Glossary of MUN Terms & Phrases
Abstain – During a vote on a substantive matter, delegates may abstain rather than vote yes
or no. This generally signals that a country does not support the resolution being voted on,
but does not oppose it enough to vote no.
Adjourn – All UN or Model UN sessions end with a vote to adjourn. This means that the
debate is suspended until the next meeting. This can be a short time (e.g., overnight) or a long
time (until next year's conference).
Agenda – The order in which the issues before a committee will be discussed. The first duty
of a committee following the roll call is usually to set the agenda.
Amendment – is a change to the operative clauses of a draft resolution (after it is introduced
but before it gets voted on. Just a reminder, preamble cannot be amended. There are two
types of amendments:
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
Friendly – all the sponsors agree to it and it becomes incorporated into the draft
resolution automatically
Unfriendly – not all the sponsors agree with it; therefore it will get debated and voted
upon, before it can be incorporated into the resolution.
Binding – Having legal force in UN member states. Security Council resolutions are binding,
as are decisions of the International Court of Justice; resolutions of the General Assembly and
Economic and Social Council are not.
Bloc – A group of countries in a similar geographical region or with a similar opinion on a
particular topic. Blocs typically vote together.
Caucus – is an opportunity for a less formal debate for the duration of the caucus delegates
are not according to the speakers list. There are two kinds:
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
Unmoderated Caucus – delegates are free to discuss without the guidance of the
Chairperson or the formal rules.
Moderated Caucus – Speakers’ List is abandoned; delegates raise their placards to
speak and the Chairperson chooses the next speaker.
Chairperson (Chair, Chairman, Chairwoman) – the person who is responsible for the
smooth running of the Committee. He/she writes the study guides, moderates the entire
proceedings of the Committee, decides on some matters that are at his/her discretion and
generally does everything to keep the debate smooth and productive.
Clause – a paragraph in a resolution describing one specific guiding principle
(perambulatory) or action to be taken (operative).
Dais – officially, the table upfront behind which the Chairperson is sitting. Practically, the
Dais denotes also the Chair and the staff of the Committee. Any concerns related to the
proceedings of the Committee you may have you should address to the Dais. Same goes for
notes to the Chairperson, or resolutions/amendments you want approved.
Debate – is what goes on in the committee. Formal debate is governed by the Speakers’ List
and moderated by the Chairperson. Debate is regulated by official Rules of Procedure.
Decorum – The order and respect for others that all delegates at a Model UN conference
must exhibit. The Chair will call for decorum when he or she feels that the committee is not
being respectful of a speaker, of the dais, or of their roles as ambassadors.
Delegate – A student acting as a representative of a member state or observer in a Model UN
committee.
Delegation – The entire group of people representing a member state or observer in all
committees at a particular Model UN conference. They are usually all from the same school.
Dilatory – see ruling something out of order
Director – A member of the dais that oversees the creation of working papers and draft
resolutions, acts as an expert on the topic, makes sure delegates accurately reflect the policy
of their countries, and ensures that decorum is maintained during caucuses.
Division of the Question – During voting bloc, delegates may motion to vote on certain
clauses of a resolution separately, so that only the clauses that are passed become part of the
final resolution. This is known as division of the question.
Draft resolution – A document that seeks to fix the problems addressed by a Model UN
committee. If passed by the committee, the draft resolution will become into a resolution.
Faculty Advisor – The faculty member in charge of a Model UN team, class or club.
Floor – essentially means the opportunity to speak, or it can denote the subject matter that is
currently debated. If someone “has the floor”, it means they are allowed to speak. If a
resolution is “on the floor”, it has been formally introduced, it is being debated and it will be
voted on.
Flow of debate – The order in which events proceed during a Model UN conference. This
usually indicates the movement between formal and informal debate and the process of
drafting, debating and voting on resolutions.
Formal debate – The "standard" type of debate at a Model UN conference, in which
delegates speak for a certain time in an order based on a speakers' list.
Gavel – the little wooden hammer the Chairperson uses to keep the Committee in order.
Make sure they don’t have to use it too much, banging the gavel does not make a very
pleasant sound.
General Assembly (GA) – in the real UN, it is the body in which every country of the world
is represented. Even though we won’t have all the countries present at our Conference, the
GA is still our biggest committee that every delegation will attend. Sometimes (in the MUN
world) the General Assembly may be also called the Plenary Session.
Head Delegate – The student leader of a Model UN club or team.
Member State – A country that has ratified the Charter of the United Nations and whose
application to join has been accepted by the General Assembly and Security Council.
Currently, there are 193 member states.
Moderator – see Chair.
Motion – motion is essentially a suggestion for action to the Committee. If you want to
change the way of debating, introduce a resolution or generally move the proceedings
forward, raise your placard and make a motion. There are several types of motions allowed in
a Committee – for their list and further explanations, see the Rules.
Observer – A state, national organization, regional organization, or non-governmental
organization that is not a member of the UN but participates in its debates. Observers can
vote on procedural matters but not substantive matters. An example is the Holy See.
On the floor – At a Model UN conference, when a working paper or draft resolution is first
written, it may not be discussed in debate. After it is approved by the Director and introduced
by the committee, it is put "on the floor" and may be discussed.
Page – A delegate in a Model UN committee that has volunteered to pass notes from one
delegate to another or from a delegate to the dais, for a short period of time.
Placard – the sign that has the name of the country you are representing on it. You raise your
placard to vote or to propose a point or motion – it is a way for the Chairperson to see you
have something to say.
Point – if you want to ask a question, or point the attention of the Chairperson to something,
you use a Point. For example, when you cannot hear the speaker, when you think the Chair
has made a procedural mistake, or when you do not understand the decision of the Chair and
want to clarify the procedure.
Position paper – A summary of a country's position on a topic, written by a delegate before a
Model UN conference.
Procedural – Having to do with the way a committee is run, as opposed to the topic being
discussed. All delegates present must vote on procedural matters and may not abstain.
Quorum – The minimum number of delegates needed to be present for a committee to meet.
In the General Assembly, a quorum consists of one third of the members to begin debate, and
a majority of members to pass a resolution. In the Security Council, no quorum exists for the
body to debate, but nine members must be present to pass a resolution.
Rapporteur – A member of the dais whose duties include keeping the speakers' list and
taking the roll call, as well as assisting in and keeping track of administrative duties in the
committee room.
Resolution – is the final product of the Committee. It is a document that says how you want
to change the world; what actions you want to take; how you are using your authority as a
body. A resolution is created during the Committee sessions and in the end you vote on
whether to implement it or not. Resolution has to be in a specific format, it is made of clauses
and it has two main parts:
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
Preamble / Preambulatory clauses – the introduction, in which you state upon what
principles you are acting (or what values you are upholding with the resolution), what
events you are condemning or congratulating, and/or what other documents were used
as a basis for this resolution. Preambulatory clauses cannot be amended or divided out
of a resolution.
Operative clauses – these are the sentences that describe the actions you want to take
(or want other organizations to take). You may directly order something to the bodies
you have authority over, or urge independent organizations to take some action that is
in their power. You may create new bodies, or terminate old ones. In operative
clauses, you should also explain the financing mechanisms of your plan, as well as the
enforcement mechanism it will use.
Right of Reply – A right to speak in reply to a previous speaker's comment, invoked when a
delegate feels personally insulted by another's speech. Generally requires a written note to the
Chair to be invoked.
Roll Call – The first order of business in a Model UN committee, during which the
Rapporteur reads aloud the names of each member state in the committee. When a delegate's
country's name is called, he or she may respond "present" or "present and voting." A delegate
responding "present and voting" may not abstain on a substantive vote.
Rules of Procedure – The rules by which a Model UN committee is run.
Second – whenever a motion is made, it requires a Second – that is, there needs to be another
delegation that wants to see the motion implemented. To Second is easy – when you hear a
motion you agree with, just raise your placard and say “Second”.
Secretariat – The staff of a Model UN conference.
Secretary-General – The leader of a Model UN conference.
Signatories – are the delegations that wish to see the draft resolution formally debated during
the Committee session. They do not have to agree with the resolution; they just want to see it
on the floor.
Simple majority – 50% plus one vote of the number of delegates in a committee. The
amount needed to pass most votes.
Speakers' List – A list that determines the order in which delegates will speak. Whenever a
new topic is opened for discussion, the Chair will create a speakers' list by asking all
delegates wishing to speak to raise their placards and calling on them one at a time. During
debate, a delegate may indicate that he or she wishes to be added to the speakers' list by
sending a note to the dais.
Specialized Committee (or Regional Body/Bloc) – A committee that is smaller than the
GA, typically it contains 20-30 delegations. The specialized committees are usually focused
on particular geographic area (such as the African Union, or League of Arab States), or on a
particular problem
Sponsors – are the delegations that author a resolution, and are committed to supporting it.
Straw Poll – a non-binding vote for the purpose of gauging the opinion of the Committee. If
you want to see what everyone thinks about your proposal, you may make a motion for a
Straw Poll – the Chair will then have the delegates simulate voting on the proposal, but the
vote is only for information purposes – it is not binding and the count may, of course, change
later.
Substantive – Having to do with the topic being discussed. A substantive vote is a vote on a
draft resolution or amendment already on the floor during voting bloc. Only member states
(not observer states or non-governmental organizations) may vote on substantive issues.
To be in order – if a type of a point or motion is said to be “in order” it means that the rules
allow you to make such a point or motion. E.g. “a motion for a roll call is in order only when
voting on draft resolutions” means you may only move for a roll call during the final voting
procedure, but not when voting on amendments or other motions.
Topic/Study/Background guide – A guide to a topic being discussed in a Model UN
committee usually written by conference organizers and distributed to delegates before the
conference. The starting point for any research before a Model UN conference.
To rule something out of order – when a chairperson rules something out of order, (s)he is
basically saying either that the rules do not allow it, or that he believes it would hurt the
committee and therefore he will not allow it (the second is sometimes also called “ruling
something dilatory”). If a delegate is out of order, it means that the action s(he) has made
(offensive speech, incorrect motion) is inappropriate at that time and will not be considered.
Veto – The ability, held by China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and
the United States to prevent any draft resolution in the Security Council from passing by
voting no.
Vote – A time at which delegates indicate whether they do or do not support a proposed
action for the committee. There are two types: procedural and substantive.
Voting procedure – The period at the end of a committee session during which delegates
vote on proposed amendments and draft resolutions.
Working Paper – a document that is authored by one or more delegates, presented to all
delegations, and which helps the work of the Committee in some way. It does not have to be
in a resolution format, it can be a list of ideas; nevertheless, a good working paper provides a
backbone for a resolution.
Yield – is what you do with the remainder of your speaking time. Yielding essentially means
giving the rest of your time to someone. You may yield to other delegation, to questions (if
you are willing to answer them), or to the Chairperson (if you have finished speaking or you
have no more time anyway).