Guide to Resolution Writing EuroMUN 2018: Shaping the Future from the Heart of Europe May 10th to 13th, 2018 Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Introduction The goal of each committee in a Model U.N. conference is to adopt a resolution. This is a document, having force of law or not depending on the committee, that expresses the position, expectations or demands of an international organisation. The format of such a document follows specific rules, that are laid out in this guide. We encourage you to read the Rules of Procedure and the Guide thereto in advance of this one, for you may not be familiar with some terms used here. 3
Resolutions: the basics During the sessions, some Delegates will starting working on an early version of what could become a resolution: a working paper. It is mainly intended to put in writing the ideas expressed by the committee. While there is no specific format requirements for a working paper as such, we encourage you to use the resolution format from the start it makes everyone s life easier. Once a working paper is properly formatted, spell-checked and has passed a legal check, it is formally presented to the committee via a motion to introduce a written proposal. It is then referred to as a draft resolution, and can only be changed by formal amendments. The authors of a working paper are called the sponsors. These are generally the Delegates who contributed the most to the draft, in terms of ideas or in terms of writing. To be introduced as a draft resolution, a working paper needs at least four sponsors (or 20% of the committe if there are less than 20 delegates). A sponsor is required to vote in favour of his or her resolution, unless an unfriendly amendment passes. Next to sponsors, a working paper can have signatories. There is not limit, upper or lower, on the signatories these are simply delegates that wish to show their support for a particular draft resolution. Once the draft resolution is introduced, it can only be changed via formal amendments, which are friendly or unfriendly. Both have the same format, but only unfriendly amendments are voted upon at the end. Finally, once all amendments have been accepted or rejected, the draft resolution is voted upon. If the committee decides to adopt it, it becomes a resolution. The format will then slightly change, but it will be taken care of by our legal office. 4
How to write a resolution A resolution is essentially one very long sentence, broken down into small parts, that describes why a committee wants to take action, and which actions it wants to take. There are three main parts to a draft resolution: the heading, the preamble, and the operative clauses. The heading It must include the names of the sponsors and signatories of the draft, and the topic it attempts to address. The Preamble The pre-ambulatory clauses are the clauses that state the issues the committee wants to resolve, but they do not contain substance and are not legally binding in any committee. They include: past actions taken by U.N. bodies, past statements by U.N. agencies, general information or facts about the topic, the significance of the topic and previous efforts. A pre-ambulatory clause starts with a pre-ambulatory phrase in italics, followed the statement, ending with a semicolon. Useful pre-ambulatory phrases are listed below. Common Pre-Ambulatory Phrases 5
Operative clauses Operative clauses contain all the solutions that the sponsor(s) of the resolutions propose. These clauses set out actual solutions and initiatives for the committee to undertake. They implement new policies or make a statement. It is important that each clause should aim to solve a specific aspect of the issue, and not be too broad. To that effect, operative clauses can be broken down into smaller sub-clauses. An operative clause starts with and italicised operative phrase, followed by the substance, and ends with a semicolon. The last operative clause finishes with a period. To differentiate them with the pre-ambulatory clauses, operative clauses are numbered. Generally speaking, a resolution should have more operative clauses than pre-ambulatory since the preamble states the problem, while the operative part proposes a solution. The most common operative phrases are indicated in the list below. Common Operative Phrases 6
Examples Annex I to this guide contains a template for resolutions at EuroMUN. In Annex III, you can find an actual resolution by the Security Council, resolution 1970 on the Libyan crisis. Some of the language is specific to the Security Council; pursuant to Articles 24 and 25 and Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, the Council is the only organ habilitated to take decisions that are legally binding on all Member States of the UN. Thus, the words decides, requests and demands are appropriate, but a softer vocabulary is in order in other committees. We encourage you to look up actual resolutions adopted by your committee, to familiarise yourself with the way these are written. How to write amendments Another part of the process of writing a resolution is amendments. Their purpose is to modify the draft resolution by changing the current operative clauses (pre-ambulatory clauses cannot be changed). An amendment can do one of three things: add a clause, strike out a clause or change a clause. Annex II contains templates and examples for each type of amendment. 7
Annex I: Draft Resolution Template 8
Annex II: Amendments 9
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