There are two fields of research that you have to focus on when preparing for any MUN conference. First you need to learn about the country you represent and then there are the issues on the agenda.
I – How To Research A Country?
When researching your country the Internet is a good source. A widely used website for MUN research is the CIA World Factbook. Some others are listed at the end of this section. Choose the country you represent and you will find the information you need. If you need a guideline on what you need to know about your country you can refer to the Council of World Affairs.. You can also try individual countries’ websites. Some things to look out for are listed below:
Political Structures Natural Resources
Origin of Political Structures Basic Commodities
Constitution and Government Trade Agreements
Stability and Policy of Present Degree of Self-sufficiency
Cultural Factors Defense
Ethnic Groups Military Structure
Religions Dependency on Other Nations
Cultural History Membership of Alliances
Geography Views on World Problems
Bordering Countries Role and Influence in the World
Topography Membership of Blocks and
Geo-political Considerations Geo-political groupings
Economy History
Monetary System General
Dependency and Debt Last 50 years
Membership of Economic and Recent History
Trade Organizations
II – How To Research An Issue?
The issues on the agenda of a MUN conference are taken from the UN website. Hence going to this website and typing in the issue on the agenda into its search engine will be a good way to start your research on these issues. Member states have websites for their Permanent Missions at the UN that can also be useful if you want to learn about the views of your country on a given issue.
III – Useful Websites
http://thimun.org/research/index.html
http://www.un.org/english
http://www.un.org/members/missions.shtml
http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/
https://www.cia.gov/
http://www.cowac.org/
http://www.embassyworld.com/
http://www.economist.com/
http://www.idebate.org/index.php
http://www.cnn.com/
http://www.bbcworld.com/
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