US-NSC

Rules of Procedure

Udhav Krishna
Issued by the President of the United States

Letter from the President

Dear Delegates,
It is my pleasure to welcome each and one of you to this years SANMUN. Considering
the role that United States plays in international affairs and global politics we thought it
fit to simulate the organ that is responsible for the framing of the United States Foreign
policy.
To effectively simulate an unorthodox committee such as the United States- National
Security Council whose proceedings are behind the scenes and unknown to common
man, it was important to devise a set of rules of procedure. As this council is part of a
MUN we will be following a similar procedure to make it easier for everyone. The
following ROP is a slight variation of the standard UNA USA set of procedure. Please
take note of every single word in the following document and please do not hesitate to
ask me any doubts and clarify them immediately.
We thought it was important to understand two most pressing issues for the US foreign
policy team, that is, the Crimean Crisis involving Russia and Ukraine and the Crisis in Iraq
owing to the recent development over the past couple of months. It is necessary for the
United States to act quickly and decisively to avoid another war and put a stop to the
unnecessary loss of innocent lives in both the regions. I look forward to hearing your
valuable suggestions regarding the issue and possible solutions. Let us act wise and
make our nation proud and let the decisions taken be ever etched in the memories of
the generations to come and serve as a source of inspiration to them.
Regards,
Udhav Krishna,
President of the United States, President of the National Security Council
PS: It is necessary and absolutely important for each and every single one of you to join
the US-NSC group on Facebook. If you are already a part of it, please add your friends
who are going to be part of the council.

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What is the US-NSC?

The US-NSC is a conference of officials and senior secretaries of the USA that
provides advice and assistance to the President on national security and foreign
policy matters. It also assists with policy coordination across government agencies
and the armed force. It was formed in 1947 (especially as there was lack of
uniform policy on important issues) under the National Security Act in response to
the Pearl Harbor attack.
The NSC is aimed at ensuring cooperation between the Army, Navy and Air force
and other police agencies. Under the Obama administration, the NSC was joined
with the Homeland Security Council to form the National Security Staff. The head
of the NSC is the President of the United States of America who chairs all its
meetings. The Council consists of statutory and non-statutory members. Statutory
members include the Vice President, Secretary of State, Defense and Energy.
Advisers include Director of National Intelligence (adviser for Intelligence),
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (adviser for military) and Head of National
Drug Control Policy (adviser on drug policies). The attendees include White House
Chief of Staff, National Security Adviser, Attorney General and Deputy National
Security Adviser. Depending on the subject of discussion, participants like the
Secretary of the Treasury and Homeland Security Adviser join in. Depending on
the subject of discussion, participants like the Secretary of the Treasury and
Homeland Security Adviser join in. There are nearly 50 other staff who comprise
of advisers and escorts. Post the 9/11 attacks, the NSC gained importance. Any
military action, or policy decisions ranging from tax to healthcare take place with
the help of the NSC.

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The main objectives of the National Security Council are as follows:

- Set forth clear directives to the rest of the national bureaucracy, especially
working groups in order to ensure all of our offices are working in conjunction
towards our goals as a nation.
- Weigh the positives and negatives attributes of a situation and the decisions
made on said situation, dealing with both foreign policy and the state of the
nation.
- Make quick and deliberate decisions in order that they can be pushed down the
National bureaucracy and implemented effectively.
- Set the tone of the nation and maintain a voice of leadership in a time of
uncertainty

The President typically meets with the NSC in weekly meetings along with
statutory members to be briefed on foreign policy related issues, however, during
times when there is a National crisis that requires the decisions of the high level
officials and all those in the Federal government as the President sees fit, the NSC
meets.
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Speakers List
A Speakers List is very much similar to a General Speakers list, a list of all the delegates
who wish to give a speech on the agenda that is being discussed. A Speakers List speech
shall be by default 90 seconds. However, the GSL speech time can be changed by
introducing a motion. Note, the minimum Speakers List speech time may 60 seconds
and maximum is 120 seconds. After completing his/her speech, the delegate can yield
the remaining time for Points of Information and comments. It is not mandatory to do
so, but it will be taken into consideration for evaluative purposes.

Caucuses
USNSC also shall have MUN styled caucuses to facilitate substantial debate in
committee. Caucuses in general of two types, Moderated and Unmoderated.

Moderated Caucus
In a moderated caucus, the EB will temporarily depart from the Speakers List and call on
delegates to raise a motion for a moderated caucus. A moderated caucus is formal
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discussion on the issues related to the main agenda and of great importance. It can be a
subdivision of the agenda too. A motion for a moderated caucus is in order at any time
when the floor is open, prior to closure of debate. The motion for the moderated caucus
must be stated along with the total time (maximum of minutes) and individual speaker
time that each speaker will get to speak. It is permitted for one delegate to speak more
than once on one moderated caucus topic. Three topics shall be taken and will be voted
on the order of precedence (longest time with lowest speaking time is voted on first, if it
fails the next is voted upon).If no delegate wishes to speak during a moderated caucus,
the caucus shall immediately end. Extensions for the time period of the moderated
caucus can be brought forward as a motion to extend the moderated caucus once the
original time period is nearing its end.

Unmoderated Caucus
A delegate may motion for an Unmoderated caucus at any time when the floor is open.
The delegate making the motion must specify a time limit and a topic of discussion for
the
Caucus, not to exceed twenty minutes. The motion will immediately be put to a vote
and will pass given a simple majority. In the case of multiple Unmoderated caucuses, the
Chair will rank the motions in descending order of length, and the Committee members
will vote accordingly. The Chair may rule the motion out of order. An Unmoderated
caucus can be extended by re-introducing and voting on it.
The delegates of USNSC will be briefed on the Resolution making process and voting
procedure in committee by the President of the council.

Motions, points and other ROP

Please refer the delegate manual.

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Position Papers
Delegates of USNSC will not need to write position papers. Rather it is required that the
delegates of different departments write and present a memo, that contains important
information that the delegates feel necessary to be shared with the President (from the
point of view of their respective posts or department of which they are the head). The
suggested solutions and recommendations can also be brought forward for discussion in
committee through a moderated caucus or in the delegates speaker list speech. It can
be informal, but it is recommended that the delegates adhere to one of the standard
procedure/ formatting used by US state departments for the same purpose.
A memo or a policy memo in this case is normally a document whose main purpose is to
provide analysis and/or recommendations regarding a certain issue. It must be a concise
and precise and convey critical information to the reader in an efficient manner. Policy
memos are written so that readers can efficiently access fact-based information in order
to make an informed decision. Memos should, therefore, try to inform the audience in a
concise, organized, and professional manner, while still including the most relevant
content.
An important differentiating criteria between a policy memo and a position paper is that
a policy memo can contain personal opinions and not just facts. But the opinions that
are presented should also be substantiated.
Here are some things to keep in mind when writing a memo:
Present the most relevant information and state your main ideas and any
recommendations clearly.
Make sure to present opinions as opinions and NOT as facts. Opinions presented
should also be substantiated.
Use logic and facts to support each of your main points and/or to refute opposing
points. When citing facts in-text, be accurate.
Avoid logical fallacies such as appeals to authority, slippery slope arguments,
hasty generalizations, and faulty causation.

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 Restrict the length of the document to a maximum of 2-3 pages, use size 14
Times New Roman font in accordance with US government requirements

Sample Template for a Policy Memo

To: The President of the United States
From: XXX
Subject: XXX
Date: XXX
Summary (Executive summary depending on the post of the delegate)
What is the issue?
Why is a decision needed?
What key information is contained in this memorandum?
What course of action is recommended?
Background
Brief, essential points that explain how this issue has evolved or become a concern
Issues
What are the key issues to be addressed by the Deputy Ministerone to three at
most?
What position(s) have others taken on these issues?
Options
What are the plausible courses of action, along with the pros and cons of each?
What are the approximate financial costs of each option?
What are the political risks and potential opposition that might result from choosing
an option?
Recommendation
Your recommended course of action and why

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Submission of Policy Memo

Policy memo must be submitted on or before the day of the MUN. Policy memos will be
accepted till the end of the first session beyond which it will be considered that the
delegate has failed to submit a policy memo.

Role of Different positions

Secretary of State
The chief diplomat of the United States, the Secretary of State is the chief of the
Department of State and the presidents chief advisor for international relations.
SECSTATE controls a myriad of assets, to include the countrys diplomatic missions
abroad, its diplomatic intelligence resources, USAID, and Americas representation
within international institutions. SECSTATE must coordinate among these assets and
with other organizations within the U.S. national security infrastructure to offer
diplomatic options for the president.

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Secretary of Defense
The civilian head of the United States largest bureaucracy, SECDEF is the administrative
leader charged with supporting and coordinating the Armed Forces, defense intelligence
assets, and the logistical infrastructure that supports these. Though an executive, the
Secretary of Defense will be challenged with coordinating among combatant commands
and subordinate intelligence agencies to provide the president with military solutions to
the evolving crisis.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The highest ranking officer in the US military, the Chairman of the JCS is the chief
military advisor to both the President of the United States (POTUS) and the SECDEF.
While he outranks all other officers, he does not hold command over any particular unit
or branch in the military. Instead, he focuses on coordinating efforts between the
respective heads of the four branches of the US military (Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Marines).

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Director of National Intelligence

The DNI is the principal advisor to the President on issues relating to intelligence.
Additionally, he/she leads the intelligence community, the group of sixteen government
agencies that conduct intelligence operations relating to foreign relations, national
security, or both. While the DNI technically outranks the heads of the various
intelligence agencies, his ability to influence them and project his power has continued
to be limited since the position was formed back in 2005.

Attorney General
The Attorney General is the head of the Department of Justice (DoJ), making him/her
the chief law enforcement officer and the chief lawyer in the US government.
Organizations under the DoJ include the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). The Department coordinates these
distinct agencies through several department divisions, including the DoJ National
Security Division, the DoJ Criminal Division, and the DoJ Antitrust Division.

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National Security Adviser

The Presidents advisor on national security affairs, the NSA can be tasked to run
working groups, liaise among the organs of U.S. power, and provide pointed policy
advise to the President on demand. In the process of writing policy and responding to
crises, the National Security Advisor will be responsible for organizing balanced strategic
options and providing courses of action for the President. The NSA is an expert on
foreign relations and masterful orchestrator of policy.

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

The Department of homeland security covers a multitude of issue including
counterterrorism, border security, immigration, and cyber security. The Secretary
informs the president on issues that threaten our borders as well as the projected
implications of different policy on our security. The secretary must be aware of possible
terrorist response to different actions taken by the U.S. as well as typical courses of
action taken against the Homeland Security system no matter whether they are physical
or cyber-attacks.

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Besides the posts mentioned here there are lot of other relevant posts and each and
every post allotted is somehow or the other important for maintaining National
Security.
For the convenience of all the delegates I have grouped the posts and the duties of the
respective holders of the posts as follows:

Assistants and Deputy Assistants to the President

All the people with a prefix or suffix as above belong to one of the most important
people in maintaining national security. They are normally associated with posts that
explicitly involve only issues of national security. They play a major role within USNSC.

Special Assistant to the President

Special assistants are considered expert of a particular field and specialise in one area.
For example Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Non-Proliferation
is a person who is considered with high regard and with high authority with respect to
his field, in this case Non-Proliferation.
All the other members such as Attorney General, Secretary of State, Secretary of
Defense, Heads of CIA, DHS, Joint chief of staffs, Director of National Intelligence are
people who have high authority in the structure of Federal government of the United
States, responsible for their respective departments and majority reporting directly to
the President of the United States.

IMPORATANT NOTE
Allotment of posts is merely a formality. It is imperative that all are well versed on both
the crises at hand as our discussions shall be based on the two crises and that is all that
matters. It is also necessary for a delegate to clearly understand the significance of the
post and act accordingly. It is okay to give personal opinion on an issue and it is advised
that you do to help make the simulation more realistic. But please remember that you
represent the best interests of your posts as a member of the National Security Council.

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Executive orders & Directives

Executive orders can be passed by any head of departments carrying instructions to
implement changes in their respective departments after the President gives approval.
Minimum of 2 Co-submitters will be mandatory for carrying out any executive order.
Other members of the NSC need not be consented for passing an executive order.
Presidential Directives, better known as Presidential Decision Directives (or PDDs) are a
form of an executive order issued by the President of the United States with the advice and
consent of the National Security Council. The directives articulate the executive's national
security policy and carry the "full force and effect of law".
Presidential Study Directives
Presidential Policy Directives
A PDD requires one main submitter and 2 co submitters for it to be considered by the
President. Once the President receives it, it shall be subjected to vote and needs the
approval of majority (>50%) of the votes to be passed. Then if and only if the President
approves it, will it be considered to have been passed by the entire council. The
President has a VETO right in such matters.

Resolutions
Unlike normal MUN committees NSC will not be having a resolution as such. Instead of
resolutions, the members shall draft a recommendations in the format of a resolution to
concerned departments for implementing changes suggested in council. It shall lay
equal importance on the perambulatory clauses because it indicates the foreign policy
or stance taken by the NSC on an issue and is as important as decisions that were
suggested/implemented by a resolution.

National Security Council Resolution

DATE xx/xx/xxxx
Presidential Policy Directive -- xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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PRESIDENTIAL POLICY DIRECTIVE/PPD-xx

SUBJECT: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Perambulatory Clauses [according to normal MUN procedure]
Operative Clauses [according to normal MUN procedure]

Voting Procedure on Resolutions

A maximum of one resolution shall be accepted and voting shall be done clause by
clause only. The resolution shall not be voted upon as a single document. Minimum
number of votes required to pass a clause shall be 2/3rd of the committee followed by
the Presidents vote. Only if a clause manages to fulfil both criteria will it be considered
to be a part of the final resolution.

Disclaimer
The information that I have furnished is true to the best of my knowledge. But errors
may be contained within the document that the delegates are to overlook owing to the
fact that I am merely a human. Any decision that I make in the council shall supersede
whatsoever that may be mentioned in this document. I shall try my best to fulfil my
duties entrusted to me and keep the trust bestowed upon me to my fullest capabilities.

Udhav Krishna
PRESIDENT
(8939348928)

Prarthana Prakash
VICE PRESIDENT
(8056060330)

Anirudh Raghuram
DIRECTOR
(9962037369)
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