Position Paper
Guidelines
Position Paper Guidelines
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Your position papers should be submitted at the following link: https://forms.gle/vLCEWqtHwtPg3w1x5
Position papers must be submitted to qualify for awards. For feedback from Yale Secretariat, please submit your position papers by 11:59PM SGT on Sunday, March 1st. To submit without receiving feedback (and to be eligible for awards), please submit by 11:59pm SGT on Thursday, March 12th. Note that positions that received feedback can be resubmitted to the same form for award consideration.
Delegates must write one single-page position paper per committee topic to qualify for awards. This means position papers should be two pages long (one for each topic). Per topic, position paper should be followed by a list of links that the delegate referred to.
Please note that AI usage in any capacity for writing position papers is strictly prohibited.
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Position papers are a key part of each delegate’s preparation for the committee experience. The position paper must outline the position of your country or character on the topic(s) of your committee, and effective position papers will include the ideas you may actually pass in your committee’s final resolution. Think of your position paper as a way to come into the conference with researched ideas about what you would like to do. Chairs will appreciate well-written and well-researched position papers which show that you are invested in the conference.
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The most reliable format for a position paper is in three paragraphs that addresses content as follows:
Introduction
What is the current state of this topic? What are some current events surrounding this topic right now? What is the significance of this topic? Is there any history behind it?
Country/Position Stance
What has your country/position done/not done to explicitly address the issue? Has it been effective? What are the pros and cons of the stance that you have taken?
Ambitions for the Future/Committee
What does your country/position wish to do in the future? How will committee be able to help you in that? Who do you wish to collaborate? What are your ambitions for the immediate future?
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Delegates should write one paper per topic (two pages total) and upload both pages in one file titled “POSITION_COMMITTEE_YMUNS2026”, replacing position and committee with your respective allocation. Your position paper must be one page long, in 12 point Times New Roman font and single-spaced.
In the heading of the paper, please include the committee name, the country or entity you are representing, the topic of the committee, and your delegation name. Additionally, delegates should refrain from using personal pronouns such as “I” or “we” if they are in a General Assembly or Regional Body. Please refer to the country they are representing in third person, e.g. “The United States of America believes…” Lastly, we have no specific guidelines for formatting of references. We ask delegates to do whatever is most convenient and comfortable for them, and to cite all of their sources in the way which is familiar to them.
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As a reminder, please submit your position paper at the following link: HERE
If you have any questions regarding position papers, please feel free to reach out to your chair at their emails, listed below.
DISEC: james.kim.jak298@yale.edu
SOCHUM: andy.lam@yale.edu
SPECPOL: johan.zongo@yale.edu
UNEP: bena.feng@yale.edu
UNICEF: jana.abualhuda@yale.edu
CSTD: lauren.kim.ljk45@yale.edu
ESCAP: alwis.lim@yale.edu
ASEAN Regional Forum 2026: kate.foglesong@yale.edu
1959 Cambodia-Thai Border Dispute: rafael.sousa@yale.edu
International Olympic Committee 2026: jesse.mccormick@yale.edu
1997 Asian Financial Crisis: josemaria.salvador@yale.edu
If you have any general inquiries regarding committee proceedings, feel free to email dg.committees@ymuns.org.
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One delegate from each committee will be selected to receive the Best Position Paper Award. In order to qualify for consideration for the Best Position Paper Award (and all awards), delegates must submit their position paper before March 12th 11:59pm SGT.