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Ah, yes! The most prestigious honor, the most glorified award, a signal that you have been the front liner of your MUN council. Yes, that’s right! Numerous delegates all around the world dream of having their names or countries announced as the “Best Delegate” for their MUN conference! It is without a doubt that receiving such esteemed reward requires a delegate to thoroughly research the topic of discussion, completely understand the conundrum of importance, and concisely deliver your stance and solutions.

 

In this article, I’ll be teaching you simple tips and tricks to claim the “Best Delegate” award. Before moving on, I would just like to say that being in a MUN conference is not all about winning awards. A MUN conference is a place for you to improve your diplomatic knowledge, meet new delegates of the same interests, and come up with the best solutions to tackle world problems. But, it is definitely outstanding if you can get that “Best Delegate” trophy!

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1. Research, Research, and Research!

 

This particular step prepares you before the conference even starts! At most times, we are told by our teachers that Wikipedia is the site to avoid as other people can modify its contents. However, this quick tip to research requires you to utilize Wikipedia instead of just purely taking out information from it. How, you ask? In researching, the best way to search for information in Wikipedia articles is to locate the information you want to study, and click on the footnote at the end of the sentence or paragraph. This will lead you to the actual source of the information. Through this, you’re able to evaluate the full source. Keep in mind that some conferences forbid you from using electronic devices, so it may be useful to print both your research data and position paper.

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2.   Actively Participate!

 

To win best delegate, you must capture the eyes of the chair. How? Talk a lot in both moderated caucuses and unmoderated caucuses. As soon as there is an open slot for the speaker’s list, quickly raise your placard! But what happens when you don’t have anything else to say? The simple trick to counter this obstacle is to get a later turn to speak (somewhere around 5th or above should be fine). This way, you are able to hear several other delegates who possess the same perception of you. Remember their points and arguments, and use them as a method of emphasis.

 

“Distinguished delegates, the delegate of South Korea would like to re-emphasize the point made by the delegate of Japan that humans of all gender orientations deserve to be treated equally.”

 

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3.   Public Speaking

 

It’s down to the last speaker before the chair calls your country, your legs are shivering like it’s never shivered before, your heart beating twice as fast as usual, your holding your pee from the conference room water. Let me tell you, it’s very normal to feel nervous. But there are ways to increase your confidence and public speaking skills when it comes to being a delegate in MUN conferences.

 

     a)   Ask rhetorical questions: rhetorical questions cast doubts towards other delegates to rethink about their stances. Don’t forget to use a persuasive tone (at times it is just necessary to go melodramatic). Examples of rhetorical questions usage:

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• “Delegates, we live in a world where globalization takes place even when we do not even notice its progression. Let us think once more, does globalization efficiently yield positive impacts to our countries, or does it accumulate more harm than good?”

• “The delegation of the Canada acknowledges that protection from discrimination is a basic human right that applies to all humans without looking at their racial background. Yet, the real question remains, are we all going to uphold that right?”

 

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     b)   Get other delegates to use their imagination: imagination is something humans can take control of entirely. By cordially asking your fellow delegates to imagine the conundrum at hand, they may feel a direct perspective towards the issue. Setting the talk:

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• “Delegates, imagine a world, a world where firearms are accessible. No matter how strict the certifications are, firearms misuse would occur at an even more rapid rate.”

 

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     c)   State quotes of government officials or other powerful people: Saying quotes from your country’s officials will put you in the top as you would seem more credible. Delegates must always use quotes that are relevant to the issue. Examples of adding quotes to your speeches:

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• “The delegate of the United States of America would like to state a quote by our very own Martin Luther King Jr. “Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.”

 

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     d)   Combine points: What’s better than 1 strong point? 2 strong points! For instance:

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• “Acclaimed delegates, imagine a globe with unlimited supervision from the government. Would that really benefit the world, or would that just invade billions of privacies?”

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4.   Facts, Evidence, and Statistics

 

These two points are highly important when it comes to presenting your statements. By adding facts and statistics coming from both national and international sectors, you will be perceived as a more reliable delegate. These act as evidence to support the statements you express.

 

 

5.   Getting on the powerful bloc

 

In MUN conferences, it is either that you be the delegate-in-charge or be in a strong bloc with other skillful delegates. If you want to get the best partnerships and group solutions, you must team up with other proficient delegates. From the start of the conference, carefully observe all the other delegates: how they speak, how they present themselves, their stance, their proposed solutions (if they do so).

 

This will lead up to their potential of constructing a good partnership with your country. After several moderated caucuses, the first unmoderated caucus is in order. The timer starts and the first thing to do is to go that particular delegate and start discussing about the issue at hand together. You may directly tell them your stance and thoughts regarding the issue, and the other delegate would do the same. Alternatively, it is possible to present to him/her your position paper.

 

6.   The Thesaurus Lord

 

Being a diplomat means that you are the medium of communication between your country and other countries. With that in mind, you must deliver all of the necessary information that you need to state. In a way, you may “impress” the chair and other fellow delegates by using prominent language (when used correctly).

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It is nice to keep a thesaurus tab nearby when you have your laptop with you, or alternatively write down all the “fancy” words prior attending the conference. However, you must always remember that too many fancy words would result in seeming that you are just exaggerating and purely speaking non-sense as not everyone in the council room would understand what you’re talking about.

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With all of these points in mind, surely you’ll be in the right path to receiving the “Best Delegate” award. These may not be suitable for everyone, but these are some of the tips and tricks I used when I received “Best Delegate” in HighScope Model United Nations 2017 (the most prestigious high school MUN in Indonesia). I hope that these tips and tricks are useful for delegates who wish to earn the title of “Best Delegate.”

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