A Model United Nations Conference is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, and diplomacy that has already been discussed by the United Nations.
Participants:
- choose a country (delegation),
- join a Committee,
- do research about countries’ policy on the topics that have been set by Chairs,
- write a resolution for each topic with their country’s policy in mind,
- prepare a policy statement
If you are an Ambassador you must deliver a one-minute speech to be delivered during the Student Ambassadors Speeches.
On the first day, delegates should create alliances during lobbying in order to combine their resolutions into one which is going to be discussed in front of the whole Committee.
A Committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly (General Assembly) – which is organized so that action within a committee requires a vote by all its entitled members. It is the Chair/President who organizes a Committee meeting through an Agenda, which is distributed in advance. Delegates joining a Committee represent a country and its policy. In a Committee all the delegates have to discuss and debate on the given topics in order to reach a conclusion.
The Chair/President is responsible for running meetings: keeping the discussion on the appropriate subject, recognizing members (calling on them to speak), and calling for votes after a debate has taken place. Committees have formal processes (Rules of Order).The Chair/President is also the person who decides which topics are going to be discussed and offers the delegates information according to the topics.
The Agenda consists of the topics set by Chairs/Presidents to be discussed.
A country is represented by the students who form a delegation. A delegation must consist of the maximum number of 8 students. Each student must join a different Committee.
The Ambassador is the most experienced delegate who must deliver a speech during the Opening Ceremony by expressing his/her country’s policy. In addition, the Ambassador ought to join a General Assembly Committee so as to be able to attend General Assembly debate and represent his/her country.
During lobbying procedure, delegates try to form alliances by finding other delegates who have a similar policy with them on a particular topic. The aim of lobbying is for the delegates to form 2-3 alliances for each topic and each alliance combines the resolutions of its members into one final, which is going to be debated in the Committee.
During debate time, delegates ought to discuss the resolutions that have already been submitted the day before. Delegates are going to speak in favor or against the measures proposed by the resolution and finally they are called to vote in order for the resolution to be passed.
In PS-MUN there are 4 Committees which are included in the General Assembly (DISEC, SOCHUM, SPECPOL, LEG). During General Assembly session all delegates who join one of the previous committees, take part in a 4 hours debate about 4 different topics, one of each Committee. The aim of the General Assembly debate is to give the opportunity to all delegates to get informed, discuss and finally vote for the resolutions that are going to be sent to the UN.
General Assembly Committees
Disarmament & International Security
Social, Humanitarian & Cultural
Special Political & Decolonisation
Legal
Specialized Agencies
ECOSOC
ICJ
Security Council
G20
Environmental Commission
Special Conference