CANIMUN Tips

Model UN Research

You are the ambassador of the assigned foreign country or position. The first and most important task of a delegate is researching into three main areas:

1) the UN and the specific committee;

2) the assigned country or position; and,

3) the issues.

The following are some guidelines which will assist delegates with their research.

The United Nations : Begin by reading about the UN and how it works. Delegates do not have to do extensive research but they do have to understand the basics of the UN and how it works. For example, look at its history, mandate, committee structure and organizations. Where does your country or position fit in this?

The Country or Position

• What are some basic facts about the country (e.g., Head of government? Population? Size? History? Resources? Growth?)
• What are the foreign policy objectives of the country? (e.g., Economic goals?)
• With which organizations and nations does the country work? (e.g., OPEC, GATT? Allies?)
• What role does the country play in the UN system? (e.g., Observer? Active member?)
• What is unique about your country compared to all other countries? (e.g., Exports?)
• Given a hypothetical issue, how would delegates expect their country to react to the problem? (e.g., Remain neutral?)
• As the representative of the country, how would a delegate handle the issue or problem? (e.g., Impose sanctions?)

The Issues

• What is the issue or problem?
• What is the history of the issue?
• What countries are involved and/or most affected?
• What is the country's position on the issues?
• How has the country handled the issues in the UN in the past?
• Under what conditions would the country change its position?
• How should delegates approach these issues at the Model UN?

Evidence: Checking Your Research

• Did you use a variety of sources?
• Do you have documentation ready to prove the validity of your sources?
• Did you use evidence to support an argument? Evidence by itself is not an argument.
• Does your evidence prove what is claimed?
• Did you listen carefully to your opponent's evidence?
• Did you keep your argument brief?
• Did you emphasize key words and phrases?
• Is your evidence accurate?
• Are your facts and statistics recent?

The Burden of Proof

• A variety of sources demonstrate that you are resourceful and have done your homework. This impresses the judges.
• Do not say that you used CNN or Time magazine. Western popular media is not good proof. Try to quote from UN sources, resolutions, treaties, conventions, speeches, recognized documents such as the Declaration of Human Rights, etc.
• If you do quote from a source such as the UN Charter, quote the exact paragraph.
• A good practice is to use a variation of your topic sentence for your concluding sentence.

Effective Public Speaking

As a Model United Nations delegate, you will assume the role of a nation's representative. You will be asked to play that role with as much accuracy as possible on such aspects as political ideology, religious affiliations, demography, economic, social, cultural and geographic realities. That is what is called "being in character".

One very important aspect of participating in a Model UN activity is acquiring effective speaking skills. A good speech is based not only on what you say but also on how you say it:

• Use notes. Writing a lengthy text will make it hard to appear natural.
• Trust yourself that your research and preparation will fill in the gaps.
• Pace yourselves, talk slowly, take the time to breath. Don't worry about pausing in your speech.
• Use body language & facial expressions. Keep your hands out of your pockets and use them.
• Be confident, relax. You are the expert on your position and topic.

Getting the Attention : You are trying to persuade others so you must attend to their feelings and logic. To convince others however, you must first get their attention. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Begin with a quotation: a short quotation, proverb, saying, poem, etc. will often sum up the situation.
• Begin with a startling statement. Make it lead directly to the problem. (if not, "imagine that….")
• Begin with a rhetorical question, something that the audience will know the answer to.
• Begin with a specific example of the problem. Zero in on one concrete aspect and then build from there.
• Be aware of any time limits on your speech, and give yourself time for a strong finish.
• Use the "machine-gun" technique: use rapid-fire examples, piling up the evidence.
• Humour is a dangerous technique in debate, particularly when discussing serious topics.

Maintaining the Attention : Once you sit down with many other delegates, ask yourself: How will you be remembered? Here are a few tips to maintain this attention:

• Demonstrate the extent of the problem. Use examples, statistics, and expert opinion.
• Demonstrate the effects of the problem. How does it affect the people? Use examples and facts.
• Demonstrate the causes of the problem. This might be difficult.
• Demonstrate how the problem affects the others. Be vivid.
• Present your solution or even better, a joint solution from several delegates.
• Try to use visual images as opposed to dry expressions.
• Demonstrate how your solution will: reduce or eliminate the cause(s) of the problem; reduce or eliminate the symptoms; help people; result in advantages; reduce costs; increase efficiency.
  

Diplomacy : Why is diplomacy so important? Without it, countries are unable to negotiate properly. Using your diplomatic skills can greatly influence the outcome of a discussion. You can use it to convince people rather than alienate them. It is important to develop this skill especially since you will be negotiating with many different countries with a variety of goals. The Secretariat and fellow delegates feel very strongly about respect and it is one of the main principles in the United Nations.

• Use formal language when making public speeches.
• Never make statements about the individual behind the ambassador.
• Respect your fellow delegates even if you don't agree with them.
• Never use threats or insults.
• Talk to others as you want them to speak to you.
• Be professional.

Key Concepts in Negotation

Interests : Your interests may be determined by asking why? Their interests - place yourself in their shoes; forget your perception of the facts.

Options : Once you know each side's interests, you can try to develop creative options. These are possible agreements or parts of agreements. Effective diplomats must learn how to expand the pie rather than slice a diminished area.

Standards : A contest of wills degenerates into a conflict of egos. Effective negotiators search for fair and mutually satisfying solutions. Fair standards are useful measuring sticks that will help lead to fair solutions. These include the law, precedent, equal treatment, market value, UN resolutions and such.

Alternatives : The purpose of negotiation is not always to reach an agreement. The purpose of negotiation is to explore whether you can satisfy your interests better through an agreement versus pursuit of your own best alternative to a negotiated agreement. (BATNA) This is a significant issue. The better your BATNA, the more leverage and power you will enjoy.

Proposals : Try to select an option that satisfies your interest, particularly one better than your BATNA.

• Aspirations: countries that begin with realistically high aspirations often enjoy better agreements. Realistic aspirations are bound however, by standards of fairness and the other's BATNA.
• Content with: what agreement, far from perfect, would satisfy my basic interests to make me reasonably content?
• Live with: What agreement would satisfy my interests marginally better than my BATNA?

Techniques From Other MUNers

• Dress appropriately, business attire is in order.
• Remember that is is not your opinion you are expounding but the country you have been assigned to represent.
• Be willing to continuously improve and refine your capabilities.
• Do mock trials with your team members and neighbouring teams.
• Technique matters - so practice it.
• Be aware of different political perspectives - East vs. West, North vs. South.
• Compromise is an art, treat it that way.
• Get hooked on MUN, this will change your life.
• Learn from your experience.
• Mistakes happen - don't worry.
• Hold a debriefing session each evening with your team to discuss things that worked and things that did not. This can also keep the team spirit going after a long day of work, which might seem discouraging at some points.
• The Dias is there to guide you, approach them if you need assistance.
• Keep a record of your feedback and plan for improvment.
• You can never be too prepared.
• Congratulate your team members (and other delegates!) on their contributions to the team and the conference.

For more tips, please refer to the Model UN Tools Section of the Council on World Affairs of Canada at www.cowac.org/textmuntools.html.