The General Speakers' List (GSL) is the backbone of formal debate in most Model UN committees. Once a topic is set on the agenda, the chair opens the GSL and delegates raise their placards to be added. Speakers are called in the order they were added and address the committee on the topic as a whole, rather than on a specific motion or amendment.
Standard individual speaking time is typically 60 or 90 seconds, though the committee may vote to set or change the duration. After a delegate finishes, any remaining time can be yielded in one of three conventional ways: to another delegate, to questions, or back to the chair. Yields to comments are used in some North American circuits but are not universal.
The GSL runs continuously in the background of committee. Whenever no moderated or unmoderated caucus is in session, the committee returns by default to the GSL. A delegate who has spoken may request to be re-added. Because the list never formally closes unless a motion to close debate passes (which moves the committee toward voting procedure), strategically adding oneself early is common practice.
Functions of the GSL include:
- Establishing a delegation's policy position on the record
- Signaling bloc alignment and proposed solutions
- Filling procedural gaps between caucuses
- Providing a forum for delegates from smaller delegations who may struggle to dominate caucuses
In THIMUN-style procedure, the equivalent mechanism is often handled differently, with the chair recognizing speakers directly during open debate, but the concept of a sequential formal speakers' list is preserved. In crisis committees, the GSL is usually compressed or suspended in favor of rapid moderated caucuses, reflecting the faster pace of crisis simulation.
Example
At NMUN 2023, the DISEC chair opened the GSL on the topic of lethal autonomous weapons with a default speaking time of 90 seconds.