National Model United Nations
Encyclopedia
National Model United Nations, or NMUN, is an international, college-level Model United Nations
conference run by the National Collegiate Conference Association, a small non-profit based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
, USA. The conference is globally the largest and among the most prestigious collegiate United Nations
simulations.
NMUN is an experiential learning
program in which participants work in cooperation to discuss and brainstorm solutions to issues facing the globe as model diplomats in the United Nations
. Each delegation consists of students from a university or college who are assigned a country, whose role and position they take on in committees. Before the conference, students are expected to research that Member State’s history and its current perspective on international issues, and then represent that state in their assigned committee. The official language of the conference is English.
.
System and contemporary global issues through quality educational programs that emphasize collaboration and cooperative conflict resolution
and prepare participants for active global citizenship
.
Dept. of the General Assembly
Dept. of the Economic and Social Council
Dept. of Specialized Agencies, Programmes, and Funds
Dept. of Inter-Governmental Organizations
Dept. of Peace and Security
, Austria
, Bahrain
, Bangladesh
, Belgium
, Bulgaria
, Canada
, China
, Colombia
, Croatia
, Czech Republic
, Denmark
, Ecuador
, Egypt
, France
, Germany
, Ghana
, Greece
, Hungary
, Indonesia
, Italy
, Japan
, Malaysia, Mexico
, Morocco
, Netherlands
, Norway
, Philippines
, Poland
, Russian Federation, Spain
, Sweden
, Switzerland
, Turkey
, Uganda
, United Arab Emirates
, United Kingdom
, United States
, and Venezuela
. Closing ceremonies are held in the United Nations
General Assembly Hall, along with final plenary sessions being held on the UN campus. Past keynote speakers have included Susan Rice, Hillary Clinton, Michael Ignatieff
, Dikembe Mutombo
, and UN Secretaries-General Ban Ki-moon
and Kofi Annan
.
, NMUN has held a conference in DC since 2007. NMUN DC also draws students from around the world, and features distinguished speakers from the diplomatic community of Washington, DC.
(2008), Quito
, Ecuador
(2010), and Olomouc
, Czech Republic
(2010), and will be hosting NMUN Europe in Lille
, France
in January-February 2012.
The committee chair assumes responsibility for the proceedings of the committee, ensuring the committee runs smoothly and efficiently. Chairs are responsible for knowing the correct rules of procedure and parliamentary procedure.
Rapporteurs assist in the organization of the committee and aide the Director, AD, and chair. Some large committees may have two rapporteurs to ensure in the organization of the Dais. Rapporteurs manage the speakers list, keep track of the resolutions on the floor, ordering amendments, verifying votes, and preparing the final committee reports.
Model United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
conference run by the National Collegiate Conference Association, a small non-profit based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, USA. The conference is globally the largest and among the most prestigious collegiate United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
simulations.
NMUN is an experiential learning
Experiential learning
Experiential learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience. Simply put, Experiential Learning is learning from experience. The experience can be staged or left open. Aristotle once said, "For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them." David A...
program in which participants work in cooperation to discuss and brainstorm solutions to issues facing the globe as model diplomats in the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. Each delegation consists of students from a university or college who are assigned a country, whose role and position they take on in committees. Before the conference, students are expected to research that Member State’s history and its current perspective on international issues, and then represent that state in their assigned committee. The official language of the conference is English.
Background
NMUN became a registered Non-Profit in 1968. Since then, it has grown substantially. Together over 5,973 students participated in NMUN conferences in fall of 2010 through spring 2011. These students came from 397 colleges and universities, and over 3,400 of the students came from outside of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Mission Statement
The National Collegiate Conference Association’s seeks to advance understanding of the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
System and contemporary global issues through quality educational programs that emphasize collaboration and cooperative conflict resolution
Conflict resolution
Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...
and prepare participants for active global citizenship
Global citizenship
Global citizenship applies the whole world to bring world peace and the concept of citizenship to a global level and is strongly connected with the concepts of globalization and cosmopolitanism. World citizenship is a term which can be distinguished from global citizenship, although some may merge...
.
Position Papers
Each delegation must write a position paper per committee they are assigned, which covers the three topics the committee will be discussing at the conference. The position papers requires students to write about their state, NGO, or expert’s position on the issues that the committee will be debating, as well as consider what potential solutions could be proposed during the conference. Staff-members judge position papers for awards, which are given out during closing ceremony. Position papers must follow strict formatting guidelines. They cannot exceed one double-sided page and must be Times New Roman 10-12 point font. The state or NGO name, as well as school name and committee name must be clearly labeled at the top of the paper, and agenda topics must be clearly labeled in separate sections. No national symbols are allowed to be included on position papers.Awards philosophy
NMUN does utilize awards, but does not emphasize awards as the main motivator or definition of success at the conference. Instead, NMUN focuses on diplomacy and cooperative collaboration, but recognizes delegations for high quality position papers and performance in the conference. Additionally, each committee recognizes one or two individuals as distinguished delegates in committee, based on a popular vote at the end of the conference.Committees
The committees that are simulated at NMUN are divided by the UN departments under which they operate: General Assembly; Economic and Social Council; Specialized Agencies, Programmes, and Funds; Inter-Governmental Organizations; and Peace and Security. The committees for the 2012 NMUN conference are listed below:Dept. of the General Assembly
- General Assembly First CommitteeUnited Nations General AssemblyFor two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
(GA1st) - General Assembly Second CommitteeUnited Nations General AssemblyFor two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
(GA2nd) - General Assembly Third CommitteeUnited Nations General AssemblyFor two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
(GA3rd) - Human Rights CouncilUnited Nations Human Rights CouncilThe United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...
(HRC)
Dept. of the Economic and Social Council
- Economic and Social Council PlenaryUnited Nations Economic and Social CouncilThe Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...
(ECOSOC) - Commission on the Status of WomenUnited Nations Commission on the Status of WomenThe Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council , one of the main UN organs within the United Nations.Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender...
(CSW) - Commission on Narcotic DrugsCommission on Narcotic DrugsThe Commission on Narcotic Drugs is the central drug policy-making body within the United Nations system. Its predecessor, the Advisory Committee on the Traffic in Opium and Other Dangerous Drugs, was established by the first Assembly of the League of Nations on December 15, 1920...
(CND) - Economic and Social Commission for Western AsiaUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western AsiaThe United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia , headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, is one of the five regional commissions under the administrative direction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. UN-ESCWA promotes economic and social development of Western Asia...
(ESCWA)
Dept. of Specialized Agencies, Programmes, and Funds
- United Nation Children's Fund (UNICEF)
- Conference on Sustainable Development-Rio+20United Nations Conference on Sustainable DevelopmentIn 2012 the United Nations will convene the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio 2012 or Rio+20, hosted by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, as a 20-year follow-up to the historic 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development that was held in the same city...
(CSustD) - Food and Agriculture OrganizationFood and Agriculture OrganizationThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
(FAO) - United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization Executive BoardUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
(UNESCO)
Dept. of Inter-Governmental Organizations
- African UnionAfrican UnionThe African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
(AU) - Organization of American StatesOrganization of American StatesThe Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
(OAS) - Organization of the Islamic ConferenceOrganization of the Islamic ConferenceThe Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Upon the groups's renaming, some sources provided the English-language translation "Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation", but and have since indicated the preferred English translation omits the "the". is an international organisation consisting of 57...
(OIC) - Asia-Pacific Economic CooperationAsia-Pacific Economic CooperationAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries that seeks to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region...
(APEC)
Dept. of Peace and Security
- Security Council (SC)
- International Criminal CourtInternational Criminal CourtThe International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
(ICC) - Peacebuilding CommissionPeacebuilding CommissionThe Peacebuilding Commission was established in December 2005 by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council acting concurrently...
(PBC) - Conference on the Arms Trade TreatyArms Trade TreatyThe Arms Trade Treaty is the name of a potential multilateral treaty that would control the international trade of conventional firearms. The treaty is in the preliminary stages of development and has not yet been officially negotiated.-Origins:...
(ATT)
NMUN New York
NMUN NY is the oldest NMUN conference, and takes place over the course of a week every spring in New York City. Because of its expanding size, there are now two conferences that run almost simultaneously at the Sheraton New York Hotel and New York Marriott Marquis hotels. This conference has expanded greatly in the past two decades, with approximately 1,200 participants throughout the 1990s, doubling to 2,500 in 2001, and reaching 5,000 students in 2010. This rapid growth necessitated the expansion to two separate venues in 2007. Students from 39 different UN Member States participated in NMUN NY in 2011, with participants coming from: AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Malaysia, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Russian Federation, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. Closing ceremonies are held in the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
General Assembly Hall, along with final plenary sessions being held on the UN campus. Past keynote speakers have included Susan Rice, Hillary Clinton, Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
, Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo , commonly referred to as Dikembe Mutombo, is a retired Congolese American professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the NBA...
, and UN Secretaries-General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
and Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
.
NMUN DC
Partnering with the Osgood Center for International StudiesOsgood Center for International Studies
The Osgood Center for International Studies is a not-for-profit educational foundation located in Washington, D.C. It is named in honor of Robert E. Osgood and his wife Gretchen....
, NMUN has held a conference in DC since 2007. NMUN DC also draws students from around the world, and features distinguished speakers from the diplomatic community of Washington, DC.
International Locations
Since 2008 NMUN has expanded internationally, hosting conferences in Xi’an, ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(2008), Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
(2010), and Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(2010), and will be hosting NMUN Europe in Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in January-February 2012.
Staff
Each NMUN conference is run by volunteer staff members, usually experienced NMUN alumni. Volunteer staff consists of individuals from all over the world, both undergraduate students and those with degrees.Under-Secretaries-General
For each conference venue, there is typically one Under-Secretary-General (USG) per department (General Assembly, ECOSOC, Peace & Security, Specialized Agencies, IGOs, and Conference Services). Throughout the year, they assist the committee officers with the writing and editing of their Background Guides, and at the conference is responsible for the substantive affairs of the department.Director
Directors are the head officials in their committees, and work to write the majority of their committee’s Background Guide, as well as managing the substantive affairs of their committee, with the assistance of the Assistant Director.Assistant Director
Assistant Directors also each write a section of the background guide for their respective committee and work alongside the Director to run the committee at the conference, more specifically working with the committee’s rapporteurs.Research Assistants
Research Assistants help substantive volunteer staff through researching and assisting in the revision of the work of the Secretariat.Network Manager
The Network Manager’s main responsibility is to set up and manage the computer lab during the conference under the direction of the Under-Secretary-General of Conference Services (USG-CS).Office Managers & Administrative Assistants
The Conference Services Department consists of Office Managers and Administrative Assistants (AAs). These volunteers provide assistance in the use of computers and photocopying.Delegate Participation on the Dais
Delegates have the opportunity at the conference to take on more leadership in their committee by serving alongside staff on the Dais at NMUN NY. Each committee has a chair and rapporteur, which spots are filled by student participants. They forgo their position as a representative of a specific country and are no longer able to participate in the substantive proceedings of the committee.The committee chair assumes responsibility for the proceedings of the committee, ensuring the committee runs smoothly and efficiently. Chairs are responsible for knowing the correct rules of procedure and parliamentary procedure.
Rapporteurs assist in the organization of the committee and aide the Director, AD, and chair. Some large committees may have two rapporteurs to ensure in the organization of the Dais. Rapporteurs manage the speakers list, keep track of the resolutions on the floor, ordering amendments, verifying votes, and preparing the final committee reports.
Rules of Procedure: Short Form
| Motion | Purpose | Debate | Vote | None |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point of Order | Correct an error in procedure | None | None | Refers to a specific rule |
| Appeal the Decision of the Chair | Challenge a decision of the Chair | None | Majority | Question the Chair's ruling |
| Suspension of the Meeting | Recess meeting for a defined period | None | Majority | Used to go into caucus or to break for a given time |
| Adjournment of the Meeting | End meeting | None | Majority | Used only on final day; ends committee for the year |
| Closure of Debate | Vote on all draft resolutions; move to immediate vote | 2 pro / 2 con | Majority | Tables the topic; requires a roll call vote |
| Division of the Question (Used in voting only) | Consider clause(s) separately from rest of draft resolution. Part 1: Procedural vote on if this motion should be considered; Part 2: Substantive vote to accept/ reject separated clauses | Part 1: 2 pro / 2 con; Part 2: None | Part 1: Majority. Part 2: Majority. | Voted on it order of most to least radical change. Part 1: If passes: clause(s) removed and voted on separately. If fails: no change to clause(s). Clauses(s) are separated out and voted on as an annex to the original draft resolution. Part 2: If passes: Annex passes. If fails: clause(s) discarded and no longer part of any draft resolution. |
| Roll Call Vote (Used in voting only) | Vote by roll call, rather than show placards | None | None | Automatically granted once requested |
| Adopt by Acclamation (Used in voting only) | Pass a draft resolution as a body | None | Majority | Once motioned, Chair must ask if there are any dissensions |
| Reconsideration | Re-open debate on an issue (Motion must be made by a member that voted for Adjournment of Debate) | 2 con | 2/3rds | Un-tables topic that was tabled by Adjournment of Debate |
| Set Speakers Time | Set the time allowed for formal speeches. | 2 pro / 2 con | Majority | It is very rarely used at the UN and may be ruled out of order by the Chair. |
| Close the speakers list | No additional speakers added to speakers' list on topic; re-opening speakers' list allows speaker to be added on list again | None | Majority | No new speakers can be added to list; once list is exhausted go directly into voting procedures |
| Adoption of the Agenda | Approval of agenda order | None | Majority | Determines the order by which the topics will be discussed; Approved topic order = agenda. |