TERMINOLOGY

ROPs (Rules of Procedure) - The rules which both the dais and chairs follow. They dictate how a committee should run.

Dais/ Chairs - The group of people situated at the front of the room . The dais are the ones who will be leading the debate, primarily in guiding moderated caucuses and enforcing ROPs. They are responsible for maintaining a good flow during committee. Additionally, the chairs do not represent any countries or characters within committee.

Placard - A piece of cardboard or paper given to delegates. They indicate a delegates' country/ character and is used to signal to the chairs within committee. Delegates should raise their placards to show presence, vote and signal to the dais.

Decorum - Order in committee. The dais may call decorum if delegates are too loud or disrespectful or in order to ask for their attention during committee.

Motion - Motions are how you asked for something in MUN. They indicate to the dais that you have something you want to see happen.

Speaker’s List - A list that contains the order of speakers in the committee. The specific way that the order is determined varies by conference. The Speaker’s List is the default format of debate and the committee will proceed with speeches until a delegate makes a motion to change up the debate format.

Simple Majority - A vote that requires more than 50% of the committee to pass.

Blocs - A group of delegates who share the same ideals. Blocs are usually formed in unmods and are the group of people you write resolutions with.

Yield - Delegates yield their extra time back to the dais when they finish their speech ahead of the given speaking time. This signifies to the dais and the committee that the speech is finished.

RESOLUTIONS

Working paper - Working papers are just a list of ideas formed by the blocs. They may or may not be written in resolution format. The working paper needs to be approved by the chairs.

Draft Resolution - A document written in resolution format, approved by the chairs, and introduced to committee but not yet voted upon is called a draft resolution. Delegates will be spending most of their time writing and amending the draft resolutions. Once a draft resolution is passed by a committee, then it becomes a Resolution.

Sponsors - The delegates who are primarily responsible for writing the resolution paper and have contributed the most to it. Each paper should have 2-4 sponsors.

Signatories - The delegates who have contributed to the resolution paper but have no necessarily written a majority of it or spearheaded the paper. Each paper should have more signatories compared to sponsors.

Preambulatory clauses - statements in the first section of the draft resolution that describes the problems that the committee wants to solve as well as previous measures taken to combat the problem. Pre-ambulatory clauses are usually italicized or underlined by not numbered.

Operative clauses - Statements in the second section of the draft resolution that outlines the specific solutions the sponsors wish to implement. Operative clauses are usually numbered and underlined.

Amendments - a change made to an operative clause of a draft resolution. Amendments can add, delete, or change an operative clause in a draft resolution. A Friendly Amendment is an amendment written and approved by all the sponsors to a draft resolution and is automatically included into the text. An Unfriendly Amendment is an amendment not approved by all the sponsors to their draft resolution and must be voted upon before it can be included into the text.

Merging - combining two or more draft resolutions to make a bigger or new draft resolution

Voting bloc - when delegates vote on the draft resolutions and amendments

POINTS AND MOTIONS

Point of Inquiry - POI are motions used when a delegate wants to ask the dais on the grounds of not understanding ROPs or any other general question regarding debate.

Point of Personal Privilege - Motions for when the delegate wants to address something outside of debate that is bugging the delegate. For example, delegates can motion for a point of personal privilege if they want to close a window because its too cold, open the lights because its too dark or because the new to use the washroom.

Point of Order - For when delegates want to address the dais or other delegates for failing to follow ROPs.

Right of Reply - For when delegates feel that they have personally (not their characters) been attacked/ offended during another delegates speech.

CAUCUSES

Moderated (mods)- Moderated Caucuses are where the bulk of debate happens within committee. In a moderated caucus, a specific topic is chosen and delegates are given the chance to speak upon it. Moderated caucuses are guided by the dais, hence the name. When prompted to motion for a moderated Caucus, delegates should provide the total speaking time, speaking time per delegate and if they would like to speak first or last. After the choosing the topic, delegates will be prompted to raise their placards to be called on to speak and the dais will call upon delegates in order, until the time has expired.

As a general rule, the speaking times and individual speaking times given should be divisible. Some common times are 10 minutes total- 1 minute speaking time, 5-30, 9-45.

Unmoderated (unmods) - Unmoderated Caucus are where delegates are given the opportunity to stand up and roam around the room to work with other countries with similar policies. Initial unmods are used to form blocs and network. Following unmods are spent to draft resolutions with your bloc. When motioning for an unmod, delegates only need to provide a total time for the unmod.