MODEL UNITED NATIONS
ISBL INTR 3352
Assessment Final exam: 30% Midterm exam 20% Class presentations 30%
Class attendance and participation 20% Course overview
IR 362 - Model United Nations serves two purposes: On the one hand, it is a course on international organization and the United Nations. In this respect, it deals with the history and development of the UN; its organizational structure; and its place and role in the international society. On the other hand, it is an authentic simulation of UN organs. Students are introduced to the practical aspects of diplomacy and negotiation, assuming roles of ambassadors of UN member states to debate issues on the Organization's agenda. As part of the course, students will also be prepared so that a team may eventually be formed comprising eligible students, to attend one or more MUN international conferences in Turkey, Europe or the USA. There, students assume the role of diplomats and officials within the framework of an international body to achieve their respective governments’ targets. Goals of the course include enhancing student research, public speaking, writing and diplomacy skills fostering a thorough understanding of the role of the UN in international politics and diplomacy and facilitating a hands-on approach to dealing with global issues through negotiation, resolution drafting and strategy developing.
Basic reading
Charter of the United Nations
United Nations, Department of Public Information. Basic Facts about the United Nations. New York: United Nations, 1998.
UN documents and press releases available through the UN and related Agencies’ websites.
Adams, Linda S. & Adamski, Janet. Model United Nations: Student Preparation Guide Kendall Hunt Pub Co., 2002
Armstrong, D. The Rise of the International Organisation: A Short History. London: Macmillan, 1982. White, N.D. The Law of International Organisations. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1996 Parsons, A. From Cold War to Hot Peace. UN Interventions 1947-1994. London: Michael Joseph, 1995. A detailed list of suggested further reading as well as useful links will be distributed in class. Country-specific information will be discussed when country assignments are finalized.
Free subscription to the e-mail newsletter UN Wıre (http://www.unwire.org/) produced by the United Nations Foundation.
Daily informartion on world affairs and international developments Main themes of the course and basic organization
1. INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the United Nations and the Model UN Committee assignments
2. THE UN AS AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION Historical background on the UN Overview of developments
The basic structure and organization of the United Nations Problems and prospects
The question of reform
3. THE NEW INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT: EMERGING AND CONTINUOUS ISSUES.
Challenging the Mandate
The relevance of the UN in the 21st century
Non-traditional threats to international peace and security The limits of the effort: inherent, systemic and other 4. INTRODUCTION TO AGENDA & BASICS OF COUNTRY-SPECIFIC RESEARCH
5. RESOLUTION DRAFTING Conducting research Drafting position papers Drafting resolutions 6. DIPLOMACY IN THE UN
Getting resolutions passed Negotiating agendas and papers Voting procedures
7. COUNTRY PROFILES AND SPECIFICS OF COUNTRY RESEARCH 8. SIMULATION PRACTICE
Presentations
Argumentation techniques Caucusing
Model United Nations is about simulating the speech making, resolution drafting, consensus building, interpersonal relations, and negotiations carried out everyday by real diplomats in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, and around the world. In this course, students will learn to research a country's background, government, and foreign policy, along with a selection of United Nations issues like security, the environment, or economic development. They will learn the basic rules by which UN diplomats operate, and then put the knowledge they have gained into effect by trying to craft agreements to solve real-world, real-time issues at the conference.
Course Goals:
Thinking in the field of education today is that students learn best when that learning is active. This course in Model United Nations is a strong example of active learning. Students will be expected to participate actively in class, apply what they are learning in class to real-world issues, carry out research into their countries and topics, and simulate the behavior of a real-world diplomat in a Model United Nations conference. In the course, students will develop knowledge of international politics and individual nations' foreign policies along with skills in critical analysis, public speaking, diplomacy, teamwork and interpersonal relations, research, citizenship, professional dress, and leadership.
Course Readings:
Karen A. Mingst and Margaret P. Karns. The United Nations in the 21st Century (third edition). Boulder: Westview, 2007.
Group Presentations
In order to develop their research, teamwork, and public speaking skills, as well as to learn about some of the many issues that the United Nations works on (from refugees to human trafficking to indigenous persons), students will be grouped and assigned an issue on which to present. Student groups will have about fifteen minutes in which to give an overview of their issue and to describe what role the United Nations currently plays (the precise timing of the presentations will depend on how many groups/issues we need to cover). Student groups MUST offer a critical perspective on the United Nations' role. Is it succeeding according to your standards, humanitarian standards, the standards the UN itself has set? WHY do the problems that exist in the issue area exist/persist? You might consider alternative (more ambitious?) roles for the United Nations on the issue, but these should be advocated only if they are politically and financially feasible.
Primary source material from the United Nations and affiliated agencies should be used to inform the presentation but so should outside information, at least some critical, of UN efforts. These can be found in the media, in scholarly journal articles, and books. Student presenters should be professionally dressed, should use PowerPoint (including photos), and should spread the load of speaking equally among group members. Find a selection of UN issues at http://www.un.org/issues/. Student groups should submit their PowerPoints to the instructor electronically on the day the presentation is given (I will not chase you down for this. You remember to turn it in or you don't). Student presentations are worth 10% of the final course grade. Evaluations of the presentations by the instructor will be supplemented by peer evaluations to determine the grade for this assignment. Group presentation are on September 24th and October 1st.
Research Binders
Students are expected to organize their course, conference, and research information as a portable reference resource for the conference. Binders will be evaluated on the degree to which they are well organized, thorough, and represent a sound collection of quality resources (not sure if something is quality, ask!). Binder content should cover the basics of the United Nations (such as the UN Charter, the UN structure--or other international body depending on your assignment for the conference), Model UN/conference rules, conference information and procedures, and country and issue background information (including a highlighted version of the conference-provided background guide and primary source information on your country's foreign policy) and analysis (including highlighted scholarly articles and news stories on your country and issues--PLEASE DO NOT FORGET THIS. THIS WAS THE GREATEST STUMBLING BLOCK FOR STUDENTS LAST YEAR). Please also include information on other important countries' positions on the issues before your committee. A detailed table of contents should introduce the material in the binder (see a sample here). The binder project is worth 10% of the final course grade. Binders are due November 5.
Position Papers for the Conference
It is standard procedure at Model United Nations conferences for delegates to produce position papers on the issues before their committees written from the perspective of their assigned countries (so you might have two or three issues to cover for this assignment). Guidelines for position papers are available from http://www.unausa.org/modelun. Please note what needs to be included in a position paper from the UNA website). Further suggestions and samples are available from: http://www.canimun.org/english/res_004.shtml. The Southern Regional Model United Nations has its own guidelines. Please refer to those at http://www.srmun.org/docs/position_paper_guidelines.pdf. Make sure your position paper contains a clear statement of your country's position on the issue, background to your country's involvement on the issue domestically (how does it affect you? past laws, past government action like signing international agreements) and thinking about the international aspects of the issue that will be negotiated at the conference (what do you want to do in the international arena about this issue?), justification for your country's policy choices (relevant data). Use quotations from your country's president, prime minister, or foreign minister to buttress your positions for the richest paper.
Because of differing personalities, some students will participate more visibly than others. Some are more shy, some more gregarious. But, all can in their own way engage themselves actively in the simulation, trying to grapple with the issues and attempting to get their country's point of view across to other delegates. Whether one is quiet or outgoing by constitution, all can participate in shaping the outcome of
their committees through speechmaking, behind-the-scenes consensus building, resolution drafting, or creative development of salable compromises.
Hints on speaking: Be lofty and inspiring but also have specific proposals. Reflect Canada's interest but persuade others that what you propose is best for them, too. Practice in advance to get your time right. Have two or three take-away lessons that you hammer home again and again. Make your most important points memorable. Greet your fellow delegates, thank the chair for the opportunity to speak. Learn the diplomatic lingo.
Foreign Policy and the World System
How do you decide what your country's foreign policy should be? Today is a crash course on where foreign policy comes from.
Reading: James Lee Ray and Juliet Kaarbo. "Inside States: The Making of Foreign Policy." Global Politics (8th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co, 2002, pp. 137-174.
Recommended: Richard Haass. "The Age of Nonpolarity: What Will Follow US Dominance." Foreign Affairs. May-June 2008.
Consider: How is foreign policy made? How do you decide what positions and actions your country should take? What is diplomacy? What is the world system like now?
Activity 1: Discuss foreign policy and diplomacy. Put it together for a selection of countries on a contemporary issue.
Activity 2: What is the world system like now? How does it matter for the UN? for Model UN?
Activity 3: Looking ahead: Discuss position papers, due in about a month.
Find Model United Nations research guide online as a way to assist you in preparing to research your country and issue/s. The guide can be found at
http://people.uncw.edu/tanp/ModelUNResearchGuide.html. Writing Resolutions
Come prepared: Find UN SC resolutions 1809 and 1820 (2008)
http://www.un.org/documents/scres.htm. Find UN GA resolutions 62/209 on South-South Cooperation and 62/168 on human rights in Iran (2007)
http://www.un.org/documents/resga.htm. Reading: Take a look at sample/past resolutions. Discuss: What's going on at the UN this month?
peer evaluation
Issues at the United Nations
Critical Views of the United Nations/corruption
Reading: Eric Shawn, The U.N. Exposed: How the United Nations Sabotages America's Security and Fails the World. No place of publication: Sentinel, 2006. pp. 60-87.
Recommended: UN Under-Secretary General responds to typical criticisms of UN. See, Shashi Tharoor on "Have Your Say," BBC World, September 24, 2006, available at
http://www.shashitharoor.com/STforSG/interviews/bbc25sept06.html.
Negotiating
Reading: Roger Fisher and William Ury, Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without Giving In, New York: Penguin, 1983. Selections.
Conference Preparation
Homework: Draft a sample resolution that might emerge from your committee.
Be prepared to discuss: What are possible solutions to the issues before your committee? Think creatively and do research. What are some ideas people have proposed on these topics?
Activity: Public speaking exercise. Present a one minute speech on an issue before your committee.
Looking ahead: You should be getting ready for Atlanta: Know your issues and your country cold. Go through all the Model UN skills we've covered in the syllabus. Watch UN webcasts to learn the language of diplomats. Start thinking now about creative solutions to the problems before your committee. Go in to the conference with a head start on thinking about what the countries can do TOGETHER to get to
solution. Write out six one-minute speeches on issues before your committee. Practice them in front of your parents, roommate, significant other, or pet.
Discuss: What's going on in the world? Anything relevant to the conference that we should know about? Discuss: What behavior will help you succeed at the conference? Attend all sessions, work with others to build coalitions (remember to give other something), be active in debates and speak well, be well informed about your country issue, be creative and positive.
• Remember to learn about other countries' agendas. Don't come in thinking you can just stick to your agenda. Be assertive but also be flexible.
• Think about resolution IDEAS and OPTIONS before going to Atlanta. DON'T WRITE A WHOLE RESOLUTION IN ADVANCE; it won't succeed without collaboration in
creation. You've thought about your country's positions, but how are you concretely going to solve the problems presented in the issues before your committee? You oppose landmines, but what are you concretely going to do about them? Removal, a ban, education of people. THINK OF OPTIONS. Research the issue to learn about proposals that exist.
• Use the regional blocs your country takes part in as a way to advance your ideas and develop allies.
• Remember to act in character with your country's foreign policy and its diplomatic style. It's not your opinion you'll be showcasing at SRMUN but your country's position.
• Know the news about your country and YOUR ISSUE up to the minute. Being a source of knowledge for the committee can make you and your input invaluable. • Get on the speakers list!
• You are good enough and well prepared enough to impact your committee
significantly. Go get 'em!
