After lobbying and opening ceremonies, delegates got straight to formal debate at THIMUN Singapore to amend the main submitters’ resolutions. We explain how formal debate works, selected several interesting articles and videos from MUNITY East to re-share on Best Delegate, picked our top 5 funniest analogies (THIMUN delegates love analogies), and have all the speeches from the GA Plenary resolution main submitters on video. Check out all the action below!
Formal Debate at THIMUN-affiliated Conferences
Pakistan (Yongsan International School of Seoul) presents an amendment in the Human Rights Council
Formal debate at THIMUN-affiliated conferences is different than in North American conferences. Formal debate starts with the main submitter (sponsor) of a resolution presenting the resolution by reading off the operative clauses, and the main submitter then gets to make a speech to summarize the resolution’s main points. Afterward, the main submitter can take points of information (questions) and then can choose to yield to another delegate or back to the Chair.
The Chair will then open the floor to any delegate wishing to speak about this resolution. All delegates that speak have the same options to take points of information and to yield to another delegate. There is no speaker’s list and essentially formal debate is somewhat like a day-long moderated caucus except yields are in order since they are making speeches instead of comments.
Amendments are presented throughout the debate. The Chair will set off a closed debate for discussion and voting on the amendment before opening the floor back up to the amended or unamended resolution as a whole. Amendments to the second degree (amendments to amendments) are permitted. After all time has elapsed for debate on the resolution, it will be voted upon. The forum (committee) will then move on to the next resolution and the process repeats.
Highlights from the Conference
Check out these interesting articles features of THIMUN Singapore from MUNITY East:
- Model UN All Over the World — featuring BestDelegate.com!!
- Opening Ceremonies: What A Way to Begin THIMUN Singapore!
- ICJ Feature: Fighting for Justice on an International Scale
- APQIP Feature: Taking On the Indochinese Peninsula
- ECOSOC Feature: The Climb Toward Higher Standards
- GA2 Feature: The Unicorn in GA2
- GA 5 Feature: GA5 Comes Alive
- Interview with Admin Head Chng Luey Chi
Here are the MUNITY East TV videos:
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- Lobbying Sessions
- Youth Assemblies Propose Real Solutions to Issues
- Meet THIMUN Singapore Secretary-General Nina Kamaruddin
Top 5 Funniest Analogies
THIMUN has a culture of delegates making analogies — oftentimes very humorous ones — when describing the resolutions. THIMUN Singapore 2011 was no exception. Here are our five favorites captured by MUNITY East:
- This resolution is like a unicorn. It is superficially beautiful but there are serious flaws.
- This resolution is like Kim Kardashian’s relationship: it isn’t going to work out in the end.
- This resolution is like a Justin Bieber song: the more you listen to it, the more stupid it gets.
- This resolution is like a doughnut: it goes round and round but has a big hole in the middle.
- GA 5 is like Jersey Shore: they are always dealing with ‘the Situation.'”
General Assembly Plenary and Main Submitters Speeches
After two full days of debate and amendments, one resolution from each committee is selected to be voted upon at the General Assembly Plenary. The main submitters of the resolutions are allowed to make a speech on the resolution, several other speeches by delegates who agree or disagree with the resolution are entertained, and then the committee votes on them. Here are the main submitters in the order they appear in the video below as well as the resolution voting result:
- GA 5th Committee: Comoros (Shanghai American School – Puxi, China). Vote: 63-50-19 (passed)
- GA 6th Committee: Italy (Taipei European School, Taiwan). Vote: 52-51-19 (passed)
- GA 3rd Committee: Comoros (Shanghai American School – Puxi, China). Vote: 65-40-15 (passed)
- GA 1st Committee: Brazil (United World College of Southeast Asia, Singapore). Vote: 79-28-21 (passed)
- GA 2nd Committee: Pakistan (Yongsan International School of Seoul, Rep. of Korea). Vote: 103-11-7 (passed)
