Advice for First-Timers
Research
Don't know how to start your country-specific research? No worries! We've got you covered. elbMUN is a very first-timer friendly conference that aims to offer advice to delegates at any step of their MUN-journey.
The most important things first: Please keep in mind that you are supposed to represent your country's official policy at the conference, and that your research should concern your country's view on the global (or committee-specific) situation. You are not supposed to spend your time describing the situation in your country only.
In order to begin your research on your country in general, the IMUNA database is a great starting point. However, if you know the language, it is always a good take to rely on information directly published by the concerning state and to consult different sources in order to avoid a possible bias (or to consciously choose your country bias).
Once you have a general idea about your country's history, policy, allies, strategic goals and more, you should start researching the issues treated in the committees. Be kindly encouraged to use official government websites of your country, e.g. the ministry of foreign affairs or the page to your country's mission to the United Nations. News outlets from the respective countries can also be helpful. Academic papers can also be handy, however, keep in mind, that you are representing your country's official policy and not the opinion of opposition parties or very critical journalists.
Depending on the topic, you might sometimes face difficulties in finding an exact statement that gives you an answer to your questions. Don't worry, that is normal! In that case, you will have to look at similar issues and your country's policy. You will also have to think about your country's general strategic goals and deduce what policy would be realistic to represent as a delegate. You could even try contacting the official embassy of your country... Don't always expect a reply, but it might be worth a shot!
It should be self-evident that plagiarism is not tolerated at elbMUN. It is most likely also not in your interest, since you need to be well prepared in order to be active in the committee (which is debatably more fun!)
The elbMUN team wishes you all the best for your research and cannot wait to see the outcome in practice at the conference!