Free MUN course
The Model UN Masterclass
Practical lessons from award-winning MUNers, covering the essentials from procedure to drafting.
How does MUN work?
The basics. So you always know what's going on.
- Resources
- Find definitions of all important terms in our MUN glossary
- Read real-world UN Security Council resolutions.
- Exercises
- Deliver a 1-minute speech in front of a mirror on the topic Pizza vs. Burgers. Take into account the three essential speech guidelines of the General Speakers' List.
- What's the difference between being "present" and being "present and voting"? Show answer
- What is a moderated caucus? Show answer
- How can I ask the chair about how the rules of procedure work when in session? Show answer
- What's the most important thing to know about MUN? Show answer
Research
How to prepare for your next conference without wasting time.
- Resources
- Read some actual Security Council resolutions.
- Find country facts in the CIA World Factbook.
- Discover more about your country using the Freedom House Index.
- Exercises
- Discover background information on the topic of your next conference. If you're just practicing search for the current agenda of the UNGA Security Council resolutions and pick the first topic they are going to discuss.
- Discover who your allies are. If you are preparing for a specific conference search for allies of the country assigned to you, else pick a random country.
- Figure out your country's (approximate) policy on the issue and write a 300 word abstract about it.
Speeches
How to overcome anxiety and deliver award-winning speeches.
- Resources
- Our friends from Wisemee assembled a list of 20 public-speaking tips for Model UN.
- On the UN Web TV page for the General Assembly you can find an archive of speeches. Finding one of the country you're representing can give you a great idea of what tone you might want to strike during your speeches too. UN Web TV.
- Watch this speech this speech by Barack Obama, by some considered the speech that made him president.
- Exercises
- Which elements can you use to deliver a great speech in MUN? Show answer
- To get a sense for the time limit start by scripting and delivering in front of a mirror a 60s speech on why weekends should be three days instead of two.
- Deliver a 60s speech in front of a mirror on the topic of why coffee and tea should be drank out of mugs instead of glass cups. Give yourself no more than 90s to prepare and only note bullet points.
- Deliver a 90s speech on why it should be international law that every person in the world should have your favorite food at least once a week. Prepare for no more than 60s and only note bullet points.
Documents
How to write working papers and resolutions that hold up in committee.
- Resources
- Exercises
- What's the purpose of a position paper?Show answer
- Which elements can you use to deliver a great speech in MUN? Show answer
- What is the difference between operative clauses and preambulatory clauses in a draft resolution? Show answer
- In which three kinds of ways can amendments change operative clauses of a draft resolution? Show answer
- Which questions should any operative clause answer? Show answer
- Write an operative clause with the goal of trying to get member states to ensure that every fast food restaurant also has broccoli on the menu. It should answer all questions every operative clause should answer. Remember, no full stops are allowed in clauses. Example solution
Read next
- How to research your country for Model UNHow to research your country for Model UN: find its speeches and votes in UN records, fill in a one-page profile and build a position when it has said nothing.
- How to write a MUN resolution (format, clauses and a full example)How to write a MUN resolution: the UN format, preambulatory and operative clause lists, a real UN resolution, a practice sample and a printable template.
- Crisis committees in Model UN: directives, crisis notes and the backroomHow MUN crisis committees work: write directives that pass and crisis notes the backroom accepts, use your portfolio powers, and practise with two exercises.
- MUN rules of procedure: points, motions, caucuses and voting explainedMUN rules of procedure for first-timers: follow one session from roll call to the final vote, with what to say at each step and a printable cheat sheet.
- Your first Model UN conference: the day, step by stepYour first Model UN conference, step by step: roll call, your first one-minute speech, the caucus, what to wear and what to pack, with two practice exercises.