POSITION PAPERS

Position papers are required for all delegations. Any delegate who does not submit a position paper will be ineligible to receive an award. All position papers must be submitted through the NAIMUN Registration system. Delegates can also find writing and submission guidelines, as well as a sample paper, on the Position Papers page. Position papers must be submitted online by the end of the first committee session (Thursday night).

General Tips

  • ALWAYS cite any opinions that are not your own & facts that are not common knowledge.

  • If you have any references to cite, they should be entered as footnotes at the bottom of the page AND added to a bibliography at the end of the whole paper.

  • When representing a state, do not use first person pronouns (“I believe”). Instead, use “the delegation of ____ believes”, etc.

  • Use the active voice (always avoid passive voice).

  • Avoid language that is too complex or flowery.

Format

ALL COMMITTEES

  • Position papers must be in MLA or Chicago style formatting, including a Works Cited/Bibliography with either parenthetical or footnote citations. (Note: Works Cited do not count in the one page requirement per topic.)

  • Position papers must be in 12-point Times New Roman font and include a header with the delegate name, position, committee, school, and topic.

Traditional CommitteeS: General Assemblies, Economic & Social Councils

  • Delegates should write one position paper per topic. All General Assemblies and Economic & Social Councils have at least two topics, so delegates must write at least two position papers for their committee.

  • Each paper must be at least one page, single-spaced.

Crisis Committees: Historical Crisis, Contemporary Crisis, National Security Apparatus

  • At NAIMUN, position papers are slightly different for crisis committees, since these committees’ background guides will contain “issues to consider” instead of distinct subtopics. These “issues to consider” are more general, overlapping topics that may be discussed by the committee over the course of the conference.

    • Unlike in General Assemblies or Economic & Social Councils, delegates in crisis committees will not vote to exclusively discuss one topic during the conference. Rather, crisis committees will fluidly move between these “issues to consider” as the committee addresses its main crisis.

  • Delegates should submit one position paper for the whole committee that explains the situation at hand, potential solutions, and what the delegate will advocate for during the committee.

    • Crisis position papers must be two pages, single-spaced.

    • Delegates should not write individual position papers for each “issue to consider” in a crisis committee.

    • Delegates do NOT need to describe their crisis arc or other individual plans, though they may if they wish.

Alternative Position Papers: Non-Traditionals

  • Some committees have modified requirements for position papers — these requirements will be explained in the committee’s background guide.

    • For example, delegates in SCOTUS and ICJ will submit their paper in a “case brief” style.

  • If there is no such information in the background guide, please follow the general guidelines above.

Structure

Header

  • Committee

  • Delegate Name (your actual name)

  • Position

  • School

  • (GAs/ECOSOCs) Topic

First Paragraph

  • Introduce the topic from the perspective of your position. 

  • This is the shortest, least important section of the position paper.

  • Consider the following questions:

    • What is the history of the issue according to your position? 

    • Why is this issue important?

Second Paragraph

  • Analyze the topic from the perspective of your position, as well as a more general multilateral perspective.

  • This will likely be the longest part of the position paper and the section in which you will use the majority of your research.

  • Consider the following questions:

    • What does your position generally think about the issue at hand? 

    • What policies have previously succeeded and failed on a national and international scale?

Third Paragraph

  • Discuss solutions that you are proposing to solve the problem.

    • This is where you can let your creativity and research combine, and begin developing the proposals that you may later use in committee.

  • These solutions do not necessarily have to come directly from your nation or position, though it is highly encouraged.

  • Consider the following:

    • What solutions would your position propose to solve the situation at hand? Why and how would these solutions work?

    • How will you solve any problems that might arise in implementing these solutions?

Double Delegations

For double delegations, each delegate does not have to submit their own position paper. Instead, one paper should be submitted for both delegates.

If a school has more than one delegation in the same committee, each delegation must submit their own position paper.

  • For example, if one school were assigned Myanmar and Colombia in DISEC, each of those countries would have to write their own position paper.

  • Additionally, if a school were assigned two distinct characters in the British House of Commons or any other single-delegate committee, each of those delegates would have to write their own position paper.

Sample Position Papers

The General Assembly papers were written by former NAIMUN Director-General Casey Wetherbee as the delegation of the United Kingdom in DISEC at a college-level conference. Notice the structure, the clear language, and the reasonable yet creative solutions put forth. The entry for Topic A is what is expected in a position paper, while the entry for Topic B exemplifies going above and beyond.

The Crisis Position Paper was submitted by the former Executive-Director of NAIMUN’s sister conference, the National Collegiate Security Conference, Govind Prabhakar, when he attended NAIMUN LVII as a delegate and competed in Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s Cabinet. Notice his description of the situation in Libya at large and more specific research relevant to goals and initiatives related to the portfolio and agenda of the Minister of Finance. This paper exhibits excellence in research and critical thinking for the realm of a crisis committee.