Delegate Training
West Windsor – Plainsboro
Model United Nations
Conference
Agenda
• Flow of Debate
• Parliamentary Procedure
• How to be an awesome delegate
Learn everything you need to know to
be successful at MUN
Roll Call
• Begin each committee session with a
roll call
• Delegates can say “Present” or “Present
and Voting”
• Present: allows delegate to abstain
• Present and Voting: Delegates cannot
abstain on substantive issues
– Everyone must vote on procedural issues
Flow of Debate
Motion to Open Debate
Motion to Set Agenda
Working Paper
Draft Resolution
Amendments
Voting
Motion to Open Debate
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First motion of the conference
Opens the General Speaker’s list
Default Speaking Time: One Minute
Talk about whatever you desire at
this moment
Speaker’s List
• Determines the order in which
delegates speak
• Primary mode of debate
• Will run throughout the duration of
the conference
Yields
• To the Chair
• To Questions
• To another delegate
Working Paper
• Document containing preliminary ideas and
thoughts
• The outline to the draft resolution
• The chairs will specify minimum
sponsors/signatory numbers based on their
discretion
• We don’t actually vote on the working paper
– Merge them and craft resolutions to introduce
• Usually allow for 10 min explanation and Q/A
Resolution
• After consolidation of working paper, a
resolution is formed when formally submitted
for introduction in committee
• Needs to be in resolution format
• Allow for 10 min explanation and Q/A
Amendments
• Friendly Amendments
– Must be agreed by all sponsors.
Automatically incorporated into the
resolution
• Unfriendly Amendments
– Not agreed by all(i.e. one sponsor
objects)
– Requires 1/5 signatories
– Requires 2/3 majority vote to pass
Motion for Moderated Caucus
• Moves the committee into a
structured debate about a specific
topic with a specific time limit.
• Requires majority vote
Motion for Un-moderated Caucus
• Suspend the rules
• Move the committee into an
organized chaos for a specific
amount of time to work/discuss
• I.e. I motion for a 20 minute unmoderated caucus to write working
papers/resolutions/amendments
Motion to Move to Previous Question
• Ends debate on current topic and
moves into voting procedure
• Requires 2 for and 2 against
• Requires 2/3 votes
Voting Procedure
• Vote on resolution in order of
docket(i.e. resolution 1.1,1.2,1.3, etc)
• First, the committee will vote on
unfriendly amendments for each
respective resolution
• Second, vote on the entire resolution/
Only delegates who said “present”
can abstain
Motion for Roll Call
• Delegate’s privilege
–Believe that the vote was too close
to call and want to record
everyone’s vote
• Yes, yes with rights, no, no with
rights, abstain
Motion to Limit/Extend Debate
• Increase or decrease speaker’s time
• Requires majority vote
Motion to Adjourn the Session
• Final motion of the conference
• Requires a majority vote
Point of Personal Privilege
• Indicate personal discomfort or
impediment to debate
• Desire to use the restroom or to get
water
• Cannot be used during a person’s
speaking time unless you can’t hear
the speaker
Point of Order
• Points out procedural mistake or
infraction by a delegate or Chair
• Can interrupt speaker, but please
refrain from interrupting a speaker.
Point of Parliamentary Inquiry
• Clarifies the rules
• Ask the Chair about the structural of
debate
• Have no clue what is going on, use
this point
Point of Clarification
• Clarifies errors or word choice in a
submission
–Working paper, resolution, and
amendment
• Can only be used to fix grammar
errors and not be used as clarification
on the issue itself
Right of Reply
• Replies to a personal attack on a
delegation’s member(s)
• Not used to response to substantive
attack
–I.e. The Country of Haiti is very
poor
Do’s
•
•
•
•
•
Speak up and engage in debate
Use effective motions and points
Write stuff.
Compromise and work with others
Sound smart(according to your
country’s view)
• Stay on topic during unmod caucus
Don’ts
• Don’t be afraid to take tough positions
• Don’t use electronics
• Don’t have a prewritten resolution(Get
rid of it ASAP)
• Don’t be anti-social or afraid to
interact
• Don’t be apathetic
HAVE FUN
Credits
Princeton International Relations Council 2013