TMF Guides · Model UN
Unmoderated Caucus: Where MUN Committees Are Really Decided
An unmoderated caucus suspends formal debate so delegates can leave their seats, form blocs, and negotiate directly. Awards are won and lost here far more often than in formal speeches, and most first-time delegates waste the entire block.
What happens in the room
Within thirty seconds of an unmod being passed, the room splits into clusters. Each cluster is an emerging bloc, and each bloc will eventually produce a working paper.
The delegates who end up holding the pen on that working paper are the ones the chair will most often place highest in awards, because they visibly shaped the outcome.
How to use it properly
Do not join the largest circle. Join the second largest and make yourself indispensable to it, or start a third one around a clause nobody else is covering.
Carry a written clause with you. Arriving with drafted text rather than an opinion changes the conversation immediately.
- Move within the first ten seconds — hesitation costs you the bloc.
- Bring one operative clause already written.
- Collect names and country allegiances; you will need signatories.
- Return to your seat before the chair calls the room back to order.
Raising the motion
The motion is simple: "Motion for an unmoderated caucus of 15 minutes." No speaking time and no topic are required.
Chairs generally cap unmods at 15 to 20 minutes and will reject repeated requests if the committee is not producing documentation.
Frequently asked questions
How long should an unmoderated caucus be?
Fifteen minutes is standard. Twenty is reasonable when the committee is actively drafting; anything longer usually gets ruled dilatory.
Do you have to stay in your seat during an unmoderated caucus?
No. Delegates are free to move around the room, which is the entire point of the format.
Are unmoderated caucuses scored by the chair?
Chairs actively watch them. Who leads a bloc, who drafts, and who mediates disputes are all noted, even though no formal speech is delivered.
Keep reading
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.
How to Write a MUN Resolution
MUN resolution format explained — preambulatory and operative clauses, phrase lists, sponsors and signatories, amendments and how resolutions actually pass.
MUN Awards: What Chairs Are Actually Scoring
Best Delegate, High Commendation, Special Mention and Verbal Mention explained — what chairs score, how marking works, and how to position yourself for an award.
Put it into practice
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