Wysterian Union

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The Wysterian Union
ivisionflag3bt.jpg seal.jpg
Flag and Coat of Arms of the Wysterian Union
Motto (English): Together, towards a shared destiny (unofficial)
Anthem: The Imperial March - John Williams
WUsmall.png

Full version: click here

Capital Vereinstadt (4,821,428)
Four largest cities Laettner, Romatius ,
Kalsoki, Ocean Falls
Spoken Languages
 - Official
 - Unofficial
Wysterian
Over Fifty
Government
 - Chancellor
 - Foreign Minister
 - Trade Minister
 - Justice Minister
 - Defense Minister
 - Science Minister
Nicetas Stephanus
New Felix
Tyryte
Liberal Technology
New Felix
Daekerius
Establishment CE July 23, 2004
Area
 - Total
 - % water
4,422,773 km²
16%
Population
 - Total (2006)
Aprox. 66,000,000,000 (WY: 1st)
GDP (FY2006/07)
  - Total (USD)
  - GDP/capita (USD)
$2,127,440,968,188,180
$32,712
Currency 1 UCA Argent (A) = 1.75 USD ($)
Time Zone UTC +0100 / +0230
National Charter of Rights Treaty of the Wysterian Union
International Abbreviations
 - government

WU
Naval Craft Classification
  - Military
  - Civilian
WU
WU
Internet TLD .wu

The Wysterian Union or WU is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 7 nations from the Nation States region of Wysteria. The organization was established under the name Wysterian Union in August 2004 by the Treaty of the Wysterain Union. However, several aspects of the Union existed before that date through a series of predecessor relationships and organizations, dating back to 2003.

The Wysterian Union's activities cover broad aspects of public policy; from science and public health to fair and free trade to foreign affairs and collective defense. The extent of the Unions powers (or as below, competencies) differ greatly between policy areas. Depending on the area in question, the WU resembles:

  • a federation, for example, on trade policy;
  • a confederation, for example, on social policy; and
  • an international organization, for example, on foreign affairs

A key competency retained by the WU is the establishment and administration of the common market. This competency allows the WU to abolish trade barriers between member states, set up common external trade barriers (tariffs, quotas, etc.) and to allow the free movement of capital, labor, and funds amongst the member states.

Several institutions have been set up to ensure the effective administration of the Union. However, the most important by far is the Senate of the Wysterian Union. It is the main decision making body of the organization. There is also a Chancellory and a High Court.

Member States and Successive Enlargement

The Wysterian Union has 7 member states and approximately 66 billion WU citizens (not including colonial possessions) as of August 22, 2007. The enormous size of its collective population, the wealth of its member states, and the influence and moral authority weilded by individual members make the WU an extremely influential organization.

Since its inception with ten countries, the Union has experienced expansion and contraction. Today, its membership stands at seven nations.

Current Membership

The following states are members of the Wysterian Union (in alphabetical order by nation name):

Prospective members are subject to a detailed nomination and selection process.

Former Members of the WU

Symbology

The Wysterian Union's official color is navy blue. Blue represents democracy and unity and it also alludes to the oceans that seperate and unite the member states. Variations of blue are also used as secondary aesthetic elements in Union symbology.

ivisionflag3bt.jpg

The flag of the Union cosists of a stylized semicircle of six stars. The semicircle of six stars represent the bottom half of a full circle of twelve stars, a symbol of unity. One red star represents Vereinstadt, the capital of the Union. Darker blue is the official color of the WU. White is a color that represents of purity and peace.

seal.jpg

The arms of the Union parallel the aesthetic of the flag. The main element, the shield, is navy blue in color and spangled with white stars. This is an allusion to the flag and is not meant to portray the geographic location of member states or even the correct number of members in the Union. The shield is wreathed by two typical types of flora native to the Vereinstadt autonomous region in Kosmania: the Kosmanian coffee bean tree (left) and the Perspectif Yellow Holly (right). The scroll under the shield reads, "Wysterian Union 2004".
The unofficial motto of the Union is "Now and Forever". This slogan refers to the contemporary relevance of the Union and the enduring nature of its structure and membership.

The Union's Regional Context

The Wysterian Union is one of several multi-state organizations in the NS region of Wysteria. What differentiates the WU from other organizations is the depth of the integration of its members and the success it has garnered in the short span of its existence.

State--Union Relationship

The members of the Wysterian Union have transferred to it considerable competencies and have integrated further than any of its peers in the region. As has been mentioned, in certain areas the WU begins to take on the character of a federation or confederation. However, in legal terms, member states remain paramount, meaning means that the Union does not have the power to transfer additional powers from states onto itself without their agreement through further international treaties. Further, member states may reclaim competencies from the Union should they feel that these competencies are too harsh a burden on national sovereignty.

Origins and History

The Wysterian Union's origins are founded on the relationship between three states, Galicia-Volhynia, The Steppe, and Melcelene. The three southeastern states first agreed to an informal alliance in the form of a new confederation of nations, the League of Non-aligned States or LONAS. The purpose of LONAS was to chart a destiny independent of the two major alliances at the time, the Strategic Social Alliance (SSA) and the Independent Wysterian League of Equal Nations (IWLEN).

These two alliances came into conflict in what became the Munishan War. The climax of the war was the nuclear exchange between Munisha and New Felix. This northern war shocked the nations of the south, which to ensure that nuclear war would never erupt in their hemisphere began to look for a multilateral, inclusive cooperative agreement. Thus, the original LONAS nations began to talk to other southern nations about joining a geographically-oriented free trade organization that would bind the nations of the south together economically. The rationale behind this movement was that when countries prospered and traded, these ties would become the basis for a peaceful coexistence. This new endeavour was called the South Wysterian Economic Community or SWEC.

SWEC quickly swelled to include most of the influential nations in the Southern Hemisphere including Turnipstan, the Zocalo, and Blackbears. However, as the risk of war decreased around the region and as membership plateaued, its members and organization began to stagnate. In August of 2004, a core group of nations including Galicia-Volhynia, the Steppe, Melcelene, and Guns n Whiskey announced their departure from SWEC in what is known as the Harkonna Statement.

Unknown to most, these nations along with several other members of a core group of WU founding nations had been meeting to discuss the birth of a new organization that would exceed the level of cooperation found in the SWEC infrastructure. This is the reason that although the core group of defectors left SWEC in August of 2004, the WU celebrates its anniversary on July 23.

The core group of founding nations include Galicia-Volhynia, Melcelene, The Steppe, Salasia, Samaru, New Felix, Lodmeria, Daekerius, Guns n Whiskey, and Castile and Leon.

Present Context

The Wysterian Union, since its inception, has become a magnet for regional attention. Besides having a large, committed membership, the WU has active members who are vocal about their vision for the region.

This attention has brought both criticism and praise for the Union. WU policy has been to work cooperatively with non-members for the betterment of all people in the region, even if it is to the detriment of individual governments. The WU is currently involved in the following regional activities:

  • Partnership for Prosperity: A programme of bilteral free trade agreements
  • Upholding International Law: Union members have been vocal and active in the support of regional and international law and its primacy in international geopolitics
  • Support for Popular Governments: Members have committed to act to aid the citizens of each nation choose a government to its own liking
  • Halting Genocide: The WU is one of several alliances which has organized against the Sacred Skull to stop their genocidal acts against those of the Nephite faith


The organization will continue to expand and act to maintain its relevance to the region.

Institutions and Legal Framework

Legal Framework

Law in the Wysterian Union comprises a large number of overlapping legal and institutional structures. This is a result of its being defined by successive international accords and Senate resolutions. Each new accord supplements, amends, or nullfies previous law.

The treaty also outlines the structure of the WU administration and details the checks and balances that maintain a balance of authority between the Senate, the Chancellory, and the High Court.

The basis of law and precedent for creation of new law is, and will always be, the Treaty of the Wysterian Union.

WU Institutions

The functioning of the Wysterian Union is supported by several institutions:

  • The WU Senate (100 members, apportioned by population)
  • The Chancellory (1 executive elected by the Senate)
  • The High Council (Council of Appointed National Representatives which handle the day-to-day macro-operations of the Union, e.g, foreign affairs and trade and commerce)
  • The High Court of the Union (5 High Justices led by a Grand Magistrate)

There is also a sub-group of nations which share a common currency through the Unified Currency Authority.

The Senate of the Wysterian Union

The Senate of the Wysterian Union is the supreme decision-making body in the Union. It is all-powerful and may even curtail decisions made by the Chancellor (see below).

Membership in the Senate stands at 100. These one hundred senate seats are apportioned amongst the active membership of the Union according to population data. Seats are re-apportioned every time a new member is added or a member is ejected. Senate delegations are usually lead by a single senator which speaks and votes for his/her nation state.

The Senate conducts business by a 2/3 majority of a valid quorom rule. In order to achieve quorom, 2/3 of all senators (67) must have spoken in favor/against/or have abstained from voting. If two-thirds of a valid quorom votes in favor of a resolution, it passes. If the measure does not attain a quorom, or does not gain enough 'yea' votes with a quorom, it fails. Members are allowed to submit a resolution as many times as they wish.

One of the most important issues the Senate votes on is who may assume the role of the Executive of the Union, or the Chancellor. Because the Senate selects the Chancellor from amongst their own, they have authority to remove the Chancellor and overule any pronouncement from that office.

The Chancellery of the Wysterian Union

The Chancellor is the Executive of the Union. Invested into the office are broad powers to speak for the Union.

A Chancellor is expected to be several things. Among them are Chief Diplomat, Chief Commander, and CEO of the Union. Although he is expected to assume these roles, in reality, the Chancellor delegates these portfolios to his High Council. However, the Chancellor is expected to provide oversight to the Ministries and shares the blame for any lapse in judgement or responsibility that may befall the High Ministers.

The Union has had three Chancellors thus far. The first Chancellor, Paul Pullman, and the current Chancellor, Thomas Iselin, are from the Federal Republic of New Felix. Between them was Aleksandr Vondergaard from the Varangian Constellation.

The High Council

A Chancellor's High Council is a group made up of the top bureaucrats from each of the High Ministries. They are as follows (in order of influence):

  • Foreign Affairs
  • Trade and Commerce
  • Justice, Intelligence and Freedom
  • Collective Defense
  • Science and Public Health

These bureaucrats are called "High Ministers". They are tasked with implementing resolutions passed by the Senate which fall within their ministry's purview.

High Ministers are appointed by the Chancellor and must be approved by a simple majority vote of the Senate.

Location of WU Institutions

VEREINSTADT, the capital city of the Union, is the location of all WU Institutions including the Senate, High Court, and residence/offices of the Chancellor (Hergestelltausdengrossengrauensteinen Schloß). The WU also has military installations in Vereinstadt and throught Wysteria.

The city is located on the southwestern coast of the member state of Kosmania. Vereinstadt Autonomous region and its immediate surrounding territory have been ceded to the Union for use as its capital by the government of Kosmania for perpetuity.

WU Policy

The main policies of the Union are to provide a single economic market for its members without the hinderance of an overbearing bureaucracy. Further, the Union provides its members with a defensive mechanism which considers "an attack on one, an attack on all."

Wysterian Union foreign policy is considered activist. The policies formulated and actions taken by the WU have taken a distinct character. The WU has chosen to aid the weak (Republic of Nephia), to stop genocide (Sacred Skull Nephite genocide), incite peaceful change (Florenzian Civil War), fight terrorism (Kamadhatu Civil War), and to empower the impoverished (Partnership for Prosperity).

The WU's economic policy have been targeted to the advancement of free trade amongst the nations of the region and to build relationships outside of the region. The greatest achievement of this policy is the Partnership for Prosperity (PfP) Programme. PfP authorizes the High Minister for Trade and Commerce for the WU or other designated representatives to negotiate free(r) access to the markets of non-member nations in return for reciprocal access to WU markets. This program of bilateral agreements guarantees nations access to the huge WU market and the WU is given an opportunity to sell its goods and services to new markets.

Quick Data

Table information from Thirdgeek
Member
States 		Aggregate
Population
m. of people 		Per Capita
GDP
US dollars 		Aggregate
GDP
US dollars, bn
Cumorrah 5,457 $4,557 $24,872
Batsczeckistan 938 $25,865 $24,261
Daekerius 8,661 $31,410 $272,042
Polarverta 11,057 $37,607 $454,794
Liberal Technology 8,009 $35,107 $281,178
Tyryte 16,667 $36,167 $601,929
New Felix 15,182 $36,032 $538,130
 
Wysterian Union (WU) 		wusmall.jpg

Cumorrah | Daekerius | Infinitus | Liberal Technology | New Felix | New Kandor | Tyryte | Polarverta

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