[Mikitivity]

Civilian Rights Post War
A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.

Category: Human Rights
Strength: Strong
Proposed by: Waterana

Description:
Recognising war is an inevitable part of the NationStates world.

Fully aware there is a standing resolution already protecting the rights of POWs.

Alarmed by the absence of protections for non-combatants living in an occupied nation after a war has ended, and the possible abuses that can and are being perpetrated against conquered civilians by invading nations.

Convinced measures are necessary for the protection and fair treatment of non-combatants not involved in the armed forces of any nation involved in the war.

A non-combatant is a civilian of any age who did not take up arms against the invading nation either before or after the cessation of hostilities.
The invading nation(s) is those who are in occupation of all or part of the conquered nation after the cessation of hostilities.

Declares that immediately following the cessation of hostilities in any war all UN invader nation(s) involved in the occupation will implement the following?.

- All conquered non-combatants must be treated with dignity and respect regardless of sex, age, position in society, religion or cultural group
- The invading nation must, immediately after cessation of hostilities, provide protection and security to the conquered civilian population against violence and looting.
- No non-combatant will be prevented from leaving the conquered nation with any personal possessions they wish to take, however the invading nation is within its rights to prevent anyone entering said nation.

- No non-combatant will be subjected to summary execution.
- No arrests are allowed without just cause and any person who is detained must be charged with a recognised crime and brought to trial as quickly as possible.
- No searches of private homes, businesses or places of worship may be carried out without just cause.
- Body searches of non-combatants are not allowed without just cause and if done the procedure must be carried out in a private setting. Any searches of women must be carried out by and only in the presence of female soldiers or police. No such searches of children are permitted.
- No non-combatants will be forcibly removed from their home or district and relocated unless such a move is necessary for their own safety in cases of unsafe structures, insurgent activity or other just reasons. They must be allowed to return as soon as possible after the problem is solved.

- The invading nation must rapidly restore medical services and hospitals within the conquered nation and provide medical aid to those non-combatants who require it.
- The invading nation must rapidly restore any essential services, including but not limited to water, sewerage, electricity and food distribution networks destroyed or disrupted because of the war.
- The invading nation must repair any infrastructure, including but not limited to bridges, roads, homes, places of worship, schools and businesses destroyed or damaged because of the war.
- Any non-combatants drafted to assist the rebuilding must be paid a fair wage for their work.

Any civilian who takes up arms after the cessation of hostilities and actively seeks confrontation with the invading nation may no longer be considered a non-combatant.

Votes For: 4,256
Votes Against: 1,265
Voting Ends: Wed Jul 13 2005

[Mikitivity]

I should add that my government has voted in favour of this resolution.

Remember voting ends in 24 hours!

[Baranxtu]

My government, after long and careful consideration, has decided to vote against this resolution.
Of course this is not due to its general intentions - Baranxtu is fully supporting civil rights - , but solely because of the wording. Some of the points should have been further explained (especially the phrase 'just cause').

[Mikitivity]

baranxtuJul 12 2005, 10:29 AM My government, after long and careful consideration, has decided to vote against this resolution.
Of course this is not due to its general intentions - Baranxtu is fully supporting civil rights - , but solely because of the wording. Some of the points should have been further explained (especially the phrase 'just cause'). [/quote]
That is a fair and understandible position. If the resolution were to be repealed (since passage seems likely at this point), is the basic idea in given civilians in occupied countries rights something your government would like to see addressed again (possibly)? In other words, should our Delegates continue to endorse these sorts of proposals?

[Keeslandia]

The Empire has voted "aye."

[Baranxtu]

MikitivityJul 12 2005, 09:16 PM That is a fair and understandible position. If the resolution were to be repealed (since passage seems likely at this point), is the basic idea in given civilians in occupied countries rights something your government would like to see addressed again (possibly)? In other words, should our Delegates continue to endorse these sorts of proposals? [/quote]
I am absolutely in favor of proposals of this kind (as I said, it is indeed only the wording that I do not like about this current resolution).
And when the current resolution has passed (which I, too, do not doubt at this point), and there were to be a repeal proposal, my nation will probably not support such a repeal, as it'd then risk that another such proposal might be opposed by war mongerers.

[Yuunli]

The government of Yuunli supports the resolution. We vote FOR.

[quentoni]

Well, I guess overall I support, but also have issues with the language. One instance is body searches of children. The definition of "children" is not spelled out, and what we here in Quentoni may consider children may be different than that of warring nations. Unfortunately children are often used for combat purposes, even as soldiers. Could someone, say age 17, not yet at the age of maturity be considered a child?

One the whole however it is a commendable effort, and seems likely to pass.

[Mikitivity]

2005.07.13

The resolution Civilian Rights Post War was passed 10,532 votes to 4,068, and implemented in all UN member nations.