How to Write a MUN Position Paper

A complete guide with templates, examples, and tips for writing award-winning position papers for any Model United Nations conference.

1. What Is a Position Paper?

A position paper is a concise document that outlines your assigned country's stance on the topics being discussed in your committee. It demonstrates your understanding of the issues and previews the policies you plan to advocate for during debate. Most MUN conferences require delegates to submit position papers before the conference begins.

Position papers are typically 1-2 pages per topic, though requirements vary by conference. Conferences like THIMUN, NMUN, and HMUN each have specific formatting guidelines — always check your conference's requirements.

2. Position Paper Format & Structure

While formats vary, most position papers follow a three-part structure:

Country Background & Policy

Your country's history with the issue and current official positions

Analysis of the Issue

Key aspects of the problem and how they affect your country and region

Proposed Solutions

Specific, actionable policy proposals your country would support

3. Section 1: Country Background & Policy

Open with your country's relationship to the topic. Include:

Your country's official position on the issue (cite UN voting records, official statements, or treaties signed)
Historical context — how the issue has affected your country or region
Relevant domestic policies, laws, or programs your country has implemented
International agreements your country has signed related to the topic
Any alliances or regional positions (e.g., EU, AU, ASEAN bloc positions)

4. Section 2: Analysis of the Issue

Demonstrate that you understand the topic's complexity. Discuss:

The root causes and key dimensions of the problem
How the issue affects different regions, populations, or stakeholders
Previous UN actions — past resolutions, agencies involved, and their effectiveness
Current gaps in international response
Key obstacles to progress (political, economic, logistical)

5. Section 3: Proposed Solutions

This is the most important section. Your proposals should be:

Specific and actionable — not vague appeals to "work together"
Consistent with your country's actual foreign policy positions
Realistic within the UN framework — consider budget, sovereignty, and enforcement
Building on existing mechanisms rather than creating entirely new ones
Appealing to potential allies — think about which countries would co-sponsor

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake: Writing in first person

Fix: Use "The delegation of [Country]" or "[Country] believes that..."

Mistake: Being too vague

Fix: Replace "should address the problem" with specific policy proposals

Mistake: Ignoring your country's actual positions

Fix: Research how your country has voted in the UN General Assembly

Mistake: Copying from Wikipedia

Fix: Use primary sources: UN documents, government websites, treaty databases

Mistake: Forgetting formatting requirements

Fix: Check your conference's specific guidelines for length, citations, and headers

7. Position Paper Template

Template

Committee: [Committee Name]

Topic: [Topic Title]

Country: [Country Name]

Delegate: [Your Name], [School/University]

I. Country Background & Policy

[2-3 paragraphs on your country's history with the issue, official positions, relevant treaties, and domestic policies]

II. Analysis of the Issue

[2-3 paragraphs analyzing the problem, its dimensions, previous UN actions, and remaining gaps]

III. Proposed Solutions

[2-3 paragraphs with specific, actionable policy proposals consistent with your country's positions]

8. Tips for Award-Winning Papers

1.Start early — give yourself at least 2 weeks for research and drafting

2.Use UN document databases (documents.un.org) for primary sources

3.Cite your country's actual UN voting records from digitallibrary.un.org

4.Have a peer review your paper before submission

5.End with a strong, specific call to action that sets up your opening speech

6.Make your proposals unique — chairs read dozens of papers and remember creative solutions