Introduction to: Resolutions

Abstract

The goal of any committee during MUN conferences is to not only debate upon a specific global issue, but to also come together, as a whole, and establish a common set of solutions, fit for the issue at hand. These solutions are to make up an official document, which is called a draft resolution, but it is more often referred to as a resolution. Even though it represents an integral part of the MUN experience, more often than not inexperienced delegates are stumped by the concept of a resolution and what it should actually contain. This article aims to clarify the most asked questions about resolutions and to provide some insight into the writing of an effective resolution.

What is a resolution made up of?

As it is a formal document, a resolution needs to respect a certain format. A resolution is split into two different sections: preambulatory and operative clauses, respectively. Such terms can sound quite bewildering to one who has not heard of them before, however, they define quite simple concepts.

The preambulatory clauses, which are meant to precede the operative clauses, represent the basis from which the set of solutions has been derived. They can include past actions that have been taken in regards to the topic at hand and an outline of the current situation and main issues that the solutions you will present wish to address. As such statements need to be expressed in a formal manner, preambulatory clauses have to be formed using certain special phrases, such as: affirming, deeply concerned, guided by, taking note etc.

The operative clauses, on the other hand, represent the main body of your resolution. They form the actual solutions that the committee has decided upon and they generally need to be quite specific, hence having to state a pathway to implementation and clearly address one of the main issues of the debated topic. Moreover, it is very important to also keep in mind that solutions are different from committee to committee; one needs to be mindful of the fact that, when they are in the ECOFIN committee, they are tasked with finding solutions to the economical part of the issue at hand, whereas, if they were in the Security Council, they would need to have a more hands-on attitude by tackling the military and security matters. As with preambulatory clauses, operative clauses need as well to start with another set of phrases, such as: calls upon, encourages, recommends, suggests etc.

Moreover, a resolution must also state, in the beginning, the main delegates who have contributed to it: the main sponsor is generally the delegate who has most contributed to the writing of the resolution and whose country stance aligns most with the one presented in the resolution; the co-sponsors are the delegates who have also contributed vastly to the resolution, but have either not had such a great contribution as the main sponsor or their country stance is not fully on point with the resolution. There are also signatories, who are delegates who simply wish to debate upon the resolution, but do not necessarily have to agree with its contents. It is important to note, however, that the definitions for the main sponsors and co-sponsors are not set in stone, as there can be times when they do not apply to real-world situations, such as, for example, when having the main sponsor be a P5 country aiding the chances of a resolution passing, even though that delegate has not been the one to write most of it.

What happens to a resolution?

When a resolution has been completed and checked and approved by both the chairpersons and the Secretariat members, it can then be introduced to the committee, in order for it to be debated upon. Most of the time, the delegates of the committee will form two blocks, in order to respect their country policies, hence, the committee will produce two resolutions that are to be debated after. The process of debating a resolution is quite complex, however, it is not as complicated as one may gather: when the resolution is first presented to the committee, its main sponsor will read out the operative clauses and they will later entertain a speech in favour of the resolution, followed by a Q&A session, in which the other delegates can address questions pertaining to the matters of the resolution.

After the Q&A session is concluded, the chairpersons will allow for a limited time, dedicated to writing amendments to a resolution. An amendment is a proposal for a modification in the resolution, whether it is to add, change or eliminate a certain clause. After the time for submitting amendments has elapsed, the amendments are going to be debated upon in the committee. The main sponsor of the resolution has the option to deem amendments friendly, which means that they will be automatically adopted into the resolution, or unfriendly, which means that the committee will entertain one speech in favour and one speech against and will then vote on the matter of adopting the amendment.

When all amendments have been debated upon, the delegates will have the chance to entertain two more speeches in favour of the resolution and two against, before finally moving into voting procedure, which deems whether the resolution will be passed by the committee or not.

Conclusions

The resolutions may be indeed one of the most important parts of MUN conferences, as they can elaborate on the work that has been conducted by the committee over the course of the conference days, however, what is most important to keep in mind is the process through which they are formed: collaboration and compromise, values that any MUN delegate should cherish, as they are the key to finding the best solutions.