Strategic Note

A Strategic Note is a private working document a Model UN delegate writes before (and updates during) a conference to organise how they will represent their assigned country or character on a given committee topic. Unlike the position paper, which is submitted to the dais and shared in a polished form, the strategic note is for the delegate's own use and is usually never seen by chairs or other delegations.

A typical strategic note contains:

• Core national interests on the topic, drawn from foreign ministry statements, voting records in the UN General Assembly or Security Council, and treaty commitments.
• Red lines — language or clauses the delegation cannot accept (for example, references to R2P for a sovereignty-focused state, or extraterritorial jurisdiction clauses).
• Fallback positions the delegate is willing to concede if pressured.
• A bloc map identifying probable allies, swing states, and likely opponents, often grouped by regional caucus (EU, G77, GRULAC, OIC, P5, etc.).
• Operative clause ideas the delegate plans to introduce, with possible co-sponsors.
• Tactical reminders: which delegates to approach during the first unmoderated caucus, what amendments to prepare, and procedural motions to deploy.

The format is borrowed loosely from real diplomatic practice: foreign ministries circulate internal instructions to delegation (sometimes called speaking notes or briefing notes) before sessions of bodies such as the UN Human Rights Council or the WTO General Council. These cables guide negotiators on what to support, oppose, or abstain on, and how far they may compromise.

In MUN, experienced delegates treat the strategic note as a living document — annotated in the margins as the committee evolves, new draft resolutions circulate, and unexpected crisis updates arrive. A well-prepared note allows a delegate to react quickly without breaking character or contradicting earlier statements, which is especially valuable in fast-moving crisis committees where information asymmetry and timing often determine outcomes.