The Secretary-General may make written or oral statements on any matter, draw the attention of delegates to it and meet in private with the General Committee to verify the proper application of these Rules of Procedure and/or to review the conduct of the debate. The Secretariat shall distribute, publish and, where appropriate, circulate any required documents, preferably by electronic means. He may perform other necessary tasks before and during meetings. Unmoderated Caucus: A non-moderate caucus is a suspension of rules that allow delegates to converse freely. As in a moderate caucus, an application must include a time limit and a topic for the caucus. The caucus needs a simple majority to pass. To make it easier for UN model organizers to simulate one of the intergovernmental bodies highlighted in this resource guide, Education for Justice has developed proposed rules for adaptation and inspiration. Caucuses suspend certain elements of the formal rules of procedure to allow for more informal and one-sided discussions. They allow you to speak more freely and with a smaller group of people. There are two types of caucuses you may encounter at a Model United Nations conference. The first and most common type is an unmoderated caucus, sometimes referred to simply as suspending the meeting.
A delegate interrupts the meeting for a specified period of time (for example, one hour). The President shall put it to the vote and, if adopted, suspend the formal rules of procedure until a certain date (e.g. 3 p.m.). You can then move freely around the room (at some conferences you are even allowed to leave the room completely) and meet with other delegations to discuss the issue under consideration or to start drafting decisions. Note that despite the repeal of formal rules, you must still act with diplomacy and respect. Make sure you are back in your seat five minutes before the end of the adjournment, as the Chairs are annoyed when they have to lock delegates into the official session. Watch the video below: Some rules may not apply due to the specific characteristics of UN model events and the calendar and other variables that need to be considered at the planning stage. In light of these factors, the following rules are proposed to allow for a more accurate simulation that reflects what is actually happening at the United Nations. An exemplary UN committee has many different states with different interests, all of which want the final decisions to go their way.
In order to manage tensions and make the conversation on a subject fair and effective, Model United Nations conferences are held in accordance with the official rules of procedure. These rules govern the decision-making process and regulate who can say what and when. Caucus voting will be in the “most disruptive” order, so the motion that most influences the rules of formal debate will take precedence. For example, a motion for a 15-minute moderate caucus would be voted on before a motion for a 10-minute moderate caucus, since 15 minutes is more disruptive than 10 minutes. If moderate political groups are proposed with the same speaking time and the same speaking time, the first proposed moderate committee will have priority. If moderate caucuses have the same time limit but different speaking times, the moderate caucus that allows more speakers takes precedence (for example, the moderate caucus for 5 minutes with 45 seconds takes precedence over a moderate caucus of 5 minutes with a speaking time of 1 minute). A request for a non-moderate caucus is always voted on before a moderate caucus, regardless of the time. For crisis-specific parliamentary procedures, please consult the crisis procedure website or the crisis procedure document, in addition to the following rules. A proposal for a non-moderate political group, the adoption of which requires a majority, allows the Rules of Procedure and the formal debate to be suspended.
These rules provide for a simplified version of the functioning of these bodies. They can be used in simulations of any size and have been created to allow adaptation to the different formats used by Model United Nations conferences. The President shall declare the opening and closing of each meeting, preside over the discussion, ensure compliance with these rules, accord the right to speak, put questions to the vote and announce decisions. During the discussion of any matter, a delegate may at any time raise a point of order drawing attention to an inappropriate procedure or misapplication of these rules. It cannot be used for factual errors or for any other purpose. This item shall be decided without delay by the President (or the President) in accordance with these rules of procedure. A delegate may appeal the decision of the President (or President). A delegate may not comment on the content of the item under consideration when raising a point of order. One of the best procedural statements can be found on the UNA-USA website. Keep in mind, however, that your conference has its own specific rules, which may differ from other conferences. (For example, click here for an example of the UN Rules of Procedure of the National Model).
Within the GSL, a delegate can try to steer the debate in a direction they would like to see, this is the time to look for people who would vote for you if you raised the motion for a moderate caucus. Others may disagree and may be able to respond to the GSL in a timely manner. To join the GSL, wait for the president to ask you who wants to be added to the list, at what point you should lift your poster until he recognizes you. If you finish your speech before the end of your speaking time, the Chair may allow the remaining time for the other delegates to ask you a question that you can then answer, you may let your speaking time pass or you may give your time to another delegate. What is really the best choice depends on your tactical reasoning. While the GSL is ultimately a tool to facilitate general discussions, sometimes more time needs to be spent on certain details, in which case you can request an unmoderated or moderated caucus. A moderate caucus requires speakers to deliver only speeches based on the topic. It might be fruitful to call for the creation of a moderate committee on a particular topic (for a certain number of minutes, with a certain number of speakers) if a trend towards such a topic was already foreseeable within the GSL. This is an opportunity to really shape the debate and, in most cases, there are several motions for several moderate groups at the same time, so votes are required. Pro tip: Normally, the longest motion takes precedence in a voting procedure, and the ancillary motion is only put to the vote if the first motion does not receive enough votes.
Therefore, it`s not a bad idea to do your own movement just a little longer than the others. Being tactical is key in the MUN world! Well, an unmoderated caucus is a very different tactical game. There are general rules for a while, and you can be in a free debate, no twists, no points, no speaking time, you can move around a room, you get to know other countries in a more personal way, and you can negotiate and draft resolutions. Here you seek cooperation between other states and try to create something based on your common values. Like the moderate group, a motion must also be tabled. This is a procedural vote, so no abstention is possible. The unmoderated caucus takes as long as the allotted time allows. Draft resolutionsAh, draft resolutions. The great evil of the MUN world.
Having to write a document that follows its own rules, uses a certain type of language, and is usually treated very professionally sometimes makes people want to turn the tail. Naturally! Now, this article is not specifically there to teach you how to draft a resolution, but we always recommend that you research this topic before participating in the creation of a draft resolution. Sure, you can always ask someone else to do it, but it`s an open secret in the MUN world that whoever holds the laptop and writes the document is king. Well, what is a draft resolution? A draft resolution is a document that sets out the proposed solution to the problem in question and aims to present the positions and agenda of those who drafted and signed it. It must have a minimum number of coordinators who will support and vote in favour of it once the discussions are over. The number of sponsors required varies by Board and Chair depending on the size of the committee. Once a draft resolution has been finalized, it should be sent to the President, who will hopefully approve it, after which a request can be made to submit it to the rest of the Council.
