Delegate Preparation

The most prepared delegates will be the most successful delegates. In order to create engaging and realistic debate in your committees, you must first thoroughly research your country’s policies and each committee topic.

To encourage research and critical thinking, we ask all delegates to submit position papers to committee chairs at the start of the conference. Position papers are a great opportunity for you to organize and present your policies and recommendations for each committee topic. For more information on position papers, please refer to the Position Paper Guide. All position papers will be read by our staff, and will have an impact on assessing individual delegate performances.

To facilitate debate and ensure that each delegate receives a fair opportunity to participate in committee, DUMUNC has specific and standardized Parliamentary Procedures. With the exception of some small committees (as detailed in their background guides), all DUMUNC committees will adhere to these standard Parliamentary Procedures. The Procedures can be found on the left, and we encourage all delegates to attend our Parliamentary Procedures workshop on Thursday evening. Please note that chairs reserve the right to modify procedures based on the level and flow of debate.

The final product of hours of debate and negotiation in your committee will most likely take the form of resolutions. Resolutions are written suggestions for addressing a specific problem or issue. They are drafted by delegates and voted on by the committee. For more information on resolutions, please refer to our Resolution Guide. Special committees like the Security Council may be able to go beyond suggestions and recommendations in their resolutions. Likewise, cabinet-style committees may follow a different resolution format altogether. If you are in one of these committees, please research your committee’s jurisdiction and authority; it is critical that your resolutions reflect realistic solutions to situations.

We hope the above information will guide you in your preparation for DUMUNC. For more information on research and preparation, please visit individual committee sites. There, you will find committee-specific rules and guides. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your committee chairs. Good luck – we look forward to meeting you at DUMUNC!