United Nations
The UN is the world's governing body. It proposes and votes on resolutions, which are then binding on all member nations. In other words, it's a hot-bed of political intrigue and double-dealing.
Your nation can join the UN, but it's not compulsory. As a non-member, you are unaffected by any UN decisions. The UN enforces its newly passed resolution by means of the Compliance Ministry. Acceptance of new resolutions is not optional for members - compliance is mandatory.
The UN in Gameplay
Many players never go beyond the gameplay aspect of the UN. The UN is a cornerstone of the invading/defending game, due to the UN Delegate position.
A nation's nation statistics are also affected by UN resolutions.
The UN in Roleplay
UN members may create and vote upon proposals, which upon passage become resolutions. Passed resolutions have the force of law in all UN member nations, regardless of when they joined the UN. Using the UN forums, Civil Headquarters posts, and a variety of offsite forums; UN members can roleplay their national interests towards these laws that affect their nations.
The UN also has a number of standing UN Committees, some of which are managed by the UN Secretariat. Unlike the RL United Nations, the NS UN does not have a Secretary General or a Security Council. The NationStates United Nations is also forbidden from maintaining an army or directly intervening in wars, though its members are encouraged to aid each other in time of need.
International Law
This article is a stub. You can help NSwiki by improving it.
