The MUN Mini Study Guide

(UP MUN)

Main Organs of the United Nations

General Assembly
The General Assembly (GA) is the main and highest deliberative, policymaking, and
representative organ of the United Nations consisted of 193 member states. Member states have
one vote each and they discuss significant global issues through the six (6) committees of the
GA. According to Article 18 of the UN Charter, a vote of two-thirds majority of members with
present and voting status in the GA is required to pass a resolution.
The six committees are as follows:
GA 1 Disarmament and International Security
GA 1 discusses issues dealing with the prevention of arms and weapons trade that could
establish a threat to global and regional security. Broader outlook of the issues in Security
Council are discussed in this committee.
GA 2 Economic and Financial
Nations growth through economic development is the focus of GAs second committee.
Unlike Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), economic issues discussed in GA 2 are more
likely linked to sustainable development. This committee discusses economic issues in a more
general perspective.
GA 3 Social, Humanitarian and Cultural
The third committee of GA focuses on each member states marginalized sectors. GA 3
discusses feasible methods on how nations can progress and be protected while preserving their
history and culture.
GA 4 Special Political and Decolonization
The stability of policies and governments is the concern of GA 4. This committee also
evaluates a countrys sovereignty.
GA 5 Administrative and Budgetary
Solutions and efforts on global issues mostly require the establishments of UN Missions.
The fifth committee of GA is responsible for evaluating these missions on their failures and
successes. GA 5 also looks into the creation and spending of these missions budgets.

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GA 6 Legal
GA 6 looks into the legal framework of member states. This committee is also
responsible for drafting legal systems for UN Missions in order to properly execute plans of
action.

Security Council
The Security Council (SC) is mandated by the UN Charter to maintain international
peace and security. Fifteen (15) member states form the SC.
In 1963, ten (10) of its members are mandated to hold offices for two years and are
entitled to a vote per country. The geographic distribution of the 10 nonpermanent members is:
Table 1. Seats allocated per regional bloc in the Security Council

Regional Blocs

Number of Seats per Bloc

Asia *

Africa *

Eastern Europe

Latin America and Caribbean

Western Europe and Others

*Between the Asian and African nations, one must be an Arab country
Called as the Permanent Five or P5, Republic of France, Peoples Republic of China,
Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United
States hold veto powers. These countries were permitted permanent positions by the UN Charter
for leading the end of the World War II.
Resolutions concerning substantive matters require the affirmative votes of nine
members, including the agreeing votes of the P5. According to Article 25 of the UN Charter,
decisions made by SC are binding towards all member states of the UN. SC also recommends to
the GA the appointment of a new Secretary General and the admission of new members to the
UN.

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Economic and Social Council

The fifty four (54) members of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) are
responsible for the coordination and recommendations of policies in order to attain sustainable
development through economic growth. Its members are elected by the GA for a three-year term
and may be re-elected immediately. Each of its members has one vote and decisions are made
through a majority of those present and voting.
The geographic distribution of the members is mandated as:
Table 2. Seats allocated per regional bloc in the Economic and Social Council

Regional Blocs

Number of Seats per Bloc

Asia

11

Africa

14

Eastern Europe

Latin America and Caribbean

10

Western Europe and Others

13

ECOSOC has several commissions in order to efficiently address concerns under its
domain. These commissions are mostly of regional and functional type.
Table 3. ECOSOC regional and functional commissions

Regional Commissions

Functional Commissions

Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

Commission on Population and Development

Economic and Social Commission for Asia and

the Pacific (ESCAP)

Commission for Social Development

Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)

Commission on the Status of Women

Economic Commission for Latin America and

Caribbean (ECLAC)

Commission on Narcotic Drugs

Economic and Social Commission for Western Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal
Asia (ESCWA)
Justice
Commission on Science and Technology for
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Development
Commission on Sustainable Development

International Court of Justice

Based in Hague, Netherlands, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the primary
judicial organ of the UN which deals with disputes among states and those under the Charter and
international laws. ICJ can also cover cases concerning non-member states as stipulated under
the Statute of the Court. It also has the authority for legal advices to the UN organs. It is
composed of 15 justices with 9 justices making the quorum. However, the ICJ does not have
compulsory jurisdiction over all cases.

Trusteeship Council
With the independence of the last remaining trust territory, Palau, on 1 October 1994, the
Trusteeship Council suspended its operations on 1 November 1994. However, before its
operations have been suspended, the Trusteeship Council was originally made to assist the SC
and GA in handling trusteeship issues.
Members of the Council have three-year terms. As stipulated in the Charter, the Council
shall be in charge of formulating studies on the political, economic, social, and educational
advancement of the inhabitants of each trust territory. The administering authority for each trust
territory within the competence of the GA shall make an annual report to the GA based on the
results of their studies.

Secretariat
The Secretariat acts as the chief administrative organ of the UN. The Secretary-General
who heads the UN shall be appointed by the GA upon the recommendation of the Security
Council. He/she shall be the chief administrative officer of the UN and has the power to bring
any matter to the SC deemed threatening to international peace and security.
Staffs are appointed by the Secretary-General under regulations established by the GA on
the basis of necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, integrity, and
geographic diversity.

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The Resolution

What is a Resolution?
A resolution is a formal statement of prescribed actions to a UN Council, Committee, or
Commission. It consists of one long, but coherent, sentence divided into clauses and sub-clauses.
It should not embody the position of one country but rather of a majority of the UN member
states. UN resolutions are non-binding as laws with the sole exception of resolutions from the
Security Council.

Writing the Resolution

Throughout the first stage of resolution writingdrafting and revising, these documents
are referred to as working papers. Working papers are written and are then discoursed among
delegates and revised or merged as needed according to their input. In order to be formally
presented to the floor, working papers must garner a certain number of supporting member states
and then be approved by the Director/Chair for printing and distribution as draft resolutions.
The language of a UN resolution is very formal and diplomatic. The two main
components of a resolution are the (1) preambulatory and (2) operative clauses.
Background information, arguments, and current stance of the actions are contained in
the preambulatory clauses. Preambulatory clauses usually start with a present or past participle
and are separated from other clauses by commas. On the other hand, operative clauses contain
the policy statements or the proposed actions of the body making the resolution. Each operative
clause should contain only one clear, definite statement of the decision to be taken by the body.
Each operative clause should be numbered separately, arranged in a logical or chronological
sequence. Each statement must begin with a verb in the third person singular of the present tense.
Table 4. List of Some Preambulatory Phrases

Acknowledging

Expecting

Noting with appreciation

Affirming

Expressing its appreciation

Noting with approval

Alarmed by

Expressing its satisfaction

Noting with deep concern

Approving

Fully alarmed

Noting with regret

Aware of Believing

Fully believing

Noting with satisfaction

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Bearing in mind

Further deploring

Reaffirming

Congratulating

Further recalling

Realizing

Declaring

Having adopted

Recognizing

Deeply concerned

Having considered

Referring

Deeply conscious

Having devoted attention

Having examined

Taking into account

Deeply regretting
Deploring
Emphasizing

Keeping in mind
Noting further

Taking into consideration

Viewing with appreciation
Welcoming

Table 5. List of Some Operative Phrases

Accepts

Designates

Regrets

Affirms

Encourages

Requests

Approves

Endorses

Resolves

Asks

Expresses its satisfaction

Seeks

Calls for

Expresses its hope

Strongly affirms

Calls upon

Further recommends

Strongly urges

Congratulates

Hopes

Suggests

Confirms

Invites

Supports

Declares accordingly

Proclaims

Trusts

Deplores

Proposes

Transmits

Designates

Recommends

Urges

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To act as a guide in writing a working paper and draft resolution, heres a sample resolution by
The Hague International Model United Nations.

FORUM: GENERAL ASSEMBLY

QUESTION OF: Peace, security and reunification on the Korean peninsula
SUBMITTED BY: Russian Federation
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 55/11 of 31 October 2000, in which it welcomed and supported the
inter-Korean summit and the joint declaration adopted on 15 June 2000 by the two leaders of the
Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea,
Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations regarding the
maintenance of international peace and security,
Convinced that inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation are essential for consolidating peace
and security on the Korean peninsula and also contribute to peace and stability in the region and
beyond, inconformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter,
Recognizing that the summit held in Pyongyang from 2 to 4 October 2007 between the two
leaders and their Declaration on the Advancement of North-South Korean Relations, Peace and
Prosperity represent a major milestone in improving inter-Korean relations,
Recalling the statements welcoming the inter-Korean summit made on 1 October 2007 by
the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly, and recalling also the statement
welcoming the adoption of the Declaration made on 4 October 2007 by the Secretary-General,
1.

Welcomes and supports the inter-Korean summit held from 2 to 4 October 2007 and the
Declaration on the Advancement of North-South Korean Relations, Peace and Prosperity
adopted on 4 October 2007 by the two leaders of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
and the Republic of Korea;

2.

Encourages the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea to
implement the Declaration fully and in good faith, thereby consolidating peace on the Korean
peninsula and laying a solid foundation for peaceful reunification;

3.

Invites Member States to continue to support and assist, as appropriate, the process of interKorean dialogue, reconciliation and reunification so that it may contribute to peace and
security not only on the Korean peninsula but also in north-east Asia and the world as a
whole.
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References
De La Salle-College of St. Benilde Model United Nations 2014 Programme Guide. (2014). PDF.
Mehra, U.R. (2010, February). How to Help MUN Delegates Become Prepared: The MUN
Guide. PDF.
National Model United Nations Delegate Preparation Guide 2013. (2013). PDF.
Souza, P. (Photographer). (2009 September 24). US President Barack Obama chairs a United
Nations Security Council meeting [digital image]. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council
Stein, I. and Williams, D.L. (2004, October). The Hague International Model United Nations
Instructional Guide 15th Edition. PDF.
The Hague International Model United Nations Conference Basic Guidelines for New Delegates.
(n.d.). PDF.

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