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.
