Rules of Procedures

Imagine yourself in a class trying to study, but the teacher has just stepped out for a moment, and now everyone is shouting at the top of their voices. It would be impossible to concentrate on anything, right? This might be manageable in a classroom, but scale it up to a forum like the UN, and it would be complete chaos. That’s when the Rules of Procedure come into play. Productive discussions wouldn’t be possible without any kind of order. RoP were designed to moderate debates, ensuring they proceed in an orderly manner and remain productive. We’re here to walk you through some of the most important rules, so keep on reading!

RULES OF PROCEDURE 

The debating process in a MUN can be divided into different segments, each of which serves a specific purpose in the committee. 

The committee flows in MUN according to the UN/USA rules of procedure.

The UN/USA Rules of Procedure (ROPs) are a set of guidelines used to organise and manage meetings in UN committees. If you’re new to this, think of ROPs as a rulebook that helps everyone in the meeting know what to do and when.

STRUCTURE FOLLOWED IN INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE 

ROLL CALL 

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AGENDA

SPEAKER’S LIST ( GSL) 

MODERATED / UNMODERATED CAUCUS

FINAL DOCUMENT 

VOTING PROCEDURE 

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLL CALL- 

Roll call is like the attendance  we have in school. In a UN Committee, when roll call is done, delegates respond to it by saying either “Present” or “Present and Voting.”

• Present :  If you say “Present,” you’re confirming your attendance and keeping the option to not vote on a resolution if you choose.
• Present and Voting : By saying “Present and Voting,” you agree to vote either for or against a resolution, which means you can’t choose to not vote.

Roll call helps to see who’s present in the committee and lets the Chairs figure out how many votes are needed for decisions and resolutions.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AGENDA

During the committee sessions, an individual delegate speaks only when they are recognized by the Chair after raising their country placard. 

Once recognized, the delegate should state the agenda of the committee clearly and formally.

For example, at the Indraprastha MUN, the format for establishing the agenda is as follows:

“With the prior permission of the executive board, the delegate of [ Your portfolio] would like to establish the agenda for the committee, which is [State the exact Agenda].”

This ensures that the agenda is introduced in a respectful and organised manner, following the established protocol for the particular committee.

THE GENERAL SPEAKER’S LIST – 

In UN committees, the committee begins with the General Speakers’ List (GSL), where you discuss anything and everything about your country related to the given agenda.

For example – 

In Indraprastha MUN if you are a delegate of WHO committee with agenda – Strategies and responses for the adolescents and youth mental health with special emphasis on suicide prevention , mitigation and awareness.

Then you may research and put forward your speech stating the significance of addressing youth mental health and suicide prevention globally. Research and Share your allotted country’s challenges and any strategies implemented. Call for international collaboration to create realistic effective mental health programs, raise awareness, and share successful approaches. Conclude by stressing the importance of united global action.

The General Speaker’s List (GSL) operates as follows: 

• The Chair will ask if any delegates wish to speak and those interested will raise their placards. 
• Once acknowledged, the Chair will add the delegate to the GSL by stating their country’s name.

SPEAKING TIME – 

( during the speeches) 

The duration that each speaker will have for their general speaker’s list is decided by voting. 

It can be 60 seconds/90 seconds/120 seconds.

 If time is left out, then the delegate will have to yield the time. 

The delegates can yield the time to:

• Yield to another delegate – The balance of time shall be allotted to another delegate as allowed by the previous speaker in the speakers’ list.
• Yield to questions – Questioners shall be selected by the Chairs from among the delegates who have raised their placards. Follow-up questions shall be allowed only at the discretion of the Chairs.
• Yield back to the Chairs – If time is left but the delegate does not wish to answer questions or give time to another delegate, they can yield the time back to the Chairpersons, who will then proceed with the next delegate on the Speaker’s List.

MODERATED AND UNMODERATED CAUCUSES 

After GSL, Model UN conferences often include both moderated and unmoderated caucuses, which provide forums for delegates to discuss and deliberate on various issues that come up as the subtopics of the main agenda.

A moderated caucus is essentially a process during which delegates discuss subtopics related to the main topic. The topic of the committee, in most cases, is usually an umbrella topic or as we say too broad for all the areas to be discussed at once; therefore, moderated caucuses are used to narrow the discussion and go into more detail on certain aspects.

On the other hand, an unmoderated caucus is a more informal period, where delegates can move around, make alliances, and discuss ideas freely, thus not under the control of the chair. Delegates can, for example, move a motion for an unmoderated caucus when they are not sure what the topic of the next moderated caucus will be. This allows them to freely discuss options, share ideas, and decide on whatever is most urgent. Delegates can also use it to formulate Working Papers and Resolutions.

For establishing these motions in the committee, they are proper formats that need to be taken care of. For example: 

• For establishing the moderated caucus, the individual needs to speak –  “ With the prior permission of the executive board the delegate of xyz country( your portfolio) would like to suspend the formal debate and move into a Moderated caucus on topic( your properly phrased subtopic) with each Speaker’s time being( 60/90/120 seconds) and total time being ( 20/30/45 minutes) “
• For establishing the unmoderated caucus, the individual needs to speak – “ With the prior permission of the executive board the delegate of xyz country would like to suspend the formal debate and move into an unmoderated caucus for ( your timing)” 

FINAL DOCUMENTATION 

In Model United Nations (MUN), final documents are key papers that capture what the committee has talked about and decided during the two or three days of conference. These papers help in making sure that everything discussed is clearly recorded and shared.

In international Committees, the draft resolution is known as the final document that needs to be submitted by the end of the last day of conference. 

• Draft Resolution – Think of this as a formal proposal that outlines solutions or actions for the issues your committee has been tackling. It includes background information and specific actions. Delegates work together to draft, revise, and vote on it. If it’s approved, it becomes the final resolution.

STRUCTURE FOLLOWED IN INDIAN COMMITTEE 

ROLL CALL

OPENING STATEMENT

PUBLIC/PRIVATE MODERATED SESSION

PRIVATE UNMODERATED SESSION

DRAFT LEGISLATION

Opening the Debate: Roll Call

Roll call is like the attendance  we have in school.

In an Indian committee, you simply have to say “present” so that the judges know you are there.

Roll call helps to see who’s present in the committee and lets the Chairs figure out how many votes are needed for decisions and resolutions.

The Debate: Opening statement

At Indian committees, we have opening statements where you present the stance of your portfolio, either in favor of or against the agenda.

Speakers on the list, when granted permission by the speaker, can express their views on the topic in discussion. The list will run through all the committee sessions until it is exhausted or a motion to The debate is over. The speaking time will be set by the committee itself through a motion.

Committee sessions :

Public Moderated session

 There are public sessions to discuss the subtopic of the agenda.Voting decides the time for the public session and the time for an individual speaker.The discussion in public sessions occurs in the presence of the media. Whenever in a public session, the committee records every word that is spoken in the public record. Media and observers from outside are also in public sessions.

Private moderated and Unmoderated session

In private sessions, there is no presence of media in the committee. A speaker can bring views which they may not want to say before the media. Also, no record of discussions or statements made is kept in writing, allowing for free discussion where speakers can express views without hesitation.

A moderated session will be a formal discussion and on the other hand, Unmoderated session will be a informal discussion.