Model United Nations

Awareness & Understanding

The United Nations includes 193 member countries working together on the hardest problems humans face — climate change, poverty, disease, and conflict. Model United Nations, or MUN, lets you step into that world by representing a country and debating real resolutions. Start here: visit un.org and read about the six main UN bodies, especially the General Assembly and the Security Council. Then watch one real UN Security Council debate on YouTube — the UN posts official recordings for free. Pay attention to how delegates address each other, how they cite evidence, and how formal the language is. You are ready for the next step when you can name all six main UN bodies and describe the difference between the General Assembly and the Security Council.

Research & Investigation

Now learn how MUN actually works as a simulation. Read the free "Introduction to Model United Nations" guide at unausa.org — the United Nations Association of the USA publishes free resources for students. Explore the free Best Delegate MUN Guide at bestdelegate.com, which walks you through rules of procedure, how to write a position paper, and how to draft a working paper. Look up whether any Utah high schools or colleges host a MUN conference — the University of Utah and BYU both have MUN teams. If there is a conference nearby, note its registration details even if you are not ready to attend yet. You are ready for the next step when you can explain what a position paper is, what a working paper is, and how amendments get proposed on the floor.

Planning & Preparation

You have been assigned your country — now research it thoroughly. Use the CIA World Factbook (cia.gov/the-world-factbook, completely free) for demographics, economy, and political structure. Then find your country's actual voting record at the UN using the UN Digital Library at digitallibrary.un.org. Write a position paper of one to two pages covering your country's stance on the committee topic, evidence supporting that position, and at least one proposed solution your country would support. Have a peer or teacher read it for logic and clarity. Draft your opening speech — under 90 seconds — that introduces your country and its position. You are ready for the next step when your position paper is complete and your opening speech is memorized or nearly memorized.

Taking Action

Run a practice MUN session. Gather at least six people representing different countries, assign a chair, and work through a simplified agenda: roll call, opening speeches, moderated caucus, unmoderated caucus, and a vote on a simple draft resolution. Use the free rules of procedure cheat sheet from Best Delegate. Focus on staying in character — speak as your country, not as yourself. After the session, debrief: who persuaded you most and why? What did the chair do well? Try to resolve a genuinely hard scenario where bloc interests conflict — for example, countries that emit a lot of carbon versus countries most at risk from climate change. You are ready for the next step when you have participated in a full practice session including a vote and can explain what happened in the unmoderated caucus.

Leadership & Expansion

Now lead. Chair a full MUN session or organize a mini-conference for your school or community group. As chair, your job is to manage procedure, maintain decorum, recognize speakers, and facilitate productive debate without expressing your own opinions. Write the study guide — the background document that all delegates use — for the committee topic. Connect with the UNA-USA Utah chapter or a local university MUN team who might mentor your group or judge your conference. After the event, collect feedback from delegates and write a brief chair report summarizing the debate and the resolution passed. You are ready for the next step when you have chaired at least one full session and produced a written study guide and chair report.

Impact & Reflection

Write a two-to-three page reflection covering three areas: what you learned about your assigned country that surprised you and changed how you see global issues, one moment in committee where diplomacy actually worked — where compromise happened — and what made it possible, and what you now believe about the role of international cooperation in solving problems that no single country can fix alone. Then take your work public: submit your position paper to a student journal, post your study guide for other MUN students to use at bestdelegate.com or munplanet.com (both accept community contributions), or write a short piece for your school paper explaining what MUN taught you about real-world diplomacy. You are ready for the next step when your reflection is complete and at least one piece of your work has been shared publicly.