Credentialing

In multilateral practice, credentialing is the procedural step that confirms which individuals are entitled to speak and vote on behalf of a member state or accredited entity. At the United Nations General Assembly, credentials are issued by a head of state, head of government, or minister for foreign affairs, and are reviewed by a nine-member Credentials Committee appointed at the start of each session under Rules 27–29 of the GA's Rules of Procedure. The committee reports to the plenary, which then approves, defers, or rejects the credentials.

Credentialing is not merely administrative. It has been used as a political instrument when rival authorities claim to represent the same state. Notable episodes include the seating of the People's Republic of China in place of the Republic of China through General Assembly Resolution 2758 (1971), the long-running deferral of the credentials of Afghanistan's Taliban-nominated and Myanmar's post-coup representatives after 2021, and the General Assembly's 1974 decision to suspend South Africa's participation by rejecting its credentials during the apartheid era.

In Model UN, credentialing typically refers to:

• Delegation registration: a faculty advisor or head delegate submits a roster to the conference secretariat.
• On-site check-in: delegates present identification and receive placards, badges, and voting rights.
• Roll call: at the start of each committee session, the dais confirms "present" or "present and voting" status, which affects abstention rights on substantive votes.

Outside the UN system, similar mechanisms exist in the WTO, WHO World Health Assembly, IAEA General Conference, and treaty conferences of the parties (COPs). Journalists, NGOs, and observers are separately credentialed, usually with narrower access rights than state delegates. Disputes over credentials are generally resolved by majority vote of the relevant plenary body rather than by a court.