Model United Nations has its own vocabulary, and at your first conference it can feel like everyone else already knows what everything means. This glossary is here to make things more straightforward. The definitions below follow OG’s Rules of Procedure, alongside a few terms you’re likely to hear in committee and across the weekend.
If anything is unclear in session, just ask your Directors — they are there to support you, and they would much rather you check than sit quietly confused. And because terminology can vary between conferences, it’s always worth checking the guidance for your conference (and your committee background guide) for any additional terms or committee-specific language. Your Director will also clarify anything important at the start of session.
MUN Glossary
Adjournment of Debate: A motion to end debate on the current agenda item and move on to the next topic.
Adjournment of the Meeting: A motion to end the committee meeting until its next regularly scheduled meeting (typically the next annual conference).
Agenda / Agenda Item: The topic currently being debated in committee.
Amendment (Friendly / Unfriendly): A proposed change to the operative clauses of a draft resolution. Friendly amendments are agreed by all sponsors; unfriendly amendments are not and must be debated and voted on.
Arbitration: The process of resolving a procedural dispute; ultimately, interpretation of the rules sits with conference leadership (and, in committee, with the Director in line with the RoP).
Assistant Director (AD): A member of committee staff who supports the Director (for example by tracking speakers, managing notes/documents, and supporting voting procedure). The Director may delegate tasks to the AD.
Background Guide: The committee’s pre-conference document outlining the topic, context, and research direction.
Bloc: A group of delegations working together because their interests or aims align.
Censure (Motion to Censure): A formal reprimand for persistent misconduct or serious disruption to debate.
Chair / Director: The presiding committee staff member. OG uses “Director” in its RoP (you may still hear “Chair” informally).
Closure of Debate: A motion to end debate and move into voting on the proposals on the floor.
Committee-Specific Procedures: Rules or practices used in a particular committee that differ from the standard RoP (for example, specific voting methods or crisis mechanics). The Director will clarify these at the start of session.
Competence (Motion of Competence): A motion arguing the committee is not competent/authorised to discuss a particular draft resolution or amendment (for example, because it falls outside the body’s mandate).
Crisis Committee: A faster-paced committee format with additional mechanics and committee-specific procedures.
Dais: The front table where committee staff sit (Director and Assistant Directors).
Delegate / Delegation: A delegate is an individual participant; a delegation refers to the country team representing a Member State.
Dilatory: A motion that wastes time or does not advance debate; it may be ruled out of order.
Division of the Question: A motion to vote on parts of a draft resolution separately (usually operative clauses), then recombine any parts that pass for a final vote if applicable.
Director-General (DG): A senior member of the Secretariat and the second-in-command after the Secretary-General; responsible for logistics and operations, overseeing delivery planning and staffing to ensure the conference runs smoothly.
Draft Resolution: A proposed resolution submitted for committee debate once approved by the Director and supported by the required number of signatories.
Faculty Advisor: The supervising adult for a school delegation.
Floor (Open / On the Floor): “Floor is open” means the Director can recognise points and motions; “on the floor” means a draft resolution/amendment has been introduced for debate.
Gavel: The small hammer used by the Director to call the room to order and signal key procedural moments (for example, opening/closing session or starting/ending voting).
General Speakers’ List (GSL): The default list for formal speeches during debate.
Lobbying: Informal negotiation and coalition-building, typically during unmoderated caucus.
Majority (Simple / Two-thirds): Simple majority means more votes for than against; two-thirds means at least twice as many votes for as against.
Mandate: What the real-world body is empowered to do; strong MUN solutions stay within mandate.
Moderated Caucus: A structured discussion with short timed speeches recognised by the Director.
Motion: A procedural proposal that changes what the committee does next (for example, caucus, close debate, or introduce a draft resolution).
Note (Note-passing): A written message used during committee to negotiate, coordinate, or request signatures (rules vary by committee).
NoviceNations: OG’s beginner-focused conference designed to introduce first-time delegates to MUN in a supportive format.
Observers / Accredited Observers: Participants who can vote on procedural matters but may not vote on substantive matters (for example, final resolution votes).
Operative Clauses / Preambulatory Clauses: Preambulatory clauses set context and rationale (“why”); operative clauses set actions (“what”). Amendments apply to operative clauses, not preambulatory clauses.
Out of Order: A ruling that a motion/point is not allowed at that time or in that form.
Panel of Authors: A short Q&A period (at the Director’s discretion) after a draft resolution is introduced, for clarification questions.
Placard: The country name card raised to be recognised or to vote.
Point of Personal Privilege: A point raised when your ability to participate is affected (for example, you cannot hear). May interrupt only if necessary.
Point of Order: A point raised to flag an error in procedure. It cannot be used to challenge the substance of a speech.
Point of Parliamentary Inquiry: A point raised to ask the Director a question about the rules/procedure.
Position Paper: A pre-conference document summarising the topic, your country’s stance, and proposed solutions.
Present / Present and Voting: Attendance statuses declared in roll call. “Present” allows abstention on substantive votes; “present and voting” means you may not abstain on substantive votes.
Procedural vs Substantive: Procedural votes relate to process (no abstentions; observers can vote). Substantive votes relate to content (yes/no/abstain; observers cannot vote).
Quorum: The minimum number of members that must be present for the committee to conduct business and take decisions (as defined in the RoP).
Registration: The check-in process at the start of the conference (or day) where delegates confirm attendance and receive conference materials. This is separate from roll call, which happens inside committee to confirm who is “present” for session.
Resolution (Passed Resolution): A draft resolution that has been adopted by the committee through substantive voting.
Right of Reply: A request to respond when a delegate believes their national integrity has been impugned; granted at the Director’s discretion.
Roll Call: The attendance check at the start of a session where delegations declare their status.
Roll Call Vote: A voting method where each delegation states its vote aloud when called.
Second / Objection: Signals used when the Director checks whether a motion has support (“seconds”) and whether anyone opposes it (“objections”), which can affect whether it proceeds immediately or goes to a vote (depending on the motion).
Secretariat: The conference leadership team responsible for overall delivery (including staffing, delegate experience, and conference operations).
Secretary-General (SG): The head of the conference and the lead of the Secretariat; responsible for appointing Directors/ADs and holding final interpretive authority in disputes (with designated Secretariat members).
Signatories: Delegations that sign a draft resolution to show it should be discussed (not necessarily that they support it).
Sponsors: Delegations that support and submit a draft resolution or amendment (the authors/backers).
Speaker’s List (For/Against): A list of speakers for and against a specific motion (separate from the GSL).
Speaking Time: The time limit for speeches, set by the Director.
Sub-operative Clauses: Sub-sections under operative clauses (often lettered), used to structure detail within a resolution.
Suspend the Meeting (Suspension of the Meeting): A motion to pause committee and reconvene at a specified time.
Superseding (Order of Motions): The hierarchy that determines which motion takes priority when multiple motions are raised.
Tabling: Setting aside debate or a proposal on an agenda item, either temporarily or for the remainder of discussion (depending on the context and the committee’s procedure).
Under-Secretary-General (USG): A member of the Secretariat responsible for a major area of the conference. USGs are hands-on leads who plan and deliver that area, working closely with the rest of the Secretariat to bring the conference to life.
Unmoderated Caucus: An informal debate period for negotiation, bloc-building, and drafting.
Working Paper: An informal document used to develop ideas and drafting before submitting a formal draft resolution.
Yields: Options at the end of a GSL speech (where permitted) to give remaining time to another delegate, to points of information, or back to the Director.
Knowing the terminology above makes committee feel far less intimidating, because you can follow the flow of debate and spot the moments when you can shape what happens next. You do not need to memorise everything — just start with the essentials you will use repeatedly: the GSL, moderated and unmoderated caucuses, draft resolutions, amendments, and voting.
If you are unsure at any point, ask your Directors. They are there to help you navigate procedure and will happily clarify what a term means, or what your options are in the moment.