Resolution writing is an indispensable skill for Model UN delegates especially given the fact that resolutions are an essential part of almost all committees in all formats of Model United Nations. Resolutions are the final outcome documents of committees and are international solutions to the agenda items in question and it is due to this reason that exemplary resolution writing is a skill that is almost a constant with successful and experienced delegates.
Making mistakes with resolution writing, however, is a common phenomenon in Model United Nations, be it with first-time delegates or sometimes even experienced delegates. It is because of this, that delegates need to bear in mind some common mistakes in resolution writing, to avoid them and make sure their resolution fully reflects their research and the discussions of the committee. Some common mistakes in resolution writing that when avoided better the quality of resolutions are as follows.
Mistake 1: Writing an essay– It is important to remember that a resolution is written and formatted in a manner that ensures that the entire resolution is merely (wait for it) one sentence. The basic structure of the resolution itself tries to make it concise and powerful so it is usually a good idea to remember that and try to write concise and powerful resolutions instead of long and tedious ones
Mistake 2: Not understanding the mandate of the committee- The operatives that a committee’s resolution should only include solutions that are within the mandate of the committee to carry out. For example, only the Security Council can deploy peacekeeping forces and thus a General Assembly committee’s resolution should not include an operative that calls for deployment of peacekeeping forces as it is not within the committee’s mandate and thus the solution cannot be undertaken by the committee. It’s a good idea to better understand the powers and mandate of the committee you are writing a resolution for before writing one.
Mistake 3: Mentioning specified Member States– Each resolution is to be specific to the committee, but a good rule of thumb is to try to not specify or single out a Member State in a resolution unless the agenda item itself relates to a specific Member State because the resolution is in itself a global solution. Specifying a Member State(s) when it is not necessary or sensible is a practice that affects the tone/impact of a resolution so it is important to have good judgement when specifying Member States in a resolution.
Mistake 4: Using Preambulatory clauses in the place of Operative clauses and vice versa- The mistake, in this case, is fairly self-explanatory. Operatives are meant to be solutions while preambulatory paragraphs are supposed to provide context for the resolution. It is important to understand whether the clause you add to your resolution is a solution or a contextual clause.
Mistake 5: Using operatives that are “too specific”- The resolution is a document that the whole committee produces that is supposed to be a globally applicable document which aims to “resolve” the matter at hand. Unless the agenda item specifically requires it, the more specific they are with regards to region or otherwise, the less internationally applicable it sometimes is. Confusing specificity and quality is a common mistake in Model United Nations as a great resolution is not necessarily an extraordinarily specific one. Practicing good judgement regarding specificity or minute detailing of solutions in a resolution is a practice that helps ensure better resolution quality and applicability.
This list is however not exhaustive and thus familiarizing yourself with what a resolution is, how to write one and how a resolution is formatted and structured is a necessary step. Information pertaining to the resolution writing, structuring and formatting can be found here. With these mistakes that should be avoided in mind, go ahead and write that perfect resolution that you want to, with enough research, preparation and effort it might even be the skill that secures the gavels for you.
