SAMPLE POSITION PAPER

France on the Issue of International Terrorism:

France defines a terrorist as anyone who is in any way involved in planning, implementing, sponsoring, or participating in a terrorist act. Furthermore, a terrorist act is one where a small group of people attempt to impose their political views on a large group, usually a government, by injuring innocent people. The French Republic feels that convening an international conference to define terrorism and to differentiate between terrorism and the legitimate desires of peoples to gain autonomy would only provide a false link between the two ideas. France was victimized by terrorism in the past and therefore believes it to be of utmost importance to establish an international tribunal to try, sentence, and punish terrorists for crimes against humanity.  

SAMPLE RESOLUTION

Topic: Status of Comic Strips in Sunday Newspapers

Deploring the precipitous drop in the quality of national comic strips in the past five years, a trend which threatens to ruin the Sunday mornings of millions of citizens all over the world,

Taking into account the retirement of Bill Waterson, which has accelerated this trend toward bad humor and worse artistic ability,

Realizing that Calvin and Hobbes was all that held the Sunday Comics Page against the forces of aesthetic barbarism,

1. Appeals to the newspaper editors around the world to take action to improve the sliding quality of comic strips in their publications;

2. Congratulates the author and creator of Calvin and Hobbes for his decade-long contribution to world humor;

3. Expresses its sincere hope that Mr. Waterson will return from retirement, and that all up-and-coming artists will learn from his work;

4. Urges the United Nations, in cooperation with the Secretary-General and all member governments, institute an international annual Calvin and Hobbes appreciation day, to be observed on a day which will best please all concerned;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to use his good offices to facilitate the implementation of this resolution as quickly as possible, and to submit to the General Assembly each year a report on the progress made toward this goal.

(Source: Mr. Robert Crawford)

SAMPLE POSITION PAPER AND RESOLUTION

Topic:  France on the Issue of the Security of Europe

France has pondered mightily on the best course of action to establish a balance of power on the continent of Europe.  The precipitous task of dividing lands equally among the great powers, and maintaining national boundaries can only be accomplished through fair and auspicious diplomacy.  The benevolent countries of Europe must come to terms with each other, or else a turbulent breeding ground of disorder and chaos will enable menacing despots to terrorize the region, such as that "Tyrant" who occupied the vast continent.  Preventing future conflicts is of paramount importance, therefore the formation of equally matched sovereign states must be attained vigilantly.  With these principles at the vanguard, France proposes a resolution:

Protecting the rights of sovereign nations,

Believing the greatest countries must maintain their land and powerful positions,

Taking into account the inadequacies of the smaller states to protect themselves,

Confident that the smaller nations of Europe will be better protected and secure under the care of a larger and more powerful state,

Having examined the evidence thoroughly, the following steps will be taken by this Congress of Vienna:

 (1) Urges the immediate adoption of the following borders:
       a) Russia to gain Finland and 2/3 of Poland;
       b) A Germanic Confederation to be established and placed under Austrian 
            rule;
       c) Austria to gain back lost land, and the Polish provinces of Galacia, Tirol, 
           and Salzburg;
       d) Prussia to gain Saxony, Westphalia and the Rhine Province, Thorn, 
            Pomerania, and the Polish province of Posen;
       e) Great Britain to gain Malta, the Cape Colony in South Africa, and to be 
           given control of the seas;
       f) The Papal States, Lombardy, Parma, Modena, Tuscany, Venice, Sardinia, 
           and the Kingdom of the two Sicilies to be organized into a unified Italy;
       g) The House of Orange to gain the Austrian Netherlands and the Dutch 
            Republic to make the Netherlands;
       h) Spain to gain Parma and Portugal;
       i)  Sweden to gain Norway and Denmark;
       j)  The Ottoman Empire to retain its current borders;
       k) France to lose all of the territory conquered by the "Tyrant", and return to 
            the borders that existed in 1792;

 (2) Emphasizes the need for nations engulfed by larger states to retain sovereignty in their region, yet remain subservient to the crown with which they have been placed under;

 (3) Strongly recommends the establishment of an international organization to promote peace and cooperation,  consisting of the great powers of France, Great Britain, Austria, Russia, and Prussia;

  This issue is very sensitive for our region as all nations have a profound desire to prevent a massive conflict from occurring ever again. The measures listed above will ensure a secure future for all the sovereign states of Europe.

 (Source: Maria Schiuma, edited by Dan Snyder)