Discover the type of resolutions in Model UN, from substantive vs. procedural basics to clauses, amendments, and drafting tips that boost success.

Do not index

In any Model UN committee, the entire debate really boils down to two distinct types of resolutions: substantive and procedural. Think of a substantive resolution as the grand plan to solve the problem you're all there to discuss, while a procedural resolution is all about managing the rules and flow of the debate itself. Getting this difference straight from the get-go is the first major hurdle for any delegate.

The Two Fundamental Types of Resolutions in MUN

Let's use a simple analogy. Imagine your committee is tasked with building a house. The detailed architectural blueprint—the one showing the layout, materials, and construction steps—is your substantive resolution. It's the core of your work, addressing the "what" and "how" of your solution to a major global issue. It's packed with research, innovative policies, and clear, actionable steps.

But before anyone can lay a single brick, you need to agree on a work schedule, set break times, and decide how you'll vote on changes to the blueprint. This is where procedural resolutions (or, more commonly, procedural motions) come in. They don't have anything to do with the house itself, but everything to do with the process of building it. They are the rules of engagement that govern your debate.

Substantive Resolutions: The Blueprint for Action

The substantive resolution is the main event, the very reason you're in the committee room. Delegates pour hours into researching, drafting, and negotiating this single document. Its entire purpose is to present a complete, well-thought-out solution to the topic on the agenda.

These resolutions have a very specific and formal structure, always broken down into two parts:

Preambulatory Clauses: This section sets the stage. It's the "why" behind your resolution, referencing past UN actions, relevant international laws, and the historical context of the problem.

Operative Clauses: This is the "how." These are the action-oriented clauses that spell out exactly what steps the international community should take. This is the heart of your committee's recommendation.

Only the official sponsors of a draft resolution can introduce it, and it needs a certain number of other countries (signatories) to support it before it can even be debated.

Procedural Resolutions: The Rulebook for Debate

In contrast, procedural resolutions aren't about solving global crises. They're about managing the committee session. Think of them as the parliamentary tools you use to direct the conversation, manage time, and push the formal process along.

Any delegate can propose a procedural motion at almost any point, as long as it makes sense for that stage of the debate. You'll hear these all the time: motions to open debate, start a moderated caucus, or move into voting procedure. Learning how to use these effectively is a game-changer, giving you and your allies a strategic advantage in controlling the committee's momentum.

To make the distinction crystal clear, here’s a quick breakdown of how these two resolution types stack up against each other.

Substantive vs Procedural Resolutions at a Glance

Characteristic	Substantive Resolutions	Procedural Resolutions
Purpose	To propose a comprehensive solution to the committee's topic.	To manage the flow, rules, and procedures of the debate itself.
Scope	Addresses the "what" and "how" of solving a global issue.	Manages the "when" and "how" of committee proceedings.
Format	Written document with headings, preambulatory, and operative clauses.	Verbal motions made during the session.
Proposal	Proposed by sponsors and requires signatories to be debated.	Can be proposed by any delegate at the appropriate time.

Ultimately, mastering both is the key to success. You need a powerful substantive resolution to solve the problem, but you need smart procedural moves to ensure your solution gets the attention and support it deserves.

Anatomy of a Substantive Resolution

A substantive resolution is the culmination of all your hard work in committee—it’s where debate and diplomacy become a concrete plan of action. Think of it as the formal proposal you're putting before the international community.

Just like a legal document, it follows a strict structure designed for ultimate clarity and impact. If you want your ideas to be taken seriously and eventually pass, mastering this format is non-negotiable.

The Heading: Sponsors vs. Signatories

Right at the top of the resolution, you’ll find the heading. This part is straightforward, listing the committee, the topic, and, crucially, the sponsors and signatories. These two roles sound similar but are worlds apart.

Sponsors: These are the architects of the resolution. They’ve done the heavy lifting, drafted the clauses, and are fully committed to getting it passed. Their name on the paper means they champion the entire document.

Signatories: These delegates are simply giving a thumbs-up to debating the resolution. Signing on doesn't mean they agree with every word; it’s just a procedural nod to get the paper on the floor for discussion.

This flowchart breaks down the two main resolution categories you'll encounter.

As you can see, every resolution is either substantive (proposing solutions) or procedural (managing the debate itself). We're focused on the former right now.

Preambulatory Clauses: The "Why"

The first real meat of your resolution is the preambulatory clauses. This is where you set the stage and build the case for your proposed actions. These clauses are the "why"—they provide historical context, cite legal precedents, and establish the urgency of the problem.

Think of it like an opening statement in a trial. You're laying out the facts before you present your solution.

Every preambulatory clause kicks off with a specific italicized phrase and ends with a comma. Critically, these clauses never propose new actions. Instead, they call back to past events, existing treaties, or established international principles. Your goal is to construct a logical foundation so compelling that the solutions you propose later feel like the only reasonable conclusion.

The research you did for your country’s policy is your goldmine here. For a great refresher on how to organize that research, check out our guide on the Model UN position paper template.

Here are a few examples of well-crafted preambulatory clauses:

See how each one adds a layer to the argument? You're grounding your resolution in international law, highlighting the problem, and referencing the committee's past work. Together, they create a powerful narrative demanding action.

Operative Clauses: The "How"

Right after the "why" comes the "how." These are your operative clauses, and they are the heart of your resolution. This is where you stop explaining the problem and start detailing your specific, tangible solutions. Each clause is a direct command—a clear instruction on what needs to be done.

Operative clauses are always numbered and begin with a strong, underlined action verb. Each clause ends with a semicolon, except for the very last one, which gets a period to signal the end of the document. This formatting isn't optional; it's a hard-and-fast rule.

This is the section that will face the most intense scrutiny from other delegates. Vague ideas get shot down fast. Your clauses must be clear, practical, and well-defined, laying out a step-by-step plan that others can get behind.

Let's look at a few solid examples:

Urges all member states to increase their financial contributions to the World Food Programme to combat food insecurity in the affected region;

Recommends the establishment of a neutral, third-party monitoring mission to oversee the ceasefire and report violations to the Security Council;

Decides to create a sub-committee tasked with developing sustainable economic alternatives for communities reliant on illicit activities, with a report due in twelve months.

Each one proposes a distinct, concrete action. By pairing a well-reasoned "why" in your preambulatory clauses with a strong, actionable "how" in your operative clauses, you create a persuasive and complete resolution that can win the debate and earn those crucial votes.

How to Steer Debate with Procedural Motions

While your draft resolution is the ultimate prize, you’ll never get it passed without mastering the art of procedural motions. These motions are the engine of your committee. They don't deal with the topic itself, but they absolutely control the pace, direction, and rules of the debate. Think of them as the steering wheel, accelerator, and brakes for the entire committee session.

Getting good at these gives you a massive strategic advantage. It lets you zero in on your bloc's key talking points, manage the clock to your benefit, or even force a vote right when you know you have the numbers. It’s all about turning the rules into leverage.

Defining the Flow of Debate

Procedural motions are basically formal requests delegates make to get the committee to do something. Unlike a resolution, you almost always make them out loud, and the committee votes on them right away. No sponsors or signatories needed. Learning to use them is a bit like knowing how to create standard operating procedures in a business—both are about setting up a clear, efficient process to hit a much bigger goal.

Some of the very first motions you'll hear in a session are the ones that lay the groundwork for everything else.

Motion to Open Debate: This is the one that kicks off the conference. It formally starts the session and gets the speakers' list going.

Motion to Set the Agenda: If your committee has more than one topic, this motion decides the order you'll tackle them. Winning this vote is a huge early victory.

These initial moves are critical. They frame the entire committee's focus right from the start.

Controlling Discussion with Caucuses

Once debate is open, the general speakers' list can feel slow and all over the place. That's where caucuses come in, and you can only start them with a procedural motion. They are your primary tools for driving focused debate and real negotiation.

Here are the key motions for managing the real work of the committee:

Motion for a Moderated Caucus: This proposes hitting pause on the formal speakers' list to have a more focused, topic-specific debate. You have to specify the total time, how long each person gets to speak, and the exact topic. (Example: "The delegate of France moves for a 10-minute moderated caucus with 30-second speaking times on the topic of humanitarian aid corridors.")

Motion for an Unmoderated Caucus: This motion proposes a total break from formal debate. It’s for informal lobbying, deal-making, and bloc-building. This is where resolutions are actually written and mergers are hammered out.

The skills you use here are the same ones used in real-world negotiations. In fact, the global conflict resolution solutions market is projected to grow from US 17.76 billion by 2032, because methods like mediation are so much more effective than litigation.

Driving the Committee to a Conclusion

As the session winds down, a different set of procedural motions becomes vital for getting your hard work to a final vote. Timing these motions perfectly is a high-level skill that can be the difference between your resolution passing or failing. If questions pop up during this crucial phase, remember you have a specific tool to ask the Chair for clarity. You can get the full rundown in our guide on using a Point of Information effectively.

These are the final procedural steps to bring it all home:

Motion to Introduce a Draft Resolution: This is how you formally put a completed resolution in front of the committee for everyone to see and consider.

Motion to Close Debate: This is the big one. It ends all discussion on the topic and pushes the committee directly into voting.

Motion to Adjourn Meeting: This motion formally ends the committee session, either for the day or for the whole conference.

Every single motion is a lever you can pull to influence the room. Once you master their purpose and timing, you stop being just another participant and become a delegate who truly directs the course of diplomacy.

The Art of Drafting and Amending Resolutions

Alright, let's move from theory to practice. This is where your diplomatic chops are truly tested. Crafting a powerful resolution is about more than just listing good ideas—it’s about architecting clear, actionable, and persuasive solutions. Just as important is knowing how to amend one. A well-timed amendment is one of the most potent tools in your arsenal, whether you're trying to strengthen an ally’s proposal or strategically gut a rival’s.

Writing Clauses That Win Votes

The best operative clauses are airtight. They leave zero room for ambiguity. A vague directive like "encourages nations to improve cybersecurity" might sound nice, but it's ultimately toothless. How do you improve it? By how much? It offers no way to measure success, making it easy to ignore.

To turn your ideas into actual policy, you need a framework. This is where the SMART principle comes in—a classic goal-setting concept that’s a perfect fit for drafting killer operative clauses. Each clause you write should be:

Specific: Clearly state what needs to be done. No fuzzy language.

Measurable: Include metrics or criteria to track progress and define success.

Achievable: Propose solutions that are actually realistic and feasible for states to implement.

Relevant: Make sure the action directly tackles the problem at hand.

Time-bound: Set a clear deadline or timeframe for the action to be completed.

Using this framework forces you to think like a real policymaker. You'll start turning abstract concepts into concrete, executable steps that other delegates can get behind with confidence.

Transforming Weak Clauses into Powerful Directives

Let’s put the SMART principle into action. Imagine you're tackling the issue of digital misinformation campaigns.

Weak Clause: 1. Requests member states to combat fake news.

This is a classic rookie mistake. It’s vague, you can't measure it, and it has no timeline. A sharp delegate on the opposing side would tear this apart in seconds. Now, let’s beef it up using the SMART framework.

SMART Clause: 1. Urges all member states to establish an independent national task force dedicated to identifying and countering digital misinformation, with a mandate to publish a public report on their findings and recommended countermeasures within 18 months of this resolution's passage;

See the difference? This version is light-years better. It's specific (establish a national task force), measurable (publish a public report), achievable (a reasonable ask for most governments), relevant (directly targets the problem), and time-bound (within 18 months). This is the kind of detail-oriented drafting that wins debates.

This level of precision isn't just for MUN; it's critical in the real world, too. Think about identity resolution technology, which unifies customer data to fight fraud. That market, valued at US 5.8 billion by 2032 simply because businesses demand precise, actionable data to prevent losses. You can read more about these findings on the identity resolution market to see just how much precision matters.

The Strategic Power of Amendments

Once a draft resolution hits the floor, the battle over its final wording begins. This is where amendments come into play. An amendment is a formal proposal to change the text by adding, deleting, or altering a clause. There are two types, and you need to master them both.

Friendly Amendments

A friendly amendment is a change that all sponsors of the draft resolution agree on. Think of it as a collaborative edit. It’s usually a minor correction, a point of clarification, or a small addition that strengthens the resolution without changing its core purpose.

When to Propose: When you genuinely want to help improve a resolution you already support.

How it Works: You’ll approach the sponsors informally (during unmoderated caucuses), suggest the change, and if they all give the green light, the Chair simply announces that the amendment has been incorporated. No vote needed. Easy.

Unfriendly Amendments

Now for the fun part. An unfriendly amendment is a proposed change that at least one of the sponsors is against. This is where the real drama happens. These amendments are strategic moves designed to fundamentally alter the resolution's direction, expose a hidden weakness, or force a difficult vote that splits the sponsoring bloc.

When to Propose: When you want to challenge a resolution. This could mean watering down a key clause, adding a controversial point you know will divide the sponsors, or even deleting the funding mechanism to render the whole plan useless.

How it Works: This is a formal process. You must submit the amendment in writing to the Chair. It will then be formally introduced, debated, and voted on by the entire committee before everyone votes on the resolution as a whole.

Mastering the drafting process ensures your ideas land with clarity and force. At the same time, knowing when and how to deploy amendments gives you the power to shape the outcome of any debate, one clause at a time.

Navigating the Final Vote on Your Resolution

This is it. The culmination of all your diplomacy, drafting, and debate. The final vote is where all that hard work either pays off with a passed resolution or falls short. Getting the mechanics and strategy of voting procedure right is absolutely essential to making sure your efforts stick the landing.

The whole process kicks off when a delegate successfully moves to close debate. The Chair then guides the committee into voting procedure, and at that moment, all discussion stops. The room’s focus shifts entirely to the draft resolutions on the table. No more lobbying, no more amendments—just the vote.

Understanding Voting Thresholds

Not all votes are created equal. The number of "yes" votes you need depends entirely on what’s being decided, and knowing the difference is critical.

Simple Majority: This is your bread and butter. A motion or resolution passes if it gets more 'yes' votes than 'no' votes. Abstentions are ignored. Almost all procedural matters, like moving for a moderated caucus, only need a simple majority to pass.

Two-Thirds Majority: This is a much higher bar, saved for the big decisions. Substantive resolutions—the ones that actually propose solutions—often require a two-thirds majority. This ensures that only proposals with broad, undeniable support become official committee policy.

For a deeper dive into the art of negotiation and building the support you need, our guide on what lobbying is in MUN offers key strategies.

The Three Strategic Voting Options

When the Chair calls your country's name, you have three choices. Each one is a strategic move that sends a clear political message.

Vote 'Yes': This is a full-throated endorsement. It tells the room that your nation is completely on board with the resolution and its proposed actions.

Vote 'No': This is an outright rejection. Voting 'no' means your country is fundamentally opposed to the resolution. In powerful bodies like the Security Council, a 'no' from a permanent member is a veto, killing the resolution on the spot.

Abstain: This is the neutral ground. An abstention signals that your country neither supports nor opposes the resolution. It’s a powerful tool when you disagree with parts of a resolution but don't want to completely block a proposal your allies are pushing for.

Advanced Tactics: Division of the Question

One of the sharpest procedural tools in your kit is the motion for division of the question. This advanced tactic allows the committee to vote on individual operative clauses—or small groups of them—one by one, before voting on the resolution as a whole.

This move is incredibly strategic. Let's say you support most of a resolution but find one or two clauses completely unacceptable. You can use division to isolate and vote down just the problematic parts. On the flip side, if an opponent’s resolution has a few strong clauses that are tough to argue against, you can use division to strip them out, leaving behind a weaker document that's much easier to defeat.

The idea of "resolution" isn't just for diplomacy, of course. In tech, screen resolutions dictate our entire digital experience. As of November 2025, the classic 1920x1080 (Full HD) still dominates the market at 9.35%, proving its incredible staying power. But with mobile-first markets booming, resolutions like 360x800 have climbed to 6.27%. At the high end, the 4K display market is set to explode from US 412.57 billion by 2030, a clear signal that users crave greater clarity and precision. You can explore more about these trends in the 4K display market.

Mastering these voting procedures gives you the confidence to navigate any scenario, turning your carefully crafted resolution into a successfully passed piece of international policy.

Even veteran delegates get tangled in the webs of parliamentary procedure sometimes. Let's clear up a few of the most common questions about MUN resolutions so you can navigate your next committee session with confidence.

Can a Resolution Mix Substantive and Procedural Clauses?

That’s a hard no. Think of a resolution as having a single, dedicated job. It's either substantive—tackling the actual topic—or it’s procedural, dealing with how the committee runs its business.

Trying to cram both into one document just creates a procedural mess. All the nuts-and-bolts stuff, like setting the speaking time or moving to a vote, is handled with quick, verbal motions. Substantive solutions, on the other hand, always need to be laid out in a formal draft resolution. Keeping them separate is the bedrock of a smooth-running debate.

Getting this right is key to understanding the political game behind every resolution.

Sponsors are the true believers. They are the authors who poured their research and policy ideas into the draft. They are on the hook for promoting it, defending it against criticism, and corralling the votes needed to pass it.

Signatories are delegates who just think the resolution is interesting enough to talk about. Their signature is not an endorsement; it's just a ticket to get the paper on the floor for debate.

How Many Operative Clauses Should a Good Resolution Have?

Focus on quality, not quantity. While there’s no magic number, a solid, well-thought-out resolution usually has between 5 and 15 operative clauses.

Any less than five, and your resolution might look flimsy or underdeveloped. Push past fifteen, and it can become a bloated, unfocused laundry list that’s nearly impossible to get passed. Every single clause should be a distinct, actionable idea that adds real value to your overall solution.

Ready to draft resolutions that command the room? Model Diplomat acts as your AI co-delegate, giving you the strategic edge and research backup to write compelling clauses, master procedure, and lead your committee. Learn how to master every type of resolution by visiting https://modeldiplomat.com today.

Type of resolutions: Master the Essentials for Model UN

The Two Fundamental Types of Resolutions in MUN

Substantive Resolutions: The Blueprint for Action

Procedural Resolutions: The Rulebook for Debate

Substantive vs Procedural Resolutions at a Glance