Conference Handbook

A Conference Handbook is the central reference document a Model UN secretariat publishes ahead of a conference, typically released a few weeks before the event begins. It functions as the operational manual for delegates, faculty advisors, and chairs, pulling together information that would otherwise be scattered across emails, websites, and committee-specific materials.

Most handbooks cover a predictable set of items:

• Welcome letters from the Secretary-General and Director-General
• Schedule of committee sessions, social events, and opening/closing ceremonies
• Venue logistics: room assignments, transportation, accommodation, and check-in procedures
• Rules of procedure the conference will follow (e.g., a customized variant of THIMUN, UNA-USA, or Harvard rules)
• Dress code expectations, usually Western Business Attire
• Code of conduct and disciplinary procedures, including diplomatic courtesy expectations and anti-harassment policies
• Awards policy, if applicable, and criteria used by chairs
• Committee roster with topics, chairs, and country/character assignments
• Position paper requirements, formatting, and submission deadlines
• Contact information for the secretariat and emergency contacts

Handbooks vary significantly in length and tone. University-hosted conferences such as Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN), NMUN, and WorldMUN publish detailed handbooks running dozens of pages, while smaller high school conferences may distribute a short PDF. Crisis-focused conferences often include additional sections on note-passing protocols, joint crisis committee dynamics, and integration with a crisis backroom.

For delegates, the handbook is the authoritative source when a procedural question arises mid-debate: chairs will typically defer to whatever the handbook specifies, even where it diverges from the general rules of procedure a delegate may have learned elsewhere. Faculty advisors rely on it for chaperone responsibilities, liability waivers, and travel planning. Reading the handbook in full before arrival is one of the most consistently recommended preparation steps in delegate training materials.