Upper Dublin High School
World Affairs & Model United Nations
Thanksgiving Conference
27 November 2013
Special Committee on Syrian Civil War
In 2011 passionate protests, sparked by the of populist uprisings throughout the Mid East, ignited in Syria. The protesters called for democratic reforms to the autocratic government of Bashar al-Assad. Assad responded swiftly and violently to the protests, leading to a quick escalation of the situation into civil war. This same war continues today, and during the past two years it has cost over a 150,000 lives, left large swathes of destruction across the nation and caused an exodus of over 2 million refugees. The main belligerents are the Assad regime’s military, and, in opposition to them, a nebulous rebel group called the Free Syrian Army. Much of the Free Syrian Army is composed of rural Syrians hard hit but the country’s prolonged drought; however, to the alarm of the international community, increasing numbers of the rebel fighters are foreigners. Earlier this fall there was a chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of the nation’s capital, Damascus, causing the US and its allies to threaten military intervention. However, a Russian engineered plan to place the regime’s chemical weapons under international control has been adopted instead. Still, the conflict continues unabated without the chemical weapons. Thus, this commission has be called to pass a resolution on how the international community will seek to resolve the worsening conflict.
Here are the procedures that will dictate the format of debate and work during the conference:
Dais: Composed of the director, rapporteur and chair (moderator). They shape the structure of the committee’s work and debate.
Motion: A request by a delegate for the committee to do something. Motion’s must be seconded by another delegate and then pass by the required amount of votes.
Moderated Caucus: During this style of debate speeches are delivered by delegates from their seats for set amounts of time. A delegate must motion for a moderated caucus with a certain amount of time and speakers. If approved by a majority, the chair selects the speakers and composes a speakers list.
Yielding: If the delegate does not use all their allotted time they may yield their time in three ways:
to another delegate to speak,
to the rest of the delegates to pose questions,
or to the chair to continue the debate.
Unmoderated Caucus: Informal debate and discussion out of seats. During this time delegates should discuss strategy and compose working papers and resolutions. This along with moderated caucus takes up most of the conference.
Point of Personal Privilege: A motion used to let the chair know of a personal request, e.g. you cannot hear the speaker.
Point of Inquiry: Question directed towards the chair about any procedural workings. Raise this if you don’t know what is going on.
Point of Information: A question directed to a speaker after they have finished their speech. Must be allowed by the chair.
Right of Reply: Invoked to briefly respond to what is perceived as an insult from another delegate.
Working Papers: Drafts of final resolutions. They can be written in informal language, but should be detailed and comprehensive, addressing the all the major issues of the conference. Anybody can be an author, and it requires three sponsors to get them proposed to the floor for debate.
Resolutions: This is the product of the conference. They need to be exhaustive, covering all of the issues raised during the debate. To pass a resolution a ⅔ majority is required along with five signatories. They must be typed.
Sponsors: The main proponents and authors of a resolution. They must vote for it.
Signatories: Delegates who sign a resolution or working paper to allow it to be brought to the floor for formal debate.
Motion to enter voting procedure: This motion is used on once and moves the committee into voting on all submitted resolutions, it requires a ⅔ majority. Resolutions are voted upon based on order of submission.
Motion to adjourn: Motion to end the conference.