Position Papers

Position Paper Deadline: Nov 7th (to be considered for the Research Award)

Position Paper Deadline for STRICTLY FEEDBACK: November 10th

Position Papers are REQUIRED to be submitted by Nov. 15th to be eligible for ANY commitee award

DISNEY AND AVATAR/PANDORA DO NOT REQUIRE A POSITION PAPER)

Submit Your Position Paper Under Your Respective Committee:

Position Paper:

A position paper must be completed for a comprehensive understanding of your committee where your country/character will express its policies, ideas, and background on the topic at hand. It is not meant to be a lengthy report of your country, but rather a concise, consolidated, well-researched paper with a comprehensive stance on the issue. Please refer to your chair's background guide for more information on your selected committee!

What we are looking for:
- An organized and argumentative structure
- Original thinking that follows the policy of the represented state
- An attitude of seriousness to the issues in question

We recommend following the outline provided below:

Past and Current International Action:
Look at previous actions taken by your country including leading actors and perspectives. Include resolutions, initiatives, and statements that have been implemented. This will allow you to observe which solutions have worked and conversely, those that haven't. Beyond mentioning these actions, it's worth analyzing how they have affected the issue and all parties involved. 

Country Position:
When writing this, the most important thing is to take the position of your country/character, and not falling back on your own beliefs. Figure out what stance your delegation takes on the issue being discussed. We do recommend adding elements of your own creativity, but not deviating from representing your chosen country/character's values. It is helpful to consider your country/character's foreign diplomatic tactics, allies, policies, etc.

Proposed Solutions:
This is arguably the most important part of your paper which you will be presenting to other delegates as an integral part of the debate. It should be consistent with your country/character and should be well-written, feasible, and concise. 

Questions to Consider:
The chairs should provide 5 questions to guide your thinking as you formulate solutions to the topic. Pick 2 (or more) questions to write in-depth responses to them. This is a chance to address specific areas of the topic and how your country/character would respond to them. In some cases, also a chance to address counterarguments which you will likely see in committee.

Format:

• Please submit in .doc, .docx, or .pdf

• 1-inch margins on all sides

• Indicate in your header your committee, country, and topic

• Type, 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font

• 3-page maximum; not including bibliography​

• All citations should be done in MLA format and formatted as a bibliography

  **If your research extends over 3 pages, you may add it to a separate document to bring to committee for extra preparation!​

  Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. We highly recommend asking for feedback from chairs on position papers.