SMAMUN Toolbox 

SMAMUN Toolbox

Feel free to use these resources as you prepare for the Conference.

What is Model United Nations? Model United Nations (MUN) is a form of international relations debate that places students acting in the capacity of diplomats and ambassadors of a country. MUN seeks to promote awareness of the many issues facing the international community and to allow students to engage in critical thinking about how to address those issues. Students or "delegates" must step into the role of the country or position they are assigned.

What is the purpose and practice of being a delegate?  The most vital aspect of participating in this learning experience is taking on the role of delegate. A delegate assumes the role of a foreign diplomat or ambassador. In this role, delegates act as representatives of the Member State to which they have been assigned. Delegates are reminded that professional diplomats conduct themselves and regard one another with respect and dignity, regardless of foreign policy position and ideological differences. Delegates should also be able to compromise and negotiate with fellow delegates with diverse backgrounds. Delegates at MUN should interact with one another in this manner. 

Where should I go from here? At SMAMUN, being well-versed in the debated topics on the committee is important. Here are some suggested steps to preparing for your committee:

Read Your Case Briefing Before doing anything else, read the case briefing. It will provide a digest of the topics to be debated - typically explicating the issue's history, previous international actions, and traditional voting blocks - and is an important start in your preparatory research. Pay close attention to the sources used in each guide as well as in the citations, as they can give you an idea of where to look for information (after all, that's where your chairs and dais staff compiled their research!).

• Gather Basic Country Information. Research the basic facts and history of your country. Even if some of this information does not seemingly relate to the topics to be debated in your committee, having a broad general knowledge of your country will increase your ability to improvise in debate and generate creative, out-of-the-box solutions to difficult international problems. It will also provide insights into challenges your country may face upon (dis)agreeing to a particular action. A working knowledge of the following information is a great start:

• Population

• Major Religions

• Type of Government 

• Government Structure

• Major political parties

• International organization participation

• Economic structure

• GDP

• Transnational issues (e.g. territory and trade disputes, drug trafficking, etc.)

These basic facts are easily obtained from the CIA World Factbook.

• Consider Current Political Events. Look at the major social, political, and economic issues currently confronting your country. 

  • What issues are important to the people? 

  • What actions is the government focused on? 

  • What are the major sources of debate within the country? 

  • Are there any internal or external conflicts in which the country is currently embroiled?

• Define the Country's Position. Determine your country's stance on the topics your committee will debate. This may be easy if your country has a clearly stated opinion or if your country is actively involved in those issues. For many smaller countries, this can be difficult since they may not have a vested interest - as demonstrated in written legislation, the signing of international agreements, or political action - in a particular topic. Searching for your country's position on similar issues can often lead to helpful information. If your country's known allies have a specific stance on an issue, then your country probably has a similar viewpoint, and likewise for those countries in an opposing voting block. 

• Frequently Check the News. Keep checking the news for your country. An easy way to do this is to point your browser to Google News and type your country's name in the search box. 

• Outline Your Position Material. Write out some notes of things you might want to say or points you want to make during the committee session. Highlight some of your research, and if you have the time, copy/paste key information onto a single page to make it easily accessible. 

• Get Ready For A Great Weekend! Take a deep breath, relax, and prepare for a fun weekend that will surely provide a memorable experience! Delegates new to MUN need not worry about being unfamiliar with parliamentary procedure and resolution writing. Remember that your chairs are always available to help whenever needed, so please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any preparatory difficulties or have a question regarding your committee. 

Parliamentary Procedure Cheat Sheet Parliamentary Procedure is the method of dialogue used in MUN. Click on the above hyperlink to find out how to use it.

Video of Parliamentary Procedure in Action Watch this video to see the process of ParliPro live.

ParliPro Lesson Slides Do you know anything about ParliPro? That's OK! Use the above slides to learn about it. 

Position Paper Template Use the above hyperlink to learn how to write optional preparatory position papers.

ParliPro Practice Kahoot  Use the above Kahoot to practice and test your skills on Parliamentary Procedure.

SMAMUN Delegate Handbook/ Resolution Paper Resources The SMAMUN Delegate Handbook is the perfect mobile resource for MUN. It includes the second type of paper you write in MUN, which is a resolution paper and the final result of the conference. To get more ready to write yours at the conference, read about it in the scanned copy of the handbook through the link above.

Resolution Paper Basics Use the above link to find out how resolution papers are written in the council.