Representing your Member State

The first step towards a successful experience at a JUEMUN conference is to prepare to represent your Member State. Any country that has been admitted to the United Nations (UN) is called a Member State, as they are recognized as a member of the organization. At the UN, governments send delegates to represent their country and speak on the government’s behalf, so a delegate’s priority is to follow the interest of the government they work for. Whether in discussion about an agenda topic, writing a document, giving a speech, or voting on an issue, delegates prioritize the interests of the country they represent.

At JUEMUN, you will also serve as a delegate representing a Member State (MS). You will need to prepare for this role by learning as much as you can about your MS and using the information to successfully discuss, debate, and negotiate from the perspective of your MS at the conference. To start this research, you should try to ask some basic questions to learn more about the context and structure of your MS. Here are some sample questions that you could research to help start this process:

  1. What is the geographical location of the MS? Which countries neighbor the MS? What is the environment in the MS? What natural features and resources exist in the MS? What is the climate of the MS?
  2. What is the structure of government in my MS? How are leaders chosen? How is power delegated within the government? What political issues exist between groups or individuals within the government?
  3. What is the structure of the economy in my MS? What are the major industries that make up the economy? How has the economy grown (or shrunk) recently? Who are the major importers and exporters? What do they import or export?
  4. What is the cultural background of my MS? What languages are spoken? Which religions are practiced? What ethnic groups live within the MS? What are the population trends in the MS?

Once you have a good general understanding of your MS, you should continue to deepen your understanding to better understand how it relates to other countries and the broader international order. 

  1. When did your MS become independent? What were the conditions through which it became independent?
  2. What regional international organizations (ASEAN, AU, EU, NATO, etc.) does your MS belong to? What are the goals and activities of the organizations?
  3. What activities and actions does your MS take in the UN? What agencies, funds, programmes, commissions, or other bodies does your MS take an active role in?

If you can provide in-depth answers to the above questions, you will be able to start understanding your MS’s position and represent them at the JUEMUN conference.