In Model UN, an in-character action is any directive, speech, crisis note, or negotiating position that a delegate takes while remaining faithful to the powers, ideology, resources, and historical moment of the entity they represent. The concept is most strictly enforced in crisis committees, historical cabinets, and specialized organs where delegates portray named individuals (ministers, generals, executives, monarchs) rather than abstract national positions.
A delegate playing the French Foreign Minister in a 1938 cabinet, for example, cannot unilaterally order the U.S. Navy to mobilize, cannot reference events after the simulation's freeze date, and cannot deploy technology or political concepts unavailable at the time. In a General Assembly or ECOSOC simulation, in-character usually means voting and speaking consistent with the represented state's documented foreign policy, treaty commitments, and bloc alignments.
Crisis directors and chairs evaluate in-character behavior when scoring delegates. Common markers include:
- Portfolio realism: using only the powers, budget, troops, or agencies the character actually controls.
- Ideological consistency: positions align with the character's known beliefs or the state's official line.
- Temporal discipline: no anachronistic knowledge, technology, or references.
- Tone and register: diplomatic language appropriate to the era and rank.
Breaking character — sometimes called "meta-gaming" or going out-of-character (OOC) — can result in failed crisis notes, public rebukes from the dais, or lower awards consideration. Some committees permit brief OOC interjections for procedural clarification, typically signaled by the delegate stating "out of character" before speaking.
In-character action does not require historical determinism: delegates are encouraged to pursue creative strategies, alliances, and reforms their character plausibly could have attempted, even if history records a different outcome. The standard is plausibility within the character's actual constraints, not replication of the historical record.
Example
At NCSC 2023, a delegate portraying Vyacheslav Molotov in a 1939 Soviet cabinet was ruled out-of-character after submitting a directive citing NATO obligations, since NATO did not exist until 1949.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, though more loosely. Delegates are expected to vote and speak consistent with their country's actual foreign policy, but they aren't portraying a single named official.
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