How to Prepare

HalcyonMUN XIV will take place on 25–26 February 2027 at Halcyon London International School, 33 Seymour Place, London W1H 5AU.

Delegates should arrive on time, wearing appropriate business attire, and should be ready to go directly to their assigned council rooms. Please make sure you know your country allocation, committee, topics, and schedule before arriving.

All delegates must wear their conference lanyard clearly around their neck while inside the building. Delegates without lanyards may be denied access to council rooms. Lost lanyards or placards may result in a £15 replacement fee, so please look after them throughout the conference.

HalcyonMUN is a formal academic conference. Delegates are expected to behave respectfully, follow instructions from Chairs, Student Officers, staff, and Secretariat members, and contribute to a safe and professional environment.

Dress code: Delegates must wear Western business attire. This means formal, professional clothing such as suits, blazers, smart trousers, formal skirts, shirts, blouses, ties, and formal shoes. Jackets or blazers must be worn when speaking. School uniforms, branded school blazers, military uniforms, party/gala wear, tuxedos, facial piercings, and informal “street” clothing are not permitted. Delegates may be denied entry if they do not follow the dress code.

External food and drink should not be brought onto campus. Food and drink, except water, may only be consumed in the canteen or designated break areas. Please keep the building tidy and respect the school space.

A resolution is the main document debated in committee. It sets out a country or group of countries’ proposed solutions to the topic. Delegates are strongly encouraged to prepare ideas or draft resolutions before the conference, but should also be ready to collaborate with other delegates during committee.

Most resolutions should include preambulatory clauses, which explain the background and reasoning, and operative clauses, which explain the actual actions being proposed. Except in the Security Council, resolutions should normally include at least 4–5 preambulatory clauses and 3 operative clauses with subclauses. A resolution should also have signatories, with 5–10 signatories recommended.

All resolutions must be submitted to the Council Chair before being reviewed by the Approval Panel. Delegates should be present during this review and should be ready to explain or defend their work. Using the official HalcyonMUN resolution format is strongly recommended. Delegates will not need to be present for Approval Panel review, however this is subject to the discretion of the Academics team.

An amendment is a proposed change to a resolution. Amendments can add, remove, or change clauses. Once an amendment is accepted by the Chair, it will normally be debated separately, with time for and against, before being voted on. If it passes, the resolution is updated. If it fails, the resolution stays as it was.

Delegates should use amendments carefully. A good amendment makes the resolution clearer, stronger, more realistic, or more aligned with a country’s policy. Weak or unserious amendments slow down debate and may not be entertained.

Debate at HalcyonMUN follows formal parliamentary procedure. Delegates may not simply speak whenever they want. To speak, raise your placard and wait to be recognized by the Chair.

All speeches and comments should be formal. Delegates should not use personal pronouns such as “I,” “me,” or “you.” Instead, use phrases such as “the delegate of France believes…” or “this delegation would like to ask…”

Delegates should remain seated unless instructed otherwise. Direct conversation across the room is not permitted. If you want to communicate with another delegation, use a folded written note and clearly label both the sender and recipient. Notes must remain appropriate and relevant to the conference.

A Point of Information is a question to a delegate after their speech. It must be phrased as a question. A Point of Personal Privilege is usually used for practical issues, such as asking a speaker to speak louder. A Point of Order is used when there may be a procedural mistake. A Point of Information to the Chair is used to ask the Chair a question about procedure.

Useful motions include a Motion to Move to Previous Question, which moves debate to the next stage, and a Motion to Extend Debate Time, which asks for more time on a resolution or amendment. Chairs decide whether motions are in order and whether they will be entertained.

The most successful delegates are clear, respectful, well-researched, and active. You do not need to be the loudest person in the room. Strong delegates listen carefully, ask good questions, build alliances, submit useful amendments, and represent their assigned country accurately.

HalcyonMUN is hosted in central London, close to Marylebone, Hyde Park, Oxford Street, and many cultural and educational sites. Visiting delegations may wish to plan activities around the conference, but these should be arranged outside of official conference hours.

Schools, students, and chaperones are responsible for their own travel, accommodation, meals outside the conference, and supervision arrangements. Non-affiliated students must also ensure they have appropriate parent or guardian supervision.

Delegates should not leave the conference site during the day unless this has been approved by their school/chaperone and is in line with safeguarding expectations. Attendance is taken throughout the day, and if a delegate is absent from their assigned council for more than 10 minutes without notice, their chaperone may be contacted.

London is busy, so plan journeys carefully and leave extra time for transport delays. Delegates should arrive at the venue ready to begin the day, with their laptop or notebook, research, country position, writing materials, and any required conference documents.

The conference is an opportunity not only to debate, but also to meet students from other schools, develop confidence, and engage with global issues in a serious but welcoming environment. Be professional, be prepared, and make the most of it.