NPTO Charter Conference
- Thread starter bootsie
- Start date
RPI
TNPer
It is indeed, and I sincerely apologize for that. I am actually extremely busy right now; both in schoolwork (I have two projects due Monday and a character monologue due tomorrow) and in TNP (the RA is pretty busy right now and these elections have been rather stressful for me). I can make no promises as to when it will be posted, but I will get the Peace Council draft done as soon as I possibly can.Syrixia:
Again, I'm really sorry. Please bear with me.
RPI
TNPer
So, here's what the Charter looks like now, with a few tweaks here and there (Most tweaks were fixing grammatical issues):
Draft of Charter:Charter of the North Pacific Treaty Organization
Ratified <Date ratified> at NPTO HQ in Augustus Town, GU
Preamble
Our nations, gathered here on this <date the Charter is ratified> day in [May], come together to ratify the Charter of the North Pacific Treaty Organization or NPTO. NPTO shall represent peace through its actions and declarations, and shall be charged with the duty of maintaining peace between its member nations. All member nations of NPTO pledge to never engage in conflict with any other members of NPTO, protect the other member nations in their time of need, and to only use our armies for the good of the other member nations. We will break the barriers between governmental types and work together; our organization will not be the battle ground between dictatorships and democracies, but instead it will be the shield of peace surrounding its member nations that we shall protect.
Article One: The Flag
The following flag shall be established as the official flag of the North Pacific Treaty Organization:
The flag's central symbol, a silhouette of Nelly, symbolizes the goal of peace and security established by this charter and by the founding member nations. The ellipse and the cross symbolize the fortitude and willpower of the organization. The blue and white also symbolize peace.
The flag should only be used in a ratio of 1.3:1, or 320 pixels:240 pixels
Article Two: Nelly
The mascot of NPTO shall be the dove, with the nickname being Nelly. Any graphic having appearance of Nelly or NPTO material will be asked by the organization to cease-and-desist.
She will be a symbol of peace and willpower, and shall be used as a momentum to propel the organization into the future like a dove uses its wings.
Article Three: NPTO HQ
The primary headquarters of NPTO shall be located in the port city of Augustus Town, Guslantis. Its building shall be maintained by Guslant teams in association with the member organizations. The headquarters shall be referred to as North Pacific Treaty Organization Headquarters, or NPTO HQ.
The address of the headquarters is as follows:
1 Nelly Avenue
Augustus Town, GU 43768
Additional sub-offices will be established per assembly law.
Article Four: Applications
Nations wishing to join the NPTO must submit an application to the Chairperson who shall have the power to accept or reject it. If the Chairperson rejects an application, the applicant nation may be admitted by a three fifths majority vote of the Assembly. By applying, a nation pledges to abide by this Charter and all other rules of the NPTO.
Article Five: The Assembly
The Parties hereby establish an Assembly on which each shall be represented.
The Assembly shall oversee the activities of the NPTO, and shall have the power to:
Article Six: The Executive
- Establish subordinate offices and committees as its members shall think proper.
- Elect the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Commander-in-Chief of the Peacekeeping Forces, and holders of any other office which it shall think proper to create.
- Recall NPTO officials by a two thirds majority vote.
- Cancel any operations of the Peacekeeping Forces by a two thirds majority vote.
- Override any vote of the Peace Council by a two thirds majority vote.
The Chairperson shall preside over meetings of the Assembly.
The Chairperson shall have the power to set all manner of policy related to the execution of all acts, resolutions, or laws passed by the Assembly.
The Chairman shall be elected by the Assembly for four months.
The Chairperson may delegate any of their powers or duties to the Deputy Chairperson at his or her discretion. The delegation under this section does not relieve the Chairperson of any of their powers or duties.
In the case of the resignation, removal, or other vacancy in the Chairperson's office, the Deputy Chairman shall become Chairman.
Article Seven: NPTO Peacekeeping Forces
There shall be group of armed force for peace within the NPTO called the NPTO Peacekeeping Forces.
The Peacekeeping Forces shall composed of teams volunteered by the Parties at their discretion. Each team shall be led by a commander subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Peacekeeping Forces shall be elected by the Assembly every four months.
All operations of the Peacekeeping Forces shall be approved by the Peace Council before they are to be executed.
The Peacekeeping Forces shall not be used to invade sovereign territory unless the Peace Council be presented with evidence of compelling interest to do so. In such a hearing, the government to be invaded shall have the right to debate such evidence. The Peace Council shall then decide if the aforementioned evidence evinces compelling interest for an invasion.
Article Eight: Peace Council
There shall be a Council charged with the duty of overseeing the Peacekeeping Forces and the NPTO Executive.
The members of the Peace Council shall be the representatives from the following nations: Eumenor, Plembobria, and the Republican Pacific Islands. Only one representative from each nation may serve as a Councilor on the Peace Council. These representatives will serve on the Peace Council until their publicly announced resignation or until recalled. There may be no more than seven Councilors on the Peace Council.
The Peace Council shall elect a chairperson by a majority vote every three months. Candidates for the chair must be nominated by another member of the Peace Council.
The chairperson will administer votes of the Peace Council. The chairperson will administer the rules of the Peace Council; where no rules exist, the chairperson may use their discretion.
Members of the Assembly may apply to join the Peace Council, and the Council chairperson may bring these applications before the Peace Council for discussion. If the chairperson brings an application before the Peace Council, the discussion will last a minimum of two days. The chairperson may schedule a vote after two days of discussion, though they are not obligated to schedule a vote. A two thirds majority vote of the Peace Council is required to admit applicants.
The Peace Council may recall a Councilor by a three fourths majority vote. Discussion on a proposed recall must last for three days. After three days, the Council chairperson will begin a vote on the recall once two motions to vote have been made.
The Commander-in-Chief of the NPTO Peacekeeping Forces must present proposed operations, along with the reasoning as to why the Peacekeeping Forces should carry out said operations, to the Peace Council in a designated thread. The Council chairperson must then bring the proposed operation before the rest of the Peace Council for discussion. The chairperson shall schedule a vote once two motions to vote have been made. The Peace Council may approve an operation by a three fifths majority vote.
The Peace Council may reverse any executive decision or policy made by the NPTO Executive by a three fourths majority vote. Discussion on such a proposal must receive a minimum of three days for discussion.
The Peace Council may make formal recommendations to any body of the NPTO, and these recommendations must be taken into serious consideration. Formal recommendations may be made by a majority vote of the Council.
Quorum for any vote of the Peace Council is three fourths the number of Councilors. If a vote of the Peace Council does not reach quorum, the chairperson may extend the vote. The maximum duration of a vote is seven days.
Article Nine: Ratification
This Treaty shall be ratified by the Parties in accordance with their respective constitutional processes. The instruments of ratification shall be deposited as soon as possible with the Government of the Guslantis, which will notify all the other signatories of each deposit.
The Treaty shall enter into force between the States which have ratified it as soon as the ratifications of Syrixia, Eumenor, Tronkandal, Malvad, Trinster, Plembobria, the Republican Pacific Islands, and Guslantis have been deposited and shall come into effect with respect to other States on the date of the deposit of their ratifications.
Article Nine: Amendments
The Assembly may amend this charter by a two thirds majority vote.
RPI
TNPer
I would actually like to suggest that members of the Peace Council may not serve in the Executive of the NPTO or as the Commander-in-Chief of the Peacekeeping Forces because of the following parts of Article 8:
With that, the permanent members of the PC (Peace Council) will be Eumenor, Plembobria, and the Republican Pacific Islands.
With that, the permanent members of the PC (Peace Council) will be Eumenor, Plembobria, and the Republican Pacific Islands.
RPI
TNPer
The Assembly is the "legislative." The PC is a small body of nations that keep everything in check. Either way, if it seems like a legislative to you, what does that have to do with the permanent members? And, this isn't a new region, we don't have a judicial or legislative really at all; just something similar. The Executive is the head of the organization.Syrixia:
And Bootsie, what commander? The Commander-in-Chief or the chair of the PC?
Kannex
TNPer
My prime concern with permanent members is OOC. Suppose in a few months one of the permanent members gets a job or goes to college or otherwise has to retire from RPing, or at the very least, lessen their activity. We would need a constitutional amendment in order to remove his seat. If we have regularly elected members to the Peace Council (which could be our form of an executive council), we could solve this problem.
In addition, the preamble talks about how members pledge to send help in times of need, yet the de facto policy is that member-states can choose whether or not they send help. The contradiction here essentially nullifies the purpose of this organization.
It is also problematic, however, if we make mutual assistance compulsory for member states, while maintaining the threshold for any military action to be at majority vote. I think any decisions to deploy military forces ought to be unanimous -- either all votes in favor or abstains.
In addition, the preamble talks about how members pledge to send help in times of need, yet the de facto policy is that member-states can choose whether or not they send help. The contradiction here essentially nullifies the purpose of this organization.
It is also problematic, however, if we make mutual assistance compulsory for member states, while maintaining the threshold for any military action to be at majority vote. I think any decisions to deploy military forces ought to be unanimous -- either all votes in favor or abstains.
RPI
TNPer
The thing is, members are not "permanent" unless allowed to continue being permanent. They cannot truly be permament because they can be recalled by the Assembly, or they might simply resign. If they are recalled - a recall is a two thirds majority vote of the Assembly - then they are removed from the Charter as "permanent" - as an amendment to the Charter is also a two thirds majority vote.
Kannex, about your concerns with the Preamble and compulsory assistance: not every nation is actually required to involve themselves as I see it; I would never agree to forcing a nation to help another. And, the Peace Council votes on whether something is a "time of need" when they approve or deny an operation. Now, I know you're thinking something along the lines of "only the Peace Council decides this?" Well, they do, but I added another clause into the powers of the Assembly reading: The Assembly may "Override any vote of the Peace Council by a two thirds majority vote." So, the Assembly may overrule the PC.
Kannex, about your concerns with the Preamble and compulsory assistance: not every nation is actually required to involve themselves as I see it; I would never agree to forcing a nation to help another. And, the Peace Council votes on whether something is a "time of need" when they approve or deny an operation. Now, I know you're thinking something along the lines of "only the Peace Council decides this?" Well, they do, but I added another clause into the powers of the Assembly reading: The Assembly may "Override any vote of the Peace Council by a two thirds majority vote." So, the Assembly may overrule the PC.
RPI
TNPer
Major edits and things added:
Draft of Charter:Charter of the North Pacific Treaty Organization
Ratified <Date ratified> at NPTO HQ in Augustus Town, GU
Preamble
Our nations, gathered here on this <date the Charter is ratified> day in [May], come together to ratify the Charter of the North Pacific Treaty Organization or NPTO. NPTO shall represent peace through its actions and declarations, and shall be charged with the duty of maintaining peace between its member nations. All member nations of NPTO pledge to never engage in conflict with any other members of NPTO, protect the other member nations in their time of need, and to only use our armies for the good of the other member nations. We will break the barriers between government types and work together; our organization will not be the battle ground between dictatorships and democracies, but instead it will be the shield of peace surrounding its member nations that we shall protect.
Article One: The Flag
The following flag shall be established as the official flag of the North Pacific Treaty Organization:
The flag's central symbol, a silhouette of Nelly, symbolizes the goal of peace and security established by this charter and by the founding member nations. The ellipse and the cross symbolize the fortitude and willpower of the organization. The blue and white also symbolize peace.
The flag should only be used in a ratio of 1.3:1, or 320 pixels:240 pixels
Article Two: Nelly
The mascot of NPTO shall be the dove, with the nickname being Nelly. Any graphic having appearance of Nelly or NPTO material will be asked by the organization to cease-and-desist.
She will be a symbol of peace and willpower, and shall be used as a momentum to propel the organization into the future like a dove uses its wings.
Article Three: NPTO HQ
The primary headquarters of NPTO shall be located in the port city of Augustus Town, Guslantis. Its building shall be maintained by Guslant teams in association with the member organizations. The headquarters shall be referred to as North Pacific Treaty Organization Headquarters, or NPTO HQ.
The address of the headquarters is as follows:
1 Nelly Avenue
Augustus Town, GU 43768
Additional sub-offices will be established per assembly law.
Article Four: Applications
Nations wishing to join the NPTO must submit an application to the Chairperson who shall have the power to accept or reject it. If the Chairperson rejects an application, the applicant nation may be admitted by a three fifths majority vote of the Assembly. By applying, a nation pledges to abide by this Charter and all other rules of the NPTO.
Article Five: The Assembly
The Parties hereby establish an Assembly on which each shall be represented.
Any member of the Assembly may call a meeting of said Assembly by making a proposal to it or bringing forth an issue for discussion to it.
The Assembly shall oversee the activities of the NPTO, and shall have the power to:
Article Six: The Executive
- Establish subordinate offices and committees as its members shall think proper.
- Elect the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Commander-in-Chief of the Peacekeeping Forces, and holders of any other office which it shall think proper to create.
- Recall NPTO officials by a two thirds majority vote.
- Cancel any operations of the Peacekeeping Forces by a two thirds majority vote.
- Override any vote of the Peace Council by a two thirds majority vote.
The Assembly shall elect the Chair by plurality vote every four months. The Assembly shall elect the Deputy Chair by plurality vote every four months.
The Chairperson shall preside over meetings of the Assembly. When the Chair is unavailable, the Deputy Chair will take their place. If both the Chair and Deputy Chair are unavailable, the Council Chair will preside over the meeting. The Chair is unavailable if they have not recognized a meeting for twenty-four hours after it is called for, and the Deputy Chair is unavailable if they have not recognized a meeting for twenty-four hours after that.
The Chairperson shall have the power to set all manner of policy related to the execution of all acts, resolutions, or laws passed by the Assembly.
The Chairperson is required to keep this Charter up to date with all amendments passed by the Assembly.
The Chairperson may delegate any of their powers or duties to the Deputy Chairperson at his or her discretion. The delegation under this section does not relieve the Chairperson of any of their powers or duties.
In the case of the resignation, removal, or other vacancy in the Chairperson's office, the Deputy Chairman shall become Chairman.
Article Seven: NPTO Peacekeeping Forces
There shall be group of armed force for peace within the NPTO called the NPTO Peacekeeping Forces.
The Peacekeeping Forces shall composed of teams volunteered by the Parties at their discretion. Each team shall be led by a commander subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Peacekeeping Forces shall be elected by the Assembly every four months.
All operations of the Peacekeeping Forces shall be approved by the Peace Council before they are to be executed.
The Peacekeeping Forces shall not be used to invade sovereign territory unless the Peace Council be presented with evidence of compelling interest to do so. In such a hearing, the government to be invaded shall have the right to debate such evidence. The Peace Council shall then decide if the aforementioned evidence evinces compelling interest for an invasion.
Article Eight: Peace Council
There shall be a Council charged with the duty of overseeing the Peacekeeping Forces and the NPTO Executive.
The members of the Peace Council shall be the representatives from the following nations: Eumenor, Plembobria, and the Republican Pacific Islands. Only one representative from each nation may serve as a Councilor on the Peace Council. These representatives will serve on the Peace Council until their publicly announced resignation or until recalled or expelled. There may be no more than seven Councilors on the Peace Council.
The Peace Council shall elect a Council Chairperson by a majority vote every three months. Candidates for the Council Chair must be nominated by another member of the Peace Council.
The Council Chairperson will administer votes of the Peace Council. The Council Chairperson will administer the rules of the Peace Council; where no rules exist, the Council Chairperson may use their discretion.
Members of the Assembly may apply to join the Peace Council, and the Council Chairperson may bring these applications before the Peace Council for discussion. If the Council Chairperson brings an application before the Peace Council, the discussion will last a minimum of two days. The Council Chairperson may schedule a vote after two days of discussion, though they are not obligated to schedule a vote. A two thirds majority vote of the Peace Council is required to admit applicants.
The Peace Council may expel a Councilor from the Peace Council by a three fourths majority vote. Discussion on a proposed expulsion must last for three days. After three days, the Council Chairperson will begin a vote on the recall once two motions to vote have been made.
The Commander-in-Chief of the NPTO Peacekeeping Forces must present proposed operations, along with the reasoning as to why the Peacekeeping Forces should carry out said operations, to the Peace Council. The Council Chairperson must then bring the proposed operation before the rest of the Peace Council for discussion. The Council Chairperson shall schedule a vote once two motions to vote have been made. The Peace Council may approve an operation by a three fifths majority vote.
The Peace Council may reverse any executive decision or policy made by the NPTO Executive by a three fourths majority vote. Discussion on such a proposal must receive a minimum of three days for discussion.
The Peace Council may make formal recommendations to any body of the NPTO, and these recommendations must be taken into serious consideration by said body. Formal recommendations may be made by a majority vote of the Council.
Quorum for any vote of the Peace Council is three fourths the number of Councilors. If a vote of the Peace Council does not reach quorum, the Council Chairperson may extend the vote. The maximum duration of a vote is seven days.
The Council Chairperson may not serve in any other elected position within the NPTO.
Article Nine: Elections
The Council Chairperson will be the Election Commissioner for all elections within the NPTO, with the exception of the election of a Council Chairperson. They may appoint up to two Assistant Election Commissioners to assist in overseeing elections. The Election Commissioner and their Assistants may not run in an election that they are overseeing.
Every election will have a three day candidacy declaration period. Once the candidacy declaration period has ended, there will be a four day voting period. Any member of the Assembly may vote in an election, with the exception of the election of a Council Chairperson.
The Election Commissioner for the election of a Council Chairperson will be the NPTO Chairperson. They are subject to the same restrictions as the Council Chairperson is when they serve as Election Commissioner. They may also appoint Assistant Election Commissioners to assist in overseeing elections.
Article Ten: General Provisions
No member of the Executive may simultaneously serve as a Councilor on the Peace Council.
The Executive consists of the Chair and Deputy Chair of the NPTO.
Article Eleven: Ratification
This Treaty shall be ratified by the Parties in accordance with their respective government processes. The instruments of ratification shall be deposited as soon as possible with the Government of the Guslantis, which will notify all the other signatories of each deposit.
The Treaty shall enter into force between the States which have ratified it as soon as the ratifications of Syrixia, Eumenor, Malvad, Trinster, Plembobria, the Republican Pacific Islands, and Guslantis have been deposited and shall come into effect with respect to other States on the date of the deposit of their ratifications.
Article Twelve: Amendments
The Assembly may amend this charter by a two thirds majority vote.
RPI
TNPer
Wait, yes, sorry, this sounds better. But, we would need to have a couple elections right away: the Council Chairperson for starters.Syrixia:
Bootsie would you please put this draft of the Charter into the OP so we know where we're at?
Yes, but as the PC keeps the NPTO in check and free from misconduct, the Council Chairman can manipulate his powers so as to attempt to recall any executive official if they don't do what pertains to his views.
And, before you say it, if the Executives and the Council Chair are equal, friction will be created within NPTO.
So we're basically screwed here.
And, before you say it, if the Executives and the Council Chair are equal, friction will be created within NPTO.
So we're basically screwed here.
RPI
TNPer
Except the PC cannot recall anyone but one of their own Councilors, and the Council Chairperson would have no special power in this regard either. I don't know where you're getting this from?Syrixia:
Also, any member of the Assembly can attempt to recall someone for any reason they feel like, though if it's a stupid reason the rest of the Assembly would likely vote against.
Since the treaty is IC, there should ne no reference to threads. Technically, our reps discuss things around a table in real time. The use of threads should simply be understood OOC.
Furthermore, I'd like to clarify,since I am the principle author of the peacekeeping force article, the members are not required to join the peacekeeping force. That is why teams are "volunteered."
When the ratification process begins, Bootsie needs to open a thread for that purpose, since the treaty states that "instruments of ratification" must be "deposited with the government of Guslantis."
BTW, an "instrument of ratification" refers to a formal legal document certifying a governments ratification. O put some effort into it.
BTW, an "instrument of ratification" refers to a formal legal document certifying a governments ratification. O put some effort into it.
Hmm... With regards to removing members from the PC, the word "expel" should be used. A body can't "recall" its own members.
thanks for pointing that out, I have fixed that and removed the part about a "designated thread." I think we're ready now. 