Position Paper Writing 101

Writing the Position Paper

As implied by its name, a position paper is a written document prepared before a conference outlining
your country’s position on the topic(s) that will be addressed by the committee. As a general rule, one
full page (single-spaced, 12 pt. font) should be devoted to each topic. The foundation of all good
position papers is good research. It is absolutely imperative that you begin collecting relevant and
valuable research as soon as you receive your country assignment, committee, and topic for a
conference. Position papers begin with a heading that is almost universal: country, committee, name(s)
of delegate(s), and name of your school. Below the heading the topic paper title should be underlined
and used as a heading for the following text for that topic. In writing a position paper, there are three
main things you need to be thinking about: the relevant historical background of your country on the
topic, what, if anything, you country is doing currently with regards to the topic, and what your country
proposes to do in the future(a.k.a, at the conference) to deal with the problem.

Historical Background

How does your country relate to the problem? How do you have special insight into the issue? In
general, the historical background of your country on the particular topic plays a lesser role in the
formation of the position paper. The UN is a forward-thinking organization, and the purpose of historical
background is to provide a context for the current situation. You are recounting the historical context of
your specific country’s involvement in the issue, as opposed to the historical background of the entire
topic. DO NOT restate the information given to you in the topic background guide. That information
would merely be filler and bad filler at that. The chair of your committee would not look kindly on a
position paper that merely recalls the general history of the issue. Therefore, all information should be
specifically about your country. Relevant background information might be previous legislation on the
topic in your nation, involvement with past UN resolutions, treaties your nation is party to, etc.
Remember, the background information is going to serve as a context and foundation for the plan of
action or ideas you lay out to solve the problem later in your paper.

Current Actions

What is your country doing currently to deal with this issue? How do you know? Cite past resolutions
your country has supported. Cite prominent people in your nation that have spoken on the topic or
policies your country has relating to the issue. This part of your paper should be pretty self explanatory.
If your country is currently doing something to address the issues raised in the topic simply put it in your
paper. Perhaps the leader of your nation has an interest in the problem, or maybe your nation is also
struggling with the same problem (this is relevant in organizations such as the WHO or the UNEP). Again,
this information is merely leading the reader along a linear and logical path to your solution to the
problem.
Future Plan

What solution to you purpose? Perhaps your country has implemented strategies within its own
borders that have succeeded. This section will be the real “meat and potatoes” of your position paper. If
your reader gets nothing else out of it, she should understand very well what you propose to do in
regards to the topic. When writing this your should be thinking of potential resolutions or theoretical
solutions, based on what you have found in your research. This is probably the hardest part of any
position paper. You need to think of what your country would do in this situation based only on
whatever information you’ve gathered beforehand. Indeed, some larger countries may actually have a
specific public policy laid out addressing the issues of your topic, but most will not. That means that this
section may very well be largely theoretical for you, where you will have to fill in the blank spaces with
your own thoughts and ideas on what your country would be most likely to support and do. Once you’ve
done that, you’ve laid the foundation for debate at your conference; stick with it that foundation and
you’ll be set! Again, the most important part in the position paper writing process is actually the
research you do beforehand. Good research can be found on any topic, no matter how obscure the
issue to how tiny your country is. Indeed, if worst comes to worst and your library and the Internet fail
you have one more option: Actually contact your nation’s government and ask for the information you
need! You’d be surprised by how easy this can be and by how willing most nations are to help students
who are participating in Model UN. Some sample position papers from different committees and people
are included here to give you a general idea of how others have tackled the position paper writing
process. In addition, beginning this year the club will be collecting a copy of every position paper written
to be kept for everyone to use in researching and writing their next position paper.

Below we have a sample of a position paper, found at http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-

model-un/how-to-participate/model-un-preparation/position-papers/sample-position-paper . It does
not follow the Lyons Township format exactly, but it still does complete all of the tasks necessary of a
position paper.

Romania

International Labor Organization

John A. Position Writer

High School Name

Globalization and Development

*This sample position paper was submitted by the delegation of Romania at the 2007 UNA-USA
Model UN Conference in New York City.

In the past two decades the rapidly growing world trend has been toward globalization.
With the emergence of the internet as a means of communication and the increasing
accessibility of international trade physical barriers are not the only barriers withering away.
Protective tariffs are plummeting and free trade agreements are becoming more prevalent.
Romania appreciates that globalization creates favorable situations for expansion of
commercial as well as economic assets. In the past year Romania has seen a foreign direct
investment (FDI) increase of 199%. Inward FDI increased from EURO 234 million in 2005 to
EURO 699 million in 2006. However, Romania realizes that increased globalization does not
automatically produce more equality.

Globalization and Development can contribute to the advancement of the overall

international human condition; however, the delegation of Romania recognizes that without
proper regulation the potential for advancement will remain limited to an elite few individuals,
businesses, and nations. Unless checked and aimed toward the common good, globalization
cannot effectively serve the global community. Crucial in dealing with the complexities of
globalization, good governance must act with solidarity and responsibility. Romania believes
that in involving people in globalization we must promote moral values, democratic principals,
inclusive global political culture, institutions that safeguard both individual civil rights and
inherent freedoms, and the common good. In addition, coping with the influx of information
from globalization governments must act with solidarity and insight. Access to digital education
will undoubtedly result in the confidence of citizens in their respective administrations and
allow for a greater degree of transparency, and therefore a lesser degree of corruption.

Romania believes the multinational business community has the ability and the
obligation to support pertinent values in human rights, labor standards, and environmental
preservation. As stated by the president, Mr. Traion Basescu, Romania feels a "heartfelt
attachment to multilateralism, as an effective instrument designed to identify the adequate
answers to the challenges brought by globalization." Romania is party to the majority of
multilateral treaties and conventions identified as such by the Secretary General in the context
of the Millennium Summit in 2001. Romania has always supported innovative and effective
ways of establishing cooperation within and between regional organizations. As one of the
newest members of the European Union, Romania is an active member of the World Trade
Organization, and looks forward to offering its support to the redirection of globalization to
best benefit the global community. - See more at: http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-
model-un/how-to-participate/model-un-preparation/position-papers/sample-position-
paper#sthash.xZwFfu4F.dpuf