ROPs

UNA-USA
RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR
MODEL UNITED NATIONS

Quorum
● Quorum shall be set at two-thirds of all delegates present on the first roll call vote
each day.
● A simple majority shall consist of one-half plus 1 of all delegates present.
● A two-thirds majority must be present for voting to take place.
● Any delegate may request quorum verification by way of a parliamentary inquiry
motion.

Setting the Agenda

Before debate ensues, the order of issues to be discussed must be decided. The chair will
accept a motion to adopt the agenda (ex: “Motion to set the agenda to Topic 1 then Topic 2”).
The chair will recognize 2 speakers for and 2 against the motion, with a speaking time of one
1-minute. If only 1 delegate wishes to speak for the motion only 1 delegate will be selected to
speak against the motion and vice versa. The agenda will be adopted by a simple majority
vote. If the proposed agenda is NOT adopted, the agenda will automatically be set to the
opposite order.

Start of Committee:
● Dias (Chairs) begins with roll call
● Delegates may respond “present” or “present and voting”
● Next, the Dias asks to hear any points or motions
● If there are no points or motions on the floor, the Dias will recognize the next speaker
on the Speakers’ List from the previous session.
● In the first committee session, a delegate must move to open the Speakers’ List
● During the first committee session, the agenda must also be set and in case there are
two topics, the committees choose what to discuss first.

Kinds of Session
● Formal Session – Speaker’s List
● Informal Debate
o Moderated Caucus
o Unmoderated Caucus

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General Speakers’ List:

● A General Speakers’ List (GSL) is the backbone of committee sessions. Speakers on
the list, when granted permission by the chairperson, can express their views on the
topic in discussion.
● The list will run throughout the committee sessions until it is exhausted or a motion to
close the debate is passed.
● A delegate can be added by raising their placard when the Dias asks or by sending a
note to the Dias.
● The speaking time will be set by the committee itself through a motion.

Moderated Caucus:
● When the General Speakers’ List is open, a delegate may introduce a motion for a
moderated caucus, which is a less formal debate format to debate a specific subset of
the topic.
● A delegate cannot yield her or his time; if the delegate finishes early.
● Must have a set topic, duration, and speaking time (which will be voted on).
● No Point of Information is allowed during the Moderated Caucus.

Unmoderated Caucus:
● When the General Speakers’ List is open, a delegate may introduce a motion for an
unmoderated caucus, the least formal debate format.
● Delegates may move around the room and speak freely to one another to draft
resolutions.
● Delegates may not leave the room without permission from the committee director.

Yields
If there is still time remaining when a delegate concludes his or her speech, he or she must
yield his or her time (to the Dias, to another delegate, or to questions, by saying either “I
yield my time to …”)
● Yielding to Dias ends the speech,
● yielding to another delegate allocates the remainder of the time to that delegate (the
second delegate may not yield to a third delegate), and
● yielding to questions allows for feedback from other delegates.

Points
● Points are a tool for delegates to ask questions about the committee and its
proceedings,
● There are four common points, as follows:
o Point of Personal Privilege - used to express concerns about personal
discomfort such as the temperature of the room or the inability to hear a
speaker.

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o Point of Order - used when a delegate believes the Dias has made a
procedural error.
o Point of Inquiry - used to ask a question about parliamentary procedure.
o Point of Information - used to ask a clarifying question about the content of a
speech or statement (only during the speaker’s list).
● Only a point of order and a point of personal privilege may be used to interrupt a
speaker
● The Order of Precedence is
o Point of Personal Privilege
o Point of Order
o Point of Inquiry
o Point of Information

Right to Reply
The Chair may recognize the Right of Reply only in instances of a grave personal insult.
Rights of Reply must be submitted in writing to the Chair, and may only be granted after a
speech is completed. The Chair shall inform the Secretary-General of the circumstances
surrounding the Right of Reply. No ruling on this matter is subject to appeal.

Appeal to the Chair’s Decision

An appeal is made when a delegate feels that the Chair has made an incorrect ruling. The
delegate formally challenges the Chair in writing by sending a note to the dais, moving to
appeal the Chair's decision. The appeal will be taken to the Deputy-Secretary General who
will decide if the appeal will be considered. Once the motion is acknowledged, the
Deputy-Secretary General will hear from both the delegate and the Chair before making a
decision.

Motions
● Suspend Debate (Motion to Caucus)
Upon the recommendation of the Chair or any delegate, the committee may consider a
motion to Suspend Debate for the purpose of a moderated or unmoderated caucus.
This motion requires a majority vote.
o Moderated Caucus: The recommendation for a moderated caucus must include
a time limit for delegate remarks and a time limit for the entire caucus (e.g.
"The nation of [country name] moves for a five minute moderated caucus with
a 30 second speaking time."). During a moderated caucus, the chair shall
recognize delegates for remarks without the use of a speakers list and yields
shall be out of order.
o Un-moderated Caucus: The recommendation for an unmoderated caucus
requires a time limit to be made (e.g., "The nation of [country name] moves

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for a ten-minute un-moderated caucus."). Unmoderated caucuses allow

delegates to have informal discussions.
● Motion to Table Debate
During the discussion of any matter, the committee may consider a motion to table
debate on the item under discussion at the recommendation of the Chair or any
delegate. If the motion is seconded, two representatives may speak in favour of and
two against the motion. Then, the motion shall immediately be put to a vote. A
two-thirds majority is required for passage. If a motion to table debate is passed, the
topic is considered tabled and no further actions or votes will be taken on it. A topic
may be reintroduced to the committee so that debate can resume through the same
process. The motion to resume debate on a tabled topic shall also require a two-thirds
majority for passage.
● Closure of Debate
A delegate may at any time move for the closure of debate on the item under
discussion, after which debate will end and all draft resolutions and amendments will
be put to an immediate vote. Permission to speak on the closure of debate shall be
accorded only to two speakers opposing the closure, after which the motion shall be
immediately put to a vote. This motion requires a two-thirds majority decision. Upon
passage of this motion the Chair shall declare the closure of debate and immediately
move into voting procedure on the substantive proposals introduced and pending
before the committee. The committee shall also close debate and move into voting
procedure when the speakers list has been exhausted.
● Adjournment of the Meeting
During the discussion of any matter, a delegate may move for the adjournment of the
meeting. Such a motion shall not be debated but shall be immediately put to a vote.
After adjournment, the committee shall reconvene at its next regularly scheduled
meeting time; adjournment of the final meeting shall adjourn the session.

Resolutions:
The following describes the process by which working papers become resolutions, how
resolutions are debated, and how they are voted upon.
Working Paper: A working paper is the draft form of a resolution. A working paper is a
resolution that is still being written and developed by the delegates. Once a working paper
has been developed to the point that it is fully written and formatted correctly it may be
submitted to the Chairs for consideration as a draft resolution. Working papers will only be
considered by the Chairs if they meet the following criteria:
● They are well written, and address the ideas being debated by the committee at the
time
● They are formatted properly (see sample resolution)
● They have a minimum of 2 sponsors
● The total number of sponsors and signatories must equal at least 1/3 of the committee
members
Once the working paper meets those requirements it may be submitted to the chair. If
approved, the chair will assign the working paper a resolution number. However, the
resolution must be formally introduced to the committee by a delegate motioning to introduce

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it. Once the motion to introduce is made, it is adopted automatically, and the resolution may
now be debated and referred to in formal debate by its assigned resolution number.
Sponsors: A sponsor is a delegate that has contributed substantively to the language or ideas
contained in the working paper or resolution. Sponsors shall be listed alphabetically in the
resolution’s header.
Signatory: A signatory is a delegate that did not contribute substantively to the working
paper or resolution, but agrees with the document in principle, and or wished to see the
document move forward and be debated.
Authors’ Rights: Once a resolution is introduced, a panel of authors may be convened to
answer specific questions regarding the ideas expressed in the resolution. This is done by a
simple motion to the chair for authors rights, once motioned the measure is adopted
automatically. The panel of authors may consist of up to 3 sponsors of the resolution, and the
chair may allocate up to 10 minutes for the question-and-answer period (a limited extension
may be granted by the chair, if deemed necessary).
Limiting Debate: Delegates may motion to limit debate to a specific draft resolution. This is
done by a motion to limit debate to the specific resolution number. If approved by a majority,
the debate will be limited to that specific resolution, and a new speakers list will be opened.
Debate remains limited to the resolution until a motion to close debate is made. A delegate
may motion to close debate on the resolution, there will be 2 speakers for and 2 speakers
against, 1-minute speaking time, for the motion to close debate on the resolution, and requires
a simple majority to pass. If the motion to close debate passes, the committee will return to
the general speakers list. (Note: this does not move the committee into voting procedure. See
below for the process of closing debate on the topic and moving to voting procedure).
Voting on Resolutions: The committee may elect to move into voting procedure on any
resolution after it has been introduced. This may be done by a Motion to Enter into Voting
Procedures on that resolution. This motion requires two speakers for and two speakers against
and requires a simple majority to pass.
Amendments:
Delegates may offer amendments to resolutions that have been formally introduced.
Amendments require at least 1 signatory and 1 sponsor to be considered. Once a properly
formatted amendment is submitted to the chair, it will be given an amendment number
(example: 2.1.2) and a delegate may make a motion to introduce the amendment. There are 2
types of amendments:
● Friendly Amendments: A friendly amendment is any addition or change to the body
of a resolution that is approved by all sponsors to a resolution. Once an amendment is
introduced, chairs will ask all of the sponsors if they approve of the amendment. If no
sponsors object to the amendment, it is added automatically.
● Unfriendly Amendment: An unfriendly amendment is any addition or change to the
body of a resolution that is opposed by at least 1 sponsor to the resolution. When an
unfriendly amendment is introduced, there will be 2 speakers for and 2 speakers
against the amendment and requires a simple majority vote to be adopted. Should an
amendment require additional debate, a motion to limit debate can be made to the

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amendment. Voting on the amendment will take place upon closure of debate, prior to
the return to the general topic speakers list.
Tabling:
A motion can be made to table debate if the committee has reached an impasse. A motion to
table will suspend debate on the current topic and the committee will move on to the next
topic on the agenda. A motion to table requires a two-thirds majority to pass. Tabling will
require 2 speakers for and 2 speakers against, speaking time 1 minute.
Closure of Debate:
After debate on a topic has been exhausted, a motion can be made to close debate on the
topic. After the motion is made, the chair will ask for 2 speakers for and 2 speakers against
closing debate on the topic, with a speaking time of 1 minute. A simple majority is required
to close debate; if the motion passes, the committee moves immediately into voting procedure
on all draft resolutions that have not yet been voted upon. Resolutions will be voted on in the
order they were received by the chair. Once all resolutions have been voted on, the committee
will then automatically proceed on to the next agenda item, and the chair will accept motions
to open the speakers list and set the speaking time.

Voting
During the roll call, the delegates may respond as: -
Present: - It is a state that’s given the chairs indication of its presence, and may take part in
formal debate and votes.
Present and Voting: - A state that’s present and voting has given its obligation to vote on the
topic at hand. States that are present and voting may not abstain during substantive votes.

All procedural matters will be voted on by a simple placard vote will be requiring a simple
majority to pass. Delegates have the option of 3 alternative methods of voting listed below in
the order of most disruptive when voting for resolutions.
● Unanimous Consent: Any delegate may motion to adopt the resolution by
unanimous consent, this is adopted automatically by motion (ex: “Motion to adopt
resolution 1.B by unanimous consent”). The Chair will then bang their gavel and say
“without objection” 3 times. If no delegate objects, the resolution is passed. A
delegate may object by saying “objection” loudly and clearly. If a delegate objects,
the resolution will return to a placard vote unless otherwise motioned. Security
Council Vetoes are not invoked if a permanent member of the Security Council
objects. Their objection will count as any other objection and return the committee to
a placard vote, where they may Veto.
● Divide the Question: Any delegate may motion to divide the question, this is adopted
(ex: “motion to divide the question on clause 3, 7, and 15”), and must be passed by

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simple majority. Motions to divide the question may include anywhere from 1 to all
clauses in a resolution. This motion is compatible with other voting motions. For
example, a divided clause or clauses could be adopted by unanimous consent or
through a roll call vote. This may be done by motion to the chair as normal. Any
clause divided from the resolution will be voted on. Clauses that fail to gain majority
support will be removed from the resolution and any clause that has majority support
will remain. Security Council Vetoes will apply to these votes. Then the resolution
will be voted on. Please note that any amendments or changes made that passed will
be applied to the resolutions; delegates will vote on the finalized version of the entire
resolution.
● Roll Call Vote: Any delegate may motion for a roll call vote; this will be adopted
automatically (ex: “Motion to vote by roll call”). The Chair will then ask each State to
vote in alphabetic order.
Delegates may elect to vote as:
● Yes: indicating they are in favour
● No: Indicating their opposition
● Abstain: the delegate chooses not to vote, lowering the number needed for a majority
● Pass: Delegates may pass on the first round and elect to cast their vote at the end.
● No with Rights: Delegates may elect to reserve 30 seconds to speak to explain their
no vote, this may only be done to explain why the vote was not in line with
established national policy, not to argue the merits of the resolution.

Complied by-
Mr. Litson K Stephen, Founder- LRIMUN India
Ms. Kimaya Karanjkar, Research Coordinator- LRIMUN India