Using Your Position Paper Before, During, and After Committee
Congratulations! You now have a perfectly written position paper!
Right?
Ok, well you at least have a written position paper, right? Ok, good.
Let’s spend a quick minute talking about how you can use that position paper before, during, and after committee.
How to Use a Position Paper Before Committee
Your position paper shouldn’t be a static document. As you continue to research, go back to your position paper and update it. The chances of you perfectly writing a position paper one first draft is nill. Sorry, you can always do better!
Once you have a good version of your paper, many conferences allow you to exchange or upload your paper so that it is visible to other delegates. If this is the case, it’s critically important your paper outlines your solutions and bloc partners. The sooner you become a leader of a bloc, the stronger your position in committee. It all begins with a position paper.
How to Use a Position Paper During Committee
So you’ve handed in your position paper. It’s dead now, right? Never have to look at it again? Wrong!
You’ve already put so much effort in building a paper that contains the details and overview of your solution set. While you’re writing your draft resolution in committee, keep your position paper nearby. You may not be able to write clauses in advance but you’ve already mapped out significant parts of a draft resolution in your paper.
Furthermore, hopefully you have notes and feedback from your chair/director. You should. If the conference you’re attended doesn’t provide you with feedback on your written work by the first committee session, what was the point of writing it? Educators and students alike should demand from conferences this requirement.
How to Use a Position Paper After Committee
Please don’t simply throw away your paper. Think about all the work you’ve done!
Start a folder, either virtually or physically, to keep all of your position papers in. They’ll come in handy when one of the following happens (and it will!):
- You encounter the same topic or issue area again in another Model UN Conference;
- Someone else on your team is assigned the same topic or issue area;
- You decide to write or are assigned to write a term paper on a topic you’ve encountered;
- You need to submit an academic writing sample;
