12-Oct-2026

By: Vansh Tyagi, MUN Program Director

The delegates at MUN conferences mostly enter the committee rooms with the thought that a delegate with the strongest speech wins, while resolutions are rarely shaped by speeches alone. They are built through compromises, conversations and negotiations. The delegates who leave the committee with allies are often the ones who create the greatest impact. Negotiation methods for delegates include knowing and negotiating interests but not the positions of the delegates by focusing on what countries are saying rather than why they are saying it. For instance, if a delegate opposes a sanctions regime, its concern may not be sanctions themselves but the potential economic instability that it could cause in future. By identifying the underlying interest, delegates can propose alternative ways that address concerns without abandoning the objective of the resolution.

Technique: During caucuses, ask "What is your country's primary concern with this proposal/policy?" instead of only defending your own position.

The second method is “The 70:30 Rule of Diplomacy”, which says that diplomats should focus more on listening than on speaking. To implement the 70:30 rule of diplomacy in an unmoderated caucus, one must spend the first few minutes of an unmoderated caucus understanding the priorities of other delegations. In this time, we must note recurring problems, and then we should use those concerns in our resolution. If you listen and accommodate everyone’s opinion, the delegates feel heard; they become more willing to collaborate. On the other hand, we need to understand the fact that Compromise is not weakness—it is diplomacy, although it is important to note that effective delegates do not compromise on everything and anything. The strategy should include identifying and listing your non-negotiable and flexible points to which you can accept amendments. In conclusion, we must understand the fact that in diplomacy, success is not measured by how many people agree with you, but by how many people are willing to work with you.