Crisis Guide

The Basics: Crisis Committee
When real-world developments outpace conventional UN procedure,

delegates often have to resort to quick, decisive action to resolve an issue. Instead
of debating a forced, unchanging topic, delegates in a crisis committee will be
required to respond to events as they are created by the crisis staff, a group of
staff members that work closely with the dais to determine the direction of the
topic.
Instead of acting as general representatives for one country as a whole,
delegates in a crisis committee often take the role of specific characters from a
governmental body or organization. For example, if the crisis topic was related to
the conflict between North and South Korea, the committee might consist of
members of the South Korean presidential cabinet. This is not to say that
delegates in a crisis committee will always represent specific characters-
delegates may be asked to each represent a single country as in conventional UN
committees. If indeed delegates are asked to represent specific people, it is
important to research that persons personality and history, as both are necessary
for any delegate wishing to stay true to his/her character.
I. Rules and Procedure

All typical MUN rules and procedure apply to crisis committees, though the dais
may encourage the delegates to enter caucus types that allow more frequent
speaking. It is not uncommon for crisis committees to abandon the ordering of
speeches for moderated caucuses. In addition to normal rules and procedure,
there are three ways in which delegates can carry out orders and obtain
information in a crisis committee. They are as follows:
1. Directive an instruction; an order
Directives are used to direct the actions of ones own country, organization, or
affiliated body. If each delegate is taking the role of a specific character as
opposed to a general UN representative, it is the delegates responsibility to know
what commands are reasonably within his or her characters capabilities. For
example, it would be nonsensical for a finance minister to write a directive
mobilizing troops- that would be a directive more appropriate for a president or
general. The most common directives are those used to mobilize military forces,
as depicted in the example below.
Directive
To: The US government
From: Barack Obama
-Send 2,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.
Model United Nations at UCLA - Crisis Committee Guide 1

2. Communiqus
Communiqus are used for making inquiries and for discussions that do not
involve giving direct orders. For example, if you want to ask a delegate whether or
not his or her country would look favorably upon a given policy or action, you
would do so by sending that delegate a communiqu. Communiqus can also be
used to determine whether or not a delegates own country would be supportive
of an action or policy. For example, if you are representing the United States and
want to form a trade agreement with China, but youre not entirely sure if US
policy would permit such an agreement, you can send a communiqu to the dais
to eliminate any uncertainty.
Communiqu
To: France
From: The United States
-Would France be willing to support Resolution 1B? If

not, what provisions would you like to see in the
resolution?
3. Press Release
Press releases are used to make public statements. If you have information that
you feel needs to go public, such as the denouncement of an accusation made by
the UN or details that may affect popular sentiment, send a press release to the
dais. Upon receiving your press release, the dais will announce the content of the
press release to the committee. You may find that crisis updates are often
announced in the form of press releases from the crisis staff.
Press Release
From: North Korea
- We deny all accusations of human rights violations

made by the United Nations. Our great and irresistibly
attractive leader, Kim Jong Il, would like to warn
everyone that foreign intervention will not be
tolerated.
II. The importance of neatness

If you have handwriting that looks a bit messy, or if a piece of paper you give the
dais is so crumpled that it looks like its been target practice for the Tamil Tigers,
then we cant bring your ideas to life! It may take a few extra seconds to make
sure your note is neat and readable, but clarity is always a worthy investment,
and the dais will love you for it.
III. Do Your Research!

Crisis committees are intensely interactive and fast-paced. Those that come
poorly researched often find themselves out of step with the rest of committee.
The best way to stay conversant amid all the action is by having done an ample
amount of research before the conference. Model UN is much more entertaining
when you have a lot to say! Here are the four research areas that will put you on
the fast-track to becoming a well-prepared delegate:
1. Know the topic

Nothing makes a delegate stand out like well-informed ideas. Having a thorough
understanding of the topic allows one to intelligently respond to crisis updates
and contribute heavily to discussion.
2. Know your characters role in committee

The more you know about your character, the more tools you have at your
disposal. Knowing the friendships, history, personality, and political capabilities
of your character allows one to be a more resourceful delegate. Also, committee
is much more entertaining when delegates know the eccentricities of their
characters!
3. Know the rules & procedure

You may be an incredibly knowledgeable delegate, but without familiarity of
MUN rules and procedure, youll never be fully aware of how you can put that
knowledge to good use. Rule-savvy delegates also have more things to talk about,
as rules and procedure are brought up frequently in committee.
4. Be up-to-date with current events!

You never know what can come up in a crisis. Knowledge of current events could
be what separates you from all of the other delegates in the room.
IV. Interacting with Crisis Staff
1. The Importance of Brevity

Whilst interacting with Crisis Staff, it is important to maintain a good
relationship with them. Since you will most likely be one of only 10-15 delegates,
and there will most likely be around 2-5 crisis staff per committee, you will be
known to the staff. One way by which you can maintain a good relationship with
them is to not swamp the staff with notes. Now, that may seem a little counter-
intuitive, that you should not be writing as many notes as possible at all times.
The reason for this the same reason why teachers hate reading long, rambling

papers; it is tiresome and annoying. Instead, make sure to send a decent number
of well thought out, logical notes to crisis. That way, you are sure to be better
remembered, and better liked.
2. Stay Realistic
Another way to stay liked by the crisis staff is to stay within the realm of both
reality and your characters power. If you are the minister of health and
education, and you ask to be given control of decision-making when dealing with
foreign countries, the crisis staff will not respond to that well.
Remember, if the crisis staff likes you, they are going to be more likely to let you
conduct the actions and operations that will get you ahead in the committee.
3. Build up your Position

When attempting to acquire more power through crisis, start small and work
your way up. For example, as the minister of Health and Education, ask for
power within that department, and slowly work your way up. Also, as time goes
on you can start prefacing your notes with reminders to the staff about power
they have given you. E.g. In light of the fact that I now am Minister of Health,
Education, and appointed emergency Minister of Economics, I institute..
Essentially, remind them because sometimes they can forget.
V. Conclusion
Crisis committees may have many noteworthy characteristics that make them
different from conventional UN committees, but the most important thing is that
they are exciting! Get pumped! If you come to committee well-researched and
with a positive attitude, it may just end up being the best MUN experience youve
ever had!

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The Basics: Crisis Committee

When real-world developments outpace conventional UN procedure,

I. Rules and Procedure

1. Directive an instruction; an order

-Send 2,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.

Model United Nations at UCLA - Crisis Committee Guide 1

-Would France be willing to support Resolution 1B? If

- We deny all accusations of human rights violations

II. The importance of neatness

Model United Nations at UCLA - Crisis Committee Guide 2

III. Do Your Research!

1. Know the topic

2. Know your characters role in committee

3. Know the rules & procedure

4. Be up-to-date with current events!

IV. Interacting with Crisis Staff

1. The Importance of Brevity

Model United Nations at UCLA - Crisis Committee Guide 3

3. Build up your Position

Model United Nations at UCLA - Crisis Committee Guide 4

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