A Position Paper is a document in which you show, very briefly, your country’s foreign policy about the subject discussed in the committee, your country’s suggestions to solving the problem and what your country expects from the discussions in your committee.

It is an individual document (except for the double delegations, which have to present only one document), it has to be written in your committee’s working language, and it must be submitted, by e-mail, to the organization, before AMUN, following the instructions displayed in the News section shortly before the conference.

Why the Position Paper is important

The Position Paper’s functions are many: it helps you during the discussions, since it summarizes your country’s opinion about what you are debating; it helps other delegates to understand your positions, and also to decide if they are going to work or not side by side with you, if you have or not a similar opinion about the issue. Furthermore, the Position Paper gives the Directors the chance to analyze whether you studied or not your foreign policy, if you are aware of your country’s importance to the committee and if you are acting in a coherent way, according to what you have written.

Changing opinions

Of course you can – actually, you should! – change your opinions. The multilateral forums are designed to be places where every country, besides getting across its positions about one question, has the chance to listen to the others and reach an agreement.

So, as long as you do not adopt a position that goes against the very principles of your country’s foreign policy, you are free to change your mind and to persuade others to do the same. In real life, we call it bargaining – the ability of one country to yield at some topic in exchange for other countries’ yielding in another one. That, dear friends, is pure diplomacy!

Format

You must also pay attention to the presentation of your position paper. Instead of using the country's flag in the header (a grave mistake even more experienced delegates often make), opt for the country or foreign ministry's official seal whenever possible (Google and Wikipedia can usually help finding them). This obviously does not apply to committees in which the delegate acts in his or her personal capacity, such as the International Court of Justice. In these cases, no national symbols need be used. The header should also contain your country's official name, your name, your university, and the committee and topic the position paper refers to.

Finally, the language used in a position paper is also of utmost importance. As with any official document, it must be simple, clear, objective and concise, and always written in the third person. Nevertheless, it is vital to remember that, as official documents, position papers provide the public stance adopted by the country. They must never be confused with an exposition of the real national interests regarding the topic. Therefore, you can and should make use of vagueness, ambiguity, and internationalist rhetoric whenever your country's situation regarding the issue calls for it. This is also an extremely valuable tool for the simulation itself, as your real intentions become less evident and you will find yourself freer to negotiate and make compromises when necessary, thus increasing your chances of achieving your country's true objectives.

Last, but certainly not least, always respect the deadlines! Handing in a position paper late will reflect badly on all the hard work you have done.

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