WEMUN TRAINING SESSION

RULES OF PROCEDURE

A. General/Administrative Rules
Scope
These rules for the General Assemblies, the Economic and Social Councils, and the Specialized
Agencies are self-sufficient, except for any modifications provided by the Secretariat or
Committee Chair. These modifications will be announced at the beginning of the first committee
session. No other rules of procedure are applicable.

Language
English is the official and working language of all committee sessions at Mun. Those delegates
wishing to use other languages must provide translation.

Composition of Each Delegation

Country/Representative assignments are made based on order of registration and size of
delegation. Each country will be assigned to only one school, but some schools will represent
more than one country/representative. Each state (or person, in the case of committees where
people and not countries are represented) shall be entitled to one vote.

Participation of Non-Members
Representatives of Accredited observers have the same rights as those of full members, except
that they may not sign or vote on draft resolutions or amendments. A representative of a state
organization that is not a member of the United Nations or an Accredited Observer may address a
committee only with the prior approval of the Director.

Statements by the Secretariat

The Secretaries-General or other members of the Secretariat may issue either written or oral
statements at any time during committee sessions.

Powers of the Dais

The Committee Chair will declare the opening and closing of each meeting and may propose the
adoption of any procedural motion to which there is no significant objection. The Chair will have
complete control of the proceedings at all meetings. The Chair will also direct discussions, accord
the right to speak, put questions, announce decisions, rule on points of order, and ensure and
enforce the observance of these rules. The Chair has the power to impose a time restraint on all
motions for moderated and unmoderated caucuses. The Chair can temporarily transfer power to
another member of committee staff. Committee members may also advise delegates about the
course of debate. In the exercise of these functions, the Committee staff will be subject to these
rules at all times and responsible to the Secretaries-General.

Quorem
The Chair may declare a Committee open and permit debate to proceed when at least
one-quarter of the members of the committee are present. A member is defined as a
 WEMUN TRAINING SESSION
representative who is officially registered with the committee. Presence of a majority of the
members is required to vote on a substantive matters and presence of a quarter of the members
is required for substantive matters. A quorum will be assumed unless specifically challenged and
proven absent.

Competence of the Dais

Delegates are required to show courtesy and respect for all members of the Dais and of the
Secretariat. Therefore, delegates may not make remarks against any of the aforementioned
members within the committee room. The Chair will immediately call to order any delegate who
fails to comply with this rule. Any specific complaints against any member of the Dais should be
directly told to a member of the Secretariat, who will deal with the situation appropriately.

Electronic Communication Devices

The use of laptop computers, cell phones, and other electronic communication devices will not
be allowed during committee sessions. This rule is in place to prevent disruption to the
committee session as well as to prevent those with computers from dominating the writing of
draft resolutions. Electronic devices may be used outside of the committee room for research
purposes (computers will be provided for general use). All Draft Resolutions must be handed to
the Chair handwritten and will not be accepted in any other way.

B. Speeches
Speakers List
A primary speakers list will be opened at the beginning of the debate to present, defend, or
refute the merits of a proposed topic. Once a topic area has been chosen, a secondary speakers
list will be opened to substantively debate the agenda topic under discussion. Delegates can be
added to either speakers list either by raising their placards when directed by the Chair or by
sending a note to the Dais. Debate is automatically closed upon the exhaustion of the speakers
list. If there are draft resolutions on the floor at the time debate is closed, the committee will
automatically move into voting procedures on those draft resolutions in the order in which they
were brought to the floor. At no time can one country/representative be listed on the same
speakers list more than once.

Time Limit
The default time limit is one minute. If a speaker exceeds the allotted time limit, the Chair has the
power to terminate the speech. In order to change the time allotted to each speaker, a member
must motion to set a new time limit on speeches. This motion requires a simple majority to pass.

Speeches
No delegate may address the committee without the permission of the Chair. The Chair may call a
speaker to order if his/her remarks are not relevant to the topic being discussed or are offensive
to committee members or staff.

Yields
A delegate recognized to speak in a substantive way may yield his time in one of four ways. Only
 WEMUN TRAINING SESSION
one yield may occur per speech. Any person who doesn't specify a yield will be presumed to be
yielding to the Chair. The following yields are considered appropriate:
 To Another Delegate
The member yielded to may speak for the remainder of the original delegate's time, and
may not yield in any way at the end of his/her speech. During debate from the primary
speakers list and during caucuses, yields and comments are out of order.
 To the Chair
The remainder of the delegate's time is forfeited and the floor will be open to points and
motions, after which the next speaker will be recognized.
 To Questions
Other delegates recognized by the Chair may ask questions of the speaker germane to the
speaker's speech. Time will only be deducted from the speaker's remaining time during
his/her response, not while the speaker is being questioned. No follow-up questions or
dialogue shall be permitted.
 To Comments
The Chair will recognize two members, for 30 seconds each, to give a comment germane to
the speech which has just been delivered.

Right of Reply
A delegate whose personal or nationally identity has been impugned by another delegate may
submit a Right of Reply in writing to the committee staff. The Chair will grant the Right of Reply at
his/her discretion and the delegate granted a Right of Reply will not address the committee,
unless given right to do so by the Chair.

C. Debate
Agenda
The first order of business within the committee is setting the order of topics. With the exception
of committees with open agendas, the only topics that may be discussed are those listed in the
background guide.

Chair will open a primary speakers list for the consideration of an Agenda effective for the
duration of the conference.

All motions for a caucus will be ruled dilatory during the consideration of the agenda.
Furthermore, no delegate is allowed to yield their time during this period.

Either a delegate must make a motion to close debate or the speakers list will terminate before
delegates enter voting procedures on the matter. This motion should be followed by a motion to
set the topic, which requires two speakers for and two speakers against. This motion requires a
simple majority to pass; if the motion fails, the topic will automatically be set to the other topic
area.

In the event of an international crisis or emergency, the Secretary-General or his/her

representative may call upon a committee to table debate on the current topic area so that the
 WEMUN TRAINING SESSION
more urgent matter may be addressed. After a draft resolution is passed on the crisis, the
committee will immediate return to the tabled topic.

Debate
Once a topic is chosen, a secondary Speakers List will be established for general debate. This
Speakers List will be followed except when superseded by procedural motions, amendments, or
the introduction of a draft resolution. Speeches must be germane to the subject being discussed
and may only reference draft resolutions which have been introduced to the committee.

Moderated Caucus
The Moderated Caucus is used to foster an in-depth substantive debate by temporarily departing
from the Speakers List and allowing the chair to call on delegates at their discretion. A motion for
a moderated caucus can be proposed when the floor is open, prior to the closure of debate. The
delegate who proposes the motion should briefly describe the topic to be discussed, specify the
duration, not to exceed twenty minutes, and the speaking time per delegate. Delegates indicate
their desire to speak by raising their placards. All delegates shall stay in their seats and maintain
decorum, as during formal debate. The only points or motions that are in order during a
moderated caucus are points of order, point of personal privilege, and rights of reply.

Unmoderated Caucus
A motion for an unmoderated caucus, which requires a majority to pass, is in order at any time
when the floor is open, prior to the closure of debate. During an unmoderated caucus, formal
debating procedure is temporarily suspended. The speaker making the motion must indicate a
total length for the proposed caucus, which cannot exceed 20 minutes. The Chair may rule such a
motion out of order and this decision may not be appealed.

Suspension and Adjournment

At the scheduled time when a committee session terminates, a member may motion to suspend
all committee functions until the next debate. At the end of the final committee session, a
delegate pay pose a motion to adjourn, which suspends all committee functions for the duration
of the conference. The Chair may rule such a motion out of order. When in order, these motions
are not subject to debate and will immediately be put to vote requiring a simple majority to pass.
The Chair's decision is not subject to appeal.

Tabling a Topic
When the floor is open, delegates can motion to table the topic, which means the discussion is
prematurely terminated (i.e., before a resolution has been passed), if more pressing issues should
present themselves before a committee. The motion to table a topic requires a two-thirds
majority and merits one speaker for and one speaker against. If the motion passes, the active
agenda topic will be set to the pressing issue that prompted the tabling. Once debate has closed
on the pressing issue, then the committee will resume the secondary speakers list of the topic
that was tabled. The chair has discretion over the motion and this decision is not subject to
appeal.
 WEMUN TRAINING SESSION
Closure of the Speakers List
A motion to close the speakers list can only be in order if a draft resolution is on the floor. Such a
motion may be ruled out of order by the Chair, and this decision is not subject to appeal. If ruled
in order, the motion merits one speaker for and one speaker against. It requires a 2/3 majority
vote to pass. If it passes, debate continues until the speakers list is exhausted, at which point the
committee moves directly into voting procedure. Once the speakers list has been closed, it
cannot be reopened.

Closure of Debate
If the motion passes, debate will cease immediately on the substantive or procedural matter
under discussion and the committee will move into voting procedure. Delegates may move to
close debate on the general topic, debate on the agenda, or debate on an amendment. The
motion is only in order if a draft resolution is on the floor and the motion may be ruled out of
order by the Chair. The motion merits one speaker for and one speaker against and requires a 2/3
majority vote to pass.

D. Points
Point of Personal Privilege
Whenever a delegate experiences personal discomfort which impairs his or her ability to
participate in the proceedings, he or she may raise a Point of Personal Privilege to request that
the discomfort be corrected. While Points of Personal Privilege in extreme case may interrupt a
speaker, delegates should use this power with the utmost discretion.

Points of Order
During the discussion of any matter, a delegate may rise to a Point of Order to indicate an
instance of improper parliamentary procedure. The Chair may rule these points out of order. The
delegate raising the Point of Order may not speak on the substance of the subject under
discussion. A Point of Order may only interrupt a speaker if the speech in not following proper
parliamentary procedure.

Points of Parliamentary Inquiry

When the floor is open, a delegate may raise a Point of Parliamentary Inquiry to ask the Chair a
question regarding the rules of procedure. A Point of Parliamentary Inquiry may never interrupt a
speaker. Delegates with substantive questions should not rise to this Point, but should rather
approach the committee staff during caucus or send a note to the dais.

E. Working Papers and Draft Resolutions

Working Papers
Working papers are a vehicle for delegates to disseminate ideas, outline possible solutions and
aid the Committee in its discussion and formulation of draft resolutions. Working papers are
informal, written documents, which do not have to adhere to strict resolution format. It does not
need any sponsors or signatories, but requires the Chair's signature to be distributed to the
committee. The committee does not vote on a draft resolution. Ideas appearing in working
papers that the committee wishes to vote on should be incorporated into draft resolutions.
 WEMUN TRAINING SESSION

Draft Resolutions
A resolution is the official document that the committee uses to express its collective opinion
and/or series of recommendations on a particular topic. A draft resolution may be introduced
when it receives the approval of the chair and one fifth of the signatures of the members of the
body as sponsors and signatories.

 Sponsors are those states that agree with the content of the draft resolution and intend to
support it. Each draft resolution must contain at least two sponsors.
 Signatories are those states that would like to see the draft resolution debated but who do
not necessarily support all the substantive elements in it.

A document may not be referred to as a draft resolution until it is officially introduced on the
floor.

Introducing a Draft Resolution

Once a draft resolution has been approved as stipulated above and has been copied and
distributed, a delegate(s) may motion to introduce the draft resolution. The Chair, time
permitting, will recognize the main sponsor(s) of the resolution to read the operative clauses of
the draft resolution. A procedural vote is then taken to determine whether the resolution shall be
introduced. Should the motion received the simple majority required to pass, the draft resolution
will be considered introduced and on the floor.

The Chair, at his or her discretion, may allow the main sponsors answer any clarificatory points on
the draft resolution. Any substantive points will be ruled out of order during this period, and the
Director may end this 'clarificatory question-answer period' for any reason, including tie
constraints. More than one draft resolution may be on the floor at any one time. A draft
resolution will remain on the floor until debate on that specific draft resolution is postponed or
closed. Debate on draft resolutions proceeds according to the general Speakers' List for that topic
area and delegates may then refer to the draft resolution by its designated number.

The Chair has the authority to overrule the procedures listed above and introduce a draft
resolution to the committee in a way the Chair sees fit (i.e. without a vote) if time is of the
essence.
A draft resolution is considered withdrawn from consideration by the committee if at any time it
lacks a sponsor. Signatories can remove themselves or be added after the introduction of the
Draft Resolution. It is only at the time of introduction that the requisite number of signatures
must be met.

Pertinence
If a delegate feels that a draft resolution is not germane to the topic or not within the bounds of
the subjects that the committee is mandated to debate, he/she may motion to question the
pertinence of a particular draft resolution. Such a motion merits one speaker for and one speaker
against and a 2/3 majority to pass. If the motion passes, then the draft resolution will be
 WEMUN TRAINING SESSION
immediately withdrawn from consideration by the committee.
Amendments
Those delegates wishing to amend draft resolutions may do so in a number of ways.

 Non-substantive Amendments to correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, or clarify (without

changing) the meaning of any part of a draft resolution are deemed non-substantive, and
will, upon the approval of the Chair, be incorporated into the draft resolution without vote.
Any member of the committee (sponsor, signatory, or neither) may propose such an
amendment.

 Substantive Amendments that wish to change the meaning/intentions of a particular clause

or clauses of the draft resolution are considered to be substantive. An example of a
substantive amendment is to change, add, or delete one or more clauses. Substantive
amendments to perambulatory clauses of draft resolutions, to any part of working papers,
and to other amendments are never in order. Any member may make a substantive
amendment, of which there are two types:

1. Friendly Amendments that carry the signatures of all the sponsors of the draft
resolution, and they are automatically incorporated into the draft resolution, upon
approval of the Chair. The motion to introduce a friendly amendment must be made by
a sponsor of the draft resolution.
2. Unfriendly Amendments which do not have the signatures of all of the sponsors of the
draft resolution. In order to be considered by the committee, unfriendly amendments
must carry the signatures of one fifth of the committee's membership. Unlike
signatories for draft resolutions, those delegates that sign an unfriendly amendment
should only do so if they support it. A draft resolution's unfriendly amendments will be
voted upon before the draft resolution is voted upon. An unfriendly amendment will be
considered to be withdrawn from consideration by the committee if all of its sponsors
remove their signatures from the amendment.

F. Voting
Procedural Voting
All voting is considered procedural with the exception of voting on draft resolutions and
amendments. Delegates must vote on all procedural motions, and no abstentions are allowed. A
motion that requires a simple majority to pass requires at least half the members to vote
affirmatively. A motion that requires two-thirds majority to pass requires exactly two-thirds of the
delegates to pass. If there aren't enough speakers for/against a particular motion, the motion will
automatically fail/pass.

Substantive Voting
Upon the closure of debate, the committee will immediately enter into voting procedure. The
only points or motions that are in order are points of order, points of personal privilege, points of
parliamentary inquiry, motions to divide the question, motions for an important question, and
 WEMUN TRAINING SESSION
motions for a roll call vote. The doors to the committee room will be locked, no delegates shall be
allowed to enter or exit the room until voting procedures are commenced, and no contact
between delegates (i.e. whispering and passing notes) is permitted. Draft resolutions require a
simple majority to pass. More than one resolution can be passed on each individual subject area.

Method of Voting
No proxy voting is allowed. If a member should want the votes to be recorded by roll call rather
than by placard-raising, he/she should motion for a roll call vote. Such a motion requires the
approval of the Chair, whose decision is not subject to appeal. In a placard-raising vote, members
may vote "Yes", "No", "Pass" or "Abstain". If a delegate passes during the first round of votes,
they are required to vote either "Yes" or "No" and may not abstain or request rights.

Right of Explanation
In a roll call vote, members who wish to explain a "Yes" or "No" vote may do so by saying, "Yes
with rights" or "No with rights." At the end of the vote, the Chair will call upon those delegates to
deliver a 20-second remark explaining why they voted in such a way that is not in line with the
way that one might normally expect a delegate from that particular state to vote. Delegates may
not exercise a right of explanation for a vote of abstention. The Chair may at any time rule all
Rights of Explanation out of order.

Appeals
With the exception of those decisions which are labeled as unappealable, all decisions of the
chair can be appealed. In such cases, the chair may speak briefly in his/her defense, and then the
motion will be put to a vote, requiring a 2/3 majority to pass.

Order of Voting
Draft resolutions will be voted upon in the order that they were introduced. Unfriendly
amendments that accompany each draft resolution will be voted upon in the order that they
were introduced. The passing of an unfriendly amendment simply means it will be included in the
final version of the draft resolution; if the draft resolution fails in the subsequent vote, then all
the unfriendly amendments that have been added to it will fail as well. There will be no motions
to change the order of voting on draft resolutions.

Motion to Divide the Question

After debate on any topic has been closed, a delegate may motion to vote on each operative
clause of a draft resolution to be considered individually. Preambulatory clauses and
sub-operative clauses may not be removed by dividing the question. The motion requires two
speakers for and two speakers against followed by an immediate procedural vote on that motion.
If the motion to divide the question passes, the Chair will take motions on how to divide the
question and prioritize them from most severe to least severe. The committee will then vote on
the motions in the order set by the Chair. If no division passes, the resolution remains intact.
Once a division, which requires a simple majority, has been passed, the resolution will be divided
accordingly, and a separate procedural vote (implying no abstentions) will be taken on each
divided part to determine whether it will be included in the final draft. If all operative parts are
 WEMUN TRAINING SESSION
rejected, the draft resolution will be considered rejected as a whole. Parts of the draft resolution
that are subsequently passed will be recombined into a final document.
Motion for an Important Question
If a draft resolution deals with one of the following six topics, then it may be considered for an
important question.
1. Maintenance of international peace and security
2. Admission of new Members to the United Nations
3. Suspension of the rights and privileges of Membership
4. Expulsion of members
5. Operation of the trusteeship system
6. Budgetary questions

A delegate may make a motion for an important question only immediately before voting on a
draft resolution begins. The Chair may be rule such a motion out of order and this decision is not
subject to appeal. If ruled in order, the motion for an important question, which requires a simple
majority to pass, merits one speaker for and one speaker against. If it passes, then the draft
resolution must receive a 2/3 majority to pass.

Motion to Divide the House

The Motion to Divide the House calls that there are no abstentions in the vote for a given
resolution. After voting procedures have been completed, if there are more than 1/5 abstentions
for an given resolution or the number of abstentions can sway the passing of a resolution, the
sponsors of that resolution can make a Motion to Divide the House. The chair can either rule the
motion out of order or exercise the motion by re-entering voting procedures and asking all
abstentions to vote either "yes" or "no" to the aforementioned resolution. If the number of "yes"
responses alter the status of the resolution, this decision is unappealable and the resolution
passes.

G. Precedence of Motions
Motions will be considered in the following order of preference:
1. Point of Personal Privilege
2. Point of Order
3. Point of Parliamentary Inquiry
4. Adjournment of a Meeting
5. Suspension of a Meeting
6. Unmoderated Caucus
7. Moderated Caucus
8. Introduction of a Draft Resolution
9. Introduction of an Amendment
10. Postponement of Debate
11. Resumption of Debate
12. Closure of Debate

At the start of voting procedure, the following points and motions are in order, in the following
 WEMUN TRAINING SESSION
order of precedence:
1. Point of Personal Privilege
2. Point of Order
3. Point of Parliamentary Inquiry
4. Reordering Draft Resolutions
5. Division of the Question
6. Motion for a Roll Call Vote

H. Format of Draft Resolutions

Heading
The title should be centered, in capital letters, above the main body of the draft resolution. The
title can be as simple as "Draft Resolution." On the left margin and two lines below the title
should be the committee and topic name. Note: There are no sponsors of a draft resolution. The
signatures are only there to show that the committee wants to discuss the draft resolution. The
names of "authors" should not be included.

Body
The draft resolution is written in the format of a long sentence, with the following rules:
 The draft resolution begins with The General Assembly for all GA committees and with The
Economic and Social Council for all ECOSOC Committees. The Specialized Agencies use their
own names as the introductory line. The rest of the draft resolution consists of clauses with
the first word of each clause underlined.
 The next section, consisting of Preambulatory Clauses, describes the problems being
addressed, recalls past actions taken, explains the purpose of the draft resolution, and offers
support for the operative clause that follows. Each clause in the preamble begins with an
underlined word and ends with a comma.
 Operative Clauses are numbered and state the action to be taken by the body. These clauses
are all with the present tense active verbs and are generally stronger words than those used
in the Preamble. All clauses are followed by a semi-colon, except for the final clause, which
ends in a period.