Model UN Dictionary

Conference Roles

Delegate: A student acting as a representative of a member state or observer in a MUN committee.
Directors: The people who is responsible for the smooth and productive running of the committee. They plan out how the conference will be run and decide on impromptu matters.
Head Delegate: The student leader of a university Model UN club or team.
Observer: A state, organisation or NGO that is not a member of the UN but participates in debates. They can vote on procedural matters, but not substantive matters.
Secretariat: Most of the senior staff at a Model UN conference including the leader of the conference, the Secretary-General.

Moderated Caucus: A debate format that allow delegates to make short comments on a specific sub-issue.
Motion: A request made by a delegate that the committee, as a whole, will do something (E.G. move into caucus, adjourn, introduce draft resolutions or move to vote).
Point of Inquiry: Used when a delegate has a question about something that is not clearly understood in committee.
Point of Order: Used when a delegate believes that there was a mistake made regarding the rules of procedure.
Point of Personal Privilege: Used when a delegate experiences personal discomfort that hinders their ability to participate in committee.
Right of Reply: A right to speak in reply to a previous speaker's comment. Invoked when a delegate feels personally insulted by another's speech.
Unmoderated Caucus: Also called informal caucus, is a debate format in which delegates can leave their seats to go and discuss with others freely and informally.
Veto: The ability of the Permanent five (5) members to prevent a draft resolution in the Security Council from passing

Decorum: The order and respect for others that all delegates at a Model UN conference must exhibit. A chair will call from decorum when they feel that the committee is not being respectful of a speaker, of the chair or of other delegates.
Placard: A card with a country's name or a political leader's name on it that a delegate raises in the air to signal to the Chair that they wish to speak.
Present: Means that delegates can vote to choose yes, no or abstain to any resolution, report or amendment.
Present and Voting: When a delegate replies this, they may not abstain on a substantive vote.
Quorum: The minimum amount of delegates needed to be present for a committee to meet. A third is needed to begin a debate and a majority is required to pass a resolution.
Roll Call: Before each session, roll call will be taken. This includes the start of the day and when delegates return from breaks.
Rules of Procedure: The rules by which a Model UN committee is conducted.
Speaker's List: A list that determines the order in which delegates will speak. After the initial list is created, delegates may send notes to the chair to be added.

Amendment: A change to the draft resolution on the floor. There are two types of amendment: friendly, which is supported by sponsors and passed automatically, and unfriendly, which is not sponsor-supported and must be voted on by the committee.
Division of the Resolution: During voting bloc, delegates may motion to vote on certain clauses of the resolution separately, so that only the causes that are passed may become part of the resolution.
Operative Clause: The part of the resolution which describes how the UN will address a problem. It begins with an action clause.
Preambulatory Clause: The part of a resolution that describes previous actions taken on that topic and reasons why the resolution proposed in necessary.
Second: To agree with a motion being proposed. Many motions must have a second.
Signatory: A country that wishes to have a draft resolution put on the floor and signs the draft resolution in order to comply.
Simple Majority: 50% plus one (1) member of the delegates in a committee. Needed to pass most votes.
Sponsor: One of the writers of a draft resolution.
Voting Bloc: The period at the end of a committee session during which delegates vote on proposal amendments and draft resolutions. Nobody may enter and leave during voting bloc.