The Evatt Competition
Australia's Model United Nations competition for high school students
Debating meets diplomacy, negotiation and strategy.
The Evatt Model United Nations Competition (Evatt) immerses young people into the world of peace and security on the international stage.
UN Security Council
Simulating a session in the UN Security Council, delegates (participants) work in teams of two to represent one of the fifteen member states in negotiations to settle threats to global peace.
Real-world Problems
Equipped with evidence-based strategy, it’s time to cross the chamber floor to debate, amend and vote on resolutions to solve real world problems.
Step into the shoes of the world’s leading diplomats and decision makers
Requiring no prior debating experience, Evatt immerses young people in years 9 to 12 to uncover the driving forces of influence that threaten to destabilise world order all while mastering the art of public speaking through negotiation. Going beyond ordinary debating, Evatt challenges delegates to think critically, problem solve carefully, and search for answers in the rapidly changing world of current affairs surrounding them.
Our last Evatt Competition included
918
teams across Australia
70
preliminary rounds held
210
resolutions debated
Understanding Resolutions
Each Evatt Competition UN Security Council resolution is split into two sections: the preambulatory clauses and the operative clauses.
Preambulatory Clauses
The preambulatory clauses explains circumstances and rationale as to why the Security Council is debating the particular clauses.
The preamble starts with a list of past resolutions on this topic. It can not be amended and helps set the stage for the call to action in the operative section of the resolution.
Operative Clauses
The operative clauses dictate the Security Council’s intended actions.
Add a Clause
You can add a clause or sub-clause to an existing clause.
Change a Clause
Change an existing clause by adding, changing, or removing words or sentences.
Strike a Clause
You can strike clause or sub-clause from the resolution.
Evatt Competition Structure
The Evatt Competition runs each year between May to July in every Australian State and Territory. Delegates (participants) compete in teams of 2 delegates, working together to debate a resolution between the chamber floor and negotiation room.
All delegates participate in the preliminary round consisting of three debates. Those successful will move on to Semi Finals and eventually Finals, where the top 15 teams will compete to win in their State and Territory.
The top teams in each State and Territory will be invited to participate at UN Youth Australia’s Evatt National Finals held in late November / early December each year.
Preliminary Rounds
All teams and delegates participate in a single preliminary round, which include two prepared resolutions and one impromptu resolution. Each round is 90 minutes long, and time is given to prepare for the impromptu resolution as the last session of the round.
Semi Finals
The top 30 to 45 teams (depending on size of competition) are selected from all preliminary rounds across your State or Territory. Teams may be allocated different countries, and compete against three new resolutions, including two prepared and one impromptu.
Finals
The top 15 teams from all Semi Final rounds compete together in a final day of Model United Nations. Following the same format, delegates usually attend their State or Territory parliament or prominent legal facility to debate challenging topics and world problems, including two prepared resolutions and one impromptu resolution.
The aim of a team in an Evatt competition is simple: achieve your nation’s goals through diplomacy.
Evatt is a simulation of the UN Security Council (UNSC), one of the principal organs of the United Nations and the body with the maintenance of international peace and security.
Its powers, exercised through UN Security Council resolutions, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action.
It also plays a central role in admitting new Member States and appointing the UN Secretary General. It sits in “permanent session” which means meetings can be held at a moment’s notice to respond to a global crisis.
The Council is composed of 15 Member States:
- five permanent members: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States,
- and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly: Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway and the United Arab Emirates.
Evatt Procedure
The Security Council’s procedure is based on the premise that representatives do this full time (which is fair, since it’s their job). Sadly, we don’t have that luxury, and so an Evatt Security Council simulation runs on rules of procedure developed specifically for the competition.
We realise that these rules are complicated, and so you can find on this page a more detailed Guide to Procedure and a Procedure Cheat Sheet. Amendments (changes to the resolution you write yourself) are the heart of Evatt, and you can find a useful Amendment Form for printing.
However, there is absolutely no substitute for actually doing an Evatt to learn the procedure, and to that end you should check out the Evatt competition in your state for the next round or an opportunity to hold an Evatt in School!
Likewise we would recommend that advanced and experienced students review the official rules of procedure, since there are lots of hidden goodies in there for the high performing team.
Resources Recap
- Rules of Procedure (offical Rules and overall Procedure)
- Guide to Procedure
- Procedure Cheat Sheet
- Amendment Form Template
- Stance Worksheet
Research about your Country
Research is the most straightforward part of preparing for the Evatt Competition, it just requires a little bit of time! Teams can find information about their country on the UN Website. Students will also need to do some independent research to really understand the political stance of their country more generally and in terms of the content of the resolution. Evatt Competition resolutions are always based on current affairs, so it is a good idea keep up to date with the news!
Research about your Country
Teams should begin by reading the resolution they have been given. Evatt Competition resolutions begin with a preamble that contains preambulatory clauses which give an introduction as to why the Security Council is debating the particular issue contained in the resolution.
The next thing teams should do is brief themselves on the issue contained in the resolution and become familiar with it. It is important to remember, however, that what matters most for judging purposes is not how much research teams do, but how well they are able to apply that research to their diplomacy. After this, teams should ask themselves what principles are at stake in the resolution i.e. does the resolution infringe on sovereignty or does the resolution promote human rights or possibly poverty reduction? Understanding the principle at stake will help teams to understand what their country would do about the resolution.
Teams can use the Stance Worksheet for each resolution to help them structure their thinking about what stance their country would take on the resolution.
It is also a good idea for teams to think about:
- The involvement their country has had in the issue to date, or issues with the same principle
- Their country’s major allies and what their stance on the issue is
- Whether the clauses of the resolution align with their country’s national identity
- The methods their country prefers to solve problems with such as diplomacy, sanctions or the use of force
- The way the resolution would affect decisions in the future if passed
- The thing/s that could be changed about the resolution that would make it more in line with the country’s national interests
It is strongly encouraged that teams have some amendments written prior to their Preliminary Round because, once their round has started, teams won’t have much time to develop new amendments from scratch!
List of Countries
The 2024 Security Council countries are as follows:
- Algeria
- China
- Ecuador
- France
- Guyana
- Japan
- South Korea
- Malta
- Mozambique
- Russia
- Sierra Leone
- Slovenia
- Switerzland
- UK
- USA
Evatt is not a debating competition; it’s a game of diplomacy.
Private behind-the-scenes negotiation are as important as public speaking in the quest to change (not just support or oppose) the resolution. Just like in real life, the Evatt Competition requires participants to use all the tools of persuasion to get their way.
The amount of time participants are given to speak is at the discretion of the Chair. Usually, participants are given no more than two minutes to speak. Much more time is spent answering questions (see below) from the other countries rather than giving an uninterrupted presentation. In light of this, a participant’s speech should achieve two things:
- Outlining why their nation is in favour of or opposed to the resolution as a whole or the amendment being debated (justifying their stance), and
- Providing a reason or reasons why the other members of the UNSC should share that stance and vote accordingly.
Questions, which are called Points of Information in Model UN, are a balancing act. Teams need to present their argument in the form of a succinct question and in doing so need to simultaneously remain respectful and diplomatic.
Whenever another team is speaking, participants should write down any questions they may want to ask. Remember that Points of Information are the best opportunities for participants to make their team’s arguments outside of formal speaking time.
Negotiation and Diplomacy
Evatt is not just a debating competition; it is a negotiation competition where teams attempt to build consensus with other member nations to adopt amendments that their country likes and to reject amendments that their country doesn’t like. When a disagreement occurs between countries, the best negotiators will inquire as to why that disagreement has occurred, because they can then use that to understand the things that those countries may agree on!
In addition to negotiation, the judging criteria also assesses diplomacy skills. This means teams should engage constructively with other teams and build meaningful working relationships. Teams should also adopt a negotiation style which would preserve their country’s interests in the long term in real life, beyond the simulation. Therefore, teams shouldn’t be obnoxious or bullying in their manner but rather, should focus on being inclusive and polite.
To Register, select your State or Territory
UN Youth Australia runs programs across all Australian states and territories. Select your state or territory to discover what is coming up in your area.
Have a Question?
Get in touch with the Evatt Convenor and our Education team with any questions you have about the Evatt Competition in your state or territory.
Alternatively, you can email communications@unyouth.org.au and a team member will reach out.
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