What Are Position Papers?

Position papers are a key part of each delegate’s preparation for the committee experience. It must outline the position of your country or character on the topic(s) of your committee, and effective position papers will include the ideas you may actually pass in your committee’s final resolution. Think of your position paper as a way to come into the conference with researched ideas about what you would like to do. Chairs will appreciate well-written and well-researched position papers which show that you are invested in the conference. 

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What Should Position Papers Include?

Successful position papers should include:

• An explanation of the actions your country or entity has taken in the past to address the issue(s) the committee will discuss

• A critical examination of the core problems your country or entity believes must be addressed in committee

• Potential solutions and the challenges those solutions pose

 

Your position paper should provide the reader with a clear understanding of your position on the topics at hand and your potential actions in committee. The first paragraph should be an introduction about the history of the issue and/or your country. The second paragraph should be about the noteworthy actions your country has taken in the past on this issue. The rest of the page should be about your ideas to solve the issue. Cite your sources in the text of the position paper if they are particularly noteworthy (e.g., if you are using a previous resolution your committee has produced on the issue).

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What is the Format of Position Papers?

Your position paper must be one page long, in 12-point font, and single-spaced. In the heading of the paper, please include the committee name, the country or entity you are representing, the topic of the committee, your name, and your school or delegation name. Additionally, delegates should refrain from using personal pronouns such as “I.” Please refer to the country they are representing in the third person, e.g. “The United States of America believes…” Lastly, we have no specific guidelines for the formatting of references. We ask delegates to do whatever is most convenient and comfortable for them and to cite all of their sources in a way that is familiar to them.

 

What Are Some Questions to Guide Delegates’ Research?

Topic guides are a great starting point for delegates as they begin their research, especially the resources and questions provided at the end of each (if you don’t know where topic guides are, ask your advisor). Beyond that, find reliable sources that answer questions such as:

• What is the issue being discussed? What are the stakes and who are the stakeholders? Who are the various groups affected? 

• How does the issue affect your country or entity? Why does it matter to the people you represent

• What is my position on this issue relative to others? What are potential bloc positions? Which other countries or positions are ideologically or practically aligned with the views you represent?

• How can the problem be solved? What challenges do you anticipate facing?