How a MUN works

There are two basic components to the Model U.N. experience. First, you go through an extensive preparation process researching the countries you will represent, organising positions, preparing policy papers, drafting resolutions, and practising the rules of procedure and public speaking techniques. Second, you become an "ambassador" when the Model U.N. begins. You synthesise and apply the information and skills developed during your preparation when the role-playing gets underway during the simulation.

There are three steps in the Model U.N. experience:

Step 1: Preparation

Step 2: Participation

Step 3: Evaluation

Participation Requires Preparation

The first step in the Model United Nations experience is to prepare yourself to be a delegate. You will need to learn about three things:

the country you are to represent;

the subject or issues on the agenda;

the work of the United Nations related to the subject or issues.

Since you will become the "ambassador" of one of the U.N. member states, you will need to profile "your country." This particular part of your preparation is very important. You will need to know some basic facts about your country which might affect its policies in the United Nations. Some of the areas of consequence include:

economic system and the country's economic situation;

the country's political system and political history;

the social structure and values of the society;

the cultural heritage and content of the people;

the national priorities of the country's government and political leadership;

the international priorities and foreign policies of the country.

The objective of your research is to ascertain the ways that your country perceives the United Nations and its application to your country's policies and interests. Some of the questions you should be able to answer from all the research includes: Does your country use the U.N. as a means for:

furthering national interests?

exchanging ideas and assistance?

helping maintain stability?

mobilising nations to cooperate on common concerns?

building a more just world community?

The country research part of your preparation is an on-going activity which will take considerable time. It will also be a group effort if the Model U.N. you are attending requires that a delegation of several people is needed to represent a member state.

The second stage of your preparation should focus on understanding the issues or subjects that are on the Model U.N.'s agenda. In many instances, you and your colleagues will have to deduce what your country's views may be on these matters. But that is what research is all about.

A Model United Nations may have a singular theme like human rights or economic development, or it may cover several different areas of the U.N.'s work such as regional conflicts, disarmament, refugees, children's issues, external debt of developing countries, and the environment. The agenda of a Model U.N. will coincide with the number of U.N. bodies being simulated. The organisers of the Model U.N. set the agenda and normally provide background papers on each item. Your job is to find out what your country's position or views are on these issues and to develop a strategy for the country for the Model U.N. sessions.

Finally, the last stage of your research will focus on the United Nations system and its work. Comprehending the roles and functions of the various parts of the U.N. system on the issues and concerns is essential to your role as a delegate. The U.N. system is quite vast and may take some time to fully understand. It is important to know what the U.N. has done on an issue and the limitations of the U.N.'s abilities to resolve or take action on the problem(s). Unfortunately, you will want to learn as much about the past as you will about the present. This part of your research should help you better understand the role the U.N. plays in international affairs and how the U.N. operates as a diplomatic and policy-setting body for the international community.

After you have researched the country you will represent, the issues on the Model U.N.'s agenda and the United Nations system, you will be ready to prepare a "position paper." This should be concise, consisting of the main points you think your country would consider important for the issues to be discussed. During the simulation you can use these points as the basis for a speech or as items you might try to have included in resolutions. As you negotiate, you will undoubtedly modify them or you may even abandon them altogether.

Role-Playing - Where the Action Is!

The second step in the Model U.N. experience is applying the information and knowledge you have acquired during your preparation. Once you and the other delegates arrive either in the meeting room or at the conference facilities, you are no longer a student. You are the "official representative" of the country you have been assigned. You are a diplomat. Your purpose and that of your colleagues representing the other U.N. member states is to address the issues and problems on the agenda and to develop a workable resolution which the largest number of nations can support.

The Model U.N. meetings are structured by rules of procedure which provide the ways and means for countries to express their views, to consider proposals and resolutions, and to come to decisions on the agenda. You will have two principle concerns:

to express the viewpoint of the country you represent for the purpose of sharing the ideas and experience of "your" government and procuring a resolution acceptable to "your" country;

to contribute to developing an international response fair to all nations.

Role-playing involves working in a group and making speeches. As soon as you begin the meetings, you will want to meet informally with delegates of countries with backgrounds and concerns similar to yours in order to coordinate ideas and actions. In the Model U.N., these groups are often called "caucus groups." These groups are all unofficial and are not bodies that can bind "your" country to any position or viewpoint. The purpose of these groups is to facilitate the negotiating process. For example, the developing countries have formed the "Group of 77" that concentrates on forging a common agenda among over 125 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. The European Community (EC), on the other hand, is a very cohesive group of member countries in western Europe with the country holding the EC Presidency given the authority to speak on behalf of the member countries.

Negotiations are very intense and can be very frustrating, especially in the larger groups. Most of the diplomatic work is accomplished during the informal caucuses producing draft resolutions, amendments, and the important compromises needed to reach consensus. Speech-making during formal proceedings is another important part of role-playing. These public pronouncements permit delegates to "show their stuff" as an orator and thinker to the rest of the assembled group. Yet, not everyone is a polished speaker and in the Model U.N. debate substance is as important as style at the podium. A careful balance of listening and speaking must be struck in order to generate support and to find consensus on the problem.

The end result of the process is the adoption of a resolution or resolutions by vote, reflecting the aggregation of interests of the member states at the meeting. Therefore, your purpose at the Model U.N. is not to make the best presentation or to have "your" resolution win. Successful diplomacy is reaching a consensus on a resolution or proposal.