JCCC ModelUN Research Notebook and Preparation Guide

You will need to assemble your conference background material into a document that will provide a ready reference during the conference. You are welcome to organize notebook materials with the computer, but you will still need key documents in a folder.
Before you can start preparing for the ModelUN conference, your advisor should have assigned you the following 3 things:

Your Country. At the ModelUN conference, you are pretending to be a diplomat from your assigned country. You need to know basic information about your country’s history, government, and recent news. More importantly, you will need to know your country’s foreign policies on your topics.

Your UN Committee. ModelUN is a simulation of the United Nations. The UN is a big organization that works with many other organizations and governments. Each ModelUN committee simulates a different part of the UN. You need to know where your committee fits into the UN and what your committee has the power to do.

Your two Topics for each conference. Each ModelUN committee has 2 topics to debate. Each topic is a different problem that the real UN is trying to solve. These are big problems that no single country can solve on their own. The conference will provide you with background materials to get you started on research for these topics.

Making folders
a. Make a folder of file in your laptops or flash drives. Collect and label your links within your folder.
i. Souses that support your country policy.
ii. Key sources that you may need while in committee e.g. the UN charter, UN frameworks, international law documents…
iii. Links to sources that are useful for participation in committee e.g. Speeches, documents, links, UN missions page. Making sure you label each of these sources or links.

You will need one research binder that includes sources for each of your assigned topic areas. For each topic, you can organize your binder into 4 sections:
• Topic Background: This section should include your background guide and other sources that describe your topic in general, including Wikipedia pages, news articles, and reports produced by the United Nations and other organizations.
• Past International Action: This section should include information on your committee and what it has already done about the topic. This section should also include primary sources, such as resolutions, treaties/conventions (a convention is a type of treaty), and international policies and campaigns (like the Millennium Development Goals), as well as other important sources that describe how the UN is trying to address the topic.
• Country Policy: This section should include sources about your country and your country’s position on the topic. This can include speeches made by your political leaders and papers produced by your government.
• Possible Policy Solutions: This section should include sources on what the UN should be doing to address the topic. This can include recommendations by UN bodies, experts (like professors), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Having a well-organized binder will make it easier for you to understand your research and write a position paper. To help you get started with your research binder, here is a

Understanding the different elements of ModelUN

It’s important to prepare for Model United Nation because that’s how you’ll get the most out of your MUN experience. By preparing, you will learn how to research foreign policy, prepare speeches, and write UN resolutions. At the conference itself, you will learn about the perspectives of different countries, how to make speeches on the spot, and negotiate with other delegates to find global solutions.

By the end of your Model United Nations conference experience, you will have improved your skills in research, public speaking, debate, negotiation, and diplomacy. These are skills that will help you through college, and throughout the rest of your life.

The objective of the ModelUN conference is to find global solutions to global problems. As a delegate of your assigned country (called a delegation), you will meet the other delegates in your committee, discuss your topics, and propose solutions. However, every other delegate has a different perspective on what those solutions should be. You will need to understand their perspectives and try to find agreement. You will work with other delegates to write down your agreed upon solutions into a document called a resolution. At the ModelUN conference, you will have the following goals:
• Give well-researched speeches about your topics, country policy, and possible solutions;
• Find other delegates you can work to write resolutions; and,
• Persuade the entire committee to vote in favor of your resolution.

To achieve these goals, you need to prepare for the conference. There are 6 steps to preparing for ModelUN conference, and that’s how you will organize your binder and all preparations:
1. Start by reading about Model UN, the real UN, and your assigned committee with topics.
2 topics (Getting Started) will be assigned with your committee
Create a research binder with sources (Research Binder)
3. Based on your research binder, write a 2-page position paper on each topic (Position Paper) 1 page per topic.
4. Based on your position paper, write a few 1-minute opening speech (Public Speaking)
5. Practice writing a resolution with your ModelUN team (Resolution Writing)
6. Practice simulating Rules of Procedure with your MUN team (Rules of Procedure) By going through these steps, you will feel prepared to attend a ModelUN conference. It may seem like a lot of work, but you will not be doing it alone. Your entire JCCC ModelUN team can go through these 6 steps together.

Topic Background
• Background Guide. Either you, another delegate, or your chair will inevitably refer to something written in the committee’s background guide during a conference. Also, what your chair has written about is what he’ll focus on in committee. Use that knowledge to craft speeches and operative clauses that grab the chair’s attention.

Past International Action
• Your committee’s actual UN website. The goal of a committee is to pass a resolution, which depends on what a committee can and cannot do. You want to understand your committee’s mandate (why it was created), powers (what it can do), organization (how it fits into the UN and the larger international community), and membership (who’s in it).
• The UN Charter. If you are in a GA, ECOSOC, or Security Council committee, then the source of your committee’s power is the UN Charter. If you are in a regional organization like NATO or OAS, then you are still affected by the Charter, particularly Chapter VII on international security and Chapter VIII on regional arrangements.

UN Resolutions, UN Treaties, and UN Conventions: Before you can do anything on the topic, you need to know what’s already been done at the United Nations. You can find past UN resolutions through the UN documentation center, although it can be difficult to navigate. Once you’ve found the latest resolution, the preambulatory clauses should direct you to other resolutions.

Country Policy you will find at Countries United Nations mission page and country foreign ministry page.

Country Speeches and Press Releases. These are the ways that policy-makers set policy. Be sure to use speeches and press releases from people in the executive branch of your country’s current government (President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister / Secretary of State, Ambassadors). Focus on foreign policy. You work for the Head of State / Head of Government. Start with the website for your country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Department of State.

United Nations Voting Record. Actions speak louder than words. If your country’s leaders have not clearly articulated a policy on your topic, then you can infer it from how your country has voted on past resolutions, treaties, and conventions (or whether they were even present). Note that recent speeches may indicate a change in policy away from however your country has voted in the past, especially if your government has changed administrations.

Possible Solutions

UN Reports: Many times, the United Nations has produced reports on what they believe needs to be done next on the topic. They may be referred to as a report of the UN Secretary General, recommendations by a high-level panel, or an outcome document for a conference.

Working Papers & Resolutions:

The purpose of the United Nations is to solve global problems. Diplomats work together to develop solutions to these problems. When they’ve agreed on these solutions, they wrote them down into a written document called a resolution.
At the conference and as a ModelUN delegate, your goal is to work with the committee bloc to help write a resolution. This means you need to share your possible solutions with other delegates, listen to their possible solutions, decide what you agree on, and write it all into a resolution. These resolutions will be voted on, and the goal of every committee is to pass one or more resolutions.

Resolution writing: this is important not just because that’s what real UN diplomats work on. Resolution writing teaches you about negotiation, teamwork, and diplomacy. You need to listen to other delegates; if they feel like you’re not really listening, they won’t work with you. You will have to understand another perspective that is different to your own or the country you represent. And you will have to decide what you agree on and disagree on and turn that into a written document that others can understand. Resolution writing lies at the heart of MUN. But first, you need to learn how to write a resolution. Check out the sample resolution on the next page and read “Basics of a Resolution” to understand what each part of the resolution means. Then, you should practice writing a resolution with your teammates on a practice topic.

Sample Resolution:

Committee: General Assembly 1st Committee
Topic: Child Soldiers
Sponsors: China, Rwanda, Russia
Signatories: DR Congo, India, North Korea
RESOLUTION 1.1

The General Assembly,

Concerned that children are being recruited for military purposes,

Recognizing that the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programmes (DDR) are too rigid, unable to adapt to different situations of different soldiers,

Understanding that DDR programmes are costly and unaffordable for countries who are having the issue of child soldiers,

Concerning the safety of the people involved in carrying out DDR,

1. Endorses funding for the International Rescue Committee and NGOs to set up schools as to give former child soldiers an education and equip them with different skills to direct them away from a life of violence after conflict, including a. Elementary schools, b. Middle schools, c. High schools, and d. Colleges;
2. Calls upon countries to create military units specifically to directly rescue or counter the use of child soldiers in their country by rebel militias;
3. Recommends the setting up of “rehabilitation villages” to collect all former child soldiers and rehabilitate them, focusing on sustainability, holistic skill building, and education;
4. Reminds countries subscribing to these recommendations that rehabilitating every child will depend on individual cases.

Basics of a Resolution
A resolution has three main parts: the heading, the preambulatory clauses, and the operative clauses. We’ll break down the example above into these three parts below.
1. Heading This is the heading section from the sample resolution: Committee: General Assembly 1st Committee Topic: Child Soldiers Sponsors: China, Rwanda, Russia Signatories: DR Congo, India, North Korea The heading contains four pieces of information: • Committee: This is the name of your committee. • Topic: This is the name of your topic. • Sponsors: This is a list of the delegates (shown by the name of the countries they represent) who participated in writing the resolution. These delegates are the strongest supporters of the resolution. Your goal is to be a sponsor on a resolution. • Signatories: This is a list of the delegates who want to see the resolution debated. They do not necessarily support the resolution; they may be undecided. Signatories are important because the MUN rules of procedure require every resolution to have a specific number of sponsors and signatories before being debated.

2. Pre-ambulatory Clauses – Spell out what has been done on the topic by the United Nations or legal justification. It also outlines the issues or problem to be addressed These are the perambulatory clauses from the sample resolution: Concerned that children are being recruited for military purposes, Recognizing that the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programmes (DDR) are too rigid, unable to adapt to different situations of different soldiers, Understanding that DDR programmes are costly and unaffordable for countries who are having the issue of child soldiers, Concerned for the safety of the people involved in carrying out DDR,

The preambulatory clauses state all the issues that the committee wants to resolve on this issue. It may state reasons why the committee is working on this issue and highlight previous international actions on the issue.
Pre-ambulatory clauses can include:
• Past UN resolutions, treaties, or conventions related to the topic,
• Past regional, non-governmental, or national efforts in resolving this topic,
• References to the UN Charter or other international frameworks and laws,
• Statements made by the Secretary-General or a relevant UN body or agency, and,
• General background info formation or facts about the topic, its significance, and its impact.

3. Operative ClausesThese are the operative clauses from the sample resolution:
   Endorses funding for the International Rescue Committee and NGOs to set up schools as to give former child soldiers an education and equip them with different skills to direct them away from a life of violence after conflict, including: a. Elementary schools, b. Middle schools, c. High schools, and, d. Colleges;
   2. Calls upon countries to create military units specifically to directly rescue or counter the use of child soldiers in their country by rebel militias;
   3. Recommends the setting up of “rehabilitation villages” to collect all former child soldiers and rehabilitate them, focusing on sustainability, holistic skill building, and education;
   4. Reminds countries subscribing to these recommendations that rehabilitating every child will depend on individual cases.
   Operative clauses state the solutions that the sponsors of the resolution propose to resolve the issues. The operative clauses should address the issues specifically mentioned in the preambulatory clauses above it. To write an operative clause, take a solution that you want to include in the draft resolution. You then take that solution, combine it with an underlined operative phrase, and end it with a semicolon (the last operative clause ends with a period). Operative clauses are also numbered. This differentiates them from preambulatory clauses, helps show logical progression in the resolution, and makes the operative clauses easy to refer to in speeches and comments.

Your Country’s Policy Positions & Speeches

Copies of recent speeches & press releases from your country on your topics: speeches are the ways that policy-makers set policy. Be sure to use speeches and press releases from people in the executive branch of your country’s current government (President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister / Secretary of State, Ambassadors).

Voting records of your country for Specific Treaties/Resolutions heavily cited in the Background Guide. Actions speak louder than words. For example, if your topic includes the Paris Agreement you should know if your country is a signatory and if it has ratified the agreement yet, Signing is NOT the same as ratifying, so you need to know both. You also need to know if your country has voted “yes”, “no”, or “abstain” on UN resolutions pertinent to your topic. If your country’s leaders have not clearly articulated a policy on your topic, then you can infer it from how your country has voted on past resolutions, treaties, and conventions (or whether they were even present). Note that recent speeches may indicate a change in policy away from however your country has voted in the past, especially if your government has changed administrations. Nonetheless, you still want to know how your country’s past actions on the topic, for your own knowledge, and in case anyone asks.

Section 4: Writing Policy Position Paper and giving speeches

A copy of your policy position paper!

Position Papers from key allies (hint: Download and print the position papers from allies, countries with good ideas, and any country you might be interested in working with. Do NOT plagiarize other papers! Use these to quickly forge interests and begin drafting working papers using their ideas + your ideas)

Policy Position Paper:  A position paper is a two-page document that describes your country’s position on the topic and what you country wants to do about it. Writing a position paper is important because it helps you understand what you need to say and do at an MUN conference. In the process of writing the position paper, you will need to read through your research, understand it, analyze it, and think critically about your country. You can take the position paper with you to the ModelUN conference, and it help guide what to say in your speeches and what you want to achieve in negotiations and resolutions.

You should write a position paper on each of your topics. A position paper contains the following sections, each which should be 1-3 paragraphs long: • Topic Background • Past International Action • Country Policy • Possible Solutions • Sources

You can see that the position paper sections match the sections in your research binder. You can use your research binder to write each section. So if you created a well-organized research binder, you’ve already done half the work.
Each section should answer the following questions:

Topic Background • What is the definition of the topic? • Where does the topic take place? Who is involved? • How many people does it affect? Where, and in what ways? • When did this topic become an issue?

What has the UN done on the topic or Past International Action • What has the UN (e.g. your committee) tried to do on this topic? • What are the most important resolutions and treaties on this topic? • What are the two (or more) sides to this topic?
What is your assigned countries Policy • How has this topic impacted your country? • What has your country tried to do about this topic? • What have your political leaders (your President, Prime Minister, or Foreign Minister) said about this topic? (Find quotes)
Possible Solutions • What is a possible solution that your country would support? Consider an existing solution that could be expanded with more support or funding. • How would this solution be funded? 
Sample Position Paper Committee: Security Council Mozambique

Topic A: The Situation in the Middle East, including Yemen

 

Mozambique stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people, recognizing their long-standing struggle for self-determination and freedom. As a nation that endured colonial rule and fought tirelessly for its sovereignty, Mozambique understands the plight of those subjected to occupation and injustice. The ongoing conflict in Gaza is a humanitarian crisis of immense proportions, marked by the loss of innocent civilian lives, the destruction of essential infrastructure, and the continued denial of basic human rights and aid. The unilateral actions, including the expansion of settlements in occupied territories, the blockade of Gaza, and the excessive use of force, exacerbate tensions and undermine prospects for long-lasting peace. While past actions have heightened tensions, the path forward relies on continued diplomatic efforts and mutual commitment, with international mediation playing a pivotal role in shaping a more hopeful future. Mozambique reaffirms its unwavering support for the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel and is hopeful for the success of this critical first step in peace for the Middle East. Although this first step has been taken, more affirmative action must be taken as both a preventive and reparative response to the recurring colonial violence in the region. Mozambique urges the UNSC to call for an International Criminal Tribunal for Gaza, tasked with investigating and prosecuting individuals responsible for war crimes committed against Palestinians since October 2023 as well as any ongoing violations. Resolution A/RES/ES-10/23 recognized Palestine as meeting the requirements for UN membership and requested the Security Council to reconsider its admission. It is the responsibility of the UNSC to uphold the request from the UN General Assembly and change the State of Palestine from a permanent non-member observer state, finally recognizing the statehood they have long been entitled to and serving the justice deserved under international law. Mozambique would like to further critique the permanent members of the UNSC as they continue to abuse their veto power in situations involving violations of international humanitarian law, such as those occurring in Gaza. The veto applied in cases of flagrant Human Rights violations is itself an inherently violent act, as it perpetuates suffering and undermines not only humanitarian principles but the UN Charter as a whole.

 

Topic B: Children and Armed Conflict 

 

At the center of ongoing conflict and terror, Mozambique’s northern provinces have faced an insurgency by non-state actors marked by over 60,000 displaced children and 1.5 million in need of aid, attacks on civilians, foreign fighters, and growing organized crime are putting the people of Mozambique and the greater Southern African region in a humanitarian crisis. Our children have endured severe trauma, which, if left unaddressed, could fuel a prolonged crisis with the potential for further radicalization. The report “Impact of Armed Conflict on Children” by Mozambique Advocate Graça Machel was critical in understanding the severe impact of armed conflict on children; including the recruitment of child soldiers, sexual violence, and the long-term effects of war on children. Children are the silent victims of war torn from their innocence, thrown into hostilities, and stripped of their futures. In response to Mozambique’s efforts, the United Nations established the office of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to advocate for the protection and rights of children in conflict zones. UNICEF has directly supported affected children through access to mental health, legal assistance, birth registration, and education. The core of the UNICEF strategy includes prevention, reintegration, and youth participation. While acknowledging the successful efforts of the United Nations, it is evident that further action is needed to address the escalating demands of this increasingly destructive conflict. Increasing funding to UNICEF and implementing successful counterterrorism programs with a priority on deradicalization would help rehabilitate former child insurgents and promote public disengagement from violent extremism, reinforced by ongoing follow-up and monitoring. The Children of Mozambique are not collateral damage. They are as deserving as children everywhere of security, education, and hope, which is the duty of the Security Council to deliver.

 

 

Speeches/Public Speaking

THREE Pre-written speeches: Agenda setting speech; Opening speech for each topic; At least 1 solution oriented speech from your position paper

Public Speaking

Public speaking is a highly valuable skill you can develop through Model United Nations. Knowing how to prepare and deliver well-organized and thoughtful speeches will help you in school, your future career, and the rest of your life. At a conference, you will have many opportunities to give speeches. As the representative of your assigned country, you will be expected to speak about your country’s policy on the committee’s topics and your proposed solutions. There are three ways you can give speeches at the conference:

Speakers List: When the committee begins, the chair (the person leading the committee) will create a list of delegates who wish to give speeches. These speeches are typically about the topic, country policy, and possible solutions, and range from 1-2 minutes long. The first time you speak on the speakers list is referred to as your opening speech. You should prepare this speech before the conference. After your first speech, you can send a note to the chair to request being re-added to the speakers list.

Comments: After a delegate makes a speech, the chair will ask if other delegates would like to make a short comment. Comments are typically about whether a delegate agrees or disagrees with the speaker and range from 30 seconds to 1 minute long. To make good comments, you need to listen to other delegates’ speeches, decide whether you agree or disagree with they said, and explain why. The key is not being afraid to raise your placard after every speech.

Caucus: The moderated caucus will be explained in more detail in the next chapter on Rules of Procedure, but the moderated caucus is different than the speakers list. Whereas the speakers list is about the topic in general, a moderated caucus is about a specific question on the topic. For example, a delegate may motion for a moderated caucus to discuss a specific draft resolution. The speakers list tells you who is going to speak next, but a moderated caucus has no list; delegates must raise their placards and wait for the chair to call on them to speak. Each delegate typically gets 30 seconds to 1 minute to speak. A moderated caucus is like having a conversation with your entire committee.

This section will focus on helping you prepare your opening speech, since that is the one speech you can fully prepare for. Your goal is to prepare a 1-minute opening speech. Read the next section on opening speeches to learn how to organize your speech. Then use the opening speech worksheet to write out your speech. You should use information from your position paper. Finally, practice your opening speech with your teammates.

Preparing a Speech

The purpose of the opening speech is to share your country’s policy on the committee topic. Your speech should begin in an engaging way that gets the committee to listen to you. And your speech should end by telling the committee what they should be doing about the topic.

The easiest way to organize your opening speech is in three parts:
• Hook: An engaging way to grab your audience’s attention;
• Point: Your country policy on the topic; and,
• Action: Your possible solutions to the topic.

Each part is explained in more detail below. Hook The beginning of a speech should grab your audience’s attention. It should give your audience a reason to listen to you – otherwise they will fall asleep. An attention-grabbing introduction is often called a “hook.” There are many different types of hooks, but here are a few common ones that work well in MUN.

Question: Asking the audience a question is often an easy way to get their attention because it prompts them to think of how they might respond. Example: “Do you think it is possible for us to live in a world without poverty? The people of my country think so. We believe we can achieve the end of poverty.”

Quote: Beginning with a quote is another easy way to gain attention because it prompts the audience to think how they know it. Example: “Fifty years ago, United States President John F. Kennedy said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ Today, ask not what the world can do for you, but what you can do for the world.”

Statistic: A statistic can grab an audience’s attention if it is surprising or genuinely interesting. Example: “Over 1 billion people around the world live on less than US$1.25 a day. Over 1 billion people live in extreme poverty.”
Story: A story is the oldest form of communication and if told well, can certainly grab an audience’s attention. But speeches in MUN are typically very short, so keep the story brief! Example: “One year ago, in rural Pakistan, a girl was walking to school, minding her own business, when a gunshot rang out – and she was shot in the head. The Taliban did not want her to go to school – they did not want any girls to go to school. But that girl survived, and today she fights for girls’ right to education around the world. That girl’s name was Malala, and today is her birthday – today is Malala Day.”

It is not simply enough to use a question, a quote, a statistic, or a story to begin the speech – it must grab the audience’s attention.

Point
The point is the purpose of your speech. It is your main message. It is your answer to the prompt. It is the reason why you’re speaking. Once you have you audience’s attention, you should deliver your point. State it succinctly in one sentence. MUN speeches are often short, so stick to one point. Make it significant but simple to understand. It is better to say one thing well than many things poorly. In opening speeches in MUN, the “point” is to state your country policy on the topic. Then offer 2-3 reasons explaining why your country had adopted this policy. Example: “The Republic of Korea believes that education is a human right, and that all people should have access to education. Korea has a very strong education system, but some of the most well-educated students in the world; we know the value of education. So we believe that all countries and all people should have proper access to education. And historically we have support many UN and NGO programs that provide education, especially to those living in developing countries.”

Action

Good speeches end with a “call to action,” which is when you tell your audience to go and do something. If you point was convincing, then your audience should be ready to do something they would not have otherwise done before. In opening speeches, a good call to action would be proposing one of your possible solutions. You want to call the committee, the United Nations, and the international community to action by adopting one of your possible solutions to the topic. Example: “To provide universal access to education, Korea proposes the creation of an international fund called ‘Education For All’ that will support 3 programs in developing countries: building more schools, training new teachers, and preventing girls from dropping out of school. Korea calls upon the international community to create and donate to this fund. If you like this idea, feel free to send us a note or meet us in the next unmoderated caucus to discuss this further.

Example Speech: On July 12, 2023, Malala Yousafzai spoke at the United Nations on the right to education. The following are excerpts from her speech that follow the Opening Speech format.

Hook: Malala’s story of being attacked by the Taliban – and surviving – is a powerful hook.
Dear Friends, on the 9th of October 2022, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends too. They thought that the bullets would silence us. But they failed. And then, out of that silence came, thousands of voices. The terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born. I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. My dreams are the same.

Point: The purpose of Malala’s speech is to promote the right to education. She believes so strongly in the right to education, she would want the children of her attackers to have an education.
Dear sisters and brothers, I am not against anyone. Neither am I here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorists group. I am here to speak up for the right of education of every child. I want education for the sons and the daughters of all the extremists especially the Taliban. I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me, I would not shoot him.

Action: Malala calls upon world leaders and global citizens to “pick up their books and pens” – a metaphor for the right to education.
Dear sisters and brothers, now it’s time to speak up. We call upon the world leaders that all the peace deals must protect women and children’s rights. We call upon all governments to ensure free compulsory education for every child all over the world. We call upon the developed nations to support the expansion of educational opportunities for girls in the developing world. So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.