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United Nations International Model United Nations 2000 Handbook

This handbook is published to assist Representatives in their preparations for the United Nations International Model United Nations (UNIMUN) Conference.  It contains background and details on the Conference, an overview of the topics which will be discussed in each simulation, and the Rules of Procedure for the simulations. When utilized to compliment the participants' research on the nation they represent and the topics of discussion, this handbook provides Representatives with all the information they will require to function effectively at UNIMUN.

The following pages include many of the logistical items which must be taken into account when attending the United Nations International Model United Nations Conference.  These are intended as both a guide to help you in pre-conference preparations and to give you direction at the Conference.  Please feel free to call or write the Secretariat if you have any questions on these or other issues. Representatives are strongly encouraged to read this guide thoroughly.  This handbook contains the following:

 TENTATIVE AGENDA                                                                                                                   3

I. GENERAL CONFERENCE INFORMATION
   Number of Representatives, Conference Fees & Hotel Information                                                     4
   Dress Code                                                                                                                                       5
   Conduct, Badges, Placards, Conference Secretariat & Substantive Briefings                                       6
   The United Nations, Delegate Library, Delegate Services & Registration                                             7
   Simulations                                                                                                                                         8

II. ROLE PLAYING AND PREPARATION
   The Representative, Role Playing & Research and Preparation                                                             9
   The Faculty Advisor & Delegations Which are "Out of Character"                                                      11
   General Sources of Information                                                                                                          12
   Utilizing the Internet                                                                                                                            13

III. RESOLUTIONS
   Draft Resolutions                                                                                                                                14
   How a Resolution is Brought to the Floor & Points to Consider
   In Writing Resolutions                                                                                                                         15
   Submission of Resolutions, Resolution Guidelines & Draft Resolution Format                                       16
   Resolution Introductory Phrases & Sample Resolution                                                                         17

IV. THE UNITED NATIONS
   Origins of the UN, Purpose of the UN & How the UN Seeks to
   Achieve Its Purpose                                                                                                                            18
   Structure of the UN & Bloc Politics                                                                                                     19

V. TOPIC BACKGROUND GUIDES
   Introduction                                                                                                                                         21
   General Assembly                                                                                                                                21
   Economic and Social Council                                                                                                               26
   Security Council                                                                                                                                   31
   Historical Security Council                                                                                                                    38

VI. RULES OF PROCEDURE                                                                                                               44

 GENERAL ASSEMBLY & ECOSOC RULES OF PROCEDURE SHORT FORM                             59

 SECURITY COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE SHORT FORM                                                    60
 

Chapter I. General Conference Information

The following chapter provides Representatives with all of the logistical information needed to attend the UNIMUN Conference. Questions about this information should be directed to the UNIMUN Executive Office at the phone number or e-mail listed on page 2 of this book.

NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES

UNIMUN's goal is to provide an exceptional educational experience to as many people as possible.  For this reason, we have limited delegation size in an effort to keep the number and diversity of delegations as broad as possible.

Representatives will be assigned in one of two ways, either:

 a) as individuals, assigned to a specific country and simulation, or
 b) as a delegation, assigned to all simulations on which a country is represented, or possibly more than one country

Each country may have either one or two delegates representing it for each simulation on which it is seated.

CONFERENCE FEES

UNIMUN uses a per delegate fee structure, as follows:

 Cost per delegate:  $165.00 USD (through May 15)
                               $185.00 USD (after May 15)

 Faculty fee:   $100.00 USD – Fees are waived for faculty bringing more than ten students on a delegation

Please note that this fee must be paid prior to the conference.  UNIMUN confirms receipt of all payments via e-mail; please contact the Executive Office if payment confirmation has not been received.

HOTEL INFORMATION

UNIMUN is pleased to announce that the host hotel for our 2000 Conference is the historic Roosevelt Hotel, located just a few blocks west of the United Nations.  We have negotiated a very low group rate for a Manhattan hotel: hotel rooms will cost $140 per room per night (plus tax*), with up to four people in each room at no extra charge. We hope that these rates will make the Roosevelt a very affordable choice for UNIMUN participants.

* Note: the current tax rate in New York city is 13.25% city and state taxes, plus a $2.00 occupancy tax per room, per night.

The Roosevelt MUST receive your reservations by JUNE 30 to guarantee a room reservation and our preferable rates; after this date, the hotel may make our room block available to the public, and rooms will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

Rooms should be reserved directly by you or your group, and can be made by calling (800) TEDDY-NY. International callers, please call 212-661-9600. Please ask for the Reservations Department, and to insure favorable rates tell them that you are with the "UNIMUN" group. Standard rates for the Roosevelt are over $250 per night, so identifying yourself with our group is an important part of the reservations process.

The Roosevelt Hotel can be contacted at:

Roosevelt Hotel
Madison Avenue at 45th
New York, NY 10017
212-661-9600
212-885-6162 fax

IMPORTANT RESERVATIONS INFORMATION:

For Roosevelt Hotel purposes, a "single" or "double" room consists of one king sized bed. A "triple" or "quad" room consists of two double beds. If you request a roll-away bed for the room, an additional charge of $10 for the third and fourth individuals may be applied by the hotel.

When making reservations, please be sure to provide the hotel with the names of all people who will be staying in each room. If a double, triple or quad room is held with just one name, your hotel check-in time at conference may be significantly increased. After making reservations by phone, we strongly recommend faxing or mailing a confirmation of your room assignments to the hotel.

When making reservations by phone, you will need to provide some form of guarantee on your rooms. Rooms can be held with a credit card, or a one night deposit per room can be sent in advance by check. The total room cost will be due at registration, and may be paid by credit card, check, or cash. It is not necessary to use the same credit card to hold and pay for rooms: many groups  use a credit card to hold the reservation, and then pay by check upon arrival. The hotel also may request a faxed confirmation of your reservations, and you should request a faxed or mailed confirmation from the Roosevelt.

Also, please note that our room rates are available from August 2 through August 18. If your group would like extra time to tour New York and see the many sites, we recommend that you may want to arrive a day early or stay a day after the Conference ends.

When you arrive at the Roosevelt, check-in to your hotel rooms should be completed at the front desk. Conference registration will be held at the Roosevelt the evening of August 9 and the evening of August 10, and at the UN during the day on August 10 (see below for details).

A NOTE ON ROOM SHARING FOR INDIVIDUALS:

If you are an individual attending the conference and would like a roommate, please contact us by e-mail at roomshare@unimun.org or fax the Executive Office. While UNIMUN cannot guarantee nor take responsibility for rooming arrangements, we will provide a list of individuals who would like to share a room in order to cut down on costs.

Please note that UNIMUN will not actively match people in rooms. By sending this e-mail, you simply give UNIMUN the right to provide your name to others requesting roommates, and to provide you with information about other people.  Also, please send an e-mail to the same e-mail address if you find a roommate, so that your name may be taken off of future matching lists. More information on room sharing is available on the UNIMUN web site under the "Hotel" button.

DRESS CODE

Representatives will be expected to dress in standard business attire for all UNIMUN meetings, including the substantive sessions on Thursday and the final business sessions on Sunday.

UNIMUN reserves the right to refuse admittance to the Conference floor to any Representative who is inappropriately attired.

CONDUCT

Representatives are expected to conduct themselves, at all times, in a manner befitting international diplomats.  This means that every courtesy, both in speaking and behavior, should be extended to all Representatives, faculty members and Secretariat members at the Conference.

UNIMUN reserves the right to expel any Representative not acting in a courteous and professional fashion.

BADGES

Name badges act as Representatives' credentials for the Conference.  Each badge will list a Delegate's name, country represented, and the body to which he/she is assigned.  Representatives and faculty members will be required to wear their assigned credentials (badges) at all times while in the Conference area.  It is required that all participants wear their credentials at all times while in the UN. This includes events before or after normal Conference hours.

No one will be admitted to the UN grounds or any Conference area without approved credentials.

PLACARDS

A placard with the name of each delegation will be placed at that delegation's group of seats in each simulation.  These are the property of the UN or UNIMUN; the placard should not be defaced or removed from the room.

CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT

The Secretariat of UNIMUN is made up of college students, graduate students and professionals from a variety of fields and countries.  All of these people are highly experienced in Model UNing, both as Representatives and staff members at other Model UN Conferences.

Staff members serve as the equivalent of the United Nations Secretariat, as well as supervising the activities of the various bodies simulated.  Secretariat members will chair the simulations, and run the Delegate Services and Delegate Library offices. Members of the Secretariat will be able to answer any questions that Representatives or faculty members have about UNIMUN, or direct them to someone who will be able to answer their questions.

The Secretariat will also serve as security personnel at after hours functions in the hotel.  They will insure that noise is kept to the designated areas provided for Representative gatherings, and that Representatives do not become disruptive. They will intervene with the hotel, when possible, in disputes between the Representatives and the hotel. In the interest of an orderly Conference, please follow all directions of Secretariat members in this area.

SUBSTANTIVE BRIEFINGS: THURSDAY, AUGUST 10

In partnership with the Stanley Foundation (Muscatine, IA), UNIMUN is pleased to offer a full day of substantive briefings at the United Nations on Thursday, August 10. These will feature a variety of speakers, with invited panelists including UN Secretariat members, diplomats, and leaders from the NGO community. At present, we envision a two-tier format. This will include two plenary sessions for all participants (one morning and one afternoon) along with two breakout sessions where the individual simulations will hear from speakers who are highly relevant to the topics they will discuss in session the next three days. All participants are strongly encouraged to attend these sessions, which will offer unparalleled access to the people who actually work in the UN environment, and will include the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers as time permits.

THE UNITED NATIONS

UNIMUN is pleased to have the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) as one of the two primary sponsors for this Conference. Our partnership with UNDPI allows us unprecedented access to the UN building and the facilities, including holding all of the UNIMUN simulations in rooms utilized by the actual delegates in the United Nations.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is exceptionally important that all participants realize and bear in mind that we are guests at the UN Headquarters building. The United Nations is not normally opened to college and university groups for meetings. Although UNIMUN participants are students, you will be expected to act with the highest courtesy the entire time you are on UN property and within the building. This includes your dealings with the facilities, with UN staff, with anyone you may meet in the halls of the UN and with other participants and the staff of the Conference.

DELEGATE LIBRARY

UNIMUN's Delegate Library will be available as a resource center for Representatives during the Conference. At the Delegate Library, Representatives can obtain information to supplement their pre-conference research. Numerous documents will be available about the United Nations and the issues being discussed, as well as access to other information on the Internet.  The Delegate Library staff will be available to give competent advice, both general and specific, on many areas. They will not, however, tell a Representative what their country's policy is or how to vote on any given area.

DELEGATE SERVICES

Delegate Services will provide all of the paperwork and logistical material for the UNIMUN Conference.  Services available there will include:

  Resolution final production
  Copying
  Name badge replacement
  Computers will be available to type resolutions at the Conference.

Delegate Services will be the main source of general conference information once the simulations begin. Secretariat members will be available at this location during Conference hours to provide information on the conference, on the hotel, the city of New York, or to provide any other assistance needed. Extra conference handouts will also be available in this location.

REGISTRATION

Conference check-in will be located at the UNIMUN Registration desk. On the evening of August 9, early registration will be held in a hotel meeting room to be posted in the hotel lobby from 8:00 - 10:00 pm. On August 10 registration will be held from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm in the main visitor's lobby of the UN. On August 11, registration will be held from 9:00 am - Noon in the main visitor's lobby. Late registrants should contact the UNIMUN Delegate Services office at the UN, which can be done through the information desk in the visitor's lobby. Delegations should pick up their Conference packets and name badges at the registration desk.*  Check-in to sleeping rooms should be done at the hotel front desk, located in the main lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel.

* All fees must be paid in full before registration can be completed.

SIMULATIONS

UNIMUN will simulate the General Assembly (GA), the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and we feature one non-traditional simulation this year: the Historical Security Council.

The General Assembly (GA) will deal with two issues raised by the Secretary-General for the year 2000 Millennium Assembly of the GA.

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will deal with the two issues on its agenda, focusing on the some of the most important economic and social issues facing the UN today.

The modern day Security Council will be responsible for dealing with international peace and security issues as they stand at the time of the Conference.  A tentative agenda will be given, but Representatives should be prepared to discuss any and all peace and security issues that a member of the Council might bring to the table.

The Historical Security Council will simulate the events occurring in the year 1956. Representatives will follow standard Security Council rules and procedures, but will role play the viewpoint of their delegation as of July 1, 1956.



The UNIMUN Conference Handbook is © Copyright 2000, by American Model United Nations, Inc.(AMUN) Reproduction of any part of these handbooks may be made only by written consent of AMUN. AMUN will be pleased to provide permission to copy this information to any Model United Nations organization or other educational group which is interested in utilizing this material. AMUN asks that groups interested in using this material do the following:

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