Country Stance
As a delegate, you act as an official representative of your allocated country. During debate, you stand for a set of values, beliefs and opinions that your allocated country's government holds. This is known as your country's stance.
Different countries have different stances on topics, especially for controversial topics. Often, the more controversial the topic, the more heated the debate.
On the topic of press freedom, these countries may have the following stances.
China:
Because China depends on censorship to control the flow of information in the country, China may stand against press freedom. Historically, China has also fined, jailed, and forced journalists to confess on state television.
Norway:
The freedom of expression is codified in Norway's constitution, including freedom of the press. Many Norwegian news agencies are independently run, with little state control.
Singapore:
Singapore may sit somewhere in the middle regarding press freedom. The country uses “out-of-bounds markers” to restrict certain types of media, including the press. While independent journalism exists in Singapore, they are subject to influence from the state via systems such as the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
It is impossible to determine the exact stance of a country. We do not know what happens behind closed doors between national leaders and their ministers. However, we can make educated guesses based on information available to the public.
Primary, secondary and tertiary sources
Use legitimate sources to determine your stance. Read from a variety of sources, and prioritise secondary and tertiary sources over primary sources.
Primary sources include government websites and official government statements in the media, such as a transcript of a minister’s speech. Secondary sources are derivative content based on information from primary sources. These include analyses and interpretations of the information from primary sources, such as news articles about a minister’s speech.
Typically, secondary sources are more valuable as they present information in a wider context that may not be readily available to the general public, especially those who are not experts in the topic. In addition, since a single secondary source may contain biases, reading a variety of secondary sources can give you a more comprehensive and unbiased perspective on the topic.
Tertiary sources are broad overviews of a topic, typically compiling primary and secondary sources. These include Wikipedia and YouTube summary videos. They are useful to understand a topic at large, but should not be cited in your research.
Here are some common places to determine a country’s stance on a topic.
- Wikipedia
- Established global newspapers (e.g. NYT, CNA, BBC, SCMP)
- Local newspapers (be careful of biases)
- YouTube videos (if you don’t like reading)
You can look for information such as:
- Laws and clauses from your country’s constitution
- Past actions from your country
- Statements from national leaders
- Independent research on the situation in your country (use secondary and tertiary sources where possible)
Different governments
Depending on the election cycle (if any) of your allocated country, its government may have been led by different leaders over the course of recent history. Some topics may be divisive between different leaders while other topics are not.
You should determine whether your country’s stance on the debate topic has changed from leader to leader.
In the United States, Joe Biden (Democratic Party) was the president from 2020 to 2024. After the 2024 elections, Donald Trump (Republican Party) took over as president.
These presidents have different views on many topics including climate change, immigration, healthcare, taxation, gun control, and certain international relations.
Depending on the freeze date, you will have to determine the stance of the relevant government. If the freeze date is in 2025, the delegate of the United States would represent Donald Trump’s government, and take his government’s stance on the debate topic.
Geopolitics and international relations
If your country’s stance on the topic is unclear, you can look for the stance of closely-aligned countries.
Denmark may struggle to find its stance on the Yemeni civil war. However, Denmark is closely aligned with other Nordic countries such as Norway and Finland. We can also research these countries’ stances on the topic to make an educated guess on Denmark's stance.
While it may be easier to participate in the debate with a country relevant to the topic, remember that in reality, every country will have something to say on the global stage. You just have to figure out what it is.