Common Mistakes While Writing a Resolution by Alara WILSON

Resolutions are one of the most important things in MUN conferences. Resolutions are written in both Harvard and THIMUN procedures in most committees of MUNs. To be an MUNer, you have to know how to write a resolution.

In my opinion, writing a resolution is the hardest part of a MUN conference and people can make mistakes while writing a resolution. So, I listed the most common mistakes made while writing a resolution.

1) Hanging Subclauses

One of the most common mistakes is writing only one sub-clause for a heading clause. A heading clause cannot contain one single sub-clause; non-compliance to this rule is referred to as a “hanging sub-clause” and it is considered improper formatting. A clause has to have a minimum of two sub-clauses. If you don’t have any ideas for a second subclause, integrate the first sub-clause’s content to the heading clause. The same goes for sub-sub-clauses.

2) Wrong Punctuation

When writing an official document like a resolution, punctuation is very important. With the right punctuation, your document will make you look more official and will make people take you more seriously. A common punctuation mistake is using periods to separate preambulatory clauses and operative clauses. The correct way of separating preambulatory clauses is to use a comma at the end of each clause. You should use semicolons to separate operative clauses. And finally, you must end a resolution with a period.

3) Unfunded Solutions

The most common mistake in General Assembly committees is that including solutions that lack sufficient funding. With solutions, you have to be realistic and pragmatic. The cost of solutions has to be in the range of the committee’s resources. Costly solutions, which the committee lacks the means to provide, are not realistic and are a waste.

4) Poorly Researched Funding Solutions

Another common mistake in General Assembly committees is that assuming some NGOs have the budget and resources required to fund the committee’s solutions. You should research and dig deeper to find out if the NGO could fund the solution or not. If not, you should find another NGO that is more suitable for your solution.

5) Mentioning the Specific Member States

Singling out a member state is never a good idea when writing a Resolution unless the agenda item relates to the specific member state, as resolutions are global solutions. Singling out a member state is unnecessary.

6) Clauses Which Create UN Subcommittees

One of the most common solutions in a General Assembly committee is creating a UN subcommittee to monitor progress over time. Please avoid this. General Assembly committees do not have the power nor the resources to create new subcommittees. Using this as a solution is redundant and lazy.

These, of course, are not all of the mistakes that have been made while writing a resolution, yet they are the ones I have most commonly encountered since the beginning of my MUN career. These are not complicated mistakes, you can fix them by simply doing your research and generally paying attention.