Tsunami Warning System

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This resolution was referenced by Max Barry during one of the MaxChats as a positive example of how the NationStates United Nations sometimes was quicker to put aside international differences and work to respond to international concerns.

History

The Tsunami Emergency Warning Center logo

NS United Nations resolution #90, which established the Tsunami Emergency Warning Center, began in response to the real life tragedy in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. It was based upon an original proposal by Tejasdom, with subsequent contributions by Mikitivity, Grosseschnauzer, and Groot Gouda -- the latter three of which are members of the International Democratic Union. The basic idea of using an international security resolution to increase emergency response and preparation budgets was first explored by the Tracking Near Earth Objects resolution. The same authors were involved in the Natural Disaster Act.

It was implemented on January, 27 2005, after it received 15,961 for and 2,678 against, and was considered one of the most highly vetted resolutions of its time. Discussions on the various draft proposals took place on both the UN forum and International Democratic Union forum for nearly a full month, where considerations about the technical merit and economic feasibility of implementing a tsunami warning system in NationStates was extensively debated.

Text of Resolution

UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTION #90
Tsunami Warning System
A resolution to improve world security by boosting police and military budgets.

Category: International Security Decision: Mild Proposed By: Grosseschnauzer



THE NATIONSTATES UNITED NATIONS


DEEPLY REGRETTING the scale of the loss of life and property due to tsunamis;

AWARE that the some of causes of tsunamis include earthquakes, volcanic activity, landslides, and celestial impacts, but that the primary danger associated with a tsunami is related to the displacement of water (i.e. waves);

NOTING that these disasters can impact multiple nations at the same time;

EMPHASIZING that the citizens from non-coastal communities may be at risk while on vacation or business in coastal communities;

CONVINCED that by pooling resources to detect potential tsunamis, issuing warnings to the areas likely to be impacted, coordinating international aid efforts, and sharing research related to tsunamis, that nations can better prepare for these disasters;

  1. ESTABLISHES a United Nations sponsored and funded Tsunami Emergency Warning Center (TEWC), to be staffed by a team of technical experts who can collect and monitor seismic and stage data in order to study the physics related to tsunamis in different locations, identify possible threats to populated areas, and issue warnings in the event of such a threat;
  2. REQUESTS member nations to forward seismic data already being collected to the TEWC to aid in its research and monitoring program;
  3. SUGGESTS that governments that do not have seismic networks work with the TEWC and other nations in order to enhance existing seismic monitoring and planetary and oceanography programs (which can be considered linked to police and emergency response budgets for the purposes of NationStates);
  4. AUTHORIZES the TEWC to establish a network of land-based and deep ocean buoys and sensors to monitor changes in the water surface across the network, in order to confirm possible tsunamis created by earthquakes or volcanic activity as well as to observe and identify tsunamis created by other physical processes that are undetected by seismic waves (such as landslides or large scale impacts);
  5. DIRECTS the TEWC to develop a standardized tsunami warning protocol that can be used in member nations that can be easily recognized by citizens and travelers;
  6. MANDATES that the TEWC transmit advisory warnings to member nations based on its timely analysis of data collected by both the seismic and water surface monitoring programs;
  7. CALLS UPON member nations to provide the TEWC with emergency contact centers that can quickly respond to tsunami warnings issued by the TEWC;
  8. REITERATES the need for member nations to develop evacuation and response plans in the event of a tsunami warning by ensuring that adequate emergency response teams and equipment is available to deal with the likely damages associated with a tsunami appropriate for that nation;
  9. EXPRESSES ITS HOPE that in the event of a tsunami disaster that nations will continue to offer humanitarian assistance to affected nations; and
  10. ASKS that member nations work with the International Red Cross Organization to coordinate international tsunami relief efforts.


Votes For: 15,961
Votes Against: 2,678
Implemented: January, 27 2005

Additional Materials