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Position Papers

Hey Delegates!

A strong position papers is an important aspect of being a good delegate. Not only is it paramount for research awards, but it also sways consideration for conference awards. Having strong research skills to uncover important information, extract key insights, and develop robust solutions is a crucial skill for MUN and life beyond. This post is meant to clarify what standards we hold for position papers and any further questions you may have.

A position paper should reflect the research you have conducted on each topic and be strongly colored from the viewpoint of your country. This should demonstrate clearly your knowledge of the topic and understanding of your nation’s position. This is not meant to be an unbiased document, but at the same time don’t lie or cite nonexistent articles. Overall, you should submit a paper of 5-10 pages per topic that exhibits a comprehensive understanding of the situation, an organized and argumentative structure, original thinking that follows your country policy, and an attitude of seriousness regarding the issue. While that is the ideal range of length, write for quality, not quantity. Each delegation (single, or double) should submit one position paper per topic.

There are four required sections in the paper:
1.     Past and Current International Action (15%)
2.     Country’s Position (25%)
3.     Proposed Solutions (30%)
4.     Questions to Consider (20%)
The percentage breakdown is the emphasis we place on each paper when considering them. An extra 10% will be the chair’s discretion on overall quality of the paper. We will be grading and returning your position papers to you. We encourage you use this as an opportunity to consider our feedback on how to further develop your ideas and improve their presentation.

This year, you’ll be submitting your position papers through the online portal on Huxley, rather than directly emailing them. Your advisor should be distributing your login information to you. Please submit your papers with the format Submission_Committee_Country. 

Position papers are due February 5th in order to be considered for a research award, and by February 12th to be considered for any award.

Formatting details:
·      Please submit in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format
·      1-inch margins on all sides
·      Indicate in your header your committee, country, and topic, but do not include your name or school
·      Typed, 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced
·      All citations should be done in MLA format

Final point: plagiarism will not be tolerated in your position papers. Cite all sources accordingly. All papers will be checked for plagiarism and, if found, will disqualify the delegates from receiving awards.


I hope this clarifies our policies on position papers. Further information can be found on the BMUN website (link: http://www.bmun.org/position-papers/). Of course, if you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to reach out!

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