What are Resolutions?
The document that makes it official
Everything in committee builds toward one thing: the resolution. Here's what it is, how it's structured, and the special clauses that hold it together.
A resolution is the document everything builds toward
In MUN, a resolution is a formal document that lays out proposed solutions to the issue your committee is tackling.
It's the main way delegates work together to address a global challenge and reach consensus. Throughout the session you debate and negotiate its content, gathering support — and once a resolution is approved by a majority vote, it becomes the official stance of the committee.
Preamble vs. operative, at a glance
Every resolution has two kinds of clauses. If you remember nothing else, remember this table.
| Preambulatory | Operative | |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Sets the scene & justifies action | States what the committee will actually do |
| Where it sits | Top of the resolution | Bottom of the resolution |
| Opener style | Italicized | Underlined & numbered |
| Ends with | A comma | A semicolon (last one, a period) |
| Can be amended? | Rarely — they're background | Yes — this is where amendments happen |
| Example opener | Recalling, Noting with concern | Calls upon, Requests, Urges |
What it looks like on paper
The Header — who & what
COMMITTEE: UNHCR
QUESTION OF: Climate displacement
MAIN SUBMITTER: India
CO-SUBMITTERS: Nepal, Bhutan…
THE UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES,
Recalling the 1951 Refugee Convention,
Deeply concerned by rising displacement across the Bay of Bengal region,
1. Calls upon member states to establish a regional relief fund;
2. Requests the creation of a monitoring body that:
a. reports annually on displacement figures,
b. coordinates cross-border shelter.
An illustrative example — the whole thing reads as one long sentence, ending in a single period.
The “one sentence” trick
Here's the secret that makes the formatting click: the entire resolution is grammatically one sentence. The committee's name is the subject. The preambulatory clauses are descriptive phrases setting out its frame of mind. The operative clauses are the predicate— the actions it's taking — which is why every operative clause opens with a present-tense verb in the third person (Calls upon, Requests, Urges). String them together and it reads as one long, formal sentence.
Preambulatory vs. operative
Preambulatory
The historic justification for action — they cite past resolutions, precedents and the purpose behind what you're proposing. Openers are italicized.
Operative
The actual policies your resolution creates — they spell out what the committee will do. Openers are underlined. (Condemns and Demands are reserved for the Security Council.)
The formatting rules that trip people up
- The whole resolution is one very long sentence — it begins with the committee's name and ends with a single period.
- The opening word of each preambulatory clause is italicized; commas separate the clauses.
- The opening word of each operative clause is underlined and numbered; semicolons separate them.
- The first letter of every clause opener is capitalized, and no opener is repeated (re-use it with “Further” or “Strongly”).
- Sub-clauses are lettered a, b, c; sub-sub-clauses use roman numerals i, ii, iii — and aren't capitalized.
- A colon introduces sub-clauses, which are indented with tabs (never spaces). A single lone sub-clause isn't allowed.
- Acronyms are written out in full the first time, e.g. “International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)”.
- Keep it tidy: typically 12pt Times New Roman, single spacing, and no longer than about two pages.
How committees handle them
Different committee formats treat the resolution differently — it's worth knowing which one you're walking into.
Full Resolution
The most common format. You bring a complete resolution and speeches, and the committee debates and votes on it as a whole.
Clause-by-Clause
Used in high-stakes bodies like the UNSC. Each clause is debated, amended and voted on individually — precise and detailed.
Crisis
An evolving scenario is dropped on the room mid-session. You think on your feet and draft brand-new clauses to respond in real time.
Mistakes first-timers always make
- Writing operative clauses that just “condemn” or “express concern” — that's a preamble's job. Operatives must propose action.
- Using Condemns or Demands outside the Security Council — those strong verbs are reserved for the UNSC.
- Repeating the same opener twice. Re-use it with “Further” or “Strongly” instead.
- Forgetting it's one sentence: commas after preambles, semicolons after operatives, and a single period at the very end.
- A solution with no “how”. Strong clauses say who does what, funded how, and monitored by whom.
- Leaving a single lonely sub-clause. If you open sub-clauses, you need at least two.
Good places to learn more
We pulled this together from a few trusted guides. If you want to keep reading, these are the ones worth your time: