Parliamentary Procedure

Parliamentary Procedure

Parliamentary Procedure (known as Parli Pro) is the procedure followed by delegates during committee sessions.

For crisis-specific parliamentary procedures, in addition to the following rules below, delegates should read the Crisis Parliamentary Procedure page. Click here a full list of parliamentary procedure and here for Voting Procedure.

1. Roll Call

Be on time for roll call, which is taken at the start of EACH committee session. If you’re late, send a note to the dais to let them know of your presence, since it affects voting calculations.

MAY VOTE:

1. “Present.”

2. “Present and voting” (By voting “present and voting,” a delegation may not abstain in any subsequent votes but can only vote yes or no.)

2. Setting The Agenda

OPENING THE SPEAKER’S LIST

• Requires a motion and a majority vote.

• A primary Speaker’s List may be opened at the Chair’s discretion.

• SAY: “Motion to open the Speaker’s List for the purpose of setting the agenda.”

SETTING THE SPEAKING TIME

• Speaker’s List time runs from one to two minutes.

• Requires two speakers for and two against with a 30-second speaking time.

• Requires a simple majority to pass.

• SAY: “Motion to set the speaking time at 90 seconds.”

SETTING THE TOPIC

• Motion to set the agenda.

• Simple majority to pass.

• Requires one speaker for and one against.

• SAY: “Motion to set the agenda to Topic One, Maritime Piracy in the Straits of Malacca” (If the motion fails, Topic Two will be discussed first.)

THE SPEAKER’S LIST

• Once the Speaker’s List is open, debate begins.

• Ex: SPEAKER’S LIST – Jordan, Afghanistan, China, Honduras, Kenya, Germany, Argentina, Romania, United States.

• The Speaker’s List is a perpetuating document – send a note to the Dais to be added!

3. Yields

A yield is a way to handle remaining speaking time (Ex. the speaking time is one minute, but the delegate only speaks for thirty seconds). Yields can only be made when delegates are called from the Speaker’s List, and must be specified before a delegate begins speaking. If the delegate fails to specify a yield, the yield is defaulted to the Chair (See A).

A. “I YIELD MY TIME TO THE CHAIR.”

• Remaining time is unused

B. “I YIELD MY TIME TO QUESTIONS."

• Chair will call on a delegate to ask the speaker a question.

• Speaker can only respond for the amount of time unused.

• No back-and-forth dialogue between delegates!

C. “I YIELD MY TIME TO [INSERT COUNTRY’S NAME HERE].”

• If a delegate (Oman) yields the remainder of their time to another country (Yemen), that country must accept the yield.

• The country yielded to (Yemen) cannot make another yield (NO DOUBLE YIELDS).

4. Points

Points give delegates a voice about administrative matters not related to the substance of the committee.

POINT OF ORDER

• Tool to point out a discrepancy in parliamentary procedure or another delegate’s actions.

• May interrupt a speaker.

• Ex. “Point of Order? The delegate is discussing resolution 3, but only 1 and 2 have been presented.”

POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE

• Tool to express personal discomfort that interferes with his/her ability to participate in debate; the Chair will work to alleviate the situation.

• May not interrupt a speaker.

• Ex. “Point of Personal Privilege? Can the Dais please speak up? We can’t hear the Chair in the back.”

POINT OF PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY

• Tool to ask the Dais to clarify a motion made, a vote up for consideration, or any other step of parliamentary procedure.

• May not interrupt a speaker.

• Ex. “Point of Inquiry? Are we voting on Resolution 1.2 or 1.4?”

5. Caucusing

MODERATED CAUCUS

• The moderated caucus allows countries that are low on the Speaker’s List to have the opportunity to speak by temporarily suspending the Speaker’s List and allowing the chair to call on countries at their discretion.

• The delegate who proposed the caucus should specify the topic of discussion, specify the duration (not to exceed 20 minutes), and speaking time per delegate.

• To signal your desire to speak, simply raise your placard.

• Delegates should remain in their seats during a moderated caucus and maintain decorum, as during formal debate.

• SAY: “Motion for a ten-minute moderated caucus with 30-second speaking times [for the purpose of discussing __________________].”

UNMODERATED CAUCUS

• A motion for an unmoderated caucus, which requires a majority to pass, allows the suspension of the rules and of formal debate.

• Delegates may leave their seats and discuss topics freely.

• The delegate making the motion must specify a total time for the proposed caucus, not to exceed 20 minutes.

• The Chair reserves the right to rule such a motion out of order.

• This is an ideal time to draft resolutions and develop relationships with fellow countries.

• SAY: “Motion for a ten-minute unmoderated caucus.”

6. Resolutions And Amendments

RESOLUTIONS

• Purpose: creating innovating solutions to the topics discussed in debate.

• Each delegation can sponsor or sign as many resolutions as they wish.

• Sponsors are countries who agree with the content of the resolution or draft and intend to support it.

• Signatories are countries who would like to see the draft debated but do not necessarily support all the elements of the resolution.

• A signatory of a resolution does not have to vote in favor of the resolution.

• Require 20% +1 of the committee to sign on to a resolution either as a sponsor or as a signatory.

• Each resolution requires at least 2 sponsors.

• Both resolutions and amendments alike require a simple majority to pass.

FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS

• Approved by all sponsors of the resolution.

• Automatically added without a vote as soon as they are submitted to the Dais.

UNFRIENDLY AMENDMENTS

• 12.5% +1 of the committee as sponsors/signatories before being presented to the Chair.

• Require two speakers for and two speakers against and a majority vote before being added to the draft resolution.

SUBMITTING A RESOLUTION

• Considered a “working paper” until submitted to the Dais.

• Considered a “draft resolution” until presented to the committee.

• Draft resolutions are presented to the committee in the order they were submitted.

• Draft resolutions are named based on the topics being discussed (eg. resolution 1.1 would be the first resolution submitted for topic 1).

PRESENTING A RESOLUTION

• Suspension of the rules at Chair’s discretion.

• All the sponsors read the resolution to the committee, after which a five minute Q&A is held.

Q&A

• Non-substantive questions are used to question and correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, or to clarify (without changing) any part of a draft resolution.

• Substantive questions wish to question the meaning and intentions of the draft resolution.

7. Voting

STRAW POLL

• A non-binding poll vote on a draft resolution or resolution, that allows delegates to get a feel for the popularity of an issue.

MOVING INTO VOTING PROCEDURE

• Requires two speakers for and two against and 2/3 in favor to pass.

• Once the body has voted affirmatively to close debate, the committee immediately moves into voting procedure.

• SAY: “Motion to close debate.”

VOTING PROCEDURE – NO ONE MAY ENTER OR LEAVE THE ROOM DURING THE ENTIRETY OF VOTING PROCEDURE.

• Each resolution is voted on in the order that it was presented (Resolution 1.1, 1.2, etc.).

• Voting on unfriendly amendments occurs before voting on the resolution as a whole.

• Each resolution is passed by a simple majority.

• May vote yes, no, yes with rights, no with rights, abstain.

• Voting with rights means that a delegation is voting contrary to its expected vote based on its declared foreign policy. Delegations voting with rights may give a speech at the conclusion of voting giving their reasoning for such a vote. You should vote according to your country’s policy.

MOTIONS SPECIFIC TO VOTING

• “Motion for a roll call vote."

• “Motion to reorder the resolutions.”

• “Motion to divide the question.”
  
  This list was compiled in help with the North American Invitational Model UN conference.