Historical Resolutions
From the rise of civilization (November 13, 2002) up until a particularly brutal collision with reality (April 1, 2008), nations toiled under the banner of the World Assembly's predecessor, an organization that now Cannot Be Named, but sounded a lot like "United Stations." Although this grand institution is no longer, its incomparable volume of law shall stand forever.
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Historical Resolution #151
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act
A resolution to slash worldwide military spending.
Believing that the benefits of the peaceful application of nuclear technology should be available to all UN nations and convinced that all UN nations are entitled to participate in the exchange of scientific information for the further development of atomic energy for peaceful purposes,
Disturbed by the possibility of widespread devastation that could occur as the result of a nuclear war and determined to reduce the danger of such a war,
Believing that the proliferation of nuclear weapons increases the danger of nuclear war,
Alarmed at the potential threat posed to international security by the acquisition of nuclear weaponry by rogue states,
Defining a nuclear weapon as a weapon that relies on nuclear fusion or fission for its destructive effect. Excluded from this definition shall be any integrated guidance, safety and security systems, or any other peripheral system not directly related to the explosive payload itself, or its detonation device(s).
The General Assembly of the United Nations hereby enacts the following:
ARTICLE I. UN member nations shall not:
(1) Directly or indirectly transfer control or ownership of nuclear weapons to or from any nation.
(2) Assist or induce any nation to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or control over such weapons.
(3) Seek or receive any assistance in the manufacture of nuclear weapons, other than for the purpose of improving the safety of the weapon.
ARTICLE II: Nothing in this legislation shall be interpreted as affecting the right of all UN nations to develop nuclear arms using their own technology and manufacturing capabilities.
ARTICLE III: Nothing in this legislation shall be interpreted as affecting the right of all UN nations to share technology related to safety and security systems, guidance systems, delivery systems or any other peripheral systems not directly related to the design or manufacture of the nuclear weapon itself, provided such activities are in conformity with article I of this legislation.
ARTICLE IV: Nothing in this legislation shall be interpreted as affecting the right of all UN nations to research, produce and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, or their participation in the exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for peaceful purposes, provided such activities are in conformity with article I of this legislation.
Passed: |
For: | 6,128 | 51.2% |
Against: | 5,830 | 48.8% |
Historical Resolution #152
Maritime Safety Standards Act
A resolution to reduce barriers to free trade and commerce.
The United Nations,
DESIRING to reduce unnecessary loss of life on the seas,
BELIEVING that minimum safety standards and international harmonisation is required to prevent unnecessary deaths,
1. DEFINES 'distress', for the purposes of this document, as a situation that poses an imminent threat to the lives of the crew and passengers travelling on a vessel,
2. MANDATES that any master of a vessel within fifty nautical miles of a vessel known to be in distress assist the vessel in distress, except when another vessel that is able to assist is known to be closer to the incident, or when the master of a vessel believes that attending to the incident may endanger the safety of his own vessel or violate the neutrality of the ship in which the vessel is registered,
3. MANDATES that failure to provide assistance under the conditions of the previous clause shall be considered a dereliction of duty by the master of said vessel and that upon determination of the full facts of the matter, he shall be disciplined according to the rules of his home nation, with regards to stipulated offence,
4. FOUNDS the UN Standards Essential for All Watch Officers Responsible for Transportation, Harbourmasters, and Yachtsmen (UNSEAWORTHY),
5. MANDATES that all masters and officers of the watch of vessels over 4,000 long tons operating in international waters be certified by the nation in which the vessel aboard which they serve is registered; minimum standards for such certification to be established by the UNSEAWORTHY,
6. AUTHORISES the UNSEAWORTHY to produce information pertaining internationally recognised maritime distress signals that will encompass all possible scenarios in which a ship may be in distress, and to ensure that the information be required in the minimum standards of certification as outlined in article 5, including but not limited to:
a) The spoken word MAYDAY, repeated where possible, transmitted via radiotelegraphic equipment;
b) Signalling SOS in Morse code by any method;
7. MANDATES that the location of newly sunken vessels that may pose a threat to shipping be made available to all relevant oceanic mapping institutes,
8. MANDATES that all ships over 4,000 long tons carry sufficient lifeboats for passengers and crew, and that all passenger vessels carry buoyancy aids for all passengers and crew to be issued in cases of emergency,
9. DESIGNATES that vessels over 4,000 long tons carry radiotelegraphic equipment or wireless communications devices,
10. MANDATES that the crew of passenger ships undergo training in overseeing the abandoning of ships in distress, and other emergency situations,
11. DEFINES a 'hospital ship' as a vessel designated to transport the wounded,
12. STRONGLY URGES that hospital ships during a time of war be painted a white livery, with highly visible appropriate internationally-recognised markings, large enough and of a colour to be clearly visible against the white livery, be displayed on both sides of the hull, on the funnels (if any), and on the forecastle and poop decks; details of such markings are to be produced by the UNSEAWORTHY and included in all masters and officer of the watch certification as outlined in 5..
13. FORBIDS the use of such markings on any ships other then hospital ships, and forbids hospital ships from carrying offensive weapons or munitions,
14. FORBIDS attacks on designated hospital ships, whose status as such has been made clear
Passed: |
For: | 8,948 | 77.9% |
Against: | 2,540 | 22.1% |
Historical Resolution #153
Repeal: “Scientific Freedom”
A resolution to repeal previously passed legislation.
Historical Resolution #2 “Scientific Freedom” (Category: Free Trade; Strength: Mild) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.
The General Assembly of the United Nations,
COMMENDING Resolution #2 for its intent to bring forth increased freedoms,
CONSIDERING that simply stating that a country "has long stood for Scientific Freedom", as seen in this resolution, does not require anything of UN Members, nor does it urge UN Members to bring forth initiatives or commissions to promote Scientific Freedom,
ALSO CONSIDERING that Resolution #2 neither lists a clear definition or explanation as to what constitutes Scientific Freedom, nor does it provide any clear framework or plans to bring about its cause,
CONCERNED that this resolution overlooks the harmful effects of unrestricted Scientific Freedom, which would lead to numerous painful, deadly, unsafe, and unethical scientific practices being forcibly legal in all UN Member nations,
CONCLUDING that Resolution #2 does not meet the desirable standards of UN resolutions for its disregard for potentially harmful and unjustifiable scientific practices and failure to provide any clear structure in bringing about necessary Scientific Freedom,
UNDERSTANDING that the freedom of safe and ethical scientific practices should be protected for numerous purposes,
REPEALS Resolution #2: Scientific Freedom.
Passed: |
For: | 6,512 | 53.8% |
Against: | 5,592 | 46.2% |
Historical Resolution #154
Nuclear Energy Research Act
A resolution to reduce barriers to free trade and commerce.
(Co-authored by Yelda)
The General Assembly of the United Nations,
APPLAUDING the passage of Resolution #151 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act,
BELIEVING the benefits of peaceful atomic energy technology should be available to all UN member nations,
AFFIRMING the right of UN member nations to exchange scientific information on the peaceful application of atomic energy,
NOTING that scientific advancement benefits greatly from collaboration of scientists from multiple nations,
CONCERNED with the potentially international and devastating impact of accidents involving nuclear reactors,
ACKNOWLEDGING that current techniques for disposal of nuclear waste materials are often lacking;
RECOGNIZING the threat of terrorist attacks on nuclear reactors,
DECLARING that all UN member nations are entitled to participate in the free trade of fissionable materials used in said technological applications,
HEREBY:
1. ESTABLISHES the Nuclear Energy Research Commission (NERC), mandated to:
I - Coordinate research into safer and more efficient methods of nuclear power generation,
II - Coordinate research into safer means of nuclear waste disposal,
III - Support efforts to improve the security of nuclear plants;
2. STRONGLY URGES UN member nations to provide assistance to the NERC;
3. CALLS UPON UN member nations to conduct research into safer and more efficient methods of nuclear power generation, especially when such research is not already being conducted by other entities;
4. ENCOURAGES the sale and transfer of nuclear power generation materials and technology between UN nations;
5. REQUIRES the elimination of protectionist devices restricting the trade of nuclear power generation technology, equipment and fissionable materials, including but not limited to tariffs, duties, subsidies, subventions and quotas, within eleven years;
6. FURTHER REQUIRES the elimination of protectionist devices restricting the trade of electrical power generated by nuclear power plants, including but not limited to tariffs, duties, subsidies, subventions and quotas, within eleven years;
7. EMPHASIZES that UN member nations reserve the right to employ retaliatory tariffs towards non-member nations to prevent price dumping;
8. AUTHORIZES the United Nations Free Trade Commission (UNFTC) to arbitrate any trade disputes which may arise concerning the interpretation of this legislation.
Passed: |
For: | 9,294 | 73.1% |
Against: | 3,414 | 26.9% |
Historical Resolution #155
Waste Disposal Covenant
A resolution to increase the quality of the world's environment, at the expense of industry.
APPALLED at the environmental and public health risks posed by irresponsible waste disposal,
COMMENDING all efforts to minimise these risks by recycling or responsible waste disposal, yet
NOTING that the economic viability of recycling is driven by demand, technology, and other national circumstances,
REGRETTING that some nations do not possess the technology or resources necessary for responsible waste disposal,
DEEPLY AWARE of the multitude of personal and industrial waste products with different chemical characteristics, and of the variety of waste disposal techniques, most of which are only suitable for specific types of waste,
CONSCIOUS that legislation detailing specific technologies or processes is likely to be made obsolete by scientific progress,
DEFINING for the purposes of this resolution:
- 'waste' as unwanted materials of little or no value that are generated by human activities,
- 'impact' as the negative aesthetic, public health, and environmental consequences of a certain practice,
- 'waste disposal' as the collection, transport, processing, storage, disposal, and destruction of waste with the purpose of minimising its impact,
The UN:
1. ADVISES member nations that the use of recyclable or biodegradable materials in industrial production can greatly reduce the cost and impact of waste disposal;
2. ENCOURAGES member nations to create public organisations, or to stimulate the creation of private organisations, capable of performing responsible waste disposal;
3. CREATES the UN Waste Disposal Authority (WDA), mandated to:
a) Establish, publish, and regularly update:
- a description of available waste disposal techniques (WDT), outlining their impact when applied to different waste categories,
- a list of recommended WDT for each category, taking into account technological and economic constraints, and their maximum permissible impact,
- a list of 'hazardous waste' categories, which pose serious health or environmental risks, or for which no satisfactory WDT exist,
- a list of banned WDT, deemed to pose unacceptably high risks of direct impact on other nations;
b) Officially certify the WDT of entities that request it, provided they meet said recommendations;
c) Perform regular and surprise inspections of certified entities to ensure said recommendations are strictly followed;
d) Research improved WDT with reduced impact or costs;
e) Advise upon request on the best WDT for each waste category;
4. REQUESTS that member nations contribute personnel, technology, knowledge, and funding to the WDA;
5. ENCOURAGES the use of recommended WDT;
6. INSTRUCTS member nations to:
a) Prevent the use of banned WDT;
b) Impose economic and compensatory damages on any entity in their jurisdiction whose waste disposal practices are deemed to have a direct impact on other member nations, and promptly transfer collected damages to affected nations;
c) Impose, at their discretion, punitive damages or criminal charges on entities guilty of such misconduct;
7. URGES member nations to provide similar compensation to non-member nations and national entities;
8. PROHIBITS:
a) International transfer of hazardous waste without the official consent of receiving nations;
b) International transfer of waste by non-certified entities;
c) Protectionist devices, such as tariffs, duties, or quotas, on the provision of waste disposal services by certified entities.
Co-authored by the GTT
Passed: |
For: | 9,108 | 72.0% |
Against: | 3,547 | 28.0% |