The Secretariat: The Secretariat consists of the volunteer staff members of the UN
model.
Quorum/Majority: A quorum will be one third of the member delegations in
attendance at the conference.
A quorum must be present at all times during sessions.
A majority is required for a substantive question to be put to a vote.
Officers: The Secretariat of the UN Model shall select persons to serve as Chair, with
President and Moderator for each body, and shall select any other positions necessary
to help conduct the sessions of UN Model.
The Chair shall serve as the procedural officers of the meeting, and shall be
responsible for facilitation of the rules and debate.
The President shall serve as the substantive officer of the meeting, and shall be
responsible for interactions on resolutions and amendments.
General Authority of the President: In addition to exercising such authority conferred
upon the President elsewhere in these rules, the President shall;
Declare the opening and closing of each session.
Ensure the observance of the rules.
Direct the discussions of the body, and accord the right to speak.
Advise the body on methods of procedure that will enable the body to
accomplish its goals.
Rule on Points of Order and Procedure, and subject to these rules, shall have
complete control of the proceedings and the maintenance of order at meetings.
Advise on convenient procedures.
Observer Status: Those delegations recognized as having Observer Status by the UN shall
be accorded all rights in the sessions except voting, closing, adjourning and opening
debate.
SPEAKING
Diplomatic Courtesy: Representatives must accord diplomatic courtesy to all
other Representatives and Secretariat members at all times, and must remember to
refer to themselves as delegations, not in first person.
Speeches: No delegation may address the body without obtaining the permission of the
Chair.
Setting the Agenda: Motion to set the agenda with a certain topic will be established,
and the Moderator will choose two speakers in favor and two against for starting
with the topic. Voting will be requested.
Opening Debate: When the body begins discussion of a topic, the Moderator will create
a speakers list including all delegations desiring to make opening speeches.
The speakers list will be chosen at random.
The delegates will propose a time limit for the speeches. This has to be approved
by the president, or he/she may suggest a different time limit according to the number
of delegations wanting to speak. The time limit will be no less the 30 seconds and no
more than 2 minutes.
Formal Debate:
Formal debate commences with the President announcing a speakers list for
the debate.
The speakers list for formal debate will be determined based on the delegates'
willingness to speak.
The President may suggest a time limit for speeches based on the number of
Delegations making speeches.
Appropriate motions may be made when no speaker has the floor, or by the
speaker at the end of a speech.
At the conclusion of the speakers list, debate is closed and the resolution on the
floor, along with any amendments, is brought to an immediate vote.
Yields: Yielding time is used when a delegate hasn't exceeded the predetermined time
limit on a formal debate speech, such as the speakers list and therefore gives his/her
time to the following.
Yield time to the Chair -The delegate will yield his/her remaining time to the chair.
Yield time to another delegate: The delegate may yield his/her remaining time to another delegate if the latter one wishes to use it.
Yield time for questions: The delegate may use his/her remaining time to
answer any questions other delegates have related to the previous speech.
If the delegate does not yield his/her remaining time, the chair will automatically
accept questions for the delegate’s previous speech.
Extraordinary Session of Questions: Any delegate, who wishes, may make a motion of
procedure for an extraordinary session of a 2 to 5 questions to the delegate that has finished
speaking, with the sole condition that the latter one, accepts and is willing to answer.
There is no time limit to the questions.
If the delegate asking the questions wants to clarify the question he/she must ask
permission for a preamble through “Point of Personal Privilege”.
Delegates are allowed to make small preambles as long as they ask for them.
Informal Debate: When desired and ratified by the president, the body may move into
a panel of informal debate on the topic, Moderated or Unmoderated
Caucus with a predetermined time limit of no less than 5 minutes and no more than 15 minutes.
During Moderated Caucus, delegations are called upon by the President in the
order in which they signify their desire to speak by raising their placards.
While any substantive issue or proposal may be discussed, no resolutions or
amendments may be brought to the floor during the moderated caucus period.
Unmoderated Caucus will be implemented for a determined period of time, with
the sole purpose of discussing working papers, block positions and other
substantial issues.
Right of Reply: The President may accord a Right of Reply to any delegation in
response to a speech by another delegation that was not politically and diplomatically correct.
Representative/Delegation requests for a Right of Reply shall be made in writing
to the President.
The request shall contain the specific language for which the Reply is requested,
There shall be no reply to a reply.
The President may limit the time allowed for a reply.
The President's decision to grant a right of reply, as well as the decision on a
time limit for that reply, are not subject to appeal.
POINTS OF PROCEDURE IN ORDER OF PRIORITY
Point of Order: During the discussion of any matter, a Representative may rise to a
Point of order if he/she believes that the body is proceeding in a manner contrary to
these rules.
The President will immediately recognize the Representative and the point ruled
on.
If a Representative's ability to participate in the deliberations of the body is
impaired for any reason, the Representative may rise to a Point of Order.
A Point of Order may interrupt a speaker.
A Point of Order may also be raised if a delegate is talking in first person.
Point of Parliamentary Inquiry: A Point of Inquiry is raised to the President if a Representative
wishes to obtain a clarification of procedure or a statement of the matters before the
body. Representatives may not interrupt a speaker on a Point of Inquiry.
Point of Personal Privilege: A Point of Personal Privilege is raised to the President if a
Representative is not comfortable or has any personal necessities.
Delegates may interrupt the speaker on a Point of Personal Privilege
RESOLUTIONS and AMENDMENTS
Definition of Resolutions: A resolution is a proposal consisting of at least one
preambulatory and one operative (activating) clause.
Draft Resolutions or Working Papers: For a Draft Resolution or a Working Paper to be considered on the floor during formal debate, it must be sponsored by at least one delegation, and must be moved to the floor.
After acceptance by the Chair, resolutions or drafts shall be processed in the order in
which they are received and distributed to all delegations as soon as feasible.
Draft Resolutions will be accepted by the Chair as they are created during
informal debate.
Draft Resolutions accepted during informal debate will be read or copied for all
members of the body when they receive the sponsorship of 25% of those
delegations in attendance on the first day in that body.
The President shall announce additional resolutions or drafts which have received 25%
sponsorship as they are ready for distribution.
Once a resolution or drafts is accepted by the Chair and copied for the body, additional
sponsors may only be added to that resolution with the consent of the original
sponsors.
Sponsors are those delegations that agree to support a certain resolution.
Signatories are those delegations that wish to see the resolutions draft in
discussion.
Definition of Amendments: An amendment is a motion that adds to, deletes from or
revises any part of a resolution.
Amendments: All amendments to resolutions must be signed by 15% of the
delegations in attendance on the first day in that body.
Approved amendments will be assigned an identification code by the Chair.
Typographical errors will be corrected by the President and announced to the body.
One or more amendments may be considered on the floor at any given time.
Speeches on Resolutions and Amendments: To introduce drafts, working papers,
resolutions and amendments, the sponsors have to address the body in the following
manner:
When the draft or resolution has been approved by the President a motion to
introduce the paper will be in order.
Two delegates will go to the front and read the paper to the other delegates.
Afterwards, an unlimited session of questions to these delegates will take place.
When the questions are over, the Chair will propose to open a moderated caucus in
order to discuss the working paper’s relevant points as well as to write amendments
to the possible resolution or draft.
Only one resolution or working paper may be brought to the floor and discussed at any given time during formal debate.
Any number of amendments to the resolution on the floor may be brought to the floor and discussed.
Following the vote on a resolution, a motion to consider another resolution, or a motion to close debate on the topic is in order.
A motion to close debate on the topic, when made with no resolution on the
floor, has the effect of moving the body to the next topic on the agenda.
VOTING
Voting Rights: Each member delegation shall have one vote in each body in which it
is represented. No Representative/Delegation may cast a vote on behalf of another country.
Simple Majority: Unless otherwise specified in these rules, decisions in the committees and commissions of the General Assembly and ECOSOC shall be made by a majority vote of those nations present and voting, defined as one more "yes" than "no" vote,
If there is an equal division between yes and no votes, the motion fails.
The phrase "nations present and voting" refers to members casting
affirmative or negative votes.
Members, which cast a final abstention, are not counted as voting.
Method of Voting: The body shall normally vote by a show of raised placards. In the case of voting on a resolution a roll-call vote will be taken.
The roll shall be taken in English alphabetical order, beginning with a nation
selected at random by the President.
Representatives shall reply "yes", "no", or "abstain".
In the first round the delegates may vote for, against, abstention or pass, and may
ask for a right of explanation.
The second round is the same, except pass will be out of order. After this round, the
delegates who asked for the right of explanation will have 30 seconds each to speak.
In the third round, delegates can change their vote.
A simple majority is needed to pass the resolution.
Conduct during Voting: Immediately prior to a vote, the President shall describe to
the body the item to be voted on, and shall explain the consequences of a "yes" or a “no" vote.
Voting shall begin upon the President's declaration "we are in voting procedure", and end when
the results of the vote are announced.
Once in voting procedure, no Representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order concerning the actual conduct of the vote.
Following Closure of Debate, and prior to entering voting procedure, the President shall pause briefly to allow delegations the opportunity to make any relevant motions,
Relevant motions prior to a vote include: Suspension of the Meeting,
Adjournment of the Meeting.
Rights of Explanation: Rights of explanation are permitted on all substantive votes
after voting.
Rights of explanation may be limited in time by the President.
Rights of explanation are normally only requested by those delegations
which voted in a way contrary to that in which they may have been
expected to vote by other delegations.
MOTION OF PROCEDURE IN ORDER OF PRIORITY
Suspension of the Meeting: During the discussion of any matter, a Representative may
move to suspend the meeting, except when such a motion would interrupt a speaker.
Suspending a meeting recesses it for the time specified in the motion.
A second is required for this motion, and a majority vote is needed for passage,
A motion to suspend is not debatable, and will be put to an immediate vote,
The President may request the mover to modify the time of suspension,
If the motion passes, the body, when it reconvenes, will continue its business from the point at which the suspension was moved.
Adjournment of the Meeting: The motion of adjournment means that all business of
the body has been completed or that the time allotted for the meeting has elapsed.
A second is required for this motion, and a majority vote is needed for
passage,
A motion to adjourn is not debatable, and will be put to an immediate vote.
The President may refuse to recognize a motion to adjourn the meeting if the body still has business before it.
This decision is not appealable.
Adjournment of Debate: During the discussion of any matter, a Representative may
move for an Adjournment of Debate on that matter.
Adjournment of Debate on a resolution or amendment has the effect of tabling that item and allows the body to move onto another resolution/amendment.
A motion to adjourn debate during informal debate has the effect of ending debate on that topic and moving immediately to the next topic on the agenda.
A second is required for this motion, and a majority vote is needed for passage.
After two delegations who wish to speak in favor of the motion, and two opposed have finished speaking; the motion shall then be put to an immediate vote.
An item upon which debate has been adjourned must pass a vote of reconsideration before it may be brought back to the floor for consideration.
Closure of Debate: During Formal Debate, a Representative may move to close debate
on one of two areas, either the resolution or topic under discussion before the body,
except when such a motion would interrupt a speaker.
If closure passes on the topic, any resolution and amendments on the floor will be put to an immediate vote.
Following that vote (if applicable), or if there are no resolutions on the floor, debate moves on to opening the debate for the next topic.
If closure passes on a resolution, the resolution and any amendments on the floor for that topic will be put to a vote.
A second is required for this motion, and a majority vote is needed for passage.
Two delegations may speak against closure, and the motion will then be put to a vote.
If closure passes, all amendments on the floor will be voted on in the reverse order from which they were moved to the floor for each resolution.
After voting on all amendments is completed, the resolution shall be voted
upon in its final form.
Appealing a Decision of the President: Rulings of the President are appealable unless
otherwise specified in these rules.
A second is required for this motion, and a majority vote is needed for
passage.
Two delegations may speak in favor of the motion and two opposed; the motion shall then be put to an immediate vote.
An appeal must be made immediately following the ruling in question.
The President shall put the vote thusly: "Shall the decision of the President be sustained?" A "yes" vote supports the President's decision; a "no" signifies objection to the decision.
The decision of the President shall be sustained by a tie,
Rulings by the President on the following rules or motions are not appealable:
Diplomatic Courtesy,
Right of Reply,
Method of Voting,
Adjournment of the Meeting,
And any time a ruling by the President is a direct quote from these
rules of procedure.
Consideration of Amendments: After a resolution has been successfully moved to the
floor, any delegation may move to consider "any specific amendment which has
received the sponsorship by 15% of the body and has been accepted by the Chair.
To bring an amendment to the floor for discussion a delegation must first be
recognized by the President.
No second is required for this motion, and no vote is needed to move an amendment to the floor.
The President will present the amendment to the body.
Consideration of a Resolution. After entering formal debate, any delegation may
move to consider any specific resolution which has received sponsorship by 25% of
the body and has been accepted by the Chair.
A second is required for this motion, and a majority vote is needed for passage.
The motion to consider a resolution is not debatable and shall be put to an immediate vote.
Only one resolution may be considered on the floor at any given time.
When a resolution is successfully moved to the floor, the President shall announce the speakers list for that resolution, as determined prior to the formal debate on that topic.
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