As a typical high school student, with many other commitments and distractions, you may wonder why you should bother writing a Position Paper. Writing Position Papers benefits you in three ways. First, the staff (and your fellow delegates at some conferences) will read the submitted Position Papers in order to gauge what the committee will be like and to see which delegates have done a good job of preparing for the conference. Second, you have a chance to know who is likely to support your ideas. Third, and most important, writing a Position Paper makes you think about the information you have researched and helps you to express your ideas concisely and clearly, making you better prepared for the conference. Staff members will also consider the quality of Position Papers when determining awards.

The structuring of Position Papers is intended to elicit responses from the delegates that provide a clear picture of a nation's stance on a particular topic area. This outline of a Position Paper should help you illustrate clear knowledge of your country's policies and interests. Do not simply regurgitate parts of the Study Guide. However, make sure that you do read the section on Position Papers in your Study Suide, and heed your chair's specific instructions, if there are any.

A position paper is brief statement of a country's position on a committee's topics written and submitted to the committee dais, often before the conference begins. A position paper should indicate both the way a country views the committee's topics and what solutions the country will suggest in committee. Delegates might consider an introduction that expresses their governments' more general goals for the committee in relation to countries' international concerns. Like resolutions, however, the format and requirements for position papers are defined by individual conferences. Position papers should be concise (no longer than a page, double spaced) and focus specifically on what should be done to solve the problem. Delegates should contact their dais or other conference staff prior to the conference if they have any questions.

A Position Paper should include three sections, outlined below:

Background of the Topic

• In your country's opinion, what are the main elements of the problem?
• What are the major roots of those elements?
  

Position Taken by your Delegation

• What are your national interests in the situation?
  
• What are your nation's policies on the topic?
  
• What steps would you like to see taken to deal with the problem?
  

Justification

• What are your main reasons for supporting these positions?
  
• What do you predict will be the main opposition to your proposals?

Outline For A Position Paper

1. Introduction
2. Topic I
   1. Statement of problem, its consequences, and any relevant previous actions taken by the committee and/or member state
   2. Suggested solutions to problem
3. Topic II
   1. Statement of problem, its consequences, and any relevant previous actions taken by the committee and/or member state
   2. Suggested solutions to problem
4. Topic III
   1. Statement of problem, its consequences, and any relevant previous actions taken by the committee and/or member state
   2. Suggested solutions to problem

Other Suggested Sources For Position Paper Writing

• How to write a position paper
• UNAUSA (select "Education" - "Model U.N." - "Preparation" - "Position Papers")

Sample Position Paper

Carter Hudgins, Russian Federation UN Security Council, WMHSMUN XVIII November 12, 2004

Position Paper

Israeli-Palestinian relations, being of great concern to this body and to the region's people, should be based on respect for previous UN Resolutions, especially Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. Resolution 242 of November 22, 1967, required several helpful actions that have yet to occur: an Israeli withdrawal from the "territories occupied in the recent conflict," a return of forces to the borders prior to the 1967 Six-Day War, and a guarantee of "the territorial inviolability and political independence of every State in the area." Resolution 338 of October 22, 1973, reaffirmed Resolution 242 and rightfully called for the cessation of "all military activity" related to the 1973 October War.

The present climate is destructive partially because of Israel's policy towards Palestinian extremists. While the Russian Federation deeply regrets the Palestinian people's suffering, the Security Council already affirmed states' right to defend their peoples in Resolutions 1269 (1999), 1368 (2001), and 1373 (2001). If Israeli actions threaten international peace and security without necessarily increasing Israeli security, however, the Security Council should request Israel to cease such provocations. The razing of Palestinian homes in Gaza during January of 2002 might be such a case.

Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat's difficulties in controlling the Palestinian population also prevent a peace agreement. Since Arafat can only contribute to the peace process if he can lead his people, Israel should end his confinement in Ramallah and avoid increasing the already excessive influence of groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The Russian Federation is deeply disturbed by two comments made during January, 2002, that further obstruct the Middle East peace process: Arafat's own self-spoken interest in being a "martyr" for Jerusalem, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's publicly expressed regret for not killing Mr. Arafat in 1982. The Security Council should request Israel and Palestine to avoid such inflammatory language.