Research

Research in Model UN is the predominant preparatory tool for delegates. While public speaking exercises and familiarity with the rules of procedure are advantageous, research and internalization of the topic is what distinguishes the best from the rest. Preparation before a conference is threefold: (1) Mastery of the subject, (2) Familiarization with the scope of the committee, (3) Comprehension of a delegation’s policies. Below, the three aspects are dealt with in some detail, and researching methods are being suggested.

 1. Mastery of the Subject

In simple terms, mastery of the subject means understanding the topic at hand. Initially, one should be familiar with the topic and its various angles. For example the topic of sanctions is multifaceted since there are economic sanctions, military sanctions, unilateral sanctions, UN Security Council imposed sanctions, et cetera. Each of these types has multiple facets; economic sanctions, to take one, can be boycotts, embargoes, bans on military material, or bans on raw materials can be used for specific purposes (such as uranium for the development of nuclear arms). Different measures have different applications and different objectives. Sanctions on Sierra Leone monitor and inhibit the sale of diamonds because rebels control the diamond trade to finance their revolutionary war. Sanctions on Iraq are both import and export orientated since Iraqi oil is not sold freely in the world market, and, simultaneously, Iraqi imports of materials is restricted. As such, Iraqi sanctions undermine the government while sanctions on Sierra Leone strive to strengthen and stabilize it. Contrary, sanctions on South Africa were more a moral statement of disapproval for a regime that oppressed its indigenous population. In order to fully understand the topic of sanctions and discuss it in some intelligent manner, one has to be acquainted with its various expressions and components.

Knowing the topic inside out is advantageous but not sufficient. One should also focus on the various solutions that have been proposed. In the matter of sanctions, to keep our example, there are countries that argue that the international community should eliminate them as a policy tool; others argue that they need modification; others maintain they are fine as they stand. Model UN is about striving to solve issues and a delegate should have some proposals in mind.

To restlessly read books and articles on the topic is probably superfluous and inefficient. The background and its references should be enough of a guide. Some additional research is obviously needed, especially if the topic is one with which the delegate is not particularly familiar. What is in a background is also an indication of what the chair feels is important, so one should focus more on those aspects in the background guide as opposed to try to deal with too broad a scope and get lost in the process.

2. The Scope of Committee

Model UN is by and large policy orientated; no topic will be presented in a strictly academic manner. Rather, the conference’s objective is to develop and discuss policies that will deal with a specific issue. The most important policy question is to identify the actor that will implement whatever policies are being suggested. It is meaningless, for example, to discuss financial packages for currency stabilization in NATO, because that is beyond the scope of NATO. Likewise, discussing direct military intervention in the IMF is unintelligible. Familiarization with the scope of committee translates into understanding why the committee exists and what is expected of it. The Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC), for example, deals with issues with respect to their socioeconomic ramifications. If the topic of sanctions is raised in ECOSOC, the committee should identify the social and economic conditions of countries with sanctions as opposed to discussing whether sanctions should be lifted from a country or not. ECOSOC cannot order that sanctions be placed on a country; what it can do, however, is investigate and share its findings with the UN Security Council, which can impose or lift sanctions. It is important, thus, for delegates to ensure that discussions are pertinent to the committee’s scope. Sometimes, resolutions and proposals will recommend that another committee act (especially in committees that have sub-committees under their control); or they might divert discussion to other committees to encourage action. In conjunction to the scope of the committee is the dynamics of the committee. A very illustrative example is NATO; NATO countries are very hesitant about undertaking military actions. NATO acted in Kosovo, a territory beyond its scope or jurisdiction; subsequently the initial charter was reaffirmed but expanded substantially on the 50^th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty. The evolution of international organizations and their role should be a focus of research and simple verbatim knowledge of a committee’s charter is insufficient.

To find out about a committee, one can turn to two different sources: its charter and its past actions. Both should, at some extent, be found in the background guide provided. For an elaborate and clearer familiarization with the committee, one should visit the committee’s website (i.e. www.nato.int for NATO) and read its charter, its past actions, and present involvements.

3. A delegation’s official policy

What makes Model UN different from any round table or classroom discussion is that individuals represent delegates as opposed to voicing their opinions. The simulative experience is meaningless unless delegates “play their role” well. As such, it is improper to diverge from the country’s policies (or be off policy as Model UN lingo terms it) and doing so will discontent other delegates and your chair. Superficially, a delegation’s official policy can be summed up into a sentence: The United States, for example, supports sanctions as a diplomatic tool. A delegate should, at first, clarify what the country’s position is on the issue. One should look at past actions to determine where one’s country has stood: for example, if the US voted against removing sanctions from Iraq, it is clear that the US favors sanctions. The UN or individual committee’s website and records should be a good starting point. Some countries, like Sweden, are usually neutral and a delegate might find that to be true to the country’s policies, he/she should abstain from voting on resolutions.

With more research, the delegate should seek to uncover the rationale behind a country’s policies. For example, Iceland is a non-military state and as such favors peace. But it is also a state with deep convictions in the rule of law and upholds legal obligations based on culture as well as national interest. Further, Iceland is an island and as such favors islands and their independence. Understanding the mentality of the people and government is the ultimate objective of a delegate. To do that some demographic, political, institutional and historical research is needed. It makes a difference if a country is democratic or autocratic, populous or not, poor or rich, et cetera.

Lastly, one should identify the countries in the committee that are usually on one’s side. For example, a delegate representing Israel should seek US support; a delegate from Germany should seek fellow European Union countries and unite with them. In Model UN lingo, these are called blocs, and they vary depending on committee and topic. So while the EU and the US might share policies on terrorism, they might disagree on Middle Eastern politics. Some bloc positions are discussed in the background guides, though delegates are advised to research their countries and ensure that they are in line with their country’s position.

http://www.un.int/index-en/webs.html leads to the official homepages of States' permanent missions to the UN.

http://www.un.org/search/ is the primary search engine of the UN website. Your keywords should be your country and the topic involved. The results should give you press releases from meetings, and transcripts of discussions, where you can study your country's official policy.