[DRAFT] WA Digest December 2018

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World Assembly Digest

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Recommendation: "On Universal Jurisdiction", while well meaning in supporting the ability of WA member nations to prosecute war criminals and those who commit crimes against humanity, possesses critical flaws that are exposed upon further review. Specifically in section three where the resolution requires prosecution, but fails to require the sharing of pertinent evidence or information that will assist the prosecution in reaching a conviction, therefore harming the ability for nations to properly prosecute criminals. Additionally, section seven prevents the World Assembly, as a collective, from claiming jurisdiction over said criminals, therefore preventing any WA based court from effectively bringing up charges and using acquired evidence in prosecuting criminals.

In hoping that a corrected replacement or equivalent proposal is draft, and in accordance with reasons stated above, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For this repeal.

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Recommendation: The target resolution, while intending to modernize WA legal systems and ensure innocents are not unjustly killed, possesses various flaws that may lead to its downfall. Namely, the block of limits on discovery and admission of evidence, as well as requiring cases to meet a requirement of no doubt, well beyond that of reasonable doubt. Furthermore, the resolution possesses multiple points that appear to be selected arbitrarily; including the restriction on the amount of people affected by the crimes committed and the order and separation of the discovery periods by the Division and various council associated with the case. Lastly, a criminal could avoid capital punishment by indefinitely delaying appeals and other avenues that prevent the Division from certifying the case.

In hopes of a redraft or new draft addressing capital punishment in the WA, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a close evaluation of the repeal and the target resolution, and a vote For this repeal.

For reference and sake of comparison, the Ministry gave a "No Recommendation" at the original passing of this target resoltuion, such IFV you can find in the following link: here.

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Recommendation: The support of development of space research is a laudable and very important goal for the World Assembly to promote and properly legislate. The proposal addresses a swath of space, engineering, and data issues that concern the way nations interact and share this information. This includes the publishing of donated research, coordination on spacecraft launches, assisting in the development of civilian space programs, and acting as an intermediary for international joint space programs. It further requires nations to coordinate flight plans for aircraft and spacecraft while not infringing on military secrecy or unreasonably requiring corporation. Lastly, and most importantly, the proposal allows for expansion upon the many topics it addresses and lays groundwork for proper space legislation in the future.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For this proposal.

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Recommendation: "On Universal Jurisdiction", while well meaning in supporting the ability of WA member nations to prosecute war criminals and those who commit crimes against humanity, possesses critical flaws that are exposed upon further review. Specifically in section three where the resolution requires prosecution, but fails to require the sharing of pertinent evidence or information that will assist the prosecution in reaching a conviction, therefore harming the ability for nations to properly prosecute criminals. Furthermore, the requirement of prosecution will lead to criminals seeking out apathetic or even sympathetic jurisdictions in order to reduce or eliminate penalties all together. Additionally, section seven prevents the World Assembly, as a collective, from claiming jurisdiction over said criminals, therefore preventing any WA based court from effectively bringing up charges and using acquired evidence in prosecuting these types of criminals.

In hoping that a corrected replacement or equivalent proposal is draft, and in accordance with reasons stated above, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For this repeal.

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Recommendation: The Ministry is nearly equally divided about this repeal. Among Ministry members, there is a majority objection to the practice of capital punishment, but the GA has elected to maintain this punitive option for member nations. GA#443 Preventing the Execution of Innocents (the target of this repeal) was passed to maintain checks and balances, and to create a WA body for sober second thought and review of such cases before executions may take place. The objective being to prevent innocent persons from being executed by overzealous, careless, or corrupted judiciaries. Noble in that cause, GA#443 also has its flaws and is perceived by some as too complex and invasive. As the Ministry vote is nearly equally split, the deciding factor must be the likelihood of passage of any replacing legislation, should the target be repealed. While this repeal makes a competent case in pointing out the flaws in the target, it is the opinion of the Ministry that the pursuant replacement would be unlikely to pass, leaving no protections whatsoever against unsound verdicts leading to the execution of innocents in a criminal context. At present, it is the belief of the Ministry that even a flawed legislation that saves innocent lives is better than no legislation at all.

For this reason, The Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote Against this proposal.

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Recommendation: This proposal is a bit convoluted and not very clear in its intent. It fails to cite any parameters for the proposed project and gives only vague indications of the project's eventual benefits to member nations. Without these things, the project has the potential to become a vast and costly white elephant in space, indefinitely hemorrhaging funds into the nearest singularity. Most problematic is the requirement to a mandatory, open-ended spend for all WA nations, many of whom have no interest in space exploration at all. This lack of clarity in authorship, and perhaps an ambition that has outpaced practical realities, renders the project difficult to envision, and the proposal difficult to support.

For this reason, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote Against this proposal.

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Recommendation: Xoriet is a hard working contributor to the greater Nationstates community, and one who had a crucial role in The East Pacific and the East Pacific Sovereign Army (EPSA). They led its golden age and helped make it one of the preeminent militaries of its time between 2014 and 2015. They are also a nation that provided guidance on treaties with other regions, including TNP, and helped set new harassment policies around NationStates. Furthermore, the commendation itself is well written and spotlights a positive community contributor.

In accordance with the reasons presented above, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For this proposal.

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Recommendation: This proposal represents the culmination of a series of ideologically driven offensive liberation attempts to an inevitable triviality. Where once liberations of this nature targeted overtly racist regions that celebrated historic atrocities, and had wide support within the Ministry, this proposal relies heavily on hyperbole in an attempt to equate the mundane with the Machiavellian. Coalition of Fascist Nations is an insignificant region, not actively campaigning, hosting roughly 80 nations, and posing no threat to the wider community. Some may find their political position offensive, and those individuals are well within their rights to support liberation. It is the opinion of the Ministry, however, that an indiscriminate use of this important and powerful tool will ultimately render the tool ineffective.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote Against this proposal.

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Recommendation: Because this proposal reads more like a grocery list of government positions rather than citing accomplishments, the initial response might be to reject it. Taking a deeper read, however, it becomes apparent that Church of Satan has made significant contributions in leadership, to a variety of regions over time, and across the spectrum of the WA. The varying demands of each of those posts, within markedly different realms should not be overlooked. There is clear evidence here of a dedication to knowledge and the development of the sort of soft skills that led to CoS being elected to leading positions in region after region. One does not simply walk into The Rejected Realms and garner respect. It is by the years of commitment and hard work, abilities acquired, challenges encountered, lessons learned, that CoS has been able to instill in each region touched, a sense of pride, and so for TRR. This sort of long term, adaptable, get-the-job-done dedication is worthy of acknowledgement.

For this reason, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For this proposal.

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Recommendation: "Liberate The East Pacific", while a well written and humorous piece of legislation that has blessed these hallowed and secure halls for some time now, has appeared to have lost meaning in accordance with the raider princess being usurped latest election results. The new regime lead with changes in the hue of their official government documents; changing from an autocratic pink to a more democratic green as well as transforming the emigration process to be more shudders cosmopolitan friendly. Furthermore, despite everyone's hopes, TEP was never turned into a Black Hawk or West Pacific puppet state. As a result, the region has moved on and is not currently experiencing the various issues raised in the liberation.

In observance of moving on, while not attempting to demean the artistic flair of the previously passed legislation, and in accordance with the evidence presented above (jokes aside), recommends a vote For this repeal.

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Recommendation: The last time The Pacific was condemned, the current regime (the New Pacific Order) apologized for their actions and subsequent conduct in the 2015 coup d'etat of Lazarus. As a result of the apology, the international community repealed the condemnation and attempted to start anew with the NPO. Unfortunately, recent events, including previously covered up events following the 2015 condemnation, have revealed to the international community that its trust in the NPO was misplaced and those apologies were hollow. Recent events include, the infiltration and espionage of Osiris and Lazarus by Feux and A Mean Old Man, and the forced exile of Topid from St Abbaddon. Furthermore, various NPO officials have been directly involved in coups in The North Pacific, The South Pacific, and Lazarus and concealing the true identity of a player who committed vandalism and destruction of various regional forums. The Pacific's resident regime of the New Pacific Order has proven to be aggressive, disrespectful of regional sovereignty, and willing to pursue their own agenda at any cost without fear of repercussion.

In accordance with reasons stated above, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For the condemnation of The Pacific.

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Recommendation: Macedon is an ancient region who was among the first imperialistic regions in the NS community. In accordance with actions they committed during their active existence, they were condemned under the very first Security Council Resolution (SC #1). The reason for existence of this second condemnation is to expand upon the first, specifically in detailing the actions Macedon committed which warranted the original condemnation. These actions including using puppets to undermine other regional governments and overthrow sitting governments, invading and forcing out natives from their home region, passwording and refounding regions to prevent natives from reestablishing their community, and attempting to take over and/or refound France, Belgium, and Greece. Furthermore, the actions Macedon committed against Belgium helped pave the way for the creation of Liberations in the SC.

In hopes of maintaining proper SC history while providing context to historical resolutions and in accordance with the facts stated above, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For this proposal.

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Recommendation: It is undeniable that Bachtendekuppen has made significant contributions to The East Pacific as delegate, mediator, diplomat, mentor, and archivist. The ongoing good work cited in the proposal is laudable and should be celebrated. Also notable is Bach's significant contribution to the treaty between TEP and The North Pacific, forming a long standing alliance between the regions, further strengthened by Bach's continued diplomatic efforts. This is a highly regarded player, and a respected diplomatic force in the wider world.

For this reason, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For this proposal.

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Recommendation: This repeal is the coup de grâce in a strategy to repeal and replace previous Security Council ruling SC#1, but while taking a slightly different route: Passing first the replacement, then seeking the repeal afterwards. SC#1 was written in the infancy of the Security Council and was without precedent in terms of its structure. The result was a less than comprehensive resolution that failed to provide detail and context to the offences of the target region. The replacing resolution SC#269 accomplishes that, and in doing so renders SC#1 redundant - little more than a curiosity of a bygone era. While care should be taken against wanton revisions of the historical record of both the GA and SC, in this case the repeal of SC#1 poses no threat, and its replacement actually enhances our understanding of that period in our shared history.

For this reason The Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For this proposal.

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Recommendation: This is a Roleplay condemnation, and since they aren't that common, some explanation: A condemnation of this nature is designed to acknowledge both the outstanding roleplay of the nominee, as well as their contributions to the community while out of character. The form the nomination takes, either condemnation or commendation, will often be determined by the role. In the case of United World Order, the role is one of an insidious and villainous nation (in character) guilty of numerous atrocities and crimes against humanity. This condemnation is an extension of that roleplay, and an acknowledgement from their peers of outstanding dedication and commitment to their character. Out of character, UWO is an accomplished RPer with a history of high-quality roleplay for over 5 years. Respected in the community, UWO has always been approachable and willing to help new RPers with advice and feedback, and, has been an upstanding member of our allies Greater Dienstad for some time.

For this reason, The Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For this proposal.

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Recommendation: There is strong historical precedent within the NationStates community, that commendations of players discovered to have engaged in out-of-character (OOC) misconduct ought to be repealed, as a means of isolating these players and protecting the community. Such repeals have occurred a few times in the past, and The North Pacific has consistently voted in support of them. The need for these repeals arises, largely, due to the unwillingness of NationStates' administration to adequately address OOC actions occurring outside of the main NationStates website. It is also an unfortunate consequence of NationStates' harmful rules for handling OOC misconduct issues, that these repeals must be written from an entirely in-character (IC) perspective. As a result, repeals of this kind are difficult to write, with the authors having to waltz around the rules in order to disguise what the resolution really is about: condemnation of OOC misconduct.

Unfortunately, in the case of the repeal in question, the attempts for rule compliance have resulted in a resolution containing assertions that are at best exaggerations, and at worst outright falsehoods. The problematic claims are found in two clauses, "Disgusted..." and "Disturbed...": In these clauses, the resolution takes allegations of misconduct by the commended nation, previously published in Europeia's investigation, and elevates them into statements of fact. This is despite the fact that Europeia themselves acknowledge that there is not sufficient evidence to prove these allegations. To make matters worse, by asserting the entire career of the commended nation to be the result of OOC misconduct, the resolution grossly misrepresents even the number of these allegations. The implication of the clauses is that the commended nation routinely and consistently resorted to OOC misconduct, possibly in a majority of their interactions throughout their years-long NationStates career. There is simply no evidence to support that there has been misconduct at this scale.

It is worth taking a moment to contrast this resolution with previous repeals of commendations for OOC reasons: All of them had to cite IC arguments, in order to overcome the unfortunate confines of the NationStates' rules. However, none of them had to resort to unproven assertions of OOC misconduct. This is the first resolution to do so. Supporting this resolution sets a dangerous precedent for future resolutions attempting to address OOC misconduct. Not only is this resolution not conducive to establishing an effective protocol for how the community should deal with cases of OOC misconduct by commended players, but it damages what progress the community has already made in that regard.

Because of all of the above, The North Pacific must oppose this resolution. The North Pacific would vote in favor of an alternative repeal resolution that addressed the above shortcomings. But as it stands, The North Pacific recommends a vote against the current resolution.[/CENTER]