TMF Guides · Model UN
How to Write a MUN Resolution
A resolution is the document a committee exists to produce. It has a rigid format, a fixed vocabulary, and a political process behind it — and delegates who understand all three are the ones the chair remembers at awards.
The format
A resolution is one long sentence. It opens with the committee name, runs through preambulatory clauses that establish context, then operative clauses that state action, and ends with a full stop.
Preambulatory clauses begin with italicised participles and end with commas. Operative clauses are numbered, begin with underlined active verbs, and end with semicolons — except the last, which takes a full stop.
- Preambulatory phrases: Recognising, Deeply concerned, Noting with regret, Recalling, Bearing in mind.
- Operative phrases: Calls upon, Urges, Requests, Establishes, Decides, Encourages, Condemns.
- Sponsors: the delegations that wrote it. Signatories: delegations that want it debated.
Writing operative clauses that survive
Every strong operative clause answers four questions: who acts, what they do, how it is funded, and how compliance is verified. Clauses that skip funding and verification get amended out.
Use sub-clauses to carry detail rather than stuffing one clause with three ideas.
Getting it passed
Collect signatories before the chair calls for working papers — the threshold is usually a fixed fraction of the committee.
Then negotiate the friendly amendments early. A resolution that absorbs its opposition before voting procedure almost always passes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between preambulatory and operative clauses?
Preambulatory clauses establish context and justification. Operative clauses state the actions the committee decides to take, and are numbered.
How many sponsors does a resolution need?
It varies by conference, but typically two or more sponsors plus signatories totalling around 20 percent of the committee.
Can a resolution be amended during voting?
Amendments are debated and voted before the resolution as a whole. Friendly amendments accepted by all sponsors are usually incorporated without a vote.
Keep reading
MUN Rules of Procedure, In the Order You'll Use Them
The complete MUN rules of procedure in order of use — roll call, speakers' list, motions, points of order and inquiry, yields, and voting procedure.
Unmoderated Caucus: Where MUN Committees Are Really Decided
How unmoderated caucus works in a MUN committee, how blocs form, how working papers get drafted, and how to avoid wasting the most important twenty minutes of committee.
MUN Position Paper Format
The standard MUN position paper format — header, background, country stance, proposed solutions — with word counts, structure and the mistakes that get papers ignored.
Put it into practice
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