Guide for Writing a Position Paper – CILA 2018 Page 1 of 3
How to write a Position Paper?
Introduction
The Model United Nations Conferences (MUN) move around debate and negotiation. The constant training of the Delegates
and the proper preparation of the documents that strengthen their foreign policy, such as the speeches and the Position Papers,
allow a better representation of the country. That is the main reason why writing is included in the MUN and this should be
the most important communication tool before and during the educational simulations. In the MUN, the participants must
write two types of main documents: Position Papers and Draft Resolutions. Each of them requires different approaches and
writing skills.
Prior to the beginning of a MUN, each Delegation prepares its Position Paper in each of the topics that will be discussed in
the different committees in which the country will participate. . In the event that a Delegation is made up of two persons who
will represent a Member State of the United Nations (country) as Delegate and co-Delegate in the same committee, both
persons should study the topic and will write together the Position Paper of each of the topics in the Agenda of the committee
assigned to them in the MUN. If there are several topics on your committee, a Position Paper should be prepared for each
topic.
The writing of this document is an important part in the preparation of each person that will be part of the Delegation and the
preparation of them is extremely useful. These documents not only help the Delegates to organize their ideas but also
encourage the entire Delegation in the formation and representation of foreign policy.
The Position Paper should be the most careful element in the MUN. It exposes and supports the opinion of a nation and is
the starting point for international negotiations. The Position Papers must not only define the topic in the Agenda, but they
must also present the relationship that this has with their national interests.
It is extremely important to respect the delivery date of Position Papers established by the Organizing Committee.
The Position Papers allow the Delegates to define their strategies and possible actions in advance of the working meetings
scheduled by the Organizing Committee. For this they must take into account the position of the rest of the Member States
present regarding the topics that will be discussed.
Format
• Typeface: Times New Roman.
• Size: 12 points.
• Structure of the paragraphs: they must contain indentations at the beginning of each paragraph.
• Line spacing: 1 (simple, without spaces before or after).
• Margins of the document: 2.54 cm or 1 inch on each side.
• Appointment style: It will be based on the APA Sixth Edition citation system.
• Length per topic: Minimum 500 words and maximum 800, to facilitate reading or distribution
Content
The Position Paper will be divided into 3 main parts:
1. Header:
The heading of the document should include the name of the Delegates, the name of the country they represent and the topic
they will present.
