Quote: Repeal "Metric System "

A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution

Category: Repeal

Resolution: #24

Proposed by: David6

Description: UN Resolution #24: Metric System (Category: Free Trade; Strength: Strong) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: COMMENDING the scientific advantages of the metric system,

AGREEING with the importance of facilitating trade among member nations,

NOTING that Resolution #24 'Metric System' calls for the conversion of all measurements, both domestic and international,

QUESTIONING the need to have standardised measurements not being used for trade or science,

ALARMED at the vast and unnecessary cost of converting all measurements, regardless of their use,

BELIEVING that member nations should have the right to choose their own forms of measurement,

OBSERVING that systems of measurement may be as much a part of a nation's culture as language,

CONSIDERING that in light of these flaws there is be no direct international benefit to the forced conversion of domestic measurement units,

REPEALS Resolution #24 "Metric System."

Voting Ends: Sun Apr 29 2007[/quote]

Quote: Maritime Neutrality Covention

A resolution to restrict political freedoms in the interest of law and order.

Category: Political Stability

Strength: Mild

Proposed by: Cobdenia

Description: The United Nations,

REALISING that merchant shipping is considered a legitimate target in warfare,

BELIEVING, however, that unrestricted attacks on merchant shipping, particularly neutral shipping or within neutral waters, can lead to international repercussions or otherwise hazard non-belligerent shipping and civilians,

NOTING that belligerent warships may require the use of neutral ports for repairs and maintenance,

The UN hereby,

1) a)DEFINES ?neutral shipping? as merchant vessels registered in non-belligerent nations during a time of war;
b) FURTHER DEFINES "merchant vessels" as non-offensively armed/unarmed vessels carrying cargo or passengers,

2) DEFINES ?national waters?, for the purposes of this document, as the seas or ocean within the 12 nautical miles adjoining a national coastline; where a body of water is less then 25 nautical miles wide, a one nautical mile channel equidistant from the coastlines is to be considered as international waters,

3) DEFINES a ?warship? as an offensively armed vessel, be it surface vessel or submarine, operating under the authority of a national government or international alliance;

4) PROHIBITS a warship, except in the case of persistent refusal to stop on being duly summoned, or of active resistance to visit or search, from intentionally sinking or rendering incapable of navigation a merchant vessel, be it belligerent or neutral, without having first placed passengers, crew and ship's papers in a place of safety. For this purpose the ship's boats are not regarded as a place of safety,

5) DECLARES all merchant shipping, be it neutral or belligerent, within the national waters of a neutral nation to be inviolable,

6) PROHIBITS attacks on neutral shipping, except in the following circumstances:
a) When neutral shipping is within the national waters of an enemy nation;
b) When there is reasonable cause to suspect that the neutral ship is proceeding to an enemy port;
c) When there is reasonable cause to suspect that a merchant ship or warship of an enemy nation is displaying the ensign of a neutral mercantile marine or naval force.

7) PROHIBITS belligerent warships from entering the national waters of a neutral nation under threat of internment, except in cases of extremely inclement weather, or when entering a neutral port in order to undergo repairs urgent for seaworthiness, in which case the following must be adhered to:
a) A team of nautical experts from the neutral nation are to assess the damage to the ship and estimate the maximum time required to repair the ship;
b) No repairs are to be made that will in anyway increase the fighting efficiency of the warship. This includes, but is not limited too, repairs the weaponry, re-armament, radar, sonar and asdic equipment. Only repairs to ensure seaworthiness are permitted;
c) A belligerent warship may not leave a neutral port until twenty-four hours after the departure of a merchant ship of an adversary;
d) Should a warship be discovered not to require any repairs, overstay the time period set for repairs, or be in neutral waters without good cause, the warship and it?s complement are to be interned;
e) Should prisoners of war be present on the warship when it docks in the neutral port, the prisoners of war are to be handed over to the neutral government and interned. Such internees are not to be considered prisoners of war, however they will be entitled to the rights entitled to prisoners of war.

Voting Ends: Tue Apr 24 2007 [/quote]

Name:
Long Lines at Election Time

Description:
Long lines caused by a limited number of polling places and slow volunteer poll workers have helped contribute to a record low voter turnout. ?What good is a democracy if you have to wait in line 4 hours to vote!?

Options:
[option] ?You get what you pay for. Since our poll workers are all volunteers (most of whom are retired), they don?t feel the need to move along quickly,? argued @@RANDOMNAME@@ of the @@NAME@@ Citizen?s League of Voters. ?Let?s pay people to work the polls. That would encourage more people to volunteer and would shorten the wait time.?
[effect] ballots are frequently misplaced each election by 10-year old poll workers,
[stats] political freedoms increase slightly, voter apathy decreases slightly, tax rate increases slightly

[option] ?Good things come to those who wait,? answered volunteer poll worker @@RANDOMNAME@@. ?A democracy is not a fast food restaurant! It takes time to check to make sure people haven?t voted twice. Voting is a responsibility, so if people aren?t happy with long lines, they should just stay at home.?
[effect] polling place lines wrap around buildings as voters wait for hours to cast their ballots,
[stats] voter apathy increases significantly, political freedoms decrease slightly, civil freedoms increase slightly

[option] ?Why do we even need polling places? Why not simply allow us to mail our ballots,? asked voter @@RANDOMNAME@@. ?Naturally to be fair to the poor, the government should pay the cost of postage.?
[effect] mail-in ballots are often misplaced with junk mail,
[stats] tax rate increases slightly, voter apathy increases slightly, political freedoms increase slightly

[option] Local judge @@RANDOMNAME@@ suggested, ?We require people to serve on jury duty. If it were up to me, I would make a lottery where people are randomly selected and required to serve election duty.?
[effect] poll workers often show up late to election duty,
[stats] civil freedoms decrease slightly, voter apathy decreases slightly, political freedoms increase slightly

Respected citizens of The International Democratic Union;

First, I would like to commend the leaders of this region for working so hard to ensure that strong and fair legislation is passed into United Nations law.

Allow me to introduce myself, I am The Duchess Carlotta Guidicelli from the great region of The North Pacific. My proud home, off and on, for almost 2 years.

I am currently working on a very important piece of legislation that I feel is vital for the protection of United Nations citizens.

The brief I am going to post is a very rough draft and I have come to this forum in hopes to get it off the ground. I welcome all comments, questions and suggestions.

Quote: Alarmed that not all United Nations governments know the demographic make-up of their respected populations including, but not limited to, age, gender, race, household income, marital status, etc.

Concerned that free citizens are not equally represented in democratic legislation, social welfare programs, and other government programs.  (I need additional examples, please make suggestions!)

Requires that all United Nations governments perform a ten-year population census that is to be conducted by a Census Bureau set up by the governing body of the nation.[/quote]

I am hoping to get this proposal off the ground and submitted before the United Nations in two weeks.

Thank you.

La Duchess de Guidicelli

Quote: Cultural Heritage in War

A resolution to promote funding and the development of education and the arts.

Category: Education and Creativity

Area of Effect: Cultural Heritage

Proposed by: Quintessence of Dust

Description: The United Nations,

Believing that notable articles of cultural heritage constitute a legacy for all people,

Noting the heightened risk to such articles during armed conflict,

Convinced that the preservation of cultural heritage for all is a goal both worthy of and requiring international action and agreement,

Equally not wishing to unduly infringe upon the sovereign territory and right to self-defence of its member nations:

1. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution, "cultural heritage" as:
- articles of great cultural value, and especially those bearing archaeological, artistic, historical or religious significance;
- areas and buildings primarily used for the storage and display of such items, such as galleries, libraries and museums;
- sites officially recognised as being used solely for archaeological excavation;
- any other articles agreed on by parties to the armed conflict as protected cultural property, or designated as such in international law;

2. Declares that this resolution shall be considered to apply in times of armed conflict, which shall include:
- armed conflict between two or more state parties;
- civil war recognised as such by both internal and external parties;
- armed insurrection or civil disturbance leading to a declaration of a state of emergency;

3. Requires member nations to refrain from, and prevent to the best abilities their forces and the civilian populations of areas under their control from engaging in:
- the deliberate and targeted destruction or damage of cultural heritage, except where such articles are being used for military purposes by opposing forces, or where damage to such articles is unavoidable, or necessary for the preservation of military or civilian life;
- the desecration, vandalism, theft or taking as reparations of cultural heritage;
- the use of sites of cultural heritage for any military purposes, excepting the treatment of casualties;

4. Condemns all acts in contravention of this resolution and calls upon member nations to investigate, try, and where found guilty punish those involved in such acts.

Voting Ends: Thu Apr 19 2007[/quote]

Quote: Repeal "Mutual Recognition of Borders"

A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution

Category: Repeal

Resolution: #190

Proposed by: Omigodtheykilledkenny

Description: UN Resolution #190: Mutual Recognition of Borders (Category: Global Disarmament; Strength: Significant) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: Determined to preserve global peace and stability through international initiatives to prevent unnecessary violence and bloodshed;

Pleased with the progress made so far in that area, in the shape of numerous resolutions seizing the United Nations and its membership of the matter, further promoting peaceful relations between member states, and mitigating the harmful effects of warfare on innocents;

Dismayed, however, that Mutual Recognition of Borders accomplishes next to nothing to that end;

Unimpressed by the resolution's establishment of a committee to review disputed borders, with no clear purpose, constitution, duties, or mandate that parties seeking its assistance agree to abide by its findings;

Concerned that wasteful and superfluous committees such as this will do nothing to promote global peace and security or prevent unnecessary loss of life in wars stemming from border disputes;

Disappointed that the resolution contains no check whatsoever against colonialist or imperialist aggressions;

Troubled that aggressor nations seeking to wage war on their neighbors and contribute to regional and international instability could conceivably circumvent the mandates of this article by simply disputing currently undisputed international borders;

Convinced that the recognition of international borders should remain the province of the nations who share them;

We hereby resolve, in witness of all here assembled, that Resolution #190: Mutual Recognition of Borders contributes little more than wasteful bureaucracy and pointless lip-service to the worthy goal of containing the imperialist ambitions of corrupt powers and protecting the peoples of disputed territories from the catastrophic effects of resulting border wars, and is therefore repealed.

Voting Ends: Sat Apr 14 2007 [/quote]

The original resolution:

Quote: UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION #190
Mutual Recognition of Borders

A resolution to slash worldwide military spending.

Category: Global Disarmament

Strength: Significant

Proposed by: Love and esterel

Description: The United Nations,

-A- OBSERVING that border disputes and claims by more than one nation over a territory are significant sources of wars and cause excessive damage to international cultural, economic, humanitarian and scientific relationships:


-1- REQUIRES every member to recognize officially and definitely their currently undisputed international borders with other UN members and the undisputed international borders shared amongst UN members;

-2- ESTABLISHES the Committee for Mutual Recognition of Borders (CMRoB) to help members who want to (i) clarify their borders and (ii) seek neutral third party mediation;

-3- URGES members to seek neutral third party mediation, such as the CMRoB, for peaceful, fair and balanced solutions, during current and future border disputes;

-4- APPLAUDS AND ENCOURAGES all efforts by nations in the world to mutually, officially or definitely recognize their international borders and all efforts to peacefully resolve related disputes;

-5- URGES members to establish border crossing points with other members with whom they share a border, in order to increase international cultural, economic, humanitarian and scientific relationships.


NB: A territory, or a part of it, may belong to several nations, in the case that these nations are each in a different plane (or another dimension) of our NS multiverse.

Co-authored by Ceorana

Votes For: 7,208
Votes Against: 5,351

Implemented: Thu Dec 14 2006 [/quote]

Quote: Repeal "Sexual Freedom"

A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution

Category: Repeal

Resolution: #7

Proposed by: David6

Description: UN Resolution #7: Sexual Freedom (Category: Human Rights; Strength: Strong) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: The United Nations,

ASSERTING that the citizens of member nations have the right to sexual privacy as declared in Resolution #7 ?Sexual Freedom?,

NOTING the passage of Resolution #192 ?Sexual Privacy Act?,

OBSERVING the indefiniteness of the phrase ?except for medical reasons? used in Sexual Freedom, as opposed to the detail given in Sexual Privacy Act,

CONSIDERING that Sexual Freedom lacks an exception for criminal or civil investigative activity, while Sexual Privacy Act contains this reasonable and necessary exception,

WORRIED that the accurate definitions and additional exception in Sexual Privacy Act are useless with the continued presence of Sexual Freedom and its uncertain and subjective phrasing, and will remain so until Sexual Freedom is fully rendered null and void;

CONVINCED that Sexual Freedom is no longer necessary, as Sexual Privacy Act guarantees both sexual freedom and privacy,

INTENDING to streamline the operations of the United Nations by eliminating resolutions that are extraneous and hinder those that better serve the aims of this organization;

REPEALS Resolution #7 "Sexual Freedom"

Voting Ends: Mon Apr 9 2007 [/quote]


Here is the original resolution:

Quote: 
UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION #7
Sexual Freedom

A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.

Category: Human Rights

Strength: Strong

Proposed by: Armstrongonia

Description: What goes on between two (or more) consenting adults in the privacy of their homes should not be the concern of the state unless it is neccesary to enquire about the afore mentioned activities for medical reasons (e.g. if the individuals wish to give blood etc.).

Votes For: 2,538
Votes Against: 318

Implemented: Thu Mar 13 2003 [/quote]

Jolt Discussion

Drug Trafficking Act

Category: International Security
Strength: Mild

The General Assembly,

Recognising the right of nations to legalise, illegalise, restrict or tax recreational drugs as they see fit, within the bounds of any past or future UN resolutions concerning such substances,

Aware that nations with widely differing policies on recreational drugs may share borders,

Conscious of the high priority many nations place on maintaining strong border control,

Asserting that nations on both sides of any international border are equally responsible for the prevention of the illegal trafficking of any goods, in either direction, across said border,

Recognising the right of nations to punish, according to their own laws, persons convicted of the production, transport, purchase or supply of illegal substances within their borders,

Worried that lack of accord over such issues may lead to conflict and division between UN member states, persecution of innocent states or individuals ostensibly to prevent traffic of recreational drugs, and/or aggressive support of illegal traffickers in order to strain, subvert and destabilise national law enforcement agencies,

1. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution, drugs as chemical substances that affect the central nervous system, causing changes in behavior and/or potential addiction, and defining all drugs as being recreational, unless they are widely recognised by individual nations as legitimate medical substances and used in a manner deemed appropriate by medical experts;

2. Demands that all nations, in taking action to suppress illegal drug trafficking, recognise the sovereignty of other nations; neither pressuring said nations to adopt changes in their recreational drugs policy, nor violating international borders in military or policing actions, covert or otherwise, without consent; nor using domestic recreational drugs policy as justification for any breach of human rights or international law;

3. Requires that no nation take action against recreational drug production by biological, chemical or biochemical methods, such as the introduction of crop-destroying pests or of abortive strains, which may be judged likely to affect the production of nations wherein said crops are legal, or likely to create health risks;

4. Requests that the law enforcement, customs and border officials of any nations sharing borders cooperate and share information, as judged relevant by both nations, in order to better prevent illegal traffic;

5. Urges that all nations producing recreational drugs closely monitor and publish records dealing with the production capacity and exchange record of any body or individual producing, transporting or purchasing such substances other than for personal consumption;

6. Recognises the right of vessels, engaged in the transport of recreational drugs legal in both exporting and importing countries, to use international territory without threat of impediment or harassment from other nations;

7. Reaffirms the right of nations to monitor vessels using international territory in order to prevent illicit activity;

8. Recognises the duty of both exporting and importing nations to closely monitor said goods at point of departure and arrival;

9. Recognises the right of nations to deny entry to vessels transporting recreational drugs.

Co-authored by Rehochipe

Quote: Repeal "UN Patent Law"

A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution

Category: Repeal

Resolution: #156

Proposed by: Kelssek

Description: UN Resolution #156: UN Patent Law (Category: Free Trade; Strength: Significant) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: RECOGNISING the desirability of harmonising international patent regulations; however,

CONVINCED that the harm of a patent should not be greater than the corresponding public benefit; and,

CONCERNED by the failure of the UN Patent Law to provide exceptions for vitally important items, such as lifesaving medicines, which has caused lives to be lost due to the unaffordability of patented medicines and the constraining of UN member nations from independently carrying out the production of such medicines; and,

BELIEVING that the international patent system contains inherent flaws, that it poses impediments to the welfare of the people of the world and to economic efficiency, that other incentive systems besides monopoly profits are possible, and hence that it should not be uncompromisingly enforced upon the world;

NOW THEREFORE, the United Nations, in council assembled,

ABOLISHES the United Nations Patent Registry; and,

REPEALS Resolution 156, "UN Patent Law".

Voting Ends: Fri Mar 30 2007 [/quote]

Alcohol Tariff Reductions
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 alcohol, 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 in fact be detrimental to a free economy;

1. RECOGNIZES the right of UN members in which the actual consumption of alcohol is highly 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 alcohol tariff to be any additional tax or charge placed on a similar type of non-domestically produced (i.e. imported) alcohol beverage;

3. ACKNOWLEDGES the sovereign right of nations to equally tax similar alcoholic beverage, both domestic and non-domestic, bearing the condition that the exporting nation is a UN member;

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

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

6. AUTHORIZES any compliant nation to enact specific protective tariffs in response to tariffs placed on its alcoholic beverage exports by individual nations, provided that 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 and that these protective tariffs are approximately equal in net magnitude and / or economic cost; and

7. 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.

Approvals: 27 (Yelda, Icycomb, David6, Jey, WZ Forums, Flibbleites, -Belka, Tellarites, East Hylia, Dannoville, Gallantaria, Bivland, Capitalist Haven, Derbb, Ellenburg, The Alleghenies, Arturo the beaner, The Liberation Armies, Digitaldossier, Deutscher Geist, The 42, D a w s o n, Master Revan, Knothole Forest, Delanith, Theodocia, Roman Restoration)

Status: Lacking Support (requires 84 more approvals)

Voting Ends: Tue Mar 20 2007