Welcome, Delegates!
On this page you will find all that you will need to be successful on conference day at UMVMUN. Please be sure to do the following well before conference day so that you are best prepared to contribute to the meaningful debate and comprehensive solutions to the problems addressed within each committee's topics:
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Consult our Delegate Handbook to ensure that you are fully prepared for the logistics of our conference
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Read your committee's Chair Letter to become familiar with your committees topics;
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Complete research on your assigned countries and the topics in your chair letters;
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Write thoughtful resolutions (non-crisis committees) and position papers (Security Council); and
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Familiarize yourself with the resources available on this page that will aid your research and preparation for UMVMUN 2018.
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How to Prepare for a
Model United Nations Conference
If you are not sure where or how to start preparing for your committee, the following links will guide you to webpages that have been carefully crafted by our sponsor, the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA), to help delegates get ready for Model United Nations conferences. We invite you to use them to help you prepare for UMVMUN 2018 and any future conferences you may attend.
Committees
Committee Links
Delegates! Here, you can find links to articles provided by your chairs regarding your committee's topics. More will be added every two weeks leading up to the conference. Reading through these articles is highly recommended in order to stay caught up with current events and be ready to discuss the issues in committee!
General Assembly Plenary (GA)
Chaired by: Lily Collins, Kennen Eksic, & Yesenia Burgos
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Sent by Trump, soldiers arrive at border as migrant caravan in Mexico pushes north
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The Nationalism Effect: Global Change in Today's Environment
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Unesco: International support must for inclusive education of Rohingyas in Bangladesh
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Classroom technologies narrow education gap in developing countries
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Migration to Europe Is Down Sharply. So Is It Still a 'Crisis'?
Special Political
Chaired by: Nicole Farkouh & Nawreen Quazi
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International Space Station Transition Report, March 2018
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U.N. Peacekeeping Forces and the Demand for Sex Trafficking
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U.N. peacekeeping really can be effective. Here’s how we tabulated this.
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IMAGINING SPACE COLONIZATION, FROM MARS, PENNSYLVANIA, TO THE RED PLANET
Economic and Social Council Plenary (ECOSOC)
Chaired by: Kylie Lansing & Andries Kruger
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We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, warns UN
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The Paris Climate Agreement Survived Trump. Can It Survive Brazil's Bolsonaro?
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Climate Refugees and the War on Resources Approaching Europe
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There’s grim news on climate change. Will it lead to mass migration and conflict?
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COP24: What is the Paris agreement and what is expected from the major new climate change summit?
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Polish Coal Company Announced as First Sponsor of UN Climate Talks in Katowice
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Chaired by: Ian Tracey & Maggie Hewitt
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Oil palm, rubber could trigger ‘storm’ of deforestation in the Congo Basin
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A massive plastic cleanup project provokes hope and skepticism
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‘Like a Terror Movie’: How Climate Change Will Cause More Simultaneous Disasters
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EU’s Sefcovic: Real risk that ‘raw materials become the new oil’
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Rising sea levels from climate change threatens Puerto Rico's infrastructure, report states
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CO2 emissions on the rise for first time in four years, UN agency warns
World Health Organization
Chaired by: Lillian Uy & Lauren Shaw
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First in-utero spina bifida surgery performed in Canada
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To Mend a Birth Defect, Surgeons Operate on the Patient Within the Patient
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Fetal Surgery for Spina Bifida
Security Council
Chaired by: Maheen Qureshi & Gabrielle Papale
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Tracking Trump’s many threats, claims on immigration, caravan ahead of midterm elections
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UN mission in Libya: 8 civilians killed, 2 injured last October in Libya
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Under fire, UN refugee agency evacuates 135 detained in Libya to Niger
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Arrests of Undocumented Immigrants Without Criminal Records Skyrocketed in 2017
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The New Slave Trade: Migration, Trafficking, and Terrorists in Libya
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Under Trump arrests of undocumented immigrants with no criminal record have tripled
Links for Research
In addition to your committee's chair letter, which provides a foundation from which to build your knowledge of the topics you will be discussing and provides several links for further research, you may find the following sites helpful in finding new information on your topics. All have been certified as credible, but bias should be considered in how facts are presented in any source, especially because some are owned by states or other international groups who serve particular interests. Furthermore, we encourage you to explore other trustworthy sources for even more information on your committee's topics.
8:15 AM......................Registration
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM......................... ......................Opening Ceremony
9:45 AM - 12:00 PM........................ ....................Committee Session 1
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM.............Lunch (Lunch times are staggered by committee)
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM.......................... ...................Committee Session 2
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM.......................... ............................Social Gathering
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM.......................... .........................Awards Ceremony
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM.......................... ...............................Depart Campus
Conference Awards
UMVMUN is, first and foremost, dedicated to educating students about the ideals found in the charter of the United Nations. Concurrently, we aim to provide a forum for delegates to debate solutions to global issues and to expose them to a challenging and thought-provoking environment. Our award system is designed to reflect values. Our award system is based on the three points of Aristotle’s Triangle of Rhetoric. It pushes delegates to be as diplomatic and engaging as possible throughout their entire time at our conference. In the past, we have witnessed our criteria encouraging delegates to practice statesmanship in a unique and innovative manner. And that, is really what UMVMUN is all about to begin with. In addition to the three awards earned in each committee (explained below), a Best New Delegate award will be earned in each committee and given to the best-performing delegate who has never been to a Model UN conference prior to UMVMUN 2018.
Prerequisites: Delegates who wish to be considered for awards must come to UMVMUN with enough copies of their pre-written resolutions (non-crisis committees) or position papers (crisis committees). Consult our Country/Committee Matrix to determine the number of assigned seats to determine the number of papers to bring with you plus two additional copies for your committee chairs. These papers must be written for each of your committee topics. We ask that you please be mindful of our environment and when copying en masse, such that you should make all documents double sided to conserve paper. Also, only delegates who attend all committee sessions and exhibit appropriate decorum will be eligible for awards. Finally, delegates will be ineligible for awards if they act clearly and consistently outside of their assigned nation’s policy.
Awards: The three awards being presented at UMVMUN are based on the three points of Aristotle’s Triangle of Rhetoric—pathos, ethos, and logos. While the three different persuasive appeals involve the incorporation of emotions, character, and logic, respectively, ideal candidates for these awards expertly exhibit acumen in switching between all three elements of all three depending on the message that is being delivered and the audience that is listening. Award consideration will be determined by first cumulative point totals, regardless of category, and then delegates' particular strengths for a certain type of rhetorical appeal.
The Pathos Award is awarded to a delegate within a committee that effectively incorporates emotional appeal into their diplomatic strategy to captivate their peers and to persuade them. This delegate beautifully crafts an argument using powerful language as well as a powerful delivery. Real life anecdotes are often employed by this delegate to win over the minds of committee.
The Ethos Award is awarded to a delegate within a committee that effectively incorporates the appeal of character into their diplomatic strategy to captivate their peers and to persuade them. This delegate has a high moral standard and is ethically sound in his/her views and proposals. This delegate also epitomizes professional and courteous behavior to their peers in committee, and also is able to collaborate well with others.
The Logos Award is awarded to a delegate within a committee that effectively incorporates the appeal of logic into their diplomatic strategy to captivate their peers and to persuade them. This delegate relies mainly on facts and hard logic. His/her views are reasonable and realistic. This delegate is well researched and is knowledgeable of committee issues, as well as past approaches and solutions to problems similar in nature.
To better prepare yourself for debate and the fine use of rhetoric at UMVMUN 2018, and to learn more about Aristotle's Three Ways to Persuade, click here to read a short article by Dr. John R. Edlund, a professor from California State Polytechnic University. You can also view the UMVMUN 2018 Awards Rubric, by which delegates will be evaluated, in the Important Documents section of this page.
Conference Schedule
Delegate Reminders
Research/Working Papers:
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Please bring the enough of copies of each of your pre-written resolutions or position papers to the conference for all members of your committee plus two copies for you chairs. At UMVMUN, we will NOT have access to a printer, so it is imperative that you print enough copies of your working papers beforehand.
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Please use a font and a font size that minimizes the amount of paper that you use and try to to print your working papers double-sided in order to reduce paper waste and increase organization at the conference.
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Please remember to keep the interests of the nation that you are representing in mind when researching and writing your working paper for a topic or policy being deliberated. While several nations may agree with each other on their views towards a certain topic, there is a wide spectrum of political views throughout the entire world.
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Please cite your sources. Use footnotes or a works cited at the end of your working paper to show where your statistics and data in preambulatory clauses are from. Chicago style citations are preferred, however, choosing a specific citation format is not necessary.
Debate Procedure:
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Actively participate in the committee's debate, including (but not limited to) making speeches, caucusing, proposing working papers and amendments, and voting.
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Please do not request frivolous debate. Frivolous debate is NOT permitted at UMVMUN, as per our conference policy.
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Do not forget extra paper for writing notes to other delegates, a vital form of communication during committee sessions!
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Please be respectful in notes sent to other delegates. All disrespectful notes may be reviewed by committee chairs and may be sent to the Secretariat as well as your club's adviser for further disciplinary action.
Conference Etiquette:
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Please remember to dress in western business attire for the conference. Dressing appropriately is a critical way to honor the nation that you are representing and to show respect for the conference, your peers, and the United Nations itself. For more detailed information on proper western business attire, please visit the UNA-USA's Dressing for Success page.
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Display proper conduct towards all people and the building facility. Be respectful towards your committee chairs, conference staff, as well as all conference delegates and advisers. Minimize private discussion during committee session as it detracts from the end goal of a resolution with limited time during session.
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Listen to any instructions from conference advisers, UMVMUN Secretariat members, and your committee chairs.
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Listen attentively during opening and closing ceremonies.
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Do not forget to email your chairs if you have questions about your committee or use our Contact Form to reach the Secretariat if you have any questions about the conference in general.
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Enjoy the conference. We look forward to see you on December 8th in Utica!