TMF Guides · Model UN
The MUN Opening Speech
Your opening speech is the only moment where the entire committee is listening to you without competition. Delegates who treat it as a formality lose the room in the first block and spend the rest of the conference climbing back.
A structure that works in 90 seconds
Open with a single sharp line that frames the problem — a statistic, a consequence, or a contradiction. Then state your country's position in one sentence, give two supporting arguments, and close with the specific action you want the committee to take.
That is roughly 200 words. Read it aloud with a timer; almost every first draft runs long.
- Hook — one line, no throat-clearing.
- Position — one sentence, unambiguous.
- Two arguments — evidence, not adjectives.
- Call to action — a named, concrete measure.
Delivery
Speak to the chair and the room, not to your notes. Pause after your hook — silence is the cheapest emphasis available.
End cleanly and yield: "The delegate yields the floor to the chair." Trailing off costs you more credibility than running short.
What to cut
Cut the honourable-chair-fellow-delegates preamble to a maximum of five words. Cut every sentence that describes the agenda generally — the committee already knows the agenda.
Cut quotations from famous people. Chairs hear the same three quotes at every conference.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a MUN opening speech?
Usually 60 to 90 seconds, occasionally two minutes in smaller committees. Write to the shortest limit.
How do you start a MUN speech?
With a single-sentence hook that frames the problem, then your country's position. Keep the formal address to a few words.
Should I read my opening speech?
Speak from bullet points. Reading verbatim flattens delivery and chairs notice immediately.
Keep reading
How to Prepare for a MUN in Seven Days
A day-by-day preparation plan for a Model UN conference — research, position paper, speeches, bloc strategy and what to carry into committee.
Moderated Caucus: The Format That Decides Most MUN Committees
What a moderated caucus is, how to raise one, how speaking time and total time work, and how to actually dominate a moderated caucus as a delegate.
MUN Tips for Beginners
Practical MUN tips for first-time delegates — what to do in the first hour, how to get on the speakers' list, note passing, bloc joining and avoiding beginner mistakes.
Put it into practice
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