Here you can find the Rules of procedure used for the Lund Model United Nations Conference. They are a simplified version of the real rules of procedure, used in different councils at the United Nations. In order to focus effectively on the negotiations – all delegates should be well aquainted with these rules before the conference.
Chapter I General Rules
Rule 1. Scope
1) These rules are based on the Rules of Procedure of the United Nations Security Council. However adaptations to better suit Lund Model United Nations have been made.
2) The rules are self-sufficient and shall be considered adopted in advance of the meeting.
3) No other Rules of Procedures are applicable.
Rule 2. Language
English shall be the official and the working language of the Lund Model United Nations sessions.
Rule 3. Courtesy
All representatives shall show courtesy and respect to the other representatives, the Presidency and the Secretariat at all times.
Rule 4. Arbitration
Interpretation of the rules of procedure is reserved exclusively to the Presidency. Such interpretation shall be made in accordance with general principles of the Model UN concept and the educational ambitions of LUMUN.
Chapter II – Rules of Representation
Rule 5. Composition
The composition in a LUMUN Council follows the present composition in the UN body that is simulated, unless anything else is decided upon by the organizers before the conference.
Rule 6. Roll call
1) The President shall call the roll for the purpose of establishing a quorum at the beginning of each session. Members who desire to be considered present shall reply “present” when the name of their delegation is called.
2) A reply of “present and voting” requires the member to vote affirmative or negative on any substantive matter.
3) Any Member that arrives late to session or does not reply must submit their attendance and apologies in writing to the Presidency. If, in the case of late arrival or no reply, attendance submission in written form has not been delivered, Members shall not be able to speak or exercise their right to vote.
Rule 7. Quorum
1) A quorum shall be made up of two-thirds of the members of the Council. The Council may neither begin with the conduct of business nor vote on any procedural or substantive matter without a quorum present.
2) The presidency will in the start of each session, before substantive voting and if suspecting that quorum cannot be established, conduct a role call.
Rule 8. The Secretary-General
1) The Secretary-General, or his or her appointed representative, may at any time make either oral or written statements to any LUMUN Council concerning any question under consideration by it.
2) In the performance of their duties the Secretary-General and the Secretariat shall not seek or receive instructions from any government or from any other authority external to the Organization. They shall refrain from any action that might reflect on their position as international officials responsible only to the Organization.
3) Each Member of the United Nations undertakes to respect the exclusively international character of the responsibilities of the Secretary-General and the staff and not to seek to influence them in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Rule 9. Auxiliary Representation
1) Any state or party that is not a Member of the concerned Council may participate, without the right to vote on substantial matters, in the discussion of any question brought before the Council whenever the latter considers that the interests of that Member are specially affected.
2) A procedural vote decides to invite Auxiliary Representation until closed sessions are decided upon.
Chapter III Rules of the Presidency and the Secretariat
Rule 10. The Presidency
1. A president or vice president shall preside over the meetings of the LUMUN Councils. The president and vice president for each concerned council is appointed by the organizers.
The Presidency has authority to:
* Ensure the observance of the Rules of Procedure and the maintenance of order;
* Declare the opening and closing of each session;
* Direct the discussions of the committee, accord the right to speak, call the roll, and announce decisions;
* Advise the committee on methods of procedure that will enable the body to accomplish its goals;
* Rule on points and motions;
* Propose limits on debate, closure of debate, and suspension and adjournment of the meeting during the sessions.
Rule 11. The Secretariat
1) The Secretary-General shall provide the staff required for the Councils. This staff shall form a part of the Secretariat.
2) The Secretariat shall be responsible for the preparation of documents required by the Councils, and assisting the inter-delegation communication.
Chapter IV – Rules governing Formal Debate
Rule 12. Speakers’ List
1) At the start of each session the presidency will set up a Speakers’ List.
2) Members wishing to be added to the Speakers’ List, providing they are not currently on the Speakers’ List, shall notify the Presidency by a show of placard.
3) The Speakers’ List expires when the topic of discussion is closed or adjourned or whenever a resolution has passed.
4) When the Speaker’s List is exhausted, debate is automatically closed on the topic of discussion. The committee shall move immediately into Voting Procedures on the proposals on the floor.
Rule 13. Speeches
1) No delegate may address the body without the permission of the President.
2) In formal debate the President shall call upon speakers in accordance with the speakers’ list.
3) Speakers must keep their remarks relevant to the topic under discussion.
Rule 14. Yields
1) A Member recognized from the Speakers’ List may yield its remaining time of speech:
I. To another Member;
II. To questions. The President shall select questioners, which are granted one question each. Only the speaker’s answer to questions shall be deducted from the speaker’s remaining time;
III. To the Presidency.
2) A speaker is only granted one yield per speech.
Rule 15. Right of reply
A delegate whose personal or national integrity has been impugned by another delegate may request a Right of Reply. A Right of Reply to a Right of Reply is out of order.
Rule 16. Closure of formal debate
1) Any delegation may motion for a closure of formal debate. If ruled in order by the presidency, the motion is put to a procedural vote.
2) If the Committee is in favour of closure of debate, all resolutions and amendments on the floor will be brought to an immediate vote.
Chapter V – Rules governing Caucus
Rule 17. Moderated Caucus
1) The purpose of a moderated caucus is to enable debate on specific issues during a limited time, with shorter speaking time. It is less formal than formal debate, although still directed by the presidency and as always require diplomatic courtesy.
2) Moderated Caucus may be motioned for by any Member. The Member motioning for Moderated Caucus must also state the specific purpose, the total time and the speaking time for the Moderated Caucus. During Moderated Caucus, Members shall signify their desire to speak by raising their placards. The President shall recognize the delegates wishing to speak in a fair and orderly manner.
3) Moderated Caucus shall conclude when the appointed total time for the Moderated Caucus has elapsed, or when there are no more delegates wishing to speak in the Moderated Caucus.
Rule 18. Unmoderated Caucus
1) The purpose of an unmoderated caucus is to enable delegates to discuss the matter at hand procedurally unconstrained.
2) Unmoderated Caucus may be motioned for by any delegation. The delegation motioning Unmoderated Caucus must also state the specific purpose and the total time for the Unmoderated Caucus. The President shall call the committee back to order when the total time for the Unmoderated Caucus has elapsed.
3) The Presidency may decide to extend the Unmoderated Caucus at its discretion. Communication
Chapter VI – Communication
Rule 19. Notes
1) Written notes are the means of communication between Members not recognized to speak.
2) Notes are distributed by the Secretariat and may be sent to other delegations or the presidency.
Rule 20. Working Papers
1) A working paper is not subject to resolution formatting rules. However it is advised using the format template provided by the secretariat.
2) The working paper must be signed by the President or the Vice-President before distributed.
3) A Member may deliver a working paper to the Secretariat for distribution to the concerned Council.
Chapter VII – Points and motions
Rule 21. Point of Personal Privilege
1) A point of personal privilege should be raised by a delegation when experiencing discomforts that hamper their ability to participate in the proceedings, such as inability to hear other delegates speeches, missing distributed documents etc.
2) The point of personal privilege interrupts all activities in formal debate.
3) The president may decide to only accept points of personal privilege in writing if suspecting that by raising this point frequently delegates aim to disturb debate.
Rule 22. Point of Order
1) A Member may at any time make the President aware of improper procedure by raising a point of order.
2) The Point of Order will be considered when the floor is open, and may not interrupt a speaker.
Rule 23. Point of Information
1) A Member may ask the Presidency for clarifications on the proceedings or for the explanation of terms or abbreviations used in the Council by raising a Point of Information.
2) The Point of Information is in order when the floor is open, and may not interrupt a speaker.
Rule 24. Precedence of Points
Points take precedence over motions. The precedence of Points is: 1) Point of Personal Privilege, 2) Point of Order, 3) Point of Information. 4) Procedural Motions
Rule 25. Precedence of Motions
1) Motions may be raised by Members when the floor is open, and may not interrupt a speaker.
2) Motions, if found in order by the president, will be entertained in the following precedence:
I. Motion to suspend the meeting: Suspends the meeting for a limited period of time which is to be stated in the motion along with the purpose for suspension.
II. Motion to adjourn the meeting: Adjourns the sessions for the rest of the day.
III. Motion to close debate on the topic of discussion: Closes formal debate. The draft resolutions and amendments on the floor are to be put to substantial voting immediately after which the session are terminated.
IV. Motion for a roll call vote: In substantial voting a motion for a roll call vote may be in order. If the motion is passed, the President shall call the roll in alphabetical order starting with a randomly selected Member. In the first round, Members may vote “In favour”, “Against”, “Abstain”, or “Pass”. A Member who passes during the first round must vote during the second round.
V. Motion to vote on a draft resolution: Puts a specific resolution on the floor, which should be specified, to a substantive voting procedure.
VI. Motion to vote on an amendment: Puts an introduced amendment to substantial voting procedure.
VII. Motion to introduce a draft resolution: Introduces of a draft resolution fulfilling the formal requirements in Rule 29.
VIII. Motion to introduce an amendment: Introduces an amendment to a specified resolution.
IX. Motion to move to a Moderated Caucus: Council moves into a Moderated Caucus described in Rule 19.
X. Motion to move to an Unmoderated Caucus: Council moves into an Unmoderated Caucus described in Rule 20.
XI. Motion to invite an auxiliary representation: Invites auxiliary representation to participate according to rules of conduct for auxiliary representation in Rule 9.
XII. Motion for a closed session: Closes the session for observers and auxiliary representation. This motion can be ruled out of order by the Presidency if the diplomatic courtesy towards the auxiliary representation is not being followed.
Rule 26. Second and object to the motions
Motions are subject of procedural voting. In order to be put to voting the motion needs two ’seconds’ and two ‘objections’. If two Members don’t second the motion it fails without voting. If two Members don’t object the motion it passes without voting.The president may ask for two speakers in favor (second) and two speakers against (object) the motion.
Chapter VIII – Governing Substantive Issues
Rule 27. Formal requirements of Draft Resolutions
In order to be put to a procedural vote on introducing a draft resolution, it must fulfill the following requirements:
* Signed by five of the Council’s members. Signatories do not oblige to support the draft in any voting procedures.
* Approved by presidency.
* Is conducted in writing according to the formal requirements distributed by the Secretariat.
* Distributed to the Council members by the Secretariat.
Rule 28. Introducing a draft resolution
- A draft resolution may not be referred to in formal debate without first having been introduced.
- When fulfilling the requirements stipulated in Rule 29 a motion for introducing a draft resolution is in order. It will be put to a procedural vote, after which if being affirmative the operative clauses are read by the introducing Member. As the introduction is not a formal speech, it is not in order to yield this speaking time.
- The limit of numbers of draft resolutions on the floor is set at the presidency’s discretion. A draft resolution once introduced is considered to be on the floor until taken to a substantial vote.
Rule 29. Amendments to a draft resolution
1) A motion to amend may be made to a draft resolution that has been introduced.
2) Only operative clauses, not perambulatory clauses, may be amended.
3) An amendment to a draft resolution may only be referred to in formal debate after it has been introduced.
4) The following requirements apply before amendments may be introduced:
* Signed by five of the Council members. Signatories do not oblige to support the draft in any voting procedures.
* Approved by the presidency.
* Is conducted in writing according to the formal requirements distributed by the Secretariat.
* Distributed to the Council members by the Secretariat.
Rule 30. Friendly Amendment
An introduced draft resolution may be amended by the submitter and the five original signatories, without a voting procedure. If this amendment fulfils the requirements stipulated in Rule 31.4.II-IV it amends the original draft resolution when the presidency announce the acceptance of the amendment.
Chapter IX – Governing Voting
Rule 31. Voting rights
Members of the Council have a right to vote in all procedural and substantive matters. Invited Auxiliary representations have voting rights in procedural matters only.
Rule 32. Voting Procedure
During Voting, there shall be no passing of notes and no member of the committee may leave or enter the conference room. There shall be no interruptions, except by points of personal privilege or points of order. Any delegate who disrupts Voting Procedure shall be ruled dilatory and therefore out of order. Voting shall normally be conducted by a show of placards. If there is a mis-vote or a delegate wants to question the outcome of a substantive vote by placards, voting shall be conducted by a roll call vote.
Rule 33. Procedural voting
1. A Procedural matter requires a simple majority of those present to pass in voting.
2. In matters of procedure the vote is to be “yes” or “no”. Abstention is not in order.
3. Procedural voting will be conducted on those motions considered in order by the presidency and attained seconds according to Rule 28.
Rule 34. Substantive voting
1) Substantive matters are the following and are subject of substantive voting:
* Final resolutions
* Amendments
2) Decisions of the Human Rights Council on all substantive matters shall be made by a simple majority
3) Decisions of the Security Council on all substantive matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine Members and no negative votes from the permanent members.
4) Abstention is in order, unless Member is considered “present and voting” as described in Rule 6.
5) A motion for a Roll call vote as described in Rule 27, is in order during substantive voting.
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