The position paper is literally your bible throughout the conference.
Essentially, the paper forces you to write out you country’s viewpoints in paragraph form. It’s also the first important mode of evaluation for the committee chair; all papers must be submitted some weeks or months in advance to the Conference Secretariat.Naturally, given its significance to the MUN experience, the position paper is something you want to excel at, and to do this, several criteria must be met.
At the onset of this discussion on the position paper it is particularly significant to stress that it must be written from your country’s perspective. Again, as this document will be your guideline for action throughout the entire conference, it’s in your best interests to give an accurate portrayal of your country’s stance on the issues at hand.
Simply put, the position paper is meant to give delegates an opportunity to organize their research into an organized policy statement.
Before You Begin
Before you start writing, it’s important to look at the questions that were outlined in your background research packet (the documents sent to you by the committee chair). Suggesting a comprehensive course of action that answers these queries is the ultimate goal of your write-up. A good position paper should make clear reference to these guidelines and demonstrate that the students clearly comprehend the creative and compositional depth required for an MUN simulation.
If one were looking for some sort of rubric as to what the ideal position paper should consist of, there would be a number of clearly identifiable elements. The position paper has a definite general structure to it: three sections (totaling one page in length) each of which serves a clear purpose within the general context of the paper.
With reference to Sample Position paper A (bottom of the post), we can analyze these different parts and comment on the relative successes of specific techniques used to elucidate points.
1. Outline the Topic in General
The first section (labeled ‘A’) serves the purpose of outlining the topic in general and providing insight into the root of the conflict.
As the subject of the paper is Free Trade, the write-up begins by first stating the areas of concern, discussing some of the positive and negative aspects of globalization, as well as emphasizing the controversial nature of the topic at hand. Your opening paragraph should, as this paper attests to, be a brief summary of the current perception held towards the status quo. It should state the problem and express why it is significant.
2. Identify and Describe Your Country – How Has Your State Been Affected?
The second section (labeled ‘B’) is where your background research on your country pays off.
Firstly, you should identify and describe your country. Be sure to state how your nation relates to the topic for discussion, specifically citing how your state has been affected (B1). It is imperative to emphasize the extent to which change has taken place. Hold off any normative judgments in this section, the purpose of this paragraph is not to evaluate the institution or development in reference to your country, but rather, to merely discuss how it has altered domestic dynamics.
3. Your Country’s Policies and Proposed Solutions
The third section (labeled ‘C’) is where you outline your country’s policies and what factors contributed to those policies being established in the first place.
At this point, you are to address the relative benefits (if any) and detriments of the development, specifically relating to your nation and the actions you have taken to maximize or minimize these effects. You are to explain why your country has acted in a certain fashion historically (C1), and why it will continue to follow this course of action.
Outline your state’s particular interest in the issue being discussed, and begin to discuss what needs to be changed about the current interpretation of the situation. Cite the areas needing reform (C2) and provide suggestions as to how this revision process should be accomplished. Following this, you may want to focus on one area of particular concern for your country (C3). Depending on your topic area, this could be anything from the affect of a war on a nation’s health care infrastructure to how creating new national boundaries may affect resource deposits running along the potential borders.
In this particular paper, attention is brought to Regional Trade Alliances (C4) and their associated problems, something that, as been noted, holds special significance to Oman.
By approaching a problematic scenario in greater detail, you are demonstrating to the chair and to fellow delegates that you have the capacity to think critically and can identify the issues with which your country has the greatest concern. This being said, choose this area carefully: given the issue’s prominence in your position paper (and correspondingly the problem’s significance to your country as a whole), you will have to stress its importance during committee session. Be sure to select an area of concern that could potentially form the basis of a resolution, or at least one that can stimulate prolonged debate.
4. Tie Together Loose Ends
Finally, a conclusion should be written to restate your country’s position and sum up what you hope to achieve throughout the duration of the conference (D).The position paper leaves the committee chair with a first impression of your delegation. Naturally, it’s important to make that impression as strong as possible. The staff looks for original and critical thinking, a true understanding of the nature of your nation and both a function and applied knowledge of your topic.
Be sure to demonstrate this through presenting a concise yet effective paper. As expressed before, be sure to dedicate equivalent energy to position papers for both topic areas. They are equally important in the eyes of the committee and the directors (the people who will be evaluating your write-ups).
Sample Position Paper
Committee: Economic and Financial (ECOFIN)
(A) The tumultuous conflict surrounding the issue of free trade and its variegated ramifications has been a moot point ever since the creation of the modern state. While exponents of free trade argue that comparative advantage and the development of economies of scale outweigh the associated detriments of a free market economy, their adversaries purport that smaller, national economies that are inundated with cheaper international goods from free trade begins to flounder and lose elf‐sustainability. Those in opposition to free trade, also make reference to the exponentially rising human rights and environmental violations that are a direct consequence of burgeoning global market.
(B) Oman is perched in the putatively lofty position of an oil‐exporting nation. However, this appraisal is a mere simulacrum of our actual situation. (B1) Oman relies on entities such as the World Trade Organization to help facilitate the purchasing and exchange of good across the global market, thus enabling essential goods to disseminate across our land. Prior to the admission of the Sultanate of Oman into the WTO, the country was involved at an economic level with the nations of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), although Oman was never a member. In spite of this, Oman generally adheres to their collective mandate in order to Eix oil prices and protect the special interests of this conglomerate.
(C) Oman joined the WTO in order to voice its support for the continuing liberalization of world markets.
(C1) Furthermore, Oman believes that this unique amalgamation acts as a vehicle for increased prosperity by raising the amount of Foreign Direct Investment and domestic stimulation. Oman, due to its new position in the WTO, has now broadened trade with Western nations, and hopes for this trend to continue.
(C2) However, Oman also recognizes that in order for the economic infrastructure of not only Oman, but also other developing countries to remain stable, the steps of tariff reduction, and all encompassing globalization must be gradual, lest there be recurrences of strife, as initially seen in the Former Yugoslavia and the Russian Federation. The WTO must also take further steps to impose a universal human rights and environmental standards operating code, which must be enforced uniformly.
With the need for international cooperation has come the desire for regional association. This chain of motivation for many a nation has manifested itself in the formation of Regional Trading Associations.
(C3) Although this arrangement ostensibly accommodates both desires, it actually results in alliances whose members are common enough in geographic similarity to have some consensus, but diverse enough to yield almost unremitting disapprobation from some of the parties on any given issue.
Therefore, these theoretical constructs when applied in reality are far from seamless and are not the definitive solutions to conflicting national agenda.
(C4) In Oman’s specific scenario, the aforementioned generalization holds true. Consequently, Oman is not a member of OPEC. In addition, not only do there exist the problems inherent to RTA’s, but also the members of OPEC lack significant economic diversity in various industrial and resource sectors to make such a pact mutually pragmatic. Rather, this specific concern is ignored in light of the prodigious matter of oil, which takes the forefront in any discussions of world trade. (D) Oman believes that the benefits of comparative advantage, economies of scale, and specialization outweigh the problems associated with a world abiding by principles of increasing economic globalization and free trade. This being said, Oman pushes for the continued expansion of such policies while urging organizations such as the WTO to refine specific clauses so that the exploitation of labour and the environment does not go unchecked.
See also other simple guidelines on writing a position paper
POSITION PAPER OUTLINE.
Paragraph One – Issue and Position
Utilize this paragraph to clearly outline the main problems associated with your topic. The point of the paragraph is to provide a basic foundation as to the current situation associated with your topic. After generally describing the issue, give your country’s policy regarding the issue, and state especially why your country supports that policy. Policy statements can often be as short as stating your country supports a certain action followed by a detailed qualification regarding this policy decision. This section of your position paper should not exceed five to six sentences.
Paragraph Two – Detailed Background Information
This paragraph is an opportunity for you to show the depth of your knowledge about the past and current situations regard your topic. Be sure to discuss:
Historical origin of the problem, particularly why the problem arose
How does the issue relate to the international community and why is it of international concern
Previous actions taken to try and solve the problem (if any)
Successes and failures of past actions and why they succeeded or failed
Problems that continue to exist or ones that have not yet been addressed
Devoting two to three sentences per item on this list should allow you to have sufficiently discussed the topic and to set the foundations for the final paragraph of your position paper.
Paragraph Three – Proposed Solutions Regarding the Issue
This paragraph is the one that will set your paper apart from the others. After identifying the problems in paragraph two, utilize this paragraph to list your solutions to all the problems you enumerated above.
The quality of your solutions could be a great determinant in the overall evaluation of your position paper. Be sure to discuss:
Specific proposals regarding how to solve specific issues
How each individual proposal will be implemented, including the feasibility
Global impact of solving the problem or implementing these solutions
Mechanically, your position paper should follow the guidelines set forth by the conference, such as margin width and font size. I would recommend a few guidelines though to make your paper look and read professionally. First, limit your position paper to one page, and do not write about both topics in the same position paper. Write one position paper for each topic, and print each position paper on its own, separate piece of paper. Second, place a heading at the top of your paper including your country, issue, and committee. Feel free to place a picture of your country’s flag in the header if you so desire.
In the past two decades the rapidly growing world trend has been toward globalization. With the emergence of the internet as a means of communication and the increasing accessibility of international trade physical barriers are not the only barriers withering away. Protective tariffs are plummeting and free trade agreements are becoming more prevalent. Romania appreciates that globalization creates favorable situations for expansion of commercial as well as economic assets. In the past year Romania has seen a foreign direct investment (FDI) increase of 199%. Inward FDI increased from EURO 234 million in 2005 to EURO 699 million in 2006. However, Romania realizes that increased globalization does not automatically produce more equality.
Globalization and Development can contribute to the advancement of the overall international human condition; however, the delegation of Romania recognizes that without proper regulation the potential for advancement will remain limited to an elite few individuals, businesses, and nations. Unless checked and aimed toward the common good, globalization cannot effectively serve the global community.
Crucial in dealing with the complexities of globalization, good governance must act with solidarity and responsibility. Romania believes that in involving people in globalization we must promote moral values, democratic principals, inclusive global political culture, institutions that safeguard both individual civil rights and inherent freedoms, and the common good. In addition, coping with the influx of information from globalization governments must act with solidarity and insight. Access to digital education will undoubtedly result in the confidence of citizens in their respective administrations and allow for a greater degree of transparency, and therefore a lesser degree of corruption.
Romania believes the multinational business community has the ability and the obligation to support pertinent values in human rights, labor standards, and environmental preservation. As stated by the president, Mr. Traion Basescu, Romania feels a "heartfelt attachment to multilateralism, as an effective instrument designed to identify the adequate answers to the challenges brought by globalization."
Romania is party to the majority of multilateral treaties and conventions identified as such by the Secretary General in the context of the Millennium Summit in 2001. Romania has always supported innovative and effective ways of establishing cooperation within and between regional organizations. As one of the newest members of the European Union, Romania is an active member of the World Trade Organization, and looks forward to offering its support to the redirection of globalization to best benefit the global community.
