Researching your Position Papers

 

Step 1.) Research

• Before you can take part in a Model UN Conference, you must first get a country.
  
  • After you are assigned a country and know the topic, it then becomes YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to RESEARCH ...
    
    • your country. You do this by completing a Country Profile
      (Example A).
      
      • Ex: Japan, Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Mexico
        
      • The best place to get started researching your country is the CIA World Factbook. However, if you only cite the Factbook, your profile will be weak.
        

        
         

        
         

• After researching your country, you will be told what the topic of your conference will be.
  
  • Now, it becomes YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to RESEARCH ...
    
    • The issue.
      
      • Find out what it is and understand why it is a problem.
        
        • Get statistics, videos, and pictures of the problem
          
      • Learn the history of the problem
        
    • Learn your countries position on the topic?
      
      • Learn the history of your country and the problem
        
      • Learn what your countries position is on the problem
        
        • It may NOT be in your countries best interest to fix the problem.
          
    • Examples
      
      • Nuclear Disarmament
        
      • The Eradication of Child Labor
        
• As you research your country and issue, you must CITE YOUR SOURCES MLA style.
  

  
   

  • To see MLA Style, go to <http://www.easybib.com> for an example.
    
    • You will need to show your works cited/bibliography in alphabetical order so you can show where you got your information from.
      
      • Example Works Cited (Example G)
        

      
       

  • Use a variety of sources. Try to include...
    
    • library books.
      
    • current periodicals (newspapers)
      
      • Be careful here...You must make sure that the news organization is not biased towards one country. For example, is Xinhua News a reliable source for news about China?
        
    • scholarly journals.
      
      • http://journalseek.net/
        
    • The UN Website
      
      • <www.un.org>
        
    • Model UN sites
      
      • <http://www.unimun.org/unimun_handbook.html>
        
    • Global Policy
      
      • <www.globalpolicy.org>
        
    • For currency exchanges, go to
      
      • <http://www.xe.com/>
        
    • CIA World Factbook
      
      • <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/>
        

        
         

  • Here are important questions to ask yourself while you research.
    
    • What is the problem? How does it affect your country?
      
    • What has your country done to combat the problem?
      
    • What are the various "sides" in the debate?
      
    • Which aspects of the issue are most important to your country?
      
    • If your country is not involved with the issue, how can it become involved?
      
    • How will your country shape the debate at the conference?
      
    • What arguments will other countries make?
      
    • How do the positions of other countries affect your country's position?
      
    • Is there evidence/statistics to help to back up your country's position?
      

      
       

• After researching your country, the issue, and how the issue affects your country, it is now YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to fuse all of those ideas into a POSITION PAPER.
  

  
   

Step 2.) Position Paper

• After you create a country profile and research your issue, you and your other group members will meet and create a position paper.
  
• A position paper is your countries' response to the topic.
  
• A position paper is a paper that is 3 TO 4 PAGES LONG that...
  

  
   

  • gives some background information on the problem (1/2 page).
    
    • How has the problem developed?
      
    • Why is it important that the UN fixes the problem?
      

      
       

  • talks about past United Nations Involvement (1/2 page).
    
    • How, When and Why did the UN become involved with this problem?
      
    • What did the UN and other NGO's do when they became involved?
      
      • How successful was their solution?
        
      • How did the world respond to the solution?
        
    • Avoid making a statement such as "The UN did ___________ and this led to ____________."
      
    • Give solutions that your country wants to propose. You should propose AT LEAST TWO – THREE SOLUTIONS.
      

      
       

  • explains your countries' policy and past actions in regards to the issue (1 page).
    
    • Explain your policy on the topic.
      
    • Explain why your country is involved with the topic?
      
    • What actions has your country done in the past to solve the problem?
      

      
       

  • proposes at least two to three solutions (1 page).
    
    • Before you propose your ideas, ask yourselves these questions.
      
      • Is the solution feasible? Will it cost too much money?
        
      • Has the UN tried this solution before?
        
      • What will NGO's do to carry out your solution?
        
      • What will happen if we implement your solution?
        
        • Will there be any unexpected problems because of this solution? If so, how will we fix them?
          
      • Is this solution in you countries' best interest?
        
      • Is this solution in the world's best interest?
        
      • Do not pick a solution that your country will not like.
        
      • Do not pick a solution that the world will not like.
        
      • Most importantly, BE SPECIFIC! Exactly what will happen with your solution.
        

        
         

• An excellent position paper will be...
  
  • 3-4 pages, single spaced
    
  • It's sources will be cited MLA style and it will have a bibliography.
    
  • It will follow the correct format
    
    • See Sample Position Paper (example B).
      
  • It will have background on the problem, UN involvement on the problem and two or three solutions.
    
  • There can not be NO PLAGARISM.
    
    • Plagarism is where you do not cite your sources correctly and use someone elses' research or writing as your own.
      
      • PLAGARISM WILL GET YOUR TEAM DISQUALIFIED!
        

      
       

 

• After writing a position paper, you are now ready for the actual conference. Your position papers will be used to frame your countries position. In the conference you will make SPEECHES and have DEBATES based upon you position paper.