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Updated by Patrick Connolly
In preparing for the Model United Nations, you and your delegation will learn more about the UN and the issues with which it deals. Model United Nations teach cooperation as well. The essence of the process is to cooperate with your delegation and with the other members of your committee so as to achieve as much as possible within the time limits.
In order to get as much out of the experience as possible, preparation and research are essential. Background research into the functioning of the UN should come first. Books available in your local campus library can give up to date information on UN organizations and their main projects. In addition, there are many histories and analyses of the UN which explain how it actually functions. If you prefer to use the Internet, familiarize yourself with the United Nations Home Page and the Official WEB Site Locator for the UN System of Organizations. These links provide a massive amount of information on the UN, its specialized agencies, and all issues with which the UN deals.
Background Materials
Remember, it is your responsibility to research the relevant data, including the background and position of the state that your delegation has been assigned. In the "Topics" section of this webpage, you can find some general background dealing wiht your committee's issue. Here, you will see information on things such as discussions of important and controversial issues, the points of view of certain groups of states (e.g., developed and developing), as well as data of interest. More extensive material is provided under the "Links" section. These will direct you towards international conference materials, documents, and many other resources on the internet. Sometimes topics that are debated in the St. John's Model United Nations might also be debated at other model UNs. Additional information may also be found under "Links To Other Model UN Sites" or "United Nations Associations."
UN publications (such as "A Global Agenda : Issues before the General Assembly of the United Nations", available at the QEII and Grenfell libraries), magazines and newspapers (such as "Christian Science Monitor", "The New York Times", and "The Globe and Mail") will also give good background coverage on current events. It is worth sitting down in the periodicals section of the nearest university or public library and browsing through recent issues, just to get an overall idea of what's going on in the world.
Rules
It is also important to familiar yourself with the rules which we will use in this Model UN. These will be used to govern procedure and debate within the General Assembly and the committee sessions. During the two-day MUN Model United Nations (MUNČ) we will simulate the General Assembly for opening procedures and final votes on resolutions. However, most of the work will take place in the committees. It is important to note that, while the sessions dealing with Climate Change, AIDS, and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) will operate with standard rules, the crisis and joint-crisis committees, as well as the historical committees, will most likely operate under a less formal regiment. It will be up to the head chair to decide which set of rules will best facilitate discussion.
The traditional committees will be attended by a delegate from each country and will be chaired by a dias comprised of the head chair, the co-chair, and at least one rapporteur. Draft resolutions will have been prepared by the dias, and will deal with a specific aspect of the topic discussed in the background guides. It should be emphasized that delegates are encouraged to introduce their own draft resolutions for debate, as opposed to simply rewording every clause of the draft resolution.
Participants are strongly reminded that the purpose of the rules is to facilitate business rather than to frustrate it. Unlike model parliaments, the substance of issues takes precedent over points of orders and the like. Therefore, procedural maneuvering is not acceptable and will reflect very negatively on both you as an individual, and on the sovereign state which you represent.
Opening Speeches
On the first morning of the simulation, the ambassador of each country will present a formal speech of about 1 minute (but no more than 90 seconds) to the General Assembly. The content of the speech is left to the discretion of the ambassador. They may wish to comment on the specific issues which will be dealt with during the session and/or any international issue/problem of concern to that state. They may also address matters which their country wishes to see on a future agenda. While the subject matter of the ambassador's speech is completely open, it should be stressed that ambassadors should not squander the opportunity with blatantly inappropriate subject matter.
Committee Meetings
The actual work of the Assembly will be done in committee sessions. Each committee will discuss and vote on one general topic as indicated in the draft resolution for that committee. New draft resolutions and amendments must remain within reasonable limits of the topic assigned to the committee. How you present yourself and your country's position is important, and having facts and historical examples at your fingertips really improves the discussion.
In session, when indicating that you would like to speak, any speeches should be prepared beforehand, whether in point form or written out. A written speech is useful for your first formal discussions of the topic and for introducing draft resolutions. Speaking in front of people is not hard if you know what you want to say and if you feel comfortable. Try and get to know the people that are in your committee. Remember, they want to hear what you think!
Resolutions
Writing resolutions is not difficult. First, be sure of your country's position on the topic. The "UN Yearbooks" (available in campus libraries) are a good source of resolutions and voting records. The Queen Elizabeth II Library also has compilations of resolutions and decisions of several sessions of the General Assembly in their Government Documents section. In addition, some of the UN-published periodicals also give state positions and up to date coverage of issues - try the United Nations Chronicle (also available in campus libraries). Recent resolutions can also be found through Research Tools on the UN Headquarters webpage.