http://www.nationstates.net/57637/page=U...l/start=30

Humanitarian Transport Convention

Category: Human Rights
Strength: Mild
Proposed by: Mikitivity

Description:
The World Assembly,

CONCERNED about the absence of international standards governing the conduct of nations in international territory,

ACKNOWLEDGING that nations transport basic humanitarian supplies, including doctors and medical supplies as well as prisoners of war and other non-combatants through international territories,

CONCERNED that vessels moving humanitarian supplies or prisoners of war by land, air, sea, or space could also be used to move other cargo used in the conflict at the same time,

DEEPLY DISTURBED at the possibility that parties in a conflict could use prisoners of war or humanitarian supplies as shields for other military activities,

OBSERVING that no international standard has been established to make it easier for nations to identify and recognize other vessels used to transport prisoners, non-combatants, and humanitarian supplies,

1. CONSIDERS items and persons not being used to directly support combat operations, including prisoners of war, doctors and other medical experts, medical supplies, basic food and water supplies, sick and wounded combatants, and civilians to be humanitarian cargoes,

2. DISCOURAGES the practice of transporting humanitarian cargoes in the same vessel(s) or convoy as materials directly supporting combat operations,

3. RECOMMENDS that when possible, that exclusive vessels and convoys be used to transport humanitarian cargoes,

4. CALLS UPON nations to adopt a standard for identifying their humanitarian transports, such as painting the hull of dedicated humanitarian vessels completely white or flagging the vessels with an internationally recognized symbol associated with humanitarian aid,

5. URGES nations to follow this code of conduct and to inform the international community what standards they have adopted to identify their humanitarian transports,

6. DECLARES the right of humanitarian vessels to maintain defensive weapons and to have free and safe passage in international territories by prohibiting nations from firing upon vessels that are only carrying humanitarian cargoes,

7. REQUIRES humanitarian vessels to not initiate hostilities with any other vessel or targets unless first attacked and to not actively support offensive campaigns,

8. AUTHORIZES any national vessel within hailing distance of a humanitarian vessel to request, if there is sufficient cause, the humanitarian vessel to transmit their cargo manifest and prepare for boarding and inspection,

9. FURTHER REQUIRES humanitarian vessels to present a cargo manifest and to submit to the above inspection,

10. MANDATES that any searches conducted on humanitarian vessels must not put those vessels or their passengers or crew in any danger,

11. AUTHORIZES parties searching humanitarian vessels to seize any non-humanitarian cargoes, as defined in clause 1, including items listed on the cargo manifest,

12. PROHIBITS searching vessels from firing upon any humanitarian vessel that has provided its cargo manifest, allowed a search, and surrendered any non-humanitarian cargoes,

13. REQUESTS nations develop separate agreements to strengthen the basic goal protecting humanitarian cargoes,

14. EXPRESSES ITS HOPE that as more nations agree to standards of practice making transporting humanitarian cargoes safer, more nations will provide humanitarian aid.

Quote: The Right to a Fair Trial
A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.


Category: Human Rights
Strength: Strong
Proposed by: South Oceana

Description: Observing that there is currently no guarantee of justice for those accused of criminal acts.

Noting that convictions are often unsafe due to the absence of any legal requirements for a trial under international law

Remarking that miscarriages of justice are common.

Believing that it should be everyone?s right to be protected from malicious and unfair prosecution by law.

Further believing that the more rigorous examination of evidence seen in a fair trial will lead to fewer innocent people being unfairly punished.

Hereby mandates that all WA member nations guarantee a fair trial to anyone facing prosecution in their territory, in accordance with the following requirements:

Article 1 ? That the accused be seen as innocent until proven guilty beyond all reasonable doubt, thus placing the onus of proof on the prosecuting authority.

Article 2 ? That the defendant be given the right to present his case or to be represented by a person of his choosing.

Article 3 ? That the evidence shall be considered by an impartial jury of no less than 5 people and presided over by a judge with knowledge of the laws being applied and the requirements for a trial.

Article 4 ? That all persons shall have the right to remain silent when questioned, and exercising this right shall not be used as evidence against them in court.

Article 5 ? That information and testimony may not be extracted under duress or using any form of physical or psychological torture.

Article 6 ? That the defendant shall have the right to question any witness who provides evidence.

Article 7 ? That the defendant be entitled to appeal against both the sentence and verdict that has been passed.

Article 8 ? That any punitive sentence passed by a court be proportional to the crime committed.

Article 9 ? That the proceedings of the trial conclude within a reasonable time period.


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I've been working on this

Quote: Ways and Means

Category: Furtherment of Democracy
Strength: Mild

Description: The World Assembly,

REALISING that the operations of this World Assembly itself, and of whatever agencies and programmes it might establish through other resolutions, will need to be paid for in some way,

RECOGNISING that it is nations themselves (as represented by their governments), rather than the inhabitants of those nations, that hold membership in this Assembly,

UNDERSTANDING that the diversity of economic systems, strengths and traditions amongst those nations, coupled with respect for their governments? rights, would make any attempts at setting taxes within those nations by the World Assembly highly undesirable;

1. DECLARES that the World Assembly and its agencies and programmes shall be funded primarily by contributions levied from its member nations, but does not attempt to specify how those nations? governments should raise the money concerned;

2. ESTABLISHES the Assembly Budgetary Committee (or ABC), which shall
i. Draw up budgets for the World Assembly, and for its agencies and programmes;
ii. Determine how the costs of funding those budgets shall be shared out amongst the member nations in the fairest way possible;
iii. Receive and distribute those funds;
iv. Publish full and accurate accounts, along with independent auditors? reports on these, annually;
v. To oversee the financial management of all World Assembly departments, agencies and programmes, and the financial affairs of senior staff employed in those operations, in order to minimise corruption, fraud and waste;

3. REQUIRES that all member nations pay their assessed contributions to the ABC promptly and in full, unless the ABC accepts that they are genuinely kept from doing so by emergencies;

4. ESTABLISHES an agency called the World Assembly Arbitration Tribunals (or WAAT), commands this to act justly, and gives it the authority
i. To hear appeals by national governments against decisions of the ABC;
ii. To impose binding arbitration in those cases;
iii. To recover the costs of hearing each case from whichever of the parties to that case it considers appropriate;

5. STATES that any voluntary donations to any WA agencies or programmes must be channelled through the ABC, which shall not tell those agencies and programmes who the donors were, except when governments are specifically funding operations within their own territories;

6. RESERVES the right to pass resolutions that would over-rule national governments? policies on taxation
i. To regulate customs duties, tariffs, and any other taxes and official charges that apply to international trade, for the specific purpose of promoting that trade;
ii. To reduce or end the possible inclusion of unfair discrimination in those policies;

7. ACKNOWLEDGES that control of all other legislation about all other aspects of taxation is and remains a sovereign right for each of the separate national governments;

8. RESERVES the right to specify, when creating WA agencies through further resolutions, whether these shall have the power to charge fees for their services;

9. URGES all national governments to include some form of democratic process in their procedures for making decisions about budgets and taxation.[/quote]
in the WA forum for the last few days, and will probably submit it as soon as I can once St Edmund (which has only just joined the WA) has acquired the necessary 2 endorsements. What do people here think about it?

Quote: Rights and Duties of WA States
A resolution to restrict political freedoms in the interest of law and order.


Category: Political Stability
Strength: Mild
Proposed by: Frisbeeteria

Description: World Assembly membership in NationStates is a choice, not a requirement. Those of us who chose to participate have certain responsibilities to ourselves, each other, and the entire NationStates community. At the same time, we as NationStates have certain rights and responsibilities that we do not willingly relinquish when we chose to join the World Assembly.

It is therefore vital to clearly delineate what constitutes sovereign law versus international law passed by this World Assembly. This document will attempt to enumerate those most basic of rights, as they exist within and as defined by the World Assembly of NationStates.

A Declaration on Rights and Duties of WA States:

Section I:

The Principle of National Sovereignty:

Article 1 ? Every WA Member State has the right to independence and hence to exercise freely, without dictation by any other NationState, all its legal powers, including the choice of its own form of government.

Article 2 ? Every WA Member State has the right to exercise jurisdiction over its territory and over all persons and things therein, subject to the immunities recognized by international law.

Article 3 ? Every WA Member State has the duty to refrain from unrequested intervention in the internal or external economic, political, religious, and social affairs of any other NationState, subject to the immunities recognized by international law.

Section II:

Rights and Duties in War:

Article 4 ? Every WA Member State has the right of individual or collective self-defense against armed attack.

Article 5 ? War in the World of NationStates is defined as a consensual act between two or more NationStates. WA Member States may, at their discretion, intercede against declarations of war on behalf of NationStates who wish to avoid war.

Article 6 ? Every WA Member State has the duty to refrain from fomenting civil strife in the territory of another NationState, and to prevent the organization within its territory of activities calculated to foment such civil strife.

Article 7 ? Every WA Member State has the duty to refrain from giving assistance to any NationState which is acting in violation of Article 5 or 6. Every WA Member State has the duty to refrain from recognizing any territorial acquisition by another NationState acting in violation of Article 5 or 6.

Section III:

The Role of the World Assembly:

Article 8 ? Every WA Member State has the right to equality in law with every other WA Member State.

Article 9 ? Every WA Member State has the duty to carry out in good faith its obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law, including this World Assembly, and it may not invoke provisions in its constitution or its laws as an excuse for failure to perform this duty.

Article 10 ? Whilst WA Member States may engage in wars, the World Assembly as a body maintains neutrality in matters of civil and international strife. As such, the WA will not engage in commanding, organising, ratifying, denouncing, or otherwise participating in armed conflicts, police actions, or military activities under the WA banner.

Article 11 ? Every WA Member State has the duty to conduct its relations with other NationStates in accordance with international law and with the principle that the sovereignty of each WA Member State is subject to the supremacy of international law.


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With all UN resolutions going to be null and void within a matter of days, we need fast replacements. Here is a good first one:

Quote: 

The World Assembly,

WHEREAS many human beings still are subject to atrocities worldwide,

RECOGNISING that all people need firm rules to protect their human and civil rights,

CONCERNED that no such resolution exists,

HEREBY-

- DECLARES that all humans worldwide have the following rights:

1. The right to speak freely, as long as such speech could genuinely endanger public security.

2. The right to assemble peacefully in public.

3. The right to not be tortured or subjected to cruel, unusual or humiliating punishment.

4. No person shall be forced into slavery.

5. No person shall be discriminated against because of their race, sex, skin colour or beliefs.

6. Every person is under and must abide by the law.

7. Every person is entitled to a fair trial, and is innocent before proven guilty.

8. Every person has the right to a nationality, and may not be deprived of it, or be refused the right to change it.

9. Every person may hold property and may not be deprived of it.

10. The authority of any government should be based on the will of the people.

11. Every person has the right to work for equal pay, to leisure time, adequate living standards and an education.

12. Every person has the right to reasonable privacy.

- MANDATES that all states and people of the world are to respect these rights.

-    COMMISSIONS the International Board of Human Rights (IBHR) to ensure that all people have and respect these rights.

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What'dya think?

So the April Fool's day joke is no joke, but do we support the World Assembly?
Quote: The World Assembly
A resolution to establish administrative parameters.


Category: Book-keeping
Strength: Sweeping
Proposed by: Maxtopia

Description: The Adopted Nations of the World Assembly,

NOTING that the United Nations has spectacularly imploded in a colossal fireball of extra-dimensional inanity;

BELIEVING that there is a vital and needed role for a global organizational body;

FURTHER NOTING that there are an awful lot of United Nations Resolutions;

FURTHER BELIEVING that the demise of the United Nations may be fashioned into a grand opportunity for nations to draw a new destiny;

HEREBY

1. ESTABLISHES the World Assembly as the natural successor to the United Nations, with the full transfer of all Delegate ranks and associated endorsements;

2. ARCHIVES all previously passed UN Resolutions for historical purposes, so that citizens of today may forever look back upon the masterwork of their ancestors;

3. DECLARES the pages of international law to be blank;

4. INVITES members of the World Assembly to begin work on a new volume, which may in time exceed even the grandeur of its predecessor.


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The foreign ministry of Jagera sends greetings to all of our new regional companions. It is our fervent desire to work together with all of the honourable members here with the goal of enhancing the IDU.

(I was on here a while ago as Jonquiere-Tadoussac, but have decided to make a fresh start of it. I did come right back here, though, so that's gotta say something for the quality of people in this region!)

Quote: 

Repeal "Ban Single-Hulled Tankers"
A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution


Category: Repeal
Resolution: #11
Proposed by: Jey

Description: UN Resolution #11: Ban Single-Hulled Tankers (Category: Environmental; Industry Affected: All Businesses) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: The General Assembly of the United Nations,

APPLAUDING the attempts of Resolution #11: "Ban Single-Hulled Tankers" to prevent serious environmental damages involving oil tanker ships;

NOTING WITH REGRET that Resolution #11 makes no legislative effort to actually prevent the oil spills referenced to, only providing the rhetoric that the United Nations "must unite to ban single-hulled tankers and endorse the use of double-hulled tankers";

CONVINCED that serious environmental issues such as oil spills should be addressed by the United Nations with legislation that contains actionable language to fulfill its intent;

UNDERSTANDING that it is in the interests of the United Nations to eliminate legislation that contains nothing more than rhetoric;

BELIEVING that more comprehensive and effective legislation can and should be enacted to eliminate serious environmental hazards;

REPEALS Resolution #11: "Ban Single-Hulled Tankers."


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Hello from the Commonwealth of Frontenax!

I am new to NationStates and after searching for a while, I think i've found the place where I want to be. I love the forum, everything is so well-done and organized! I can't wait to get started here

I received this telegram recently:
Quote: Dear UN Member,

Please consider endorsing my repeal of the resolution "Ban Single-Hulled Tankers". This resolution, while having an admirable intent to protect the environment, does so little to just that. "Ban Single-Hulled Tankers" is simply an essay arguing for the benefits of double-hulled tankers, while "asking" that nations might ban single-hulled tankers. By repealing this ambiguous resolution, we can pave the way for legislation which comprehensively protects many environmental hazards, not simply oil spills. Please consider endorsing this repeal to remove an ineffectual law from the books.

The repeal is listed here: http://www.nationstates.net/page=UN_prop...ch=tankers

Thank you very much for your time,
The Allied Empire of Jey

P.S. We sincerely apologize if you have received notification of this repeal previously.[/quote]

What do you guys think? I pulled the proposal he's talking about, it's below.

Quote: Repeal "Ban Single-Hulled Tankers"
A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution


Category: Repeal
Resolution: #11
Proposed by: Jey

Description: UN Resolution #11: Ban Single-Hulled Tankers (Category: Environmental; Industry Affected: All Businesses) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: The General Assembly of the United Nations,

APPLAUDING the attempts of Resolution #11: "Ban Single-Hulled Tankers" to prevent serious environmental damages involving oil tanker ships;

NOTING WITH REGRET that Resolution #11 makes no legislative effort to actually prevent the oil spills referenced to, only providing the rhetoric that the United Nations "must unite to ban single-hulled tankers and endorse the use of double-hulled tankers";

CONVINCED that serious environmental issues such as oil spills should be addressed by the United Nations with legislation that contains actionable language to fulfill its intent;

UNDERSTANDING that it is in the interests of the United Nations to eliminate legislation that contains nothing more than rhetoric;

BELIEVING that more comprehensive and effective legislation can and should be enacted to eliminate serious environmental hazards;

REPEALS Resolution #11: "Ban Single-Hulled Tankers."

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