Model UN Rules of Procedure

Model UN conferences adopt rules of procedure to help maintain order and get through
their lengthy agendas. A few conferences adapt their rules of procedure directly from the
United Nations rules while most use variations of the Roberts Rules of Order.
Before going to a conference, make sure you know the basic rules.

Model UN delegates, just like international delegates to the UN, participate in formal
debate as well as informal debate, or caucusing.

During formal debate, the staff maintains a speakers list and delegates speak in the order
they are listed, answer questions, and introduce and debate resolutions and amendments.

During a caucus the rules of procedure are suspended. To go to a moderated caucus, a

delegate makes a motion to suspend debate and the committee votes. A moderated caucus
is a mixture of both formal and informal debate. Anyone may speak if they raise their
placard and are called on by the Chair.

In an unmoderated caucus, delegates meet informally with one another and the committee
staff to discuss and negotiate draft resolutions, amendments and other issues.

1. Administrative

1.1 The Secretariat. The Secretariat consists of the volunteer staff members of the
George Mason University Model United Nations (GMUMUN).

1.2 Credentials.

The Secretariat has sole authority to decide all questions concerning credentials,
Representatives must wear approved credentials at all times while on the conference
premises.
1.3 Quorum/Majority. A quorum will be one-fourth of the member delegations in
attendance at the conference,

A quorum must be present at all times during Committee and Council sessions,
A simple majority is required for a substantive question to be put to vote,
Questions concerning quorum or majority should be directed to the Chair,
It is the responsibility of the Chair to ensure that a quorum is present at all times.
1.4 Committee and Council Officers. The Secretariat of the GMUMUN shall select
persons to serve as Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Rapporteur for each Committee
and Council, and shall select any other persons necessary to help conduct the sessions of
GMUMUN.

1.5 General Authority of the Chairperson. In addition to exercising such authority

conferred upon the Chair elsewhere in these rules, the Chair shall;

Declare the opening and closing of each session,

Ensure the observance of the rules,
Direct the discussions of the Committee or Council, and accord the right to speak,
Advise the Committee or Council on methods of procedure that will enable the body to
accomplish its goals,
Rule on Points of Order and Procedure, and subject to these rules, shall have complete
control of the proceedings of the Committee or Council and the maintenance of
order at its meetings, During the course of the session, the Chair may propose;
Limits on Debate, Closure of Debate, and Suspension and Adjournment of the
Meeting, The Chairperson is under the direct authority of the Rules Committee.
During an absence of an assigned Chairperson the Vice Chairperson will perform
his or her duties with the same authority. At no time will the Chair be accorded
the right to vote.
1.6 Number of Accredited Representatives. Each delegation is allowed two
representatives per Committee/Council on which it is a member.

1.7 Selection of Agenda Items. The agenda shall be set by the Secretariat prior to the
start of the conference.

1.8 Observer Status. Those delegations recognized as having Observer Status by

GMUMUN shall be accorded all rights in the Committee or Council except for the
following:

They may not vote on any substantive questions,

They may not make or second or vote on the following motions:
Adjournment of the Meeting (rule 7.2)
Adjournment of Debate (rule 7.3)
Closure of Debate (rule 7.4)
2. General Rules

2.1 Statements by the Secretariat. The Secretary General or any member of the
Secretariat may make verbal or written statements to a Committee or Council at any time
during the conference.

2.2 Diplomatic Courtesy. Representatives must accord diplomatic courtesy to all other
Representatives and Secretariat members at all times,

Representatives who persist in obvious attempts to disrupt the session shall be subject
to expulsion their Committee or Council by the Chair,
The Secretariat reserves the right to expel any Representative or delegation from the
conference,
Decisions of the Chair on diplomatic courtesy are not appealable.
2.3 Speeches. No delegation may address the Committee or Council without obtaining
the permission of the Chair,

Delegations are called upon in the order in which they signify their desire to speak or
the order on the speakers’ list,
Delegations, not Representatives, are recognized to speak; more than one
Representative assigned to that one Committee or Counsel from the same
delegation may speak when the delegation is recognized,
Speakers must keep their remarks germane to the subject under discussion,
A time limit may be established for speeches to be determined at the same time a
Speakers’ List is created. (rule 7.9),
Speakers are allowed to yield to the floor, to questions, and t o other delegations;
Representatives, at the conclusion of a substantive speech, will be allowed, if they
yield their time, to answer questions concerning their speech,
A delegation that desires to ask a question should signify by raising a Point of Inquiry
(rule 6.3),
All questions and replies are directed through the Chair,
A speaker who desires to make a motion may do so after his or her speech or
questioning, but prior to yielding the floor,
 By making a motion, the speaker yields the floor,
Motions may not be made from: Points of Order (rule 6.1), Information (rule 6.2),
Inquiry (rule 6.3), or from any procedural speeches.
If a delegate does not yield at the conclusion of his or her remarks, it is assumed that
they yield to the floor.
2.4 Recognition of Speakers. Delegations wishing to speak on an item before the body
will signify by raising their placards,

A motion to open the Speakers’ List will be entertained at the start of debate on a topic
and requires a second. There will be one Speakers’ List per topic, and once the
Speakers’ List has been exhausted, debate shall close on the topic and the body
will move into voting procedure. A motion to close the Speakers’ List will be
entertained at the Chair’s discretion. This motion requires a second and is
debatable by up to two speakers against the motion. It requires a majority vote to
pass.
2.5 Right of Reply. The Chair may accord a Right of Reply to any Representative if a
speech by another Representative contains unusual or extraordinary language clearly
insulting to personal or national dignity,

Requests for a Right of Reply shall be made in writing to the Chair,

The request shall contain the specific language found to be insulting to personal or
national dignity,
The Chair’s decision is not subject to appeal,
There shall be no reply to a reply,
The Chair may limit the time allowed for a reply.
2.6 Withdrawal of Motions. A motion may be withdrawn by its proposer at any time
before voting on it has begun, provided the motion has not been amended,

Seconds to a motion may also be withdrawn; if a withdrawn sponsorship or second

brings the proposal below the required number the motion is withdrawn,
A withdrawn motion, sponsorship, or second may be reintroduced, either verbally or in
writing, by any other delegation.
2.7 Dilatory Motions. The Chair may rule out of order any motion repeating or closely
approximating a recent, previous motion on which the Committee or Council has already
rendered an opinion,

This ruling is not subject to appeal.

2.8 Rule Priority and Procedure. The rules contained in this document are the official
rules of procedure of the GMUMUN and will be used for all Committee and Council
sessions,

2.9 Precedence of Rules. Proceedings in the Committee, Council, and General Assembly
sessions of GMUMUN shall be conducted under the following precedence of rules;

GMUMUN Rules of Procedure,

GMUMUN GA Precedence Short Form,
Rulings by the Committee Chair,
Rulings by the Secretary General.
2.10 The Order of Precedence of Procedural Motions. The order of precedence of
procedural motions is listed, in order of priority in both the GA and Security Council.
Precedence Short Form and in these rules under Section 7. These motions, in the order
given, have precedence over all other proposals or motions before a Committee, Council,
or the General Assembly.

3. Draft Resolutions and Amendments

3.1 Definition of a Draft Resolution. A draft resolution is a proposal consisting of at

least one preambular and one operative clause.

3.2 Draft Resolutions.

For a draft resolution to be considered for debate, it must have a minimum of twenty-
five percent of the delegations in attendance listed as sponsors or signatories,
Draft resolutions should be brought to and signed by the Chair or Vice Chair for
acknowledgement upon receipt of the required amount of signatures,
After acceptance by the Chair or Vice Chair, draft resolutions shall be processed in the
order in which they are received and distributed to all delegations as soon as
 feasible,
The Chair shall announce draft resolutions which are available for discussion on the
floor as they are ready for distribution,
Once a draft resolution is on the floor for debate, additional sponsors may only be
added to that draft resolution with the consent of the original sponsors,
See also 7.14.
3.3 Definition of an Amendment. An amendment is a motion that adds to, deletes from,
or revises any part of a draft resolution. An amendment cannot change the nature of a
draft resolution.

3.4 Amendments. All amendments must either be agreed upon by all sponsors of the
resolution, making it a friendly amendment. It must have fifteen percent of the
delegations in attendance listed as sponsors or signatories and not all of the sponsors of
the draft resolution agree to the amendment, making it an unfriendly amendment.

An amendment is submitted on an official amendment form to the Committee or

Council Chair or Vice Chair for approval. Amendments will be approved if they
are legible, organized in content and flow, and in the proper format,
The Chair shall announce the amendments that are available for debate.
Typographical errors will be corrected by the Chair and announced to the body,
One or more amendments may be considered on the floor at any given time,
See also 7.4 and 7.11.
A friendly amendment automatically becomes part of a draft resolution upon receipt
by the Chair,
The Chair shall announce the acceptance of a friendly amendment on the first
opportunity at which no speaker has the floor.
4. Voting

4.1 Voting Rights. Each member delegation shall have one vote in each Committee or
Council on which it is represented,

No Representative or delegation may cast a vote on behalf of another country.

4.2 Simple Majority. Unless otherwise specified in these rules, decisions in Committees
and Councils shall be made by a majority vote of those nations present and voting. If
there is an equal division between yes and no votes, the motion fails,

The phrase “present and voting” refers to members casting affirmative or negative
votes. Members that cast a final abstention are not voting,
All Security Council votes must have a minimum of nine affirmative votes for passage.
4.4 Method of Voting. Committees and Councils shall normally vote by a show of raised
placards. The Chair will grant a request by a delegation for a roll-call vote on any
substantive matter.

Roll-call votes, when applicable, shall be called in English alphabetical order

beginning with a nation selected at random by the Chair or Vice Chair.
Representatives shall reply “yes,” “no,” “abstain,” or “abstain from the order of
voting”.
A nation may abstain from the order of voting once during a roll- call; a second
abstention from the order of voting will be recorded as an abstention.
4.5 Conduct During Voting. Immediately prior to a vote, the Chair shall describe to the
Committee or Council the item to be voted on, and shall explain the consequences of a
“yes” or “no” vote. Voting shall begin upon the Chair’s declaration “we are in voting
procedure,” and end when the results of the vote are announced,

Once in voting procedure, no Representative shall interrupt the voting except on a

Point of Order or Information concerning the actual conduct of the vote,
Following Closure of Debate, and prior to entering voting procedure, the Chair shall
pause briefly to allow delegations the opportunity to make any relevant motions,
Relevant motions prior to a vote include: Suspension of the meeting (7.1),
Adjournment of the Meeting (7.2), Decision of No Action (7.5), Decision
of Competence (7.7), Division of the Question (7.10), Important Question
(7.13), or Adoption by Consensus (5.3).
4.6 Changes of Votes. At the end of roll-call, but before rights of explanation and the
subsequent announcement of the vote, the Chair or Vice Chair will ask for any vote
changes. Any delegation that desires to change its recorded vote may do so at that time.

4.7 Rights of Explanation. Rights of explanation shall be granted when a country votes
in a matter not consistent with their foreign policy and are permitted on all substantive
votes after voting. Rights of explanation may be limited in time by the Chair.

5. Points of Procedure in Order of Priority

5.1 Point of Order. During the discussion of any matter, a Representative may rise to a
Point of Order if he or she believes that the Committee or Council is proceeding in a
manner contrary to these rules,

The Representative will be immediately recognized by the Chair, and the point will be
ruled on,
If a Representative’s ability to participate in Committee or Council deliberations is
impaired for any reason, the Representative may rise to a Point of Order,
A Point of Order is the only point that may interrupt a speaker.
5.2 Point of Information. A Point of Information is raised to the Chair if a
Representative wishes to obtain a clarification of procedure or a statement of the matters
before the Committee or Council,

Representatives may not interrupt a speaker on a Point of Information.

5.3 Point of Inquiry. During substantive debate, a Representative may question a
speaker by rising to a Point of Inquiry,

Questions must be directed through the Chair and may be made only after the speaker
has concluded his or her remarks, and has yielded to questions.
Representatives may not interrupt a speaker on a Point of Inquiry,
See also 2.3.
6. Procedural Motions in Order of Priority

6.1 Suspension of the Meeting. During the discussion of any matter, a Representative
may move to suspend the meeting, except when such a motion would interrupt a speaker.
Suspending a meeting recesses it for the time specified in the motion,

A second and a majority vote are required for this motion to pass,
The motion is not debatable,
The Chair may request the mover to modify the time of suspension,
 If the motion passes, the Committee or Council, when it reconvenes, will continue its
business from the point at which the suspension was moved.
6.2 Adjournment of the Meeting. The motion of adjournment means that all business of
the Committee or Council has been completed, and that the Committee or Council will
not reconvene until the next annual session,

A second and a majority vote are required for this motion to pass,
This motion is only in order if the Chair entertains the motion;
A motion to adjourn the meeting is not debatable, and will be put to an immediate vote.
6.3 Closure of the Debate. A Representative may move to close debate on an issue
before the Committee or Council at any time, except when such a motion would interrupt
a speaker,

If closure passes, the item upon which debate was closed will be put to a vote,
A second and a majority vote are required for this motion to pass
Two delegations may speak against closure, and the motion will then be put to a vote,
When discussing an amendment, Representatives should specify whether the motion
for closure applies to the amendment in question or to the draft resolution,
If closure passes on the draft resolution, all amendments on the floor will be voted on
in the reverse order from which they were moved to the floor,
After voting on all amendments is completed, the draft resolution shall be voted upon
in accordance with these rules.
6.4 Appealing a Decision of the Chair. Rulings of the Chair are appealable unless
otherwise specified in these rules,

An appeal must be made immediately following the ruling in question,

If the Chair entertains the motion, the Chair shall step down and allow an alternate to
handle the proceedings of the motion;
A second and a majority vote are required for this motion to pass
Two delegations may speak in favor of the motion and two in opposition to it,
A “yes” vote supports the Chair’s decision, a “no” vote signifies objection,
The decision of the Chair shall be sustained by a tie,
Rulings by the Chair on the following rules or motions are not appealable: Diplomatic
 Courtesy (2.2), Right of Reply (2.5), Dilatory Motions (2.7), granting of a roll-call
vote (5.4), Adjournment of the Meeting (7.2), and any time a ruling by the Chair
is a direct quote from these rules of procedure.
6.5 Consideration of Agenda Items. Agenda items will be considered in the order in
which they appear on the Committees and Topics list, unless that order is altered by the
passage of a motion to Change the Order of Consideration of the Agenda Items,

A second and a majority vote are required for this motion to pass,
The motion is not debatable.
6.6 Limits on Debate. A motion to limit or extend the time allotted to each delegation is
in order at any time. It may also be moved to limit the time allowed for debate on an
agenda topic, a draft resolution, or an amendment. This motion may be proposed by the
Chair or a delegation,

A second and a majority vote are required for this motion to pass,
Two delegations may speak in favor of the motion and two in opposition to it.
6.7 Division of the Question. A motion to divide the question, proposing that clauses of
an amendment or draft resolution be voted on separately, is in order at any time prior to
entering in to voting procedure on it,

A second and a majority vote are required for this motion to pass,
Two delegations may speak in favor of the motion and two in opposition to it,
The first motion for division to receive a majority vote shall determine the order in
which the amendment or draft resolution parts are to be voted on. Those clauses
of the amendment or draft resolution which are approved shall then be put to a
vote as a whole,
If division causes the draft resolution to no longer be in the proper format (see 4.1), the
proposal as a whole is rejected.
6.8 Consideration of Amendments. To bring an amendment to the floor for discussion,
a delegation must first be recognized by the Chair,

No second is required,
The Chair will present the amendment to the body,
The delegation (s) moving consideration will be allowed to speak first on the
 amendment, if it so desires. The delegation(s) will have one minute to present and
speak about the amendment.
6.9 Consideration of Draft Resolutions. Draft resolutions with at least twenty-five
percent of the signatures of present delegations may be considered on the floor. A draft
resolution may be moved to the floor by a Motion for Consideration of a Draft
Resolution. More than one draft resolution may be considered on the floor at one time,

A second is required for this motion to pass,

This motion is not debatable,
If the motion passes, the delegation moving consideration will be allowed to speak first
on the draft resolution and accept questions for the current speaker’s time, if they
so desire, they may entertain non-substantive questions from the body.
6.10 Speakers’ List A motion to open a speakers’ list is in order when a new agenda
item is before the body. A second to the motion is required.

6.11 Caucus. A motion for a caucus can be made at any time there is a call for main
motions. The motion should include if it is a moderated or unmoderated caucus, the time
of the caucus, and the reason for the caucus.