The year 2014 is history and we hope you enjoyed the Christmas break as much as we did. However, the new year means that the New York conference is inevitably closing in and becoming more and more real. So what progress have the delegates made so far?
First of all, the delegation is preparing for its second real-life experience with a Model UN, namely the Hohenheim Castle Model United Nations 2015, which takes place already this Saturday. You can be expecting a special report from this event next week.
Most importantly, the delegation is now in the phase of writing position papers, which represent the most important outcome of preparations for the NMUN. But what exactly is a position paper?
A position paper sums up each of every three topics of the respective committee and the country’s position on it – hence the name. This requires a lot of research, as the delegated need to not only gain overview of the main documents and concepts accepted and being discussed in the UN, but also to understand the motivation, position, and behaviour of Iraq regarding very specific issues. Assessment of current issues, recommendations, and calls for action are also an integral part of the document.
What takes some getting used to is that the aim of the position paper is not to provide thorough analysis of the issue, but to promote the country itself, its interests, and its actions within the UN. Another challenge is not to waste any space and use every sentence to express something important, as the whole paper is to be only two pages long.
Given its importance, there are three deadlines to hand in the position papers. The final versions are then sent to New York, where they are evaluated. The first versions were completed before Christmas and the delegates are now busy re-working them, trying to implement the feedback of the Head Delegates to make their position papers as good as possible. Wish them luck!