Delegate Preparation Guide PDF Print E-mail

 

 
 
 
The Purpose of Debate
The Malaysian Model United Nations (MYMUN) conference has the same goals as the real United Nations (UN). Throughout the conference, delegates represent different countries of the world to find solutions to the most critical global issues. The purpose of the debate is to come up with practical solutions to an issue while maintaining your country’s policy, through constructive and cooperative debate.

 

 
The Procedure of Debate
Like any other meeting of a large number of people, there need to be rules so that everything can run smoothly and everyone has a chance to speak and participate. The people that are in charge of moderating the debate are the Chairs. It is important that delegates follow their instructions; they are there to help you. MYMUN mostly follows the same rules, and procedures, as The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN), the largest Model United Nations conference in the world. Key points of these procedures are outlined below, but don't worry, your Chairs will explain everything in greater detail when you get here.

 
Types of Debate

• Open Debate: Open debate means that delegates may take the floor to speak for or against the resolution. Open debate is conducted when debating on a resolution as a whole; amendments can be submitted at any time
• Closed Debate: Chair sets a separate for and against debate time. Closed debates are conducted when debating on an amendment

  
Duties of each delegate
• Speakers need to address each other in the Third Person at all times; they should always address each other as “honorable speaker” or “fellow delegates,” but never “you” or “I”
• Delegates should stand when speaking; if asking a question, the delegate should remain standing until the speaker has finished answering the delegate’s question
• Delegates must not use insulting or abusive language
• Delegates must yield the floor when asked to do so by the Chair

 
Points
During debates a delegate may not interrupt a speaker except for a Point of Personal Privilege of Audibility, which refers to the volume of the speaker. All other points will be dealt with only when there is a pause in the debate, i.e. when the speaker having the floor yields to points of information, to another delegate or to the Chair.

 
I. Point of Personal Privilege:
• Refers to the comfort and well-being of the delegate
• May only interrupt the speaker if it refers to audibility
• May not refer to the content of a speech
• Is not debatable
• Does not require a second
• Example: “Point of Personal Privilege. Could the air conditioner please be switched on?”

 
II. Point of Order:
• Refers to procedural matters only, i.e. if the Chair makes an error in the order of debate or in the setting/observing of debate time
• May not interrupt a speaker
• Is not debatable
• Can only refer to something that just happened
• Example: “Is it in order for the delegate to yield the floor to another delegate since the floor was previously yielded to him by Saudi Arabia?”

 
III. Point of Information to the Speaker:
• Is a question directed to the delegate having the floor, if he/she has indicated that he/she is willing to yield to Points of Information from the house
• Has to be recognized by the Chair
• Must be formulated in the form of a question; short introductory statements may precede the question
• Has to be one question at a time
• Follow-ups are at the Chair’s discretion, and shoul relate to the answer given by the delegate answering the Point of Information.

 
IV: Point of Information to the Chair
• Is a question directed to the Chair
• May not interrupt the speaker
• Refers to many different aspects, from issues to personal priorities
• Example: “At what time do we adjourn for lunch?” or “Could the Chair inform the house whether Western Sahara is a sovereign state?”

 
V. Point of Parliamentary Inquiry
• Is a Point of Information to the Chair concerning parliamentary procedure
• May not interrupt the speaker
• Example: “Could the Chair please explain to the house what is meant by closed debate?”

 
VI. Order of the Day
• Is a call by a delegate to return to the main agenda of the forum
• May be called if someone feels that the debate has drifted away from the original agenda of the forum

 
Motions

I. “Motion to Move into Previous Question”
• Previously known as Motion to Move Directly into Voting Procedures
• Is a motion to proceed to the closure of debate and move to the voting procedure
• May not interrupt the speaker
• Requires at least one “second” from the house and can be stopped by at least one “objection” from the house
• May be overruled by the Chair

 
II. Motion to Extend the Debate Time
• Is a motion to grant more debate time for a specific agenda of the forum
• May not interrupt the speaker
• Requires at least one “second” from the house and can be stopped by at least one “objection” from the house
• May be overruled by the Chair

 
Yielding the Floor
• The speaker may either yield the floor to the Chair or to another delegate; however, if the floor has been yielded to the speaker by another delegate, then the speaker has to yield the floor to the Chair – i.e. the floor may be yielded by one delegate to another only once consecutively
• Examples: “The delegate yields the floor to the chair.” or “The delegate of Columbia yields the floor to the delegate of France”

 
Amendments
• Delegates who wish to submit an amendment must submit it to the Chair on the official amendment paper
• When the Chair recognizes the delegate, he/she will then take the floor to submit the amendment
• The debates for amendments are conducted in the close debate format
• There are no “friendly amendments" at MYMUN (amendments which do not have to go through debating and voting procedures). Every amendment needs to be debated and voted by the house
• Only one amendment per amendment sheet is in order

 
Amendment to the Second Degree
• Amendments to the second degree (amendments to the amendments) should be submitted in the time against the original amendment.
• If an amendment to the second degree fails, the house will resume debate on the original amendment.
• An amendment to the third degree is out of order.

 
Voting
• Delegates may vote in favor, against or abstain for both amendments and resolutions.
• Delegates voting on procedural motions may only vote in favor or against.
• During voting procedures only Points of Order are allowed; the house needs to maintain silence.
• Note passing is suspended during voting procedures.
• Resolutions and amendments will pass if the number of in favor votes exceeds the number against votes regardless of the number of abstentions; i.e. abstentions do not count either for or against the adoption of resolutions.
• Resolutions and amendments with tied votes fail.