[Enn]

Medical Blockade Restriction
A resolution to reduce barriers to free trade and commerce.

Category: Free Trade
Strength: Strong
Proposed by: Philimbesi

Description: UNDERSTANDING that in the course of international affairs, nations may from time to time place trade blockades on other nations.

REGRETTING that at times said blockades might restrict life saving drugs and personnel from attending the sick and wounded in the blocked nations.

ASSERTING that life is fundamentally more important than political or international affairs.

The World Assembly,

DEFINES Medical Supplies as any item used directly in life saving actions, or those used to sustain life after injury or disease.

DEFINES Medical Personnel as civilian doctors, nurses, or paramedical personnel

REQUIRES any blocking force or forces to grant vessels carrying medical supplies and personnel passage.

PERMITS the searching of delivery vessels in accordance with WA statues.

PROHIBITS the blocking of delivery of medical supplies or personnel to the citizens of blockaded nations.

[Jade Tigers]

This is not perfect by any means but is not bad enough to say no to and can be overturned in favor of a better modal later. So, yes.

[Bears Armed]

Unfortunately a rather major loophole slipped through during drafting: As several people have already commented during the official 'At Vote' thread, it means that every ship that is carrying any medical supplies whatsoever -- no matter how scanty these are -- must be let through the blockade... no matter what else the vessel in question might happen to be carrying, such as (for example) armaments...
Let's try to stop it now, so that we don't have to repeal it before getting an improved version passed: AGAINST.

[Enn]

Bears ArmedJan 9 2010, 04:34 AM Unfortunately a rather major loophole slipped through during drafting: As several people have already commented during the official 'At Vote' thread, it means that every ship that is carrying any medical supplies whatsoever -- no matter how scanty these are -- must be let through the blockade... no matter what else the vessel in question might happen to be carrying, such as (for example) armaments...
Let's try to stop it now, so that we don't have to repeal it before getting an improved version passed: AGAINST. [/quote]
I don't agree that that loophole actually exists. There's nothing stopping a blockading nation simply removing anything non-medical from a transiting vessel.

[Bears Armed]

EnnJan 9 2010, 01:39 AM Bears ArmedJan 9 2010, 04:34 AM Unfortunately a rather major loophole slipped through during drafting: As several people have already commented during the official 'At Vote' thread, it means that every ship that is carrying any medical supplies whatsoever -- no matter how scanty these are -- must be let through the blockade... no matter what else the vessel in question might happen to be carrying, such as (for example) armaments...
Let's try to stop it now, so that we don't have to repeal it before getting an improved version passed: AGAINST. [/quote]
I don't agree that that loophole actually exists. There's nothing stopping a blockading nation simply removing anything non-medical from a transiting vessel. [/quote]
Okay, having followed the arguments in detail, i agree that that loophole doesn't actually exist... although clearer wording of the proposal, to make that fact clearer, would have been desirable.
However, as I've already mentioned in the NS forum, that doesn't solve the potential situation where the ship itself is the 'contraband' whose delivery the blockading nation would wish to prevent: The current wording would allow neutral nations to supply belligerent powers with new vessels without legal obstruction being possible -- even with armed vessels -- as long as it used neutral (& preferably civilian) crews for the journey there and placed at least a tiny amount of medical stores on board each ship...

[Enn]

Hmm. That is a good point, not one that had occurred to me. I'll shift Enn's vote to an abstention. Which shifts the regional vote to an abstention, unless something else happens (and I'm online to see it) in the next 20 hours.

[Jade Tigers]

Actually, if you read carefully, there is nothing to stop a blockading nation from removing the medical supplies and personel, then sending the original ship back home, so long as the supplies and personel are delivered to their original destination. It says nothing about who has to do the delivering.

That said, yes it could have been more specific on those points, which is part of what I mentioned previously about it not being perfect.