Definition Of Key Words Used In The Forums
The chair: The chairman or chairperson is the one conducting the debate and maintaining order while remaining totally impartial.
The House: All the members of the forum except the chairman.
The submitter: The person who is proposing the motion in the form of a draft resolution for debate.
The motion: The proposal for debate, which will eventually be voted upon.
A point of information: A question directed either to the speaker who has the floor or to the chairman by a delegate of the House who has been duly recognised by the chairman.
A point of order: A question directed to the chairman by a delegate of the House who feels that a mistake has been made in the order of debate or who requires clarification of the rules of procedure.
A point of personal privilege: A question directed to the chairman by a delegate who refers to the comfort and well-being of the house (e.g.: audibility, temperature in the house).
To have the floor: To have been given the right to speak in debate before the House.
To yield the floor: To give up one’s right to the floor either finally or temporally for a point of information to be asked.
Modes Of Address During Formal Debates
A) Parliamentary behaviour by delegates
- Speakers need to address each other in the Third Person at all times. Always “honourable speaker” or “fellow delegates”, never “You” or “I”.
- Delegates must avoid the use of insulting or abusive language.
- Delegates should address the chair and the House before presenting their speech
Example: “ Honourable Chair, fellow delegates…”
B) Phrases to be used by delegates of the House
- “Mr./Madam Chairman…”.
- “Thedelegate of … requests the floor” or “wishes the floor”.
- “Thedelegate of …would like to rise a point of information/ point of order”.
- “Thedelegate of … wishes to speak in favour of/against this motion/resolution/amendment because…”.
- “Is the chair /the speaker (not) aware that…”.
- “Does the speaker (not) agree with me that…”.
- “The speaker stated in his/her speech… Doe he/she (not) realize that…”.
- “The delegate of … moves to amend the resolution by striking/inserting/adding the words…”.
- “The delegate of … urges the House to give its support by voting for/against this motion/resolution/ amendment”.
C) Phrases to be used by the chairman
- “The House will come to order” or “Will the house please come to order”.
- “The chair calls upon the delegate of … (the submitter) to read the resolution to the House”.
- “The House has heard the resolution. Is there a second?”.
- “The chair fixes a debate time of 10 minutes for and 10 minutes against the motion”.
- “The delegate of … has the floor”.
- “All points are out of order until the speaker has concluded his/her speech”.
- “The chair recognizes the delegate of…”.
- “To what point does the delegate of … rise?”.
- “Please rise and state you point of information/point of order”.
- “Will you please state your point in a form of a question”.
- “The speaker appears not to have heard/understood your question”.
- “Will you please repeat/rephrase your question”.
- “Are there any further points on the floor?”.
- “Are there any further points of information to this speaker?”.
- “There is a point of order on the floor. Please rise and state your point”.
- “Your point is (not) well taken”.
- “Will the speaker please make his/her concluding remarks”.
- “Debate time for/against the resolution/the amendment has been exhausted/has expired. Will the speaker please yield the floor”.
- “The chair proposes an extension of debate time by 5 minutes for and 5 minutes against the motion”.
- “The debate is now closed. We will moved into voting procedures”.
- “All points are out of order”.
- “The motion will now be put to the vote”.
- “Will all those in favour of the resolution/the amendment, please raise their placards”.
- “Will all those opposed to against/against the resolution, please raise their placards”.
- “Will all those abstaining, please raise their placards”.
- “The motion/the rzesolution/the amendment has passed by…”.
- “The motion/the resolution/the amendment has failed by…”.
- “With x votes in favour, y votes against and z votes abstaining, the motion/the resolution/the amendment has passed/failed”.
- “Clapping is (not) in order”.