Rules of Procedures
I. Conference Flow
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• QUORUM
• ROLL CALL
• ADOPTING THE AGENDA
• OPENING SPEECHES
• FORMAL DEBATE
1. QUORUM: 50% + 1 delegations must be present in order for the session to begin.
2. ROLL CALL: The Rapporteur will call each of the delegation’s formal name, and the
representative delegate shall respond by “present” or “present and voting”, bearing in mind
that delegations replying with “present & voting” may not abstain on substantive matters.
Delegations coming in late can only be recognized as present, if they send a note to the
Chair announcing their presence. If you are not recognized as present you are not to be
given the floor to speak, and your votes will not be counted.
3. ADOPTING THE AGENDA: The Chair shall announce the provisional agenda at hand, and
ask if there were any amendments. Only the title of the agenda could be amended; voting
on amendments to the agenda is done from most destructive to least destructive.
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4. OPENING SPEECHES: 2 minutes shall be granted to each delegation in which you could:
›
Proceed with your speech
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Postpone your speech
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Waiver your right to speak
5. FORMAL DEBATING: Center for debating within the Council. Delegations wishing to
speak must add their delegation’s name to the Speakers List*.
*Speakers List: A list that determines the order in which delegates will speak in the general
debate. If no one is on the list, debate is automatically closed and IF there is a draft resolution,
it is voted on; otherwise the TOPIC will be closed without voting.
II. Forms of Debate
1. FORMAL DEBATE
2. INFORMAL DEBATE: It is a form of debate in which delegations wishing to speak need
to raise their placards high until recognized by the chair. To move back into formal debate a
motion must be raised through Point of Order and has to pass by complete consensus.
3. CAUCUS: A period of time in which delegations are allowed to deliberate freely,
negotiating their arguments and reaching points of agreement; a caucus could be.
INFORMAL
DEBATE
FORMAL
DEBATE
CAUCUS
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III. Points & Motions
Points
Personal Privilege
Procedural
Clarification
Points of Order
› Used regarding
personal
integrity
matters.
› Used to clarify
on procedural
matters.
› Used to Raise a
Motion
› Can be raised
during speeches
› Can be raised
during speeches
› Can’t be raised
during speeches
› Do not Misuse
them!
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Motions
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Move from one form of debate to the other (Formal to Informal or caucus, specify
time period)
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Suspend meeting: Dismiss the meeting for a given period of time
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Adjourn debate: Close debate without voting
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Adjourn meeting: Dismiss the meeting
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Close debate: Close Debate & Vote
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Vote on Draft resolution: Vote on resolution then proceed with debating
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Overrule the chair
*All of the motions (except for moving from one form of debate to another) have to be raised
in formal debate
IV. Voting
1. Procedural Voting: It’s used for voting on points and Motions. Procedural Votes
require 2/3 majority and No abstentions are allowed.
2. Substantive Voting: It’s only used to vote on the agenda, amendments and draft
resolution. Substantive Votes require 70% Supermajority and abstentions are allowed.
Each Country is given a certain percentage of the votes in the Substantive voting
procedures based on its IMF quota.
a. Security Council: Requires 50% + 1 majority putting into account the
concurrent votes of the 5 permanent members.
b. Arab League: Requires 50% + 1 majority.
c. World Trade Organization: Requires complete consensus.
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SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS
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Delegation coming up with a WORKING PAPER, present it to the director.
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FIVE or more are needed to SPONSOR the paper so as to have it codified by the
Director. CO-SPONSORS are also placed on the paper.
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A CODIFIED working paper becomes a DRAFT RESOLUTION.
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DRAFT RESOLUTION is put on the floor, announced and read by the Chair to the entire
council.
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Floor is opened for amendments for a specific period of time.
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Debate continues until a MOTION is raised (during formal debate):
1. Vote on amendments.
2. Vote on draft resolution.
3. Close debate.
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Voting on amendments:
1. Sponsors are asked wither the amendment is "friendly" or not.
2. A FRIENDLY amendment (approved by the sponsors) would be automatically
incorporated into the resolution.
3. An UNFRIENDLY amendment (disapproved by the sponsors) is put to a
SUBSTANTIVE VOTE.
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After all amendments are dealt with, the amended draft resolution is re-read to the
council and voted upon substantively.
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FORMAT OF AMMENDMENTS
1.
Delegation: …………………………………………………………………………………………………
2.
Line and Clause Number: …………………………………………………………………………….
3.
Line/Clause as it reads now: ………………………………………………………………………..
4.
Type of amendment (Addition/Deletion/Modification): ……………………………….
5.
Line/Clause as proposed: ………………………………………………………………………….
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You may only place one amendment per sheet.
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Amendments that are not in this format are automatically disregarded by the Chair.
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Before voting on the Draft Resolution only three points can be entertained:
1. Withdrawal from sponsorship (Automatically Adopted)
2. Voting by Roll Call (Automatically Adopted)
3. Voting Clause by Clause (Procedural vote: 2/3 Majority)
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