MUN Documents + Sample Position Paper

A quick review of what we talked about in class today.

➡Types of documents:

1. Position Paper (PP)

2. Working Paper (WP)

3. Draft Resolution (DR)

4. Amendment (AMD)

➡What to include in a position paper:

Background, past UN actions and policies, country policy and solutions.

➡Working paper:

Not necessarily in DR format. Something to help the committee move forward.

➡Draft Resolution:

Heading

Preambulatory Clause (preams, preambles)

Operative Clause

Here's a sample position paper that is more approachable than the one read in class.

This is written by our very own Head of Academics, Michael Liao, for HSMUN 2016 as the delegate of Czech Republic in the General Assembly Plenary. This document got the best position paper award and this is the original context without any changes made.

Committee: General Assembly Plenary

Topic: United Nations Security Council Reform

Country: Czech Republic

Established after World War II, the core structure of the United Nations and the Security Council are designed based on the situation of the world 70 years ago. Although changes of the Council were adopted, the status quo of its seats of representatives and working methods still reflect the political climate of half a century ago, which undermines the ability of the SC to strengthen its legitimacy and realize its burden to maintain the global peace.

Obviously, states around the world have recognized the issue, and have started to put forth proposals regarding the reform. Since then, numerous draft resolutions were submitted; an open-ended group and intergovernmental negotiations, in which Czech all participated, were convened. In spite of the time and efforts every state put in, no truly helpful implementation and often veiled in high-sounding but empty phrases.

Thus, as a reform-minded country, the Czech Republic calls for an urgent and substantive reform of the UNSC. First of all, Czech fully advocates the expansion in both categories of permanent and non-permanent seats. For the four additional permanent seats, we support Germany and Japan to be granted with two of them because of their steady status of political and economic strength, as well as their preparedness to persevere international peace and security. The other two seats are preserved for a qualified Latin American state as well as an African state, which are both regions of underrepresentation. As for the non-permanent seats, four new seats should be added, with one of them allocated to the Eastern Europe Group.

As to the issue of the veto power, we support the idea of limiting the applied scope of the power by reducing its effect on crises with respect to genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

The reform of the Security Council also includes the improvement of the working method. We deeply believe that, as the heart of the United Nations, the UNSC cannot be treated separately from the rest of the organization. Therefore, we must enhance the connection between the Council and all the non-member states. In other words, the access to all the documents and the consultative process should be given to all the UN members. Transparency to such degree can be achieved by holding briefings regularly.

Conversely, SC members should routinely debrief the non-members on any update of the whole UN system, by doing which can reinforce the inclusiveness of any decision made in the council. Last but not least, concerned and affected member states should be invited to the consultative process (according to Article 31 of the UN Charter), and participation for the troop contributing states should be better granted.

In conclusion, Czech Republic believes that only with these adjustments implemented, can the Security Council fulfils its legitimacy and take on its crucial responsibility of maintaining a peaceful world.