Deleglobe Model United Nations 2023

GUIDE TO DELEGATE
PREPARATION

Written by: Samuel Knijnik

 GUIDE TO DELEGATE PREPARATION - DELEGLOBE MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2023

Guide to Delegate Preparation

Samuel Knijnik Werneck Martins

MODEL UN ITSELF
Model United Nations, or simply MUN, consists of academic activities in which students simulate
an official UN diplomatic conference. Generally, each individual represents a delegation related to a
Member-State and, depending on the committee, it can be voting or not. All delegations must be
aiming to, in the end, reach a consensus and, beyond working papers and treaties, establish a
resolution proposal, which precisely includes operative clauses, split into pre ambulatory and
ambulatory, regarding actions and measures to be taken by their own delegations, as well as by any
and every member, respecting the UN Charter, such as national, or regional sovereignty, and the
Human Rights accurately. Delegates must have in mind the actual relevance of those specifically
discussed issues in order to find the most realistic and effective solutions through diplomacy and
negotiation skills.

DEBATING PROCEDURES
There is no allowance for delegates to have the floor if not by previously being conceived this right
by the Chairmen (corpus in charge of moderating the debate and its operativeness during sessions,
being also known as a dais, or presidency in some cases and specific committees). In contrast, the
debate is taken by its standard flow, with the main rules in prevalence, in which delegates must
request the time of speech through raising their placards, after roll call, and opening speeches.
During the round of opening speeches, all delegations, invariably, receive the opportunity, for 90
seconds, to express their main introductory goals and purposes to be willing to achieve beyond
negotiation throughout the following sessions, explaining the importance of those bare necessities
to their respective nations. After all opening speeches, the debate goes into its standard flow,
through a speakers list:
SPEAKERS' LIST: This format allows delegates to speak generally on the topic according
to their preferences, outlining its next focus by and large. The Chair will enable delegates to
be added to the speakers' list, and this is done when a delegate raises their placard. Given the
virtual format, the time for new delegates to enter the speakers' list will be precisely
indicated, and the gesture is through the "raise hand" function. The Chair can have no
criteria on a speaking order to be followed but respecting the delegates who did it earlier,
that will consequently be the ones speaking first. The default speaking time is 60 seconds
but can be modified through motions. If a delegate finishes speaking before their time runs
out, they have three options:
 GUIDE TO DELEGATE PREPARATION - DELEGLOBE MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2023

Yield to another delegate: The delegate's speaking time is given to another

delegate of their choosing;
Yield to questions: The chairmen will, in this case, recognize other delegates who
find themselves interested in questioning the current speaker delegation about their
last speech. The delegate, however, is not required to answer the question;
Yield to the Chair: The delegate's speaking time, then, is given to the Chair,
allowing them to continue with the rest of the debate flow.
UNMODERATED CAUCUS: When an unmoderated caucus is motioned, the delegate
who asks for it must indicate precisely the duration it will have. During this time, delegates
are free to talk to each other one-on-one with no intervention from the Chair. It is a crucial
way to negotiate, find allies, form blocs, and compose working papers. Delegations must
maintain the appropriate manner that is expected in the committee during the
unmoderated caucus. There is a limit of 50 minutes for every session to unmoderated
caucuses. E.g., "Motion for a 10-minute unmoderated caucus."
MODERATED CAUCUS: When a motion for a moderated caucus is raised, the delegate
must specify the topic to be discussed, the total time to discuss it, and the time of speech.
According to their preference beyond the correspondent situation, the delegate to have
raised this motion has the right to speak either at first or at last. After that, the Chair will
call on other delegates who are raising their placard to speak. E.g., "Motion for a 9 minute
moderated caucus with a 45 second speaking time to discuss the effect of climate change on
immigrant communities."
Moderated caucuses are a great way to hear the ideas of your peers and see whose views align with
your own. Usually, the Chair will require several moderated caucuses to occur before delegates are
allowed to enter unmoderated caucuses. Once this first motion for an unmoderated caucus is
passed, delegates will pool together to discover common ground with others, most often centering
around some of the more notable speakers from previous speeches. However, these groups are
often preliminary and are in no way the permanent blocs that will form. Blocs tend to solidify by
the second or third committee session.
Once the first unmoderated caucus is concluded, the Chair will usually look for a moderated
caucus to hear some of the ideas being discussed as well as some of the groups that have formed.
The debate will usually ensue centering around the competing ideas of different blocs, and it is
important to recognize which particular ideas are being discussed among the committee the most.
Doing so will usually provide you with a somewhat accurate gauge of who is leading the
committee.
From here, there is no clear trajectory for debate. Delegates may motion for moderated caucuses to
continue debating other specific aspects of the overall topic or unmoderated caucuses to continue
crafting their ideas into working papers. What happens is mainly at the Chair's discretion, who will
push for the most efficient way to work towards the eventual introduction of working papers to the
 GUIDE TO DELEGATE PREPARATION - DELEGLOBE MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2023

committee. Working papers are formal documents that answer the topic being discussed and
debated. Potential resolutions crafted by the delegates are known as working papers. However, once
they are submitted to the Chair, they are known as draft resolutions. Let's look at the types of
documents and papers then.

DOCUMENTS AND PAPERS

Every paper must be previously approved by the Dais to be presented officially within the
committee. A paper signatory must not necessarily favor its appliance but in favor of its discussion
in a debate.
POSITION PAPER Position paper is a paper written and submitted before the
conference starts. It outlines a delegation's stance on the selected affair and possible actions
that their country believes the committee should take, alongside a brief report about its
previous progress regarding the committee topic. Here are some recommendations for your
writing:
- One page single-spaced;
- A header with the DELEGATE NAME(S), COUNTRY, COMMITTEE, AND
SCHOOL;
- The committee topic name clearly stated;
- Recommended structure with three paragraphs:
The first paragraph should be an introduction to the topic from the perspective of your
position. What is the history of the issue according to your nation? Why is this issue
important? This is the shortest and least important section of the position paper.
The second paragraph should be an analysis of the topic from your country's perspective
as well as a multilateral perspective. What does your nation generally think about the issue?
What policies have worked and not worked in the past on a national and international
scale? This is most likely the longest part of the position paper and the place in which you
will utilize most of your research.
The third paragraph should be a discussion of solutions that you are proposing to solve
the problem. What are these solutions? Why and how would they work? How will you
solve any problems that might arise in implementing these solutions? This is where you can
let your creativity and research combine, and begin formulating the kinds of proposals that
will later come to fruition in your resolutions. These solutions do not necessarily have to go
directly from your nation or position, though it is encouraged.
The hints below were provided by NAIMUN Georgetown.
Helpful tips:
- Remember to cite any opinions that are not your own or facts that are not
common knowledge. If you have any references to mention, they should be
 GUIDE TO DELEGATE PREPARATION - DELEGLOBE MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2023

entered as a bibliographic summary with the list of references on the next

page(s).
- Do not use personal pronouns (I think, we feel) – instead, use the state
name (the delegation of Uruguay believes, etc.);
- Try to use the active, not the passive voice;
- Avoid flowery language.
FORMATTING:
Position Papers must be in MLA or ABNT style formatting, including a
Works Cited/Bibliography with either parenthetical or footnote citations;
Position Papers must be in 12-point Times New Roman font.
SAMPLE POSITION PAPERS: You’ll find three sample position papers at our
DELEGATE RESOURCES hub, on Deleglobe’s official website.

WORKING PAPER
Working papers are used to present a potential projection on the plans discussed previously
and draft clauses to be soon added in the bloc's draft resolution. They can be submitted by
a delegate or bloc (group, or alliance, of delegates) once the Chair opens submissions and
specifies how they are to be submitted. After being brushed up and authorized by the
Chair, sponsors will then be up to present it to the rest of the committee and answer
questions on their paper at the Q&A.

DRAFT RESOLUTION
Draft resolutions are simply resolutions that have yet to be voted on. They must be written
within other delegations, commonly in blocs, and gain the support of at least half of the
Member-States to pass and have its official approval towards the correspondent committee.
As well as we see on the presentation of Working Papers, the presentation of a Draft
Resolution is followed by the Q&A. During this time, the main sponsors of each draft
resolution have the opportunity to read their paper to the committee, answering any
questions other delegates may have. Q&A may seem like a relatively marginal moment in
committee, but it is, in fact, a critical one in the eyes of the Dais. It is a rare opportunity for
delegates to show who is truly leading their respective bloc; those leaders should be the ones
who can sufficiently and knowledgeably answer the committee's questions or ask intelligent
questions of their own. In essence, it is a phase in committee where the Dais can directly
observe delegates and their bloc-leadership, something that is hidden mainly during
speech-giving and the chaotic nature that often accompanies unmoderated caucuses in
large committees. Speeches are, of course, an integral part of Model UN, but such speeches
only serve as an intermediate step in the creation of documents that convey the goals and
wishes of the committee. The purpose of essentially every committee is to craft a paper that
 GUIDE TO DELEGATE PREPARATION - DELEGLOBE MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2023

answers the problem or issue confronting that committee. There are, however, other
documents that also serve as key parts to the committee experience. To that end, it is
important to understand what kinds of documents you will be presented with and what
you will be writing. Every GA and ECOSOC ultimately strives to develop and pass a
resolution for a given topic. A resolution is a comprehensive (and usually lengthy)
document that seeks to address the numerous aspects of the general topic the committee
has been discussing. Resolutions require a series of preambulatory clauses recounting the
problem and previous actions taken and operative clauses outlining specific
recommendations for resolving the issue. They look to answer a longstanding global
problem that is often complex and will generally be split into several sections. Therefore,
resolutions may take multiple sessions to craft and perfect. Resolutions will are split into
these two sections:
 GUIDE TO DELEGATE PREPARATION - DELEGLOBE MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2023

SAMPLE DRAFT RESOLUTION: You’ll find six sample WP/Draft

Resolutions at our DELEGATE RESOURCES hub, on Deleglobe’s official
website.

AMENDMENT
An amendment is a change to a draft resolution. It must be submitted to the Chair in
writing, commonly in a "clause-option" model. Mostly, there is a particular time when the
Chair opens it for delegates to send their correspondent amendments to be voted.
Sometimes, the Chair does not order the elaboration of amendments owing to time
productivity.
SAMPLE AMENDMENT:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQYcIlZo63f8V4EEGaxZ-xBRk
VEknVOCCYyWdbvkFWE315C260MmzqV7yFKU5yjMe4Pkm-mlrtWjwNC/p
ub

ROLL CALL AND VOTING PROCEDURES

To vote a resolution, delegates have to state whether they favor or against it by raising their placards
(hands) at certain times. When time is allotted to the voting procedure, delegates should vote on
the passing of a resolution. In the case of the Security Council, there should be nine affirmative votes
and no veto votes for a draft resolution to pass. For all other general committees, a draft resolution
passes when a qualified majority votes in favor of it. The session quorum is always considered based
 GUIDE TO DELEGATE PREPARATION - DELEGLOBE MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2023

on the roll call attendance. In other words, the only delegations considered at the time of voting are
the ones recognized by the Dais.
SIMPLE MAJORITY is the number of delegates corresponding to the number equal or
immediately superior to half the quorum.
QUALIFIED MAJORITY is the number of delegates corresponding to the number equal or
immediately superior to two-thirds of the quorum.

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DELEGATES:

DIPLOMATIC PAGES To avoid noise from taking place over decorum in the committee
workplace under moderation, delegates are recommended to communicate only through
paper pages of free and irrefrangible content, which can only be opened by the addressee
delegation. Diplomatic pages are mainly used for negotiating purposes. Given the virtual
format, delegates can avail of this resource through private Zoom chat.
"LOBBY" To have a more accessible conversation, delegates can go for this resource
conventionally called "lobby." It consists of the basic act of two or more delegates leaving
the committee room to have the freedom to communicate more deeply, either for
negotiation or for basically talking about the conference progress as a whole and taking
important decisions, or, simply, aiming to write a paper and being facilitated through direct
communication.

POINTS AND MOTIONS

POINT: A point is requested by a delegate aiming to realize, through the Chair's scope,
any action that can potentially involve some relevance for the committee, varying from an
evaluation of the legitimacy of some information given by a delegate, even to report a
procedural mistake made by the Dais. Delegates are highly encouraged to feel free for any
and every kind of point to be asked, nonetheless if about informal or mere factors as, for
instance, asking delegates to speak louder. The most used points are:
Point of order: Rarely used, the question of order is used by a delegate when they
aim to report an error or failure that can be affecting debate procedures or simply
be harming its subsequent flow; can it be from the Dais, can it be from any other
representation. Among the vast possible range of reasons judged as reasonable for
the use of a point of order, some examples are:
A procedural mistake made by the Chair;
False data mentioned by a delegate aiming to self-benefit upon another;
Disrespect or general noise while a delegate speaks.
Point of inquiry: When the floor is open, a delegate may raise to a point of
parliamentary inquiry to ask the Moderator a question regarding the Rules of
 GUIDE TO DELEGATE PREPARATION - DELEGLOBE MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2023

Procedure. A point of parliamentary inquiry may never interrupt a speaker.

Delegates with substantive questions should not rise to this point but should
instead approach the committee staff at an appropriate time;
Point of personal privilege: Used when something personal is bothering a
delegate, such as when the room is cold or when the windows being open can
bother someone's vision. It can even be used during a speech. Still, this exception
only applies when one delegate cannot clearly hear what another is saying, thus
being able to request, through this point, that the speaker increases their tone to
make other delegates able to hear them decently.
MOTION: A motion is a request from a delegate for the committee to start doing
something different. The Dais can advise delegates to request certain motions depending
on the status of the debate at the time in question. Check below what they are according to
what situation each one is inserted:
Motion to open the Speakers' List
Motion for a moderated caucus
Motion for an unmoderated caucus
Motion to change the speaking time
Motion to open the debate
Motion to adjourn the debate
Motion to change the voting order
Motion to divide the question

EXTRA: GENERAL ASSEMBLY DEMO, PROVIDED BY NAIMUN GEORGETOWN:

https://youtu.be/zh-znF4XbM8

EXTRA: TIPS TO SUCCEED AND STAND OUT

Thus far, we have discussed many of the rules and regulations that govern Model UN in order to
grant you a better understanding of the flow of debate. However, understanding the rules is not
enough to compete successfully at DegloMUN, or any conference for that matter. We hope that
the following hints will offer you potential ideas, tactics, and general advice on successfully
competing in Model UN.
- It is difficult to write speeches before giving them or speak naturally after writing what to
say entirely. The debate can move quickly, and attempting to pre-write speeches will only
result in you falling woefully behind. Rather, keep up with the course of debate and
develop your opening and closing remarks in your head well before you give your speech.
Once you have a general idea of how you plan to begin and end your speech, it is far easier
to improvise. Essentially, prepare a brief mental outline of your speech before you approach
the podium.
 GUIDE TO DELEGATE PREPARATION - DELEGLOBE MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2023

- If speech-giving is the best way to gain credibility in the room and present one's argument,
caucusing is the primary means of gaining votes and building blocs and coalitions to garner
those votes. The first unmoderated caucus is often incredibly chaotic. Before that first
unmoderated caucus, it is advisable to promote your position in your first speech and to
inform the delegates where you will be in the room (which breakout room) if anyone seeks
to work with you during the unmoderated caucus. When you first meet with interested
delegates, it should not come as a complete surprise if some delegates drift off to work with
other groups. Of course, try to convince the delegates to work with you throughout the
committee, but you will know who you can work with after that first caucus.
- Another way to build a coalition is to move from group to group and listen to the dialogue
in each group. Generally, there will be delegates on the peripheries of these groups that are
being left out of the conversation. Bring them into yours by offering to work with them.
Politely and convincingly presenting your position is a sure way to build a bloc.
- The second unmoderated caucus is another opportunity to strengthen or realign your
coalition. Subsequent caucuses should be used to begin writing working papers. Never be
afraid to have your team members go to other breakout rooms and bring other delegates
into your group. In other words, divide up the tasks; for example, have some members of
your bloc work on writing the working paper and assign others to bring in delegates to your
side.
- While moderated and unmoderated caucuses are a great way to share your views on a topic,
passing notes (Zoom chat) to other delegates in committee is another way to form
partnerships. Bring some post-it notes or use pages from your notepad to send messages to
other delegates. If you notice you share a view with another delegate, send a note discussing
working together or meeting during the next unmoderated caucus. Notes are a great way to
still communicate with the rest of the committee, even while stuck sitting in your seat. -
Remember that notes should only be used for communicating substantive information
relevant to and appropriate for the committee.
- Resolutions can often be long and convoluted documents. Be the delegate that offers clear,
concise clauses that get your points across. Better yet, offer something unique to the
resolution. Unique, creative policy solutions are perhaps the best way to distinguish
yourself from the rest of the committee.
- Never forget that your chairs are MUN delegates as well. If you want to catch their eyes,
there is no better strategy than to show how good you are as a DELEGATE, not as a robot.
Show us about your soft skills and how these strategies make you an outstanding delegate.
Leadership, teamwork, an impeccable sociocultural repertory, good persuasive speaking,
negotiation, and talented rhetoric are nothing without a passionate student behind such
abilities.
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MODEL UNITED NATIONS VOCABULARY

Chair: They are responsible for calling on speakers and maintaining the rules of procedure,
whereas mainly moderating the debate. When known as "presidency," it means it is composed of
regular delegates. Synonyms: Dais, chairmen.
Caucus: A break in formal debate in which countries can more easily discuss a topic. It is essential
to notice that those must be voted first through a motion in which a particular case is mentioned.
Examples: moderated caucus, unmoderated caucus.
Decorum: Order in the committee. The Chair may call for decorum if delegates are loud or
disrespectful in order to ask for their attention and respect during committee sessions.
Operative Clause: A clause in a resolution that outlines specific recommendations for resolving
the problem. All operative clauses include underlined and numbered operative phrases.
Preambulatory Clause: A clause in a resolution that recounts the problem and previous actions
taken. All preambulatory clauses include italicized preambulatory phrases.
Signatories: A signatory to a resolution is a delegate that signs a resolution or directive to indicate
that delegate's interest in hearing the working paper presented to the committee. It does not,
however, indicate that the delegate necessarily supports the document.
Sponsors: A sponsor to a resolution is usually an original writer or a delegate who strongly
supports the working paper or directive. In most GAs and crisis committees, one-fifth of the
committee's signatures (sponsors and signatories combined) is required to present a working paper
to the committee. However, the number of sponsors necessary can be left to the discretion of the
Chair. Delegates are advised to pay attention to the Chair's benchmarks to present a working paper.

KEY MUN TERMS & EXPRESSIONS:

Delegate
Point
Motion
Debate
Mod = Moderated Caucus
Unmod = Unmoderated Caucus
Chair/dais
Speakers' List
Motion to open debate
Motion to adjourn the session
Committee
Working Paper
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Draft Resolution
Resolution
Point of order
Point of inquiry
Point of personal privilege
Bloc
Roll call
Present
Present and voting
Absent
"Motion for a 10/1 mod on [topic]"
"Motion for a 5-minute unmod"
Conference (in English, we do not say "simulation")
Yield my time
- to the Chair
- to the delegate of [country]
- to questions
Sponsors
Signatories
Foreign Policy
Sovereignty

CLOSING REMARKS:
Congratulations! After reading this guide, your preparation now has a robust basis for your
committee organization; you certainly improved a lot already. For all those interested in perfecting
each introduced rule, hint, and description, the Delegate Training Sessions will then be a perfect
resource as supplementary material. During that meeting, delegates will be exposed to explanations
on the numerous MUN scenarios presented in this guide through more practical examples and
images from in-person committee sessions to illustrate how the whole procedure is supposed to
work. Therefore, you can definitely expect to be 100% prepared when the conference comes
because we are genuinely committed to making it possible for you to have a complete experience
with the highest quality possible. Besides, it is with pride that we offer you our Delegate Resources
hub as an extra mechanism for preparation as well, giving you a shortcut to the best MUN training
content out there.
As a long-time MUN Delegate, I look eagerly forward to solving all your uncertainties and granting
that you understand what you have to do, regardless of the efforts I will have to give for that.
Hence, avail of that and really bring everything you have and ask there; make such a precious time
 GUIDE TO DELEGATE PREPARATION - DELEGLOBE MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2023

be worth your attention and do not let an opportunity like this yell out in your Model UN
timeline!
Undoubtedly, one of the issues that led me to create Deleglobe is that my first participation in
HMUN was a sincere discovery for me because nobody I knew had had that experience before and
could tell me what to do or how to study more effectively, how to prepare myself for the
conference, and how this different format works. Moreover, I was at the biggest and oldest MUN
conference in the whole world, but with insufficient preparation apart from the committee topic
itself, and nothing could be scarier to me. Fortunately, I found a way to gather all the other present
Brazilian students and made it all work out for me with better proximity. As a result, miraculously,
we managed to craft a working paper, and there was our tiny but powerful bloc: the BR Bloc; I was
an unexpected but fearless bloc leader suddenly. However, even though we had a genuinely good
working paper, maybe the best one at that moment, when the bloc-merging time started, I could
not handle such a hectic moment when delegates were running from a wall to the other, and I
could not understand why; I was not enough prepared to rapidly organize my bloc to seek new
signatories and project our next steps for a potential merge or the elaboration of our
already-existing paper to turn it into an even better draft resolution.
By leaps and bounds, we could luckily find a way. We merged with the largest bloc there and then
started preparing for the presentation and the Q&A on our draft resolution, of which the
encharged delegates would be a girl from this bloc and me, although we could fit up to 10 delegates
(five on the Q&A and five on the presentation). At that point, nothing could make me feel down. I
was truly confident about winning a potential award at the most important Model UN
opportunity in my whole lifetime, which would be huge not only to me but also to the place where
I come from. Then that girl sent me a note. I cannot forget the exact words written there: "meet me
outside so that we can punctually brief our presentation before making it." I stayed there for nearly
3 minutes waiting for her to come, and then I decided to return to the committee room and wait
for the chairmen to call upon us to present our resolution since she just did not show up out there.
At the first moment I set my eyes inside that room, the first thing I could see was she presenting our
resolution without me, and suddenly I realized that she just sent me that note to get rid of me while
she self-appropriates of everything I wrote throughout those days.
In the end, even though I told the directors everything in detail that happened, she won the Best
Delegate award, and I did not win anything because, apparently, they did not believe in what I said.
At a first moment, I got furious and freaked out, but it was only when I cooled down that I noticed
that what (or who) won that award was, partially, my work and what I did; my efforts started to
determine something after all: even though our preparation for events like these can be faulty in
countless ways, that does not make us less capable than these "more prepared" students. Brazilians
are capable of reaching the top. Let's perfect the Model in Brazil to make many more believe in that
possibility then and run after their biggest desires in Model UN. My life completely changed when
I started looking at things this way. Sometimes those who look at the result will never understand
 GUIDE TO DELEGATE PREPARATION - DELEGLOBE MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2023

how victorious their path was, and even if the result is positive, that will never say as much as your
progress can.
Therefore, organizing DegloMUN and all the projects from Deleglobe is a true honor to me. It is
an honor to encourage today's youth to achieve unimaginably exceptional achievements in their
lives, and I will never stop giving my best for the good of education because there is nothing as
noble as empowering youngsters on the scope of education. As Nelson Mandela once said,
"Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world." Are you ready to
change the world?
See you all!

"When negotiation comes to save lives, it is called diplomacy."

- Samuel Knijnik Werneck Martins

Document written by Samuel Knijnik Werneck Martins, founder of Deleglobe, Porto Alegre-RS,
Brazil, in the year 2021, and adapted in August 2022.
All rights reserved©
Translated by Samuel Knijnik Werneck Martins.