Position Paper Policy

Position papers are an important step in a Model UN conference in order for delegates to become more knowledgeable and demonstrate their knowledge and research on their committee topics and national positions.

Delegates in  the Ad-Hoc Committee of the Secretary-General will not need to complete a position paper as they will not know the topic of the committee prior to Committee Session I.

Due Date

All position papers must be sent via email to jaymuncsec@gmail.com prior to 11:59 P.M. of November 6th, 2026. No late papers will be accepted.

File Naming and Submission Guidelines

All position papers for a delegation need to be submitted collectively via one email, if able. If the delegation is not able to submit all papers via a singular email, they will need to specify the amount of different emails that will need to be sent by adding “[#/#]” to the end of all subjects of the email, with the first # being the current email number and the second # being the total number of emails that will be sent. If multiple emails are sent, the emails must be sent within 24 hours of the first email and all before the overall due date.

All position papers need to adhere to the standard naming conventions for their file name and be in the docx format. This allows JayMUNC to correctly organize and evaluate the position papers. File names must be organized and consist of “[Country name/Last name of crisis committee persona]+[Committee Shorthand].” Below are all accepted committee shorthands:

• United Nations Environmental Programme: UNEP

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization: UNESCO

• Seas and Trees (Crisis Committee): SEAS

• Cuban Missile Crisis (Crisis Committee): CUBMIS

Examples:

KennedyCUBMIS.docx EthiopiaUNEP.docx UnitedStatesUNESCO.docx

Standard Format Guidelines

JayMUNC expects all position papers to follow the format as below in order to standardize the allotted length of the position paper for each delegate and for ease of grading. For a visualization of the format, please consult the position paper example on the website.

1. Page Setup and Limitations

   1. 1. The maximum allotted length of a position paper will be two pages.

      2. A ‘page’ refers to a U.S. letter (8.5x11in) paper, single side.

      3. Page margins must be 1 inch on each side.

      4. The two-page limitation applies to all text elements, including footnotes.

2. Text Structure and Font Requirements

   1. 1. The font for all text elements must be Times New Roman

      2. All text elements must be either single or 1.15 spaced.

      3. The font for titles and topic section headers must be 12pt and bolded.

      4. The font for body texts and footnotes must be 10pt.

      5. Text elements placed in the headers and footers will not be evaluated.

3. Text Content Specifications

   1. 1. The position paper must begin with a title section. The title must contain the full, officially recognized country name, followed by the committee of the delegate.

      2. The body text for each topic must be preceded by a topic section header directly corresponding to the topics as stated in their respective background guides.

      3. Delegates should maintain a diplomatic tone throughout.

      4. Proper grammar and spelling will be considered, JayMUNC staff reserves the right to judge grammatical structure.

4. Citation Specifications

   1. 1. Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) 17th Edition Notes-Bibliography System (NB) format will be expected for footnote citations.

      2. A bibliography is not expected and discouraged in the final position paper for the sake of length requirements and formatting concerns (see above, Standard Format Guidelines 1.1-1.4). Appropriate footnotes are still required and necessary.

      3. Links in the footnotes should be accessible and hyperlinked if it is easily accessible online, even if the delegate accessed the source physically.

      4. Physical media such as published books do not need a hyperlink if not accessible online for any reason.

      5. Paywalled content will be considered as accessible, although open access sources are preferred for verification during grading.

      6. Link shorteners may be utilized, but delegates should ensure it is accessible and corresponds to the correct citation.

Grading Rubric

Position papers are evaluated based on the following categories:

Format: 20%

• Appropriate usage of font according to guidelines

• Correct Filename and format

• Appropriately formatted citations using Chicago format

• 2-Page limit kept

Grammar and Spelling: 20%

• Correct title and country name (full) on top

• General grammatical and spelling concerns

Content: 60%

• Diplomatic and collaborative tone maintained throughout

• Outlines relevant historical examples to the assigned country/person and topic

• Offers constructive potential solutions in line with the capabilities of the committee or relevant cited organizations and the position of the country/person assigned

• The position paper accurately reflects the position and attitudes of the assigned country/person

General Concerns and Notices

A mistitled or missubmitted position paper will not be the responsibility of JayMUNC. No corrections shall be made after a paper has been received. If multiple position papers exist for a delegation, the highest scoring position paper shall be automatically assumed to be submitted by the delegation which represents the position within the position paper.

JayMUNC will not disclose individual, enumerated scores for position papers as it is mainly an evaluative criteria. Feedback is available by each delegation’s respective committee Chairs at the end of Committee Session V or by request prior to exiting early from the conference overall.

As per Conference Policies 4.1, 4.3, 4.6, 4.7, and 4.8, submitting work not of your own as your own work, narratives which reinforce harmful stereotypes and systemic injustice, and unfair competition are forbidden during the conference and the position paper writing process. Should any infractions be noted or reported to the conference, appropriate steps would be taken to investigate and decide on appropriate consequences as per Conference Policies 6.1, 6.2, and 6.4.