Guarini Institute For Government and Leadership

Rules of Procedure

Procedure is a vital aspect of any Model UN. In committee, there are very specific guidelines that must be adhered to when a delegate wishes to make an action. While rules of procedure vary from conference to conference, the following document explains the parliamentary procedures that are expected at Saint Peter’s High School Model United Nations (SPU HSMUN).

Parliamentary procedure is the language through which you will communicate during the conference. Remember that this is a simulation of a high level forum among diplomats-act accordingly. 

Basic Rules

Decorum

Decorum refers to all elements of a delegate’s behavior at the conference. While a spirited and passionate defense of your country’s views on a particular agenda topic is encouraged, remember that you are acting as diplomats and should conduct yourself as such. Therefore, aggressive behavior, profanity, disruption of committee sessions, and misusing conference facilities and equipment are unacceptable and will result in disciplinary action, which will be conducted at the discretion of the Secretary-General. Please respect your fellow delegates and the staff. 

Electronic Devices

The use of electronic devices is strictly prohibited. Please note that delegates who are found using technology in session will be given one warning. If the delegate’s actions merit a second warning, their faculty advisor will be contacted.  If there are any further infractions of this rule the delegate will be disqualified from receiving any awards.      

Conference Dress Code:  

All SPU HSMUN delegates are to look professional. Delegates are encouraged to wear business attire such as suits, pants or longer skirts (not shorter than 1 “ above the knee) with blazers, and modest dresses. School uniforms as well as pants or skirts with sweaters and collared shirts are also acceptable. Blue jeans, t-shirts, shorts, short skirts, and other casual attire are prohibited.

 Plagiarism

All work submitted must be entirely original work. SPU HSMUN will not tolerate any form of plagiarism. Any delegate’s work that has been proven to be plagiarized will immediately disqualify that delegate from all awards and may result in dismissal from the conference.

Procedural Rules

There are the three “actions” that delegates may use during a committee session. 

Motions guide the work of the committee. Among other things they are used to:

  • Allow the group to make substantive decisions on which agenda item to discuss
  • Introduce draft resolutions and amendments
  • Decide when to hold a final vote
  • Set speaking times
  • Open the speaker’s lists
  • Move into moderated and unmoderated caucuses.

Points are used to:

  • Allow delegates to suggest that rules have been misused
  • Ask questions about the rules or the work that the committee is doing
  • Ask questions of other delegates who are giving formal speeches.

Yields relate directly to who speaks. It allows delegates to indicate who gets to speak next at the end of their speeches. 

Motions

  1. MOTION TO CLOSE DEBATE AND MOVE INTO VOTING PROCEDURE 
    1. This motion is used if a delegate wishes to immediately end debate on a topic and move to the next item on the agenda;
      1. If this motion is employed, then there will be no vote on the topic or any resolutions introduced on the topic;
      2. there will be two speakers for and two speakers against this motion.
    2. When: The motion can be used any time. 
  2. MOTION TO TABLE THE TOPIC 
    1. This motion is used when a delegate wants to introduce (meaning read it to the committee and make it an official document) a working paper/ resolution/ amendment. 
    2. When/How:
      1. This motion is used after the dais staff has handed out the working paper/resolution/ amendment to the committee. 
      2. When you move to introduce the document, you also must specify the section number (ex: motion to introduce resolution 2.3). 
  3. MOTION FOR A MODERATED CAUCUS
    1. This motion is used when a delegate wants to start a new speakers list; the chair will then call on delegates who want to be added to the list. 
    2. When:
      1. This is used at the beginning of the conference when a speakers list has to be opened to set the agenda;
      2. it is also used to create a new speakers list after the agenda has been set (and for every new topic up for discussion thereafter). 
  4. MOTION TO OPEN THE SPEAKERS LIST
    1. This is used to set the order in which the topics will be debated; there will be two speakers for and two speakers against the motion. 
    2. When: The motion is the first motion used to start the committee. It provides sufficient debate to decide which topic on the agenda is more important and will be entertained at the discretion of the chair. 
  5. MOTION TO SET THE AGENDA 
    1. This motion is employed when one wants to start a moderated caucus. 
    2. When:
      1. A moderated caucus can be called for anytime during organized debate (when the chair asks if there are any points or motions on the floor), or after a previous caucus is finished.
      2.  A moderated caucus is best used for relatively fast paced discussions about a specific sub-topic. 
    3. How: When a delegate calls for a moderated caucus, they also must specify:
      1. The length of the caucus
      2. The length of time each speaker is allowed to speak
      3. The purpose of the caucus
    4. Example: “motion for a ten minute moderated caucus with a thirty second speaking time for the purpose of discussing the water scarcity in sub-Saharan Africa. 
  6. MOTION FOR AN UNMODERATED CAUCUS 
    1. This motion is utilized when one wants to start an unmoderated caucus. 
    2. When:
      1. An unmoderated caucus can be called for anytime during organized debate (when the chair asks if there are any points or motions on the floor), or after a previous caucus is finished. 
      2. An unmoderated caucus is best used for informal debate. If a delegate wishes to have a discussion with another delegate, or if a delegate wishes to collaborate with others in writing a resolution, then an unmoderated caucus would be appropriate. 
    3. How: When a delegate calls for an unmoderated caucus, they also must specify:
      1. The length of the caucus.
      2. The purpose of the caucus.
  7. MOTION FOR A RIGHT OF REPLY 
    1. If a member of the committee makes a personal attack on another delegate, then the offended delegate is permitted to reply to the delegate. However, if an attack is made on a delegate’s position, the delegate does not receive a right of reply, meaning “Country A is silly..” would deserve a right of reply, while, “Country B’s idea of satellites is idiotic…” does not deserve a right of reply. 
    2. When:
      1. A right of reply is requested directly after the personal attack is made 
      2. The chair makes the ultimate ruling as to whether or not the delegate in question deserves a right of reply. 
  8. MOTION TO INTRODUCE WORKING PAPER/RESOLUTION /AMENDMENT 
    1. This motion is used if a delegate wants to end debate on a topic and move into voting procedure; there will be two speakers against the motion.
    2. When: This motion can be used any time. However, it will not be taken seriously unless an ample amount of debate on the issue has occurred. 
  9. MOTION FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE 
    1. During voting procedure, as opposed to raising one’s placard to vote, a delegate can motion for a roll call vote, which means that each country will be called on individually to cast its vote.
    2. When: The motion is used during voting procedure and automatically adopted, with the chair’s approval. 
    3. How:
      1. The ways one can vote during a roll call vote are yes, no, yes with rights, no with rights, abstain, and pass.
        1. If a delegate votes yes, it means he/she is in favor of the resolution.
        2. If a delegate votes no, it means the delegate is against the resolution.
        3. If a delegate abstains, it means he/she does not wish to cast a vote on the resolution.
        4. If a delegate votes yes/no with rights, it means the delegate wishes to explain his/her vote.
          1. The delegate, upon completion of the roll call vote, will receive a thirty- second speech.
          2. If a delegate votes yes/no with rights it usually means that the delegate would like to explain why he/she is voting against their country’s position or against what the country was arguing for during debate.
        5. If a delegate passes, it means that the delegate is unsure of how to vote, and will be called upon at the end of the roll call vote. Please note that if a delegate passes, he/she cannot vote with rights. 
  10. MOTION TO ADJOURN 
    1. This motion is used to end the last committee session, ending the conference. 
    2. The motion is used at the end of the last committee session, once the chair says that he/she would take a motion to adjourn. 

Points

  1. POINT OF CLARIFICATION 
    1. This point is used when a delegate’s ability to participate in committee is impaired. For example, one could use this point if it is difficult to hear the speaker or it is very cold in the room. 
    2. When: This point can be used anytime, even during another delegates’ speech.
    3. Note:  Using too many points of personal privilege can be unproductive to the committee, so use them very sparingly and only if the issue is truly impairing your ability to delegate, not just if it is a tad warm. 
  2. POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE
    1. This point is used when a delegate is unsure of or wants a clarification of a rule or committee procedure; it can also be used if a delegate has a non-substantive question (such as “point of parliamentary inquiry, would it be acceptable to start handing in working papers at this time?”). 
    2. When: This point can be used any time when the chair is taking points from the floor. 
  3. POINT OF PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY 
    1. This point is used when a delegate wants to clarify a non-substantive point (meaning grammatical, spelling, word choice, awkward phrases) in a resolution or amendment. 
    2. When: This point should be used while or directly after a resolution or amendment has been introduced. This point is only used during the introduction of a resolution or amendment. 
  4. POINT OF INFORMATION 
    1. This is used when a delegate has a substantive question for a speaker during formal debate. 
    2. When: This point can be used any time the chair says that questions are in order. 
  5. POINT OF ORDER 
    1. A delegate can raise a point of order when there is a violation of the rules of procedure.
      1. The chair will decide whether there is a violation immediately, and if there is, then the violation is corrected or stopped.
      2. A point of order is a very serious procedural matter, especially since it has the power to interrupt other committee proceedings. Therefore, it should be used in a responsible manner; it should only be used if a delegate is sure a rule is broken. If a delegate is not sure if a rule is broken, or if the possibly broken rule does not affect the committee proceedings, it could be prudent for the delegate to rephrase the question at a more appropriate moment in the form of a point of parliamentary inquiry. Also note that while all SPUHSMUN chairs are well versed in the official rules and procedures, they have the ability to adopt rules of debate at their own discretion. All modifications will be announced at the beginning of the conference and delegates are encouraged to use Points of Parliamentary Inquiry if anything is unclear. 
    2. When: This point can be used anytime, including during another delegates’ speech 

Yields

  1. YIELD TO THE CHAIR
    1. After the completion of a speaker’s list speech, a delegate may yield to the chair. This means that the chair will absorb the time remaining in the speech, meaning nothing will happen with any time remaining.
    2. When: After a speech on the speakers list.

2. YIELD TO QUESTIONS

  1. After the completion of a speaker’s list speech, a delegate may yield to questions.
  1. This means that with the remaining time, the chair will call upon other delegates to ask the delegate giving the speech questions that must pertain to the speech that was just given.
  2. The time taken for a delegate to ask the question will not be counted towards the time remaining in the speech; time taken to answer a question will be counted towards the time remaining.

b. When: After a speech on the speakers list.

     3. YIELD TO ANOTHER DELEGATE

  1. After the completion of a speaker’s list speech, a delegate may yield to another delegate.\
    1. This means that with the time remaining in the speech, another delegate will be able to elaborate on the ideas that the first delegate presented; the second speaker may not talk about a topic the first speaker did not mention.
    2. Please note that only one yield may be made per speaker on the speakers list.
    3. If the speaker intends on yielding to another delegate, he/she should be sure that the delegate yielded to will support his/her ideas.

b. When: A delegate yields to comments after a speech on the speakers list.

     4.  YIELD TO COMMENTS

  1. After the completion of a speaker’s list speech, a delegate may yield to comments. This means that 2 thirty-second speeches can be made by any delegate (the chair will call on two delegates who wish to make comments). Note that the comment must pertain to the original speech.
  2. When: A delegate yields to comments after a speech on the speakers list.