How to MUN

Model United Nations can involve a realistic role play of the UN Security Council, one of the many organizational bodies within that institution, or even a Non-Governmental Organization such UNESCO, etc...  A Model UN is comprised of a series of committees, each tasked with addressing particular issues drawn from current events.  Each committee will have a background paper which provides the background to the issue to be addressed by the committee.  As a delegate at a Model UN, it is your task to read the background paper for your committee and to prepare a position paper.   The position paper is the position of your country as it pertains to the given issue before the committee.  For instance, if you are assigned Canada for a DISEC (Disarmament and International Security) committee on small arms trade then as the representative of Canada, it would be your task to research Canada's position on this issue.  While a background typically runs 7-10 pages in length, position papers are usually only 2-3 pages in length.  The position paper allows the delegate to investigate their assigned country and the role that they play.  Delegates often tend to embellish their role by taking an extreme position on the topic.  The following is an excellent link for Drafting A Position Paper.

In a crisis, specialized, or historical committee, the task assigned the delegate is the same: read the background paper and then prepare an appropriate response or position on the issue.  For example, if the specialized committee is the Board of SpaceX and the background paper deals with leadership issues within the company, then in your assigned role as a member of the SpaceX board you would draft a suitable position paper.  Generally, such papers need to be grounded in fact.  Sometimes a specialized committee can be a complete work of fiction: The Ministry of Magic from Harry Potter or The Gods of Mount Olympus.  For such specialized committees, the same format for drafting a position paper as above can be used but more leeway is permitted.