Informal Debate or Lobbying in MUN? Economic or Territorial Criteria?
After the opening ceremony, the students go to their committee rooms. They meet other delegates who have worked on the same resolutions. Then begins the lobbying. Each delegate goes to meet the other delegates, he presents his draft resolution, he reads those of the other delegates. Together, they find a way of understanding. For this, the delegates seek consensus, try to retain the best clauses of different resolutions and thus rewrite a new draft resolution together.
Attention ! A delegate has the possibility of associating on several draft resolutions but on a single subject. For this new project to be debated in committee, five signatures are required.
These five delegates can use the computer room made available to them, or their own laptops (lap-tops), it is often faster.
How to debate informally with other delegates?
In order to best answer this question, each delegate must ask himself which countries he is ready to cooperate with. Here are some criteria that can help the delegate:
Economic or territorial criteria. If the delegate represents Cuba, he will not be able to join the United States on issues such as free trade or homosexuality. That would be a very poor representation of his country. On the other hand, if the delegate represents Portugal, Egypt or Cameroon, he must ally himself with other countries which have common interests and which he will find respectively either within the European Union or Arab League or the Organization of African Unity.
Quality criteria. A delegate has every interest in associating with other participants who know the subjects well, they are able to defend their draft resolutions with valid arguments based on precise references.
Is it important to discuss informally with the chair of the committee?
The answer is yes. Because the presidency directs the commission. It is responsible for verifying the content of draft resolutions. It can thus correct misinterpretations or errors. In addition, it is she who gives the floor during formal debates. It is important that the delegate who wants to defend his resolution goes to make himself known to her.
When the draft resolution has been rewritten, a member of the group appears before the Proofreading Committee which checks the draft (spelling, written expression), the number of signatories. If the Committee agrees, the draft is then photocopied in 3 copies: – one for the delegate who is primarily responsible for the draft resolution, one for the chairman of the committee, one for the secretariat.
