[GA, passed] - WA Misrepresentation Protocols

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The World Assembly (WA);

Noting the esteem in which the WA is held throughout the multi-verse;

Noting the passing of GAR 334 and highlighting the need to protect the names, logos, and other identifiers of the WA from fraudulent misuse;

Affirming that awards, medals and prizes awarded by WA organs represent honor and privilege that should not be misused for profit;

The WA hereby enacts as follows:

1. Definitions.
   • "GAO" means the General Accounting Office.
   • "Individual(s)" means anyone who is part of a sapient species and are subject to the jurisdiction of a WA state.
   • "Prohibited purposes" means (i) fraud, (ii) deception, or (iii) misrepresentation, in all cases requiring specific intent to harm or act to the detriment of another individual.
   • "Registers" means physical and electronic registers of the following:
     • Register of WA Awards;
     • Register of WA UI;
     • Register of WA Personnel.
   • "WA Awards" means all awards, certificates, medals, and other similar honors duly issued by the WA in whatever form.
   • "WA Personnel" means all current and previous employees and representatives of the WA.
   • "WA UI" means all names, logos, mascots, uniforms, and other unique identifiers (UI) of the WA, designated by the WA as such from time to time, presented through verbal, physical, electronic, or other means.
2. GAO registers.
   • The GAO is to maintain and update regularly the Registers defined in clause (1)(d)(i-iii).
   • The said Registers are available for inspection at all times, and free of charge, through convenient physical and electronic means.
   • The Registers for WA Awards and WA UI are available for inspection and enquiries by all individuals free of charge, regardless of whether they are subject to the jurisdiction of a WA state.
   • The Register for WA Personnel is available for inspection and enquiries by the government of a WA state (or their sub-national governments) to verify the status of all WA Personnel, strictly on a need-to-know basis, subject to appropriate safeguards on personal data. Access shall be free of charge to the government of that WA state.
   • The GAO may grant competent authorities of non-WA states access to the Register for WA Personnel, to facilitate diplomatic relations, subject to appropriate agreements and security measures.
3. WA unique identifiers.
   • The Register for WA UI contains such identifiers that should be solely used by the WA (or its organs, or their representatives) to represent itself.
   • The GAO is to register all WA UI as trademarks in all states. This is regardless of whether that state is a WA member or not, so long as the said state has such a registration regime, to the maximum extent possible.
4. Misuse of WA UIs. Each WA state is to make it an offence for indvidiuals under jurisdiction to:
   • deliberately misuse any WA UI, for prohibited purposes; and/or
   • misrepresent themselves, for prohibited purposes, as:
     • WA personnel; or
     • acting in the capacity of the WA when not duly authorized; or
     • the recipient of an WA Award.
5. Clarifications.
   • References to "the WA" means both the WA itself and all its committees.
   • For clause (4), the burden of proof for an offence is placed on the prosecuting authority.
   • The competent authorities of the relevant WA state shall have jurisdiction over this resolution within their own states and to determine any penalties imposed due to committing an offence under clause (4).
   • For the avoidance of doubt, this resolution does not impede any rights to freedom of speech (including all rights related to political commentary, arts and satire) for the purpose of extant WA resolutions and the laws of each WA state.

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Note: Only votes from TNP WA nations, NPA personnel, and those on NPA deployments will be counted. If you do not meet these requirements, please add (non-WA)or something of that effect to your vote. If you are on an NPA deployment without being formally registered as an NPA member, name your deployed nation in your vote.

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Voting Instructions:

• Vote For if you want the Delegate to vote For the resolution.
• Vote Against if you want the Delegate to vote Against the resolution.
• Vote Abstain if you want the Delegate to abstain from voting on this resolution.
• Vote Present if you are personally abstaining from this vote.

Detailed opinions with your vote are appreciated and encouraged!

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Overview
This is a fairly straight forward housekeeping resolution that penalizes anyone impersonating an WA employee, or a WA committee, or to pretend to have received an WA award when not otherwise entitled. It extends certain protections already made to WA emblems etc via GAR334 (so no one can pretend to represent say WA Choice Plus or use its logo without permission). It also makes it illegal (via trademark laws where applicable) to do so in non-WA states.

Recommendation
This is a resubmission of a previously approved resolution that was discarded due to a category error. We believe preventing anyone from misrepresenting themselves as a WA employee or to misuse WA emblems is a sensible precaution to prevent fraud. The resolution makes an exception that misuse is only an offence if it is for "fraud, deception, or misrepresentation with the intent to defraud another inhabitant" and is assisted by an additional clarification that "this resolution does not impede any rights to free speech", making it extremely unlikely for anything expressions of free speech to be hindered.

For the above reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For the at-vote GA resolution, "WA Misrepresentation Protocols".

This is the re-submitted version of "WA Misrepresentation Governance" which was shot for 2023gas4 for a category error (although it had roughly 7:3 approvals but was discarded).

The wording is slightly different so I have opened a different thread.

This has been on gameside since mid-October, if there's any major errors it should have been spotted by now.

For as author.

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I don’t think that this is particularly controversial, so I am for this proposal.

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Recent:

WA Misrepresentation Protocols was passed 8,014 votes to 4,314.