A MODEL UNITED NATIONS VOCABULARY A list of important terms that you will need to know for conference Abstain : During a vote on a substantive matter, a delegate may abstain rather than vote yes or no. This means that the delegate neither supports nor opposes the resolution. Adjourn : All UN or Model UN sessions end with a vote to adjourn. This means that the debate is suspended until the next meeting. Agenda : the order of topics to be discussed in a conference, usually being set after the roll call. Amendment : a form of document to amend a draft resolution. The two types of amendments are friendly amendment and unfriendly amendment. B Background Guide : a research report of topics on the conference written by the dais and distributed to the delegates before the conference. Binding : Passed resolutions that nations are legally forced abide. At the UN, only the Security Council resolutions are binding, while the rest of the UN bodies are not. Binding or partially binding resolution/agreements may also exist in other non-un international bodies. Bloc : a group of countries within a same geographical region or holding similar country positions on a particular topic. The determining factor in forming a bloc is sharing the common national interests Bloc Leader : the delegate who plays the leading role in a bloc. C Caucus : a form of discussion in formal debate, in which delegates may discuss a subtopic more specifically. There are two types of caucus: moderated caucus and unmoderated caucus.
Chair : a member of the dais who is responsible for moderating debate, timing, ruling on points and motions, and imposing the rules of procedure. Committee : a deliberative assembly, an organization comprising members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions. In Model UN conference, committees are usually the simulations of principal organs, subsidiary bodies, programs, funds, research and training institutes, special organizations, entities or regional commissions of UN system. Delegates discuss relevant topics and resolutions according to the given functions, powers, and rules of procedure of the committees. Crisis : Crisis, to which delegates must respond immediately, is an emergent matter or unexpected event that happens during a conference. Usually designed by the dais before the conference, a crisis may be related to the topic being discussed on the floor. The forms of crisis include news report, official document from international organizations, video profile, or directive from embassies or governments. Crisis Committee : A committee/cabinet addressing an urgent matter of delicate nature with crisis events taking place during the committee, some requiring immediate attention from the delegate. Crisis committees usually reserved for experienced MUNers. Chair : A moderator or chairperson for the debate who rules of points and motions, keeps time, and enforces the rules of procedure. Chairs may be a member of the committee, a member of the dais or simply a neutral third party moderator. D Dais : Usually consisted of a Chair, a Director and a Rapporteur, a dais is a group of people in charge of a Model UN conference. Decorum : Order and respect that delegates must abide to. The chair calls for decorum whenever he/she feels the committee is being disrespectful. Delegate : Representing an UN Member State, an observer or an international organization, delegate is a person chosen or elected to express views in a Model UN conference. Delegation : A group of people who travel and attend a conference together. Members of a delegation are usually from the same MUN club or organization. Delegate Pack : A conference guide provided by the conference that usually contains the rules of procedures, conference background information, letter of the Secretary General, secretariat and chair background, committee room numbers, city information, and other additional information.
Director : a member of the dais who is in charge of overseeing delegates role-playing, document writing and topic researching. Division of the Question : A motion that proceeds to a vote on all clauses of the resolution separately. Therefore, only the clauses that are passed will constitute the draft resolution. Draft Resolution : Written by the delegates, draft resolution is a form of document that seeks to solve the issues addressed by a Model UN committee. If passed by the committee, the draft resolution will become a resolution. Only one draft resolution will be passed for each topic in a committee. Draft Directive : a form of document that aims at successfully solving the crisis. A draft directive is only composed by operative clauses. The actions taken under the directive need to be instant and effective instead of long-term. Amendments are welcome to a draft directive, of which the unfriendly ones shall be passed after votes. F Faculty Advisor : a teacher or faculty responsible for advising students to run a Model UN club and training a delegation. Filibuster : Informal term for any attempt to block or delay Senate action on a bill or other matter by debating it at length, by offering numerous procedural motions, or by any other delaying or obstructive actions. Flow of Debate : the order in which events proceed during a Model UN conference. Formal Debate : The standard type of debate at a Model UN conference, in which delegates speak for a certain period of time in the order based on the speakers list. Friendly Amendment : a change to the draft resolution that all sponsors agree with. After the amendment is signed by all of the draft resolution s sponsors and is approved by the committee director or president, it will be automatically incorporated into the resolution. G Gavel : The tool, shaped like a small wooden hammer, is used by the Chair to keep order within a Model UN committee. Many conferences give the gavel to the delegate recognized by the dais as the best in that
committee; therefore, the term is frequently used to refer to the award given to the best delegate, even in cases where no actual gavel is given. Global Village : an activity in which delegates can display different cultures of the countries via exhibitions. H Head Delegate : the student leader of a Model UN club or team I In Favor of : to agree to pass a motion. There must be over half of the delegates in favor of a motion in order to pass it. Interconnected Committees or Interconnectivity : A set of realistically interconnected committees/cabinets addressing a general broad topic with a set of predetermined crises events. Each committee is represented by states with their assigned domestic positions and hierarchy (e.g ministers, head of governments, representative to the UN and etc.), who are in constant contact with their counterparts and allies in other committees/cabinets, and must interact with or against each for the purpose to maximize gains. A press committee is crucial to simulate interconnectivity. Interconnected Committees are usually reserved for experienced MUNers. J Joint Crisis Committees : A set of interconnected committees/cabinets addressing numerous crises events and interacting with or against each for the purpose to maximize gains. Joint Crisis Committees are usually reserved for experienced MUNers. L Lobbying : a form of advocacy with the intention of influencing decisions made by other delegates during a conference
M Member State : A country that has ratified the Charter of the United Nations and whose application to join has been accepted by the General Assembly and Security Council. Currently, there are 192 member states. The only internationally recognized state that is not a member state is the Holy See. Merging : combining two or more draft resolutions to make a bigger or new draft resolution Moderated Caucus : A type of caucus with a specific topic and restricted total time, moderated Caucus enables delegates to focus on detailed problems in a short period of time Moderator : the Chair, go back up to Chair for the full definition Motion : A suggestion made by a delegate to change the current process. A motion might refer to a caucus, an adjournment, an introduction to a draft resolution, or closing the debate Motion to Close Debate : A motion to close debate is not the same as the motion to suspend meeting. Rather, it is used to move the committee to a vote, usually when the delegate has made his or her country s position clear and there are enough and fully discussed draft resolutions on the floor. Motion for a Moderated Caucus : Delegates make a motion for a moderated caucus in order to set a discussion on a specific topic. To motion for a moderated caucus, delegates are required to propose topic, total time and the speaking time for each delegate. Motion to Set the Speaking Time : Delegates propose a motion to set the speaking time for the purpose of setting or changing the amount of time each delegate has to speak in the speakers list Motion to Suspend the Meeting : Delegates propose a motion to suspend the meeting for the purpose of ending a session and having a break Motion for an Unmoderated Caucus : A motion for an unmoderated caucus is usually proposed under the purpose to set a free discussion so that the delegates can exchange ideas with other delegates in your bloc. Delegates need to set the total time for an unmoderated caucus in the motion. MUNer : An individual who participates or have participated in Model United Nations conferences and/or simulations
O Observer : a state, national organization, regional organization, or non-governmental organization that is not a member of the UN nor a member of a specific committee, but participates in the debates. Observers can vote on procedural matters but not substantive matters, so like the Holy See or the State of Israel participating in the Security Council meeting regarding Israel-Palestine conflict On the Floor : At a Model UN conference, when a working paper or draft resolution is first written, it may not be discussed in debate. After it is approved by the Director and introduced by the committee, it is put on the floor and may be further discussed Operative Clause : a part of a resolution which describes how the UN will address a problem. The clauses are written with verbs in third person singular form as beginning, such as decides, establishes, recommends, etc P Page : In order to maintain the order of the conference, a delegate should write notes on pages to ask questions, lobby or negotiate with other delegates or a dais member during a session. Pages should be written in the official working language of the committee Pager : A delegate in a Model UN committee that has volunteered to pass pages from one delegate to another, or from a delegate to the dais, for a short period of time Parliamentary Procedure : Parliamentary procedure is based on the consideration of the rights: of the majority, of the minority, of individual members, of absentee members, of all of these groups taken together Placard : A piece of cardstock with a country s name on it that a delegate raises in the air to answer the roll call or signal to the Chair that he or she wishes to speak Point : A request raised by a delegate for information or for an action relating to that delegate. Examples include a point of order, a point of inquiry, and a point of personal privilege Point of Order : used when a delegate believes the chair has made an error in the running of the committee. The delegate should only specify the errors they believe were made in the formal committee procedure, but may not address when the topic being discussed
Point of Inquiry : also known as a point of parliamentary procedure, can be made when the floor is open (i.e. when no other delegate is speaking) in order to ask the chairperson a question regarding the rules of procedure. Point of Personal Privilege : a delegate may raise a point of personal privilege in order to inform the chairperson of a physical discomfort he or she is experiencing, such as not being able to hear another delegate s speech Position Paper : An essay that details a country s policies on the topics being discussed in the committee, usually written and delivered to the dais by delegates before a Model UN conference Preambulatory Clauses : the part of a resolution that describes previous actions taken on the topic and reasons why the resolution is necessary. It begins with a participle or adjective, for example, noting, concerned, regretting, aware of, recalling, etc Present : Present refers to in attendance. Delegates who are in presence are required to raise up their placards and answer Present when their countries names are called during the roll call. Delegates need to send pages to the dais to inform their attendance if they didn t arrive at the conference on time. In special committees consisting of delegates with rights to vote and those without, delegates need to announce Present and Voting or Present according to the procedure Present and Voting : Delegates who are in presence have the option to answer Present or Present and Voting. When a delegate announces Present and Voting it means that they revoke the right to abstain from voting on amendments and resolutions Procedural : Matters dealing with the way that the committee proceeds, as opposed to the topic being discussed. Procedural matters are voted by all delegates present (including observers) and no abstention will be entertained Procedural Questions : Having to do with the way a committee runs, as opposed to the topic being discussed. All delegates present must vote on procedural matters and may not abstain Q Quorum : The minimum number of delegates needed to be present for a committee to meet. In the General Assembly, a quorum consists of one third of the members to begin debate, and a majority of members to pass a resolution. In the Security Council, no quorum exists for the body to debate, but more than nine members must be present to pass a resolution
R Rapporteur : A member of the dais whose duties include keeping the speakers list and taking the roll call Resolution : A document that has been passed by an organ of the UN that aims to address a particular problem or issue. To the UN, a resolution is the equivalent of a law Right of Reply : A right to speak in reply to a previous speaker s comment, invoked when a delegate feels personally insulted by another s speech. It generally requires a written note to the Chair to be invoked Robert s Rules of Order : After General Henry M. Robert brought the publication of Pocket Manual of Rules of Order to the ordinary societies in 1876, Robert Rules of Order has been recognized as a time-tested method of conducting business at meetings and public gatherings in world wide. It can be adapted to fit the needs of any organization. Today, Robert s Rules of Order newly revised is the basic handbook of operation for most clubs, organizations and other groups including Model United Nations. Roll Call : the first order of business in a Model UN committee, during which the Rapporteur reads aloud the names of each member state in the committee. When a delegate s country s name is called, he or she may respond present or present and voting. A delegate responding present and voting may not abstain on a substantive vote Roll Call Vote : The special voting procedure to draft resolution is roll call vote. After the roll call, delegates may vote for yes, no or abstain on each draft resolution. Each committee will only pass one draft resolution on each topic. Other draft resolutions will not be voted as long as one has been passed Rules of Procedure : The rules by which a Model UN committee is run S Second : to agree with a motion being proposed. Many motions must be seconded before they are brought to a vote Secretariat : the organ in charge of conference affairs; normally it consists of Director of Academics, Liaison (Delegate Coordinator), Director of Logistics, Director of Technology etc Secretary General : The supreme leader of the Model UN conference, in charge of the secretariat and dais
Signatory : A country that wishes a draft resolution to be put on the floor and signs the draft resolution to accomplish this. A signatory need not support a resolution; it only wants it to be discussed. Usually, Model UN conferences require some minimum number of sponsors and signatories for a draft resolution to be approved. Simple Majority : 50% plus one to the number of delegates in a committee. It is the amount needed to pass most votes Speaker s List : A list that determines the order in which delegates will speak. Whenever a new topic is opened for discussion, the Chair will create a speakers list by asking all delegates wishing to speak to raise their placards and calling on them one at a time. During debate, a delegate may indicate that he or she wishes to be added to the speakers list by sending a note to the dais. Speaking Time : The time of public speaking in formal debate usually refers to the time for each delegate in the speakers list. Sponsor : A state that has drafted a resolution and has authority on any clause addition. Study Guide : A Background Guide with contextual information for the delegates created by the Chairs and the secretariat of the conference. The guide is given before the conference starts and it is crucial for the preparation for the committee, especially for crisis committees, JCCs and interconnectivity. Substantive : Having to do with the topic being discussed. A substantive vote is a vote on a draft resolution or amendment already on the floor during voting bloc. Only member states (not observer states or non-governmental organizations) may vote on substantive issues. Superlative Awards : Unofficial satirical awards created by the chairs and voted by the delegates, usually voted upon after resolutions have been passed in the last committee session. Popular superlative awards are: Most likely to become a dictator, best accent, funniest delegate, cutest couple, and etc. T Two-Thirds Majority : A two thirds majority in parliamentary procedure requires at least two thirds of the entire membership (as two thirds of those present and voting) vote in favor. This is usually used when the committee is voting on draft resolutions or draft directives.
U Unmoderated Caucus : A type of caucus in which delegates leave their seats to mingle and speak freely. Enables the free sharing of ideas to an extent which is not possible in formal debate or even a moderated caucus. Frequently used to sort countries into blocs and to write working papers and draft resolutions. Unfriendly Amendment : a change that some or all of the draft resolution s sponsors do not support and must be voted upon by the committee. The author(s) of the amendment will need to obtain a required number of signatories in order to introduce it (usually 20 percent of the committee). Prior to voting on the draft resolution, the committee votes on all unfriendly amendments. The sponsor of the draft resolution can not become the sponsor nor signatories to an unfriendly amendment, while the signatories of the draft resolution may sign it. V Veto : The ability, held by China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States to prevent any draft resolution in the Security Council from passing by voting no Vote : A time at which delegates indicate whether they do or do not support a proposed action for the committee. There are two types: procedural and substantive. Voting Bloc : when delegates vote on the draft resolutions and amendments Voting Procedure : The period at the end of a committee session during which delegates vote on proposed amendments and draft resolutions. Nobody may enter or leave the room during voting procedure. W Working Paper : A document in which the ideas of some delegates on how to resolve an issue are proposed. Frequently the precursor to a draft resolution.
Y Yield : Speakers shall yield the floor at the end of their speech when the remaining speaking time is over 15 seconds. Yield Time to Another Delegate : After the completion of a speakers list speech, a delegate may yield time to another delegate. This means that with the remaining time in the speech, another delegate will be able to elaborate on the ideas that the first delegate presented. Please note that only one yield may be made per speaker on the speakers list. Yield Time to the Chair : After the completion of a speakers list speech, a delegate may yield to the chair. This means that the chair will absorb the remaining time in the speech (meaning nothing will happen with any time remaining). Yield Time to Questions : After the completion of a speakers list speech, a delegate may yield time to questions. This means that with the remaining time, the chair will call upon other delegates to ask questions to the delegate that is giving the speech. The time taken for a delegate to ask the question will not be counted towards the time remaining in the speech. Please note that the questions asked must pertain to the speech that was just given. Yield Time to Comments : If the speaker intends on yielding time to another delegate, he/she should be sure that the delegate yielded to will support his/her ideas. After the completion of a speakers list speech, a delegate may yield to comments. This means that within remaining time, the comments can be made by any delegate. Note that the comment must pertain to the original speech.
Peep a message from the best under-secretary general everrrr : This mess took a hot minute and a half sooo y all better actually take the time to look through this. Using the resources will help you do better at conference which means more awards which also means BOMB AF college apps. But yeah, do any of y all just kinda procrastinate by working on random trash, cuz that s literally what I ve been doing here. But ughhhh now I have to do actual work and my printer doesn t want to not work, like the one time I need it, it fails! Anywayyyy, I found this meme on twitter that perfectly portrays my feelings rn, so appreciate this meme and this beautiful af vocab list :) twitter has broken my sense of humor, like I cackled when I saw this :))))