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Department of Government and Justice Studies
UN meetings use rules to make sure everybody gets a chance to speak and everybody knows what is going on. Each council has a chair (or chairman or chairwoman) that is in charge. The chair is an expert in the rules, and you should respect what he says and decides.
Before you do anything else, you have to "make a motion" to talk about something. Someone else has to "second" the motion. Then, the Council can decide whether to do it or not. Once a motion has been made and seconded, then the council can talk about the motion or it can vote on the motion. Take a look at the chart on the back to see all the different motions you can make.
If you want to stop using all these rules and just talk with people, you can move to have a caucus. A moderated caucus is like a classroom, where people raise their hands to speak and the chair calls on people to speak, but it doesn't use rules. An unmoderated caucus is a time when everyone can get up and walk around and talk to whomever they want. Sometimes your chair will suggest this (or say it's a bad idea)-listen to your chair.
Voting: a placard vote means everyone raises their placard (country sign), a roll call vote means that the chair calls each country in turn and you say yes, no, or abstain. Make sure you know what you are voting on! Sometimes it gets confusing.
There are several things that you can interrupt the speaker with. Be polite, though. These are called "points."
In order to change a resolution once the council has voted to consider it, you have to "amend" it. An amendment to a resolution means a "modification" to the resolution. If you can get the original author of the resolution to agree, then it becomes a "friendly amendment" and it is easier to do.
If you want to get rid of a resolution or amendment, you can move to table the resolution. That means "let's not talk about it any more." Then someone has to propose a new topic or resolution.
When you're ready to leave (for lunch or when you're all done), you can "move to adjourn." Adjourn means "finish the meeting." If someone seconds the motion, then everyone votes on it immediately.
Department of Government and Justice Studies