CATEGORY 1
Written by conference organizers, it is a summary of important information for your committee topic and is the starting point for any Model UN Delegate.
What is Background Guide?
Formal discussion on a particular topic where various opinions are expressed.
What is a Debate?
An essay that presents your delegation’s assessment of a situation and how to fix it.
What is a Position Paper?
Deciding to not vote on a particular matter. This is generally understood as not supporting a resolution enough to vote for it, but not being opposed enough to want to vote against it either.
What is to Abstain?
Discussion where delegates can move around the committee room and have more informal discussions on their committee topic.
What is an Unmoderated Caucus?
A group of countries with either a similar geographic location or opinion on a certain topic.
What is a Bloc?
A student who is the representative for a particular state or person in a Model UN committee.
What is a Delegate?
The staff who organize a Model UN conference.
What is a Secretariat?
Suspending the debate for a particular committee session, discussion can be resumed in the next scheduled session.
What is to Adjourn?
Proper etiquette that is expected of delegates in a committee room, a committee Chair will set expectations for decorum.
What is Decorum?
Takes place at the start of a Committee session, the Chair counts the number of delegations in the Committee room to determine the Quorum.
What is Roll Call?
A team of students who are attending a conference from the same school.
What is a Delegation?
The period where delegates vote on the proposed Amendments and Draft Resolutions. There are special procedures in place and delegates may not leave the committee room at this time or communicate with each other.
What is Voting Procedure?
The order in which issues will be discussed, delegates can suggest topics for the agenda through motions.
What is an Agenda?
The term used to break down the stages of a MUN conference. A committee session moves along a 4 step process (Opening Debate, Organizing Priorities, Debating the topic, Solving the problem).
What is Flow of Debate?
A list that determines the order for Delegates to speak, when the Chair calls for new speakers, Delegates can raise their placard to be added.
What is a Speakers' List?
The minimum number of delegates required for votes to pass in a Model UN committee.
What is a Quorum?
The staff who administer a Model UN committee.
What is a Dais?
An opportunity to discuss policy ideas.
What is a Caucus?
Raised by delegates, used to discuss procedural matters and help to further the discussion of the committee topic. The appropriate Motions change depending on the stage in the Flow of Debate.
What is Motion?
A change to a Draft Resolution that does not require a vote if it is Friendly, if it is an Unfriendly amendment, then the committee will vote on it.
What is an Amendment?
Signboard that shows who the delegate is representing, a delegate can raise it when they would like to speak.
What is a Placard?
A member of the dais who moderates debate and enforces rules of procedure.
What is a Chair?
Discussion that is moderated by the committee chair on a particular sub-topic.
What is a Moderated Caucus?
Raised by delegates, used to discuss issues outside of substantive debate.
What is a Point of Privilege?