In short
- A position paper sets out your assigned country’s view on each committee topic, and what it wants the committee to do.
- Most papers have three parts per topic: background, your country’s policy, and proposed solutions.
- Write as your country, not as yourself, and back every claim with a source.
- Always follow your conference’s own rules on length, format, and deadline.
What a position paper is
Before a Model United Nations conference, each delegate is assigned a country and a committee. The position paper is a short document, usually one to two pages per topic, explaining how that country sees each topic on the agenda and what it would like the committee to agree on.
Chairs read position papers before the conference, and many conferences require one for a delegate to be considered for an award. Just as important, writing it forces you to do the research you will lean on in every speech, caucus, and resolution.
Research before you write
Good papers come from good notes. Work through these steps, and record where every fact came from.
- Read the background guide. Your committee’s study guide explains the topic, the questions to answer, and often the sources the chairs expect you to know.
- Understand the committee. Learn what it can and cannot do. A General Assembly committee makes recommendations; the Security Council can make decisions that bind member states.
- Build a country profile. Note the government, region, economy, alliances, and the groups your country belongs to, such as the African Union, the European Union, or the Group of 77.
- Find what your country has said and done. Look for speeches at the UN, votes on past resolutions, national laws, and treaties it has joined. The UN Digital Library, UN press releases, and your country’s permanent mission to the UN are good places to start.
- Know the past UN action. List the key resolutions, conventions, and programs on the topic, so your ideas build on them.
How to structure each topic
Unless your conference sets a different format, start with a heading, then write three short sections for each topic.
Heading
Committee, topic, country, and your name and school if the conference asks for them.
1. Background
Define the problem in two or three sentences, explain why it matters now, and name the most important UN action so far.
2. Country policy
Explain your country’s position and the reasons behind it: its laws, past votes, statements, and interests.
3. Proposed solutions
Offer two or three specific, realistic ideas your country would support, including who would carry them out and how they would be paid for.
A worked example
Here is how the opening of a paper might read for the Republic of Kenya in the United Nations Environment Programme, on marine plastic pollution.
Committee: United Nations Environment Programme
Topic: Marine plastic pollution
Country: Republic of Kenya
Background. Plastic waste is reaching the ocean faster than it can be collected, harming marine life, fisheries, tourism, and coastal communities. In 2022, the UN Environment Assembly adopted resolution 5/14, which began negotiations on an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution.
Kenya’s policy. As the host of UNEP’s headquarters in Nairobi, the Republic of Kenya places great importance on global environmental cooperation. In 2017, Kenya banned plastic carrier bags nationwide, showing that ambitious national measures are possible.
Proposed solutions. The Republic of Kenya encourages member states to support a global agreement covering the full life cycle of plastics; to share funding and technology with developing coastal states for waste collection and recycling; and to set national targets for reducing single-use plastics.
Notice what the example does: it uses facts that can be checked, speaks as the country, and ends with proposals the committee could write straight into a resolution.
Style and format
- Write in the third person, as your country: “The Republic of Kenya believes”, never “I think”.
- Be concise. Chairs read many papers; short paragraphs and clear proposals stand out.
- Cite sources in the format your conference asks for, such as footnotes or a short bibliography.
- Follow the rules on page length, font, file type, and file name. If there are none, one page per topic in a standard 11 or 12 point font is a safe choice.
- Write every word yourself. Many conferences check for copied text, and your own words are easier to defend in debate.
Common mistakes
- Your opinion instead of your country’s. If your country would not say it, leave it out.
- Vague solutions. “Raise awareness” is not a plan. Say who does what, and how it is paid for.
- Ignoring past UN action. Chairs want to see that you know what has already been tried.
- Missing the deadline. Late papers are often not considered for awards.
Final checklist
- The heading matches the conference’s format.
- Each topic has background, policy, and solutions.
- Every fact has a source.
- The solutions are specific and fit your country’s interests.
- It is within the page limit and submitted on time.