Transform your MUN performance with our guide to the position papers format. Learn the structure, strategy, and tips to write a paper that gets you noticed.

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A standard MUN position paper is a concise, powerful, one-page document. Think of it as your diplomatic blueprint, usually broken down into four key paragraphs that take the reader on a journey—from your country's background on the issue to your concrete proposals for a solution.

The 4-Paragraph Structure That Wins Awards

Before you even start writing, you need to understand the architecture of a great position paper. It's not just about filling space; it's a strategic exercise in persuasion. You're building an argument, piece by piece, to convince the committee chair that your country's perspective is well-researched, consistent, and forward-thinking.

A winning paper tells a story. It grounds your position in history, reinforces it with past actions, and then pivots to a compelling vision for the future. Getting this structure right is the first step to making your paper a powerful tool in committee.

Breaking Down the Four Key Sections

The universally accepted format for a position paper follows a logical four-paragraph flow. This structure is designed to walk your reader through your argument without any confusion. It moves from background information and past policies to your well-supported solutions.

Here’s a quick overview of what each section aims to accomplish. This table breaks down the core components so you can see how they all fit together.

Core Components of a Position Paper

Section	Purpose	Key Elements to Include
Topic Background	To establish your country's historical connection and perspective on the issue.	Relevant history, national values, key events that shaped your stance.
Past Actions & Policy	To build credibility by showing your country's consistent involvement.	Treaties signed, UN resolutions supported, domestic laws, relevant quotes from leaders.
Proposed Solutions	To present your innovative and practical ideas for resolving the problem.	Specific, actionable proposals; new initiatives or frameworks for cooperation.
Closing Statement	To summarize your stance and call for international collaboration.	A powerful concluding thought and an invitation for other nations to work with you.

Each part builds on the last, creating a comprehensive and persuasive case for your country's position.

Where to Focus Your Efforts

So, how should you allocate your precious one page of space? It's all about balance.

As the chart shows, the real meat of your paper lies in your past actions and your proposed solutions. These two sections should make up roughly 70% of your total word count. The background sets the stage, but your policies and proposals are where you truly make your case.

This structure isn't just a formatting rule; it’s a functional tool for diplomacy. It helps you build a logical, compelling argument that’s easy for the chair and other delegates to follow.

Pro Tip: A position paper is fundamentally an act of persuasion, not just a research summary. The format is the skeleton that holds your arguments together, giving them the strength to stand out in a crowded committee room.

Mastering this format is one of the most important steps in your preparation. To continue building your toolkit, be sure to check out our guide on other essential skills for every MUN delegate.

Nailing Your Opening: How to Establish Your Nation's Stance

The first paragraph of your position paper is your prime real estate. This is your chance to grab the chair's attention right out of the gate and show them you’re a serious delegate who’s done their homework. A strong opening immediately proves you understand the topic's complexities and, more importantly, how your country fits into the bigger picture.

Think of it as setting the stage. You're not just stating facts; you're building a narrative. Your goal is to draw a direct line from your country's history, its core values, or its critical alliances to the issue at hand. Why does your nation care?

Crafting a Crystal-Clear National Position

This is where so many delegates falter. A vague, wishy-washy intro gets you nowhere. Your opening absolutely must end with a sharp, definitive thesis statement. There should be zero doubt about where your country stands and what you plan to advocate for.

For instance, don’t just say, "France is concerned about climate change." That’s weak. A powerhouse thesis sounds more like this: "As a key architect of the Paris Agreement, France advocates for binding carbon-neutrality targets and technology-sharing frameworks to accelerate the global green transition." See the difference? It's confident, specific, and sets the agenda.

To get to this level of detail, you have to dig into your country’s background. Deep research is non-negotiable. If you're struggling with where to start, our comprehensive Model UN country research guide will walk you through the whole process.

The Ingredients of a Powerful Introduction

A truly compelling opening paragraph weaves together a few key elements to create a solid foundation for your arguments.

The Historical Hook: Reference a significant treaty, a past conflict, or a landmark event that shapes your nation's current policy on the topic.

The Geopolitical Angle: Show why this issue matters to your nation’s specific region, its allies, or its strategic interests.

Your Nation's "Why": Connect the topic back to your country’s constitution, its founding principles, or its long-held diplomatic traditions.

A Quick Tip From Experience: Your introduction isn't just a formality—it's a strategic weapon. A well-crafted opening frames the entire debate on your terms. You're subtly steering the committee’s focus toward the very arguments you came prepared to dominate.

When you blend these pieces together, you get an opening that's not just informative, but genuinely persuasive. You'll establish your delegation as a credible and influential voice from the first word.

Back Up Your Stance: A History of Action

Now that you've laid the groundwork with your country's general stance, it’s time to prove you mean business. This is where you build credibility by showing a history of consistent action. Talk is cheap in diplomacy; anyone can say they care about an issue. Your job is to demonstrate that your country has been in the game for the long haul.

This section is all about creating a narrative of sustained commitment. It’s not enough to just list a few famous treaties. You need to connect the dots for your reader.

For example, if you're representing Sweden in an environmental committee, you wouldn't just drop a mention of the Paris Agreement and move on. You'd paint a much richer picture. You could start with Sweden's pioneering domestic carbon tax way back in 1991, link it to the country's ambitious goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2045, and then cap it off with a powerful quote from your prime minister at the last COP summit. See the difference? That's a story, not just a list.

Digging for Diplomatic Gold

Think of yourself as a diplomatic detective. Your mission is to sift through the archives and find the specific proof points that make your country's position undeniable. This is a critical part of nailing the position papers format because this evidence is the foundation of every argument you'll make in the committee room.

Here’s what you should be looking for:

UN Resolutions: Has your country sponsored, co-sponsored, or been a key advocate for major resolutions on the topic? Don't just list them; mention why your support was important.

Domestic Policies: What laws has your parliament passed? What national initiatives has your government funded? This shows you're addressing the issue at home, not just on the world stage.

International Treaties: Look beyond the big, obvious ones. Are there regional agreements or specialized conventions your country has ratified? These often show a deeper, more nuanced commitment.

Official Statements: Dig up impactful quotes from your head of state, foreign minister, or UN ambassador. A well-placed quote can be a powerful tool of persuasion.

Pro Tip: This section is your evidence locker. Every treaty, every law, every resolution you present is another lock on your case. The more evidence you have, the harder it will be for other delegates to challenge your position.

When you weave these elements together, you’re not just stating an opinion anymore. You're presenting a powerful, documented record of your country's actions. This gives you a massive advantage and a ton of credibility before you even walk into the committee room.

Architecting Practical and Persuasive Solutions

Alright, you’ve laid out your country’s history with the issue and established its current stance. Now it’s time to shift from analysis to action. This final section is where the best delegates really stand out—it’s your chance to show leadership, creativity, and a firm grasp of diplomatic reality.

Anyone can point out a problem. What truly earns you respect in committee is offering concrete, well-reasoned solutions. Your proposals need to be more than just good ideas; they have to be practical, politically feasible, and perfectly in line with your nation's foreign policy.

This is your moment to drive the conversation. Instead of just reacting to what other delegates say, you’ll be setting the agenda with forward-thinking initiatives that give the committee a clear path forward.

From Vague Ideas to Actionable Proposals

One of the most common mistakes I see is delegates presenting solutions that are way too broad or idealistic. Saying "countries should cooperate more" is a nice sentiment, but it's completely meaningless in a debate. Your proposals have to be specific and compelling enough to show the chair you've actually thought through the logistics.

For instance, don't just suggest "increase funding for refugees." A delegate who has done their homework would propose something much stronger: "Brazil proposes the creation of a multi-donor trust fund administered by the UNHCR, specifically for educational programs for displaced children, and commits to an initial $10 million contribution."

See the difference? That level of detail is what elevates a good position paper to a great one.

A strong proposal needs to have a few key ingredients:

A Clear Mechanism: Who does what? Are you suggesting a new UN working group, an amendment to an existing treaty, or maybe a regional partnership?

Specific Goals: What, exactly, are you trying to achieve? Define what success looks like with clear, measurable outcomes.

Funding and Resources: How is this getting paid for? Thinking about the financial side shows your proposal is grounded in the real world, not just wishful thinking.

Your solutions are the heart of your diplomatic strategy. They need to be clear, actionable steps that other countries can easily get behind—they will literally become the foundation of your draft resolution.

Crafting these proposals well means you need to understand how international bodies actually work. A great next step is to get familiar with how resolution clauses are structured for MUN, which will help you frame your solutions using the correct diplomatic language.

When you show up with well-structured, practical solutions, you immediately position your delegation as a leader in the room.

Don't Get Tripped Up by Technicalities

You've poured hours into research and crafted a paper with sharp analysis and brilliant solutions. The last thing you want is for a simple formatting mistake to sink it. Paying attention to the technical guidelines isn't just about following rules; it's a mark of a serious delegate and a sign of respect for the conference organizers.

Most conferences have strict, non-negotiable rules. They might seem tedious, but they exist to ensure every delegate gets a fair shake. Ignoring them is one of the quickest ways to make a bad first impression on your chair before you even set foot in the committee room.

Your Pre-Submission Formatting Checklist

Before you hit that "submit" button, do a final sweep for these common details. Trust me, chairs notice this stuff immediately.

Page and Word Limits: The classic limit is one page, single-spaced. This isn't just a random rule; it forces you to be concise, potent, and get straight to the point.

Font and Margins: Always double-check the conference guide, but the unofficial industry standard is Times New Roman, size 12, with 1-inch margins. Don't assume—verify.

Header Information: Make sure your header is perfect. It should have your country, committee, and topic listed in the exact order and format the conference specifies.

When you look at major conferences, you see a clear pattern. The most common length is one to two pages. Big forums like NMUN, for instance, demand PDF submissions with very specific file-naming conventions, like ‘GA1_Cuba’. They also require you to address all topics in the same order they appear in the background guide. For a deeper dive, you can see real-world examples in the submission guidelines on the official NMUN site.

A Chair’s Perspective: As someone who has chaired, I can tell you that nothing is more frustrating than a paper that ignores the rules. A correctly formatted submission tells me you’re a prepared, detail-oriented delegate who’s ready to contribute from the moment debate begins.

Ultimately, following the formatting rules ensures your ideas are what get judged, not a preventable technical error. So, triple-check everything, submit on time, and let your arguments take center stage.

Answering Your Top Position Paper Questions

If you’re new to MUN, you probably have a few questions about writing your first position paper. That's completely normal. Let's walk through some of the most common sticking points delegates run into so you can get them sorted out and focus on building a killer argument.

Think of these guidelines as the unwritten rules of diplomatic decorum. Nailing them shows your chair you’ve done your homework and are ready to contribute from the moment you walk in the room.

How Long Should My Paper Be?

The gold standard for a position paper is almost always one single-spaced page. This typically works out to be somewhere between 500 and 700 words.

While a few conferences might give you a two-page limit, it's pretty rare. Diplomacy is all about being concise and impactful, and this page limit is designed to test that skill. Every sentence has to count. That said, your first move should always be to check the specific guidelines for your conference and committee.

Do I Need Formal Citations?

Nope, you can breathe a sigh of relief. A position paper is a policy brief, not a university-level research paper. You don't need a works cited page or formal in-text citations like you would in MLA or APA format.

The trick is to weave your evidence right into the flow of your writing. It makes your argument feel more natural and persuasive. For example, instead of a clunky footnote, try something like this:

"According to a recent report from the UN Development Programme, over 40% of the region's population lacks access to stable electricity, a figure that underscores the urgency of this committee's work."

This method keeps your paper clean and readable while still proving your points are backed by solid data.

Can I Use First-Person Language?

This one is a hard no. You're representing an entire country, not yourself. Using phrases like "I believe" or "we think" instantly takes you out of character and weakens the authority of your position.

Instead, you need to adopt the formal voice of a diplomat. Here are a few ways to phrase your points:

"The Republic of Kenya asserts that..."

"It is the firm position of Japan that..."

"France calls upon all member states to..."

Sticking to this formal, third-person perspective is a non-negotiable part of the position papers format. You are the voice of a nation.

Ready to turn your research into award-winning arguments? Model Diplomat provides the AI-powered tools and expert guidance you need to write with confidence and dominate your committee. Start preparing for success today at Model Diplomat.

A Winning Position Papers Format for MUN Dominance