Preparing for NUMUN: United Nations role, global challenges, and debating skills

Seminar Objectives

The key to successful participation in the NUMUN discussion is twofold:

-    rigorous and meticulous preparation;
-    the competence and capability of its attending delegates. 

Seminar Objectives 

•    To learn about the United Nation’s role in the world and its processes of addressing issues of global importance. 
•    To build an understanding of global challenges that crosses borders of background, culture and nationality.
•    To develop debating, presentation and negotiation skills.
 

Preparation for Seminar (please read this information very carefully)

1.    In preparation for the seminar you are required to familiarise yourself with the UNCTAD.

2.    You have to revise determinants of national competitive advantage (Porter’s National Diamond).
3.    You have to revise the 12th pillars of competitiveness (Hamilton and Webster (2015, 2018, Lecture 10)
4.    You have to explore the Global Competitiveness Report 2018-19 (available in the Seminar 11 folder) and collect information related to ‘your’ country (for example, the global competitiveness index comparisons, country profile, most problematic factors for doing business, etc.)

Country Assignment
You should have already been assigned a country in the Seminar 10 session.

You are becoming a delegate of this country, presenting its position during the NUMUN discussion and you are requested to produce a position paper.
Do research on the assigned country. (You have done already some data collection on ASEAN for Seminar 10. You can also use some of your notes that you’ve made during the Seminar 10 session.)
Write a position paper discussing the role of FDIs in the economic development of ‘your’ country.

Please, use the following guiding questions to inform your research and to structure the position paper:
•    What is the current situation with FDIs in ‘your’ country?
•    How are FDIs promoted and facilitated in ‘your’ country?
•    Which factors pose the greatest constraint on FDIs in ‘your’ country?
•    How can your country improve its business and investment climate in order to make it more attractive to FDIs?

Position Paper  
•    Write a 700-word position paper summarising the position of ‘your’ country on FDIs. This word count includes in-text references but excludes the reference list. 
•    A ‘Position Paper’ should be clear, concise and backed up by facts and figures. A ‘Position Paper’ literally communicates the position of a country on a particular topic. A ‘Position Paper’ should not simply describe the issue but discuss the country’s position on the issue (as shown in the example of a position paper below). 
•    A ‘Position Paper’ should be done on the basis of your own research undertaken using a variety of sources: academic journals, official documents, websites and relevant books. It would be useful to search through the databases of the UN and familiarise yourself with resolutions the country, you are representing, voted in favour and which against. You have to look in the current news to find out what actions the country is taking.
•    A ‘Position paper’ is an academic piece of work which should be written according to academic standards (in terms of style, resources used, structure and referencing). You should use minimum 7 references from the relevant sources. All references in your position paper should be done in the APA 6th style.
•    Figures, charts and tables are ONLY allowed to be used in the portfolio’s appendices.
•    One page appendix is allowed per each position paper. If you are using an appendix for your position paper, it should follow after your reference list.