At Vote: Humanitarian Transport

Great Bights Mum

Great Bights Mum

Grande Dame
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Please discuss and let me know your votes. Mikitivity proposed it, so any "Nay" voters better have a pretty good explanation. ;)

Humanitarian Transport
A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.


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.

Votes For: 2,294

Votes Against: 753

[Delegate Votes]

Voting Ends: Wed May 7 2008
Click to expand...
 
#12 - Who gets to determine the definition of 'humanitarian' cargoes? Supplying an enemy's civilian population with food, etc., would be, by principles of conducting warfare (under von Clausewitz and Jomine) would be considered supplying the enemy with war materiel. Ergo, blockading one's enemy to prevent them from getting strategic items (food, medicine, and in fact anything and everything else) is legitimate and necessary. That means civilian ships of any kind are unfortunately legitimate targets during a blockade. This is especially true since anyone leaving or entering a zone of war under a 'humanitarian' flag could also be enemy agents.

However, the enemy is permitted under traditional conventions the right to inspect the conditions of POW's and supply them with food, cloting, etc.; and one is required to supply food to enemy POWs and any civilians in need if conditions require it.

There are a lot of holes in this resolution that need to be plugged up to prevent such a measure being used as a means to violate legitimate blockades during times of war.
 
I, President Elizaveta Morozova, believe that forbidding the kind of seige where the population of a city or country are made to starve is perfectly legitimate for the World Assembly to do. Zemnaya Svoboda backs this proposal and wishes that the North Pacific do the same.
 
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