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TSR Wiki > Life > Debating > TSR Model UN > MUN Charter

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Every member of the TSR Model UN has to abide by the charter which has been created and updated by the members of the MUN and the Secretary Generals.

Contents 1 MUN CHARTER 2 Creating a Resolution 3 Standard Disciplinary Procedure: 4 Disputes between reps 5 Elections of a Representative for a Major Country. 6 Non Permanent Members of the Security Council 7 The Duration of Terms 8 The Representation of UN Organisations 9 The Election of the Secretary General 10 Security Council Procedure 11 Debate etiquette 12 Thread Symbols 13 Responsibilities of the Secretary General 14 Other useful links 15 Notes

MUN CHARTER

• Each delegate has a duty to stick to the diplomatic stance of their appointed country, we cannot have China preaching capitalism for example. Remember that the opinions expressed here are the stance of a members country and will quite often be very different to their own views.

• The following types of thread are debated out of character: Threads related to the operating procedure of the MUN, Elections of Members to Positions of responsibility, Votes of No confidence, The Off Topic Thread. Other types of thread may be added to this list as appropriate or the Secretary General may make an exception circumstances requiring.

• There is no need for any personal remarks or offensive language, remain courteous at all times.

• When the Secretary General makes a decision it is final, respect that decision and remember that even if you don’t like it they were acting in the best interests of the forum.

• Please try to refer to other nations by their Nations name, and not their TSR Name when you should be posting in character and vice versa.

• Try to keep it realistic, don’t declare war for trivial reasons. Any nation wishing to declare war on another member nation must obtain a resolution, any member who does so unilaterally may be suspended from the UN.

• Don’t cite sources (such as classified documents) that you and other members of the MUN don’t have access to.

• Please leave all thread closing and re-opening to the Secretary General.

• Apart from a few exceptions due to incompatibility with our forum format, the UN Charter applies.

Obviously the D&D Forum Guidelines and TSR Forum Rules are in effect here too.

Creating a Resolution

• To create a motion you would like to see passed through the Model UN, the Secretary General does not need to be informed. Once you have posted the thread you may ether start the poll immediately or you may allow some discussion to take place first. The only limit is that discussions on these motions can last a maximum of 7 days, and followed by 2-3 days for voting.

• A resolution must be directed to the Correct UN council as this will determine the voting rules that apply.

• The secretary general will alter any misdirected resolutions to avoid abuse of the system (trying to pass a Security Council resolution as a Human Rights resolution in order to avoid the veto for example.)

• Security Council resolutions may invoke chapter VI of the United Nations Charter, may use the operative verb “Demands” and will be sent to the Security Council after passing the General assembly where they will be subject to the veto. However they must have implications for International Peace and Security.

• All other types of resolution will be decided by a vote in the General Assembly in the absence of the relevant council.

• If your motion is an Security Council resolution and is passed it will be carried to the Security Council. If you are representing a country in the Security Council (and therefore can post in the Security Council sub-forum) then you can also post the thread in the Security Council for it to be discussed. If you are not representing a country in the Security Council (and therefore can not post in the Sub-Forum) then please PM the original motion to the Secretary General, who will post it in the Security Council.

• Normal voting measures apply in the Security Council, with the Permanent Five Members holding a veto.

• Members will abstain from voting in resolutions against them which invoke chapter VI of the United Nations charter. N.B. This takes precedence over the right to veto in the Security Council.

ALL VOTES FOR RESOLUTIONS MUST BE "PUBLIC".

• Resolutions concerning the operating procedure of the MUN will not be sent to the Security Council but will be decided by a simple majority vote in the General Assembly.

Standard Disciplinary Procedure:

The MUN now operates on the clichéd but effective three strikes and you’re out policy.

• Following a warning that an action breaks the charter persisting with it will result in a “strike” for each occurrence.

• Obtaining three “strikes” will lead to a rep being removed from the MUN

• A member representing a Major country may be demoted to a smaller country after one or two strikes at the discretion of the Secretary General

• A member removed from the MUN in this way may be reconsidered for membership after a period of time at the discretion of the Secretary General based on the severity of the offences and the time elapsed between them.

Disputes between reps

Reps are asked to keep personal disputes out of MUN threads, no matter how relevant they are to the topics being discussed. Such issues should be discussed via PM. Any posts of this nature will be removed and warnings may be issued.

Procedure for all MUN Complaints.

• Step 1. If you have a problem with another MUN delegate, notify the Secretary General via PM.

• Step 2. They will consider your complaint and if they think it is legitimate will PM those concerned to hear their side.

• Step 3. If you don’t feel that the Secretary General has been able to satisfactorily resolve then you may request that he starts a vote of no confidence in the delegate in question. The Secretary General will then decide whether it is appropriate, if so the Secretary General will post the poll

• Step 4. The Security Council may override the result of the poll if they feel that the member in question has been unfairly victimised. The Veto is disabled for this duty.

• A vote of no confidence will lead to a member losing his country and having to select a new one.

Elections of a Representative for a Major Country.

These will usually occur as a result of the resignation of a representative. The definition of a "major country" is a country which is a Permanent Member of the Security Council (United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, France), or a country which is a major player on the world stage to the extent that any discussions may be hindered by a lack of presence of that country, for instance India.

1. The Secretary General will make a thread stating a position is open and may then close the thread. Any prospective candidates should PM the Secretary General announcing their interest and preferably submitting their manifesto.
2. After all the nominations for a vacant country have been received the manifestos will by posted and a Question and Answer period of 48 hours (can be shortened to 24 hours, pending interest and activity) shall ensue. During this time, any MUN member may pose a question to any or all of the candidates. Several guidelines apply during this time period:
   1. Members shall at least attempt to ask the candidates equally difficult questions.
   2. No member shall announce their support for a candidate during this time period.
   3. No member shall comment on the level of competition.
3. The Secretary General will then open the poll. Members still may not voice their support for any candidate or announce their vote until the poll is closed.
4. The poll will last 48 hours and the results will be hidden until the poll has closed.
5. The Secretary General has a casting vote which they will use in the event of a tie. The Secretary General may not vote otherwise.

Non Permanent Members of the Security Council

There are two Non Permanent Security Council Seats available these are awarded to two member states.

• The receivers of Non Permanent Security Council Seats are chosen by a vote in the General Assembly.

• The procedure for the vote is the same as that for the election of P5 nations although in this instance the vote is for a country not a member.

• In manifestoes for the position and in the Question and Answer session the candidate is trying to sell themselves but is primarily trying to sell their country. Obviously this is easier for some than others.

The Duration of Terms

• The term for members occupying a P5 seat in the Security Council is a minimum of two calendar months.

• The Term for Non Permanent Security Council countries is two calendar months, during this time a member who’s country is elected as a Non Permanent Security Council member is not permitted to swap countries.
  • Permanent members may hold their seat for an indeterminate length of time save for the following provisions:
    • (a) They have been inactive for a period of 3 weeks and;
    • (b) Another member writes to the Secetary General requiring an election to be held.
  • Non-Permanent members shall hold their seat for a protected period of two months, and thereafter for an indeterminate period of time save for the following provisions:
    • (a) They have been inactive for a period of 3 weeks and;
    • (b) Another member writes to the Secetary General requiring an election to be held
  • For the purposes of this section "inactive" shall mean wholly inactive or, during a period in which it would be expected their country make representation, they fail to make substantive posts.
  • The minimum duration of any term of office is overruled by a vote of no confidence and does not protect a member from being removed from the MUN due to misdemeanours.
• The Secretary General may remove the minimum term requirement in exceptional circumstances.

The Representation of UN Organisations

• UNO representatives may not vote on any resolutions or topics that strictly concern national politics or security.

• UNO representatives may vote in polls pertaining to the structure and organisation of the TSR MUN (eg polls voted OOC)

• UNO representatives may vote in elections for Security Council representatives and Secretary Generals, but not non-permanent Security Council representatives.

• UNO representatives are required to remain politically neutral in all of their representation, but are simultaneously required to promote their cause in an unbiased manner wherever it is appropriate

• Apart from the above, UNO representatives are subject to the same MUN rules (as specified in this charter) and TSR rules as the other MUN members are.

The Election of the Secretary General

• The election will last five days.

• The election will be a secret ballot.

• Results will not be disclosed until the voting has finished. As with the election of major countries do not declare support of a candidate or discuss the degree of competition until the poll has closed.

• If there are any suspicious votes, the IP will be checked and if fraud has been deemed to have taken place, that vote will be discounted and the member responsible will have his MUN Membership terminated permanently. If it turns out that a candidate has been involved in the fraud, then he will forfeit his candidacy and be permanently removed from the election.

• The outgoing Secretary General may vote in this election.

• A tie will lead to a revote between the tied winners of the original election. During the revote all the same rules apply.

• Since the Secretary General has minimod powers for the duration of their term the moderation team of TSR reserve the right to veto the election of any candidate to the position.

• The secretary general may be removed by a vote of no confidence at any time.

• During Neither the election of a major country nor the Secretary General will private message campaigning be permitted.
  • As a guide (and to avoid grey areas) Candidates should only PM other candidates and the SG concerning the election.

Security Council Procedure

All discussion in the Security Council has a "cap" on it of seven days. This is so discussion does not go on for weeks and weeks/months and months/years and years. Following the discussion there will be a vote. The time allowed for voting will be three days.

Debate etiquette

All debate must remain constructive, You may use smilies, however, a smiley can not be used on its own and a point can not be demonstrated by using a smiley. With the exception of in the off topic thread, posts containing only a smiley will be treated as spam.

Thread Symbols

When a thread is not considered part of the day-to-day debating in the MUN, the thread title should have one of the prefixes:

Historical Scenario HIST (year)/(number) - Title of thread e.g. HIST 2006/01 - World War Two

Hypothetical Scenario HYP (year)/(number) - Title of Thread e.g. HYP 2006/01 - Pigs fly

Administration - These may only be started by the Secretary General ADMIN e.g. ADMIN: All posts in the MUN to end with the word “defenestrate”

Responsibilities of the Secretary General

Maintaining the MUN forum and sub fora:

• Moving, Closing and creating threads as necessary.
• Editing, Moving and Removing posts as necessary.
• Enacting changes to the forum as suggested by the membership but within the parameters of what is possible, sensible and acceptable to the Owners and Moderators of TSR

Membership Administration

• Admitting new members, Removing Inactive members

Officiating in the Election of Representatives of Major Countries and the Next Secretary General

• Including consultation with the administrators of TSR to ensure that all the votes are legitimate.

Keeping Order

• Enforcing the Charter and penalising those who persistently break it.

Enforcing the Rules of TSR

• Including use of the post report system

Mediating in disputes

• Including removing personal disputes from the MUN forum.

Improving the MUN forum.

• With consultation with the membership as necessary.

The list of responsibilities is merely indicative and is not exhaustive. The SG may, from time to time, as situations require, impose restrictions, sanctions or practice directions necessary to maintain the effective function of the MUN beyond those specified here.

The Secretary General is bound by the conditions outlined in the “MODERATORS” section of the Terms and Conditions of TSR.

Other useful links

• MUN FAQ

• TSR Model UN

• MUN Position Papers

Notes

As Written by the Secetary General Nefarious (with recent amendments by Secretary General Craghyrax) based on the original Charter submitted by Secretary General Deej2 and the amendments of Secretary Generals Agent Smith, Nightowl and Apollo.