Each committee is led by a Chairperson who facilitates the discussion for the committee. The large overarching topic to which the committee is tasked with developing a resolution is known to all delegates well in advance of the meeting of the committee. The committee meeting will start with the Chairperson taking roll call. Afterward, the chairperson will ask delegates to suggest topics and then a vote to decide which topics will be discussed during that particular session. After the topic is selected, the committee is ready to begin debate on the selected topic.
There are three debate formats. The default debate format is called the Speakers List. This where delegates take turns making speeches in front of the room by the order that they are listed on the Speakers List as selected by the Chair. Speeches are typically around 1 minute or 1 minute and 30 seconds, but the speaking time can be changed by a majority vote from the delegates.
Delegates may vote to change up the debate format to either Moderated Caucus or Unmoderated Caucus after the initial speakers list.
Moderated Caucus is when the committee decides to focus on a sub-issue and get a back-and-forth debate going. Delegates will raise their placards to be called on to speak, and the Chairperson will call on speakers one-by-one until the Moderated Caucus time has expired.
Unmoderated Caucus is when delegates are free to get up out of their seats and roam around the room to work with other countries with similar policies. The first one or two unmoderated caucuses will be spent finding allies, but afterward most of the unmoderated caucuses are spent writing draft resolutions with your caucus bloc (your group of allies). All delegates are encouraged to be a sponsor — an author — of a draft resolution.
Committee will switch between Speakers List, Moderated Caucus, and Unmoderated Caucus until draft resolutions are complete, merged, and ready to be presented.
Resolutions will be presented either as they are ready or all at once near the end of the conference (sometimes this is called Formal Caucus). Some conferences allow a question-and-answer period after the presentations, and some conferences will also allow time to make mergers or amendments to the resolution.
Finally, all the countries in the committee will vote on whether or not they want a resolution to be passed. Afterward, committee will repeat the same process again for the second topic, or if you do not have a second topic then you are done!