Position Paper Guidlines

Overview 

Every delegate must submit a position paper on their committee’s topic. A position paper is the declaration of a country’s position on the topic being discussed in the committee. It is meant to demonstrate the delegate's competency on the topic and is the main position that delegates present at the conference. It emphasizes the key points a country wants addressed by the committee. An excellent policy statement includes background on the topic (including facts and past UN work on the issue), a clear statement and examples of a country’s policy and actions on the topic, and proposed solutions that the country hopes to have adopted in resolution(s). 

The position paper must be typed, one page, and single-spaced. Other formatting requirements include Times New Roman (12-point) font, 1 inch margins on all sides, and left-justified. The header is in all caps, left-justified with three lines: the country’s formal name on line one, the committee’s name on line two, and the agenda topic on the third line. The body of the position paper consists of three paragraphs. The three paragraphs of the policy statement are also left justified, with no indentation and a single space line between paragraphs. 

Paragraph 1: 

The first paragraph of the policy statement provides an historical overview of the issue and any involvement or action the UN has previously taken. This paragraph should answer the question, "What is the problem?" and can include facts, statistics, and, most importantly, UN actions. This is to be written from the delegate’s country’s perspective, so include information that the country feels is crucial to defining the issue. It is important to remember, though, that this paragraph is not about the country, and should not make reference to it. It should include foundational documents, key agencies, conferences, and specific current initiatives. Delegates are advised to discuss specific UN bodies rather than a vague reference to “the UN.”

Paragraph 2: 

The second paragraph should describe the history of the country’s involvement with the issue, including past actions the country has taken. It should describe laws, domestic programs, and international action or efforts to address the issue. Country information and statistics may be used to describe the issue, but delegates should remember to use a positive tone even when discussing unappealing information.

Paragraph 3: 

The third paragraph contains the country’s policy and proposed solutions on the issue. It introduces concrete proposals or actions the country wants the UN to take. Delegates must follow the position of their country, but should be creative and realistic. All solutions need to be funded, and delegates need to designate what specific UN bodies or organizations should be responsible to carry out their proposed solutions, or how to coordinate with non-UN organizations. The content of the third paragraph will be the foundation of a delegate’s negotiation in conference. It is also acceptable to address statements to “Member States.” UN bodies that are mentioned in the policy should be established in the first paragraph. Remember that paragraph three is not what actions a delegate’s country will take, but what that country wants the United Nations and the international community to do. 

Policy Statements are unique in that delegates do not cite their sources, because delegates are writing as if they are the state’s representative to the UN, so the writing should have an authoritative tone -- delegates are simulating representatives of these policies, and are thus considered the sources of the information itself. That being said, the information must be an accurate reflection of the country’s policy on the issue. The difficulty comes in using critical thinking skills to craft a coherent policy statement from the many details found in the course of research.