Committee Frequently Asked Questions

Preparing for Committee Session

How do I prepare for my committee?

You should begin preparing for your committee by reading the background guide. Located on the SSUNS website off the committees list, the background guide will introduce you to the committee and the topics being discussed. After reading the background guide, you should do additional research into the history of your committee and the debate topics, trying to discover not only the international stance towards each topic but also your country's particular policy on the issue. Once again, SSUNS will be posting a links database on the website so that you may start your research before the background guides are posted. The main goal of your preparation should be to understand your country's policy and stance on the topics being discussed in your committee.

Some questions you should ask yourself when preparing for debate are:

- What is the purpose and what are the topics of my committee?

- Is the topic addressed in the UN Charter or other significant international documents?

- Is my country a signatory to any major treaties that are relevant to the topics? If not, why not?

- What domestic policies has my country implemented that are related to the topics?

- What potential courses of action agree with my country's policy on the topic?

I have a question about my committee. Can I e-mail my Chair before the conference?

Sure! Each committee has an e-mail address provided by SSUNS. You can find a link to e-mail your Chair on the committee's page on the SSUNS website.

What should I wear to committee session?

Delegates to SSUNS should wear Western business attire to committee session. This means dress pants, a collared shirt and tie, and dress shoes for males, and dress pants or a skirt, blouse and dress shoes for females. Athletic shoes are not permitted outside of special circumstances. Delegates should be mindful of the fact that their attire should be professional in nature and not too revealing. Any member of the Secretariat can, at any time, ask you to return to your hotel room and change clothes if they feel that you are dressed inappropriately for committee session. For more information on the dress code, you can consult the Conference Policies section under the Registration menu of the SSUNS website, ask your Faculty Advisor, or e-mail our Chargé D'Affaires, Vassili Bazinas, at schools@ssuns.org.

What is a Position Paper?

A position paper is a general summary of your country's position on each of the topics being discussed in your committee. A Chair reading your position paper should be able to infer what stance you will take on a topic during debate and how you will likely vote on the topic.

How do I write a Position Paper?

GAs, ECOSOCs, LAS, AU, OAS, PBC (representing a member state)

For each topic of discussion, you should briefly summarize the United Nations' and your state's history on the topic, current stance, and proposals for future action. Don't forget to include your name, your country, and school.

An example of a position paper for your committee can be found here.

QC, Crises (representing a human character)

For crisis committees and committees with human characters, you should present your character's opinions on the topics, why you hold these opinions, and propose some plans for action by the committee. An example of a position paper for your committee can be found here.

Further information about Position Papers can be found on the Position Paper Guidelines page, located under the Committees menu on the SSUNS website.

Where can I submit my Position Paper?

Delegates should send their position paper to their Faculty Advisor for submission. Faculty Advisors should login into the Faculty Advisor login section at the bottom of the website menu to submit position papers.

When can I expect background guides to be posted online?

Background guides will be posted online as we receive them from Chairs, beginning in early to mid October. If you would like to begin preparing for the conference before your background guide is posted, please take a look at the links provided on the SSUNS website for your committee. They have been selected by the Chair and Vice-Chair(s) of your committee to assist you in the research process.

Is there a way to talk with other delegates on my committee before the conference?

Yes. There is a SSUNS message board for delegates to talk to each other, their Chairs, and Secretariat members before the conference. You only need an e-mail address to sign up.

During Committee Session

I need to do research during the conference. Where can I do that?

The Delegate Resource Centre is on the C1 level of the Delta (the floor just below the lobby). In it, you will find computers with internet access, printers, photocopiers and friendly staff members there to help you find the information you need. We also have wireless internet in the hotel if you wish to use your laptop in common areas.

Should I bring my laptop to SSUNS?

SSUNS provides wireless internet to all registered delegates and faculty advisors. The wireless access code will be listed in the Delegate Handbook and posted throughout the hotel during the conference. However, the use of laptops is not permitted in committee session.

Delegates may find it useful to bring USB keys to committee session so that they can save documents, as they will be unable to do so on the computers in the Delegate Resource Centre.

Neither SSUNS nor its parent organization, IRSAM, is responsible for the loss, theft, damage, etc. of laptops or any other personal belongings while on the premises of the Delta Centre-Ville.

What documents should I bring with me to committee session?

It is always a smart idea to bring any UN Resolutions mentioned in the background guide to committee session. You may also find it helpful to bring a copy of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a copy of the background guide and any other relevant UN documents related to your committee's topics. Delegates in the past have found country information sheets, printouts from the CIA World Factbook and other research helpful to bring to committee session.

Please note you are not allowed to bring pre-prepared speeches or pre-written draft resolutions or working papers to SSUNS. All documents of this nature must be entirely produced within committee session. If your Chair suspects that your working paper or draft resolution was produced before the conference, he or she will not allow you to submit it for consideration or introduce it to the body.

How is a crisis committee different from a traditional committee session?

Crisis committees are smaller, action-oriented committees that operate in real time. Often simulating national bodies or government cabinets, they deal with and find solutions to crises happening at that very moment. For example, at this year's SSUNS, we will be simulating the Committee for State Security (KGB). Delegates will be representing members of the Soviet KGB of 1967 and will be charged with the task of maintaining security and stability within the USSR despite the numerous challenges that will undoubtedly confront them.

More traditional committees can be found in the General Assemblies (GAs), Economic and Social Councils (ECOSOCs), and some Specialized Agencies (SAs). These bodies work to produce resolutions on topics selected by the Chair. They operate using strict Rules of Procedure and seek to find solutions to serious international issues.

Committee Rules

Where can I find the SSUNS Rules of Procedure?

You can find the SSUNS Rules of Procedure under the Committees menu of the SSUNS website.

Do all Model UN conferences have the same Rules of Procedure?

No! Model UN conferences can differ about rules of procedure. Other conferences you may have attended might have different mechanisms for debate, such as other points or motions or a different voting procedure. This is why it is extremely important that you read and understand the SSUNS Rules of Procedure for 2009, as your Chairs will be adhering to these rules and these rules only during committee session.

Some committees at SSUNS may have modified Rules of Procedure, which will be specified in the background guide for that particular committee.

What is the difference between "Present" and "Present and Voting" during roll call?

UN Member States may be either "Present" or "Present and Voting" during roll call. Being "Present" means that a Member State may abstain from votes on substantive matters, while being "Present and Voting" means that a Member State must vote either in favour of or opposed to all draft resolutions during voting procedure. For a state that is "Present and Voting," abstentions are not allowed.

NGOs and Observer States are never "Present and Voting," as they cannot vote on substantive matters at any time.

I'm an NGO/Observer State. How does my role differ during committee session from that of a UN member state?

Delegates representing NGOs and Observer States at SSUNS are not allowed to vote on substantive matters in committee session. This means that they may participate in debate and make/vote on procedural motions (such as motions to set speaking time, enter a moderated caucus, etc), but they are neither allowed to draft, sponsor or be a signatory to draft resolutions, nor vote on them.

Delegates representing NGOs at SSUNS have two special privileges that are not given to Member State delegates. They are allowed to make oral statements to the committee and circulate written statements. More information about these privileges can be found in the Rules of Procedure or on the NGO webpage under the Committees menu, both found on the SSUNS website.

What is the difference between a Moderated and an Unmoderated Caucus?

During a Moderated Caucus, the Secondary Speaker's List is suspended for the duration of the time of the caucus and delegates may speak in a less formal way about topics. Delegates raise their placards if they wish to speak and the Chair then accords to the right to speak to delegates they choose. The default yield is always to the Chair during Moderated Caucuses and cannot be changed. During a Moderated Caucus, delegates must remain in their seats.

During an Unmoderated Caucus, delegates are free to move about the committee room and talk with each other in a more casual way about the topic at hand. This type of caucus is an excellent way to formulate working paper ideas or produce draft resolutions for submission to the Dais.

How may I speak during committee session?

To make a speech about a chosen topic during committee session, you must be added to the Secondary Speaker's List. At the beginning of debate on a topic, the Chair will open the floor to delegates wishing to be added to the Secondary Speaker's List and all delegates wishing to speak will raise their placards. The Chair will accord the right to speak in the order delegates are listed. After the Secondary Speaker's List is formed, delegates who missed adding their names or who would like to speak again can either send a note to the Chair asking to be added, or can try to convince someone already on the Secondary Speaker's List to yield some of their speaking time to them. Delegates can also speak by commenting on speeches or asking questions during the speaking time following each speaker on the Secondary Speaker's List, since the default yield following a speech is to two thirty second comments.

During a Moderate Caucus, delegates may also raise their placards if they wish to speak and will simply be called on by the Chair.

What is the difference between a working paper, a draft resolution and a resolution?

A working paper is an informal document used by delegates to communicate ideas or sketch out the foundation of a draft resolution. They do not need sponsors or signatories or to be in a specific format and are never introduced. If you would like to have your working paper photocopied and distributed to the rest of the committee, you must have it approved by the Dais.

A draft resolution is written in proper SSUNS resolution format and seeks to address the problems of a topic and recommend solutions. All draft resolutions must have at least 2 sponsors and 1/5 of the total members of the committee as signatories. They must be approved by the Dais and introduced to the committee in order to be discussed. Formatting of draft resolutions is explained with an example in the SSUNS Delegate Handbook.

A resolution is a draft resolution that has been passed by a vote and formally adopted by the committee. It is the final product that delegates work to produce.

In draft resolutions, what is the difference between a sponsor and a signatory?

There must be at least 2 sponsors for each draft resolution. Sponsors must vote in favour of their draft resolution (but not if it has been amended by an unfriendly amendment) and are therefore usually its authors or strongest supporters. The sponsors introduce the draft resolution to the committee.

There must be at least 1/5 of the total membership of the committee as signatories to each draft resolution. Signatories do not have to support to the draft resolution or vote for it, they must simply wish to see it discussed.

I like parts of a draft resolution, but not all of it. Can I change it?

Yes. You may change the draft resolution through three different kinds of amendments: non-substantive, friendly, and unfriendly.

Non-substantive amendments fix formatting, spelling and grammatical errors. They are incorporated without a vote and at the Chair's discretion.

Friendly amendments are amendments that all the Sponsors support and change substantive aspects of the draft resolution. They are incorporated without a vote and at the Chair's discretion.

Unfriendly amendments are amendments which not all the Sponsors support and which change substantive aspects of the draft resolution. They require the signatures of 1/5 of the membership of the committee. Once approved by the Dais, they are set aside and voted on during voting procedure. If they get a simple majority approval, they are incorporated into the draft resolution, even if none of the sponsors agree.