Dispute in the East China Sea in 2016 (UNSC)

Guide to the Role-Play

There is no right or wrong way to participate in a role-play, but the better prepared you are, the more likely you will be able to advance a position effectively, and the more you and your peers will get out of the experience.
Be patient during the role-play. Do not hold back from sharing your perspective, but be sure to give others a chance to do the same.
Where there are competing interests, make the judgment calls that you would make if you were a government official, as informed by your earlier consideration of potential trade-offs. Ensure that the consequences of various decisions are carefully weighed.

Round	Timing	Objectives	Procedural Notes
One: Public Meeting	2 to 3 minutes per participant	Receive a five-minute briefing from the secretary-general on the issue to be discussed. Present opening statements. Crystalize the central questions of debate.	During opening statements, the president of the UN Security Council will recognize country representatives in the order in which they request to speak, and no representative may speak again if others have not yet spoken. Following opening statements, country representatives are free to openly debate the statements made, evaluating the various positions on their merits.
Two: Informal Meeting	30 to 60 minutes	Debate each participant’s proposed clauses. Edit, add, or drop proposed clauses and combine them into one or more draft resolutions. Draft a presidential statement using proposed clauses and/or new material if no draft resolution appears acceptable to the group.	The president will recognize country representatives in the order in which they request to speak. Representatives should limit their statements to one minute each, but if time allows the president may permit them to speak longer. The president may also invite any participant to speak as they deem it appropriate. Any participant may motion for a ten- to fifteen-minute break, during which representatives can move freely and work on their draft resolutions individually or in small groups.
Three: Public Meeting	30 to 60 minutes	Hear summaries of any draft resolutions as well as arguments for and against adoption. Vote on draft resolutions in order of submission. Attempt to adopt a presidential statement by consensus if no resolutions are proposed or passed.	The president will call first on the draft resolution’s main author(s) and then on other countries that wish to make arguments for or against the resolution. To be adopted, Security Council resolutions must receive at least nine votes in favor and no dissenting votes (vetoes) from any of the five permanent members. A state may abstain, often to indicate ambivalence or mild disapproval (in contrast to strong opposition). According to the charter, abstentions are mandatory if the state is a party to the dispute in question. Abstentions by permanent members do not count as vetoes; the resolution will pass if it receives the necessary nine votes.

Round

Timing

Objectives

Procedural Notes

One: Public Meeting

2 to 3 minutes per participant

Receive a five-minute briefing from the secretary-general on the issue to be discussed.
Present opening statements.
Crystalize the central questions of debate.

During opening statements, the president of the UN Security Council will recognize country representatives in the order in which they request to speak, and no representative may speak again if others have not yet spoken. Following opening statements, country representatives are free to openly debate the statements made, evaluating the various positions on their merits.

Two:

Informal Meeting

30 to 60 minutes

Debate each participant’s proposed clauses.
Edit, add, or drop proposed clauses and combine them into one or more draft resolutions.
Draft a presidential statement using proposed clauses and/or new material if no draft resolution appears acceptable to the group.

The president will recognize country representatives in the order in which they request to speak. Representatives should limit their statements to one minute each, but if time allows the president may permit them to speak longer. The president may also invite any participant to speak as they deem it appropriate. Any participant may motion for a ten- to fifteen-minute break, during which representatives can move freely and work on their draft resolutions individually or in small groups.

Three:

Public Meeting

30 to 60 minutes

Hear summaries of any draft resolutions as well as arguments for and against adoption.
Vote on draft resolutions in order of submission.
Attempt to adopt a presidential statement by consensus if no resolutions are proposed or passed.

The president will call first on the draft resolution’s main author(s) and then on other countries that wish to make arguments for or against the resolution. To be adopted, Security Council resolutions must receive at least nine votes in favor and no dissenting votes (vetoes) from any of the five permanent members. A state may abstain, often to indicate ambivalence or mild disapproval (in contrast to strong opposition). According to the charter, abstentions are mandatory if the state is a party to the dispute in question. Abstentions by permanent members do not count as vetoes; the resolution will pass if it receives the necessary nine votes.