Overview of this Guide
Overview of this Guide
Who this Guide is for
The Guide is written principally for student leaders and Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ advisors who organize Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ conferences. The Guide¡¯s aim is to provide information about the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ structure, as well as its decision-making procedures and processes, so that leaders and advisors will be able to organize accurate simulations of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ meetings. At the same time, much of the material in the appendices (e.g., The Essential Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Structure) is useful for students looking to learn more about Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ conferences and the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ.
The popularity of Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ continues to grow. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of students worldwide participate every year at all educational levels, from primary school to university. Many of today's leaders in law, government, business, civil society, and the arts participated in Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ as students.
How this Guide is Different from Other Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Guides
Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ was established around the same time the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ was created, some say even before. Yet Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ was not initially monitored by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. The first time that a Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ conference was co-sponsored by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ was in August 2000 at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Headquarters in New York. The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ later organized three GMÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵ conferences in 2009 ¨C 2011. These three conferences led to new Rules of Procedure and a new approach for conducting Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ conferences. This Guide builds on the three conferences¡¯ pioneering approach.
This Guide introduces a leadership structure and responsibilities that more accurately mirror the relationship between the GA and the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretariat. As a result, student leaders play a more substantive role in conferences than they do in some Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ conferences.
Second, it uses Rules of Procedure that are much closer to those used at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. While there is some variety in the Rules of Procedure used by Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ programmes, they are largely based on Rules of Procedure that are different than those used at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. The General Assembly Rules of Procedure do not have many of the points and motions used during many Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ conferences, such as Points of Information, Points of Personal Privilege, or Points of Inquiry. In some instances, procedures violate the sovereign rights of Member States, and are therefore not appropriate for General Assembly (GA) or Security Council (SC) conferences.
Third, most decisions adopted by the GA and the SC are made by consensus¡ªthat is, without taking a vote. The leadership structure and Rules of Procedure should support a working environment that encourages delegates to build consensus. This Guide introduces new ideas of how Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ conferences can encourage building consensus.
How to Use this Guide
The Guide is comprised of three main, interrelated sections: structure, procedures, and processes.
The section on structure focuses on two main Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ organs: the General Assembly and the Security Council. The information is designed to help organizers of Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ programmes decide on the appropriate leadership structure.
The section on procedures focuses on how to adapt the Rules of Procedures used in actual GA meetings to a Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ conference, where the timeframes for making decisions are much shorter. It also highlights the differences between the rules used in most Model Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ programmes and those used at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ.
The section on processes focuses on a wide range of topics, including:
- the importance of building consensus,
- how to chair a Committee meeting,
- how to write and table resolutions and amendments,
- how to write scripts for the President of the GA (PGA) and Committee Chairs, and
- the art of negotiation.
The content aims to give an overview of the skills needed to run an engaging and successful conference.