Model UN Rules of Procedure: How Committee Runs

A US-style committee almost always moves through the same stages. Knowing the order tells you which motion comes next and when to have your documents ready.

The chair reads the list of member states alphabetically, and each delegation raises its placard and answers 'present' or 'present and voting'. Roll call is usually repeated at the start of each session, because attendance determines quorum and the vote thresholds for that session. If you arrive late, send a note to the dais so you are marked present before any vote.

When a committee has two or more topics, the first real business is deciding which to debate first. A delegate moves to set the agenda to a topic. At many conferences this motion is debatable: the chair takes a short speakers' list of delegates for and against, then the committee votes by simple majority. If the motion fails, the other order is usually adopted automatically. The committee often runs out of time for the second topic, so this vote can decide what the whole conference is about.

Once the agenda is set, a delegate moves to open the general speakers' list (GSL). Delegates who want to speak raise placards and are added, and a motion sets the speaking time, often 60 to 90 seconds. The first GSL speeches are effectively opening speeches: your country's position and what you want the committee to do. The GSL stays open in the background for the whole topic; the committee returns to it whenever no caucus or other motion is in progress. At many conferences, if the speakers' list runs out, debate on the topic closes and the committee moves to voting, so blocs keep adding names.

A moderated caucus suspends the speakers' list for a focused, timed debate on one sub-topic. The motion states three things: total time, individual speaking time and the topic. The chair then calls on delegates who raise placards, one at a time. Moderated caucuses are where most committees test ideas and where short, sharp speeches earn attention. The delegate who proposed the caucus is often offered the first (or last) speech.

An unmoderated caucus ('unmod') suspends formal debate so delegates can leave their seats, form blocs, negotiate and write. The motion only needs a total time, and some conferences ask for a purpose. Unmods are where resolutions are actually built, and where many chairs watch for leadership: who brings people together, who writes clauses, who keeps the group on task.

A working paper is a bloc's ideas written down so the committee can read and discuss them. At many conferences it has no required format; clauses in resolution style are common because they make the next step easier. Once the dais accepts it, a working paper can be referred to in debate and is often presented by its authors during a moderated caucus or a motion to introduce it. It is not voted on. Its purpose is to become a draft resolution.

A draft resolution is a formal document written in resolution format: a heading, preambulatory clauses explaining the problem and past action, and numbered operative clauses saying what the committee will do. To be accepted it needs a minimum number of sponsors and signatories, set by the conference, sometimes as a fraction of the committee. The dais checks format and content, then numbers it (for example, Draft Resolution 1.1) and it can be introduced to the floor by motion. Authors usually read the operative clauses aloud and answer questions.

Once a draft is on the floor, delegates can propose changes. At many conferences only operative clauses can be amended. An amendment can add a clause, strike a clause, or change its wording.

When the drafts are on the floor and the committee is ready, a delegate moves to close debate (sometimes called cloture or moving into voting procedure). This usually needs a two-thirds vote, and at many conferences the chair takes a small number of speakers against the motion first. Once it passes, the committee is in voting procedure. At many conferences the room is sealed: no one enters or leaves and note passing stops.

Points are requests to the chair that are not voted on. There are only a few, and each has a narrow purpose. Using the right one, at the right moment, is an easy way to look experienced.

Motions ask the committee to do something, and most are voted on. You make one when the chair asks 'Are there any points or motions on the floor?' Raise your placard, wait to be recognized, and state the motion in full. Typical vote requirements are listed below; your conference's rules may differ.

When several motions are on the floor at once, the chair votes on them in an order of precedence, and the first one to pass wins. Points come before any motion. Among motions, the most disruptive usually goes first. A common order is: adjourn the meeting, suspend the meeting, table debate, close debate, unmoderated caucus, moderated caucus, then motions about documents and speaking time. Among caucuses of the same kind, many chairs take the longest first. Other chairs vote in the order motions were made. Knowing the order lets you predict what will happen: if someone moves to close debate while you propose a moderated caucus, closing debate is usually voted on first.

Chairs entertain clear, complete motions. Start with 'Motion to' or 'Motion for', include every detail the rules require, and stop talking. If the chair asks for a reason, give one sentence that helps the whole committee, not just your bloc.

Model UN procedure comes in two broad families. Most US high-school conferences use the style this guide has described so far: a speakers' list, moderated and unmoderated caucuses, and working papers that grow into competing draft resolutions. THIMUN-style procedure, named after The Hague International Model United Nations and used by conferences affiliated with the THIMUN Foundation, is organized around debating resolutions one at a time. Neither is more correct. Many conferences mix elements of both, so treat the comparison below as a guide to what to look for in your handbook, not as rules.

In THIMUN-style committees, delegates often arrive with pre-written draft resolutions. The first stage is lobbying: unmoderated time before formal debate in which delegates merge their drafts, negotiate and look for consensus. A merged draft is led by a main submitter and supported by co-submitters, and an approval panel checks format and content before it can be debated. The minimum number of co-submitters is set by the conference. In formal debate, the committee takes one resolution at a time. The main submitter presents it, the chair sets debate time, and delegates speak for or against it.

If you have trained in one style and are attending a conference in the other, these are the habits to adjust. Always confirm them in your conference's rules.

Model UN procedure borrows from the real UN but is not the same. A few real rules are worth knowing because chairs and position papers often refer to them. In the General Assembly, decisions on 'important questions' (such as recommendations on international peace and security, admitting new members and budgetary questions) need a two-thirds majority of members present and voting, and other questions a simple majority (UN Charter, Article 18). The Assembly's rules define 'members present and voting' as members casting a yes or no vote, with abstentions counted as not voting. In the Security Council, procedural decisions need nine yes votes out of fifteen, and substantive decisions need nine yes votes including the concurring votes of the five permanent members (Article 27). In practice, an abstention by a permanent member is not treated as a veto. Model UN Security Councils usually simulate the veto on substantive votes, but check your conference's rules for how they apply it.

Your first conference in a new style does not need weeks of extra study. An hour with the handbook and a few questions to the dais on day one are enough.

Knowing the rules is not only about avoiding mistakes. Delegates who understand procedure can shape what the committee discusses, when drafts are ready, and what reaches a vote, all without breaking a rule or annoying the dais.

Chairs can rule motions dilatory, refuse a right of reply and decide how many questions a speaker takes. Most want an efficient, substantive committee. Motions that move toward solutions are entertained; motions that stall are not.

These errors come up in almost every novice committee. Avoiding them makes you look experienced from the first session.

Crisis committees, historical committees and specialized bodies often use looser or different procedure: shorter speeches, heavy use of moderated caucuses, and directives or communiqués instead of long resolutions. Some Security Council and court simulations have their own rules entirely. The principle is the same: read the committee's rules or background guide, and ask the dais on day one.