Knowing how to research for MUN in India is the difference between a delegate who sounds confident and one who wins awards. This guide walks you through every step — from reading the background guide to building a country matrix that wins committees.
At Delhi MUN and every major conference in India, the delegates who win awards are rarely the loudest in the room. They are the most prepared. Country research is the foundation of every strong speech, every well-timed amendment, and every successful lobbying conversation.
When you know your country deeply — its alliances, its red lines, its voting history — you stop improvising and start leading. You speak with authority because you have evidence. You lobby effectively because you know who agrees with you before the conference even starts.
This guide gives you a five-step research framework used by experienced delegates at conferences like Delhi MUN, DSMUN, and HMUN India. Follow it in order. Each step builds on the last.
Before you touch the background guide, spend 30 minutes understanding your country's foreign policy identity. Is it non-aligned, like India historically? Is it a permanent UN Security Council member with veto power? Is it a small island state with climate as its primary concern?
Look at: geographic location and its influence on policy; membership in regional blocs (ASEAN, African Union, G77, EU, SAARC); key bilateral relationships (allies and adversaries); and the country's economic model — aid recipient, major exporter, oil economy.
This background shapes every position your country takes. A resource-dependent nation will oppose sanctions. A coastal state will prioritise maritime law. Once you understand this lens, your country's positions across all issues start to make sense.
The background guide (BG) from your conference is your most important document. Most delegates skim it. Award-winning delegates read it three times.
First read: understand the scope. What is the agenda topic? What are the sub-issues being debated? What does the committee have authority to do?
Second read: identify your country's stake. Where is your country mentioned? What resolutions has your country co-sponsored or opposed? What is the committee's history on this issue?
Third read: find the gaps. What does the BG leave unanswered? What are the contested areas where a strong working paper could make an impact? This is where award-winning positions are built.
UN voting records are public and searchable on UN.org. Go to the United Nations Digital Library (digitallibrary.un.org) and search for your committee and agenda topic. Filter by your country name to see every resolution it has voted on.
What to note: Did your country vote Yes, No, or abstain? Did it co-sponsor the resolution? Did it make an explanation of vote (EOV)?
EOVs are gold. They explain why a country voted a certain way. This language often tells you more about your country's position than the vote itself does.
For AIPPM committees and Indian-context debates, use PRS Legislative Research (prsindia.org) to find the party's stated positions in Parliament.
Look at the full delegate list for your committee. For each country, make a quick judgment: are they likely to share your position or oppose it?
Strong indicators of alignment: same regional bloc, similar economic profile, shared historical disputes with a third country, co-sponsored resolutions in the past.
This is not just academic. At Delhi MUN, the unmoderated caucus begins within the first hour. Delegates who already know who to approach win the lobbying phase. Delegates who have not done this research spend their unmod wandering.
A country matrix is a simple grid. List all member states of your committee down one column. Across the top, list the key issues in the agenda (climate funding, sanctions enforcement, non-interference, etc.).
For each intersection, mark: Agree (A), Disagree (D), or Unknown (U). Your job during research is to move as many cells from U to A or D as possible.
This matrix becomes your lobbying map. During the unmod, you approach the A countries first to form a bloc. You approach the U countries to move them. You prepare counter-arguments for the D countries.
Print or have this matrix accessible on your device. Update it in real time during committee. The delegate with the most accurate map at the end of Day 1 almost always leads the working paper process.
Search all UN resolutions, voting records, and official documents. Filter by country and committee.
Country profiles covering government, economy, geography, and international disputes. Updated annually.
Humanitarian news and reports. Essential for UNHRC, ECOSOC, and development-focused committees.
Indian parliamentary research. Essential for AIPPM committees and India-specific policy positions.
Policy analysis and country profiles from a respected US think tank. Good for geopolitical context.
The single most important document. Contains the agenda scope, country positions, and key questions for debate.
Next Step
Good research feeds directly into good MUN resolution writing. Use your country matrix to draft operative clauses that your allies will support.
Ready to Compete?
Put your research skills to work at Delhi's most anticipated Model United Nations conference. August 8–9, 2026 · New Delhi.
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