Parliamentary Procedure

Procedures for Motioning:  

1. Chair asks for points or motions.  

2. Delegates verbally make their motions when called on by the chair. The dais will input all motions into a word document on a shared screen.   

3. The committee votes on one motion at a time, in order from most to least disruptive.  

4. Once a motion passes, it then takes effect and nullifies all succeeding motions.  

5. If no motion passes, the committee will return to the speakers list.  

Points:  

Note: Points may be made at any time.  

• Point of Order: Challenge or confirm with the dais a procedural ruling (i.e., is it proper parliamentary procedure?).  

• Point of Personal Privilege: Ask for a personal accommodation (use the restroom, temperature, volume).  

• Point of Inquiry: Ask the dais a question or for instruction about the committee or events in the committee.  

Motions (in order of use):  

• Motion for Roll Call: The chair will call the names of all the delegates’ countries or people. Delegates should respond “present” or “present and voting”.   

o If a delegate responds “present” they have the choice to abstain during any votes that are non- procedural.   

o If a delegate responds with “present and voting,” they may not abstain in any vote.  

• Motion to Open the Primary Speaker’s List: Set the speaking time for 1 or 2 minutes, and the delegate that made the motion will be asked if they would like to speak first or last.  This needs a simple majority to pass.  

o Yields: At the end of a speech on the speaker’s list, the speaker must yield their remaining time to either the chair (the chair will absorb your time and your speech is finished), to another delegate, or to questions (put forth by the committee members).  

• Motion to Set the Agenda: Proposal for order of topics (e.g., Topic A followed by Topic B), requires a simple majority vote to pass. 

• Motion to Open the Secondary Speaker’s List: Set the speaking time for 1 or 2 minutes, and the delegate that made the motion will be asked if they would like to speak first or last.  This needs a simple majority to pass.   

o You must also yield your time after completing a speech on the secondary speaker’s list.  

• Motion to Introduce Working Papers: With this motion, delegates may propose the introduction of their working paper or all working papers in the committee. Should the motion pass, the working paper(s) will be discussed in the committee. This motion requires a simple majority to pass. This motion is immediately followed by the sponsors of the working paper or the chair reading it to the committee or an individual reading period. The committee will then move into a 5-minute Q&A session. At the conclusion of this Q&A, the chair may entertain motions to extend it by a number of minutes or questions.  

o In General Assembly and Specialized committees, a Q&A will always follow a reading period. See Crisis Committee instructions below for procedure on Q&As in this type of committee.  

o NOTE: All directives and resolutions will be drafted via Google Doc. When introducing a working paper, you may either upload a file or submit a link to a Google Doc. Before you share a link, change the link sharing permissions so that anyone with the link can view the document.   

• Motion to Enter Voting Procedure: This motion is used when the committee is ready to vote on working papers or directives. This motion requires a 2/3 majority to pass. Delegates may not propose any other motions once in voting procedure. This is not a motion to vote on a specific resolution, rather a vote to begin the process of voting. The delegate should propose which drafts to vote on and in what order.   

0 When this motion is passed, the committee enters voting procedure. The virtual committee room is locked, and members may not join or leave during this time (barring technical difficulties). No other motions may be made until a vote is held and the committee exits voting procedure.  

• Motion to Suspend Debate: Commonly used when shifting debate topics, opening the speakers’ list, ending a committee session or moving to a vote. This requires a simple majority to pass.  

• Motion to Adjourn: This motion is used at the end of conferences to close the committee.  This needs a simple majority to pass.  

Special Notes:   

• Motioning to open the debate will not be necessary in a THSMUNC committee. A motion to open the speaker’s list will serve the same purpose. 

• If no other motions are passed, you will automatically return to the secondary speaker’s list (or the speakers list for crisis committees) so make sure to pay attention to it even if you move into moderated caucuses.  

• When there are no speakers remaining on the Secondary Speaker’s List (or the speakers list for crisis committees), it is assumed that all formal debate has concluded. The committee will move automatically into voting procedure.  

Caucuses:  

• Motioning for a Moderated Caucus: Delegates should motion for a moderated caucus when they wish to suspend the primary speaker’s list and speak on more specified topics.  The overall caucus length, individual speaking time, and topic must be outlined in the motion.  (e.g., Motion for a 10-minute moderated caucus with 1 minute speaking times on the topic of _______.) 

o Motion for a 2-for 2-against: The purpose of this motion is to entertain two speakers in support and two speakers in opposition of a working paper. This must be submitted as a moderated caucus with the topic “2 for 2 against on ____.”  

• Motioning for an Unmoderated Caucus: Delegates should motion for an unmoderated caucus when they wish to suspend formal debate and negotiate freely with other delegates in the committee. Unmoderated caucuses are ideal for forming blocs and drafting working papers. The overall caucus length must be outlined in the motion. (e.g., Motion for a 10-minute unmoderated caucus.)   

• All motions for caucuses need a simple majority to pass.  

• Note that you may not yield to anything or anyone during moderated caucuses, as your time is automatically absorbed by the chair.  

Resolutions/Working Papers/Directives:  

• Sponsors: Delegates who have authored the working paper and intend to support it. o the chair will set a maximum number of sponsors, so not everyone in a bloc will get to become a sponsor.  

• Signatories: Delegates who would like to see the draft debated but do not necessarily support all the elements of the resolution.  

o The chair will set a minimum number of necessary signatories in the committee, otherwise the working paper will not be debated or presented.  

• When presenting a draft resolution/directive to the committee, the sponsors will come to read the paper aloud, and then will respond to questions put forth by the committee in a 5- minute Q&A session. 

Amending Working Papers or Directives:  

• Motion to Amend: Delegates may motion to amend a working paper that they feel needs a change to make it more passable. The sponsors of the working paper may deem the amendment friendly or unfriendly. In order to amend, delegates must pass (or send) the written amendment to the chair and then may motion to amend. This requires a simple majority to pass.  

• Friendly Amendments: Friendly amendments are additions to a working paper that are agreed upon by all sponsors of the paper and the delegate proposing the amendment. They are automatically added to the working paper by the dais and do not require a vote to pass.  

• Unfriendly Amendments: Unfriendly amendments are additions to a working paper that are rejected by any of the sponsors of the paper. They require a simple majority to be passed and added to the working paper.  

• Motion to Vote on Amendments: Once all amendments to the current working paper have been read, delegates may motion to vote on the amendments. The motion requires a simple majority to pass. Should the motion pass, the amendment will be integrated into the working paper.  

Steps for Amending a Working Paper:  

1. Delegate will write the working paper, then raise their placard to be called on by the chair for a motion to amend.  

2. If motion passes, chair reads amendment to sponsors of the working paper  

3. Sponsors deem the amendment friendly or unfriendly.  

4. If the amendment is deemed friendly, the amendment automatically passes and is added to the working paper.  

5. If the amendment is deemed unfriendly, the delegate who proposed the amendment may motion to vote on the amendment. The committee may also choose to debate the amendment further.  

Crisis-Specific Motions:  

• Please note that all other points and motions above apply to Crisis as well. This includes motions to amend, motions to move into voting procedure etc. The only motions that do not apply are those to set the agenda, set the primary speakers list, set the secondary speakers list, and introduce working papers since crisis committees use directives instead of resolutions.  

• Motion to Open the Speaker’s List: Set the speaking time for 1 or 2 minutes, and the delegate that made the motion will be asked if they would like to speak first or last. This needs a simple majority to pass. You must also yield your time after completing a speech on the secondary speaker’s list. Initially, delegates use the speakers list to open debate and discuss the two topics. There is no formal setting the agenda in crisis. From there, delegates may move into caucuses dealing with issues pertaining to the two caucuses as they arise. If delegates fail to pass any proposed motions at any point during committee sessions, the committee reverts to the speakers list.   

o You may yield your time to questions or to another delegate during the speakers list but not during 'caucuses. 

• Motion for a Round Robin (Tour de Table): Delegates would go around the table with each receiving an allotted amount of time to share their opinion on a specific topic. When proposing this motion, the delegate proposing must specify the time each delegate receives to speak and the topic on which delegates must speak about (ex. Motion for a 30 second round robin on the crisis update). These motions need a simple majority to pass.   

• Motion for a Straw poll: Straw polls are used for “reading the room” and to see the general sentiments of the room on an issue.   

• Motion to Introduce Directive(s): Delegates may motion to introduce all directives currently at the dais in the order they were received, or they may motion to introduce one individual directive. This must be specific in their motion (I.e., “Motion to introduce all directives in the order with which they were received" OR “Motion to introduce Directive XXX”). These motions require a simple majority to pass. This motion is immediately followed by the sponsors of the directive or the chair reading it to the committee or an individual reading period.  The delegate may also motion to introduce the directive(s) followed by a Q&A period, which they must be specific in their motion. “Motion to introduce Directive XXX followed by a 5-minute Q&A.”