RESOLUTION

At some point, a group of delegates who have been working on a proposal will find that they have enough support to formally bring their resolution to the floor for debate. A resolution may be a general statement or a specific directive; it can condemn the actions of specific states, call for some form of collective action, or require specific economic or military action be taken by the member nations. More than one proposal may be on the floor at any given time, but once a resolution has passed it becomes the official policy of the United Nations, so it is necessary to keep in mind the specific capabilities of the governing body.

A resolution is generally one long sentence. It begins with the Subject, then uses what are known as Preambulatory Phrases to describe the resolution’s intent and motivation before moving on to describe the specific action which is being taken by the Assembly in the Operative Clause. Diplomatic communication requires sensitivity, and the appropriate use of language and protocol is essential. A word or phrase can mean the difference between success and failure. Therefore, you must always be precise in the language you employ when writing a resolution, and it is generally required that specific phrases be used to introduce each separate clause in any resolution.

            The first section of a Resolution is the list of Preambulatory Clauses. These phrases state the nature of the problem and establish the reasons and precedents for the actions, which will be outlined in the second half of the resolution. The first word of each clause is underlined, and each clause ends with a comma.

The second section of a resolution contains the Operative Clauses, the actions that will be taken by the body. These numbered clauses all begin with underlined, present-tense action verbs which are generally stronger than the words used in the preamble. Each operative clause is followed by a semicolon, except for the last one, which ends with a period. (Thus, each resolution is a single, albeit long, sentence.)

As it becomes apparent that debate has reached some sort of conclusion, the Chairman may allow a motion for Closure of Debate. This means that no further discussion on this topic is possible, and all resolutions before the Assembly will be brought to an immediate vote.  

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)