Watch our animation made by Molly Watkins for CamMUN!
What is MUN?
MUN, or Model United Nations, is a simulated debate held in the style of proceedings in the United Nations. The debates are held within different committees on various topics: e.g. WHO, UNICEF, Security Council
How do such simulated UN debates work?
CamMUN uses the THIMUN format, which is the standard convention across the UK and much of Europe and the wider world, which you can find here: https://foundation.thimun.org/participation/guidelines/
When a potential delegate signs up to an MUN they are assigned a country to represent and a committee. Each committee is overseen by a Chair.
Delegates at the start of the overall debate form groups and draw up resolutions in a process called ‘unmoderated caucus’. Each resolution is introduced and promoted by its main submitter.
From there, the main submitter, as well as any other delegates that wish, give a speech in favour of voting for the resolution, and take questions (known as points of information) from other delegates. After that, any delegates that wish to give a speech against the resolution and also take points of information.
Following this, amendments are taken by the Chair and are considered, debated and voted on. After all amendments considered are entertained, the committee votes whether or not to pass the resolution as a whole and should it succeed, it would ‘pass’, and would be ‘adopted’ as a whole by member states.
CamMUN does not hold a General Assembly, or any equivalent, during its proceedings. Instead, we hold a closing ceremony, where prizes are given to delegates and chairs that have performed well and closing remarks are made by Chairs and the Secretariat.
Key terms
- Delegate – a participant of the MUN conference that represents a specific country
- Committee – a group of delegates, together forming a body that debates issues of a similar nature, like the environment or global trade
- Resolution – a written agreement between countries detailing policies that member states should adopt to solve a certain issue.
- Chair – the presiding officer of the debate. All of the debate passes through and is monitored by them, who has absolute discretion in their committee.
- Unmoderated Caucus – a period of time set by the Chair during which resolutions are written and other miscellaneous activities take place.
- Main submitter – the person in charge of presenting/introducing the resolution, and are responsible for writing it and speaking in favour of it.
- Point of information – a formal ‘question’ invited by the Chair, asked by any delegate to another delegate, who has given a speech on a resolution. The response of the other delegate may be replied to at the Chair’s discretion.
- Amendment – formal changes requested by delegates to a resolution. They are debated and voted on, unless considered ‘friendly’ by the resolution’s main submitter.
- Vote – the process in which delegates decide whether or not to grant assent to an amendment or resolution. Only a majority vote can ‘pass’ either.
- Member states – the countries who are allowed to debate and vote at the United Nations.
