Secretary General reminding delegates about the gravity of the situation...

Best Delegate Awards

The Best Delegate awards were most difficult to decide:

Anyway, we had to give the awards to someone, so following are the BEST DELEGATES:

Mexico :: Palasha Gutch (XII A)

Tuvalu :: Neha Rohira (XI B)

P. R. China :: Somyadeep Dwivedi (X B)

Russian Federation :: Shashank Gupta (X)

Following delegates got Consolation prizes:

Uruguay :: Subhashini Chaturvedi (X B)

Spain :: Rahat Mahajan (X)

Iran :: Deepanshu Chaturvedi (XI B)

Congratulations Delegates!!!

The Conference...

The Conference is finally over! We are proud to say it was a great success.

It was within school Conference where 40 student delegates from classes 9 to 12 represented various member states of UNEP – GC. The weighty responsibility of bring Secretary General of the UN was carried out ably by Samarth Singh of class XII and he was complemented well by the Chairman of UNEP – GC for this Conference Swapnil Shukla of class XI.

The student delegates showed lot of enthusiasm and a high level of research and understanding of international issues. Delegates drafted comprehensive foreign policies, gave balanced speeches on the issues in their respective countries related to Climate Change and spoke about the success stories of the implemented plans by the respective countries, they caucused to get support for the similar issues faced by other nations like them, they debated the viability of majors suggested by other nations, they raised finely articulated points of information and timely points of order. Overall this Conference saw a very high level debating on the agenda of “Future after Kyoto Protocol”. There were Moderated Caucuses on issues like “Rising Sea Levels and its effect on small island developing economies”, “shift from fossil fuel to alternative sources of energy”, “Use of Financial Instruments to fight Climate Change”, “Desertification and its influence on the desert dwellers” and so on. These Moderated Caucuses came out of the speeches made by delegates on the main agenda and they eventually paved the path to the Draft Resolutions. In between the debates an emergency situation was announced and the Secretary General asked the committee to suspend the business to resolve the emergency. The emergency was about an ecological catastrophe caused by leakage of deadly chemicals in river Mekong and eventual reactions by various governments to this situation. The delegates discussed the situation and made statements about the emergency, eventually the emergency was resolved by consensus and a single comprehensive Presidential Statement was issued which was passed by the council.

After the emergency was resolved the council went back to discussing the main agenda and more speeches were made, more Moderated Caucuses were proposed and eventually when the Executive Board felt that all the related issues were discussed, an Unmoderated Caucus was proposed to draft a resolution on the agenda of “Future after Kyoto Protocol”. After serious debating and horse trading, tooth & nail bargaining two draft resolutions emerged out of the Unmoderated Caucus. Both the draft resolutions were comprehensive and could be used by UNEP as they are. The resolutions included appeals to developing world to take emission cuts, encouraging nations to introduce Rapid Transport Systems using non-conventional clean energy, shift towards green economics, capacity building to fight Climate Change and such practical majors, which can be understood by all and easy for all to implement. Eventually both the Draft Resolutions were put to vote and one of them became the adopted resolution of the LAMUN 2009. As our Secretary General mentioned eventually in his closing remarks, this was a successful parliament.

In a dignified and well organized Closing Ceremony 4 Best Delegate and 3 Worthy Mention awards were declared; Secretary General and Chairman also were given special certificates and tokens of appreciation from the school. The chief guests for this ceremony were Dr. Y K Jaiswal, a renowned Microbiologist from Jiwaji University; Mr. Sudhir Sapra, Principal of Vasant Vidyaniketan and social activist working with NGO SAJAG; Mr. Badi Yaganagi, Administrator of Rabbani School in Susera Kothi. The Chief Guests were highly impressed by the students performance and wished to see this Conference being held at national level in near future.

The Executive Board of the LAMUN 2009

Secretary General - - Samarth Singh

Chairman - - Swapnil Shukla

Message from our Secretary General

A Model UN Conference is a wonderful learning experience and makes one more aware on a range of issues, and in this LAMUN conference, we are going to enact the UNEP.A thriving conference helps you hone your debating and negotiating skills, gives you the opportunity to express your views and of course, boosts your confidence, exponentially.

The agendas for LAMUN 2009 are :

1. The future after Kyoto Protocol.

2. Question of using financial instruments to combat climate change

I personally feel that both these agendas are very pertinent in today's scenario as they would help in resolving possibly the most gargantuan and pernicious problem that man has ever seen. A lot has been said, a lot of theories have been propunded, many frameworks have been drawn up, but.. action is something that has gone missing.

Many countries talk about the responsibility to protect in times of war or proxy war like conditions… why then are we ignoring the biggest war on humanity? Why isn't anybody embracing the responsibility to protect now? Countries talk about collective efforts to combat climate change… why then there are no efforts? Countries must step up and realise that tackling this would require greater individualistic efforts rather than collective efforts. Countries should internalize the costs of their pollution, control it at its source, and pay for its effects, including remedial or cleanup costs, rather than forcing other states or future generations to bear such costs.

At the same time, man must realise that the wheels of the world cannot be stopped and should not be stopped. Sustainable development is something that everyone agrees to yet there are little known instances of its implementation. Countries at this conference must also devise methods to find better ways of implementing sustainable development.

The Kyoto Protocol indeed has been a very encouraging step towards climate change. Since it will expire in 2012, therefore it becomes highly imperative that member states review the work done and devise a framework on the lines of Kyoto Protocol which is bereft of anomalies and helps us in securing our future. After all, its time to amalgamate, consolidate and plan for the future!!

As young delegates and future leaders, our future is in our hands. LAMUN is only but a stepping stone on this path and each delegate participating at this conference is ordained to make a difference in our world, to change it for the better. Changing the world has become a cliché of sorts… THIS is how you change the world!

I hope this conference will be a memorable experience for each one of us, one that we will always cherish. Together we will make LAMUN 2009 a success and I wish you all the best.

- Samarth Singh

Secretary General of LAMUN

“The UN is more in demand than ever before – and it is because expectations are so high that the possibility of disappointment is also high. I do not believe in miracles, but I do have faith in human decency, diligence and incremental progress. Above all, I believe in results, not rhetoric. The fundamental purposes and principles of this Organization are inspiring and enduring – we need to renew our pledge to live up to them. My partners in this noble enterprise are the Member States and civil society. Their commitment, action and perseverance will serve as the engine propelling us to fulfill the promise of 1945.”

Ban Ki-moon

Secretary General of United Nations

some reference links..

Following websites are very good resources for understanding MUN.

UNA USA MUN website:

http://www.unausa.org/munpreparation/

Cambridge MUN Society:

http://www.cumun.co.uk/mun/

Writing Resolutions ...

Debating is a major part of Model United Nations, but MUN debates are always centred around resolutions. A resolution is one long sentence declaring a nation’s opinion concerning a topic, and the actions it intends to take.

A resolution consists of both preambulatory clauses and operative clauses. Preambulatory clauses establish a nations motivation, while operative clauses determine what action to take. These resolutions will form the primary documents at the conference. Delegates will spend their time at LAMUN - 2009 debating and amending resolutions that have been brought by delegates; and also, in the informal negotiating periods, lobbying and gathering support for them. Experienced delegates are strongly encouraged to write resolutions for the LAMUN conference.

Any resolution you write must be in accordance with your country’s stated policy. Remember that a resolution is a text setting out problems and suggested solutions in a formalised way. Resolutions should state at the top of the page the Committee, the subject matter, the submitter, and leave space for the co-submitters. Resolutions should be submitted by one or two country/ies and co-submitted by at least six others, before they can be debated.

Format

The format of a resolution is strict, and certain rules must be followed. A resolution, as has already been noted, is divided into perambulatory clauses and operative clauses. The preamble contains the background to the problem and should be kept fairly short (1-3 clauses is sufficient), as the background will be covered in the debate itself. The preamble has little effect on the purpose of the resolution. The arguments for the action you are proposing, and the reasoning behind the calls for action should be in the operative clauses. To gauge the real meaning of a resolution, look at the operative clauses first, and consider how they might be adapted to meet your country's needs.

A resolution is contained within one sentence. At the end of each perambulatory clause there is a comma; at the end of each operative clauses there is a semicolon, the last clause is ends with a full stop.

Operative clauses must be numbered. Clauses may be divided into sub-clauses labelled (a), (b), etc.

Resolution Introductory Phrases

Each clause should start with a verb in the following way (though this list is not exhaustive):

Preambulatory Clauses:

Affirming

Alarmed by

Approving

Aware of

Believing

Bearing in mind

Confident

Contemplating

Convinced

Declaring

Deeply concerned

Deeply conscious

Deeply convinced

Deeply disturbed

Deeply regretting

Desiring

Emphasising

Expressing its appreciation Expressing its satisfaction

Fulfilling

Fully aware

Fully believing

Further deploring

Further noting

Further recalling

Guided by

Having adopted

Having considered

Having considered further

Having denoted attention

Having examined

Having heard

Having received

Having studied

Keeping in mind

Noting Noting with approval

Noting with deep concern

Noting with regret

Noting with satisfaction

Observing

Realising

Reaffirming

Recalling

Recognising

Referring

Recalling

Seeking

Taking into account

Taking into consideration

Taking note

Viewing with appreciation

Welcoming

Operative Clauses

Accepts

Affirms

Approves

Authorises

Calls

Calls for

Condemns

Congratulates

Confirms

Considers

Declares accordingly

Deplores

Designates

Draws the attention

Emphasises

Encourages

Endorses

Expresses its appreciation

Expresses its hope

Further invites

Further proclaims

Have resolved

Notes

Proclaims

Reaffirms Recommends

Reminds

Regrets

Requests

Solemnly affirms

Strongly condemns

Supports

Trusts

Takes note of

Transmits

Urges

Sample Resolution

The General Assembly of the United Nations,

Noting Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that “All beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”,

Aware that economic embargoes cause great damage to nations, both to the individuals within the nations, and to the wider social structure,

Bearing in mind paragraph 70 of the Secretary-General's 1995 report on the work of the United Nations, which stated, "Sanctions … raise the ethical question of whether suffering inflicted on vulnerable groups in the target country is a legitimate means of exerting pressure,

Calling the attention of member states to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of action which affirms that food should not be used as a tool for political pressure,

Convinced that it is wrong and immoral for any country to penalise another through prejudice, because they disapprove of their government,

Believing that it is only through building firm trading links, and not through a policy of hatred and intolerance that a lasting peace between nations can be achieved,

1. Calls upon all member states to reconsider their position over all sanctions, and particularly the sanctions on Iraq and Cuba;

2. Suggests that the sanctions against the above named countries be gradually relaxed, with the aim of reinstating the infrastructure, education system and medical care of both member states;

3. Expresses its hope that the sanctions will be fully lifted within eight years;

4. Urges the United Nations to send medical aid to both countries, to alleviate the suffering of the thousands of civilians, especially to pregnant and nursing mothers, and children;

5. Strongly recommends that the first sanctions to be relaxed on oil in the case of Iraq, and on sugar in the case of Cuba, so that the countries may use the profits from their primary exports to:

a. invest in the socio-economic structure of their nations, in order to revive their economies,

b. provide humanitarian aid, specifically food and medicine, to their population,

c. pay teachers and other professionals to return to work, so that the alarming drop-out rate at elementary and secondary schools may be remedied, to provide a basic education for the future generation;

6. Suggests that this process be monitored by the UN and other nations that would be effected, especially those in the Middle East;

7. Encourages all member states to endeavour to trade fairly with these countries in particular, and troubled regions in general, so that through mutual trade and increased prosperity, lasting peace and friendly relations between countries will ensue.

Some suggestions for sub topics...

Following sub-topics may be helpful for writing foreign policy, making speeches in general debate and starting moderated causcuses.

1. Shifting to renewable resources for power production (viz: wind & solar energy)

2. Environment tax on fossil fuel

3. Strict targets to be set for developing countries which emmit large amount of CO2 and other gases causing Global Warming.

4. Mandetory use of part of agruculture land for tree plantation.

5. Increasing the contributions to the Environment Funds

6. Introduction of clean public transport (Electricity based Metro Train network)

7. Addressing the issues specific to small island nations and nations with low lying coastal region in relation to mitigation of Climate Change.

8. Cost of mitigation of Climate Change to the developing economy and fossil fuel exporting economy due to reliance on fossil fuel.

9. Issue of big nations ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, before setting targets for future after 2012.

10. Educating public, especially school going children about Climate Change.

11. Changing weather pattern, Desertification and it's influence on people.

12. Climate Change migrants

These sub topics should give you ideas to find more related such sub-topics.

All the best!!!

Some tips for writing Foreign Policy

1. Find out what are issues your country is concerned about the most (e.g. USA is concerned that India & China have no targets to cut emmission of CO2, while developed nations have strict targets; so USA will base fireign policy on that issue. Small island nations worry about rising sea levels, so their foreign policy includes that issue, etc.)

2. Choose one or two issues and find out what has your country done for that. (e.g. Germany is shifting from conventional energy to renewable energy, mostly solar and wind energy for power production, which clean energy)

3. Find out what your country is planning to do for the issue in near future and upto 2020. (e.g. Tuvalu is shifting completely to clean energy by year 2020, Germany is investing more in renewable energy, Japan is investing in other countries in area of clean energy, etc.)

Relate all this to the mechanisms of Kyoto Protocol:

Emissions trading – known as “the carbon market"

Clean development mechanism (CDM)

Joint implementation (JI).

Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol treaty was negotiated in December 1997 at the city of Kyoto, Japan and came into force February 16th, 2005.

"The Kyoto Protocol is a legally binding agreement under which industrialized countries will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2% compared to the year 1990 (but note that, compared to the emissions levels that would be expected by 2010 without the Protocol, this target represents a 29% cut). The goal is to lower overall emissions from six greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs - calculated as an average over the five-year period of 2008-12. National targets range from 8% reductions for the European Union and some others to 7% for the US, 6% for Japan, 0% for Russia, and permitted increases of 8% for Australia and 10% for Iceland."

Read Kyoto Protocol: http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php

The Kyoto mechanisms

Under the Treaty, countries must meet their targets primarily through national measures. However, the Kyoto Protocol offers them an additional means of meeting their targets by way of three market-based mechanisms.

The Kyoto mechanisms are:

Emissions trading – known as “the carbon market"

Clean development mechanism (CDM)

Joint implementation (JI).

The mechanisms help stimulate green investment and help Parties meet their emission targets in a cost-effective way.

The road ahead

The Kyoto Protocol is generally seen as an important first step towards a truly global emission reduction regime that will stabilize GHG emissions, and provides the essential architecture for any future international agreement on climate change.

By the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012, a new international framework needs to have been negotiated and ratified that can deliver the stringent emission reductions the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has clearly indicated are needed.

UNEP GC 25, Nairobi Feb 2009

Read http://www.unep.org/GC/GC25/ for the proceedings, you'll get lot of information from here.

Poznan: Finding Way out of Bali Roadmap Maze

Bali RoadMap was hailed as "a real breakthrough, a real opportunity for the international community to successfully fight climate change." by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer.

Eventually Industrilized countries tried to renege on their Climate commitments they made at Bali. So the Roadmap turned out to be a maze that everyone was getting misled in.

Poznan was a major failure as US was absent and whole world was in middle of global financial meltdown, so Climate Change last thing on the Governments' minds and no one was paying any attention to the pleadings of the NGOs at the Summit .

Research suggestions:

UNEP website: www.unep.org

UNFCC website: unfcc.int

Bali Roadmap: http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_13/items/4049.php

Do some research on Poznan Summit.

Poznan summit to find way out of Bali roadmap maze November 30th, 2008 - 5:35 pm ICT by IANS Poznan (Poland)

About 9,000 delegates from 187 countries are gathering here for the UN’s annual climate change summit, at a time when industrialised countries are reluctant to commit significant funds to combat climate change due to the global financial meltdown. But scientists warn the catastrophe is already here.The Dec 1-12 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) summit here - now second only to the UN General Assembly in size and profile - comes halfway on the two-year Bali roadmap in which a new international agreement to combat climate change is to be worked out by December 2009.

But the roadmap now looks like a maze. Hardly any of the commitments made by any government under previous international agreements has been kept.

The UNFCCC has calculated that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from industrialised countries have continued to rise between 1990 and 2006 in violation of their commitment under the convention and the Kyoto Protocol.

Climate change is being caused by a rise in GHG concentration - mainly carbon dioxide - in the atmosphere. It is already affecting farm output and water supplies, submerging coastal areas as the sea rises, and leading to more frequent and more severe droughts, floods and storms.

Scientists are now warning that the effect is both worse and faster than estimated by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) last year. The IPCC had warned of major and unexpected changes if the global average temperature rose more than two degrees Celsius. If current trends continue, it is set to rise more than four degrees.

Developing countries are already the worst hit, with India among those bearing the brunt. At the same time, large developing countries such as China, India, Brazil and South Africa are under immense pressure from industrialised countries to commit to mandatory GHG emission caps, though industrialised countries are responsible for over 90 percent of the extra GHG in the atmosphere.

India and China both have ambitious national plans to combat climate change and move towards a greener energy path, but both have said they need money and cheap transfer of technology from industrialised countries to do so.

All developing countries have asked for money to adapt to climate change consequences. But the little that was committed by industrialised countries at the Bali summit and thereafter is now in danger of drying up as the global financial system implodes.

Members of the Indian government delegation here have told IANS there is no point in even talking about a Bali roadmap or a post-2012 global pact, when the current phase of the Kyoto Protocol expires. They want the industrialised countries to honour their current commitments before talking about the future.

Instead, governments in many industrialised countries are trying their best to renege on their historical responsibilities, and are ready to use the Poznan summit for another round of Sindia (as the China-India combine is being called here) bashing on the plea that these two countries threaten to become the world’s largest GHG emitters in the next decade.

The closed negotiating rooms at the Poznan summit promise stormy meetings and much horse-trading while NGOs from around the world keep petitioning outside the doors in repeated efforts to nudge governments to come to at least some agreements that may save the world.

(This is just a News Article, not recognized by the UNEP)

Members of Secretariat

1. Kunal Chaturvedi

2. Anuja Bhadoria

3. Mansi Pradhan

4. Mallika Dhillon

5. Ankit Gupta

6. Apporv

7. Ishita Laharia

Country Delegation

Following is the FINAL list of country delegates:

Voting Members:

1 Antigua and Barbuda Niharika Bakliwal VB

2 Argentina Pooja Garg VB

3 Australia Aditi Jain VB

4 Austria Varun Gupta Y

5 Bahamas Yashwant Jadhav Y

6 Bangladesh Vinisha VB

7 Belarus Aditi Mittal VB

8 Belgium Shruti Kulshreshtha VM

9 Botswana Sanjana Singh Jadon Y

10 Burundi Hershita VM

11 Canada Rudraksh Durrani SH

12 Chile Sahil Sahni SH

13 China Somyadeep Dwivedi Y

14 Colombia Shraddha Tambat Y

15 Costa Rica Akaash X-D VM

16 Croatia Oshin Gupta Y

17 Cuba Alina SH

18 Czech Republic Aayush Sinha SH

19 Fiji Ajinkya Patankar SH

20 Finland Aayushi Maheshwari Y

21 France Dhruv Gandhi Y

22 Germany Neha Gupta Y

23 Guinea Anisha VB

24 Haiti Achintya Jain VM

25 India Surbhi Gupta VM

26 Indonesia Saharsh Gupta VB

27 Iran Deepanshu Chaturvedi VM

28 Israel Ananya Garg VB

29 Italy Krati Patodi Y

30 Japan Aditi Mishra Y

31 Kazakhstan Vijaya SH

32 Kenya Tanu Sharma SH

33 Mauritius Madhur Sahni VB

34 Mexico Palaash Gutch Y

35 Monaco Tanya Raizada VB

36 Netherlands Shubhit VM

37 Pakistan Akshat QC VM

38 Republic of Korea Akshat Mittal VB

39 Russian Federation Shashank Gupta Y

40 Saudi Arabia Rishul Batra VM

41 Somalia Nupur Jadhav VM

42 South Africa Mansi Jain Y

43 Spain Rahat Mahajan VB

44 Thailand Kajol Thakwani SH

45 Tuvalu Neha Rohira Y

46 United States of America Neel Singh VM

47 Uruguay Subhashini Chaturvedi Y

(Teacher Codes: )

VM: Dr. Mrs. Vidyottama Mishra

VB: Ms Vaishali Badmera

SH: Mr. Shekhar Saxena

Y : Mr. Yogesh

Each Delegate is assigned to a teacher, you should ask any doubts about foreign policy, speech, etc. from that teacher. You must prepare a foreign policy draft and show it to your teacher assigned, you must also prepare a 30-45 seconds speech about any sub-topic of each agenda and show it to the assigned teacher.

Observer Members:

Country: Maldives: Samyak Jain

UN Body: World Trade Organization: Rishi Rohan

Some General Rules and Regulations.. THE 9 COMMANDMENTS

RULES OF PROCEDURE

1. Voting Rights

Each member state of the LAMUN UNEP-GC shall have one vote. This admission shall be made by the Secretary General only. No member or delegate may cast the vote of another member.

2. Agenda

The chair will declare the agenda of LAMUN UNEP-GC.

3. Resolutions and Amendments

Resolutions, while initiated by individual members or groups, are basic statements of the body's policy. A motion is considered and amendment of it adds to delete from, or revises part of a proposal Amendments which merely are a negative to alter the intent of a proposal shall not be considered amendments and not allowed, admissible. Perambulatory clauses may not be amended. Amendments to amendments are not allowed. Sponsors may not amend their own proposals.

Resolutions and amendments shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary General who shall circulate copies to all delegations. If two or more resolutions relate to the same agenda item, the Body shall consider them in the order determined by the Secretariat unless it decides otherwise.

Proposals to reorder are in order after the conclusion of Substantive Debate on the topic and before voting on any of the resolutions has begun. Proposals for reordering the resolutions shall be voted on in the order they are proposed. Once voting on these reordering proposals has begun, no new proposals shall be allowed. The first proposal to receive a majority vote shall be the voting order. If none receives a majority vote, the Secretariat's order shall stand.

After commencing to vote, the body may decide whether to vote on the next resolution. A vote to Not Vote (decision not to vote) on a resolution requires a simple majority. Decisions whether to vote or not to vote on resolutions must be made for each resolution individually.

4. Introduction, Sponsorship and Withdrawal of Proposals.

Proposals shall be defined as:

1. Procedural motions,

2. Procedural amendments,

3. Resolutions,

4. Substantive amendments.

A proposal may be made by any member of the body. Procedural motions and procedural amendments are introduced orally, discussed, and voted upon without written presentation. However, the Chair may require that a procedural motion or procedural amendment be submitted in writing and circulated to all representatives before the motion may be discussed or voted upon. Procedural motions or amendments may be withdrawn at anytime prior to voting on it has commenced.

Resolutions shall be submitted before the end of general debate on the agenda item and amendments shall be submitted before the end of the substantive debate on the agenda item. Resolutions and amendments are considered formally introduced upon being accepted and numbered by the Chair.

Generally, no resolution or substantive amendment shall be discussed or put to a vote unless it has been submitted to the Chair. The Chair may permit short substantive proposals to be discussed and voted upon even though such proposals have not been previously circulated. The Chair shall determine what constitutes a short substantive proposal.

An amendment to a resolution shall also be introduced verbally by the amendment's proposer during substantive debate. No additional amendments shall be allowed after the speakers list has been exhausted and/or closed. However, if substantive debate is closed or adjourned, the Chair shall immediately accept all remaining amendments. They may be introduced verbally by the proposers at the discretion of the Chair.

Any member may sponsor a resolution. A member may ask to be added to the list of sponsors of an existing resolution. Sponsorship of a resolution, will be allowed only up to the time at which substantive debate is concluded on the item. However, sponsors may withdraw their sponsorship of a resolution prior to voting on it, if their resolution has been amended. This does not apply in the event of friendly amendment. If sponsorship of a proposal has been withdrawn, and no member wishes to sponsor said proposal the whole proposal shall be considered withdrawn. If a proposal has been sponsored by two or more member states, all sponsors must agree to withdraw sponsorship for the proposal to be considered withdrawn. Once resolution has been passed by a Body, the Body itself becomes the sponsor of the resolution. A procedural motion or amendment may be withdrawn by its proposer at any time before voting on it has commenced

5. Reconsideration of Proposals

When a proposal has been adopted or rejected, it may not be reconsidered at the same session unless the body, by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, so decides. Permission to speak on a motion for reconsideration shall be accorded to two speakers in favor, including the proposer of the motion. and two speakers opposing the motion, after which it shall be put to vote immediately. The Chair may limit the time allowed to speakers. A motion to reconsider a proposal may be made only once for the same proposal.

6. Conduct During Voting

Immediately prior to the commencement of the voting, the Chair shall read the proposal to be voted upon. After the Chair has announced the beginning of voting, no member shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual conduct of the voting, or to withdraw sponsorship of a resolution that was amended, which has to be moved immediately after it was amended. (Withdrawal of Sponsorship).

7. Speeches and Comments

During discussion of each agenda item, the normal conduct of business shall include 'a period of speeches for general debate on the item, as well as a period- for substantive debate on the resolutions and substantive amendments submitted for the item. The Chair shall set the time limits for speeches (General Powers of the Chair). Substantive debate shall not begin until all resolutions have been formally introduced ( Voting on Resolutions and Amendments).

No representative may address the body without having previously obtained the permission of the Chair. They shall call upon speakers in the order in which they have signified their desire to speak. The Chair may call a speaker to order if his/her remarks are not relevant to the subject under discussion, or if the representative has exceeded his allotted time. No delegate may interrupt a speaker except on a point of order. Such a point shall pertain to the delegate's right to speak.

Short comments may be allowed only on the previous speech and at the discussion of the President. When time allotted to a speaker is limited, a representative may yield a portion of this time to another. This yielded time must be utilized at the time it is yielded. There is no limitation to the number of speeches a delegate can give unless the list has been closed; however, their name cannot appear on the list more than once at any given time, subject to (Powers of the Chair).

8. Point of Order

During the discussion of any matter, if a representative believes that the Assembly is proceeding in a manner contrary to that specified in one of the Rules of Procedure, he shall raise a point of order immediately, which shall be recognized by the Chair without delay. The Chair shall rule on that point of order immediately in accordance with the Rules or Procedure and Article 12 of the Model United Nations Bylaws.

A point or order, raised at any time, shall refer to the matter at hand at the time only. A representative rising to a point of order may not speak on the substance of the matter under discussion.

9. Appeal

A representative may appeal against a ruling of the Chair. The appeal shall he put to a vote immediately, and the Chair's ruling shall stand unless overruled by a two-thirds majority of present and voting.

Determination of the Order of Resolution

If two or more resolutions relate to the same agenda item, the Committee shall, unless it decides other wise, vote on the resolutions in the order in which they have been numbered by the Secretariat.

Proposals for reordering of resolutions shall be voted on in the order in which they are proposed. Once voting on these reordering proposals has begun, no additional motions to reorder will be accepted. The first proposal to receive a majority vote becomes the new order of the resolutions. If none receives a majority, the Secretariat's order will stand as a originally ordered. Proposals to reorder are in order after substantive debate on the topic has been concluded and before voting on any resolutions has begun.

The Assembly may, after a vote on a resolution, decide whether to vote on the next resolution. Decisions whether to vote on additional resolutions must be made individually for each resolution and not collectively.

Voting on the Resolutions and Amendments

Each member of the UNEP-GC shall have one vote, observers shall not vote. No representative may cast a vote on behalf of another member. Each resolution and amendment is adopted by a three step process. The first step is voting on amendments in the order numbered by the Chair on the first ordered resolution. Amendments may not be reordered or divided and require a simple majority for adoption. If the adoption of one amendment necessarily implies the rejection of another amendment, the lamer amendment shall not be put to a vote.

After all amendments to a resolution have been voted on, the second step is the division of the resolution. A motion for division is in order only immediately prior to voting on the substantive proposal or substantive proposal as amended. The motion must include directions on how the proposer wants the resolution divided. Only operative clauses may be divided; perambulatory clauses may not be divided.

The Chair will accept all motions for divisions. If there is no objection to a motion for division, the motion will be adopted. If an objection is made, the motion will be put to a vote. Debate on the floor will consist of one speaker, the proposer, in favour and one against. The President may limit the time for the speakers. A motion for division must receive a two-third majority to be adopted.

"Those parts of the resolution remaining after amendments and divisions shall be voted on a whole. Step three is voting on the resolution as it stands after the first two steps. The Committee then proceeds in the same manner with the next resolution.

Conduct of the Vote

Voting shall normally take place by delegates raising their placard and voting either "in favor,' 'against.' or 'abstaining.' Abstentions do not figure in the calculation of the vote. A tie vote is considered to be a rejection of the proposal. Once voting has begun, it may not be interrupted by any statement or motion, except a point of order concerning the manner in which the vote is being conducted.

On any substantive proposal, any delegate may request a roll call vote. The request must be made before the vote has begun. This request is a procedural moton requiring a majority vote.

The roll call vote will be called beginning with a state drawn by lot. A delegate will vote "yes," "no," "abstention," "yes with explanation," "no with explanation," or "pass." After the initial roll call has been taken, the Chair will ask those members who passed to vote; a delegate may only pass once per roll call. Then the Chair will call for any changes of votes. Changes are permitted only on roll call votes. The Chair shall ask delegates who voted "yes or No with explanation" explain their vote.

Formal votes are required on all substantive proposals. Procedural motions may be adopted without a vote by utilizing the phrase "seeing no objections."

Substantive Debate and Amendments

Substantive Debate on an Agenda Item

Substantive debate involves discussion on the various draft resolutions and amendments before the Committee. It is an effort to formulate specific policy articulations. Substantive debate occurs on all resolutions and amendments simultaneously and as a unit; each proposal is not debated separately. During this period resolutions and amendments are formally introduced. Speakers shall offer states' view on all or some of the resolutions or amendments, noting their strengths and weaknesses. Authors of substantive proposals may defend their drafts and critique others. Debate proceeds in the same manner as described for General Debate discussed above. It may not begin until all resolutions submitted on the item have been duplicated and distributed.

Amendments to Resolutions

Amendments are additions, deletions, or changes to an existing draft resolution. All amendments must be formally introduced.

An amendment may, however, be submitted for numbering and duplication at any time prior to its formal introduction including the time of resolution submission. Early submission is highly recommended since the Chair may, at his/her discretion, not permit discussion without its duplication and distribution. The proposer of an amendment should thus reserve a space early in Substantive debate to ensure introduction and discussion of the amendment. If the proposer fails to do this, a speaker on the list may be asked by the proposer to yield time to the proposer for that purpose.

If the amendment is of a Procedural nature (i.e correcting spelling. style. or typing) or a short substantive proposal. the Chair may allow its oral introduction without duplication of the amendment. In cases of more than one amendment to a particular resolution, amendments will be voted on in the order numbered by the Chair. If all sponsor(s) of a resolution do not object to an amendment to that resolution, the amendment is considered a friendly amendment and is added to the resolution without a vote. A sponsor may not amend his/her own resolution. An amendment may not be amended.

States may add or withdraw sponsorship to resolutions and amendments at any time up to the close of Substantive debate. Resolutions adopted in the Committee will not bear the sponsors' names as they are the statements of the Committee and not of the individual states. If all sponsors of a resolution or amendment withdraw sponsorship prior to the beginning of voting, other states will be offered a chance to co­sponsor. If none respond, the resolution or amendment will not be put to a vote.

Caucus and submission of resolution

Caucus

A caucus is an informal meeting. A motion to caucus is in order at any time when the floor is open. The delegate making the motion must briefly explain its purpose and suggest the duration of the caucus, not to exceed fifteen minutes. The motion, unless ruled out by the Chair (such a ruling cannot be appealed), will be put to an immediate vote and a majority of member voting and present is necessary for its passage.

Moderated Caucus

The purpose of moderated caucus is to facilitate substantive debate at critical junctures in the discussion. A motion for a moderated caucus may be ruled out of order and like an unmoderated caucus, such a ruling would be unappeasable. However, if it is ruled in order, it is put to a vote and follows the same procedure as in ordinary caucus. During a Moderated Caucus, the Moderator will temporarily suspend the Speaker's List and call on delegates to speak at his/her own discretion. Speaking time any first be assigned by the Moderator, and is subject to change upon a simple procedural vote.

Unmoderated Caucus

Unmoderated Caucus is usually held for peprose of forming draft resolutions. After lot of discussion has been held on any agenda item and all issues have been debated upon, the motion for unmoderated caucus may be proposed. Unless ruled out of order this motion will be immidiately put to vote and upon majority vote this motion will be order. During unmoderated caucus, delgates may leave their seats and gather in groups to discuss and form resolutions for the agenda descussed.

Submission of Resolution on an Agenda Item

Resolution, while produced by individual states or groups of states, are proposals of basic policy of the UNEP. They form the basis of discussion during Substantive Debate on agenda items. Thus, specific guidelines must be followed as to their form, time of submission, nature of distribution, and type of considerations.

Resolutions are drafted by UNEP-GC members and should be typed or legibly printed or handwritten for submission to the Chair. The Chair shall specify the time during which resolutions are to be accepted on a given agenda item. Normally, resolutions are accepted from the beginning of General Debate till the closure of the debate. Resolutions will be submitted to the Chair, who will check them for proper form. If accepted, the resolution will be numbered and sent to be typed and duplicated. The resolutions will be distributed before substantive debate, at which time they will be formally introduced. Duplication by delegates for official distribution will not be permitted.

General Debate

Following the practice of the United Nations, UNEP COnvention will employ a two-step debate process Committee Members engage in both General and Substantive Debate on each agenda item, Delegates who deliver substantive speeches during General Debate, or vice-versa, will be ruled out of order.

Each delegate is afforded an opportunity to express her/his state's perception of the issue, evaluation of past action or inaction, alternatives for future action, References to specific events and data are also made here. General debate serves both to review the problem and perceptions of it as well as to note areas of concern and unity for future Assembly action.

No representative may address the body without previously obtaining the Chair's permission. Speakers for General and Substantive debate shall generally be recognized from a speakers list maintained by the Chair. To participate in General Debate, a delegate must indicate his desire to be placed on the speakers list in writing, specifying the agenda topic and type of debate. The Chair may suggest to the Committee the closure of the speakers list. Debate will continue until the speakers list is exhausted or debate is closed or adjourned . To shorten the speakers list, members may request, in writing to the Legal Officer, that their names be removed from the speakers list. Requests for placement on the speakers list in other than the order submitted shall be the sole discretion of the Chair.

Placement on the speakers list ensures a block of time for that delegation's use. The Chair may limit the duration of the speeches. When recognized, a delegate may use all or part of the time allotted, or the delegate may yield any remaining time to another delegate. The delegate, however, must use the time immediately and may not defer it to a later time. Once a delegate's name appears on the speaker's list, it may be moved only once to the bottom of the list. Once he/she has completed a speech, he/she may place his/her name on the speaker's list again. After each speech from the list, the Chair may entertain short speeches and comments on the preceding speech. A short speech is a brief response to the issues, perceptions, and positions mentioned in the previous speech. Comments on any other speech or topic will be ruled out of order and the original speaker may not comment on his/her own speech. The Chair may limit the number and duration of the short comments.

During debate, a delegate may ask a question of another delegate. Both question and response must be addressed to the Chair, not to delegates directly. Questions of an informational nature or procedural nature may be asked of the Chair under Point of Information, and the Chair on behalf of the Assembly may ask a specific delegate for information. No other questioning is permitted. Questions of a policy nature may be answered through a short comment, or in a subsequent speech.

Preparing for the Convention

Country Profile:

Each delegate must submit a country profile. It shall be printed on A4 size paper, Times New Roman font size 12, max 500 words.

Country Profile shall be about any issue related to the agendas of the Convetion. It shall include a small paragraph introducing the topic and your country's stand on the issue, one paragraph about your countries implemented plans and one paragraph about future plans.

Studying of the Assigned Country

Study of a country may begin with the summary treatment offered by any encyclopaedia. Good references are almanacs. Facts on File, Political Handbook of the World, Statesman's yearbook, Deadline Date on World Affairs among others. Internet is a very good resource to study about any country, search Government website of the country and UN websites for important information about the country and the agenda. Foreign embassies and newspapers are also important sources on current national and international problems that affect a nation's stand on specific issues in the United Nations and its relationships with other nations. The more a delegate knows about a nation's policies, whether political, economic, or cultural in nature, the easier it will be to assume the role of "delegate" for that nation. Order of Bussiness First order shall be opening of the session by the Secretary General of the LAMUN. Second order shall be establishment of the quorum by taking attendance by the moderator. Then the Chairman will anounce the agendas and order of agenda will be set. Then there will be period for General Debate, where number of state and other members will be invited to address the gathering on variety of issues related to the agendas.

LAMUN Launch next month!

We are launching our own Model United Nations Club, LAMUN.

Our first convention is next month on 15-16 August 2009. It will be convetion of United Nations Environment Program discussing Climate Change.

Keep tracking our blog to get news and announcements about the LAMUN.