SAMUN Procedure
What percentage of the committee must be present to establish quorum?
More than ⅔ of the committee.
How many presidents must always be at the table?
At least one.
How many votes are needed for a Working Paper to pass?
⅔ of the committee.
In what year did the United Nations officially come into existence?
1945
A delegate arrives after roll call has ended. What should happen?
The delegate receives a warning.
How much time does a delegate have for their opening speech?
1 minute and 30 seconds.
Can presidents from another committee chair your committee?
No. Presidents may only preside over their own committee and the GA.
How many votes are needed for a Crisis Directive to pass?
A simple majority.
On what day is the United Nations Day celebrated?
OCTOBER 24
A delegate wants to ask the chair about the correct parliamentary language. What point should they use?
Point of Parliamentary Inquiry.
How many speakers must have spoken before a Speakers List can be suspended?
⅔ of the speakers.
How many delegates can approach the chair at one time?
Only One
What happens to an amendment if a Head of Block or Sponsor Country votes against it?
It becomes an unfriendly amendment and the whole committee votes on it.
How many Member States does the United Nations currently have?
193
During a vestibule juncture, can delegates ignore committee rules because they are not sitting?
No. They must still follow the rules.
During a Moderated Caucus, are points of information normally allowed?
No, unless the chair considers them absolutely necessary.
If there is only one president at the table, can delegates approach the chair?
NOOO
A delegate said “present and voting” during roll call. Can they abstain during voting?
NOO
How many members does the UN Security Council have, and how are the members divided?
15 — 5 permanent members and 10 non-permanent members
A delegate requests a Right of Reply to another delegate's Right of Reply. Should the chair accept it?
No. There is no Right of Reply to a Right of Reply.
A delegate proposes a motion, but another motion passes first. What happens to the remaining motions?
They are automatically cancelled once the first motion passes.
You are presiding and notice that delegates' placards are facing different directions and several delegates are not sitting properly. What is the president expected to do?
Keep the committee in order and ensure that placards face forward and delegates are sitting properly, while setting the example themselves.
A delegate votes “in favor.” After hearing another delegate's argument, they want to change their vote to “against.” Can they?
No. A vote can only change from in favor → abstain or against → abstain, not directly from in favor → against or vice versa.
Which five countries are the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and therefore possess veto power?
China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
A Working Paper has 2 Heads of Block, 6 Sponsor Countries, 5 preambulatory clauses and 7 operative clauses. A delegate immediately asks for it to be read. What should the chair notice before allowing the Working Paper to proceed?
It does not meet the minimum of 6 preambulatory phrases required by the handbook.