Model UN Research

In Model UN, you’ll be discussing some of the hundreds of topics available, which can be intimidating! Most research sourcing talking about these complex global issues are written for scholars and professionals, not students! However, we’re hoping to make that process much easier for you. By focusing on the five main sections of research for Model UN, you can walk into committee armed with all the knowledge you need to represent your country and write an incredible resolution.

When researching for Model UN, you should think about five different types of research:

Country Profile
Topic Background
Past International Action
Country Policy
Possible Solutions

Your research across these five categories should all go in to your “Research Binder”, which you should put together to prepare for a conference. Read more about what to include in a research binder here!

Country Profile

To get started with research, its important to understand the country you’re representing- where it is, who lives there, who your allies are, what type of government your country has, and more. Together, the answers to these countries comprise your “Country Profile”. Here are some guiding questions to get you started:

Physical Geography

What is your country’s official name?
What region of the world is your country located in?
How big is your country? (square miles)
Who are your country’s neighbors?
How would you describe your country’s physical features and climate?

Politics and Government

When was your country founded?
What type of government does your country have?
Who are some of your country’s leaders?
How many people serve in your country’s military?
Who are your country’s allies? Enemies?
What is your country’s capital?

Culture

What is your country’s population?
What is your country’s ethnic composition?
What is your country’s official language?
What other languages are spoken?
What are some of the major cities?

Economy

How would you describe the quality of life in your country?
What is your country’s total Gross Domestic Product?
What are some of your country’s natural resources?
What is your country’s currency?
What are your country’s major imports and exports?
What are your country’s biggest trading partners?

To find the answers to these questions and more, we recommend you use our Country Profile Map!

Topic Background

Aside from your Country Profile, the other step to get started is to gain a basic understanding of the topic you’ll be discussing. To do this, you should research your Topic Background. Some of the best resources for your topic background will be specific to your topic- websites about your issue in particular, or books about the topic for your committee! To properly research your topic background, make sure you can fulfill three key steps:

Clearly define what the topic is.
Identify the key terms related to the topic, and answer key questions about the topic such as “What causes this issue?”, “Who is impacted by this issue?”, and “Where is this issue most prevalent?”.
Make sure you’re using credible sources of information to understand your topic- don’t just use Wikipedia, the news, or blogs!

Interested in how to write the Topic Background section in a Position Paper? Check out our article about it!

Past International Action

One of the most important things to understand when discussing any topic in Model UN is what the United Nations and international community has already done about the topic. You don’t want your solutions to be redundant, and you want to make sure you’re aware what the world already has, and hasn’t done. Past international action can come in the form of UN resolutions, international conventions and treaties, or actions by NGOs and international organizations. Here are some resources to help you find the past international actions related to your topic, or you can check out our article about using UN sources to research your topic!

Past UN Resolutions
International Conventions and Treaties
Reports of the Secretary General
Reports of the Economic and Social Council

Plus, our NGO Guide details the work of over 100 NGOs over a broad range of issues, so you can see what Civil Society is doing about your topic already.

Interested in how to write the Past International Action section of your Position Paper? Check out our article about this section!

Click here to download our guide for MUN beginners!

Country Policy

Once you have a decent understanding of the topic and your country, you take this knowledge together and learn what your “Country Policy” is on your topic. Your Country Policy is what your country thinks should be done, or not done, about the issue, and how this topic impacts your country. This means determining if your country is in favor of solutions that have been proposed or resolutions that have been passed, or if your country has been advocating at the UN for policies.

A good starting place to learn your country policy is to research what your country’s government, foreign ministry, or UN mission have said about the topic on their website. Use our Country Profile and Policy Map to check out these websites for your country! Other resources to use from the UN include the following:

Member States on the Record: Speeches at the United Nations
Member State Votes on Resolutions
Signature/Ratification Status for Each Country of Important Conventions and Treaties

Possible Solutions

The most important part of researching for a Model UN conference, and often the most forgotten, is to research Possible Solutions to help resolve the issue your committee is discussing. The solutions aren’t what your country wants to do for itself- that would never need to be discussed at the UN. Instead, you should consider what your country wants the United Nations to do about the issue worldwide. Feel free to use your own creativity to think of ideas, and find reasons why they would work that you can use in speeches, and later in your resolutions in committee.

All resolutions should be realistic, and can even build on past solutions the UN has tried- maybe you want to expand a program worldwide that was previously local. Maybe you think that a specific solution needs more support or funding. Feel free to include existing UN action in your solutions, but new and creative ideas are always welcome as well! Aside from the United Nations and Member States, other good places to look for solutions are in the existing work of NGOs (check out our NGO Guide here), through various Think Tanks worldwide, and in university publications.

Other Resources

Structure and Publications of the United Nations

General Assembly Committees and Main UN Organs

UN Specialized Agencies, Programs, and Funds

Country Profile Links

General Research on Countries

African Countries

Asian & Middle Eastern Countries

European Countries

North & South American Countries

United States of America

Links by Topic Category

Peace and Security

Development: Economic and Environmental

Development: Humanitarian and Health

Human Rights

International Law

News Sources

Think Tanks & Policy Groups

Want to learn even more about how to conduct MUN research? Check out MUN Institute Summer Camps!

Click here to learn more about the MUN Institute!