Ariddia and the United Nations

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Ambassador Christelle Zyryanov addresses the General Assembly
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The People's Democratic Social Republic of Ariddia (PDSRA), a member of UNOG, has no explicitly stated policy regarding its participation in the United Nations. The Rêvane government, and its representative Ambassador Christophe Boco, are generally not considered to be part of any "sovereignist" movement in the General Assembly, and instead are seen to favour internationally binding legislation in a number of matters.


Sovereignism?

The PDSRA generally refrains from supporting legislation on matters such as forms of government, argueuing that democracy is not, and should be, a universal value, despite Ariddia itself being a democratic country. It also opposes legislation advocating specific economic models, on the basis that each member nation should remain free to decide upon the nature its own economy. Furthermore, Ariddia generally opposes resolutions which it sees as "micromanaging" national legislation. In all these aspects, the PDSRA's position is very close to that of "sovereignist" member states.

Progressivism

However, Ariddia's position is also that of a "progressive" nation, which opposes the furtherment both of capitalism and of right-wing (conservative) values. The PDSRA is notably pro-environmental, is a member of the Green Think Tank, and was the author of a failed proposal which would have established an international Climate Refugee Commission.

It was due to a succession of anti-environmentalist repeals (and specifically the imminent implementation of the resolution 'Repeal "Stop dumping - Start Cleaning"') that Ariddia formally resigned from the United Nations, transferring its membership to the tiny "Extraterritorial Sovereign Ariddian Territory" (ESAT), an officially "sovereign" territory which acts as a mouthpiece for Rêvane in the United Nations, while exempting Ariddia from complying with UN legislation it disapproves of.

ESAT's sole purpose is thus as a substitute for Ariddia in the United Nations, a tactic also adopted by several other member states.

Policy evolution

ESAT's ambassador, and legal head of State, is Ambassador Boco, who abides by Rêvane's instructions to oppose most legislation which it sees as outside the purview of the United Nations, even if the Ariddian government agrees with the ideals of the resolution in question. Nonetheless, her task is also to be a progressive voice among the most outspoken conservatives.

There was previously some talk in Rêvane of Ambassador Dr. Jane Ranomezanjanahary-Souvanhnavongsa-Fincfeuiaki being Ariddia's next representative to the UN following Ambassador Zyryanov's retirement. The appointment of Ambassador Ranomezanjanahary would have signalled a shift in Ariddia's UN policy; Ranomezanjanahary is generally considered to be more explicitly anti-capitalist than Zyryanov, and might, with Rêvane's backing, have moved away from the PDSRA's moderately "pro-sovereignist" position, towards a more ideological and interventionist one. However, Ambassador Zyryanov was succeeded by Ambassador Boco, through whom Ariddia maintains what it sees as a "balanced", progressive but generally "sovereignist" policy.

Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that the PDSRA's position did evolve somewhat under Zyryanov's tenure. Ariddia became an Observer at both the National Sovereignty Organization and the United International Congress, claiming to share some positions expressed by each, despite the two organisations being radically opposed. Shortly thereafter, Ariddia supported a proposal which aimed at abolishing the death penalty throughout the United Nations. Ariddia had, until then, opposed similar legislation on the grounds of national sovereignty, but Ambassador Zyryanov argued that the right to life was an issue of international concern.

The Ariddian authorities are the authors of the "Climate Refugee Commission", a proposal which sought to provide assistance to persons made homeless by environmental disasters. The PDSRA campaigned actively, but faced several opponents who campaigned just as actively against the proposal - which was eventually defeated. Subsequently, Ambassador Zyryanov made a speech thanking supporters and outlining her views on why the attempt had been a failure. She was then was awarded the title of Honorary Minister of Debate, along with the Intangible Medal of Discourse, by the government of Intangelon.

ESAT and the United Nations

Implementation of problematic resolutions

Since Ariddia is not officially a member State of the United Nations, only ESAT is obligated to implement UN resolutions, the scope of which is thus restricted to the ESAT building. In some cases, implementation of resolutions is difficult for a nation consisting solely in one building. For example, since resolution #85 Support Hemp Production (now repealed) contained only recommendations, ESAT, which has a population of just 49, did not set up the eight-member advisory board recommended by the resolution. Instead, it vested advisory power in one citizen - a purely ceremonial punction, given that there is no agricultural land in ESAT.

Resolution #47, Definition of 'Fair Trial', has caused some difficulty in the micro-state. Under Ariddian judiciary law, defendants are not entitled to trial by a jury of their peers, because of concerns that a jury may not be apt to determine guilt or innocence in a fair and efficient manner. However, resolution #47, article 6, mandates that any defendent may demand a trial by "a jury of his or her peers". Therefore, Esati judicial law stipulates that any criminal court within ESAT must be comprised of four judges, two factual assessors (all six being on loan from Ariddia) and a jury of five randomly selected Esati citizens. However, resolution #47 does not specify what the task of the jury is to be, and ESAT exploits that loophole by proclaiming that the jury may only offer a recommendation to the judges, and that the judges, as in Ariddia, establish guilt or innocence.

Resolution #49, Rights and Duties of UN States, article 1, states:

Every UN Member State has the right to independence and hence to exercise freely, without dictation by any other NationState, all its legal powers, including the choice of its own form of government.

Given that the function of Esati head of State is attributed to Ariddia's ambassador to the United Nations, and that the Esati head of State is therefore appointed by the Ariddian government, ESAT was obligated to implement some form of legislation which would bring it into compliance with the stipulations of this resolution. It was decided that the citizens of ESAT would be entitled to reject, via referendum, the appointment of their head of State. This right has, however, never been exercised.

Resolution #27, Due Process, mandated that "no person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury". ESAT circumvented this obligation by defining a "Grand Jury" as "a criminal court containing a jury as per the requirements of the United Nations resolution #47". Naturally, ESAT / Ariddia then voted in favour of repealing Resolution #27.

Resolution #226, Passport Standardisation Act, "defines a "passport" as a travel document by the nation of which the person is a citizen, identifying the bearer as a national of that country" (clause 1). During the drafting stage, the Esati/Ariddian delegation pointed out the distinction between a citizen and a national - for example, that one may be a national of a country while being too young to qualify for citizenship. The clause was not modified, and Julien Quan expressed his delegation's disappointment, indicating that ESAT would abstain from voting. Once the proposal had been adopted by the United Nations, ESAT complied with clause 1 by ceasing to issue passports to Esati nationals who are not citizens (notably, any Esati aged 15 or younger), and withdrew the Esati passports previously carried by such individuals. Secretary Boco added that the Esati government was "considering whether to introduce a new, secondary type of citizenship, which would entitle persons aged 15 and under to be deemed "underage citizens", and would enable them (on a technicality) to carry recognisible passports in full compliance with clause 1 of the Passport Standardisation Act".
Further, ESAT invokes "national security" under clause 9 to deny entry to all uninvited foreigners in the Esati building. ESAT does not issue visas of any kind. Entrance to most of the country is by invitation, and entrance to the Esati public room is unrestricted (i.e., passports are not required).

UN committees and organisations in ESAT

In compliance with clause 4 of resolution #212 (a mandating clause), the Esati building contains an office of the UN Center for Disease Prevention and Control. This office is staffed by Ariddian Dr. Ana-Maria de la Cruz, who obtained Esati citizenship in consequence.

Official delegation

The following individuals represent ESAT and the PDSRA at the United Nations, and may often be found at the UN Headquarters:

Former delegation members:

Recent voting record