WAMUNC will be one of the most exciting events you attend during your school year. In order to ensure that you enjoy your time both in and outside committee, we’ve outlined how you can prepare for both this conference and other model UN conferences in general.
Preparation for Committee:
Read your background guide
Your chairs have prepared a background guide for you that contains vital information about how committee will work, what they expect from you and have provided you essential background information on the topics that you will be discussing in committee (hence the name “background guide”). This is the very least you can do to prepare for committee.
Research your topic
It is critical that you understand the intricacies of the topics that will be the discussing point in committee. Reading the background guide that your committee chair has prepared for you is a good starting point, but don’t just stop there. Do some extra research and look into the more detailed aspects of the issue you will be discussing in committee. The better prepared you are to discuss the topic at hand, the more enjoyable committee will be.
Write a Position Paper
Not only is this required in order to be considered for an award, but it is also incredibly useful for laying out and organizing your thoughts on the topic. You can also use it in committee to show other delegates what your position is and your thoughts on certain topics. As such, it is not a bad idea to bring a few extra copies to the first committee session. Not sure how to write a position or need to refresh your memory? The UNA USA website has an excellent guide here.
Ask Questions
Most delegates will not be incredibly well versed in the topics that they will be discussing in committee. Reading the background guide and researching can do a great deal in helping address this problem. However, delegates most likely will still have some unanswered questions. At this point, delegates should consider emailing their chair (not that you can’t email them before hand) with their question. Committee chairs are well versed in the topics that their committees will be discussing and will most likely be able to answer the delegate’s question. If the chair is unable to do so, they most likely will be able to point the delegate in the right direction resource wise.
Understand Parliamentary Procedure and the Rules
It is essential that delegates understand parlipro as well as the basic rules while in committee. Even those who know parlipro should consider refreshing their knowledge prior to arriving in committee. In order to help with this, we’ve provided a guide to parlipro and in-committee rules.
WAMUNC_parlipro