NMUN Preparation Guidelines

The NMUN conferce because is the epitome of model UNing. What makes this the best of the model UNs is not just its size and location but, more importantly, it is the level of advance preparation expected of all participants. This expectation is reflected throughout the planning documents provided by NMUN. Quite simply, as a team member you must do much more advanced preparation than we have for past model UNs. 

The following are some guidelines gained from our experiences at past NMUNs and in my initial reading of the NMUN planning documents.  This will especially highlight differences from other model UNs in which we have participated because there are several key differences.

Position Papers

Position papers are required for each committee in which we will be participating. 

• Papers must be submitted in electronic Microsoft word - email submission required 

See the following link on preparing position papers

• What the paper should include:

  The position paper should include a brief introduction and a comprehensive breakdown of the country's position on the topics that are being discussed within the committee. An excellent position paper must include:

          a developed introduction
          clear definitions of concepts and terms

  • a clear statement of policy on each topic;
  • the country's background on the topic;
    • political and/or foreign policy
    • action taken by the specific government in relation to the topic
    • conventions, and resolutions that the country has approved
    • quotes taken from speeches made by heads of government
  • the type of resolution the country hopes to accomplish.

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Resolutions

NMUN does not allow advanced preparation of resolutions. Resolutions will be developed as a group project within the committees in order that you may learn the concepts of negotiation and concession.   Having said that, it is clear that the practice writing of resolutions can be a valuable preparation tool in familiarizing you with the resolution process and in crystallizing your ideas about what might work.  Therefore, each of you should prepare a practice resolution reflecting our position on each of the agenda subjects. These will be for practice only and should not be used during the actual conference. We can then debate these practice resolutions during our practice simulations.

See the following link on Resolutions

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Beginning and Organizing your research

The NMUN Delegate Preparation Manual lists many organizational instruments with which delegates should be aware. The following provide a guide indicating where they are available on the web. As a starting point, each of you should read the Charter of the United Nations, paying particular attention to the preamble and any provisions impacting your particular topic areas.  The Manual also recommends reviewing documents conceived by UN Secretaries-General, including
An Agenda for Peace (including its supplement), and An Agenda for Development. 

The Key to being a successful Model UN delegate begins with research and knowing what to research (click here) 

Research Links are below

See the following link for NMUN delegate preparation guides

Contact with Country UN Delegations

NMUN recommends teams contact their actual country delegations for assistance in formulating positions. However, they also recommend that this contact be limited to one comprehensive request from each team rather than requests from individual team members. Therefore, we need to designate a single contact and submit a comprehensive request for assistance. 

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Rules of Procedure

There are many of these and they are detailed in the Delegate Preparation Manual, a copy of which will be provided to each of you.   There are significant differences between the NMUN rules and the MMUN rules. Probably the biggest single difference is that there is no "point of information" or other possibility of questioning speakers.   Any questions you wish to address to speakers must be done in caucus and not on the floor. Speakers lists are fundamental and no country may speak twice until all countries wishing to speak have spoken once.  Another change from MMUN is that it is the topic that is open rather than specific resolutions. All resolutions being considered for that topic may and will be worked concurrently.  Therefore, it is very likely that two or more resolutions (and amendments) will be on the floor at the same time.  The first order of business in each committee will be to set the agenda which will determine in which order the topics will be addressed.

See the following link on rules of procedure

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Meeting  and Assignment Schedule
 

 Research Links

The following are links to websites that should help in your preparations:

UN Links