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EKYA CMR MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2021
RULES OF PROCEDURE
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1. MOTION TO START FORMAL SESSION
For any committee to commence “a motion to open formal-session must be
raised.”
2. ROLL CALL
Every committee session starts with the roll call, without which quorum
cannot be established. During the roll call, the country/portfolio names are
called out in alphabetical order and the delegate can answer by saying either
Present or Present and Voting.
QUORUM : Quorum, also known as the minimum number of members of a
committee required for the committee proceedings to commence for the
Conference, is set at one-third of the members of the committee present.
3. SETTING OF AGENDA
First, a delegate sets the agenda for discussion, which shall be worded as:
•The delegate of ______would like to set the agenda to ______.
4. GENERAL SPEAKER’S LIST (GSL)
After the agenda for the session has been established, a motion is raised to
open the GSL. Allforms of debate during the conference are started out
within the GSL, and this list is open throughout the duration of the discussion
on that agenda.
• The Delegate of___wishes to raise a motion to open the General Speakers’
List.
To speak in the GSL a delegate must intimate the Executive Board, by raising
his/her placard when asked for speakers wishing to speak in the GSL. The
countries’ names will be noted in the order in which they will be making their
speeches.
YIELDS
After their GSL speech, a Delegate has the option to Yield their time to a
specific Delegate, Points of Information (questions) or to the Executive Board.
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On conclusion of any speech in the GSL, in case a Delegate has some time left
to speak, and does not wish to utilise it, then they may choose to yield the
remaining time to
• Another delegate – a different delegate speaks his/her GSL speech.
• Questions – delegates can ask questions to the delegate that just spoke.
• Chair – no questions can be asked.
In all of these cases, the EB has the right to question the delegates.
5. MODERATED CAUCUS
Delegates can raise a motion for a moderated caucus in which the EB of the
committee will choose which delegate will speak. Delegates should take this
opportunity to propose plans or gain support for a resolution. Only one
delegate may speak at a time.
The delegate proposing the motion must state its purpose and specify a time
limit for the moderated caucus as well as the speaking time per delegate. The
motion will be worded as:
• The delegate of _____ would like to raise a motion to start a Moderated
Caucus on the topic ___ for a total time of ____minutes allotting
minutes/seconds per speaker.
• Example – “The Delegate of Iran would like to start a Moderated Caucus on
the topic ‘Sources of funding for Terrorist Organisations’, for a total time of 20
minutes, with each speaker speaking for 60 seconds.” (If the Agenda is
Terrorism, then Sub- topics can be Causes, Regional Terrorism, Solutions, etc.)
This motion needs a simple majority vote (50%+1) in order for it to pass.
The delegate that proposed the caucus must and should speak, and has the
option to be either the first or last speaker.
The Executive Board may rule such a motion out of order if it is not worded
properly or in case it is out of the scope of the agenda.
A moderated caucus is presided over by the Executive Board, and Delegates
wishing to speak must raise their placards when asked, so that they may be
recognised immediately after the previous speaker.
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A Delegate can be recognised multiple times in a moderated caucus, but not
immediately after they have just spoken.
Another motion is for the extension of a moderated caucus. It may be called
for if any delegate wishes to further discuss the issue at hand. This is worded
as
• The delegate would like to propose an extension to previous moderated
caucus for a time period of minutes allotting minutes/seconds per speaker.
This motion is then put to vote and requires a simple majority to pass.
The time period for an extension cannot exceed half the time period of the
caucus it seeks to extend given for the speech.
6. UNMODERATED CAUCUS
An unmoderated caucus would mean that Delegates can informally interact
with their co-Delegates without moderation by the Executive Board. Only the
total time needs to be specified when raising this motion. When it is put to
vote, it requires a simple majority to pass.
It is worded as:
• The delegate of _____ would like to raise a motion for an Unmoderated
Caucus for a total time of ____.
• If the committee feels that certain clarifications need to be made regarding
the agenda which formal debate is not permitting, or the delegates wish to
give a certain direction to debate with consensus.
• To start working on the Draft Resolution/Directive and to prepare official
Committee documentation. Lobbying is required to persuade countries to
join a bloc, and it forms an integral part of being a Negotiator.
POINTS AND MOTIONS
The Flow of debate is in the hands of the Delegates and moderated by the
Executive Board with mechanisms called Points and Motions. Points are
individualistic, and are used in regards to a certain Delegate.
VARIOUS POINTS TO BE RAISED REASONS
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Point of Personal Privilege
In case of any personal inconvenience. Ex. To ask a delegate to repeat a point
that you weren’t able to listen to.
Point of Parliamentary Enquiry
Any questions related to procedure, for example: (when is my chance to
speak?) can be raised to ask the executive board of such queries.
Point of Order
This however, should never interrupt a speaker. A delegate may ask a
question to another delegate on the topic of discussion through the
executive board. Point of Information are used to clarify doubts and Points of
Order point out errors.
Point of order are of three types:
1) on the executive board : this is raised when there is an error on the side
of the executive board.
2) Factual inaccuracy : when a delegate quotes a particular fact that is not
right or is misleading, this point is raised.
3) Logical Fallacy- when a delegate quotes something that’s logically
unfeasible, this point of order can be used.
Point of Information
Point of information is basically a question a delegate would like to ask
another delegate in committee. So, if the executive board asks for points on
the floor after a delegate makes a speech, raise your hand virtually in order to
be recognised for a question, after recognition the delegate can ask the
question.
Note: Points of Information are Questions and Points of Order are statements.
Motions are liable to voting, and are used to shift from one form of debate to
another, or to introduce changes in the scope of debate from time to time.
CREATING SOLUTIONS
RESOLUTIONS
The main focus of each committee is to create a document that solves the
problem(s) at hand; it is a test of combining knowledge of individual country
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policy, topic sense, solution to the problem(s)and diplomacy. Resolutions,
which are drafted by the delegates and voted on by the committee, normally
require a simple majority to pass (except in UNSC where there is a provision
for Veto given to the permanent members). Only UNSC resolutions can
compel nations to take actions. All the other UN bodies use resolutions to
make recommendations or suggestions for future action. All Resolutions
must contain Preambulatory* and Operative* clauses and must be written
and submitted with the specified format.
Preambulatory Clauses form the preamble of a draft resolution, and
highlight the past international actions on the issue at hand. These clauses
begin with a present participle (the preambulatory phrase) and end with a
comma. Common preambulatory clauses are:
• Affirming
• Alarmed by
• Approving
• Aware of
• Believing
• Confident
• Fulfilling
• Convinced
• Declaring
• Desiring
• Emphasizi- ng
• Expecting
• Fulfilling
• Fully aware of
• Observing
• Realizing
• Reaffirming
• Recalling
• Recognising
• Having examined
• Noting further
• Noting with
approval
• Taking into account
• Taking note of
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• Welcoming
• Having considered
• Keeping in mind
• Further deploring
• Further recalling
Operative Clauses identify the new actions or recommendations made in a
resolution. These begin with an operative phrase and end with a semicolon.
The most commonly used OperativeClauses are:
• Emphasizes
• Encourages
• Endorses
• Expresses
• Further invites
• Further proclaims • Further reminds • Notes
• Accepts
• Affirms
• Approves
• Authorises
• Calls
IMPORTANT TERMS
1. Draft Resolution: Documents submitted to the Dias in proper resolution
format.
2. Unanimous Resolution: A resolution that is prepared by the entire
committee when in consensus. It means that the entire committee intends to
submit only one resolution right from the beginning.
3. Sponsors: Delegates who completely agree with all the clauses of a
resolution and support it fully. S/he may be author of the resolution. S/he
must vote in favour of the resolution when it is voted upon.
• A delegate can sponsor only one resolution.
• Normally, resolutions can have a maximum of 2 sponsors,
However, unanimous resolutions can have a maximum of 3 sponsors.
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4. Signatories: A signatory neither agrees or disagrees completely with the
WRITING DRAFT RESOLUTIONS resolution,but feels the need for the house to
deliberate on it.
A Draft Resolution must have at least one fifth of the total members of the
committee as signatories for itto be approved and introduced, along with two
voting delegations designated as sponsors.
Points to consider include:
• Preambulatory clauses describe the history of the situation.
• This history is presented only by referencing past United Nations actions or
resolutions.
• Operative clauses provide solutions formulated by the delegates over the
course of the three-day session.
• Committees other than the UNSC can only Suggest solutions as ultimate
execution is in the hand of the Security Council.
• Do not be extremely political in the content of the draft resolution – this may
damage the efforts to reach a consensus on the issue;
• Take into account the point of view of other nations whenever possible;
• Write the Draft Resolution from your county’s side of the international or
United Nationsperspective.
• One should NOT sign or sponsor a resolution that goes against its foreign
policy.
• Refer issues which need further discussion to appropriate existing bodies
• DO NOT create any new committees/commissions/working groups
etc. without considering funding of these groups.
• Always consider previous UN resolutions on the topic – do not duplicate
what other resolutions have done without referencing the appropriate
sources. Duplicacy is considered an offence, and will not be accepted as valid
in this process.
• If any operative/preambulatory clause ends with a full-stop, the entire
resolution after the clause will be scrapped.
PASSING RESOLUTIONS
Following the drafting of a directive/resolution, the paper needs to be voted
upon to be passed and put into effect. During the process of voting,
delegates’ ability to vote is governed by their roll call. A delegate who
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responds to Present and Voting during Roll Call must and should vote for a
resolution, while the delegate who answered Present has the option to
abstain from voting. Again, not all delegates will be allowed to take part in the
Voting Procedure. A few nations called observer nations will not be allowed to
participate in the Vote. In the Security Council only, The Five Permanent
Nations (USA, UK, France, Russia and China) will enjoy veto power, which is
explained after a few paragraphs.
The major steps in this process can be enlisted as:
1. Passing of Draft Resolution by the Executive Board
2. Question and Answer Session
3. Amendments
4. Voting
5. Passing of Resolution by Simple Majority
As discussed earlier, the Executive Board will first approve the Draft
Resolutions submitted to them, and if required, will suggest the merging of
similar resolutions to save committee time. If there is a situation where
resolutions need to be merged, an additional Unmoderated Caucus can be
raised with the approval of the Executive Board. Draft Resolutions which have
been duplicated will not be approved.
