RULES OF PROCEDURE

Rules of Procedure

UCBMUN XXIX uses a Slack double-notepad system to exchange Crisis Notes between frontroom and backroom; ensure that your Crisis Delegates have downloaded Slack before the conference! Only one notepad may be responded to by the backroom at a given time. Please take time to draft crisis notes on your second notepad while waiting for a response on your initial notepad. For more information on this system, contact us at registration@mun.berkeley.edu.

The following is an overview of UCBMUN rules of procedure. For more information on our policies on artificial intelligence, prewriting, and reporting forms, see our Conference Policies page.

Speakers List
1. General: After a topic has been chosen, one speakers’ list will be followed for all debate on that topic area. Speakers may speak generally on the topic area being considered, or any proposal on the floor. Separate speakers’ lists may be opened by the dais for motions that require discussion(s) different from direct debate on the topic. A member-state may add its name to a list if it is not already on the list and if the list has not been closed. The Chair may further limit a limited speakers’ list.
2. Recognition: The Chair will call upon speakers in the order in which they are listed on the relevant speakers’ list. No member may address a committee without having previously obtained the permission of the Chair. The Chair may call a speaker to cease if the speaker’s remarks are not relevant to the subject matter under discussion.
3. Speech Time: During debate on any procedural or substantive motion, the Chair may limit the time allowed to each speaker as deemed appropriate.
4. Closure: If the speakers list has been exhausted, debate will immediately be considered closed and whatever votes are required will be taken.
5. Crisis: There will be no speakers list in crisis committees; crisis committees will be in perpetual moderated caucus by default.
Yields
No comments are in order after yields have been made. No yields are in order after yields have been made. One may only yield to another delegate or to Point(s) of information while the Speaker’s List is in order. A member who has been accorded the right to speak on a substantive issue may yield time in one of the following manners:
1. To the Chair of the committee: if the speaker does not desire to yield any remaining speech time to another member or to point(s) of information.
2. To Point(s) of Information: from other members pertaining to the substance of the speech. The Chair will only count the speaker’s answer(s) to the question(s) against the remaining speech time.
3. To another member: if a speaker wishes to allocate any remaining time to another member-state. The member that is yielded to may not make any additional yields.
Point of Personal Privilege
A member may rise to a point of personal privilege during the discussion of any matter when experiencing personal discomfort that impairs the delegate’s ability to participate.
Point of Order
A point of order is used when a member finds a procedural error made by the Chair or another member. A member may rise to a point of order during the discussion of any matter, and the point of order will be immediately ruled upon by the Chair. However, points of order should not interrupt a member if they are speaking.
Point of Information
If speaking time has been limited and a speaker has yielded any remaining time to points of information, then any member may raise a placard in order to ask a question concerning the substance of the speech to the speaker. The Chair will recognize such points of information until the speaker’s time has elapsed. The speaker has the right to decline to answer a point of information. Only the speaker’s answers to the points of information will be counted against the remaining time.
Point of Parliamentary Inquiry
A point of parliamentary inquiry may be raised by a member who is unsure of the committee’s proceedings. A member may rise to a point of parliamentary inquiry only on matters of parliamentary procedure.
Right of Reply
If a delegate (not the country) is personally impugned in a speech, then after the speaker’s speech time has elapsed, the member may request from the Chair the Right to Reply to the speaker. The member receiving the right must submit it in writing to the Chair. The Chair’s decision to accord or not accord the Right of Reply may not be appealed. When the Chair approves the Right of Reply, the Chair will read it out to the committee. No motions for right of reply will be granted after a right of reply.
Comments on Speeches Summary
No comments on comments. No comments after yields. Comments must be germane to the speech commented upon. The Chair may recognize a specific number of delegates other than the speaker to comment on any substantive speech. Those commenting may not yield and must keep their comments germane to the speech upon which they are commenting.
Closure and Reopening of the Speakers’ List
A member may at any time move that the Chair close or reopen a speakers’ list on a substantive motion. Debate on the closure or reopening of the speakers’ list will be limited to two speakers in favor of and two against the motion, after which time the motion will be put to an immediate vote.
Unmoderated Caucus
During the discussion of any matter, a member may motion to suspend the meeting for an unmoderated caucus. The motion will be put to a vote. No speeches for or against the motion will be entertained. The sponsor of the motion must specify the time limit for which the meeting would be suspended. The time limit is subject to the Chair’s approval and will in no case exceed thirty minutes. The Chair also has the right to rule an unmoderated caucus dilatory.
Moderated Caucus
The committee may request to depart from the speakers list and have the Chair follow a different debate format. The motion will go to an immediate vote. No speeches for or against the motion will be entertained. The sponsor of the motion must specify the purpose for the moderated caucus, the total time limit, and the time allowed for speeches. Only points are allowed during a moderated caucus. The time limit is subject to the Chair’s approval and will in no case exceed fifteen minutes; any extensions for the moderated caucus may not exceed half the original time.
Suspension/Adjournment of the Meeting
A member may motion to suspend/adjourn the meeting in order to discontinue all official committee functions until the next scheduled session/conference. The Chair may rule this motion dilatory; this ruling is not subject to an appeal. The motion is not debatable and will be put to an immediate vote. Suspension is in order at the end of a session and adjournment is in order at the end of the conference.
Tabling/Resumption of Debate
1. Key to the Rule: Requires a 2/3 majority for tabling an agenda item.
2. Procedure: A member may motion to postpone or resume debate on any substantive matter under discussion. Two members may speak in favor of and two may speak against the motion, after which time the motion will be put to an immediate vote. A two-thirds majority of the members present is required to carry the motion to postpone or resume the debate on a substantive matter.
3. Postponement: If a motion to postpone debate passes, debate on the matter is said to be tabled and is placed aside without further action or votes of any kind until such time as the Chair entertains a motion to reintroduce the postponed item.
4. Resumption: If the motion to reintroduce the postponed item passes, debate on the item resumes with the existing speakers list. It is the moderator’s discretion to entertain a motion to close the speakers’ list and open a new one.
Suspension of the Rules
A member may move to suspend the rules at any time when the floor is open, after the general speakers list has been opened. The member must specify what specific rules will be modified or discarded, to what purpose, and for what period. The Chair’s decision is not subject to appeal. The motion is not debatable, and an immediate vote will be taken. This motion requires a two-thirds majority passage. Delegates are urged to use this motion sparingly.
Appeal a Decision of the Chair
A member may appeal the ruling of the Chair only on discretionary matters through a point of order. The point must be made immediately after a ruling by the Chair with no motions intervening in between. The Chair will speak in defense of the ruling. If the member is not satisfied with the explanation, their appeal may be addressed in writing to the secretariat.

Proposals

Working Papers
1. Note: The number of signatories required with resolutions will be established by the Chair at the beginning of committee.
2. Working papers must be first submitted to the Chair in writing. The Chair should read and return working papers with suggestions or point out glaring mistakes. Once working papers are resubmitted, they can be copied and distributed at the Chair’s discretion. Working papers not approved by the Chair are out of order.
Draft Resolution
After working paper becomes a draft resolution after delegates work together to edit the working paper or consolidate it with other working papers. The document is then reintroduced as a draft resolution. Draft Resolutions can only be introduced after they have been given final approval by the chair and distributed to the committee. A draft resolution only becomes a resolution when the committee has passed it in voting bloc.

Though multiple resolutions may be passed on the same topic, the UCBMUN Secretariat discourages insignificant, meaningless resolutions and instead suggests delegates produce comprehensive, well-reasoned resolutions, which further the topic under discussion.
Amendments
1. Format: A proposal is considered an amendment if it merely adds to, deletes from, or revises the operative clauses of a resolution. An amendment is considered to be out of order if it would render the resolution meaningless.
2. Sponsorship: An amendment must have the required number of sponsors and signatories to be considered by the Chair.
3. Editorial Amendments: An amendment may be considered an editorial amendment if it does not alter the meaning, effect, or overall substance of a resolution, and is introduced solely for the purpose of clarification. Editorial amendments, if approved by all of the sponsors of a resolution, are immediately incorporated into the resolution without a formal vote.
4. Friendly Amendments: An amendment may be considered “friendly” if supported by all the sponsors of a resolution and does not fundamentally change the intent of the resolution as a whole. “Friendly amendments” pending review by the chair are immediately incorporated into the resolution without a formal vote.
5. Unfriendly Amendments: An amendment which is not supported by all the sponsors of a resolution is considered “unfriendly” and requires a majority (50 percent plus one) to be incorporated into the resolution. “Unfriendly Amendments” must satisfy all the stated conditions.
Introduction of a Proposal
1. Approval: In order for a proposal to be introduced to a committee, both signatures from a proportion (set by the Chair) of the members present and voting and the approval of the Chair must be obtained. Signatures do not necessarily indicate support for a proposal, but rather a desire to hear the proposal debated.
2. Sponsors: A member-state or group of member-states must express, in writing, their willingness to oversee the proposal while it is on the floor. The name(s) of the sponsor(s) will appear at the top of the proposal with signatories appearing beneath the text. These sponsors must move to introduce the proposal to the floor and will be consulted regarding any motion to withdraw the proposal. The sponsor(s) may request time to discuss their proposal and to take questions.
3. Procedure: A delegate may introduce a proposal on the current topic area whenever the floor is open. Once a proposal has been introduced, the Chair will entertain editorial non-substantive comments known as Points of Clarification. The proposal remains on the floor and may be debated until the committee closes debate on it, the committee moves to the next topic area, or a procedural issue takes precedence.
Withdrawal of a Proposal
Any proposal may be withdrawn from the consideration of the committee if all the sponsors assent and if the Chair gives approval. Any member or members of the committee can move to re-introduce a withdrawn proposal by obtaining a sufficient number of signatures (the same amount needed to introduce) and the Chair’s approval as with any new proposal.

Voting

Voting Rights
Every member-state of each UCBMUN committee will have one vote in both substantive and procedural matters, except for Non-Member Observer States, which have one vote in procedural matters only.
Order of Voting
If two or more proposals relate to the same question, the committee will normally vote on the proposals in the order in which they were submitted. In case a delegate wants to change the order, he/she will be required to raise a motion to change the order of voting of proposals, along with the new suggested order. The Chair may entertain multiple such reordering requests. The Chair will entertain two speakers for and two speakers against the motion. A majority (50 percent plus one) of the members present will be required to pass the motion. Once re-ordered, proposals may not be re-ordered again; however if a section is divided out, the subproposals can be reordered.
Division of the Question
Immediately after debate is closed on a proposal, once any motion to order the voting has been entertained, then, before the final vote, a member may motion to divide the question. This motion indicates that the member wishes to consider one or more specific clauses of the proposal separately. Once the motion for division has been made, the Chair may entertain two speakers for and two speakers against the motion. This motion will require a simple majority in a procedural vote.

An initial procedural vote on whether to divide the question requiring a simple majority will be taken. If it is passed, the Chair will then entertain suggestions of division. The suggestions will be re-ordered from most complex (most divisions) to least (fewest divisions); where equal complexity occurs, the Chair will order suggestions in the order they were taken. Suggestions can include a clause-by-clause division. The first suggestion to pass with a simple majority will be the division that is adopted. This vote is a substantive vote. When a division passes, then the initial proposal is voted upon first and the division is voted upon separately. This means that the proposal will be divided into a maximum of two proposals.
Clause by Clause Division
1. In the event a clause-by-clause division is passed, there is a three-tiered vote. This vote is a procedural vote where a "yes" means to divide out and a "no" means to keep the clause in the original proposal. The committee will vote on each clause (not a sub-clause) individually. At the end of this procedure, the committee will have two proposals: one retaining the non-divided clauses and one containing the divided-out clauses. The committee will then proceed to pass these two proposals separately.
2. Note: Use this rule carefully because proposals may become meaningless due to the divided-out clauses.
Important Questions
1. Requirements: A vote on a resolution may be labeled an important question if it falls into one or more of the following:
  - Recommendations with respect to the maintenance of international peace and security
  - The admission of a new member to the United Nations
  - The suspension of the rights and privileges of membership
  - The expulsion of a member
2. Procedure: When the question comes to a vote, any member may request of the Chair that the vote be labeled an important question, stipulating how the vote falls under one or more of the categories. If the Chair determines that the question does fall within one or more of the categories, then the motion will be allowed and will be put to a vote. This decision is not subject to appeal. If the motion passes and a vote is labeled an important question, then the final, substantive vote on the question will require the affirmative votes of two-thirds of the members present in order to pass.
Voting on Procedural Matters
No abstentions are allowed on procedural votes. All member and non-member states present must vote on procedural matters. Procedural matters include, but are not limited to, motions to adopt the agenda, closing and opening the speakers list, postponement, resumption, or closure of debate, caucuses, suspension or adjournment of the meeting, order of voting, and the first-tier vote of the division of question.
Conduct During Voting
After the Chair has announced the beginning of voting procedure, no member may interrupt the voting except by raising points having to do with the actual conduct of the voting. No motions other than those having to do with voting are in order. The doors of the chamber must be closed during voting procedure and no one may enter or leave the chamber until the voting has been completed.
Roll Call Votes
1. Procedure: A member may request a roll call vote for a given proposal before the final vote on that proposal. If the Chair approves the motion, each member of the committee will vote as follows when called upon in alphabetical order: Yes, Yes with Rights, No, No with Rights, Abstain, or Pass.
2. Pass: Members who pass will be called at the end of the roster in alphabetical order. A member may pass only one time on any given vote, and may only vote yes or no after a pass.
Voting with Rights
1. Key to the Rule: Do not vote with rights unless your vote diverges from your policy.
2. Procedure: If during a roll call vote a member-state votes with rights, the member-state may explain briefly why it voted in the way that it did. After the vote result has been announced, the Chair will allow each member-state who voted with rights to explain its vote. This right should be requested of the Chair only if the vote diverges from previously stated policy. The Chair may call delegates to order if these requirements are not met.
3. Abstentions: are assumed to have no opinions on the matter and are not accorded any rights of explanation. They are not counted in the final tally of votes.
Points and Motions
Points indicated below shall have precedence above all motions, at all times, and in the following order:
1. Points that are in order during speeches:
  - Point of Personal Privilege
2. Points that are in order when floor is open:
  - Point of Parliamentary Inquiry
  - Point of Order
  - Points of information are only in order when a proposal is being introduced
Motions indicated below shall have precedence in the following order:
1. Motions relating to speeches
  1. Motion for comments
  2. Motion to close/re-open the Speakers’ List
2. Motions relating to the meeting
  1. Motion to suspend/adjourn the meeting
  2. Motion to extend a recently expired moderated or unmoderated caucus
  3. Motion to move into voting (for crisis)
  4. Motion to hold an unmoderated caucus
  5. Motion to hold a moderated caucus
    - Disruptiveness is based first on total time of the moderated caucus, and then on number of speakers
  6. [Note: The disruptiveness of a motion to suspend the rules is based on the proposed motion, and is up to the chair’s discretion.]
3. Motions relating to substantive issues
  1. Motion to introduce/withdraw a proposal
  2. Motion to postpone (table)/resume debate, motion to close debate
  3. Motion to adopt (set) the agenda
4. Voting: motions indicated below shall have precedence below all points, and in the following order, and are in order during substantive voting:
  1. Motion to order the proposals
  2. Motion for division of the question
  3. Motion for a roll call vote
5. Special: The motions indicated below have variable precedence:
  - Motion to appeal the decision of the chair must be made immediately after the decision.
  - Motion to suspend the rules has a precedence equal to that of the rule suspended.