The resolution is the artefact of MUN. Speeches end. Caucuses end. The text the committee passes is the only thing the next room — and the chair's score sheet — will read.
- Distinguish preambulatory and operative clauses by punctuation, verb form and grammar.
- Author operative clauses with sub-clauses that contain implementable mechanism.
- Choose the right operative verb for the body's mandate — GA vs. Security Council, Chapter VI vs. Chapter VII.
- Lead a draft from working paper to merge to amendment-ready resolution.
What a draft resolution is
A draft resolution is the formal proposal that a Model UN committee debates and votes upon. It is structured exactly like a real UN resolution: a single long sentence, beginning with the body's name, broken into a preamble of context-setting clauses and a numbered list of operative clauses that prescribe action.
Resolutions emerge from working papers — informal drafts circulated during caucus. Once a working paper has gathered the required number of sponsors and signatories and the chair has approved its form, it becomes a draft resolution and is introduced on the floor. From that point it can be debated, amended and voted on.
The anatomy of a resolution
Every draft resolution has the same five parts:
- Heading — the committee, the topic, the sponsors, the signatories.
- Subject line — beginning "The General Assembly," (or whichever body it is). This line is the grammatical subject of the entire resolution.
- Preambulatory clauses — italicised opening verbs setting context.
- Operative clauses — numbered, ending in semicolons, with the final clause ending in a full stop.
- (Optional) Annexes — implementation tables, definitions, schedules.
Grammatically, the entire resolution is one sentence. That seems strange the first time you see it, but it is the format every UN resolution since 1946 has used.
Preambulatory clauses
Preambulatory clauses establish context, recall past commitments, and frame the urgency of the issue. They begin with an italicised verb or adjective (the "preambulatory phrase"), end with a comma, and are not numbered.
Common preambulatory phrases
- Recalling — refers to a past resolution, often a binding one.
- Reaffirming — restates a principle the body has previously endorsed.
- Noting with concern / Noting with deep concern — flags a problem.
- Bearing in mind — adds context the operative clauses will rely on.
- Acknowledging — recognises a fact or development without endorsing it.
- Welcoming — endorses a recent positive development.
- Deeply disturbed by / Alarmed by — strong concern, used sparingly.
- Cognizant of — formal awareness of a fact.
- Guided by — invokes a foundational document like the UN Charter.
A typical preamble has six to ten clauses. The first two should anchor the resolution in existing UN law (a past resolution and a foundational document). The middle clauses should establish facts. The last clause should signal urgency.
Operative clauses
Operative clauses are the actionable part of the resolution. They are numbered, begin with an underlined or italicised verb, and end with a semicolon — except the last clause, which ends with a full stop.
Common operative verbs (weakest to strongest)
- Encourages, recommends, invites, suggests — soft, non-binding.
- Requests, calls upon, urges, recognises — firmer, still non-binding.
- Endorses, supports, approves, adopts — formally adopts a course or document.
- Establishes, creates, designates — creates a new body or mechanism.
- Decides, demands, condemns — strongest verbs, used by Security Council under Chapter VII.
The General Assembly cannot bind member states; its operatives are recommendations. Only Security Council resolutions under Chapter VII are legally binding. Knowing this distinction matters — your operative verb has to match what the committee can actually do.
Sub-clauses
Operative clauses can have sub-clauses, indented and lettered (a), (b), (c)... A clause about establishing a fund might detail (a) the source of capital, (b) the governance structure, (c) the reporting cadence and (d) the review mechanism. Sub-clauses are how a resolution becomes implementable rather than aspirational.
The clause that wins awards
The operative clause that earns recognition is the one with mechanism. "Decides to combat poverty" is a slogan. "Establishes a UN-administered Climate Adaptation Fund of $1.5 billion, capitalised through Annex I voluntary contributions, governed by a 12-member board with rotating SIDS representation, with annual reports submitted to ECOSOC" is policy.
Sponsors, signatories and the threshold
Sponsors are the delegates who wrote the resolution and formally support it. They commit to voting in favour. There is no minimum, but typical resolutions have three to eight sponsors — enough to demonstrate cross-bloc support.
Signatories are delegates who agree the resolution should be debated. They do not commit to voting in favour. They are essentially saying: this is a serious enough draft that the committee should hear it.
Most conferences require a threshold — typically 20% of the committee — combined sponsors and signatories before a working paper can be introduced as a draft resolution. The chair will tell you the exact number on day one.
Formatting and house style
- Times New Roman 12pt, double-spaced. Some conferences use single-spaced.
- Subject line bold and centered: The General Assembly,
- Preambulatory verbs italicised, no numbering, comma at end.
- Operative verbs underlined or italicised, numbered (1, 2, 3...), semicolon at end.
- Final clause: full stop instead of semicolon.
- Sub-clauses indented, lettered (a), (b), (c)... ending in commas, with (d), (e)... a semicolon at the end of the parent clause.
- Sponsors and signatories listed at the top under the topic heading.
Amendments — friendly and unfriendly
Once a draft resolution is on the floor, it can be amended. Amendments are how the committee refines the text into something most delegations can vote for.
Friendly amendments are accepted by all sponsors and adopted without a vote. They are the small fixes — typos, clarifications, tightening language.
Unfriendly amendments are not accepted by all sponsors. They go to a vote of the committee. They are the substantive changes — adding a new operative, deleting a controversial clause, swapping a verb.
An amendment can add, strike, strike and replace, or modify. It must specify the exact clause, exact text, and the change. Sloppy amendments are ruled out of order.
A complete sample resolution
Below is a full sample draft resolution. Read it once for shape, then re-read for the moves: the preamble building authority, the operatives moving from soft to firm, the sub-clauses delivering mechanism.
Draft Resolution 1.1
Committee: United Nations General Assembly, Plenary
Topic: Addressing Climate-Induced Human Displacement
Sponsors: Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Bangladesh
Signatories: Vanuatu, Marshall Islands, Maldives, Senegal, Norway, Sweden, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria
The General Assembly,
Recalling resolution A/RES/77/276 on the rights of climate-displaced persons,
Reaffirming the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1951 Refugee Convention,
Bearing in mind the conclusions of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report regarding sea-level rise and the vulnerability of small island developing states,
Noting with grave concern that climate-induced displacement now affects an estimated 21.5 million persons annually,
Welcoming the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund agreed at COP28,
Cognizant of the existential threat posed to the territorial integrity and statehood of climate-vulnerable nations,
Guided by the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities,
1. Establishes a Climate Mobility Framework, administered jointly by UNHCR and IOM, which shall:
(a) recognise climate-displaced persons as a distinct legal category with attendant rights to safety, work and family reunification,
(b) be financed through a dedicated 15% allocation of the Loss and Damage Fund,
(c) report annually to this body on case loads, financing flows and outcomes;
2. Requests the Secretary-General to convene a Group of Eminent Experts to draft, by 2028, a binding protocol on the preservation of statehood for territorially endangered states;
3. Urges Annex I countries to commit no less than 0.7% of GDP to climate adaptation finance for SIDS, reported triennially through the UNFCCC Voluntary National Review process;
4. Encourages bilateral mobility partnerships modelled on the Kiribati Migration with Dignity programme, with technical support provided through UNDP;
5. Calls upon the international financial institutions to develop dedicated debt-for-adaptation swap instruments for climate-vulnerable states;
6. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
Notice the structure: preamble grounds the resolution in existing law and facts; operatives move from establishing a new mechanism, to commissioning future work, to financial commitments, to bilateral encouragement, to a closing "remain seized" — the standard final clause that keeps the topic on the body's agenda.
Common mistakes
- Mixing preambulatory and operative phrases. Italicised verbs are preamble; underlined verbs are operative. Don't switch in the middle.
- Operative verbs the committee can't use. The General Assembly cannot "demand" or "decide" outcomes that bind states.
- One-sentence operatives. Each operative should be substantive enough to defend in debate. If it can be summarised in five words, it is wallpaper.
- Forgetting punctuation. Semicolons after every operative; comma after every preambulatory; full stop only at the very end.
- Bloat. Twenty operative clauses dilute a resolution. Ten well-drafted clauses pass.
FAQ
Can a delegate sponsor more than one resolution?
Most conferences allow a delegate to be a signatory on multiple drafts but only a sponsor on one. Always check the rules — some conferences are stricter.
What does "Decides to remain seized of the matter" mean?
It is the standard closing clause meaning the committee retains the topic on its agenda for future consideration. It is almost always the final operative.
Can two draft resolutions pass in the same committee?
Yes. Conferences typically vote on resolutions in the order they were introduced. Multiple resolutions can pass if they are not contradictory.
How is a resolution different from a position paper?
A position paper is written individually before the conference and represents one country's view. A draft resolution is written collaboratively in committee and represents the bloc's compromise.
Practice what you've learned.
Drafting is the one MUN skill that is almost entirely repeatable. Spend 60 minutes on these exercises and your committee writing will visibly improve by the next conference.
- Diagnostic. Open any past UN General Assembly resolution. Mark every preambulatory verb and every operative verb. For each, ask: why was that verb chosen and not the next one up or down?
- Verb ladder. Rewrite a single operative clause at three temperatures — soft (encourages), firm (calls upon), strong (demands). Which is appropriate for the General Assembly, and which is reserved for Chapter VII?
- Mechanism rewrite. Take this slogan clause and turn it into a real operative with three sub-clauses delivering mechanism: "Establishes a global cooperation framework on water security."
- Merge exercise. Find two competing draft resolutions on the same topic. Map shared, unique and contradictory clauses. Produce a merged outline that preserves both coalitions.
- The full draft. Write a complete draft resolution from scratch on a topic of your choice. Minimum: 6 preambulatory clauses, 8 operative clauses, sponsors and signatories. Target time: 90 minutes — professional pace.
