2

LETTER FROM DELEGATE RELATIONS

Greetings Delegates!

It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you to the Heritage Xperiential

Learning School Model United Nations 2023.

This handbook was curated to give you a comprehensive insight into the workings
of Model UN. It will make research much easier for you and will clarify any doubts
you may still have. Please understand that MUNs are a practical art, while all of the
technicalities, procedures, and research may seem overwhelming at first, as you
attend conferences, you'll begin to understand them much better.

You may think that these large-scale, international problems are impossible to solve by
young minds such as yours, however, you must remember that the purpose of Model
UN is not to solve the issues that plague our world right away. The purpose is to hone
your analysis skills, increase your political and economic knowledge, and allow you to
develop your public speaking skills and confidence, such that, in the future, you're
more than capable of taking on these problems. We hope that you are inspired to think
critically and observe more after this conference, to find problems that you're passionate
to solve.

Please do not hesitate to contact us through email, in case of any queries. We hope you
all use this effectively. Best of luck, and happy MUNing!

Yours Sincerely

Head of Delegate Relations

Ishika Midha

[email protected]

3
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page No.

Chapter 1: How do I prepare for my 4
first conference?

Chapter 2: Overview of the 8

flow of different kinds of
committees
Chapter 3: Parliamentary Procedure 11
and Important Terms

Chapter 4: How to write a 15

resolution for conventional
committees
Chapter 5: Public Speaking 24
Tips

4
 CHAPTER 1

How do I prepare for my first conference?

So, you have signed up for a committee and received an allotment. What do you do
now? Well, the first and foremost step is to read the Background Guide. Read it once,
and then read it again. Treat it as your Bible, but don’t only limit your research to
that document. It is meant to give you a brief synopsis of the agenda and is meant to
guide your research in a structured manner.

Each committee functions differently. While Model UNs started as a simulation of

the United Nations, in the spirit of education, several conferences such as ours
simulate a variety of organizations and their meetings. A few committees that you
may come
across are All India Political Parties Meet (AIPPM), Lok Sabha, War Cabinets, and so on.
These committees are known as unconventional committees, which means their
proceedings differ from that of a conventional UN simulation. This guide will give a
brief overview of how to prepare for different kinds of committees, but the nitty-gritty
will be covered by the Executive Board in the committee itself. There are 3 major
aspects to cover before your first conference: Opening Speech, Research, and
Lobbying.

1. Opening Speech:

The Opening Speech typically lasts about 1 minute or 1 minute and 30 seconds and
is the first speech you give to the committee. In conventional committees, the
Opening Speech is referred to as the General Speaker's List (GSL), and in
unconventional
committees, it may be referred to as the Opening Statement. It is the best
opportunity for you to explain your stance as a country, or as per your portfolio in
case of unconventional committees, for the agenda. You may explain how the
problem has
impacted your country/ political party/ portfolio, and measures you may have taken
to combat it on a national or personal level. Additionally, you may talk about the
different sub-topics you would like to focus on in the course of these three days.
Remember, this
is your first speech, and its main objective is to establish your position on the
agenda first, so hold on to your elaborate solutions! While the rest of your speeches

5
will be made during the committee itself, it's a good idea to prepare your opening
speech
beforehand.

6
2.. Research:

You may be confused about where to start researching, and that's completely normal.
The internet is flooded with information both valuable and invaluable. The first thing
you must do, as mentioned before, is to read the background guide. The background
guide will give you a precise idea of what all topics you should cover while discussing
the agenda given. These sub-topics will become your Moderated Caucus/ Public
Session topics (keep reading and you'll understand what those are). After you've
read the background guide, and thoroughly read all further links provided, research
on:

- Your Portfolio: Your portfolio refers to the country that has been allotted to you,
or in case of unconventional committees, the politician or person that has been
allotted to you. Research the country's history, its political structure (are you
representing a democracy? A constitutional monarchy, or perhaps a
military dictatorship), important treaties that the country may have
signed/ratified
regarding the agenda, and relevant statistics. In the case of a person or
politician, research on their past: controversial statements they may have
made, their
political party, their views regarding the agenda. Interviews and press
releases given by them are your best friend for this aspect of research.
- Foreign/ Party Policy: Each country has friends or allies, and enemies. It's
important to know who your country supports so that you can maintain
those relations in the committee as well. Remember, you're merely
representing a
person or country, your statements made in the committee must align with your
political party's or country's foreign policy in the real world. For example, the
delegate representing India cannot support the delegate representing Pakistan
during the committee, and the BJP cannot create an alliance with INC due to
their real-life dynamics.
- International/National proceedings related to the agenda: While your
portfolio plays a huge role in forming your arguments in the committee, the
purpose of an MUN
is to diplomatically come together as several nations, or people, to implement a
solution worldwide, not just in one country. So it's important to research
beyond your portfolio and focus on the agenda as a whole, not just concerning
your

7
situation. You must research international summits or conferences that may have
taken place earlier to discuss the same agenda and their findings. Or law
commissions that may have been set up by the government and their reports.
To understand how to counter the problem at hand, we must know what has
worked in the past and what hasn't.

8
 These are just some of the pointers you may focus on while researching. Now, what
sources can you utilize to research these areas? While your background guides contain
a list of reliable sources, here are a few more to explore:

- Academic/ Research Papers: Solutions can be hard to think of yourself,

especially on such a large scale. Research papers written by scholars, professors,
and diplomats have great solutions to the agendas you'll be discussing. Google
Scholar has plenty of research papers and long-form articles which can help you
with the same. Just type your agenda and start reading!
- UN/ Government Websites: Each United Nations organ has an official website,
which contains everything from country profiles to information on treaties.
You'll also find resolutions passed or put forward, which is another great source
for
solutions. For unconventional committees, each government ministry also has
its official website, for example, the Ministry of Women and Child Development
has its website where you can find information on several schemes and policies
that you may not know existed, and may be relevant to your agenda. The Law
Commission of India also has its website, with countless reports full
of information.
- News Articles: Reuters is by far the best website for finding news articles. It gives
accurate and unbiased information. Most chairs only accept articles from
Reuters, but some accept from other sources too, refer to your background
guide for details on the same.
- Parliamentary Speeches: Speeches given by politicians during Lok Sabha or
Rajya
Sabha sessions are often presented on YouTube. While they are often
highly rhetorical, they are instrumental in understanding what your
portfolio feels
strongly about, and their way of speaking. What issues do they want to focus
on? Interviews and speeches given by them at public processions on your
agenda are also useful.

3. Lobbying:

Along with your background guides, we have also provided all of you with WhatsApp
Links for Lobbying Groups of your respective committees. Lobbying is an essential
part of any MUN. As mentioned before, each country has allies and enemies. So does
each

9
politician. According to the foreign/party policy, delegates form blocs. Blocs are
essentially groups of different portfolios that come together to propose a solution.

10
Again, naturally, the BJP and INC can't come up with the same solution and work
together. So, each committee forms 2-3 blocs, which prepare their Draft Resolutions (a
fancy word for a document filled with solutions to the agenda which you create as a
bloc). To achieve consensus on one solution that will be adopted internationally/
nationally, it's important to persuade as many members as you can into joining your
bloc, all the while keeping in mind your foreign policy of course. While you'll be given
sufficient time to lobby during the committee, you must utilize your WhatsApp groups
to have a consensus on the topics that you plan on discussing, as well as solutions.
This will help save committee time and enhance your persuasion skills. While
lobbying does not need to be formal, all communication related to this event must be
respectful and appropriate.

11
 CHAPTER 2

Overview of the flow of different types of committees

Note: There are no iron-clad standards in Model UN and different conferences may
run their flow of debate and rules of procedure differently. For conventional
committees, the most commonly used rule of procedure is the UNA-USA procedure.
Some crisis
committees and Indian committees may operate with a customized set of rules and
debate formats but you will be taken over them thoroughly in the committee as
well.

Nevertheless, there are similarities, and the goal of every committee is to take action
toward the agenda by voting and passing a resolution, which essentially outlines the
problem at hand, and measures to counter the same. In an Indian committee such as
the Joint Parliamentary Committee, this resolution may be called a Bill. In crisis
committees, the end goal is to tackle the crisis at hand by taking diplomatic as well as
military measures through directives. Directives are the main tool in a crisis
committee. They are written requests of action (military, security, or intelligence
related) to the Executive Board, and are approved or denied at their discretion.

UNA-USA Procedure:

The flow of debate described below is a simplified version of the typical high
school conferences and many collegiate conferences around the world:

1. Each committee is led by the Executive Board which facilitates the discussion for
the committee. The committee will start with the Executive Board taking roll call.
Afterwards, the committee will vote on which of the assigned topics to discuss
first.
After the topic is selected, the committee is ready to begin a debate on the selected
topic.

2. There are three debate formats:

a. The default debate format is called the (General) Speakers List. This is where
delegates take turns making speeches in front of the room in the order that they
are listed on the Speakers List as selected by the Chair. Speeches are typically
around 1 minute or 1 minute and 30 seconds, but the speaking time can be
changed by a majority vote from the delegates.

12
 b. After a certain number of speeches, the delegates may vote to change up the
debate format to either Moderated Caucus or Unmoderated Caucus.
Moderated Caucus is when the committee decides to focus on a sub-issue and
get a
back-and-forth debate going. Delegates will raise their placards to be called
on to speak, and the Chairperson will call on speakers one by one until the
Moderated Caucus time has expired.

c. Un-moderated Caucus is when delegates are free to get up out of their seats
and roam around the room to work with other countries with similar policies.
The first one or two un-moderated caucuses will be spent finding allies, but
afterwards, most of the un-moderated caucuses are spent writing draft
resolutions with your caucus bloc (your group of allies). All delegates
are encouraged to be a sponsor — an author — of a draft resolution.

The committee will switch between the Speakers List, Moderated Caucus, and
Unmoderated Caucus until draft resolutions are complete, merged, and ready to
be presented.

3. Resolutions will be presented either as they are ready or all at once near the end of the
conference (sometimes this is called Formal Caucus). Some conferences allow a
question-and-answer period after the presentations, and some conferences will also
allow time to make mergers or amendments to the resolution.

4. Finally, all the countries in the committee will vote on whether or not they want a
resolution to be passed. Afterwards, the committee will repeat the same process for
the second topic, or if you do not have a second topic then you are done!

Indian Committees (Historical Joint Parliamentary Committee):

Indian committees such as Lok Sabha, AIPPM, or Joint Parliamentary Committees

follow a different procedure, however, that can be easily understood by creating
parallels from the UNA-USA Procedure. For example, the GSL is known as the
"Opening Statement". Instead of a Draft Resolution, Indian committees draft a bill,
essentially a law that is passed by the government. Moderated Sessions become Public
Sessions, where sub-topics are discussed in the presence of the International Press.
There is a variation in Moderated Caucuses in Indian Committees: you may also
choose to have a Private Session, where you'll discuss a sub-topic however
International Press
13
won't be present. Anything that you say in a private session will never be known to the
public and you can't be held accountable for it. Politicians use Private Sessions to
discuss more sensitive topics, which if released to the public might cause unrest, and
defamation of these politicians. Unmoderated Caucuses remain the same as they are in
Indian committees. Sometimes, depending on the Executive Board, you may also have
a "Question Hour" and a "Zero Hour". The Question Hour is a stipulated time in the
parliament where members can question other members regarding the agenda, a speech
made by them, a new policy, etc. The Zero Hour is the time when members can raise an
issue of Urgent National Importance. It is used when a particular event causes national
unrest and must be deliberated on immediately. This event may or may not be related
to the agenda at hand. The Speaker will have the right to allow or decline an issue from
being raised in Zero Hour. As for documentation, apart from Bills, Indian Committees
often have a Press Release. A Press Release is a document that is made by the committee
to share their deliberations with the rest of the world and the media.

Crisis Committees:

A crisis committee functions very differently from a conventional or an Indian

committee. The committee operates on a "freeze date", which means that this
simulation is taking place on the freeze date itself. No events that occurred after the
freeze date will be valid in the committee. Delegates in a crisis simulation essentially
get the unique
opportunity to tackle the crisis all over again, and change history. If you were present
at the time of a certain war, how would you have handled it? The delegates are given
continuous updates by the Executive Board as the situation progresses while they're
in committee. As a cabinet, you must take military action, launch rescue operations,
negotiate with terrorists, or start investigations to gain intelligence. Based on your
actions communicated to the Executive Board through Directives, you'll receive new
updates and information as a direct result of your actions. Delegates must continue
to navigate the changing situation to change the outcome of what happened in the
past.

14
 CHAPTER 3
Parliamentary Procedure and Terms

(Overview) Parliamentary Procedures:

Parliamentary procedure is the procedure or method in which order is sought by

both the Executive Board AND the delegates in a formal conference. It is composed of
many rules and motions created to make a conference easier for everyone.

*Executive Board: The Executive Board refers to the judges of a committee. The
Executive Board usually consists of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Rapporteur.
They may also be referred to as Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Scribe in some cases.
The Executive Board merely moderates the proceedings and does not interfere in
actual debate.

1. Modes of Address:

First, we’ll start with the obvious: do not use slang when speaking in a conference, all
speeches should begin with “Mr./Ms. Chair, ladies and gentlemen of the house...” and
not: “Yo what’s up?!” Remember, you are trying to solve a world issue, not hosting a
party with all your friends.

Here’s perhaps the most important aspect of parliamentary etiquette: Never refer
to yourself in the first person. That also goes for your peers. When speaking, use
the name of your delegation: e.g. “The delegation of China does not understand” or
“Will the (honourable) delegate of Russia please clarify...”

The following are some phrases that can be used by delegates:

▪ Mr./Ms./Madam/Honorable Chair...
▪ The delegation of has a point of (see below under motions
of □parliamentary procedure)
▪ Is the delegate of not aware...
▪ Does the speaker not realize that ...
▪ We yield the floor to the char/to the delegate of
▪ Does the speaker not agree… □

15
Note: In the case of unconventional committees, where you do not represent a
country, but play the part of a person, you will refer to yourself as I. While in
conventional
committees such as the UNGA, you are a delegate representing the views of a country,
in a Joint Parliamentary Committee or a Lok Sabha, you are representing your views
as another person.

2. Motions and Points in the Parliamentary Procedure:

A motion is a point or request that a delegate would like to bring to the Chair’s
attention. These should never be used to interrupt a speaker (at least wait until she/he
has finished his/her sentence). Here are the most common and most often-used
motions and points:

A) Point of Personal Privilege: This is a motion used to let the Chair and the
speaker know that something is bothering you (the speaker is too loud, too
quiet, too fast, too slow, or unclear). When wishing to bring across a point of
personal
privilege simply raise your country’s name card and say “Point of
Personal Privilege” and the Executive Board will recognize you.

B) Point of Information: This is a question a delegate might have for the

speaker after they have finished their speech. A Point of Information can only
be brought forth when the Executive Board (EB) has asked for them. When the
EB has authorized points of information, simply raise your portfolio's name
card and
wait to be called on. Here are some tips to Point of Information:

○ Use proper etiquette and stay respectful.

○ Only ask one question when called on
○ If the delegate has not answered the question to your satisfaction
you may ask for a follow-up question by saying “Plea to Follow Up".

C) Point of Order: This is the motion used when you want to bring the
Executive Board's attention to a factual inaccuracy, or violation of parliamentary
procedure. For example, suppose the delegate of China states in their speech
that Mumbai is the capital of India, another delegate may raise a point of order
after their speech in the following manner:

16
 The delegate of (in this case China), said in their speech and I quote
(this is where you quote the incorrect statement made by another delegate, in this
case, "Mumbai is the capital of India"), however, (state the correct statement, in
this case, "the capital of India is Delhi.")

Alternatively, a Point of Order may also be raised against the Executive Board
in case they have made a procedural error, for example, the roll call was not
taken. However, this use of Point of Order is quite rare and most simulations
only use them for factual inaccuracies as explained above.

D) Point of Parliamentary Inquiry: This is a question directed to the

Executive Board concerning parliamentary procedures regarding time and
related issues.

E) Motion to Move into a Moderated Caucus: After the GSL/ Opening

Statement, delegates now move on to discussing sub-topics through the
procedure of raising a motion. When the Executive Board asks for motions on
the floor, you may raise your placard, and once you're recognized you must
state the following:

"The delegate of (your portfolio) would like to suspend formal debate, and
move into a Moderated Caucus on the topic (state your sub-topic) for a total
time of (duration of this Moderated Caucus) with each speaker's time being ".

The total time determines how many speakers will be able to speak in a
particular moderated caucus, for example, if the total time is 20 minutes, and
each speaker's time is 60 seconds, only 20 speakers will be recognized to speak.

Once 2-3 motions have been heard, the committee will vote on these motions,
and once a motion is passed by a majority, the committee will be in a
moderated caucus and speakers will be recognized.

3. Yields:

As explained, for each speech a time limit is set for each speaker as per the motion
passed. If a delegate has finished their speech before their time has elapsed, they may
yield the time left in one of three ways:

A) Yield to the Executive Board: The elapsed time is returned to the

committee and is not made use of as such.

17
 B) Yield to Another Delegate: After your speech has ended, you may
yield the leftover time to another delegate, who can speak for the duration
left.
C) Yield to POIs: In the time that you have left, you may answer Points of
Information asked to you by other delegates by yielding to Points of
Information.
Depending on the time left, the EB will recognize a certain number of
questions that can be asked.

4. Chits:

Apart from verbal communication, a MUN also utilizes chits as a means of

communication. There are three types of chits:

A) To EB: If you were unable to include some points in your speech due to time
restrictions, you can write your speech/any data you may have in bullet
points and send it to the Executive Board directly. Note that chits are not to be
used as a replacement for speeches, chits have minimal weightage in comparison
to
speeches.
B) To a Delegate Via EB: If a delegate wished to ask a Point of Information but
couldn't be recognized due to time constraints, they may write their question
on a chit, state who the question is being asked, and from whom is the question
coming from (their portfolio) and mention "Via EB" on the top so that the
Executive Board can take note of that question.
C) To Another Delegate: This is more of an informal chit. If you wish to ask a
question or communicate something to another delegate that is not of relevance
to the Executive Board with minimal disruption (asking for their email, or a pen,
etc) you may do that via chit, but be sure to not mention "Via EB" on it. Delegates
must remember to be respectful and appropriate even while using informal chits.

4. Behavior:

Behaviour in an assembly is very important. No talking between delegates

will be tolerated. All communication between delegates will be through notes
passed. Respect must be kept when speaking as well. If the Chair deems it necessary,
s/he may issue a warning to a delegation that repeatedly breaks parliamentary
procedure. After three
warnings, the delegation will be asked to leave the conference.

18
 CHAPTER 4

How to write a resolution? (Conventional Committees)

Basics of a Resolution:

Who: Who writes a resolution?

Any delegate in the committee can write a resolution (although in rare instances an
observer state is not allowed to directly write a resolution). The author of a resolution
is called a ” sponsor”. Most resolutions have multiple sponsors because it takes a
group of countries to share good ideas and come to a consensus. Some conferences
allow delegates to sponsor multiple resolutions for each topic while others only allow
delegates to sponsor one per topic.

What: What is a resolution?

A resolution is a document that contains all the issues that the committee wants to
solve and the proposed solutions to that issue. It’s called a resolution because that’s
what the United Nations calls the documents they produce. Technically, the resolution
should be called a Draft Resolution before it is voted upon and then called a resolution
after it is
successfully passed during the voting bloc.

When/Where: When and where are resolutions written?

Most conferences require delegates to write resolutions during the conference.

Specifically, resolutions are usually written during an Unmoderated caucus
(sometimes called informal caucus) where delegates are free to roam around the
committee to
collaborate on ideas with each other. Resolution writing becomes more focused
during the latter sessions of the committee when different country policies are clear
and different ideas have been mentioned already.

Why: The ultimate purpose of a committee session is to pass a resolution. All the
speeches, debates, negotiations, and teamwork are supposed to lead up to a resolution,

19
which contains all the proposed solutions to the issue. The resolution(s) that the
majority of the committee agrees upon will be passed during the voting bloc and
the sponsors will be informally commended for building consensus on good ideas.
Most conferences allow multiple resolutions to pass as long as they do not
contradict each other, but a few conferences allow only one resolution to pass.

How to Write a Resolution:

How: How do I write a resolution and what does the format look like?
Here is an example of how a resolution looks like from UNA-USA’s website:

A resolution is simple to write. It has three main parts: the heading, the
pre-ambulatory clauses, and the operative clauses. We’ll break down
the example above into these three parts below:

20
1. Heading:

The heading contains four pieces of information: the committee name, the sponsors,
the signatories, and the topic (not necessarily in that order, depending on each
conference’s rules).

The committee name and topic should be self-explanatory. The sponsors are the
authors of the resolution. The signatories are other delegates in the committee who do
not necessarily agree with the resolution but would like to see it debated. Most
conferences require a minimum number or percentage of sponsors and signatories (or
a combination of both) before a resolution can be presented – this encourages
consensus-building. You will also notice some numbering (on the top right corner in
the example). This is usually provided by the committee chair and is just a way to
number the different resolutions (usually by the order they are received or approved)
so that delegates can easily
differentiate or reference them.

2. Preambulatory Clauses:

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:

21
 ● 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
● General background info formation or facts about the topic, its

It’s very simple to write preambulatory clauses. First, select a statement that you want
to write about (perhaps an issue you want to solve or a specific fact from one of the
five bullet points above). Then take that statement and combine it with an underlined
preambulatory phrase, and end it with a comma.

Here are some example preambulatory phrases from UNA-USA’s website that you
can choose from:

For example, my country wants to address the issue of how HIV/AIDS has spread
rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa. I pick a preambulatory phrase from above — I’ll
use “Alarmed by” — and then I combine it to say:

Alarmed by the 17% increase in HIV/AIDS contraction among sub-Saharan

African countries in the past five years,

Strategy Tip: In general, you want fewer pre-ambulatory clauses than operative
clauses. More operative clauses convey that you have more solutions than you have
problems.

22
3. Operative Clauses:

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 pre-ambulatory clauses above it.

It’s very simple to write an operative clause. First, 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
pre-ambulatory clauses, helps show logical progression in the resolution, and makes
the operative clauses easy to refer to in speeches and comments. Here are some
example
operative phrases from UNA-USA’s website that you can choose from:

23
For example, my first solution is to distribute low-cost medicines for HIV/AIDS to
sub-Saharan African countries. I pick an operative phrase from above — I’ll use
“Calls upon” — and then I combine it and number it to say:

1.Calls upon the developed countries and major pharmaceutical countries

to provide low-cost, generic medicines for HIV/AIDS to sub-Saharan
African countries;

Strategy Tip: Usually more details in an operative clause will make it stronger or at
least make the idea clearer to other delegates. A simple way to strengthen each
operative
clause is to answer the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of each resolution.
These details can be broken down into sub-operative clauses underneath the main
operative clause. Do not plagiarize operative clauses from preexisting resolutions.
It will render your resolution scrapped and may even result in the sponsors not
being eligible for an award.

Amendments:

Approved draft resolutions are modified through amendments. An amendment is a

written statement that adds, deletes or changes an operative clause in a draft
resolution. The amendment process is used to strengthen consensus on a resolution
by allowing delegates to change the operative clauses (the pre-ambulatory clauses can
not be modified). There are two types of amendments:

24
 1. A friendly amendment is a change to the draft resolution that all sponsors
agree with. After the amendment is signed by all of the draft resolution
sponsors and approved by the committee chair, it will be automatically
incorporated into the resolution.

2. An unfriendly amendment is a change that some or all of the draft

resolution sponsors do not support and must be voted upon by the
committee. This also
refers to delegates who did not write this resolution at all but see potential in it
as long as several changes are made to it. The sponsors of the amendment will
need to obtain a required number of signatories to introduce it. Before voting on
the draft resolution, the committee votes on all unfriendly amendments.

Writing an amendment is very simple. All you have to do is make an operative

clause that adds, deletes or changes an operative clause in a draft resolution.
Examples
include:

● Adds an operative clause that reads “14. Encourages all Latin

American countries to...”
● Deletes operative clause 9.
● Changes operative clause 1 to read “1. Calls upon the Red Cross to provide
low-cost medicines...”

Sample Draft Resolution:

Commission on Information Regulation International News flow Imbalance

The Economic and Social Council

Recalling its Resolution A/36/89 of 16 December 1981, “The Declaration on Fundamental

Principles Concerning the Contribution of the Mass Media to Strengthening Peace and
International Understanding,”

Recalling also Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right
to...receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,”

25
Recognizing that the problem of news flow imbalance is that two-way information among
countries of a region is either nonexistent or insufficient and information exchanged between
regions of the world is inadequate,

Realizing the need for all Sovereign Nations to maintain their integrity and still play an active
role in the international system,

1. Recommends that a three-level information interchange system be established on the

National, Regional, and International levels to ameliorate the current problems of news flow
imbalance, which is to operate as follows:
a. Each region's member nations will report their national information and receive the
information of other nations in their region from the regional level of this interchange
system;
b. Nations will decide the character of the news flow media best suited to the need
of their sovereign territory, be this printed, audio, or audiovisual;
c. Regional News Gathering Agencies will serve to gather information from the
nations in their region, and these boards will have no editorial discretion and will
serve to forward all information to the International Board;
d. Each regional agency will be composed of representatives from every member
nation of the region;
e. The primary function of the International Board will be to translate
information accumulated from the regional news-gathering agencies;
f. The secondary purpose will be to transmit all information gathered back to the
member nations via the regional news-gathering agencies;
g. To expedite the transfer of information from the international to regional level the
international board will utilize a UN frequency on a European Economic Community
(EEC) satellite;

2. Proposes that the following be designated as regional areas: a) Africa;

a. The Middle East;□c) Asia and the Pacific;□d) Latin America;□e) Eastern
Europe;□f) Western Europe and North America;

3. Urges the establishment of the University of International Communications, whose

main branch will be in Geneva, Switzerland with additional branches located in each of
the aforementioned regions, with the following aims
a. The University and branches will be established with the express purpose of
bringing together world views and facilitating the transfer of technology;
b. All member nations of the United Nations will be equally represented at
the University;
c. Incentives will be offered to students of journalism and communications at the
University to return to their countries to teach upon completion of instruction;

26
 d. The instructors of the regional education centres will be comprised of a multi-
partisan coalition of educators from throughout the world;
e. The number of students admitted to the University will be contingent upon
the amount of funding provided by the United Nations;

4. Calls for the continued use of funds from the International Program for the
Development of Communications, Special Account, UNESCO, the UN Development
Program, and other sources of funding including national governments and private
donors;

5. Recommends that the distribution of funds be decided by the IPDC.

*Please note that the format for a Bill, Press Release, and Directive
will be shared by the Executive Board in the committee itself.

27
 CHAPTER 5:

Public Speaking and my GSL

How to Make an Opening Speech:

1. First, you may thank the presiding official by saying "Thank

you Mr./ Madame/ Honorable Chair/ President for the recognition"

2. Then begin by providing a brief history of the issue and how it

relates to your country/political party.

3. Provide your portfolio's position on the issue. Include an

explanation for your portfolio's stance, such as economic or security concerns or
political or religious ideology.

4. You may choose to explain how your portfolio's position relates to the
positions of other member states such as the major powers in your
regional bloc/ political alliance.

5. You may discuss some of the past actions taken by the

UN/ national government and NGOs to address the issue.

6. Present ideas for a resolution/bill stressing your portfolio's

objectives for the final documentation.

7. You may talk about the role that NGOs or regional organizations
have to play in addressing the issue.

8. Indicate to the committee members whether your portfolio is

willing to negotiate or not.

28
How to Make a Speech During Debate:

1. Again, you should thank the presiding official by saying

"Thank you Mr./ Madame/ Honorable Chair/ President..."

2. Encourage collaboration among members by proposing ways that your

portfolio would be willing to work with other members.

3. By referencing what other delegates have said, you can show

support for your allies or indicate which proposals your portfolio does
not favour.

4. Present ideas for draft resolution/bill.

5. Explain why your portfolio does or does not support

other solutions suggested.

Public Speaking Tips:

1. Prepare: Decide how you feel most comfortable delivering your speech. You
may choose to write key points at first and refer to them while speaking. In
time, you may feel comfortable speaking without any written notes at all. If you
plan to use a word or phrase that is unfamiliar to you, make sure you learn its
meaning and how to pronounce it properly.

2. Practice: Rehearsing your speech is the best way to perfect your public
speaking skills. Try practising in front of a teacher, a parent, or fellow MUNers
from your class or club. When you listen to a speech, provide constructive
feedback rather than criticism. When someone critiques your speech, accept
the feedback graciously and use it as a tool to strengthen your public speaking.

3. Consider your audience: Make your speech appropriate to the age and
experience level of the other delegates at the conference. Remember that the
beginning of the speech should captivate your audience and make them want
to hear more.

4. Eliminate unnecessary "filler" words: Fillers are words and phrases such as
"umm," "well," "sort of," and "like". These words take away from the message you are
trying to convey. Some additional fillers to avoid are "so," "you know," "I think,"
"just," and "uh."

29
5. Use meaningful pauses: Leaving a moment of silence between sentences can be
a powerful public speaking tool. Pausing after an important point or before
answering a question will help to hold the audience's attention. A pause can also give
you time to formulate your next statement.

6. Breathe: Try to breathe from your diaphragm – the organ below your lungs
that controls your respiration. You are breathing properly if you can see your
abdomen rising and falling with each breath. Try to inhale and exhale completely.

7. Pace yourself: Don't talk too fast or too slow. Remember that most speakers tend
to talk too quickly.

8. Choose a powerful posture: Be aware of your posture when you speak.

Slouching, tilting your head, and crossing your arms or legs will take away from
your message. Stand up straight, relax your shoulders, plant your feet firmly, and
keep your knees unlocked to help you communicate confidence.

9. Project your presence: Speaking in a low to medium volume can help to

project authority, but make sure that you are speaking loud enough to be easily
heard. Focus on speaking with enthusiasm and energy.

10. Gesture: It is worthwhile to use your face, hands, arms, and body to help you
communicate as long as your motions do not distract the audience from your
speech.

11. Connect with your audience: Glance at your notes rather than reading them
so that you can make eye contact with the other delegates. It is often helpful to
speak directly to individual members of the audience

12. Get to the point: Speak concisely so that your audience does not lose your
main arguments among less-important details. Try not to speak in circles.
Instead, go straight to your most important point.

13. Substance over rhetorical: While you may have seen politicians use several
kinds of taunts, poetry, and theatrics in their statements with the sole purpose of
criticizing others, it's important to understand that such rhetorical are only a part of
MUNs. While starting with a quote, or in the case of Indian committees, poetry or
humorous remarks can be instrumental in getting the attention of your audience,
prioritize analysis and solutions over pointing out flaws or mishaps that took place
several years ago and are no longer relevant. If you must criticize, do so
constructively, keeping in mind relevance, and provide solutions.

30
 14. Language: In the case of a bilingual committee (such as the Joint
Parliamentary Committee and the CCC for XMUN'23), you will be allowed to speak
in Hindi as well as English. This provision is not available in UN committees or the
CIA. It is a common myth that in a bilingual committee, speaking in Hindi will get
you more marks, however, this is merely a myth. Choose the language you're most
comfortable with, if you choose Hindi and you're not comfortable with it you may
lose the impact you could have had using the language you're more familiar with.
Also, refrain from switching languages in the middle of a speech.

My GSL-
Greetings, Honorable chair and fellow delegates. Thank you for the recognition.
Today, the Delegation of Democratic Republic of Congo would like to talk about
today’s agenda, ensuring the resilience of the poor and decreasing their
susceptibility of climate related events.
DRC is very rich in natural resources, thus making it one of the most naturally rich
countries in the world.
However, due to political instability and recent violence in Eastern Congo, people
are being forced to leave their homes, leading to the displacement of over 5 million
people. Because of the lack of food resources, 2/5 children suffer from malnutrition.
Located in the heart of Africa, it lies in the equatorial region. This makes it more
susceptible to heatwaves. This susceptibility just acts as a reinforcement to the
violence it is facing. But Congo has a solution to this, called the DRC humanitarian
response plan. It requires a funding of $2.25 billion to enable the United Nations
agencies, and national and international NGO’s to deliver aid to over 10 million
people.

Agriculture is impacted by climate change a they need moisture in the soil. But due
to climate change, the heat gets trapped, which causes the water and moisture in
the soil to evaporate. This leaves the soil very dry, leading to the crop getting
destroyed. A lot of DRC’s population relies on agriculture for food, but if the
agriculture is not able to flourish, this will cause starvation, leading to the death of
thousands. This can be reduced by lowering the amount of carbon emissions.

Funding related issues for developing countries:

Some issues are that the government does not have enough money to fund the
development of the country, so it needs to take loans from already developed
countries. So, they can take loans from already developed countries, and pay it

31
back once it is developed. A few of the developed countries can pitch in small
amounts, to create one big amount to give the country so they can pay it back
after they are developed.

Value of money decreases as time passes on (eg. If I took a loan of rs. 1000 today,
and I have to pay it back in 10 years, so I will pay back Rs. 2000 or 3000 because
of inflation that could have happened in those 10 years.)

––
BEST OF LUCK TO ALL THE DELEGATES!

32