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Welcome the the Springfield Township High School International Affairs Club Wiki! This is the arena for members to prepare for the demands and rigors of the simulation.

Delegates are fundamental to any Model UN Conference. A delegate's job is to research the positions of a UN Member nation, both on the specific topics that will be discussed at the Conference and as a general overview of that nation's policies. Delegates should then be able to prepare draft resolutions to be submitted for debate at the Conference.
 * The Model United Nations simulations expect that as a REPRESENTATIVE I understand the following:**

Finally, delegates attend the Conference to represent their nation in discussing the resolutions presented. Delegates should always be concerned with accurately representing their assigned nation's views and policies rather then any individual views they may hold. When delegates reach the floor of the Model UN Conference, they assume the role of the Distinguished Representative from their country, with all the rights and responsibilities which that entails.

At the Conference, Representatives in the role of their countries' spokesperson will debate the issues on the agenda for discussion. They will also draft and discuss resolutions, caucus with Representatives who are role playing other countries, and work to solve the problems facing the world. In the UN today, nations will usually debate an item in an attempt to reach a consensus that can be agreed to by all, or at least most, nations. The resolutions under discussion at UNIMUN can be accepted by consensus, adopted, amended, combined or even debated to the point that no final document can be produced on a given issue.

UNIMUN is a simulation of the UN. By its very nature, the quality and tone of debate will be dramatically different than in the "real" UN. In the UN, Representatives and their consular staffs spend months in preparation, "behind doors" caucusing, and interacting with other nations before an issue is brought to a vote. A UN Representative, Foreign Minister or Head of State, will almost always make a prepared speech that will not be "news" to the other Representatives present.
 * ROLE PLAYING**

At UNIMUN, Representatives will only have three days to assume the role of their nation's Representative and simulate the actions of the UN. This consolidation of time leads to many different circumstances with which each country will have to contend. Among the considerations is the fact that Representatives will rarely have the opportunity to make a pre-written speech on a topic. Instead, they will often be forced to verbally react to circumstances as they arise, and they may be in a position where it is reasonable to reinterpret their nation's position in light of new facts. Representatives should not simply read from their country's established record on the issues presented; they should be prepared to compromise with the other nations represented, and adapt their policies where needed to meet the current circumstances of the world as simulated at the Conference.

Note that this in no way gives delegations license to act "out of character." Representatives should research and generally follow the policies of their country, modifying these as new circumstances dictate. Successful role playing involves walking a careful line on policy; avoid the extremes of either reading verbatim a country's past statements, or creating ad hoc policy with no previous basis.