12-Oct-2026

By: Vansh Tyagi, MUN Program Director

The member of the executive board panel hits the gavel. You have 90 seconds.

The delegate's research is extensive. The stance is clear. The delegate has statistics, examples, policies, and perhaps even a brilliant opening line. But there is one problem: they cannot say everything.

That is precisely what makes a good MUN speech hard to form.

A strong and effective 90-second speech is not a shortened essay. It is a carefully constructed argument in which every sentence has a purpose. The objective is not to demonstrate how much you researched; it is to make the committee understand what matters, why it matters, and what should be done about it.

The first step happens before you write a single word of the speech. Ask yourself:

“If delegates were to remember only one thing from my 90-second speech, what should it be?”

The answer to the above becomes your central message for the speech.

Suppose your committee is discussing climate change. You could speak about agriculture, migration, health, biodiversity, energy, and economic losses. All of these may be relevant, but trying to cover all of them will leave your speech directionless. Instead, choose one argument—perhaps that developing states need greater access to climate finance and technology—and make everything else support it. Once the central message is clear, build the piece around four simple movements: Hook, Problem, Proposal, and Call to Action.

The hook should earn the committee's attention. It could be a striking statistic, a contradiction, a question, or a real-world consequence. But avoid dramatic statements that don't connect to your argument. The purpose of the opening is not merely to sound impressive; it is to establish why the issue deserves attention.

Next comes the problem. This is where your research becomes useful. Instead of bluffing five statistics at the committee, select one strong and credible piece of evidence and explain what it means. A useful mental formula can be:

Fact → Meaning → Consequence. Ensure you do not simply say that millions are affected. But explain what that number reveals and why it requires international action. In a short speech, one interpreted fact is usually more valuable than a list of unexplained figures.

Now comes the most important part: the proposal.

This is where many speeches become vague. Delegates often say that the international community must “take immediate action” or “strengthen cooperation.” But what does that mean?

A credible solution should answer at least three questions:

Who will act? What will they do? How will they do it?

If possible, one should also consider resources and accountability. A proposal to establish a fund, for instance, becomes considerably stronger when the speech explains who administers it, who can access it, and how implementation will be monitored.

In conclusion, give the committee a reason to act. Your closing should not simply signal that your time is over. It should tell delegates what you want them to support. A strong call to action connects your proposal back to the central message and leaves the committee with a clear takeaway.