1 | Rules of Procedure

Contents
Roll Call ................................................................................................... 3

Setting the Agenda ................................................................................... 3

Debate ...................................................................................................... 3

Yields ....................................................................................................... 4

Points ....................................................................................................... 5
Working paper...........................................................................................5
Right of Reply .......................................................................................... 5

Resolution .................................................................................................6

Discussion of a Draft Resolution............................................................... 6

Amendments .............................................................................................7

Voting Procedure ..................................................................................... 8

Special Motions........................................................................................ 8

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Roll Call
The first order of business will be roll call. You can answer a roll call in two
different ways, depending on the nature of the motion.
1. Present: If you answer ‘Present’, you have to vote on all Procedural Matters,
but you may abstain on the Draft Resolution.
2. Present and Voting: If you answer ‘Present and Voting’, you are obliged to
vote on both Procedural Matters and the Draft Resolution.
Note: A motion is a formal way to initiate movement in a committee. It may be
raised to open debate, suspend debate, regulate debate, or close debate.
Format: “The Delegate of would like to raise a motion to .”
Setting the Agenda
The next order of business is setting up the agenda of the committee. This is the
topic that the committee will be discussing on all the days of the conference. The
committees at VKC MUN have pre-assigned agendas; however, procedure dictates
that the agenda is formally set by the members of the house.
Format: “The delegate of would like to raise a motion to set the agenda of the
committee (exact wording of the agenda)”

Debate
There are essentially two types of debates in UN committees – Formal debate,
comprising the General Speaker’s List and Informal debate, comprising the
Moderated Caucus and the Un-Moderated Caucus.

1. Formal Debate
a. General Speaker’s List:
i. The committee will have an open General Speakers’ list for the
topic area being discussed, speakers for which will be asked by a
show of placards at periodic intervals.
ii. Speaking time for the General Speaker’s list will be 90 seconds.
iii. Delegates may add their names to this list by submitting a written
request to the dais. They may similarly remove their names.
iv. This motion requires a simple majority to pass.
v. Things to talk about: anything relevant to the topic (general stance,
claims, etc.)
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 2. Informal Debate
a. Moderated Caucus:
i. A motion for the moderated caucus is raised to discuss the various
sub-topics under the topic area.
ii. The maximum time limit is usually 20 minutes.
iii. If the motion for moderated caucus passes, the Chairperson will
call on delegates and create a list of speakers wishing to speak, by
a show of placards.
iv. The delegate who has proposed the motion may speak first or last,
depending on their choice.
v. Format: “The Delegate of would like to raise a motion to set
aside Formal debate and move into a moderated caucus on the
topic , total time period being minutes and individual
speaking time being seconds”.
b. Un-moderated caucus
i. An Un-moderated caucus temporarily sets aside the Formal
debate and allows members an informal discussion of ideas,
lobbying, or doing paper- work.
ii. It is purely informal.
iii. The maximum time period for an Un-moderated Caucus is twenty
minutes.
iv. The motion requires a simple majority to pass.

Yields
If a Delegate has time left after his GSL speech, they can yield the remaining time
in one of four ways:
1. Yield to Points of Information (Questions): Delegates wishing to ask
questions on the speech will be selected by the Chairperson. Follow-up
questions will be allowed only at the discretion of the Chairperson. Yield to
Questions shall only be answered in the formal debate.
2. Yield to the Chair: Such a yield should be made when the delegate does not
wish to answer questions or yield to another delegate. The time will be turned
over to the Dias, who may use the time as they wish for the better functioning
of the committee.
3. Yield to another delegate: Any remaining time will be transferred to another
delegate. However, this cannot be done without the consent of the
particular delegate. The yielded time will not be added to the speaker's time.
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 4. Yield to Comments: Any delegate may offer a positive or negative view on
the speech.
NOTE: Yields are in order only in the General Speaker's List and not during the
moderated caucus.

Points
1. Point of Personal Privilege: Whenever a delegate experiences physical
discomfort, he or she may rise to a point of personal privilege and request for
correction of that discomfort. A point of Personal Privilege may interrupt a
speaker.
2. Point of Order: A delegate may rise to a point of order to only indicate an
instance of improper use of parliamentary procedure. The point of order will
be immediately ruled upon by the Chairperson in accordance with these
Rules of Procedure. A point of order may only interrupt a speaker when the
speech itself is not following proper parliamentary procedure.
3. Point of Parliamentary Enquiry: A delegate may rise to a point of
parliamentary inquiry only if he or she wishes to ask the Dias a question about
the rules of procedure. A point of parliamentary enquiry may not interrupt a
speaker.
4. Point of Information: The questions asked when a delegate yields his time
to questions during Formal Debate are known as Points of Information.
Right of Reply
Right of Reply allows delegates to defend their country form public criticism in
the country. A delegate may exercise the Right of Reply upon recognition by the
Executive Board. The Executive Board only grants this Right in instances off
grave insult to a delegate’s nation.

Working paper
Working papers are precursors to Draft Resolutions. They involve writing the ideas
presented by different countries during debate.
1. They are named by the EB in the order they are received.
2. They have authors; however, the requirement of signatories is at the
discretion of the EB.
3. They don't have a particular format.

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 4. They are discussed through various ways which may include a question
answer session, moderated caucus, special speakers list or a two-two, one-
one.

Resolution
A resolution, as described by the UN, is a formal expression of the opinion or will
of UN organs. It is a formal text adopted by a UN body. Confirming one topic area,
it usually proposes solutions and/or actions towards the particular agenda.
1. There are two primary parts to a resolution- the Preamble and the Operative
Part.
a. The Preamble, consisting of pre-ambulatory clauses* presents the
background of the motive for the resolution. It highlights past
international actions on the issue.
b. The Operative Part, consisting of operative clauses*, states the opinion of the
organ or the actions to be taken.
2. Draft Resolutions - Draft resolutions are all resolutions that have not yet been
voted on. Each resolution is a long sentence with sections separated by commas
and semicolons. The subject of the sentence is the body making the statement.
Only one full stop/period is allowed, i.e., at the end of the sentence.
3. Being a sponsor/author of a draft resolution means that you have contributed to it
significantly, but you may or may not support it.
4. Being a signatory means that you’re ready for the Resolution to be discussed in
the committee, but you may or may not support it. There is no specific number
of signatories required in this conference; however, the EB can exercise its
discretion in these situations.

Discussion of a Draft Resolution

Before being put to vote, a Draft Resolution is discussed in the committee. There
are four ways to do this:
1. Moderated Caucus: Two speakers for and two against the DR are selected.
This is followed by a simple majority vote.
2. Special Speaker’s List: A GSL-like list is established. Yields are entertained
in each speech, especially POIs.
3. Clause by Clause Discussion: The DR is broken down by means of its
clauses. Each clause is discussed separately.

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 4. Question-Answer Session: The same as the name- a number of people are
allowed to ask questions on the DR.

Amendments
Amendments to a Draft Resolution refer to the changes that a committee wishes to
make to a Draft Resolution after the Resolution has been discussed. You will be
provided a short period of time to turn in any amendments that you deem fit. In
regards to the Authors' view on them, there are two types of Amendments:
1. Friendly Amendment: Any amendment that the authors agree with. No
voting required.
2. Unfriendly Amendment: An amendment that the authors do not agree with.
A simple majority vote is required. If the vote results in a majority of the
committee assenting with it, the amendment is incorporated and the necessary
changes are made.
Note:
1. The validity of an amendment is discussed through two speakers against two,
or three speakers against three, before vote.
2. If Amendments are entertained on the whole body of operatives (every
clause), that resolution stands scrapped.
In regards to their Nature, there are three types of amendments:
1. Addition Amendment: An addition amendment is when you propose the
addition of a clause to the DR.
Format:
Addition Amendment
From: Your portfolio.
Add Clause X: “Proposed clause in its entirety.”

2. Deletion Amendment: A deletion amendment is when you propose the

deletion of a clause present in the DR.
Format:
Deletion Amendment
From: Your portfolio.
Delete clause X.
(X = Number of the clause that you wish to be deleted.)

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 3. Modification Amendment: A modification amendment is when you
propose changes to an existing clause in the DR.
Format:
Modification Amendment
From: Your portfolio.
Old Clause: ………...
New Clause: ……….

Voting Procedure
We follow a roll call vote in three rounds:
1. First Round: Yes, no, Abstain.
2. Second Round: Abstentions are cleared.
3. Third Round: Rights are exercised to justify procedural, substantive policy
violation. Rights are given before final results but after third round voting. The
delegate exercising a right is granted 30 seconds of speaking time to justify his
stance.
Note: Majority Required:

• Simple majority on normal Resolutions.

• 2/3rd Majority with the vote of all five Permanent Members of the
committee if the Resolution is focused on amending any part of the UN
Charter. (Article 108) XII.

Special Motions
1. Motion to Suspend Meeting (To move into a break between committee
sessions)
Format: “The Delegate of motions to suspend meeting to move
into ”.
2. Closure of Debate - This motion closes the debate for the committee. This is
usually done after sufficient debate on the DR, to move into a voting session.
Format: “The Delegate of would like to raise a motion to close the floor
for Formal Debate".

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3. Motion to Set Aside Debate (It is raised to set aside formal debate and move
into a moderated or un-moderated caucus.)
Format: “The Delegate of ‘ ’ would like to set aside formal debate and move
into a moderated caucus on topic being ‘ ’ for total time period being ‘ ’
minutes and individual speakers' time being ‘_ ’seconds.”
4. Motion of Extension: It is raised to extend the current moderated caucus by a
maximum of half its time.
Format: “The Delegate of ‘ ’ would like to raise a motion to extend the current
moderated caucus by ‘ ’ minutes.”

9 | Rules of Procedure