To become a Churkin Moscow International Model UN delegate, one should demonstrate a thorough understanding of the Committee’s agenda. Answering the questions is the first step in the selection process and plays a key role in the formation of the Committee.

From whose perspective should one respond?

At the selection stage, when a country has not yet been assigned, the expert expects not the personal opinion of a student, but the position of a future representative of a country’s delegation. This means that you speak as a potential representative of a state in the Security Council, even if the specific country has not yet been named.

If the question concerns the Security Council’s agenda, you reason from the standpoint of the interests of international peace and security, and not of abstract pacifism. You are not obliged to defend a specific country, but you are obliged to show that you understand: every member of the Security Council has national interests, and the delegate will be obliged to uphold them.

When answering the expert’s question, adhere to a strict structure:

1. Positioning: in one or two sentences, clearly state what the question is about and what the framework of interests of the country you represent is.
2. Argumentation supported by a source or precedent: in two or three sentences, name a specific document, resolution, article of the Charter or historical example.
3. Conclusion or proposal: in one sentence, formulate, from position to argument and to practical conclusion, what this means for the work of the delegate.

Accessible sources for use in substantiating answers to questions:

Priority is given to the Charter of the United Nations, above all Chapters V–VII, to Security Council resolutions with an indication of the number, year and key blocks of official documents, as well as to reports of the Secretary-General on specific missions.

Among the strong sources are notes and statements of the President of the Council and the annual reports of the Council to the General Assembly. Reports of expert groups on sanctions regimes and materials of relevant United Nations agencies are admissible.

 Restrictions when answering questions:

1) One should NOT rely on news publications without a reference to a document, blogs, Wikipedia or personal opinions outside the United Nations. When asked about a source, one must name the number of a resolution or a paragraph of the Charter.

2) One should not say “I believe” – the correct formulation is “from the point of view of the delegate”.

3) One should not invent resolution numbers: in the absence of an exact reference, one must honestly state that the number is not named, but that the substance amounts to the corresponding provision.

4) One should not resort to pacifist slogans, since the Council is empowered to apply sanctions and force.

5) One should not ignore procedure: it is necessary to show an understanding of the veto, quorum and the distinction between procedural and substantive matters.

General requirements:

Volume: 180–250 words.

Originality: not less than 85%.

A position statement constitutes a formal expression of a particular state’s view on a particular international issue within a meeting of the United Nations system. It reflects the state’s opinion and interests in the international arena, together with its strategic approach to addressing global challenges.

Recommendations for preparing a position statement

It is recommended that you acquaint yourself with the manner in which the agenda is relevant to the state you represent. To this end, you should consult the websites of agencies and non-profit organisations engaged with the issue in question. Scholarly articles examining the relevance of the agenda within the country or region should likewise be reviewed. Pertinent information may additionally be found in media publications; however, the position of the state must rest upon credible sources.

The position of the state should further be considered as expressed in its speeches at United Nations meetings. Verbatim records of meetings yield valuable insight into the state’s perspective on international issues.

The contribution of the state to the problem should then be examined. To this end, consideration should be given to the country’s status under international agreements, as well as to its accountability for treaty compliance.

It is further advisable to set out several bullet points concerning the relevance of the problem to the state, the country’s key activities in tackling the global problem, and the principal challenges encountered in attaining the goals and solutions.

The theses should be systematised and presented logically in a coherent speech format. It should be ensured that the speech is businesslike in style and free of aggressive or provoking statements.

Requirements

The speech should be designed to take between 2 and 5 minutes.
Originality: at least 80%
Structured and logical presentation.
Use of official sources.

Formatting

The position statement is formatted in a document and sent to an expert via the Committee’s mail for verification.
Font – Times New Roman;
Font size – 14;
Alignment – justified.
Interval – 1.5;
Margins – at least 2.5 cm on each side.

The expert’s report will be published later