A Guide to Drafting Resolutions

A draft resolution is any resolution that still has not been voted on. Each draft resolution is one sentence long, separated by commas or semicolons. The subject of the sentence would be the body making the statement. In this case, the Security Council would be the body making the statement, so the Security Council should be the constant subject throughout the resolution. The structure of draft resolutions is composed of three different sections: the heading, the perambulatory clauses, and the operative clauses. Draft resolutions always use formal writing, with no use of personal pronouns at all. Delegates have the freedom to draft their resolutions alone, or to work in collaboration with other delegates that represent similar opinions. Another common way of drafting resolutions is by each delegate writing their own resolution, then merging resolutions that complement each other well. When it comes to drafting resolutions, following the steps outlined below wil l make sure the draft resolution is thorough: well-researched, well-written, and well-argued. 1. Understand the Issue at Hand First and foremost, you should understand the issue that you will be drafting a resolution for. Understanding the issue will allow you to have a clear idea of what has already been done, what has succeeded, and what has failed. By understanding those things, you will be able to develop your own arguments to what could be possibly done. A common mistake that delegates often make early on in the resolution drafting process, is that they do not research the topic well enough. This ends up causing their resolutions to be either redundant, or unviable when it comes to implementation. For example, it might be useful to create in your resolution a UN committee dedicated to a certain cause if one already exists, or it might be not viable to ask for logistics worth billions of dollars that the UN cannot spare. Furthermore, understanding the issue at hand would help you understands the politics behind certain topics (national interests, alliances, etc), what the other delegates are likely to think, and the context of the topic in general.

2. Understand Your Country s Position One of the most important things to keep in mind when drafting a resolution is that you are not expressing your personal opinion on the matter at hand. Rather you are expressing the opinions of the country you are representing. Understanding your country s position involves you understanding your country s national interests when it comes to the matter at hand, what your government officials have said previously about the topic, what your government officials have done previously about the topic (keep in mind said and done are often two different things in politics), and what your government would be willing to do. The best way to approach this step, is to write a position paper or a policy statement, that would help guide you through the rest of the process. For further research and understanding, look over previous resolutions that your country has voted for or against, to understand what is acceptable and what is not. Note: it is also important to keep in mind that countries change their opinions just like people do, especially since the people in governments change often. If there has been a recent regime change, it would be wise to concentrate on both the new and the old to understand any shifts in the country s agenda.

3. Write the Heading Once you have done your research, it will be time to write the actual resolution. The first part of the written draft resolution would be the heading, and it should include the following information: y y y y The topic or the question (in this case it would be Darfur) The committee or the UN body making the resolution (in this case it would be the Security Council The resolution number The resolution s main submitter, co-submitter and signatories

4. Write the Perambulatory Clauses The perambulatory clauses in your resolution should set the foundations for your arguments. In this part of the draft resolution, you will be able to cite historical facts, precedents, and statements about the purpose of action. These should all serve to justify the cause of draft resolution and the purpose of the operative clauses that follow. In other words, this section should state the reason to why this committee is addressing this topic. Each perambulatory clause should begin with a present participle and end with a comma. Examples of perambulatory clauses include: y y References to the UN Charter Citations of past UN resolutions or treaties

y y y y

Mentions of statements made by a relevant UN body or agency Recognition of efforts made by various NGOs when previously dealing with the issue Statistics regarding the issue Various other statements on the topic and why it should be addressed.

Common perambulatory phrases include: Affirming Alarmed by Approving Aware of Bearing in mind Believing Confident Contemplating Convinced Declaring Deeply concerned Deeply conscious Deeply convinced Deeply disturbed Deeply regretting Desiring Emphasizing Expecting Expressing its appreciation Expressing its satisfaction Fulfilling Fully alarmed Fully aware Fully believing Further deploring Further recalling Guided by Having adopted Having considered Having considered further Having devoted attention Having examined Having heard Having received Having studied Keeping in mind Noting with regret Noting with deep concern Noting with satisfaction Noting further Noting with approval Observing Reaffirming Realizing Recalling Recognizing Referring Seeking Taking into account Taking into consideration Taking note Viewing with appreciation Welcoming

5. Write the Operative Clauses Once you have are policies that the resolution is designed to create. Use them to explain what the committee will do to address the issue. The operative clauses each begin with a verb (which is called an operative phrase), and ends with a semicolon. Unlike perambulatory clauses, operative clauses MUST be numbered and most follow some logical or chronological order (what needs to be done first).

Each clause should contain one main idea, but given that clauses should be thorough and not vague, sub clauses are often used to elaborate upon the main idea. The final clause should follow a format similar to the following: 1. Clause 1: main idea, i. Sub clause 1, a. Sub-sub-clause a, b. Sub-sub-clause b, ii. Sub clause 2; 2. Clause 2: second main idea, which progresses from the first; 3. Clause 3: third and final main idea.

Common operative phrases include: Accepts Affirms Approves Authorizes Calls Calls upon Condemns Confirms Congratulates Considers Declares accordingly Deplores Designates Draws the attention Emphasizes Encourages Endorses Expresses its appreciation Expresses its hope Further invites Deplores Designates Emphasizes Encourages Endorses Expresses its appreciation Expresses its hope Further invites Further proclaims Further reminds Further recommends Further requests Further resolves Has resolved Notes Proclaims Reaffirms Recommends Regrets Reminds Requests Solemnly affirms Strongly condemns Supports Takes note of Transmits Trusts

NOTE: when creating operative clauses some of the most important things to keep in mind are the following: y y y Be careful to not infringe upon national sovereignty Make sure you are not redundant Make sure you are thorough (do not only explain what, but also explain when, how, how much, etc)

4. Lobby Once you have completed drafting your resolution, you should lobby it. When lobbying your resolution, your main purpose is to basically sell it, and get people on board with your ideas. The best method to use when lobbying, is to approach countries that you know share similar views to you, or that are your allies. These are the countries most likely to listen to you. When lobbying, try to get as many signatories onto your resolution as possible. Signatories do not necessarily agree with the resolution, but they wish to discuss it. By getting signatories, you convince the chair that your resolution is of common interest and is worth debating. 5. Merge After lobbying for your resolution, you should have an idea of who is interested in what topic, and who shares views similar to yours. Once you have an idea of who is interested, you can either ask them to sponsor your resolution as it is, or you can merge your resolution with theirs. There can be as many sponsors as those wishing to be involved; however there must be one main submitter, and the rest can all be co-submitters. If you merge your resolution, you might wish to do some more lobbying for it before submitting it. 6. Submit to the Chair Once you are pleased with the final version of your draft resolution, you can submit it to the chair for debate. 7. Discuss If you are the main submitter or the co-submitter, you are going to have to go up and read your resolution and speak for it. When speaking for your resolution, you should make sure to not put whoever is listening to you to sleep. So you have to be brief (also you do not want the chair to tell you to come to your closing remarks ), but you have to make good use of your time to point out to the strongest points in your resolution. NOTE: when discussing your draft resolution, it might seem as though a lot of people share a similar negative point, or as though there are things that need to be fixed. This does NOT mean that your resolution is bound to fail. On the contrary, the whole purpose of the UN and MUN is to be constructive rather than destructive. For that reason, we have a useful tool called amendments. If you, or another delegate, believe that a resolution could be stronger if it were amended, you can write your amendment, give it to the chair, discuss it with the whole body, and finally vote on it. Unless it is a friendly amendment (which is a technical amendment that fixes grammar or wording without affecting the content), then it will pass unless there is an objection.

General Resource for a More Detailed Overview: http://www.unausa.org/munpreparation

Link to all the UN Resolutions Passed About Darfur http://www.un.org/apps/news/docs.asp?Topic=Sudan&Type=Resolution