Resolution Writing

Resolutions are the Vehicle for Translating Country Positions into Effective Action

Actions of the United Nations are expressed in resolutions submitted in draft form under the sponsorship of one or more delegations. Resolutions may simply register an opinion, or may recommend action to be taken by a U.N. organ or related agency. Only the Security Council may take “decisions” which bind Member States to a certain course of action.

Although it is helpful to come to a Model U.N. conference with a draft resolution prepared, the organizers sometimes forbid it as most draft resolutions are sponsored by several nations rather than a single delegation. Therefore, it is essential that delegates check with the organizers of the event.

When drafting and sponsoring a draft resolution, delegates should keep in mind the wording will influence its appeal (or lack thereof). The draft resolution should be clear, concise and specific. The substance should be well researched, and reflect the character and interests of the sponsoring nations.

United Nations resolutions follow a common format. Each resolution has three parts: the heading, the preamble and the operative clauses. It is one long sentence with commas and semicolons throughout the resolution and with a period at the very end. The first word in each clause should be underlined, and each clause in the preamble should end with a comma. All operative clauses end with a semicolon except the final clause, which ends with a period.

I. The Draft Resolution

HEADING

Committee: i.e. the committee or organ in which the resolution is introduced
Topic: the topic of the resolution
Sponsored by: list of sponsoring countries

PREAMBLE

The purpose of the preamble is to show that there is a problem that needs to be solved. The preamble of a resolution does everything but propose action or make any substantive statement in the topic at hand. The preamble begins with the name of one of the three major organs. The preambulatory clauses can include:

	References to the U.N. Charter;
	Citations of past U.N. resolutions or treaties that been ratified under the topic of discussion;
	Statements made by the Secretary-General or a relevant U.N. body or agency;
	Recognition of the work or efforts of regional organizations in dealing with the issue; and
	General statements on the topic, its significance, and its effects.

Preambulatory Phrases:

Operative Clauses:

Operative clauses are set out to achieve the country’s main policy goals on the topic. Each operative clause begins with a number, ends with a semicolon and the final clause ends with a period. Operative clauses should be organized in a logical progression, and each clause should contain a single idea or policy proposal. Keep in mind that all resolutions except the Security Council are non-binding.

II. Sample Resolution

Metro Kansas City Model United Nations Conference resolution example:

General Assembly
SUBJECT OF RESOLUTION: Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism

SUBMITTED TO: The General Assembly Plenary (Concurrent)

The General Assembly Plenary (Concurrent),

Reaffirming its resolutions 61/171 1 of 19 December 2006 and 59/191 of 20 December 2004, as well as Security

Council resolution 1757 (2007) of 30 May 2007,

Additionally reaffirming the tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Further reaffirming that acts of international terrorism constitute a threat to international peace and security as well as an impediment to stable growth in least developed countries,

 Recognizing the need to combat, by all means in accordance with the United Nations Charter, threats to international peace and security caused by international terrorism,

Deeply concerned that the international increase in acts of terrorism, especially those motivated by intolerance or extremism, will result in an increase of retaliatory violence that will claim the lives of many who are innocent of any kind of terrorism,

Guided by the principle established by the General Assembly in its declaration of 24 October 1970 (resolution 2625 (XXV)) and reiterated by the Security Council in its resolution 1189 (1998) of 13 August 1998, namely that every State has the duty to refrain from organizing, instigating, assisting, or participating in terrorist acts in another.

State or acquiescing to organized activities within its territory directed towards the commission of such acts,

1. Urges all States to enforce existing resolutions and agreements, to the best of their abilities, including those designed to:

(a) Prevent terrorist acts through;

(i) The suppression of monetary funds used for international terrorism;

(ii) The utilization of education to combat intolerance and extremism;

(iii) The prevention of the proliferation of small arms and explosives or components used for the creation of small arms and explosives;

 (b) Criminalize the willful provision or collection, by any means, directly or indirectly, of funds by their nationals or in their territories with the intention that the funds should be used, or in the knowledge that they are to be used, in order to carry out terrorist acts;

2. Further urges all States to refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts, to suppress recruitment of new members to terrorist groups, and to eliminate the supply of weapons to terrorists;

3. Requests that States take the necessary steps to prevent the loss of innocent life while combating inter-national terrorism;

4. Additionally requests that all States make an effort to help those who have been injured or displaced as a result of combating international terrorism or because of a terrorist attack;

5. Additionally urges all States to ensure that any person who participates in the preparation or perpetration of terrorist acts is brought to justice and ensure that such terrorist acts are established as serious criminal offenses in domestic laws and regulations and that the punishment duly reacts the seriousness of such terrorist acts;

6. Reminds all States of their responsibility under the United Nations Charter to comply with all relevant United Nations resolutions on this matter.

Amendments. During the course of negotiation and cooperation, draft resolutions will alter through changes known as amendments. The guidelines for these amendments are less strict since many arise during the course of the activity itself: however, the style, wording and intent of the amendment should complement the original draft resolution. Amendments follow the pattern already stated in the document and simply present new viewpoints or suggestions for action on the same topic. Most conferences have two forms of amendments:

	Friendly amendment. A friendly amendment is a change to the resolution that all of the sponsors feel is appropriate.
	Unfriendly amendment. An unfriendly amendment is an amendment that the sponsors of the resolution do not support.

Sample of an amendment

Committee: GA Third Committee
Subject: Strengthening U.N. Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance
Sponsors: France, Romania, and Poland
Signatories: Togo, Australia, Fiji, Brazil, St. Lucia, Viet Nam, New Zealand, Pakistan, Kuwait and Argentina

Requests the expansion of preventive actions and assurance of post conflict assistance though reconstruction and development;

Bringing a resolution to the floor for debate

Every conference has a different process for allowing draft resolutions to come to the floor for debate. Many conference require that a certain number of delegations sign the document, and then someone from the staff reads over the resolution to ensure that it is in proper format and relevant. After someone from the staff has read the document, it is then introduced by the sponsoring delegations. In some cases a delegate must make a motion to introduce the draft resolution, while in other cases the sponsors are immediately called upon to read the document. Again, this differs from conference to conference and it is essential to find out the resolution process for the specific conference that the delegate plans on attending.