Colegio Hispanoamericano

Model United Nations

A/C.1/001 (2019)
Model United Nations

RESEARCH TIPS

Research is one of the keys to success in Model United Nations. However, even though there
is a lot of information on the internet, and in libraries, most of the information out there is useless.
Furthermore, sometimes what is most interesting to read may have little value for your simulation
and topic. The following guide is here to teach us exactly where to focus to save time and make
the most out of your research. To be properly prepared for a Model UN simulation you need to
research 6 things:

• Your country
• The study guide topic
• Your committee
• Past actions and future policy recommendations
• Your allies and opponents
• Current statistical data

Before we start remember that we aren’t learning for the sake of knowledge alone. All of
the information we research is used to support an identity that you will build as a count ry which
helps establish your motivations and “personality”. It is this persona that will lobby for your
country's interests and know what to do and how to adapt when the situation changes.

Know your country - History and motivations

At the bare minimum, when representing a country, you need to know your past, your
interests and the red lines you cannot cross. This does not mean you need to learn everything
since the second World War. Instead, when learning about yourself, focus on four key things:
History, National Interests, Political structure and Current political affairs.

What do I do when my country doesn’t have a clear policy?

This is one of the most asked question of first time Model UN delegates. The answer to this is
first, you should always have a policy, as well as a national interest that drives you. If you went
into a discussion where you could have influence, and in some way have a stake if you say or do
nothing you will be fired. Think of the Model UN simulation as a diplomatic job, where in the
best case you improve your country's situation and at worst make sure they don’t lose as much
as they could.

Learn about the topic

Learn about the topic the committee will be discussing. This usually come in the study guide
/ background guide you receive from the conference. (In the cases where the topic is not clear,
or the parameters of debate are unclear, check out our article on “What to do with a bad study
guide”)

A good guide should give you an understand of the issue by the end of the introduction.
Others require you to read further. Sometimes you need to do your own research. However long
it takes, by the of the process you should know the specifics of:
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What? Why? How? Where? (if relevant) When? (if relevant) What is expected if no one
intervenes?

This last one is both not obvious and especially important because the outcome of what
happens if nothing is done is the justification for the policies that you would put into the
resolution.

Usually there will be a few negative outcomes to United Nations (or non UN committee)
inaction. Learn what your country's relation is to the issues. If there is none make an educated
assumption. (See Ecuador Earthquake example above)

Make sure to frame the problem to yourself. Do so in a way that makes it relevant to
you and gives you the best position to be a leader in the discussion.

Every delegate, representing every country can reach a place of prominence if they take the
scenario they are given and frame it in a way that works for them. Generally, that framing will
also work for many other countries allowing that block, or interest group, to have their interest
represented as they solve the problem.

Read topic - frame according to national interest - represent problem in a way that is relevant
to you.

Where to find this information

We know what to look for and now we need to learn where. Below are a list of the top
resources used by veteran Model UN delegates to build their country profiles and prepare their
cases and policies.

The study guide - The study guide, or background guide, provided by the competition hosts
is the best place to start your research. While not the place to end your research, as each country
should seek its own path, it is usually a good place to start.

The last UN Resolution on the subject - The last resolution (or key treaty) on the topic
being discussed will not only will this give your the most recent update on where the United
Nations (or other body) stands on the issue but it can also give you phrasing and preambulatory
clause ideas
The CIA World Factbook - When looking for numbers and hard data, the CIA world
factbook is probably the best place. However, it is also like a phone book and unless you know
specifically what you’re looking for you can
BBC Country profiles - When looking for a quick history, BBC country profiles is probably
the best resource on the internet.

The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) - The OEC, is a gold mine when
looking for updated numbers of international trade data, such as what a country produces or good
traded between countries. Developed at the MIT Media Lab, OEC presents useful
macroeconomic information in a was that is easy to understand and use.

News Websites - BBC, CNN, France24, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, Fox News, the list goes on.

Weekly Editorials - Time, Newsweek and especially The Economist are great examples of
qualitative weekly magazines that not only provide good hard data but also quality analysis

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through their editorial stance. Usually an article or two from one of these is better than an hour
of research through other resources.

The United Nations Website - like the CIA World Factbook, the UN website can be hard
to navigate to find what you are looking for if you are not sure what it is. At the same time, it is
an excellent resource for information about the UN and also good to get ideas and inspiration for
policies.

Specific committee website - Whether the European Union, the African Union, NATO or
any other non United Nations body being simulated, it is amazing how much you can learn from
the official website. At the same time, bear in mind that official websites also leave out a lot, and
sometimes gloss over some of the more nitty gritty and less pretty details. You have a better
chance of finding that information on the Weekly Editorials.

Foreign ministry website - Just as with the specific committee websites, the foreign
ministry of the country you represent might have valuable information and, at the least, it will
give you an idea of what kind of image it is trying to project.

Reports and Policy Recommendations - Whether NGO’s, Think Tanks, Academic Journals
or UN reports, these policy recommendations are always based on research and data, some which
isn’t available to us or easy to find. While you should never feel bound by these, or obligated to
lobby for them, these recommendations can be an excellent resource of what can be, should be
or, depending on country, should not be done.

Random Internet Search Results - Sometimes the best information is not on any formal
site and just a lucky click away. We suggest taking at least 10 minutes to just click around, who
knows what random article or treaty will spark a new direction in your research.

Methods of Preparation

There is no single right way to prepare for a Model UN conference. However, some methods of
preparation are more effective than others and we can also get ideas from looking at what other
effective delegates do.

Example #1 of advanced method of prep

1. Print, read and mark the study guide with a highlighter. Write notes with a pen if ideas come
to mind.

2. Britannica about my country with a focus on major military, economic and political
developments of the past year with a look at the past 10 years in direct relation to the topic being
discussed.

3. Look at the council members list – See who are the other countries and lightly think who your
obvious allies and opponents are (with flexibility because all this changes based on who the
stronger delegates are).

4. Jot down a few relevant treaties (for common ground purposes) and a few sensitive issues /
mistakes other countries made (for leverage purposes)

5. Read at least two recent relevant articles in the economist. Preferably print and mark them in
the same way you would the study guide.

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Example #2 of advanced method of prep

1. Read the study guide headline and introduction paragraph.

2. Look at the last major treaties on the topic. Write down hard data and bullet points.

3. Read an article in Newsweek and one in The New York Times.

4. Look at other countries in the room. Base case on what type of policy can get a majority. Back
up choice of policy with data from steps 1 - 3.

5. Look at what letter of the alphabet my country is. Prepare speech to engage with the countries
whose letters come before mine.

To Sum Up

With everything written above in mind, the final thing to keep in mind when it comes to Model
UN research is to be extremely flexible and open to whatever comes. Model UN is a living,
breathing thing. Sometimes the discussion will go in a different direction than we plan and
sometimes a better interpretation of the topic will present itself. Always do the best you can but
don’t get locked into your research. If a better option, policy or block comes along, while
different from what you prepared for, recognize it and jump on. The best Model UN delegates
are as flexible as they are researched and polished. After all, while research is the bedrock of
Model UN effectiveness, it is flexibility, adaptability and the ability to make the most of any
situation that truly embodies the spirit of negotiation and diplomacy.

Good luck!

SECRETARIAT
GENERAL

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