Foreword:

The best way to be ready for a Model United Nations conference is to write a position paper. Through the position paper your country will express its policies, ideas, and position on the topic at hand. 

 

VMUNC is a conference that integrates research into the rigorous debate in conference. Each position paper should be a reflection on your country’s position on the issue in the debate. It will be judged along with your performance for committee awards and is needed for research awards. It is highly recommended that delegates who wish to register to do a position paper in order to build a foundation of knowledge to help prepare you for debate. 

If you have chosen to write a position paper then make sure to follow the guidelines provided below. VMUNC believes that while you may come to the committee prepared with an overwhelming amount of research, writing a concise 3-page research paper like the one we have outlined below is incredibly helpful for writing a position paper.

 

Overview:
In order to write a three-page paper, it is highly recommended that you follow the outline provided below. It serves as a guide to show what exactly we are looking for in a position paper. Your goal is to condense the hundreds (hopefully) of research articles to a comprehensive stance on the issue in no more than just a few pages. 

What we are looking for is 

• Comprehensive understanding of the situation 

• An organized and argumentative structure 

• Original thinking that follows with the policy of the represented state 

• An attitude of seriousness to the issues in question

 

Past and Current* International Action:

Research previous and current actions/solutions that have been implemented to combat the issue. This will allow you to see how the topic has changed over time, and you can observe which solutions have worked and which haven’t. This can give you ideas as you form your own solutions to the topic. Go beyond just mentioning these actions: analyze them and how they have affected the issue and all parties involved. Provide in-depth analysis of both the actions discussed in the topic synopsis and actions that aren’t mentioned but still relevant to the topic at hand. 

For crisis talk about any action your character has done towards (or against) peace in the past*

 

Country/Character Position: 

When you write this, the most important thing is to take the position of the country/character, and not fall back on your own beliefs. Figure out what stance your delegation takes on the issue being discussed. Your country/character’s stance may come from policies implemented within your delegation and actions taken by government officials. Remember, your position will likely to lead to your proposed solutions. Truly understanding your country/character will lead to solutions that are more creative, better quality, and consistent with your country/character. 

 

Proposed Solutions:

This is arguably the most important part of your paper. The goal is to combine past and current action along with your country’s position in order to propose viable solutions to the issues at hand. This section is integral to the debate that will follow the paper at the actual conference; make sure it is well-written, feasible, and concise. 

 

Questions to Consider:

The chairs have written 5 questions to guide your thinking as you formulate solutions to the topic. Pick 2 of these questions and write in-depth responses to them. This is a chance for you to address specific areas of the topic and  how your country would respond to them. In some cases, this is also a chance for you to address counter-arguments, even if you don’t agree with them.   

 

Format:

• Please submit in .doc, .docx, or .pdf

• 1 inch margins on all sides

• Indicate in your header your committee, country, and topic

  • please do not include your name or school name

• Typed, 12 point Times New Roman Font, double-spaced

• 3 page maximum; not including the bibliography

• All citations should be done in the MLA format

 

Due Dates:

Oct 3rd- Position Paper for committee awards and research awards