Rules of Procedure Resolutions and Voting Prepared by Danny Hirsch 22 November 2015.

Rules of ProcedureResolutions and Voting

Prepared by Danny Hirsch22 November 2015

Resolutions• The final result of discussion during the conference • Written suggestions for action to address the problem • Each resolution has:• Sponsors—Countries that write the resolution; you can only sponsor ONE

resolution draft• Signatories—Countries that want to discuss the resolution; you can be a

signatory on as many drafts as you want• 20% of the committee must be a sponsor or signatory of a resolution draft

before the draft can be submitted to the Chair, who chooses two drafts for debate

Writing Resolution Drafts• Three main parts• Heading• Preamble, or Pre-ambulatory Clauses• Operative Clauses

• Heading• Committee name• Topic• Sponsors• Signatories• Resolution number (assigned only to drafts chosen by the Chair)

Sample Resolution HeadingsResolution GA/3/1.1

General Assembly Third CommitteeSponsors: United States, Austria and ItalySignatories: Greece, Tajikistan, Japan, Canada, Mali, the Netherlands and GabonTopic: “Strengthening UN coordination of humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies”

IMF3/DR1/Debt Forgiveness

Committee: International Monetary FundTopic: Debt ForgivenessSponsors: Denmark, Azerbaijan, AustraliaSignatories: Japan, Austria, Botswana, Cuba, Ecuador, Bosnia-Herzegovina, El Salvador, Bolivia, Belgium, Croatia, Argentina, Algeria, Albania, Afghanistan

Committee: UN Women 1DR# 1Sponsors: Papua New Guinea, Uganda, Mauritania, and Madagascar Signatories: Rwanda, United Arab Emirates, Zimbabwe, Mali, USA

Preamble/Pre-ambulatory Clauses• Pre-ambulatory Clauses describe the context of the topic

• WHY is the topic important? • You can use the clauses to reference previous resolutions, precedents and

statements about the topic• How do you write Pre-ambulatory Clauses?

• One sentence• Clauses begin with gerunds (verbs ending in –ing)

• Affirming• Acknowledging• Reminding

• When you use a new gerund, begin a new line• At the end of a line, use a comma

Sample Pre-Ambulatory ClausesThe General Assembly,

Reminding all nations of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the inherent dignity, equality and inalienable rights of all global citizens,

Reaffirming its Resolution 33/1996 of 25 July 1996, which encourages Governments to work with UN bodies aimed at improving the coordination and effectiveness of humanitarian assistance,

Stressing the fact that the United Nations faces significant financial obstacles and is in need of reform, particularly in the humanitarian realm,

The General Assembly,

Bearing in mind the unemployment affecting countries worldwide and the vacant jobs in numerous countries,

Concerning the difficulties of movement in between countries and the problems of the adaptation of migrants to other countries’ language and political and social structure,

Remembering the importance of youth in every country’s economy,

Operative Clauses • Operative Clauses describe the policies that countries want to implement

• Pre-ambulatory Clauses explain WHY the problem is important• Operative Clauses explain WHAT the countries want to do and HOW the policies

will work (who will implement the policies? who will pay for the policies?)• How do you write Operative Clauses?

• Begin clauses with “soft” words, which are words that suggest actions (“encourages,” “recommends,” “requests”)

• You CANNOT use verbs like “demands,” “requires,” “mandates,” or “condemns” • When you use a new verb, start a new line• At the end of a line, use a semicolon• Put a period at the end of the entire resolution

Sample Operative Clauses1. Encourages the creation of an international fund, financed by the sponsors, signatories and the UN, to support

adaptation programs for migrants;2. Calls upon states to help in the adaptation of these migrants through programs focused on migrants; and3. Stresses the importance of giving economic support to these migrants once in their destination country.

1. Encourages all relevant agencies of the United Nations to collaborate more closely with countries at the grassroots level to enhance the carrying out of relief efforts;

2. Urges member states to comply with the goals of the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs to streamline efforts of humanitarian aid;

3. Requests that all nations develop rapid deployment forces to better enhance the coordination of relief efforts of humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies;

4. Calls for the development of a United Nations Trust Fund that encourages voluntary donations from the private transnational sector to aid in funding the implementation of rapid deployment forces;

5. Stresses the continuing need for impartial and objective information on the political, economic and social situations and events of all countries;

6. Calls upon states to respond quickly and generously to consolidated appeals for humanitarian assistance; and7. Requests the expansion of preventive actions and assurance of post-conflict assistance through reconstruction and

development.

Sample Resolution DraftResolution GA/3/1.1

General Assembly Third CommitteeSponsors: United States, Austria and ItalySignatories: Greece, Tajikistan, Japan, Canada, Mali, the Netherlands and GabonTopic: “Strengthening UN coordination of humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies”

The General Assembly,

Reminding all nations of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the inherent dignity, equality and inalienable rights of all global citizens,

Reaffirming its Resolution 33/1996 of 25 July 1996, which encourages Governments to work with UN bodies aimed at improving the coordination and effectiveness of humanitarian assistance,

Stressing the fact that the United Nations faces significant financial obstacles and is in need of reform, particularly in the humanitarian realm,

1. Encourages all relevant agencies of the United Nations to collaborate more closely with countries at the grassroots level to enhance the carrying out of relief efforts;

2. Urges member states to comply with the goals of the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs to streamline efforts of humanitarian aid;3. Requests that all nations develop rapid deployment forces to better enhance the coordination of relief efforts of humanitarian assistance in complex

emergencies;4. Calls for the development of a United Nations Trust Fund that encourages voluntary donations from the private transnational sector to aid in funding the

implementation of rapid deployment forces;5. Stresses the continuing need for impartial and objective information on the political, economic and social situations and events of all countries;6. Calls upon states to respond quickly and generously to consolidated appeals for humanitarian assistance; and7. Requests the expansion of preventive actions and assurance of post-conflict assistance through reconstruction and development.

Another Sample Resolution DraftIMF3/DR1/Debt Forgiveness

Committee: International Monetary FundTopic: Debt Forgiveness

Sponsors: Denmark, Azerbaijan, AustraliaSignatories: Japan, Austria, Botswana, Cuba, Ecuador, Bosnia-Herzegovina, El Salvador, Bolivia, Belgium, Croatia, Argentina, Algeria, Albania, Afghanistan

The General Assembly,

Noting that some borrower countries cannot pay their loans back but have more raw materials,

Emphasizing that developing and underdeveloped countries are really suffering from the economic impact of debt,

Reaffirming that borrower and lending countries’ economies affect the global market, and that if poor countries have more prosperous economies, they have the potential to improve the conditions of the global market and economy,

1. Considers exchanging the remaining debt with raw materials or energy sources that borrower countries have, such that 75% of the debt will be paid with raw materials and the remaining 25% with money;

2. Encourages borrower countries that do not have raw materials to improve themselves with the help of developed countries in order to attract investors, which will improve their economic situations and reduce their debts;

3. Stresses the importance of starting companies in borrower countries so that the money produced by public companies will be given to lender countries with some commissions until the loan has been paid back; and

4. Recommends that these resolutions be supervised by the IMF to make sure that everything is done legally.

Remember…• Not every country needs to write its own resolution (not every

country needs to be a Sponsor)• Not every country needs to sign a resolution (not every country needs

to be a Signatory)• You can only be a Sponsor on ONE resolution draft!• But, you can be a Signatory on as many drafts as you want• All resolution drafts are submitted to the Honorable Chair, and two

drafts will be chosen for debate

Amendment Procedure• Sponsors read the Operative Clauses of the draft of Resolution #1• Sponsors take five Points of Information• Then, there is a 5-10 minute Moderated Caucus to discuss the resolution draft• Then, there is a 5-10 minute Unmoderated Caucus to write amendments

• Repeat the process for the draft of Resolution #2

Amendments• While debating a resolution draft, you may propose an amendment• Written changes or revisions to resolution drafts

• An amendment can be written by any delegation, not only by the Sponsors of the resolution draft• Friendly Amendments are amendments that all the Sponsors support• No vote is needed, because all the Sponsors support them

• Unfriendly Amendments are amendments that some or none of the Sponsors support• Must be put to a vote, because some or all of the Sponsors disagree with

them

Voting Procedure• After debating the two resolution drafts, you can vote on them• A country must motion to close the debate to start voting• Or, if we get to the end of the Speaker’s List, the committee goes into voting

procedure• “Honorable Chair, (Country Name) motions to end debate on the topic of

[…]”• At least a 2/3 majority is needed to close debate

Voting Process• The Honorable Chair reads resolution #1 and the Delegates vote• Then the Chair reads resolution #2 and the Delegates vote again• Delegates vote on any amendments before voting on the resolution• If the amendment passes, Delegates vote on the resolution with the

amendment included• If the amendment does not pass, Delegates vote on the resolution without

the amendment included

• It is okay for one, both or neither resolution to pass

Motion to Adjourn Debate• After voting, a country must motion to adjourn debate until next

year’s preliminary conference.• “Honorable Chair, (Country Name) motions to adjourn debate until

next year’s Madrid Global Classrooms Preliminary Conference.”• A simple majority vote in favor is required for the motion to pass

• If the motion passes, the debate tournament is over!