Home Delegate Preparation Guide Resolution Writing Guide
Resolution Writing Guide

Introduction

The passage of written resolutions is the ultimate aim of any committee, critical to advancing the cooperative goals set forth in verbal debate.  Resolutions turn oral thoughts into written words, and just as parliamentary procedure guides debate, so too do resolutions have their own formal language.   The language consists of two major types of clauses: preambulatory clauses and operative clauses.  

Preambulatory Clauses

Often referred to as “preambles” in short, perambulatory clauses should outline the history of the problem, show that the topic falls under the authority of the committee, and demonstrate that there is a need for a resolution, possibly referring to a previous UN resolution or other major international documents.

Common first words of perambulatory clauses include but are not limited to: affirming, bearing in mind, having studied, confident, declaring, fully alarmed, noting with regret, recalling.  **See Rules of Procedure for full list.**

Operative Clauses

The portion of the resolution that contains proposed solutions to the problem is composed of a series of sequentially numbered operative clauses, subdivided into lettered sub-clauses if necessary.  Each operative clause calls for a specific action.  When drafting operative clauses, delegates should always keep the committee’s mandate in hand, so as not to draft a resolution that is beyond the competence of the committee (this can easily be found at the official site of the committee in question).  Operative clauses begin with an active, present tense verb and are followed by a semi-colon.  A period follows the final clause.

Common first words of of operative clauses include but are not limited to: accepts, emphasizes, supports, recommends, calls for, condemns, deplores, solemnly affirms. **See Rules of Procedure for full list.**

Sponsors and Signatories  

A draft resolution must have the signatures of one fifth of the total members of the committee for it to be approved and introduced, of which at least two voting delegations must be designated as sponsors.  Delegates may sign a draft resolution even if they do not support the document in question, as being a non-sponsor signatory for a draft resolution only indicates desire to discuss the draft resolution in question. 

Amendments

Undoubtedly the committee will require amendments be made to a draft resolution before enough votes can be garnered to see it passed.  An amendment is a clarification or a change to a draft resolution that incorporates additional interests or concerns into a formally submitted draft resolution.  There are two types of amendments, friendly and unfriendly.  An amendment accepted by all of the original sponsors is deemed friendly, and then added to the draft resolution without a vote.  If an amendment does not receive the approval of all the sponsors of the draft resolution, it is considered unfriendly.  Unfriendly amendments must be submitted to the Chair with the appropriate number of signatories (1/5 of the committee).  The unfriendly amendment will be voted on separately upon closure of debate.  Please note that amendments that go against the intent and purpose of the resolution (at the discretion of the Chair) are not acceptable amendments. 

Not All Resolutions Named Alike

Resolutions undergo three stages: when used simply as a mechanism for debate, they are called working papers.  Working papers need not conform to proper resolution format, nor do they require sponsors or signatories.  Upon being reworked into proper resolution format, gaining sponsors and signatories and being submitted to the dais, resolutions are referred to as draft resolutions.  It is not until draft resolutions are passed by the committee that they can be called “resolutions.” 

Final Thoughts

Concision is usually emphasized over breadth, but not at the expense of specificity.  Keep in mind that resolutions seek to provide suggested actions to the international body (or bodies) in question, so be sure not to let the language interfere with clarity!  Always ask yourself “what action is this suggesting?”  Note that this is the bare minimum.  Providing clear answers to questions such as – Why is this action being suggested?  How and by when will it be carried out?  Who will undertake it?  Who will fund it? – will also help to gain other delegates’ understanding of and support for your resolution, and perhaps ultimately their votes!

Sample Draft Resolution:

Sample Draft Resolution
January 30th, 2009
UNCSD Draft Resolution 1.4

Sponsors: Australia, Canada, Estonia, Indonesia, Israel, Iran, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Tanzania, United Kingdom

Signatories: Guatemala, Poland, Saudi Arabia

Thinking Globally Acting Locally

The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development,

Reaffirming this body’s commitment to solving the global food crisis and reaching the Millennium Development Goals by 2015,

Emphasizing the importance of sharing information regarding renewable energy technologies,

Supporting further increases in resources put into fast, effective crisis recovery for short-term emergency relief,

Confident in the international community’s ability to address the issue of food security in all nations, both developing and developed, as referred to the in Millennium Development Goals,

Convinced that the liberalization of economic markets for agricultural products will more equitably distribute global food supplies,

Cognizant of the positive contributions that international organization and NGO’s have on providing much needed technical and monetary assistance,

Expressing concern that women are disproportionately affected by hunger, lack of food security and poverty,

1. Urges nations to work towards completing the WTO Doha Round on development and agriculture striving towards augmenting the flexibility of agricultural product markets that were previously restricted to accommodate international trade;

2. Calls for increased diversification of cultivated crops, allowing for the continued sustainability of arable land and an increase in the volume of crops available to a region;

3. Requests that developed countries focus further research and direct more resources on second-generation biofuel crops to lighten the stress that biofuel crops put on food security by:

    a) Sharing of new technologies and development;

    b) Reassess national policies to discourage the use of current biofuel crops that are proven to put stress on food accessibility;

    c) Further utilize cellulosic ethanol for biofuel production;

4. Encourages nations to utilize NGO funding, as well as national banking systems, to initiate programs directed towards women such as small-scale loans and micro-financing programs;

5. Encourages the implementation of region-specific irrigation practices including slow-drip and circle irrigation, as well as identifying malfunctioning irrigation systems and remedying them accordingly;

6. Recommends the expansion of support to the Millennium Villages Project, with the aid of an initial 10 million USD grant from MSF, to more areas of the world with the goal of:

    a) Emphasizing green, sustainable farming practices;

    b) Ensuring long- and short-term solution to the food crisis;

    c) Meeting all Millennium Development Goals by the target year of 2015;

    d) Using this body as a forum for information sharing on topics, such as education regarding nutrition and food preservation strategies;

    e) Respecting local and national sovereignty by working on a country and region specific basis, and increase understanding of cultural sensitivities and practices;

7. Suggests that non-governmental organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières serve as advisors and mediators in this area, providing assistance in the form of organizational skills, logistics, funding, and aiding the link between developed and developing nations;

8. Supports the further enforcement of pre-existing legislation on land property rights to boost up long term investments in agriculture;

9.Calls upon the FAO to expand its duties to:

    a) Employ identification systems to identify, categorize, and research in the most vulnerable areas;

    b) Work with and empower local and national NGO’s through the offering of resources in both technical and financial with the goal of increasing food productivity;

    c) Lobby governments to be more transparent, open, and accepting of civilian aid;

    d) Create and employ solutions to good governance in terms of sustainable development;

    e) Review international bodies and frameworks for sustainable development;

10.Calls for enhanced legislation on land property rights to boost up long term investments in agriculture;

11. Encourages the implementation of public-private partnerships (PPP’s) for the purpose of fostering communication between affected citizens and governing bodies to combat issues including, but not limited to:

    a) Inadequate communication;

    b) Insufficient infrastructure;

    c) The misunderstanding of regional and local customs and specific food security shortcomings of each region;

12. Recommends inter-regional communication in order to facilitate the cultural-appropriateness of initiatives and restructurings to be considered;

13. Urges nations to increase their monetary and food aid to programmes such as the World Food Programme with the goal of:

    a) Combating the rise in food prices in impoverished nations that are unable to  afford food prices;

    b) Augmenting funding for capacity building in a sustainable manner, using such institutions as the Global Environment Facility to bring technology and education to rural ideas and increase productivity;

14. Recognizes the importance of protecting local biodiversity and the environment as integral to addressing the problem of land degradation and subsequent agricultural duress;

15. Calls for close cooperation with appropriate NGOs, such as MSF and ICRC, with the goal of providing immediate food aid in crisis situations and natural disasters.
 
Joomla Templates by Joomlashack