Anyways, hope this intrigues people not involved in model U.N.'s, informs those who are, and perhaps is even enjoyable to the rest of people for the inclusion of random bits of candid speech! Have yourself a lovely day, and see you tomorrow at eight AM.
Model U.N. Etiquette by Mackinley Clevinger, May 5, 2016
Now, let’s say you’re about to be part of a mock United Nations council. You’ve got a country assigned to you, and you know what topic you’re going to be talking about, but there’s just one thing: You’ve heard about all these rules and regulations you’re supposed to follow, but frankly have no idea what they are or how you’re supposed to remember what they are.
You don’t know how the meeting’s going to begin, or how to get attention so that you can speak, or even what you’re supposed to be doing there besides apparently fixing the world’s problems with a group of like-minded individuals vying for power for their individual countries. It can certainly seem like a daunting task you’ve got ahead of you, but rest your worries away and read on as I explain the basics of a model United Nations.
To begin with, each individual attending the council has been assigned a country and a topic, so above all else make sure you know what you’re going to be talking about and expected to know; more than just how that topic applies to your country, understand what kind of ideology your country follows and what its relationship with the other countries of the United Nations is. Remember, you are not expressing your own opinions, but those of the country you’re a delegate of.
The session will begin with a roll call, where the Moderator ensures that all countries are present and makes adjustments to procedures in the event that any delegates are missing. Adjustments in this manner are typically shifting the number of votes to qualify as a majority or for any other delegate-based voting occasion. For example, if there were supposed to be ten delegates, but there were only nine that showed up, a two-thirds majority would be reduced from needing seven votes to needing six votes to adjust for the missing delegate.
After the roll call, the Moderator will announce that the Speakers’ List is open, allowing any delegate from any country to raise their placard (sign with your country/name on it) to be put on a list for giving a prepared opening speech of no longer than two minutes that serves to outline your country’s position on the topic of discussion. Upon completion of your speech, you should say ‘Thank you, and I yield the floor to the Moderator.’
Once the opening speeches have been made by all delegates that rose their placard and were put down on the list, the Moderator will start a motion to caucus for a period of time. This means that the Moderator will allow the delegates some time to meet informally and discuss the topic at hand between one another for a designated amount of time before reconvening. During a caucus, you would discuss strategies with allies and prepare working papers for when the session reconvenes.
There will be more than one caucus during the model United Nations, but there is a designated period after the opening speeches for one that is guaranteed. Additional caucuses can be requested from the Moderator by delegates later on by proposing a Motion to break session, either moderated or unmoderated, for an agreed-upon amount of time. Such a motion would have to be seconded by another delegate, and can be ruled out of order by the Moderator if they so see fit.
After the first caucus, the session will reconvene and the delegates will begin to debate the ideas drafted in the working papers they formed during the caucus, discussing the ideas within these working papers and how they pertain the session’s topic in an attempt to create a Draft Resolution. This Draft Resolution is what the committee will have to form and present to the plenary session at the end of the conference, and will be a product of the needs and wishes of each country as concessions are made and the ultimate goal of the session is attempted to be achieved. The plenary session is a meeting of all delegates in one chamber, or room, to vote on each of these Draft Resolutions.
During the session, however, one may not communicate as you would in an informal setting among friends. You cannot speak unless you have requested and been permitted by the Moderator to do so, and must at all times be polite and cordial, lest you risk a Point of Notice that could strip away speaking privileges for an hour. Essentially, don’t be racist, sexist, offensive, make personal comments, or be in any other way a dick.
When a delegate has been acknowledged by the Moderator, has had their name written down, and has then been invited to speak at the podium, they may begin to give their speech to the Moderator, addressed as Mr/Madame Moderator, with a similar title given to the Director: Mr/Madame Director. Speeches must be in English, and cannot be directed towards their fellow delegates; only towards the Moderator. They must also be relevant to the subject at hand; if a specific motion is being discusses, your speech must begin with you designating yourself as for or against it. When you have finished your speech, you may either yield the floor to the Moderator by saying ‘Thank you, and I yield the floor to the Moderator,’ or you may yield any remaining time for your speech to another delegate by saying ‘Thank you, and I yield the remainder of my time to…’
If a delegate would like to propose that something be done by the committee, that delegate may make a motion to the Moderator by raising their placard after any delegates have finished speaking. Once recognized by the Moderator, you may stand and say ‘Mr/Madame Moderator, I move that…’ Motions must then be seconded by another delegate, however the Moderator may rule a motion out of order if they deem such fit.
The motions a delegate may make are: to break session for a caucus, either moderated or unmoderated, for a period of time; break session for a recess for a period of time; adjourn the session for lunch or for the day; vote on an introduced draft resolution or amendment; or that a motion at the plenary session be declared an Important Question, requiring a two-thirds majority for adoption. Of these, the first three are non-debatable, while two delegates may be called to speak for and against the latter two motions, totaling four speaking delegates.
Earlier, the term Working Paper was referred to. A Working Paper is a collection of possible clauses that serves as a talking point for the session to better discuss the topic at hand; Working Papers must be approved by the Director, and then circulated throughout the delegates to be discussed. If a Working Paper and its contents have not been circulated, they may not be referred to by a delegate in their speech as they do not pertain to the topic at hand.
A Draft Resolution was also mentioned earlier. To introduce a Draft Resolution to the assembly, it must first be authorized by the Moderator, who will then distribute it to all the present delegates. A Draft Resolution must be typed and possess signatures of at least two delegates who sponsor it, alongside the signatures of members who endorse it as signatories. For a Draft Resolution to be eligible for introduction, it must have enough signatures of both sponsors and signatories to represent at least twenty percent of the present delegates as determined by the initial roll call, and then be introduced at the podium by one of its sponsors.
Amendments may be made to a Draft Resolution as a part of the process of perfecting it to please all present parties, and they must, too, be authorized by the Moderator, and typed. If the original sponsors of the Draft Resolution give their signature of approval, the signatories need not be addressed for the addition of the Amendment into the Draft Resolution for consideration by the session’s delegates. If multiple Amendments for a Draft Resolution come in and are of a similar nature, a brief recess may be given so that the delegates may form a single Amendment for inclusion.
If the Amendment is not given approval, however, it may still be added to the Draft Resolution if twenty percent of the present delegates give their approval in writing, and discussion of the Amendment may only occur after it has been circulated and introduced from the podium. Furthermore, if the Director feels that an Amendment negates the original message of the Draft Resolution, they may refuse to authorize the Amendment. Delegates can do similarly by voting against its inclusion in the Draft Resolution.
When a delegate wishes to raise their voice in the session, and have been given permission by the Moderator to do so, they may make one of several Parliamentary Points. If a delegate is unsure of what procedure to follow, they may make a Point of Inquiry after being recognized by the Moderator by raising their placard after the current speaker is finished. If a delegate feels that the rules have not been followed in a given case, they may raise a Point of Order. The delegate may raise their placard at any time, but may not stand or speak until recognized by the Moderator, and the results of a Point of Order are made by the Moderator and the Director, their ruling being final.
There is also the Right of Reply for when a delegate believes that the integrity of their state has been challenged by another speaker, allowing them to respond at the podium for one minute if the Moderator feels that their claim is justified after they have been recognized by the Moderator. Furthermore, a Point of Notice may be made if a delegate feels that another delegate is, to refer back to the previous mention of the Point of Notice, a dick. If the Moderator agrees, the first Point of Order will result in losing their speaking privileges for an hour. The second occurrence will lead to their losing speaking privileges for as long as is deemed appropriate, consulting the Secretary General in such cases.
This quite a bit of information to take in, but once you understand and have experienced the environment of a United Nations session, following etiquette will surely become easier and more natural to even a first-time delegate. Feel free to ask your fellow delegates any question you may have during a recess or a caucus, but remember that above all else, you must be respectful and polite. Don’t worry overmuch about being involved every second; if it’s your first time, just watch the events unfolding around you and try to enjoy the experience. It’s only a mock United Nations, after all, and won’t have any lasting impacts if the delegate from New Zealand was not exceptionally present.