What do students do at Model UN Conferences?

You’ve researched your country and your topic. You’ve also submitted a document called a “Position Paper”- a research paper that you turn in to the conference to show what you know about the topic and your country.

You go to a big auditorium for the “Opening Ceremonies” of the conference, where the “Secretary General” will deliver a speech and officially start the conference.

You go to your committee room to meet the other delegates you’ll be working with during the conference. Every person or set of partners will be representing a different country. Introduce yourself and get to know the other delegates in the room!

The “Chair” who is the staff member leading your committee, will officially start your committee and explain the rules. They will ask who wants to be on the “Speakers List”- this list determines when delegates will give their opening speeches. After this, delegates will proceed to deliver their speeches about the topic to the committee.

After some time with speeches from the “Speakers List” your committee may start “moderated caucuses”- these speeches focus on a specific part of your topic, and delegates raise their placard to speak when the Chair chooses them to.

Your committee has their first “unmoderated caucus” During this time, there are no formal rules, and delegates move around the room to form groups and start writing their “resolutions” to solve the topic your committee is discussing. After this time, your committee will alternate between “moderated” and “unmoderated” caucuses.

Groups start to finish their resolutions, and turn them into the Chair for approval. Once resolutions are approved, delegates will “present” their resolutions by reading them and then answering questions about their solutions.

Delegates debate the resolutions and try to convince the other members of their committee that their resolution is best and to support them, and to oppose the other resolutions in their committee if they are in opposition.

The committee enters “Voting Procedures” and votes to approve or reject each resolution. Delegates can vote yes, no, or abstain from voting. After voting is finished, the committee will officially “adjourn” to end their work.

All the delegates gather again in the auditorium for “Closing Ceremonies” where some conferences will hand out awards, and then officially end the conference.