THIMUN Procedure

THIMUN Procedure refers to the rules of procedure used at The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN), a conference held annually in The Hague since 1968. It has become one of the two dominant procedural traditions in Model UN globally, alongside the more common Harvard-style or "American" procedure (often called UNA-USA procedure in U.S. high school circuits).

The defining features of THIMUN Procedure include:

• Lobbying and merging phase: Delegates spend substantial time before formal debate negotiating draft resolutions in informal lobbying sessions, often merging multiple drafts into a smaller number of consolidated working papers before any formal speeches.
• No moderated or unmoderated caucuses: Unlike Harvard-style procedure, THIMUN debate flows through formal speakers lists and yields, without the caucus motions familiar to North American circuits.
• Time yields: A delegate recognized to speak may yield remaining time to another delegate, to questions, or to the chair, structuring back-and-forth exchange.
• Operative-clause debate: Once a resolution reaches the floor, debate often proceeds clause by clause, with amendments addressed sequentially rather than through broad in-favor/against blocs.
• Consensus orientation: The procedure is designed to encourage diplomatic compromise and broad coalition-building rather than competitive bloc politics, mirroring practice at many real UN bodies.
• Formal tone: Delegates are addressed in the third person ("the delegate of..."), and decorum standards are typically strict.

THIMUN Procedure is used at conferences affiliated with the THIMUN Foundation, including THIMUN Qatar, THIMUN Singapore, and many European, Asian, and Latin American conferences. It is generally considered more accessible for newer delegates because substantive resolution work happens collaboratively in lobbying, but it places less emphasis on the rapid-fire crisis and caucus dynamics characteristic of U.S. collegiate MUN.