Topic > The Model Guide to the Presidency of the United Nations

Being president is a really exciting position to hold in a MUN because it requires you to take responsibility, but also think on your feet and respond immediately to a committee. In many ways, the chair sets the tone for the committee, so it's important to set and maintain a tone that keeps delegates in control, but is comfortable and fun for everyone involved. Every president has their own style and this is something that cannot be taught, however, the way to preside or the tone to set is something that is applicable to every president in every conference. Here are some guidelines: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay1. Always start more rigorously. This shows delegates that you have authority and earns you respect. This is a key. If the delegates do not respect you, it will be difficult to keep them in check as the conference progresses.2. Remain available, open and friendly throughout the conference. It is important that delegates know that they can turn to their chairs if they have questions or problems. You must always be polite and attentive to the delegates, as this also helps you gain respect. As the saying goes, treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. Treating delegates right will make them more willing to respect your authority.3. Never publicly contradict a co-president. As presidents, you are a team and to maintain control you must appear united. Contradicting your co-president in front of the house isn't just rude and threatening; it can also give delegates the impression that you are not strong as a team and may lose their respect. If you think your co-president did or said something wrong, calmly mention it to him and talk about it later.4. Never yell at the house or delegates. As President, you must always remain calm and composed. Once you start yelling, you quickly lose respect and control of any situation.5. Never ignore a point made by a delegate or ignore a question or observation. Even if a comment is inappropriate, let the house know, but move quickly and don't pay too much attention to it. By ignoring or ignoring comments or questions you are not fulfilling your role as a mentor to delegates. As mentioned before, always remain available and friendly.6. Always explain things completely and clearly. This ensures that all delegates are aware of what is happening. Even if it seems obvious to you, it may not be obvious to them. If they ask a question and you answer, ask if they understood or if there is anything else they would like to know. This avoids confusion or misunderstanding, which can generate resentment or anger towards you as President.7. Don't abuse your authority. There is a strong temptation to want to use the privileges that the presidency provides. However, always remember the responsibilities you have. Abusing your authority may come across as arrogant and will not make delegates more respectful or friendly towards you.8. Never be afraid to admit mistakes. The term The chair corrects itself is very useful! Don't try to overlook mistakes you've made or fire delegates who point them out. Acknowledge them, accept them and move on. Admitting your flaws will show delegates that you are fair and, after all, simply human. During Debate: Common Phrases Common phrases are simple phrases or words that presidents use to explain procedures during debate. These are very useful in all situations. Below are some important examples/phrases: Can the Assembly please come to order? The next resolution indiscussion will cover the issue... Can the main rapporteur take the floor and read the operative clauses? The President sets the duration of the debate at 40 minutes of open discussion. The floor is now open. Are there any delegations wishing to speak? You have been recognised. You have the floor. The speaker will refrain from using anti-parliamentary terms. The speaker will [please] refrain from speaking. insulting other delegatesAn amendment was proposed by...This is correct. The President will read it. We now move on to the voting procedure on the amendment. The speaker opens for information. Are there any such points in the room? Please stand up and make your point Please state your point in the form of a question Please refrain from asking multiple questions at the same time Could the delegate repeat/rephrase the question? There will be no direct dialogue between delegatesI am sorry, but there is no more time for information points. Could the speaker please give the floor? Excuse me, but in the interests of the debate, could the delegate please give the floor? There has been a point of order in the Chamber. Is your argument correct/not well interpretedThe Chair is correctedThere was a point of personal privilege in the roomWill the House please return to order and show the speaker the respect he deserves?The time for debate on this resolution has expiredWe will now move on to the voting procedures on this resolutionCould the administrative staff close/secure all the doors and start voting? All those in favor of this resolution raise their signs high All those against... All abstentions... With a vote of... for, against, with... abstentions, this resolution/amendment passes/failsApplause is (not) in orderNormally, a committee has two to three presidents, among these presidents each president is an expert on a certain topic. If a topic is debated, the experienced president never presides, he or she will have to concentrate on selecting amendments and drawing up a list of choices for the presiding president. Other presidents will focus on the person presiding and take care of his administrative work, such as taking notes, talking to disruptive delegates, etc. Therefore, to summarize, the role of the chairs during the debate is as follows: Chair 1 focuses on the procedural part of the debate. Chair 2 (experienced chair) focuses on the Pick me list and assists Chair 1. Chair 3 takes care of responding to administrative notes or other assigned tasks. On committees where there are 2 chairs, Chair 2 (experienced chair) will write a Pick Me list and administrative duties. This list will help the first president to choose certain delegates, which he/she should or should not choose. The 2nd President will base this list on the amendments; how well they are formulated and to what extent they adapt to the issue being debated and the previous behavior of the delegates in the room. Presidency scenarios: A president is ill The president makes a mistake An unanswerable question A declaration of war Maintaining silence Receiving criticism Dealing with disruptive delegates Throughout In these scenarios the most important thing is to remain calm and professional , it takes a lot of responsibility to be a president, however after a conference you feel extremely proud and it is definitely worth it. A chair is sick. This can happen during the conference, but also before the conference. The most important thing is that you inform your MUN director, your co-presidents but also the executive team. The executive team will then find a replacement and notify you and your co-chairs. If this happens before the conference, you need to submit.