,
tackling cyber terrorism through various methods and the issue of data monitoring, which
happen to be some of the most important issues pertaining to the activities of the Dark Web.
Another important issue to address is the lack of knowledge and awareness in the population
about such activities due to which they become targets of extremist groups. Awareness can be
spread through various means such as awareness campaigns, integration in the national
curriculums and workplace skill workshops. Transactions made can be monitored using
blockchain technology and imposing taxes on the same. The delegate of Malaysia in light of
article 1 and 2 of the UN Charter would like to cooperate and collaborate constructively to
find a solution to this pressing issue.

Bibliography
1. https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx#:~:text=%E2%80%8B
%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B,people%2C%20are%20usin
g%20the%20Internet.
2. https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-how-to-how-can-i-access-the-deep-web.html
3. https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2019/09/the-truth-about-the-dark-web-ku
mar.htm
4. https://hernan-albamonte.medium.com/illicit-trade-in-the-dark-web-a734ee605340
5. https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=91242
 6. https://www.un.org/disarmament/update/understanding-the-trade-in-small-arms-and-li
ght-weapons-on-the-dark-web/
7. https://www.unodc.org/e4j/data/_university_uni_/dark_web.html?lng=en&match=Dar
k%20Web
8. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3837297?ln=en
9. https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/digitalage/pages/digitalageindex.aspx
10. https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Cybersecurity/Pages/MALAYSIA-RANKS-THIRD-IN-
GLOBAL-CYBERSECURITY-INDEX.aspx
11. https://brill.com/previewpdf/book/9789004193352/Bej.9789004180451.i-430_013.x
ml
12. http://www.agc.gov.my/agcportal/uploads/files/Publications/LOM/EN/Penal%20Code
%20%5BAct%20574%5D2.pdf
13. https://www.investopedia.com/news/bitcoin-government-regulations-around-world/
14. https://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/gcig_paper_no6.pdf
15. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/12/how-to-civilize-the-dark-web-economy-be
f5311f-704d-467b-b005-6aa80a40f46b/
16. https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Cybersecurity/Pages/United-Nations-Launches-Global-
Cybersecurity-Index.aspx

Resolution Papers
A resolution paper is a formal document made during the MUN Conference. This is the
document through which you propose solutions to your fellow delegates. It lays out the
solutions and all other details regarding the implementation of the solutions.

The Resolution Paper is written in the form of different Clauses and Sub-Clauses. There are 2
types of Clauses:
1. Preambulatory Clauses:
a. These clauses describe the purpose of the resolution, what it aims to achieve,
past actions, references to UN documents and treaties, and efforts taken by
nations.
b. They cannot include any solutions and are strictly statements of the
aforementioned.
c. In simple words, these provide context to the solutions proposed in the
Operative Clauses.
2. Operative Clauses:
a. This is the most important part of your resolution. These clauses are where
you will lay down the solutions you have come up with. This includes actions,
recommendations, etc., as well as the details of the actions and
 recommendations proposed, such as the timeline of implementation, funding,
feasibility, monitoring of progress made, etc.
b. Operative Clauses can have sub-clauses that are used to specify details of the
clause.
c. The Preambulatory Clauses should have some relation to the Operative
Clauses.
The Operative Clauses and the Preambulatory Clauses must start with a certain list of
words/phrases which are mentioned below:
Format of Resolution Papers
1. Font Style: Times New Roman
2. Font Size: 12
3. Line spacing: Single
4. Preambulatory Clauses to end with a Comma (,)
5. Operative Clauses to end with a Semicolon (;)
6. Subclauses to end with a Comma (,)
7. Preambulatory Clauses: Starting phrases/words must be in Italics and Underlined
8. Operative Clauses: Staring Phrases/Words must be Bold, Italics and Underlined
Structure of Resolution Papers
Committee: *name of the committee*
Topic: *topic the resolution is addressing*
Sponsors: *countries that have contributed the most towards the making of the resolution*
Signatories: *A list of countries that wish to discuss the resolution. They can support the
resolution or oppose it.*

The Committee, (example: The General Assembly First Committee,)

Preambulatory Clauses
Operative clauses

Sample Resolution
Committee: International Atomic Energy Agency
Topic: Improving global emergency preparedness for a nuclear crisis situation
Sponsors: Russian Federation, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Signatories: United Kingdom, People’s Republic of China, Namibia, Brazil, Turkey, South
Africa, Iran, Niger, Belgium, Germany, South Korea

The International Atomic Energy Agency,

Deeply concerned by the lack of preparation of civilians in non-nuclear states,

Alarmed by the blatant hypocrisy shown by member states of IAEA, as well as the
continuous arms races of the western powers,
Highlights the importance of international cooperation to exist between countries in the rare
occurrence of nuclear fallout,

Draws attention to the underground nuclear waste disposal site still under construction in
Finland and has reason to be a solution to disposal and safe management for millions of
years,

1. To ensure that an immediate strategic response can be dealt in the disastrous case of
type 1-7 incident on the International Nuclear Event Scale:
a. An international team of experts shall be set up to be immediately deployed,
and cooperate together on how best to solve the crisis,
b. Funds to combat the crisis will be donated by The World Bank Group as well
as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

2. To improve the safety precautions already set by the various nuclear industries to
strengthen their abilities do deal with nuclear incidents::
a. All employees and personnel of nuclear power stations be subjected to a more
thorough training regimen, where maintenance( as well as evacuation)
procedures be revised more thoroughly
b. Make it mandatory for PSA’s to be published at a greater frequency, to ensure
that the public is well aware of necessary protocols to guarantee their survival,
c. To mandate increase of funds funnelled towards research and development, in
accordance with the IAEA safety precautions, guidelines, and procedures;

3. Encourages civilians to improve the capability of civilians to deal with the

consequences of nuclear fallout:
a. Increasing the amount of funding put into the construction of public
fallout shelters, available to all,
b. Finance an immediate action plan to ensure the health of civilians, by
using ultrasound technology to scan for cancers caused by gamma
radiation bursts;

4. Further recommends that member states practice and take seriously emergency
preparedness exercises such as ConvEx exercises and adopt them into the training of
employees, ConvEx exercises are prepared on 3 levels of complexity which are such as but
not limited to:
a. ConvEx-1 exercises, designed to test emergency communication links with contact
points in the Member States that need to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a
week, and to test the response times of these contact points,
b. ConvEx 2 exercises, designed to test specific parts of the international framework
regarding emergency preparedness and response which further include drills for
 communication procedures, practice procedures for international assistance and to test
arrangements and tools used in prognosis in a nuclear emergency,
c. ConvEx 3 exercises, that aim to evaluate international emergency response
arrangements for severe nuclear disaster over several days, regardless of its cause;

5. Encourages member states to increase citizen preparedness which supports local response
capability by specially training volunteers to organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers
at the disaster site, to provide immediate assistance to victims, and to collect disaster
intelligence to support responders’ efforts when they arrive and training will consist of
minimum 20 hours of instruction on topics that include:
a. Disaster preparedness,
b. Fire safety,
c. Disaster medical operations,
d. Light search and rescue,
e. Team organization,
f. Disaster psychology,
6. Designates that upon completion of the training, participants are encouraged to continue
their involvement by participating in training activities and volunteering for projects that
support their community’s disaster preparedness efforts;

7. Recommends the implementation and use of Potassium iodide by other member nations in
efforts to reduce or completely eliminate effects of radiological isotopes of iodide which
primarily result in thyroid cancers when inhaled, monitored doses must be given to civilians
in the vicinity in order to mitigate the development of such health effects;

8. Urges countries that possess nuclear technology, to be prepared to implement the IAEA
Action Plan On Nuclear Safety which consists of a handful of actions to fortify nuclear safety
in 12 ways such as:
a. Safety assessment of nuclear power plants,
b. IAEA peer reviews,
c. Emergency preparedness and response,
d. National regulatory bodies,
e. Operating organizations,
f. IAEA safety standards,
g. The international legal framework,
h. Member States planning to embark on a nuclear power program,
i. Capacity building,
j. Protection of people and the environment from ionizing radiation,
k. Communication and information dissemination,
l. Research and development,
9. Recommends the usage of advanced analytic tools for assessing and improving safety,
some tools are such as but not limited to:
a. Probabilistic safety analysis,
b. Risk monitors and other risk-informed applications,
c. Multi-channel analyzers (MCAs),
d. Inspection Database,
e. Environmental monitoring instruments,
f. Alloy detectors;

10. Suggests that from now on, the Russian Government will take the sole role of the storage
of toxic radioactive waste, from countries that have no proper space for themselves:
a. The Russian Government will be responsible for the distribution of the sections of
land which are used to dispose of waste through geological disposal,
b. The IAEA will then be granted complete jurisdiction over the waste site, away from
Russian authority,
c. Russia will be financially compensated for its acts, by the nation utilizing Russia’s
facilities.

Amendments
After the resolutions have been drafted, the committee will discuss and debate upon them. If
a delegate feels there are clauses in a resolution that need to be changed, they may send in an
amendment, which will be discussed by the committee. Whether the amendment is accepted
or not is based on a vote of the committee.

Once an amendment is submitted, the Sponsors of the resolution will first be asked if the
amendment is friendly or unfriendly.
1. In case the amendment is friendly (the sponsors agree with the amendment), it will
automatically be accepted and will not be discussed or debated upon.
2. In case it is unfriendly (the sponsors do not agree with the amendment), the
amendment will be discussed and debated upon. All “strike” amendments are
considered to be unfriendly.
Types of amendments that can be submitted
There are 3 types of amendments that can be submitted:
1. “Add”: an add amendment is used when a delegate wishes to add a new
clause/sub-clause to a pre-existing clause or the resolution as a whole.
 2. “Strike”: a strike clause is used when a delegate wishes to strike a pre-existing
clause/sub-clause from the resolution.
3. “Amend/Edit”: an amend clause is used when a delegate wishes to make changes to a
pre-existing clause/sub-clause which can include replacing a certain word or phrase
with something else.

Sample Amendment
1. Add type:

From: India
Add sub-clause c to clause 1
c. The cost shall be split between both the international reserves
lent by neutral organizations, and local funds which can be acquired by the
government of the region;

From: Russian Federation

Add clause 11
11. Recommends construction of nuclear power plants on the basis of geological
conditions:
a. Provide efficient methods such as a hybrid cooling system that doesn’t
pose much pressure on one type of cooling system benefiting countries with fewer
water resources, under the IAEA’s water management system.

2. Strike Type:

From: United States of America

Strike clause 3

3. Amend type:

From: Japan
Amend clause 2
Replace “ already set by various nuclear industries” with “ already set by the IAEA
and various nuclear industries”
Effective Research
Research is the most important part of MUN. It forms the basic foundation of everything that
a delegate can do. This can be in terms of making a good position paper, creating a good
resolution and performing well during committee sessions.

Research can be divided into 2 main parts:

1. Research on the topic
2. Research on the country the delegate is representing

Research on the topic

The first thing a delegate must do is have a good understanding of the topic and the different
issues pertaining to it.

These are the steps one can follow for effective research:
1. Read the Background Guide. This is a must and very important. This is a guide that
will be sent to you by your chairs, which will explain the topic in-depth and outline
certain focusing points and the expectations of the chairs from the committee. This is
a great starting point for delegates to gain an understanding of the topic. One should
also make sure to go through the links mentioned in the Background Guide and
answer the focusing questions as well.
2. Once this has been done, the delegate can start their own independent research on the
topic. This should not be limited to things mentioned in the Background Guide. The
delegates are encouraged to go beyond the contents of the Background Guide as this
is what will set them apart in committee. Some things that can be included are:
a. Key issues not mentioned in the Background Guide
b. Nation’s involvement
c. Research on other nations involved and to what extent they are involved

Research on the country the delegate is representing

The delegate’s research on their country is very important. This will enable the delegate to
have a clear understanding of the capabilities of the country they are representing.
This can once again be divided into a few steps:
1. Basic knowledge on the country such as but not limited to:
a. GDP
b. Population
c. Geographical location and neighbouring countries
d. National Budget
e. National Spendings
2. Foreign Policies of the nation which include:
a. The vision of the nation
b. Goals with other nations and organizations such as the UN and other
intergovernmental organizations
c. Status on different important topics such Human Rights, Education,
Healthcare, etc.
d. Closest allies and enemies of the country
3. Views of your country on the topic, which can be determined by but not limited to:
a. Laws, policies, schemes, etc., that your country has implemented
b. Statements given by the Head of State (President, Ruler, Prime Minister, etc.)
c. Actions your country has taken regarding the topic (negative and positive)
d. Current status of the issue in the country
e. Future plans with regards to the topic

Credible sources for research

Below is a list of some recognized and credible sources one should be on the lookout for
while researching. These are not the only credible sources, but some of the most common
sources used in MUN. Keep in mind: Wikipedia is not a recognized credible source and must
not be used.

1. UN websites, including websites of different organs of the UN

2. Intergovernmental Organizations’ official websites (example: official website of the
European Union (EU), African Union (AU), IAEA, etc.)
 3. Research Reports published by Universities, Non-Governmental Organizations,
Intergovernmental Organizations, etc.
4. Local, National and International news agencies
5. Official documents of the government
6. International treaties, agreements, conventions and resolutions
7. CIA World Factbook
8. Reuters News Agency
9. New Agencies such as the New York Times, The Guardian, BBC News, CNN News,
etc. (the credibility of these sources may vary based on context)

Key pointers to keep in mind to be a successful delegate

1. Research

Research is one of the most important things a successful delegate does. When the
delegate is well-researched, they have a greater understanding on the topic, the
country they are representing and other countries as well. This allows them to put
forth good points and assists them in every aspect of MUN, whether that is a position
paper, speech, POI or resolution.

2. Staying active in committee

Staying active in committee sessions and making sure that you are speaking as much
(good content) as possible is important. It is a way for delegates to show the amount
of research they have done, and get rid of their fears of public speaking. The chairs
will be there to help and assist you.

3. Diplomacy

Diplomacy is very important. It is one of the ways delegates can have productive
committee sessions. Being diplomatic means that delegates propose constructive
 solutions and work towards forming good resolutions, instead of simply trying to
attack a specific country.

4. Collaboration

Collaboration is important especially while coming up with solutions to make

resolutions. A delegate who can work well with others, keeping the interest of most
parties involved, would come up with the best solutions. While collaborating to come
up with solutions, keep in mind the What, Where, Who, When and How to ensure
your solutions are not vague.

5. Solutions-Based Approach

A good delegate is someone who has a solutions-based approach. Having a

solutions-based approach is important to be able to come up with solutions. A
delegate has to incorporate multiple different skills such as research, collaboration,
diplomacy and problem-solving. The main aim of the committee is to finally come up
with good solutions for the problem at hand.

6. Following instructions, code of conduct and the rules of procedure

This is crucial for the proper functioning of a committee. If the delegates do not
follow instructions given by the chairs, it would not lead to a constructive committee
session. The code of conduct and rules of procedure are important to follow to ensure
that the event functions smoothly. Any form of disruption will be highly discouraged.
All of the above is to ensure the success of the event and ensure delegates have a great
experience.