NORWICH MODEL ARCTIC COUNCIL DELEGATES GUIDE

Transcription

1 NORWICH MODEL ARCTIC COUNCIL DELEGATES GUIDE 2016

2 1. Overview The Norwich Model Arctic Council (NORMAC) is a simulation of the real-world Arctic Council. Established in 1996, the Arctic Council is dedicated to advancing international cooperation and good governance across the circumpolar Arctic. Membership of the Arctic Council is limited to the eight Arctic States namely, Canada, Denmark (including the Faroe Islands and Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the USA which take decisions on a unanimous basis. However, the Arctic Council is unique amongst international organisations in that it also includes six Arctic indigenous peoples organisations as Permanent Participants (PPs). Whilst PPs cannot vote, they have full consultation rights in connection with all negotiations and decisions. The PPs include the Aleut International Association, Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich in Council International, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North and Saami Council. Delegates to NORMAC are assigned to play Senior Arctic Officials (SAOs) or Ministers from one of the Arctic States or PPs. SAOs sometimes called Arctic Ambassadors are senior civil servants of Arctic States or senior officials of PP organisations, who meet semi-annually to consider proposals on Arctic issues. Ministers are typically the Foreign Ministers of Arctic States or the CEOs or Chairpersons of PP organisations, who meet biannually to agree a political declaration based on recommendations from SAOs. NORMAC simulates both SAO and Ministerial meetings. The real-world Arctic Council also includes a number of other elements not yet simulated as part of NORMAC for instance, Observers (states or organisations with permanent or ad hoc permission to observe the AC s work and participate in discussions), Working Groups (permanent committees of Arctic States and PP representatives investigating in detail issues of on-going or particular concern) and the two Secretariats (employees of the Arctic Council who support the work of the Arctic States or the PPs). Some of these elements may be added in future years. As a simulation of the main policy-making bodies of the Arctic Council, however, NORMAC offers an unparalleled opportunity for secondary-school pupils to discover the politics, economics and society of one of the world s most fascinating and unusual regions, to learn about indigenous peoples and their rights, and to take on the challenge of making decisions through consensus rather than by the traditional majority vote. As far as the Directors are aware, NORMAC is one of the few conferences of its kind in the world ever held at secondary-school level. NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 1

3 2. Professional practice and good conduct The Arctic Council has a reputation for functioning smoothly even despite political tensions between Arctic States elsewhere in the world. As a Delegate, you must always be cordial and diplomatic, and strive for consensus. You should: Negotiate and persuade, not confront or challenge; Understand the priorities, policy direction and mood of fellow Delegates; Contribute to joint problem-solving rather than simply advance your position; Object to positions, not people, and never hector fellow Delegates; Never waste time with rhetorical grandstanding or pointless debate; and Never sacrifice Arctic State or PP interests for personal reasons. As young diplomat representing your school, as well an Arctic State or PP, you are expected to behave maturely. In particular, you must adhere to the following code of good conduct, any breach of which may result in exclusion from NORMAC: Delegates may not question the authority of the Directors. Delegates must observe the rulings of Chairs in all formal meetings. Delegates must treat one another with tact and respect. Bullying, insults or abuse of any kind is strictly forbidden. Delegates must not negotiate in bad faith e.g. refuse to deal with that State/PP, walk out of meetings, etc. Delegates may use mobile devices or computers during meetings only for research, and misuse e.g. for games, texting, social media, etc may result in a ban or confiscation for the duration of the conference. Smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, and taking drugs is always and everywhere strictly forbidden. Delegates must dress formally in lounge suits or the female equivalent (formal trousers or skirt with tights, formal shirt or blouse, and jacket). Female Delegates may not wear skirts above the knee, low-cut tops, short or crop-tops, or high heels. Make-up and jewellery must be discreet. No attempt to imitate national or indigenous dress will be tolerated of any Delegate who is not him- or herself of that nationality or indigenous status. NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 2

4 3. How to make the most of NORMAC Delegates get out of NORMAC what they are willing to put into it. Through NORMAC you can develop as a negotiator, speaker and debater; improve your interpersonal skills; learn about politics, economics, and the Arctic and its peoples; and meet new, like-minded peers. You will enjoy yourself all the more if you get stuck in fully and without hesitation. Preparing Like at other Model-UN-style conferences, the name of the game is influence. Influence comes with respect, which you earn by making useful, timely and wellinformed contributions during informal lobbying and formal discussion. You will be able to contribute in this way only if you are well prepared. If you take a stance that disagrees with the real-world policies of your Arctic State or PP, your credibility will suffer and your influence wane. If there are multiple pupils in your Delegation, assign each a separate topic to research, and designate one as Minister. Delegations representing Denmark may also find it helpful to assign each Delegate to research one or more constituent parts of the Danish Kingdom i.e. the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Denmark proper. Similarly, delegations representing PPs may wish to assign each Delegate to one or more countries spanned by that people s traditional territory e.g. Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Russia and the USA for the Inuit Circumpolar Council. Read up thoroughly on the Arctic in general, and on the topics under discussion in particular ranging over books, journal articles, policy documents, reports, commentaries, news articles, etc. Research the Arctic Council itself its history, purpose, procedures, and past decisions and declarations. Get to know your Arctic State or PP organisation not only its policies on the issues in question, but also its overall strategy and priorities in the Arctic. Follow current affairs in the Arctic by subscribing to an online Arctic news aggregator such as The Arctic This Week or The Arctic Deeply. Especially for some PPs that tend to lack formal policy statements, the news can be a very helpful resource. NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 3

5 Try to understand what it means to be an indigenous person and to have indigenous rights, whether or not you represent a PP. Read with a purpose make good notes, and draft speaking points and negotiating strategies to which you can refer during the conference. Try to brainstorm your own solutions to the issues or problems addressed at the conference there is scope for this kind of thinking even within the policy parameters set by your Arctic State or PP. Familiarise yourself with other Arctic States and PPs be aware of which might be a natural ally and which might require special effort to persuade. Come with pre-prepared resolutions on the issues to be discussed, and be ready to speak about them (see below for details on writing resolutions). Come equipped with a stack of official notepaper emblazoned with your organisation s flag or logo and name, as well as pens, pencils, research notes, books, etc. Writing resolutions One of the primary ways to gain influence at NORMAC is to offer a well-crafted resolution that other Delegates wish to support. In order to be approved for discussion at an SAO meeting, a resolution must follow certain guidelines. Resolutions are limited to a maximum of 10 preambulatory clauses and subclauses, and 15 operative clauses and sub-clauses. Suggested preambulatory and operative words are listed in Appendix B. Resolutions must be formatted using Arial, Helvetica or Helvetica Neue 11pt font in the manner shown in Appendix C. Proofread your resolutions thoroughly the Approvals Desk will note minor corrections if necessary, but your image as someone in command of language is your own. The Approvals Desk may reject a resolution if it is not expected to produce fruitful debate, but not simply because the resolution takes a particular position e.g. radical or conservative. Each Delegate should bring paper copies of resolutions to share with other Delegates, as well as electronic copies for merging and eventual printing. NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 4

6 Lobbying and merging There is a limited amount of time to consider resolutions in SAO meetings, so it is crucial that you merge your resolutions with those of like-minded Arctic States and PPs. Time is allotted to lobby other Arctic States and PPs before the SAO meetings, and to merge resolutions for submission to the Approvals Desk. Again, the name of the game is influence and lobbying is your first chance to make a good impression. Be confident but do not blag, or over-promise and under-deliver support just to gain signatures or merge resolutions. Be persuasive prepare an elevator pitch about your resolution that you could give in the time needed to share a brief elevator ride with another Delegate. Be collaborative do not ignore any fellow Delegates in your attempts to lobby and merge, lest you make them predisposed to oppose your resolution. Be flexible successful lobbying is about creative merging that takes into account the interests of as many Arctic States and PPs as possible without sacrificing your own. Be persistent you need at least three signatures from other Arctic States or PPs before the Approvals Desk will accept your proposed resolution. Be polite but firm make it a condition of co-sponsoring a merged resolution that you have the opportunity to speak on it in the SAO meeting. Be calm NORMAC is not a competition, and you will earn more respect and wield more influence if your approach is measured and considerate. A Delegate may not sponsor or co-sponsor more than one resolution on the same topic, unless Directors indicate otherwise in response to SAO meeting circumstances. Delegates may not lobby or merge resolutions before the conference. Speaking Once the SAOs are seated for their first session, the Chair will invite each Delegate to introduce briefly the views of his or her Arctic State or PP on the Arctic in general and the issues in question. This policy statement is your chance to command the attention of Delegates for the first time. In the course of the SAO meeting, you might also be called upon to give a speech for or against a resolution, amendment or motion. Practice your speeches before the conference where possible, and ideally in front of teachers or peers, in order to iron out any kinks in phrasing or timing. NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 5

7 Don t hide behind your notes or shrink from your audience a confident manner, good eye contact and open body language will enhance your credibility and influence. Project your voice and speak clearly even around a small table it can be difficult to understand a speaker who mumbles or speaks too softly. Use humour where appropriate, but don t be buffoonish or rude and make sure that you have a serious message to form the basis for further negotiation. Don t panic even professional speakers get nervous, and the question is not whether you are or are not, but how you use your nerves to stay sharp. Take care to stick to time you will have only one minute for your position statement, and only a few minutes for any other speech. Chairs will be ruthless in managing the clock, and your credibility and influence will suffer if you constantly ramble and have to be ruled out of order. Use NORMAC as an opportunity to test and improve your public-speaking technique reflect on why certain speakers captured your attention or persuaded you. Discussing and debating: SAO meetings The purpose of the SAO meetings is to consider resolutions on various issues, and to make a consensus recommendation to Ministers on each. If you have begun to garner respect and influence during the lobbying and merging process, it will be easier to negotiate a constructive solution without sacrificing the interests of your Arctic State or PP which you must not do. Chairs will conduct all SAO meetings in accordance with NORMAC rules of procedure, as listed in Appendix A. Be formal in your address, calling the Chair Mr Chairman or Madame Chair, and your fellow Delegates the Delegate from.... You may not speak unless recognised by the Chair you will only damage your own credibility and influence by repeatedly being ruled out of order. Do not waste time with overly technical Points of Order or unnecessary debate, lest the Chair stop recognising you to speak. If the Chair doesn t immediately recognise you to speak, be patient and if you must rise to a Point of Order or Point of Privilege, do so good-naturedly. NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 6

8 Delegates have no Right of Reply any concerns about insulting language directed either towards a Delegate s Arctic State or PP, or towards a Delegate s person, should be reported directly to the Chairs or Directors. When speaking on a resolution or a motion, whether for or against, structure your arguments simply and logically, and cut out unnecessary verbiage. Your goal is to persuade Delegates to your view, not to bombard them with detail you will have the chance to elaborate in replies to Points of Information. When speaking for a resolution, never simply read it out all Delegates can read, and the time is better spent in debate and negotiation. When speaking against a fellow Delegate s resolution, amendment or motion, be constructive and polite you disagree with a point of view, not a person. Always remember to yield the floor when you finish speaking, either to Points of Information, to a fellow Delegate or back to the Chair. Notes may be exchanged between Delegates, or between a Delegate and the Chair, for various purposes (policy coordination, private requests, expressions of thanks or apology, etc), but only on official notepaper and through a Rapporteur. Notes must be just as respectful as open speech. If you wish to move an amendment, you must first write out each amendment legibly on official notepaper, state the precise clauses and amendments e.g. strike, insert, substitute, etc and submit them through a Rapporteur to the Chair for approval. It is not obligatory for SAOs to recommend any resolutions to Ministers, but the point of the meeting is to achieve consensus, so that Ministers can decide whether it s politically feasible to agree to whatever consensus can be achieved. Technically speaking, consensus here means the agreement of the Arctic States, which have the vote, and not necessarily of PPs, which do not. It will be up to Arctic State SAOs to weigh up whether they could plausibly and defensibly recommend a resolution to Ministers without the agreement of PPs. Deciding and declaring: Ministerial meetings The Ministerial meeting is the culmination of NORMAC, and ideally it should result in a Norwich Declaration comprising the resolutions agreed at the conference. Nearly all of the pointers immediately above apply to Ministerial meetings as well, but there are a few further points to note. NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 7

9 Where a Delegation has more than one Delegate, only the Delegate designated as Minister may speak during the Ministerial. Other Delegates may sit behind their respective Ministers and offer them written or whispered advice. Directors may, at their discretion, provide Ministers with a Pre-Ministerial Briefing a set of policy points that may alter the consensus reached by SAOs or change the direction of the conference. This briefing is intended to simulate the inherent friction in the transition from the more technical SAO meetings to the more political Ministerials. Ministers are not permitted to discuss the contents of their pre-ministerial briefings before the Ministerial meeting. In addition to resolutions recommended by SAOs, Ministers may also discuss additional issues that are more clearly political. If additional issues are to be introduced, Directors will make Delegates aware in advance of the conference. NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 8

10 4. Awards At the close of the NORMAC conference, up to three Delegations and where different up to three Delegates may be awarded special commendation. Special commendation is awarded at the discretion of the Directors and in consultation with the Chairs, and is based on the following criteria: Constructive contributions to meetings that helped build consensus; Knowledge of the Arctic, of the Arctic State or PP represented, and of the range of issues discussed; and Credibility acting the role of diplomat for an Arctic State or PP. NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 9

11 Appendix A. NORMAC rules of procedure Definitions 1. In these rules of procedure, hereinafter the Rules : a. NORMAC means the Norwich Model Arctic Council; b. Arctic States means the Members of NORMAC, namely Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the USA; c. Permanent Participants means the indigenous peoples organisations with full consultation rights in connection with NORMAC s negotiations and decisions, namely the Aleut International Association, Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich in Council International, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, and Saami Council; d. Directors means the staff with overall responsibility for NORMAC; e. Chairs means the pupils, staff or guests designated by the Directors to chair the formal meetings of NORMAC; f. Rapporteurs means the pupils, staff or guests designated by the Directors to assist with NORMAC logistics; g. Approvals Desk means the pupils, staff or guests designated by the Directors to approve resolutions for discussion at NORMAC; and h. Delegate means a pupil representing one of the Arctic States or Permanent Participants as either a Senior Arctic Official (SAO), a Minister or both. Application 2. All meetings under NORMAC shall be governed by these Rules. General provisions 3. Arctic States and Permanent Participants may participate in all meetings of NORMAC. 4. All decisions of NORMAC shall be by a consensus of all eight Arctic States, or such Arctic States as are present and constitute a quorum. 5. The Directors shall oversee NORMAC, designate the Chairs and Approvals Desk, act as final arbiter of any points of order or disputes not resolved by the NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 10

12 Chairs, and reserve the right to suspend any Delegate from NORMAC for breach of good conduct. Delegates may not question the authority of the Directors. 6. The Chairs shall be responsible for the formal, proper and orderly functioning of all meetings of NORMAC, and shall arbitrate points of order subject to oversight of the Directors. 7. English shall be the working language of NORMAC. Any Delegate who wishes to speak or submit documents in a language other than English shall provide interpretation or translation into English. Lobbying 8. Arctic States and Permanent Participants may participate in all lobbying sessions under NORMAC for the purposes of merging and signing resolutions. 9. Unless Directors indicate otherwise, no resolution may submitted for consideration by the Approvals Desk without the signatures of three other Arctic States or Permanent Participants. 10. Unless Directors indicate otherwise, no Delegate may sponsor or co-sponsor more than one resolution on the same topic. 11. No resolution may be discussed at SAO or Ministerial meetings without prior approval of the Approvals Desk. Meetings 12. Six or more of the Arctic States shall constitute a quorum for purposes of holding an SAO or Ministerial meeting. 13. All SAO meetings shall commence with brief policy statements from all Arctic States and Permanent Participants present. 14. At SAO meetings, Delegates shall review and consider resolutions by Arctic States and Permanent Participants as introduced by the Chairs. 15. At Ministerial meetings, Delegates shall review and take decisions on resolutions forwarded by SAOs, and may also decide on any other matters included by the Directors on the Ministerial meeting agenda. NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 11

13 Discussion procedure 16. The Chairs shall conduct all meetings of NORMAC in accordance with these Rules. 17. No discussion may occur on any matter on which the Chairs have not invited discussion. 18. The Chairs shall introduce resolutions to the floor for discussion, and shall invite speeches for and against resolutions alternately, beginning with the Delegate sponsoring the resolution. 19. More than one resolution may be under discussion at any one time, but only if debate on all but one resolution is postponed. 20. No more than one amendment may be under discussion at any one time. 21. The Chairs may limit the length of time a resolution, amendment or motion is debated, may limit the length of speeches on any matter, and may suspend or adjourn a meeting to maintain the timetable set by the Directors. 22. The Chairs may call Delegates to order for a speech not relevant to the matter under discussion, and may dismiss a dilatory point or motion. 23. Only one Delegate may speak at a time, and only after being recognised by the Chairs. 24. Delegates may interrupt other Delegates only to rise to a Point of Privilege or a Point of Order, which point shall be adjudicated immediately by the Chairs. 25. All written notes, except between Delegates of the same Arctic State or PP during a Ministerial, must be exchanged through a Rapporteur. 26. All documentary evidence to be introduced during discussion must first be submitted to the Chairs for approval through a Rapporteur. 27. Delegates must yield to other Delegates or to the Chairs after speaking. 28. The points, motions and yields that Delegates may employ are listed in the annex to these Rules below. Any other attempted points, motions and yields are out of order. Motions, but not points or yields, must have a second. If a motion is debatable, the Chairs shall invite one speech for and one against it before calling an immediate vote. To pass, all debatable motions must have the consensus of all eight Arctic States, or such Arctic States as are present and constitute a quorum. NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 12

14 Annex to NORMAC Rules: Valid points, motions and yields Rule Points Point of privilege Debatable? Interrupt? Use n/a Yes To indicate an impairment that prevents full participation in discussion, to be addressed by the Chairs Point of order n/a Yes To indicate a misuse or misapplication of rules, to be adjudicated by the Chairs Point of information n/a No To ask a question of a Delegate at the end of his or her speech Point of inquiry n/a No To ask the Chairs for clarification of rules Motions Motion to postpone Yes No Postpones debate on a resolution or amendment without calling a vote Motion to close Yes No Ends debate on a resolution or amendment and calls an immediate vote Motion to reopen Motion to withdraw Motion to reintroduce Motion to divide Motion to amend Motion to submit Yields Yes No Reopens debate on a resolution or amendment previously postponed No No Withdraws a resolution or amendment from discussion (may only be used by a sponsoring Delegate) Yes No Reintroduces a resolution or amendment previously withdrawn Yes No Divides a resolution into two or more parts to be voted separately (can be used only once per resolution) Yes No Introduces for debate an amendment to a resolution under discussion No No Introduces documentary evidence to inform discussion, subject to approval by the Chairs Yield to Chairs n/a n/a Yields remaining speaking time to Chairs Yield to Delegate Yield to Points of Information n/a n/a Yields remaining speaking time to another Delegate n/a n/a Yields remaining speaking time to other Delegates for questions only NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 13

15 Appendix B. Introductory words for resolutions Please note that these lists are not exhaustive. Please also note that preambulatory and operative words may not be repeated in the same resolution. Preambulatory Accepting Affirming Alarmed Approving Bearing in mind Believing Concerned Confident Conscious Convinced Deploring Disturbed by Emphasising Encouraged Expecting Expressing appreciation Expressing satisfaction Fulfilling Fully aware Guided Having considered Having examined Noting Observing Realising Recalling Recognising Referring Regretting Seeking Taking into account Urging Welcoming Operative Affirm Authorise Call Confirm Congratulate Consider Declare Demand Designate Draw attention Emphasise Encourage Endorse Expect Express hope Express appreciation Express satisfaction Indicate Invite Prescribe Proclaim Receive Recommend Regret Remind Request Resolve Seek Support Transmit Trust Underscore Urge NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 14

16 Appendix C. Exemplar resolution The following resolution is based on the 1996 Ottawa Declaration, which established the Arctic Council. ON THE QUESTION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ARCTIC COUNCIL THE REPRESENTATIVES of the Governments of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the USA (hereinafter the Arctic States); 1. AFFIRMING our commitment to the well-being of the inhabitants of the Arctic, to sustainable development in the Arctic region, and to the concurrent protection of the Arctic environment; 2. TAKING NOTE OF the importance of traditional knowledge of the indigenous people of the Arctic and their communities, as well as of Arctic science and research, to collective understanding of the circumpolar Arctic; 3. RECOGNISING the special relationship and unique contributions to the Arctic of indigenous people and their communities; 4. DESIRING to promote cooperative activities to address Arctic issues requiring circumpolar cooperation, to ensure full consultation with and the full involvement of indigenous people and their communities, and to provide a means for regular intergovernmental consideration of and consultation on Arctic issues; HEREBY RESOLVE TO: 5. ESTABLISH the Arctic Council as a high-level forum to: a. Provide a means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction amongst the Arctic States, with the involvement of Arctic indigenous people and their communities, on common Arctic issues; b. Disseminate information, encourage education and promote interest in Arctic-related issues; 6. EXCLUDE from the remit of the Arctic Council any matters related to military security; 7. DESIGNATE Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and the USA (the Arctic States) as Members of the Arctic Council; 8. REQUIRE consensus of the Members for all decisions of the Arctic Council; 9. CREATE a category of Permanent Participant within the Arctic Council to provide for active participation and full consultation with the Arctic indigenous representatives, including: NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 15

17 a. The Aleut International Association, Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich in Council International, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, and Saami Council; b. Other organisations of indigenous peoples with majority Arctic indigenous constituencies, comprising either a single indigenous people resident in more than one Arctic State, or more than one indigenous people resident in a single Arctic State; 10. LIMIT the number of Permanent Participants within the Arctic Council to less than that of Members; 11. INVITE non-arctic states, other international organisations, and nongovernmental organisations to become Observers of the Arctic Council, provided that the Arctic Council determines they can contribute to its work; 12. RECOMMEND that the Arctic Council normally meet on a biannual basis, with more frequent meetings of senior officials to provide for liaison and coordination. NORMAC 2016 Delegates Guide 16

18 NORWICH MODEL ARCTIC COUNCIL IS AN INITIATIVE OF POLAR ASPECT IN COLLABORATION WITH AND HOSTED BY NORWICH SCHOOL