The most reliable way to prepare for a Model UN conference is to work backwards from the first committee session in four weekly blocks: country and topic research, then the position paper, then speeches and clauses, then procedure drills and logistics. Thirty to forty-five minutes a day over thirty days is enough for most delegates, provided the work is done in that order.
Key takeaways
- Thirty days at 30–45 minutes a day is a realistic preparation budget for a first or second Model UN conference; consistency matters more than long sessions.
- Do the work in order: research in week one, the position paper in week two, speeches and clause drafting in week three, procedure drills and logistics in week four.
- Research what your assigned country has actually said and voted before you read commentary on the topic; the position belongs to the country, not to you.
- A position paper is finished when a stranger can state your country's position and two proposals in one minute after reading it.
- The night before a conference is for packing, one read-through and sleep, not for new research.
- When topics are released late, prepare the country, the committee and the procedure first, and keep a compressed two-week plan ready for the topic itself.
- How long does it take to prepare for a Model UN conference?
- The 30-day Model UN preparation plan at a glance
- Week 1: country and topic research
- Week 2: the position paper
- Week 3: speeches and clause drafting
- Week 4: procedure drills, logistics and rest
- What to do the night before
- How to prepare when topics are released late
- Where to go next
How long does it take to prepare for a Model UN conference?
For most delegates, thirty days at thirty to forty-five minutes a day is enough to arrive prepared for a Model UN conference; experienced delegates can compress the work into two weeks, and complete beginners should not go much shorter than a month. The total is roughly fifteen to twenty hours.
A month works better than a weekend because reading, writing and speaking each need their own days. Short daily sessions let the material settle, and settled material is what you reach for when a chair asks a direct question in a moderated caucus.
The 30-day Model UN preparation plan at a glance
The plan below divides thirty days into four weekly blocks, each with a fixed daily budget and a single deliverable, so that you always know what "done" looks like this week.
| Week | Focus | Daily budget | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (days 1–7) | Country and topic research | 30–40 minutes | A one-page country brief and a topic file with sources |
| Week 2 (days 8–14) | Position paper | 35–45 minutes | A finished position paper in the conference's required format |
| Week 3 (days 15–21) | Speeches and clause drafting | 30–45 minutes | A 60–90-second opening speech, three caucus points, five draft operative clauses |
| Week 4 (days 22–30) | Procedure drills, logistics and rest | 20–30 minutes | Procedure fluency, a packed bag, a printed binder, a full night's sleep |
Week 1: Model UN research on your country and topic
Spend the first week learning what your assigned country has actually said and done on the topic, before you form any view of your own. Model UN research is the habit of building a position from the country's record rather than from your instincts, and it is what separates delegates who sound like their country from delegates who sound like themselves.
Days 1–3: the country
Write a one-page brief covering the form of government, the region and the blocs the country belongs to (its regional group and any wider grouping such as the Group of 77 or the European Union), its main economic dependencies, its closest partners and its historic disputes. The best sources are the country's own permanent mission to the United Nations, its recent General Assembly statements, and its voting record, which the UN Digital Library makes searchable. The free guide to researching your country walks through each source.
Days 4–7: the topic
Read the background guide twice, then read the primary documents it cites: the resolution that created the mandate, the two most recent resolutions on the subject, and one report from the relevant UN body. Keep a topic file in which every fact sits beside its source. Note who wants what and why; that map of interests is what you will negotiate over in week three's clauses and in the room itself.
Week 2: writing the position paper
In week two you turn the research into a position paper of roughly one page per topic, in whatever format the conference specifies, and you submit it before the deadline rather than on it.
The standard structure has three parts: the problem as your country sees it, what your country and the United Nations have already done, and what your country now proposes. Days 8 and 9 are for an outline of one sentence per paragraph. Days 10 to 12 are for the draft. Day 13 is for cutting the draft by a fifth, which almost always improves it. Day 14 is for checking the format, the header and the citation style, and submitting. The position paper guide in the training library has a worked example.
The one-minute test
Hand the paper to someone who knows nothing about the topic. If, after reading it, they can tell you your country's position and two of its proposals in under a minute, the paper is finished. If they cannot, the problem is almost always in the third section: proposals too vague to repeat.
Week 3: speeches and clause drafting
Week three is for the words you will actually say and the text you will actually table: one opening speech, a small bank of caucus points and a set of draft clauses. Nothing new is researched this week; everything comes from the paper.
The opening speech
Write a speech of sixty to ninety seconds with four moves: a line that frames the problem from your country's perspective, the position in one sentence, two proposals, and an invitation to named blocs to work with you. Then cut it, stand up and say it aloud once a day for the rest of the plan. A speech that has been spoken twenty times is delivered; a speech that has only been read is recited. There is a fuller treatment in how to write a Model UN opening speech and in the guide to public speaking for delegates.
Caucus points
Prepare three answers of about thirty seconds each: one for each of your proposals and one that responds to the argument your likely opponent will make. Three rehearsed points cover most of what you will be asked in the first session.
Draft clauses
Draft five operative clauses in proper form, each with an actor, an action and, where you can manage it, a timeframe or a reporting line: "Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly within twelve months on…" is a clause; "Encourages cooperation" is a sentiment. Add two preambular clauses that cite the documents you found in week one. Type them and bring them printed; clean text in the first unmoderated caucus draws other delegates to you. The draft resolution guide covers format and phrasing.
Week 4: procedure drills, logistics and rest
The final week is deliberately lighter: short daily drills on the rules of procedure, the practical arrangements, and enough rest to arrive sharp rather than saturated.
Days 22–26: procedure drills
Spend fifteen minutes a day on procedure. Say the motions aloud in their proper form: a motion to open the speakers' list, a motion for a moderated caucus with a topic, a speaking time and a total time, a motion for an unmoderated caucus, a motion to introduce a draft resolution. Learn the points (of order, of personal privilege, of parliamentary inquiry) and when each is in order, and walk through how an amendment is introduced and how a vote is taken. Conferences vary, so read your conference's own rules first; the general rules of procedure guide explains the common framework.
Days 27–30: the MUN prep checklist
- Paper: three printed copies of your position paper, your country brief, your clause bank, the background guide and your conference's rules.
- Tools: a notepad, several pens, sticky notes for passing messages, and a charged laptop or tablet if the conference permits one.
- Clothes: business attire for committee days, checked against the dress code; see what to wear to Model UN.
- Logistics: travel documents, the schedule, the venue address, the registration time and the name of the person to ask for on arrival.
- Body: a water bottle and a plan for breakfast, because committee days are long and lunch is late.
What to do the night before a Model UN conference
The night before, do three things and no more: lay out your clothes and pack your bag, read your position paper aloud once, and go to bed at a normal hour.
Do not open new sources, and do not rewrite the speech. Instead, write one index card: your position in a sentence, three facts, two proposals, two allies and one opponent. Put it in your jacket pocket, where it will stay unread and reassuring. Set two alarms. Decide what you will eat for breakfast so that you do not skip it.
A delegate who slept is more persuasive than a delegate who read one more report.
How to prepare when topics are released late
When topics arrive with only two or three weeks to go, front-load everything that does not depend on the topic, namely the country, the committee's mandate and the rules of procedure, and then run a compressed two-week version of weeks one to three once the topics are published.
Release timings vary widely. Some conferences publish background guides months ahead; others release topics close to the date, or only to delegates once they are admitted. The Global 60 belongs to the second group: sixty delegates sit in three small chambers of approximately twenty, and committee topics are announced to admitted delegates ahead of the conference, once the academic team has approved them. A delegate admitted in the first round, which closes on 15 December 2026, therefore has several months for the country and procedure work before Thursday 22 – Sunday 25 April 2027, and a defined window for the topic itself. The Friday programme also includes a preparation session on procedure, speaking and drafting before the first committee session, so the drills of week four are refreshed on the day. The format is described on The Assembly page and in the full programme.
The compressed two-week plan
- Days 1–4: topic research. Background guide twice, the cited primary documents, a topic file with sources. Daily budget rises to 45 minutes.
- Days 5–8: position paper. Outline on day 5, draft on days 6 and 7, cut and submit on day 8.
- Days 9–12: speech and clauses. The opening speech spoken aloud daily from day 9; five clauses typed by day 12.
- Days 13–14: drills and rest. Fifteen minutes of procedure, the checklist, then the night-before routine.
Where to go next
The free Youth Impacts training library covers every step of this plan in more depth, beginning with what Model UN is for newcomers. If you are weighing which conference to prepare for, how to choose a Model UN conference sets out the questions worth asking, and if The Global 60 is on your list, the admission page explains the three rounds, the interview and what each tier includes.
Frequently asked questions.
How long should I prepare for a Model UN conference?
Thirty days at thirty to forty-five minutes a day is enough for most delegates. Experienced delegates can compress the work into two weeks; complete beginners should allow the full month.
What should I research first for Model UN?
Your assigned country, before the topic. Learn its form of government, its blocs and partners, and how it has voted and spoken at the United Nations, then read the background guide and the primary documents it cites.
How long should a Model UN position paper be?
Usually about one page per topic, in the format the conference specifies. It should cover the problem as your country sees it, past action, and two or three concrete proposals.
What should I do the night before a Model UN conference?
Pack, lay out your clothes, read your position paper aloud once, write a one-card summary of your position, and sleep. Do not start new research.
How do I prepare if topics are released late?
Prepare the country, the committee mandate and the rules of procedure first. When topics are published, run a compressed two-week plan: days 1–4 on research, 5–8 on the position paper, 9–12 on the speech and clauses, 13–14 on drills and rest.
When are committee topics announced for The Global 60?
Topics are announced to admitted delegates ahead of the conference, once the academic team has approved them. Delegates admitted early have months for country and procedure work before the topic window opens.
Youth Impacts is a Model United Nations organisation. Its flagship New York experience is The Global 60: sixty delegates, three small chambers, 22 – 25 April 2027, admission by application and interview. Youth Impacts Model United Nations (YIMUN) has run since 2025. Questions: info@youthimpacts.com. Published 19 September 2026.