Points and Motions
David Li, Undersecretary General for Content
Okay. So now the rules of procedures are all clear, hopefully you’re still following. But there seem to be a lot of ambiguities. How do you decide when to move into a moderated or unmoderated caucus, for instance? The answer would be what’s called ‘motioning.’
To motion for something is to propose something relevant to the procedure of the debate. If you want to motion for something, simply raise your placard when the chairs ask ‘are there any points or motions on the floor?’ and when you are called, say what you want to motion for. For example, “The Delegate of France would like to motion for a ten minute unmoderated caucus” or “The Delegate of China would like to motion for a suspension of debate.” If you refer to yourself, you should always refer to yourself in the third person.
There are many motions. The three most important motions are as follows:
Motion for an unmoderated caucus of __ minutes.
Motion for a moderated caucus of __ minutes on the topic of _____, with __ seconds per speaker.
Motion to change the order of voting to ______.
The first two motions for moderated and unmoderated caucuses simply determine when a secondary speakers list moves into either a moderated or unmoderated caucus, and the details of that caucus. When the SSL has been going on for a bit of time, the chair might ask “are there any points or motions on the floor,” at which time several people might motion for different moderated and unmoderated caucuses. Someone might motion for a 15 minute moderated caucus on topic A, 60 seconds per speaker. Someone else might motion for a 10 minute moderated caucus on topic B, 120 seconds per speaker. Someone else might motion for a 20 minute unmoderated caucus, etc.. After the chair has heard all the motions, the chair will then ask people to vote on the motions in a specific order. When one of the motions passes with a majority, all other motions get tabled, and the debate moves into the caucus that that motion specified. If none of the motions pass, the debate goes back to the Secondary Speakers List.
The third motion, although rarely used, is quite strategically important. Because of the fact that a single motion or resolution passing automatically fails every other resolution, it might be strategically beneficial to vote on your resolution or motion first. There are a number of other ways to switch the order up for your strategic benefit, but that would be for you to figure out…
There are also a number of irrelevant motions that are raised for procedural purposes. A motion to commence debate. A motion to adjourn debate. A motion to close debate. A motion to resume debate. A motion for a tour de table. A motion for a break. Essentially, anything that you want to see happen, you can motion for, even if it is not an official motion. These motions are more either for procedural purposes, or for fun, and are not really relevant to the debate.
You may only raise a motion if the chair has asked “are there any points or motions on the floor.”
Those are the motions part of ‘points and motions’, so what are points? Simply put, points are requests to speak about something irrelevant to the committee. For example, if the sunlight is right in your eye, and you need to get the chair’s attention to close the curtains, but you cannot speak outside of speeches, you could raise your placard and ask for ‘a point of personal privilege.’ When the chairs sees your raised placard and calls on you, you may speak, even if it is not your turn to do a speech, and you can bring up something like the sunlight being in your eyes.
There are three types of points that you can bring up.
A point of personal privilege is something that you would personally prefer dealt with so you can participate more effectively. This can be a broken microphone, the light being in your eye, the room being too cold, the speaker being too quiet, or anything like that. It cannot be relevant to the topic.
A point of parliamentary inquiry is used when you are unsure about the rules of procedure and would like to ask for clarification.
A point of order is when you believe the chairs have made a mistake in the rules of procedure, and wish to point it out to them.
There is a fourth point done in some other conferences, a point of information, which can be used to point out incorrect information in other delegates’ speeches, or ask questions to them after their speeches. OxfordMUN will not permit any points of information.
You may raise a point at any point, even when the chair has not asked “are there any points or motions on the floor.”
Outside of points and motions, there is also something else, a right of reply. A right of reply, is when another speaker has attacked you personally, and you wish to have a short speech, usually half the length of their speech, to reply to the attack. The attack must be against you as an individual, not your country. For example, the delegate representing the US criticizing the delegate representing Russia for being non-democratic would not deserve a right of reply. But the delegate of the US criticizing the delegate of Russia for being ugly or being a bad speaker would deserve a right of reply.
You may raise a right of reply after any speech where you feel like you have been attacked as a delegate. But you must wait for the chair to grant you the right of reply before you may respond.
Generally, when you want to request a point or motion, you raise your placard silently. At any time if you are requesting a point, or when the chair has asked if you are requesting a motion. And when you are called on, you say the following:
Motions: “The delegate of _____ motions for _______”
Point: “Point of order!/Point of Personal Privilege!/Point of inquiry! ________.” (first state your type of point first, then state your concern)
Right of reply “The delegate of _____ (own country) believes that in their previous speech, the delegate of _____ (other person) attacked the delegate of _____ (own country) as a delegate by stating _______ (what they said), which deserves a right of reply.”