Research

Learn about the United Nations.

It is important for delegates to learn how the organ/agency in which they are participating operates, and to know and be familiar with relevant aspects: the U.N. Charter, recent U.N. actions on the issue, conferences that have been held, statements by U.N. officials, etc. Check the FCMUN UN page for UN information, along with the United Nations home and this excellent tour of the UN from the UN Cyberschoolbus. AMUN's outline (pdf) is also worthwhile.

Familiarize yourself with your country.

Become familiar with the your country's history, culture, political structure, and current political affairs.

CIA World Factbook
US Country Studies
UN Member States (Missions to the UN)
Mission & Foreign Ministry Websites (from NHSMUN)
Library of Congress Country Studies
Yahoo! Country Directory
Lonely Planet
Pitt Guide to Government Info
U.S. Dept. of State Background Notes

Also, check news and media sources such as CNN, OneWorld, and UN-based sources (UNWire and UN News.) Try MUNUC's List of Suggested News Sources and NHSMUN's Media & News Websites for more links.

Research the given topic.

Use conference background materials, if available--often the Chair of your committee will provide background research papers. Delegates should further research the general information on the topic, the country's position about the topic, actions taken to combat the problem, stances of other countries, blocs, etc. Review speeches by your country's UN representatives, policy statements from political leaders, sponsored resolution texts, and voting patterns--know your opposition and your allies on the issues. Be familiar with current statistical data on your issue.

UN Press Releases
Core UN Treaties
Important Documents
United Nations Bibliographic Information System
NationMaster Statistics

The best way to obtain information about a nation's foreign policy is to write to the nation's U.N. Mission in New York and/or its embassy in Washington D.C. Tell them that you are representing their nation at a Model U.N. Conference (give the date) and want to represent them accurately. Be explicit about the issues you will be debating, and ask them specifically for a copy of their speech at the opening of the last General Assembly session. (This is a general policy statement which covers most pressing world issues, and can be very helpful.) If a couple of weeks go by and you have not received a package, call them on the telephone.

You may obtain addresses and phone and Fax numbers of the U.N. Missions and Embassies from a library or perhaps online. If you have tried all these options, and still have not been able to find the information you need, you may want to make use of two excellent sources. Telephone the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C. (202-647-4000) and ask to speak to the "Desk Officer" for country or nation. These officers are responsible for being well informed about certain nations or world regions (Eastern Europe, Central America, etc.) and they can sometimes be extremely helpful in providing the kind of information you need. Be very well prepared before you call them, however, and have a list of specific questions in front of you. Let them know that you have already exhausted all other means of obtaining information on the nation...no one likes lazy students.

Formulate a Country Position

Depending on the conference, the "public" position papers of all Member States may be available. However, even if a position paper is not an official requirement, this method of concisely clarifying the position of your country on the issues is an excellent way to prepare. How does your country propose to confront the issue at hand? Refer to the position paper links for questions that may help to guide your conclusive analysis and synthesis.

Position Papers

Position papers help to guide your preparation and research for a MUN conference. It is also exceedingly useful to have a written summary of your position while participating in committee. These papers, which might be called “white papers” in the international community, are a broad-based statement of your country’s policies on a specific issue. (Yes, that means you should write one per topic.)

Position Paper Format and Sample (.doc)
A Guide to Organizing Your Research from COWAC

Review the rules and protocol for your conference...(more at Conference Preparation.)

Club News

Research