In Model UN, a draft resolution is structured as a single long sentence: it opens with preambulatory clauses (setting context) and closes with operative clauses, each beginning with an operative phrase. The operative phrase is the action verb (or verb cluster) that tells the reader what the body is actually doing — recommending, condemning, establishing, requesting, and so on. By convention these phrases are italicized and followed by a numbered clause ending in a semicolon; the final operative clause ends with a period.
Operative phrases are ranked roughly by the strength of action they imply, which mirrors actual UN practice. The General Assembly, which cannot issue binding decisions under the Charter, typically uses softer verbs such as Recommends, Calls upon, Urges, Encourages, Requests, Invites, and Reaffirms. The Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, can use stronger language such as Decides, Demands, Authorizes, and Condemns, which carry binding force on member states under Article 25. ECOSOC, Human Rights Council, and specialized agencies generally mirror GA-style phrasing.
Common operative phrases delegates should recognize include:
- Decides / Decides to remain seized of the matter — strongest, especially in the UNSC
- Authorizes — grants a mandate, e.g., for a peacekeeping operation
- Condemns / Strongly condemns — formal disapproval
- Calls upon / Urges — non-binding pressure
- Requests — typically directed at the Secretary-General or a subsidiary body
- Establishes — creates a committee, fund, or mission
- Endorses / Welcomes / Takes note of — degrees of approval, descending in strength
Choosing the right operative phrase matters in committee: a delegation that "demands" something its bloc cannot enforce risks being amended down, while overly weak verbs may fail to satisfy sponsors seeking concrete action. Skilled delegates calibrate phrasing to match both their country's policy and the committee's actual authority.
Example
In a 2023 GA Third Committee simulation, the sponsors opened clause 4 with "*Calls upon* Member States to expand access to mental-health services," using a non-binding phrase appropriate to the General Assembly.