Quote: Repeal "Abortion Rights"

A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution

Category: Repeal

Resolution: #61

Proposed by: Dorksonia

Description: UN Resolution #61: Abortion Rights (Category: Human Rights; Strength: Significant) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: RECOGNIZES that abortion is an issue where good people on each side of this issue disagree.

PRAISES the concern for women in crisis and with needs.

POINTS OUT Resolution #61 provides no details or reasons for it's argument.

EMPHASIZES Resolution #61 does not limit abortion to "Women's health" during later trimesters, but allows a woman to have an abortion for any reason whatsoever (age, gender of the baby, etc.), for no reason whatsoever, without parental consent, without spousal consent, and at any any point up to and including the ninth month of pregnancy.

ACKNOWLEDGES this repeal will not prohibit any abortions, but permit it to be a daily issue in which a nation may decide this issue for themselves.

NOTES people are passionate on both sides of this issue and repealing this issue will indeed be "pro-choice" (member nations may choose to permit abortions for any reason, limit it as they deem necessary, or prohibit).

CONSIDERS the further medical technology of prenatal surgery deeming the unborn child as a "patient" and questions if abortion does not protect the rights of these individuals based on their location.

QUESTIONS if women are able to make informed choices without further research into the pychological and emotional side effects of such a common surgical procedure.

REPEALS resolution #61 "Abortion Rights"[/quote]

Resolution 61 reads:

Quote: UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION #61
Abortion Rights

A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.


Category: Human Rights


Strength: Significant


Proposed by: Vistadin

Description: Henceforth all women shall have the right to choose whether to have an abortion or not, no member nation will interfere with a woman's right to have an abortion.

Votes For: 9,368
Votes Against: 6,549

Implemented: Sat Jun 5 2004 [/quote]

Quote: Anti-Terrorism Act

A resolution to improve world security by boosting police and military budgets.

Category: International Security

Strength: Strong

Proposed by: Cluichstani UN Mission

Description: The United Nations:

DEFINES, for the purposes of this resolution, international terrorism as the use or threatened use of violence for the purpose of achieving political, religious or ideological goals by non-state actors using methods aimed at coercing or intimidating governments or societies by targeting primarily and deliberately the civilian population and designed to change the existing political, religious or ideological order.

FURTHER DEFINES, for the purpose of this resolution, international terrorism as that which is conducted, organized and/or financed across international borders, as opposed to similar activities that might occur purely within the borders of a single state, with the exception of such activities that might occur during times of war.

CONCERNED by acts of international terrorism that endanger people worldwide, as well as the peace and security of all states.

1. CONDEMNS all acts of international terrorism, irrespective of wherever and by whomever they are committed.

2. SUPPORTS efforts to combat international terrorism, as well as developing new international instruments to counter international terrorism.

3. DECLARES that every state has the duty to refrain from organizing, assisting or participating in international terrorism or acquiescing in activities within its territories directed towards the commission of such acts.

4. MANDATES that member states shall:
A. Prevent, suppress and criminalize the financing of international terrorism
B. Freeze without delay funds or other financial assets or economic resources of persons who commit, intend to commit or facilitate the commission of international terrorist acts; of entities owned or controlled directly or indirectly by such persons; and of persons and entities acting on behalf of or at the direction of such persons or entities, including funds derived or generated from property owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such persons or associated persons and entities
C. Refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in international terrorism, including suppressing recruitment by international terrorist groups and eliminating the weapons stockpiles of such groups;
D. Deny, to the best of their knowledge and ability, safe haven or refuge to those who finance, organize, support or practice international terrorism;
E. Ensure that any person who participates in the financing, planning, preparation or perpetration of international terrorism is brought to justice, and that such acts are established as serious criminal acts in domestic law and that the punishment reflects the gravity of such acts; and
F. Afford one another the greatest measure of assistance in connection with criminal investigations or proceedings related to the financing or support of international terrorism, including assistance in obtaining evidence necessary for said proceedings.

5. URGES all member states to cooperate in preventing and suppressing international terrorism and in taking action against such act, though administrative and judicial means, and the exchange of intelligence, especially regarding actions or movements of international terrorists; forged or falsified travel documents; the use of communications technologies by international terrorist groups; and traffic in arms, explosives, or sensitive materials -- particularly weapons of mass destruction -- by international terrorists. [/quote]

Quote: Repeal "Gay Rights"

A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution

Category: Repeal

Resolution: #12

Proposed by: Omigodtheykilledkenny

Description: UN Resolution #12: Gay Rights (Category: Human Rights; Strength: Strong) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: This Assembly,

AFFIRMING that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals are deserving of full and equal protection under the law;

REAFFIRMING its earlier stance in Resolution #99: Discrimination Accord, that the resolution Gay Rights "in practice does virtually nothing to protect citizens' rights";

VOICING its concern that keeping poor, ineffectual legislation such as Resolution #12 on the books will do nothing to advance the cause for human rights, and will in fact hamper this body's ability to make further strides in that arena;

ACKNOWLEDGING that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals are ALREADY afforded substantial protections under international law through past declarations of this body; protections including, but not limited to:

1) Freedom to marry individuals of the same sex or gender;
2) Freedom to express their love for persons of the same gender;
3) Freedom from imprisonment based on sexuality;
4) Freedom from discrimination;
5) Freedom of sexual privacy; thus

DEEMING the Gay Rights resolution redundant and unnecessary;

MINDFUL that it is in the interests of the United Nations to streamline and strike out superfluous and ineffective legislation;

RECOGNIZING that the enactment of this article will NOT permit member states to discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender individuals; hereby

REPEALS Resolution #12: Gay Rights.[/quote]

Resolution 12 reads as follows:
Quote: UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION #12
Gay Rights

A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.


Category: Human Rights


Strength: Strong


Proposed by: Kundu

Description: WHEREAS it has been clearly witnessed there is an outspoken minority who wish to oppress gays.

We, the People's Republic of Kundu and the other peoples of the world wishing for the preservation of freedom and the respect of all hereby resolve that all member nations of the United Nations must pass laws protecting people from discrimination in all parts of life. We also resolve that gay marriages be protected and endorsed by law in the member nations.

Votes For: 12,705
Votes Against: 7,734

Implemented: Sat May 3 2003

[/quote]

Fair Trade of Alcoholic Beverages
A resolution to reduce barriers to free trade and commerce.

Category: Free Trade
Strength: Mild
Proposed by: Mikitivity

Description:
The NationStates United Nations,

AWARE that in some societies that the consumption of alcoholic beverages is illegal or heavily regulated;

NOTING that other societies allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages, but place heavy tariffs on imported alcoholic beverages, citing both quality of imported products and domestic based economic impacts;

CONVINCED that protective tariffs based solely on protecting and stimulating domestic economies can be detrimental to a free economy;

1. RECOGNIZES the right of UN members in which the actual consumption of alcoholic beverages is illegal or heavily regulated to maintain their restrictions on the import of foreign alcohol, provided that these members also do not engage in exporting their own domestically produced alcoholic beverages into other UN member states;

2. DEFINES a protective alcoholic beverages tariff to be any additional tax or charge placed on a similar type of non-domestically produced (i.e. imported) alcohol beverage;

3. ENCOURAGES nations to drop any protective alcohol tariffs on UN members and to freely engage in the global marketing, exporting, and importing of alcoholic beverages;

4. DESIGNATES any nation that has dropped all of its protective alcohol beverage tariffs on UN member imports as being in compliance with this accord;

5. AUTHORIZES any compliant nation to enact specific protective tariffs in response to tariffs placed on its alcoholic beverage exports by individual nations, provided that:

(a) these protective tariffs are limited to only similar alcoholic beverages coming from a nation which first enacted protective tariffs against the compliant nation's exports;

(b) these protective tariffs are approximately equal in net magnitude and / or economic cost;

6. RECOMMENDS that exported alcoholic beverages should list all of their ingredients and alcohol content so that the importing nations may assess both the purity and similarity of the exports.

In recent months there have usually been more than one proposal pending that has reached quorum and that are awaiting their turn on the UN floor for a vote.

One of the problems about not having dicussion until the vote opens is that, as a practical matter there is only three to four days for discussion here before a delegate has to cast a vote in order to make sure the region's votes are recorded in time.

I'd like to suggest that in the future, a thread be opened for each proposal once it reaches quorum. The opening post would still quote the entire proposal that will be voted on. Once the vote starts, then a poll thread can be opened, and the previous discussion could be merged into the poll thread for that proposal.

This would have the advantage of encouraging more extended discussion of a proposal before a vote has to be cast, and perhaps generate arguments and ideas that we can use on the Jolt forum, or for later proposals.

What does everyone think?

Quote: Repeal "The Rights of Labor Unions"

A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution

Category: Repeal

Resolution: #38

Proposed by: Leg-ends

Description: UN Resolution #38: The Rights of Labor Unions (Category: Social Justice; Strength: Strong) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: RECOGNISES that many member nations prefer the presence of Labor Unions in their economy.

NOTES that the abolition of all national labor unions would be extremely disastrous to the local economic atmosphere.

NOTES that Resolution #38, "The Right of Labor Unions", has serious flaws for the following reasons:

1) Does not allow the government to limit the scope of unions in areas vital to the well being of the nation, such as the military.

2) Does not give non-unionized workers protection against union discrimination.

3) Enables unions to appoint, rather than elect, their leaders, rig votes, or perform other such acts harmful to the workers

4) Allows wildcat strikes, secondary picketing and Union action outside of the rule of law

THEREFORE it is recommended that the each member nation decide on their own legislation concerning the implementation of unions.

REPEALS Resolution #38 "The Right of Labor Unions"

Voting Ends: Mon Jan 30 2006 [/quote]

Get your position recorded in this thread; the regional vote will be cast sometime on the evening of Sunday 29 January.

Greetings, friends. I bring you grave news: a cornerstone of workers' rights in the UN is under threat. Currently at vote is a repeal of the Rights of Labor Unions. Voting is very close indeed; fundamental workers' rights are hanging by a thread. To explain this threat more fully and highlight the lies inherent in the repeal, I enclose a message from our comrades in the Allied States of Euroislanders:

Quote: Good day. We would like to alert you to dangerous United Nations legislation that would all but completely shatter the rights of workers throughout the NationStates world.

This legislation is known as "Repeal the Rights of Labor Unions Act." It made its quorum for resolution status very quickly, only twenty-four hours after it was proposed! This legislative attempt at eroding the rights of the working class is misleading and filled with lies draped in the title of fact.

Don't let them fool you! Here are some of the false statements that this legislation tries to fabricate:

(the following is from the repeal legislation)
"NOTES that Resolution #38, "The Right of Labor Unions", has serious flaws for the following reasons:

1) Does not allow the government to limit the scope of unions in areas vital to the well being of the nation, such as the military...

4) Allows wildcat strikes, secondary picketing and Union action outside of the rule of law"

This is simply not true! The Rights of Laor Unions Act (NSUN Resolution #38) states:

"6. In exercising the rights provided for in this resolution workers and their respective organizations, like other persons or organized collectivities, shall respect the laws of their nations..."

Armies are maintained by the government themselves and are not subject to this law. Armies are protected by and subject their governments laws at the highest level. And any strikes organized by unions will have to be within the bounds of the laws of the land.

(from the repeal legislation)
"NOTES that Resolution #38, "The Right of Labor Unions", has serious flaws for the following reasons:

...2) Does not give non-unionized workers protection against union discrimination."

This again, is a falsehood. Section Five of NSUN Resolution #38 states:

"5. Workers shall enjoy adequate protection against acts of anti-union discrimination in respect of their employment, both at the time of entering employment and during the employment relationship."

The working class throughout NS fought hard for these rights. These very principles are vital to our livelihood. Why would we turn such power against those non-union members, when it would be more beneficial to engage in a healthy, working relationship with them? We don't seek to persecute, we seek to ensure our protection from oppressive employers whose focus is more on the bottom line than the welfare of it's employees.

(from the repeal legislation)
"..3) Enables unions to appoint, rather than elect, their leaders, rig votes, or perform other such acts harmful to the workers."

This is a blatantly false statement.

Section Four of NSUN Resolution #38 states:

"4. Unions and their national and international organizations shall be free from interference by the public authorities when drawing up their constitutions and rules, electing their representatives, organizing their administration and activities, and formulating their programs."


That's the beauty of unions: members elect their leaders! Without this, employers could easily try to impose their influence on unions by placing puppet candiates within them. If they were appointed, the union would be almost powerless.

It's lies like these that threaten our way of life, threaten our jobs, and threaten our livelihood. We must not allow this legislation to pass. If it were to pass, the life of the average person would be tied to the bottom line of corporations and tycoons.

We urge you, vote against the repeal! It may be your job, your life that hangs in the balance!

Thank you,

Richard Winters-Guarnere
President of New Ardennes
Member of the Allied States of EuroIslanders

Conor O'Harrington
President, Equality-Liberty
Senior Diplomat, ASE
Diplomatic Oversight Committee, ASE
Central Soviet, RLA
Executive Committee, RLA[/quote]
I urge you all to make your votes count and ensure this dangerous repeal fails.

Kind regards

Varia Yefremova
Speaker for International Relations

Lata Chakrabarti
Speaker to the UN

the Cloud-Water Community of Ecopoeia

I drafted this in the UN forum a while back, but it got bogged down, so I reposted there. I thought someone here might want to take a crack at it:

Quote: RECOGNIZING that the main investment in the creation of intellectual work is not the support needed to display it, but the time or materials spent in conceiving and creating the work;

NOTING that many nations have some sort of copyright law already in place;

SADDENED that these laws can be mutually incompatible, and can fail to protect copyright owners, especially if nations without copyright laws do not respect and enforce the copyright laws of other nations:

1. DEFINES, for the purpose of this resolution,

a) "intellectual work" as a work in which the physical materials used to represent it make up a minimal part of its value, and in which most of the value is intellectual;

b ) "copyright law" as a law that restricts the distribution of intellectual work;

c) "nation of production" as the nation in which an intellectual work, exactly as it appears in its completion, was first put into tangible form;

d) "tangible form" as a support in which the intellectual work appears in its complete form, with all creative value visible;

2. PRESERVES any and all copyrights applicable in the nation of production of any work in all UN nations, regardless of where it has been distributed;

3. PRESERVES any and all applicable rights given to the copyright holder by national copyright law throughout UN nations;

4. EMPOWERS copyright holders to restrict the nations in which their international work is distributed, especially for the purpose of protecting work from citizens in non-UN nations who are not required to abide by this resolution.[/quote]

Quote: Repeal "Stop dumping - Start Cleaning"

A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution

Category: Repeal

Resolution: #35

Proposed by: Safalra

Description: UN Resolution #35: Stop dumping - Start Cleaning (Category: Environmental; Industry Affected: All Businesses) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: The General Assembly,

Noting the passage of United Nations Resolution #35, 'Stop Dumping - Start Cleaning',

Unconvinced that local charities are the most effective organisations for rectifying large-scale environmental damage,

Regretting that the resolution fails to consider that uncontaminated waste water, a byproduct of many industrial processes, when cooled and aerated is no longer harmful to aquatic ecosystems,

Noting that 'filtering' refers only to the removal of particulate matter and will not remove most chemical contaminants,

Observing that the concept of a 'federal prison' is alien to member States without federated government,

Concerned that the specified legal sentences are insufficiently flexible and prevent State judiciaries from considering extenuating circumstances such as time spent in custody,

Affirming that the basis of a United Nations resolution should be a considered analysis of the situation and not emotive rhetoric,

1. Repeals United Nations Resolution #35, 'Stop Dumping - Start Cleaning';

2. Condemns the style of argument, false assumptions and ill-defined terms of the resolution;

3. Urges delegates to consider the differing structures of legislatures in member States when proposing future resolutions.

Voting Ends: Wed Jan 25 2006 [/quote]

The referenced resolution whose repeal is proposed provides that:
Quote: UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION #35
Stop dumping - Start Cleaning

A resolution to increase the quality of the world's environment, at the expense of industry.

Category: Environmental

Industry Affected: All Businesses

Proposed by: Whoway

Description: Our nations have gotten far 'out-of-hand.' Should it be illegal to dump toxic wastes? Yes! And there needs to be a more stiff punishment. We need to not only make it illegal to dump wastes into our streams, oceans, and city water removal systems; but we need to start non-profit, donation only organizations to start cleaning up what we have already destroyed! These organizations couldn?t harm our economies any, they are donation only; therefore they also won?t cause a tax raise. We can?t afford to not do this!

I hereby propose that we; UN members:

1.) Make it illegal, where not already, to dump wastes of any sort into public water systems. i.e.: Rivers, streams, oceans, ponds, city water removal systems, etc.

2.) Require business to ?filter? all liquid wastes.

3.) Breaking the 'Dumping' law requires either 5 to 7 years in a federal prison, fine up to $10,000 or 100 to 500 hours of community service. Governments court system's decision.

4.) The immediate government authorization to start a minimum of 3 non-profit, donation only 'cleaning' and 'citing' organizations per town or city. They will be authorized to distribute citations for dumping and use community service workers to clean up after ?dumpers.?

Votes For: 9,429
Votes Against: 5,490

Implemented: Tue Nov 4 2003 [/quote]

I would anticipate casting the region's vote on Tuesday night.

I'm not sure how many of you are fans of Spiderman, but I dug this up:

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies...spiderman.reut/

Basically it simply announced that Gwen Stacy will be introduced in Spiderman 3. Next to Ben & May Parker and Mary-Jane Watson, Gwen has always held a very important place in the conflict between Peter Parker and Spiderman (not to mention has given Spidey fans the ultimate reason to HATE the Green Goblin).