Lobbying Commences: Advice from Chairs and Eventful Photos From the First Day!
By Kendra
Photography by Kendra
As the opening day of THIMUN Singapore came to a close, delegates encountered their first opportunity to participate in lobbying within the conference. An integral aspect of the THIMUN procedure, lobbying holds value in facilitating communication amongst a committee’s delegates.
As Neil, deputy chair of the General Assembly (GA) 1 states, this is the space that allows delegates to “engage in dialogue with others [in order] to get an idea of what a neutral stance would be.” Once deciphering this, a common consensus can be suitable in finding viable solutions, through “reaching compromise.”
Arnav, chair of Health and Youth Commission (HYC) 1, corroborates the collaborative sentiment. Lobbying is essentially “where you meet all of your allies” and work in tandem to draft a resolution. The conversations that are held, whether they be aimed at persuading, negotiating, or clarifying can aid in locating signatories who agree with particular stances.
Therefore, in understanding the value of lobbying towards the THIMUN procedure, figuring out how to maximize the process is the next eventual step.
Leo, deputy chair for the General Assembly (GA) 4, recommends reading the chair reports and being as well-prepared as possible. “Delegates don’t essentially have to have fully written resolutions before lobbying, but if they have clauses or… their stance confirmed, it would be [optimal].”
Arnav corroborates this point, emphasizing the importance of research. “If you have statistics, make sure they’re valid.” In having a strong grasp of your country’s stance, what’s next is how you choose to navigate the committee. The “most important thing is just be friendly and outgoing,” he says, “[many] will take an affinity to you.”
So, what delegate traits do the chairs most believe can contribute to lobbying success?
Neil: “I personally believe that you should be the one taking initiative.” Regardless of delegation size, he contends that by doing so, you show “talent and capability to handle such a big issue which affects the world today.”
Arnav: “Being well researched before the conference is… very important.” Through this, “you can know which countries to approach and which… to stick with.”
Leo: As “resolutions are debated in a vacuum,” it is important for delegates to be “willing to socialize with each other.”
With another opportunity to lobby on Thursday, we wish you luck on engaging in fruitful and eventful discussions. There isn’t a universal strategy to approach lobbying in THIMUN, but we hope that you can find tidbits within this article that resonate to you!
