Country Blocs

©by Mike Keenan

A bloc is a group of nations that have common interests whether they are economic, defense, ethnicity, etc. Oil-producing countries are an example of an economic bloc. Canada, Mexico and the United States are in NAFTA, a small, three-country economic bloc. Sometimes, a nation may straddle more than one bloc.

Where a single country may be at a disadvantage in a committee, particularly when pitted against powers like the United States and China, a well-organized bloc of countries has great power in decision-making and negotiation. Often, an effective bloc will ultimately help defeat or pass important resolutions. It is important to quickly get your bloc established and to try to play a leadership role in the process. Becoming spokesperson for a bloc is a definite advantage.

During a MUN simulation, delegates or the chairperson will ask for caucus time to work in a bloc, draft a working paper, develop a resolution, etc. This is prime time to display your leadership skills that will be surely noticed by the judges.

Caucusing in blocs or in mixed groups of countries will be orderly or chaotic depending upon the skill levels of the delegates. At the beginning, there is often a great deal of shouting and jostling for position. If you can insure that everyone may be heard, your leadership will be recognized. Suggest that everyone sit in a circle to be seen and heard. Or stand on a chair and call your bloc there. Or organize your bloc against a wall, facing you. I've seen determined students crawl through a tangle of legs to get to the center of a bloc. A girl once used the heel of her shoe as a gavel to chair the bloc. Be resourceful. One of the best techniques is to be the delegate that asks for a ten-minute caucus in the committee, suggesting at the same time while everyone is listening, that your bloc meet at a specific place.

Sometimes, there is a formal election of a bloc leader who supposedly represents the strongest nation in the bloc. The problem is that often there will be much stronger delegates more capable of performing the task for the bloc.


Model U.N. Research Organizer ©Mike Keenan

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