Introduction to Model UN

New to Model UN? These pages are built for you. From Q & A’s to PDFs on Parliamentary Procedure, we’ve compiled everything a new delegate should know before stepping into a committee room. Click on the next few pages in the dropdown to learn more.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or need some help, you can email our Michelle Eweka, our Director of Education, at exec@ucmun.com with any questions you have and she’ll have happy to assist you!

  • Model United Nations is a form of international relations debate where students act as diplomats, ambassadors, and heads of state of a nation in committees, conferences, and forums of the United Nations. Delegates research topics, imagine solutions, debate with their fellow delegates, reach compromises, and arrive at resolutions that may solve some of the issues facing the globe today.

  • UCMUN committees are organized into three bodies, or organs: General Assemblies, Economic and Social Councils, and Crisis and Specialized. General Assemblies (GAs) address fundamental issues in a very realistic environment. Some examples are WHO, DISEC, and UNEP. Economic and Social Councils (ECOSOCs) Committees work with economic and social issues. Examples include the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and the International Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

    In Crisis and Specialized Committees, delegates usually represent a person instead of a representative of a country. Both can be historical or focused in the present day. In Crisis Committees, debate is interrupted by “crises” or real-time updates that delegates must react to accordingly. The parliamentary procedure is different than in GAs. In Specialized Committees, delegates abide by rules of GAs but could be introduced to crises, however; these are typically less frequent.

  • Once you know your country assignment, conduct some preliminary research. Some helpful websites are Best Delegate.com, the CIA Factbook, and North America Model UN. (We’ve used NAIMUN to prepare for conferences and they even helped us with our website!) During the conference, you’ll use Parliamentary Procedure to debate, discuss, and communicate with other delegates, so make sure to learn that as well. Those in crisis committees may also use Crisis Parliamentary Procedure that modifies traditional procedures.