Rules of
Procedure
P-Rules / Short Rules
The following rules of procedure shall be
used to guide all meetings of MCCMUN. Any controversies arising under
these rules shall be referred to the Secretary General through the Chair of the
Body.
Any delegate wishing
to make a motion, an inquiry, or raise a point of order, must rise and state
the rule under which he seeks recognition. The delegate may not proceed
until the Chair has declared the motion “in order.”
For the
purposes of MCCMUN the following shall be defined as:
* Body
Any
meeting or assembly of MCCMUN.
* Chair
Indicates
the presiding officer of a Body.
* General
debate
General
debate is consideration of the agenda item. This is a generalized
discussion, including its history, current relevant facts, past nation and
international actions, justification for action, and GENERAL types of desirable
solutions. No discussion of specific resolutions takes place during
general debate.
* Substantive
debate
Substantive
debate is the consideration of specific resolutions and amendments on the
agenda item. During Substantive debate the actual policy of the
committee is created.
* Voting bloc
Voting
bloc is the time when resolutions are voted upon. During voting bloc
there is no consideration of the resolutions or amendments. Delegates may
not enter the room, or introduce proposals, except P-14.
* Procedural
motion
A
procedural motion is any motion used to conduct business. For example,
P-27, suspension of the meeting, is a procedural motion. Procedural
motions are usually introduced orally, discussed and voted upon without being
submitted to the chair.
P-3
General
Powers of the Chair
The
Chair shall have complete control of the proceeding of the Body and the
maintenance of order at its meetings. The powers of the Chair include,
but are not limited to:
* The
limitation of the time to be allowed to speakers;
* The
limitation of the number of times that each delegate may speak on any matter
under consideration;
* The
closure of the speakers list;
* The
suspension of the meeting;
* The
adjournment of the meeting;
* The
postponement of agenda item under discussion;
* The
adjournment of debate on the item under discussion;
* The
closure of the agenda item under discussion.
P-10
Order
of Business
Each
Body shall normally consider items in their order on the agenda. However,
prior to general debate, delegates have the option of reordering the agenda
items. Proposals for reordering shall be voted upon in the order in which
they are proposed. The first proposal to receive a majority vote shall be
the order of business.
P-11
Resolutions
Resolutions, while
initiated by individual members or groups, are basic statements of the Body’s
policy. Resolutions and amendments shall be submitted in writing to the
Chair, who shall circulate copies to all delegations. Resolutions shall
be turned in up to 1/2 hour after the end of General debate. Debate on
resolutions will not begin before they have been distributed to all
delegates. Resolutions require a two-thirds majority to pass.
If two or more
resolutions relate to the same agenda item, the Body shall consider them in the
order proposed by the Chair, unless a delegate rises under P-11 and requests to
reorder the resolutions. Proposals to reorder resolutions are in order after
the conclusion of Substantive debate and before voting on the resolutions has
begun. Proposals to reorder shall be voted on in the order in which they
are proposed. The first proposal to receive a majority vote shall be the
voting order.
P-14
Introduction, Sponsorship and
Withdrawal of Proposals
A proposal may be
made by any member of the Body. Procedural motions are introduced orally,
discussed and voted upon without written presentation. Procedural motions
may be withdrawn at any time prior to voting on it has commenced.
An amendment to a
resolution shall also be introduced orally by the proposer during substantive
debate. However, if substantive debate is closed or adjourned, the Chair
may accept additional amendments at his or her discretion prior to voting bloc.
Any member may
sponsor a resolution. Sponsorship or withdrawal of sponsorship of a
resolution will be allowed only up to the end of substantive debate.
However, a sponsor may withdraw their sponsorship prior to voting on it if
their resolution has been amended.
If all sponsors
withdraw their sponsorship of a proposal and no member wishes to sponsor it,
the whole proposal is considered withdrawn. Once a resolution has been
passed by the Body, the Body itself becomes the sponsor of the resolution.
P-21
Method of Voting
All Bodies shall
normally vote by a show of placards. The Chair may obtain approval of a
procedural motion by statements which permit approval without a formal vote,
i.e., “hearing no objections.”
Any representative
may request a roll call vote. The vote shall be taken in alphabetical
order. The delegate shall respond with “yes,” “yes with explanation,”
“no,” “no with explanation,” “abstain,” or “pass.” Only one pass per
delegate per vote will be allowed.
P-23
Speeches and Comments
The normal conduct
of business shall include a period of speeches for general debate on the agenda
item under consideration, as well as a period for substantive debate on
resolutions and substantive amendments.
Delegates must
obtain the permission of the Chair prior to speaking. To obtain
permission, a delegate shall rise under P-23 and ask to be added to the
speakers list. The Chair shall place delegates on a speakers list in the
order in which they have signified their desire to speak. No delegate may
interrupt a speaker except on a point of order.
Short comments may
be allowed only on the previous speech and at the discretion of the Chair.
P-25
Points of Procedure
A delegate rising
under P-25 must specifically state to which point they are rising.
Point
of Information If
a member wishes to obtain clarification of procedure the delegate may address a
point of information to the Chair.
Point
of Inquiry During
debate a member may wish to ask a question of another representative. Such
a question shall be addressed to the Chair and shall reference the agenda item
currently under discussion. The delegate to whom the question is directed
may then decide whether to answer the question now, respond to it in writing,
or refuse to accept the question. Any verbal response shall be addressed
to the Chair.
Point of Personal If
a member wishes to raise a question or make a request relating to the
Privilege organization
of the meeting, the comfort of its members, or the conduct of its members
and/or officers, he or she may rise to a point of privilege. A member may
not interrupt a speaker to rise under this point.
Point of Order During
debate, if a member believes that the Body is proceeding in a manner that is
contradictory to the Rules of Procedure, the member may rise to a point of
order immediately. A point of order raised at any time shall refer to the
matter at hand at the time only.
Dilatory Only
the Chair may rule that a motion is dilatory. A dilatory motion shall be
defined as any motion that seeks to obstruct the will of the Body, or the
progress of the meeting. If the Chair rules that a motion is dilatory,
the motion is considered not in order.
P-27
Suspension or Adjournment of Meeting
During
debate, a delegate may move for the suspension of the meeting. The
delegate shall specify the time and reason for the motion to suspend (i.e. move
to suspend the meeting for 10 minutes for the purposes of caucus). This
motion shall not be debated, but put to an immediate vote and requires only a
simple majority to pass.
The Chair shall
propose to adjourn the meeting when the Body has concluded all of its
business. A delegate may not move for adjournment of the meeting
until all of the Body’s business has been concluded.
P-28
Postponement of Debate
A motion calling for
postponement of debate shall state the time at which debate on the agenda item
shall continue. If debate is postponed, the Body shall move on to the
item with the next highest priority.
Debate on this
motion shall be limited to two speakers in favor of the motion (including the
proposer) and two speakers against the motion. A simple majority is
required to carry out the motion.
P-29
Closure of Agenda Item
At any time during
debate a delegate may move to close the agenda item under discussion.
This motion requires two speakers in favor (including the proposer) and two
speakers against and a two-thirds majority to pass.
P-30
Adjournment of Debate
During debate a
delegate may move to adjourn debate on the current agenda item. There
will be two speakers in favor (including the proposer) and two speakers
against. This motion requires a two-thirds majority.
If General debate is
adjourned the next order of business shall be Substantive debate. If
Substantive debate is adjourned, the Chair shall ask for any remaining
amendments. The next order of business shall be voting bloc.
