Description: WA General Assembly Resolution #156: Safety in Difficult Times (Category: Social Justice; Strength: Significant) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: OBSERVING the need to provide safety nets and protection in Difficult Times.

APPLAUDING all countries that are and have been providing welfare to persons located in their jurisdiction.

REALIZING not all countries have the resources to do so; especially in hard economic times.

FRIGHTENED, that this may force nations to raise taxes, which may cripple already struggling economies and force countries to resort to plundering other countries of their wealth.

FURTHER CONCERNED that this resolution has many loopholes that may be abused, and such abuse, and the oversight needed to catch offenders, will cost nations even more money that they may not have.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, The proposal does not specify what is an ''Illness severe enough to prevent the beneficiary from working.'' This generates room for problems. A citizen could easily use this loophole to avoid working.

NOTING, ''Safety in Difficult Times'' specifies that unemployment benefits be given to those involuntarily unemployed. It does allow for those involuntarily unemployed due to being fired for incompetence, among many other reasons one may be fired. This leaves a loophole open for those who are unwilling to work to cause themselves to be fired and receive benefits.

ADDITIONALLY NOTING, bereavement clause is unneeded and will be abused by those not interested in working. For example; A middle aged citizen whose father or mother died could take a whole year's vacation paid by the government. In reality, while the loss of a loved one is a terrible thing, it does not require a person to be out of work for any significant length of time.

FURTHER NOTING, This resolution requires the dispensation of funds when one gives birth to a child or adopts one (See Parental Leave Section 4). For one, there is no specified length of time for the benefits to last. Secondly, there is nothing stating that the new parents must keep the child. Thirdly, there is nothing regarding cases of neglect.

WORRIES about the provisions of section 5b); ''Pensions for survivors who are minors shall last until they have attained a basic education and are able to work''. This is a very lengthy time for anyone to receive benefits. This would basically allow the child's guardian to live off the government dime the entire time since the provision states that benefits must be enough to provide for housing, food, utilities, and schooling costs. There is no reason that a child's guardian could not obtain work in a reasonable amount of time. Single parents of divorce do it every day.

REALIZES this is an attempt at international welfare, which each member nation is capable of seeing to themselves if they are able and willing. Many have them already, which makes this resolution redundant. Not only this, but such a Socialist piece of legislation is an ideology; something which member states are prohibited to force on others, as the rights and duties of World Assembly states declares.

ADDITIONALLY NOTING, due to the cultural and societal differences in all of the countries in the World Assembly, welfare is an issue that must be solved domestically and crafted to the specific needs and wants of the target population and through.

RESOLVES, that the ''Safety in Difficult Times'' resolution is poorly worded, ambiguous, and addresses an issue that should be resolved domestically.

HEREBY REPEALS ''Safety in Difficult Times

Contributors:
Arivali

Votes For: 7,652 (68%)
Votes Against: 3,599 (32%)

Implemented: Sat Jul 16 2011

Description: The World Assembly,

RECOGNIZING the existence and development of genetically modified foods,

AWARE that nations have different opinions on Genetically Modified Foods,

DEFINES Genetically Modified Foods as food or food products that have the genome of the organism directly manipulated through the process of genetic engineering via the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest,

DECLARES that all genetically modified foods crossing international borders be clearly labeled as being genetically modified,

CONVINCED that through proper labelling of genetically modified foods, less confusion will occur about the GM status of different foods, enabling trade to be quicker and more efficient,

DECLARES that this resolution applies to foods both genetically modified and foods genetically engineered,

CREATES the GM Foods Database as a gathering of genetically modified foods related information,

ENCOURAGES nations to contribute to this database,

STRONGLY URGES nations to abstain from imposing additional restrictions than in this Act on the import or export of genetically modified foods over natural food.

Votes For: 8,534 (74%)
Votes Against: 2,923 (26%)

Implemented: Wed Jul 20 2011

Description: The World Assembly:

Desiring to promote peace and international good will

Realizing that among the best ways to accomplish this is to promote student exchanges and study abroad programs for young adults attending institutions of higher education in the hopes that memories of other places and people will broaden their minds.

I. Definitions:
1. Higher education as institutes providing post-secondary education that leads to the granting of an academic degree such as, but not limited to, colleges, universities, research institutes, or military academies; OR providing education that leads to the granting of a professional license or rating such as, but not limited to, medical schools or technical-trade schools.

2. Student exchanges as fully enrolled/matriculated students attending an institution of higher education other than their own in a foreign country for a short period of no less than one academic term and no longer than two academic years with the degree/license/rating granted by their original institution.

3. Study abroad as fully enrolled/matriculated students attending an institution of higher education in a foreign country until transferring to a new institution, quitting the institution and returning to their home nation, or fulfilling requirements for their degree program/license/rating.

II. Office for Education Exchange
1. Creates the Office for Education Exchange (OEX).
(a) Charges OEX with developing guidelines promoting student exchanges and study abroad programs within institutes of higher education of member states as well as
(b) Accredit institutes of higher education within member states as having satisfied said guidelines as well as
(c) Develop scholarship programs to allow for students who currently experience financial burden to attend either a student exchange or study abroad.
(d) Designates OEX as the final binding board of arbitration regarding irreconcilable conflicts between institutes of higher education in matters of credit transfers and course applicability to the students’ degree program/license/rating.

III. Institutes of Higher Education
1. Requires member states with such to designate at least one institute of higher education as a candidate for accreditation by OEX for a student exchange or study abroad program.

2. Prohibits discrimination against students in student exchanges or study abroad programs; excepting:
(a) Allows member states to set reasonable requirements for enrollment based on academic standing, language ability, physical requirements (Where needed and in accordance with international law), and/or financial ability.
(b) Allows restrictions to sensitive information and/or facilities where access to such would normally be controlled.
(c) Requires students to meet all other visa requirements of the host nation in accordance with international law.
(d) Allows institutions of higher education to set enrollment caps on the number of foreign students it accepts.

3. Requires OEX accredited institutions of higher education in member states to accept grades/credits from other OEX accredited institutions of higher education.

4. Encourages member states to promote student exchanges or study abroad to their own youth.
(a) Encourages and allows member states to have multiple exchange/study abroad programs beyond this resolution.

Votes For: 7,949 (72%)
Votes Against: 3,090 (28%)

Implemented: Sun Jul 24 2011

Description: The General Assembly,

Realizing the importance of marriage in many societies,

Respecting the various cultural and religious customs surrounding marriage,

Recognizing that many, if not most, marriages are intended to be lifelong unions,

Believing therefore that no person should be coerced to marry,

1. Defines forced marriage, for the purposes of this resolution, as the contractual or covenantal union of persons without the informed consent of every person being joined or a similar nonconsensual or coerced union of persons;

2. Prohibits forced marriage;

3. Forbids member states and their political subdivisions from enforcing or providing legal recognition to forced marriages performed in other countries;

4. Requires each member state to offer to annul all forced marriages of people in its jurisdiction; and

5. Recommends that member states establish special law enforcement divisions to investigate claims of forced marriage and communities that supposedly countenance such unions.

Votes For: 8,695 (79%)
Votes Against: 2,363 (21%)

Implemented: Tue Aug 16 2011

Description: The General Assembly,

ACKNOWLEDGING that adequate healthcare in prison medical wards is a vital aspect of the facility,

DEFINES, for the purpose of this resolution, Prison as a facility used to confine accused and/or convicted criminals in accordance with local, regional, and/or international law,

HEREBY MANDATES that all Prisons in all member states have, at minimum, one functioning medical ward that:

1. Employs an adequate number of appropriate medical professionals, relative to the prison's occupancy, with at least one qualified physician present in the medical ward at all times;
2. Allows all prisoners immediate access to anesthetics, analgesics, and other such drugs when determined to be medically necessary by staff health care professionals;
3. Contains an appropriate number of beds, which will be made available to all inmates who suffer from a medical emergency that requires observation in the medical ward;
4. Utilizes up-to-date, effective medical equipment for the treatment of prisoners;
5. Provides gender-appropriate services as dictated by the inmate population of the prison in question, including appropriate care and treatment for pregnant individuals and their offspring;
6. Arranges for the safe transfer of prisoners to outside facilities for those who require specialized medical care beyond that offered by the Prison medical ward.

REQUIRES the use of appropriate sterilization techniques throughout the prison and medical ward to minimize the spread of infectious disease.

PROHIBITS the following inhumane actions from being performed on prisoners:

1. The administration of medical drugs for the purpose of causing anguish;
2. The administration of medical drugs for the purposes of causing death, with exceptions granted for euthanasia at the inmate's request and for capital punishment;
3. The use of prisoners as test subjects without their informed, written consent.

ALLOWS individual member states to impose additional protocol or standards that do not conflict with this resolution to their current correctional facility medical system.

Co-Authored by Mousebumples

Votes For: 7,177 (64%)
Votes Against: 4,044 (36%)

Implemented: Sat Aug 20 2011