The basic job of a draft resolution is to propose a solution to a problem that has the potential of working in the real world. It is important to learn how to prepare a draft resolution for MUN because the ultimate goal of each MUN committee is to solve problems in the world by debating these draft resolutions and passing as many of them as possible. 

Each delegate will write at least one draft resolution. Your goal is to submit this draft resolution to your committee chair for debate during session. Before the draft resolution is approved for debate, there are a number of steps it must go through:

Step 1: You will need to find a minimum of five other countries who support your draft resolution and are prepared to co-submit it with you - you will have time to lobby for support on the first and second days;

Step 2: Once you have met the quota for co-submitters, you must bring your draft resolution to your chair who will tell you if it is up to standard for debate - when approved by the chair, admin. staff bring it to the approval panel (typically teachers) who will check the formatting and spelling - they will return it to the chair unapproved if any errors need to be corrected - you collect it from the chair and correct the errors and then repeat the process of handing it to the chair and waiting for the response from the approval committee - your resolution can be submitted up to three times in total, but if it is still unapproved after the third attempt, the Approval Panel will be reject the resolution and it cannot be submitted anymore. You do have the right however to submit a new resolution instead and work towards getting that approved. 

Step 3: Once the approval panel passes your draft resolution, the third step is to bring two copies of the resolution to the chairperson of your committee (one for the chairperson and one for the deputy-chairperson) - part of the chairperson's job is to read all resolutions and decide whether resolutions are going to be debated or not and in which order they will be debated. 

At Wicklow MUN, the limit for preambulatary clauses will be between 6 and 8 - the limit for operative clauses between 7 and 9 (sub-clauses are allowed). 

HOW TO WRITE A RESOLUTION

A resolution has THREE main parts: (a) heading; (b) preambulatory clauses; (c) operative clauses - each of these parts is looked at in the notes below: 

(a) Heading 

The heading contains four pieces of information: (1) your full committee name (not abbreviated); (2) the topic being discussed; (3) your country name; (4) the names of your co-submitters/co-signatories. Then write you committee name in full again and start listing your preambulatory phrases. 

FORUM: General Assembly First Committee

QUESTION OF: Sustainable development

SUBMITTER: Brazil

CO-SUBMITTERS: Portugal, Italy, UK, Spain, China

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST COMMITTEE,

(b) Preambulatory clauses (for the purposes of Wicklow MUN, the limit for preambulatory clauses is set between 6 and 8)

The preamble of a draft resolution states the reasons for which the committee is addressing the topic. Each clause generally begins with a present participle (-ing) and always ends with a comma.

They may include content such as:

• Mentions of statements made by the Secretary-General or a relevant UN body or agency; 
  
• Recognition of the efforts of regional or nongovernmental organizations in dealing with the issue;
  
• References to the UN Charter or other applicable legal frameworks;
  
• General statements on the topic in terms of its significance and its impact,
  
• Citations of past UN resolutions or treaties on the topic under discussion;
  

There are many stock phrases which are helpful in constructing preambulatory clauses - the following phrases can be used in both Genral Assembly and Security Council resolutions: 

Example of Preambulatory Clause:

Noting with deep concern the 17% increase in HIV/AIDS contraction in sub-Saharan African countries in the past five years,

Phrases which can only be used by the Security Council:

(c) Operative clauses (for the purposes of Wicklow MUN, the limit for operative clauses is set between 7 and 9 - sub-clauses are allowed)

Operative clauses state the solutions which the resolution is proposing to resolve the issue - they should address the issues raised in the preambulatory clauses. 

Tip: Usually more details in an operative clause will make it stronger or at least make the idea clearer to other delegates. A simple way to strengthen each operative clause is to answer the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of each clause with sub-clauses underneath each main operative clause. Again, there are many stock phrases which are helpful in constructing operative clauses for both the General Assembly and the Security Council: