What is Model United Nations?
Model United Nations (MUN) is a simulation of a political entity, usually a body of the United Nations (such as the General Assembly or the Security Council). At ETH MUN, we either have one body per semester or we change it after a few weeks. The simulation always has a (more or less specific) topic.
How does the simulation work?
To start, you pick a country to represent. Countries can be represented by one or several students, who are called delegates. Every delegation has a sign with the country's name on it (the placard). Then, the delegates engage in formal debate on the given topic with the goal of writing and adopting a resolution (a kind of collective, formal decision) in the end. The debate is moderated by the chair(s), which are board members at ETH MUN.
I chose a country to represent in MUN. What do I do now?
To make things happen during the debate, you can raise a motion. For example, the debate is started by motions to open the debate and to adopt the agenda (set the topic of debate). This is followed by opening speeches, where the representatives of each country summarize their stance on the issue at hand and express what outcomes they would like. Don't worry if you are unsure about what position your country has or what the debate is about, at ETH MUN we provide you with short guides that you can read in a couple of minutes before the debate starts, and you can use them during the debate too!
After the opening speeches (which only happen in the first week of a topic), debate proceeds on the General Speaker’s List (GSL). Raise your placard when the chair asks or put it vertically in front of you to be added to the GSL. Representatives will speak in the order they were added. Once it is your turn you have an allocated time (we display a timer) to speak about anything that is related to the agenda. If your time has not elapsed by the time you finish speaking, you must yield your time to the chair, to questions, or to another representative. If the GSL becomes empty (everyone on it has spoken and no representative wants to be added), the debate ends and we enter the voting procedure (we will discuss that part later in this guide).
The GSL is for general discussion, but there are other forms the debate can take. Most notable are moderated and unmoderated caucuses. A moderated caucus is like the GSL, but only a specific subtopic is discussed. An unmoderated caucus is a break from formal debate: representatives are free to move around the room and talk with each other with no moderation. It is the best format for writing documents such as draft resolutions (see below). They both have a time limit that is set beforehand and can be extended once. Both moderated and unmoderated caucuses can be initiated by a motion when the chair opens the floor motions: You raise your placard and if called, you say, for instance “Motion for a moderated caucus of 5 minutes with individual speaker's time of 60 seconds on the topic of …”). The proposed motions are then voted on by the representatives and the first one that passes (if any does pass) will determine how the next part of the debate will proceed.
There are also points like the Point of Parliamentary Inquiry, which means that you ask the chair a question. You can find the full list of points and motions under Rules of Procedure. If you're ever unsure about something, use the Point of Parliamentary Inquiry!
Remember that in all debates you are not representing yourself, but your chosen country: so you shouldn't use singular pronouns (“I”, "you") and use “we” or “the representative/delegate of…” instead.
Draft Resolutions
Draft resolutions are written during the debate by delegates and are the first step toward a resolution. Officially any written work only becomes a draft resolution once it has enough sponsors (authors) and signatories (supporters). The required number is set by the chair. A “Motion to Introduce Draft Resolution” needs to be raised and passed. After this, changes to the document can only be made via amendments during the debate (“Motion to Introduce Amendment”). Once the debate ends and the committee enters voting procedure, draft resolutions cannot be changed anymore, they can only be voted on (either as a whole or in parts). The first draft resolution to pass becomes a resolution (only one draft resolution is passed on each topic).
How does the debate end?
Debate ends either when the GSL becomes empty or if a “Motion to Close Debate” passes. The committee then enters the substantive voting procedure where draft resolutions are voted on.
Sounds great! How do I participate?
You can just come to our weekly session on Thursdays during the semester at 19:00 (check out the homepage or our Instagram for location or updates). You need no preparation or prior experience: If you want, you can represent a country together with someone more experienced and they can show you the ropes.