NHSMUN 2017 - Faculty Preparation Guide
NHSMUN 2017 - Faculty Preparation Guide
NHSMUN 2017 - Faculty Preparation Guide
IMUNA
PREPARATION GUIDE
Prepared by:
International Model United Nations Association (IMUNA)
IMUNA, All Rights Reserved
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WELCOME TO NHSMUN 2017 ..................................................................................................................... 2
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO NHSMUN & IMUNA .......................................................................... 3
CHAPTER 2: CONFERENCE PREPARATION TIMELINES ...................................................................... 5
FACULTY TIMELINE ................................................................................................................................................................ 5
DELEGATE TIMELINE ............................................................................................................................................................ 6
CHAPTER 3: PREPARING FOR THE CONFERENCE ............................................................................... 8
NOTE ON STUDENT PREPARATION ................................................................................................................................ 8
ASSIGNING COMMITTEES .................................................................................................................................................... 8
PREPARATION PHASE 1: RESEARCH AND WRITING .............................................................................................. 10
PREPARATION PHASE 2: DEBATE PRACTICE ............................................................................................................ 12
OTHER PREPARATION AIDS .............................................................................................................................................. 12
CHAPTER 4: COMMITTEES......................................................................................................................... 13
COMMITTEES BY ORGAN .................................................................................................................................................... 13
CHAPTER 5: THE FACULTY ADVISORS ROLE AT THE CONFERENCE ........................................... 16
HOW YOU CAN HELP ............................................................................................................................................................ 16
THE FACULTY PROGRAM .................................................................................................................................................... 17
RULES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR OBSERVING SESSIONS ..................................................................................... 17
CHAPTER 6: DELEGATE AND FACULTY CONDUCT EXPECTATIONS ........................................ 19
HILTON RULES AND REGULATIONS ............................................................................................................................. 19
DELEGATE CODE OF CONDUCT .................................................................................................................................... 21
STANDARDS FOR FACULTY ADVISORS ........................................................................................................................ 22
CHAPTER 7: NHSMUN STAFF ROLES ....................................................................................................... 26
CHAPTER 8: CONFERENCE SERVICES .................................................................................................... 29
CHAPTER 9: TIPS FOR FUNDRAISING..................................................................................................... 31
AID SOURCES............................................................................................................................................................................. 31
TIPS FOR WRITING GRANT REQUEST LETTERS ...................................................................................................... 32
APPENDIX 1: TENTATIVE SCHEDULE* .................................................................................................. 35
SESSION I: .................................................................................................................................................................................... 35
SESSION II.................................................................................................................................................................................... 36
APPENDIX 2: IMPORTANT CONFERENCE DEADLINES...................................................................... 37
Jennifer Padilla
Secretary-General
sg.nhsmun@imuna.org
Nika Arzoumanian
Director-General
dg.nhsmun@imuna.org
FACULTY TIMELINE
November 2016
Substantive Checklist
Schools will be notified of country assignments, and background guides are made available
on the NHSMUN website (www.nhsmun.org) on 1 November.
Once country assignments are received, assign committees to your delegates. Please
inform the Secretary-General, Jennifer Padilla (sg.nhsmun@imuna.org) of any
committees in which your school will not be participating.
Administrative Checklist
Instructions for making reservations at the Hilton will be distributed by the SecretaryGeneral in early November. As a reminder, all schools (except for NYC commuter schools)
are required to stay at the Hilton. Please contact the NHSMUN hotel team with any questions
pertaining to your stay at hotels@imuna.org.
The Mission Briefings request form will be distributed by the Secretary-General in midNovember. You will use this form to indicate your interest in attending a briefing at the
Permanent Mission (embassy) of the country or countries your students are representing on
their GA/ECOSOC committees.
Final balance invoices will be distributed by the Secretary-General in late November and will
be due at the end of January. Please email sg.nhsmun@imuna.org if you need assistance with
your invoice.
December 2016
Substantive Checklist
If they havent already done so, students should begin background research on their assigned
country and topics. Faculty should encourage students to contact their countrys mission to
the UN, international agencies, and other organizations if they are seeking more information.
Once students have completed their background research, they should begin research for
their position papers, contacting their committee Directors with any questions they may
have (Director email addresses are available online and in the background guides).
Check in with each of your students to gauge their progress before winter break and ask
them if they have contacted their respective Directors or need any additional support.
Delegates should be encouraged to use the vacation to work on their written preparation.
Administrative Checklist
The Participant Information Forms (PIFs) and the Parent and Student Statement of
Understanding will be distributed by the Secretary-General this month.
If you will be flying to New York, begin investigating special fares and student discounts.
Contact the Secretary-General, Jennifer Padilla, at (sg.nhsmun@imuna.org) if you have any
questions regarding conference logistics.
Introduce NHSMUNs Service Learning Project (SLP) to your students. Contact the Chiefs
of External Relations, Maunica Malladi (maunica.malladi@imuna.org) and Juhee Shah
(juhee.shah@imuna.org), with any questions. They will be in touch via email to present the
project to you.
January 2017
Substantive Checklist
Have your team meet to discuss the assigned countrys role in world politics. Also encourage
the students to critique one anothers written work and fill in any gaps in research.
The entire delegations position papers (one ZIP file per school) should be submitted to
papers.nhsmun@imuna.org by 27 January.
Requests for position paper extensions beyond the above date are due to the DirectorGeneral, Nika Arzoumanian, at (dg.nhsmun@imuna.org) by 20 January.
Administrative Checklist
The remaining balance of your schools conference fee payment is due by 27 January. The
Secretary-General will distribute the final balance invoices in late November.
The Participant Information Forms (PIFs) and Faculty/Parent/Student Statements of
understanding should be electronically submitted to the Secretary-General by 27 January.
The Secretary-General will distribute these in December.
Please ensure that your school has finalized reservations at the New York Hilton by the
deadline of 27 January. Refer to the instructions sent out by the Secretary-General in
November. It is recommended that you make reservations at the hotel as soon a s possible
since the special rate is only guaranteed on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage
you to submit your reservations early and wait until the 27 January deadline to submit your
deposit payment, should you so desire.
February 2017
Substantive Checklist
Hold mock simulations and speech/question sessions throughout the month to help prepare
delegates for committee (especially delegates new to NHSMUN).
DELEGATE TIMELINE
*Please note: When preparing for NHSMUN 2017, delegates are strongly encouraged to
contact their committee Directors with any questions, comments, or concerns they may have
regarding the topics or the committee as a whole. Committee Directors serve as invaluable
resources that can help with research and aid in overall preparation. Their email addresses
can be found in the Background Guides.
November 2016
Once country assignments are received, start by researching and understanding your countrys
general domestic and foreign policies. The country profiles on NHSMUNs website
(www.nhsmun.org) are a terrific resource! Background Guides for each committee are
available on our website as well. Once you have completed your background research, begin
more specific research for your position papers.
Contact your countrys mission to the UN, as well as to international agencies and other
organizations. Websites and/or email addresses are available online.
December 2016
Check in with your Faculty Advisor before winter break to make sure that you are on track
with conference preparations.
Spend time over winter break working on your position paper. Contact your committee
Director if you have any questions regarding writing your position paper.
January 2017
Now that most of your research is finished, meet with other students within your delegation
to discuss your countrys role in world politics. It would also be beneficial to critique one
anothers written work and help each other fill in any gaps in research.
Communicate with your committee Director to ensure full understanding of your topic.
Your Faculty advisors should then save all of their students position papers together in one
ZIP file and send them to papers.nhsmun@imuna.org on or before 27 January. Each file
should be named in the following manner:
[CommitteeName]_[CountryName]_[SchoolName]
Requests for position papers extensions are due to the Director-General, Nika
Arzoumanian, at (dg.nhsmun@imuna.org) by 20 January.
February 2017
Help to arrange and regularly attend mock sessions and speech/question practices.
Learn the basics of NHSMUNs parliamentary procedure (documents explaining our rules of
procedure are available in the Delegate Preparation Guide).
Make sure you have packed the following: extra copies of your position papers, research
material, pen and paper, western business attire for 3.5 days of committee, casual wear for the
delegate dance and touring the city, snacks, food, money for meals, and personal travel
health kit (refer to CDC suggestions). (Remember: laptop use is not permitted during
NHSMUN sessions, so please plan accordingly).
ASSIGNING COMMITTEES
One of the most daunting aspects of being a Model UN advisor is the challenge of assigning
delegates to committees. The advisor has the opportunity to shape a productive delegation and
enhance the students learning experience by matching students with topics that interest them.
Schools take a wide variety of approaches to assigning committees, involving varying degrees of
advisor input. Some common methods of assigning committees include: 1) the advisor personally
assigns individuals to committees using a survey to assess student preferences and taking into account
seniority and past performance; 2) student officers make the assignments; 3) assignments are chosen
by lot or students draw numbers to determine the order in which they may choose committees.
Whichever method is used, the advisor will have some involvement in committee assignment,
if only through subtly steering students toward committees that match their individual needs and
talents.
Some factors to consider in assigning committees include:
Student interest: Students that show enthusiasm for a particular committees topics may
be better equipped to accurately represent the assigned countrys position on the topics.
Previous experience: First-time delegates may be more comfortable working with an
experienced partner on a larger committee, or representing a peripheral nation on a
smaller committee. Experienced delegates may want the challenge of one of
NHSMUNs newer simulations or more specialized committees.
Specialization: This factor can affect assignments in two different ways. Early in a students
Model UN experience, he or she may develop a specialty in, for instance, security issues
and be most comfortable participating in the Security Council or the ICJ. It may be
wise, in such cases, to allow the student to develop his or her specialty further.
However, it may also be productive to encourage a student who seems to have fallen into
a rut to explore new areas. Keep in mind that students who have specialized early in
their Model UN experiences may sometimes have rejected certain types of committees
based on gender stereotyping, noting the larger percentage of girls on social committees
and boys on economic and security committees. Encouraging students to break out of
these roles ultimately enhances the Model UN experience for all involved.
CHAPTER 4: COMMITTEES
NHSMUN is a program that stresses realistic simulation at all levels. Delegates are presented with a
conference that closely mirrors the daily workings of the United Nations. Our objective is to provide
students with an interactive simulation to add to their educational experience. Students are encouraged
to commit themselves to the Conference in the same way that real representatives are committed
to their jobs. In this guide, you will find a list of the various types of committees NHSMUN
offers that may help in assigning delegates to appropriate places within the simulation.
COMMITTEES BY ORGAN
NHSMUN is composed of organs headed by Under-Secretaries-General, as well as an Executive Staff
reporting directly to the Secretary-General. Of the organs, four out of five are considered substantive
and are made up of Committee Directors and Assistant Directors. The other organ is an
administrative unit, with a slightly different structure. The substantive organs are listed and
described below.
General Assembly Main Committees (GA Mains)
Established as the first committees of the United Nations, the GA Main Committees allow the
General Assembly to concentrate debate on particular political, social, and economic issues, while
continuing to allow participation of all Member States. The membership of each committee is the
entire complement of Member States, which currently stands at 193. Because NHSMUN allows up
to two delegates representing each country to serve on DISEC, ECOFIN, SOCHUM, SPECPOL,
and WHO, those committees will be the conferences largest.
These large committees offer a very different experience for those delegates accustomed to working
with smaller groups. Because formal debate moves slowly when so many states wish to express their
views, much of the compromise and debate necessary to the resolution process will take place in
caucuses. An involved delegation will want to take an active role in writing working papers with its
bloc and talking with other delegates to gain support for these papers, while keeping track of the
efforts of other blocs. Since each individual delegate simply cannot cover the flurry of activity that
takes place during large caucuses, delegates learn to work as a team to cover all the aspects of debate
within the committee.
Often, the more outgoing, experienced delegates, who are accustomed to large groups and fast
paced debate and caucus, thrive on the GA Main Committees. However, these committees also
represent an excellent chance to train less experienced delegates, by giving them an opportunity to
be partnered with a more experienced delegate. Less experienced delegates will still have ample
opportunities to participate in the work of the committee.
The GA Main Committees are Disarmament and International Security (DISEC), Economic and Financial
(ECOFIN), Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian (SOCHUM), Special Political and Decolonization (SPECPOL),
and World Health Organization (WHO).
Security Council: The Security Council, a separate organ of the UN, debates issues directly
threatening world security. As the only UN body authorized to mandate the use of force,
the Security Council must be able to respond immediately to a crisis situation in order to
preserve global peace. Topics addressed in the Security Council are usually recent matters
with new developments in the media almost every day. Typically, experienced delegates in
the Security Council must be highly familiar with their countries positions, as well as be up
to date on new developments. The Security Council demands that delegates be able to assimilate
new information quickly and react effectively.
Historical Security Council: In the Historical Security Council, delegates will be given the
chance to re-write history and address the issues threatening global security during historical
time periods. Delegates must study the events leading up to the crises of a chosen year. Upon
starting debate, the delegates will be given updates on the situation based on the actual events as
simulated time progresses. While delegates must represent the policies of their countries, they
are not tied to the same course of action followed in the past and are encouraged to seek new
solutions for what are now old problems. The Historical Security Council will demand creativity
and an excellent understanding of history.
International Court of Justice: This is a highly specialized body, demanding a different set of
skills from most NHSMUN committees. Students become judges, seeking to apply precepts of
International Law to the cases placed before them. Judges follow a pattern of questions
to involved parties and deliberation upon the issues involved in place of customary
procedural debate. The International Court of Justice is different from the other committees of
NHSMUN, in that the delegates hear cases based on actual concepts of International Law.
Thus, delegates must research International Law and the workings of the Court itself in
order to properly deliberate upon the cases set before it.
League of Arab States: Newly established as a continuing crisis committee at NHSMUN, the
League of Arab States is a body entirely comprised of delegations from Middle Eastern and
North African states. This year, the committee will discuss the escalating situation in Lebanon
with a particular focus on its implications for the MENA region. In addition to being suited for
the most advanced delegates, participation in the LAS will demand that delegates have a highly
nuanced understanding of the region as policy differences will often be more subtle than in other
committees.
Faculty Advisors are urged to help their students implement the essential points of philosophy of
the National High School Model United Nations Conference. These include the belief that the
learning experience of Model United Nations comes principally from the process of decision-making
in committees, that negotiation and cooperative problem-solving are the heart of this process, and
that accuracy and authenticity in playing the roles of delegates and in representing the activities of
the United Nations as a whole are essential if students are to gain a realistic view of their world and
MISSION BRIEFINGS
One of the many benefits of holding NHSMUN in the heart of Manhattan is proximity to the
United Nations and the missions of the Member States. Mission Briefings are for schools at the
UN Mission of their assigned country, whenever possible. These sessions allow delegates to meet
with a representative sometimes even the ambassadorof the country your school represents. The
briefings also provide students the unparalleled opportunity to ask topic-specific questions to their
professional counterpart. To request a Mission Briefing, please fill out the online request form, which
the Secretary-General will distribute via email.
Alternate Mission Briefings Program
In an effort to accommodate growing demand, the NHSMUN 2017 conference will be expanding
the Mission Briefings Program. In some instances, our conference staff may be unable to arrange a
mission briefing for your school with the country you will be representing at the conference, because
certain country missions are unavailable. In such cases, we may be able to provide an Alternate
Mission Briefing with the country mission for a different date (before/after the conference), or
with a different country. Please indicate whether this would be of interest to your school by filling
out the Mission Briefings Request Form (same form as above).
*Please note: We will do our best to secure briefings for all schools that wish to have one. For
those schools whose missions were unavailable for a session, the Alternate Speaker Series (see next
section) are held at the Hilton New York with representatives of intergovernmental agencies and
prominent NGOs.
COUNTRY PROFILES
In 2015 we introduced Country Profiles, an exciting new research tool for your delegates, on our
website. These pages provide delegates with a thorough description of all countries represented in the
UN to help them prepare for committee. Make sure you check it out and encourage your students to
utilize it as they prepare for NHSMUN 2017!
OTHER SERVICES
NHSMUN does not provide any printing services during the conference so please plan accordingly.
The Hiltons business center (located on the second floor) offers printing services and photocopying
services for a fee. During the conference, replacements for lost badges and placards will be provided
for a small fee, ranging from $2 to $5. All students with damaged placards and missing badges will
be required to replace them for the fee.
AID SOURCES
Many schools raise money through the traditional avenues of sponsoring bake sales, organizing
car washes, or selling gift-wrap. These should not be ignored since they are relatively easy
to organize and can usually raise at least a couple hundred dollars, although this amount will
vary according to school size and geographic location.
If yours is a private school, consult with your development office for funding help. If your
school is publicly funded, consult with an appropriate administrator. In most cases, even schools
on tight budgets can find some money to contribute to Model UN programs. Make sure that
you stress the educational value of the NHSMUN experience.
Most schools have some form of student government that often has funding available for
student activities. Contact the student government leaders and their advisors for help in securing
funds.
The public is becoming increasingly aware of the significance of international politics. Many
cities have World Affairs Councils or other internationally-minded groups that would be willing
to help your students. It has also been recommended by past delegates and Faculty Advisors
that schools contact their local Chambers of Commerce in order to secure funds.
According to the Federal Reserve Banks Community Reinvestment Act handbook, the CRA
requires regulatory agencies to encourage banks to help meet the credit needs of their local
community, including any low or moderate-income areas. Various provisions of the Act were
passed by Congress during the 1970s in an effort to outlaw the practice of redlining. As its name
implies, the Act requires banks to reinvest money into the neighborhoods in which they operate.
Many banks also fulfill their CRA requirements by providing money for educational endeavors
such as study abroad programs and summer class sessions. Contact the Community and
Consumer Affairs Department of banks in your area to receive more information about applying
for grants to be used towards financing your delegations trip to NHSMUN.
Your local library should have a listing of area philanthropic organizations and some of the
causes they support. This list can usually be found in the reference section. Identify some
*Please note: This is a tentative schedule and is subject to change slightly. There will be additions to
the schedule once the faculty program is finalized by our Chief of External Relations in February. A
finalized conference schedule will be distributed via email and with your registration packet in March.
SESSION I:
Thursday, March 9
3:00 pm 6:00 pm
4:00 pm 6:00 pm
Friday, March 10
9:00 am 4:00 pm
11:00 am 4:00 pm
2:00 pm 4:00 pm
Early Registration
Early Rules of Procedure Briefing
Working Paper & Resolution Writing Workshop
Meet & Greet with Committee Dais Teams
5:30 pm 6:30 pm
7:30 pm 8:30 pm
9:00 pm 11:15 pm
12:00 am
Registration
Mission Briefings I
Rules of Procedure & Committee Briefing
Working Paper & Resolution Writing Workshop
Meet & Greet with Committee Dais Teams
Opening Ceremonies Session I
Opening Ceremonies Session II
Committee Session I
Delegate Curfew
Saturday, March 11
9:00 am 12:00 pm
1:30 pm 5:00 pm
7:30 pm 11:00 pm
12:00 am
Sunday, March 12
9:00 am 12:00 pm
2:00 pm 5:30 pm
5:45 pm 6:15 pm
8:00 pm 12:00 am
1:00 am
Committee Session IV
Committee Session V
NHSMUN Staff Interest Meeting
Delegate Dance
Delegate Curfew
Monday, March 13
9:00 am 11:00 am
11:30 am 1:30 pm
9:00 am 2:30 pm
NOTE: The United Nations has confirmed its availability on Monday, March 13 for NHSMUN closing ceremonies. However, given the
nature of the venue, there is always a possibility that this availability could change. In this scenario, NHSMUN would hold its closing
ceremonies at the Hilton and would instead hold its opening ceremonies (Friday, March 10) at the United Nations Headquarters.
SESSION II:
Tuesday, March 14
3:00 pm 6:00 pm
4:00 pm 6:00 pm
Wednesday, March 15
9:00 am 4:00 pm
11:00 am 4:00 pm
2:00 pm 4:00 pm
Early Registration
Early Rules of Procedure Briefing
Working Paper & Resolution Writing Workshop
Meet & Greet with Committee Dais Teams
5:30 pm 6:30 pm
7:30 pm 8:30 pm
9:00 pm 11:15 pm
12:00 am
Registration
Mission Briefings I
Rules of Procedure & Committee Briefing
Working Paper & Resolution Writing Workshop
Meet & Greet with Committee Dais Teams
Opening Ceremonies Session I
Opening Ceremonies Session II
Committee Session I
Delegate Curfew
Thursday, March 16
9:00 am 12:00 pm
1:30 pm 5:00 pm
7:30 pm 11:00 pm
12:00 am
Friday, March 17
9:00 am 12:00 pm
2:00 pm 5:30 pm
5:45 pm 6:15 pm
8:00 pm 12:00 am
1:00 am
Committee Session IV
Committee Session V
NHSMUN Staff Interest Meeting
Delegate Dance
Delegate Curfew
Saturday, March 18
9:00 am 11:00 am
11:30 am 1:30 pm
9:00 am 2:30 pm
NOTE: The United Nations has confirmed its availability on Saturday, March 18 for NHSMUN closing ceremonies. However, given the
nature of the venue, there is always a possibility that this availability could change. In this scenario, NHSMUN would hold its closing
ceremonies at the Hilton and would instead hold its opening ceremonies (Wednesday, March 15) at the United Nations Headquarters.