Embassy of the North Pacific

[Gorundu]

Regional Assembly Highlights | August - September 2020

by Cretox State, Deputy Speaker​

Speaker: St George (MadJack)
Deputy Speakers (August): Robespierre, Crushing Our Enemies, Cretox State, and Bobberino
Deputy Speakers (September): Robespierre, BobberinoComfed, and Lady Raven Wing


Current Business

Current outstanding business for the Regional Assembly as of writing is voting on the rejection of New Francois's citizenship application by the Vice Delegate, and handling the potential confirmation of Gorundu-~-

Rejection of New Francois's Citizenship Application

Summary: New Francois lost citizenship on 9 September 2020 due to failing to maintain a nation within TNP. They reapplied for citizenship on 20 September 2020; this application was rejected by Vice Delegate Dreadton. The Regional Assembly must determine whether to uphold this rejection.

Status: At Vote


Appointment of Gorundu as Prosecutor for "The North Pacific v. New Francois"

Summary: Delegate TlomzKrano appointed Gorundu as Prosecutor for the court case "The North Pacific v. New Francois" on 21 September 2020 after some concerns were raised regarding a prior appointee. The appointment of Gorundu is currently being discussed.

Status: Discussion and Debate


On Hold

Appointment of Chewie as Prosecutor for "The North Pacific v. New Francois"

Summary: Then-Delegate Prydania appointed Chewie as Prosecutor for the court case "The North Pacific v. New Francois" on 11 September 2020. The matter was successfully motioned to be voted upon, but received enough objections to cancel the scheduled vote. Another Prosecutor was subsequently appointed by Delegate TlomzKrano.


Passed - Legislative

The legislative proposals that have passed through the Regional Assembly in the months of August and September thus far are the Government Officials Achieving Transparency Act and the North Pacific Security Council Disclosure Act.

-~-

The Government Officials Achieving Transparency Act* by Praetor

Summary: In an effort to increase the transparency and accountability of the region's Security Council, Praetor brought the aforementioned proposed piece of legislation before the Regional Assembly in early July. The bill sought to make the Security Council subject to FOIA (Freedom of Information Act), thereby allowing redacted private Security Council records to be made public upon resident request. The bill passed the Regional Assembly by majority vote, after which it was vetoed by the Delegate.

Results: 32 Ayes | 14 Nays | 5 Abstentions

Status: Passed as of 15 August 2020
*Vetoed by then-Delegate Prydania after passing


North Pacific Security Council Disclosure Act by Oracle

Summary: In response to the veto of The Government Officials Achieving Transparency act, Oracle brought their proposed legislation before the Regional Assembly in mid-August in an attempt to address the subject of Security Council transparency in a modified manner. The most important of these modifications included provisions dealing with private records that existed prior to the bill's taking effect and methods of validation through the Court. The bill passed the Regional Assembly by majority vote.

Results:Status: Passed as of 13 September 2020


Passed - Non Legislative

The non-legislative proposals that passed the Regional Assembly in the months of August and September as of yet are the Confirmation of Fregerson as Election Commissioner, the Confirmation of Vivanco as Prosecutor in "The North Pacific v. Ihese", the Confirmation of Cretox State and BMWSurfer to the Election Commission, and Former English Colony's Security Council Application.

-~-

Confirmation of Fregerson as Election Commissioner

Summary: Fregerson was nominated to the Election Commission by then-Delegate Prydania on 11 August 2020, as Fregerson's term on the Commission was expiring. The nomination was soon motioned to a vote, and passed the Regional Assembly by majority vote on 25 August 2020.

Results: 36 Ayes | 0 Nays | 6 Abstentions

Status: Passed as of 25 August 2020


Confirmation of Vivanco as Prosecutor in "The North Pacific v. Ihese"

Summary: Vivanco was nominated by then-Delegate Prydania to serve as Prosecutor for the aforementioned Court case. After a period of debate, the nomination was brought to a vote on 3 September 2020. The nomination was confirmed by the Regional Assembly by majority vote.

Results: 30 Ayes | 1 Nay | 12 Abstentions

Status: Passed as of 6 September 2020


Confirmation of BMWSurfer and Cretox State as Election Commissioners

Summary: BMWSurfer and Cretox State were nominated by then-Delegate Prydania in early September to serve on the Election Commission. Shortly thereafter, the matter was brought to the Regional Assembly, where both nominations passed by majority vote.

Results:
BMWSurfer: 35 Ayes | 0 Nays | 4 Abstentions
Cretox State: 38 Ayes | 0 Nays | 2 Abstentions

Status: Both passed as of 10 September 2020


Former English Colony's Security Council Application

Summary: In mid-September, the region's Security Council nominated Former English Colony, one of the oldest and most notable members of TNP, for a seat on the Security Council by unanimous vote. The matter was motioned for a vote of the Regional Assembly, where it passed by majority vote.

Results: 40 Ayes | 0 Nays | 8 Abstentions

Status: Passed as of 21 September 2020


Failed

Ease of Prosecution Act by Comfed

The only proposal that failed the Regional Assembly in the last two months is the Ease of Prosecution Act (legislative). Introduced in mid-July, the bill aimed to provide for the appointment of a new Prosecutor in Court cases where the sitting Prosecutor discontinues the case. The proposal barely failed to reach majority support.

Results: 12 Ayes | 13 Nays | 6 Abstentions

Status: Failed as of 29 August 2020​

News - ADITO 2

by Arichia, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs

The Spotlight - Interview With Nimarya
[align=right]by Arichia, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs​

Arichia: So, I would like to start from the beginning, how did you first get started in NationStates?

Nimarya: Well, my brother actually found the website and showed it to me a little over two years ago. I made a nation and spent most of the following two years just lurking, answering issues, and spying on the forum. Eventually, my old nation CTE'd, so when I decided to return to NationStates I made a new nation under the name "Nimarya" which just so happened to spawn in TNP. Then, I was inexplicably drawn into the activities of this region and the rest is history.

Arichia: TNP has many activities for many people. What activities did you first get yourself involved in?

Nimarya: Home Affairs and the North Pacific Army were the two big things. I joined Home Affairs not long before Bluie resigned from the position of Minister of Home Affairs, and when Rocketdog stepped up as Minister he choose to give me a chance as Deputy. I think I can point back to that singular decision on his part as the one thing that's most defined my path in TNP, because when I was brought in as a Deputy I was given the chance to learn administration, to establish myself in the region, and was set on the course that would lead to me one day taking over as Minister of Home Affairs.

The NPA has also been one of my absolute favorite things about this region. Rom in particular was amazing and taught me R/D personally, and now I can say I'm an officer in the NPA thanks to his guidance. It's fun, it's engaging, and I love the friends I've made there. Working with the NPA is also a great opportunity to make friends outside of the North Pacific as you compete with other R/D players in NS.

Arichia: From what you've said about your time here, it looks like you've really enjoyed Home Affairs and NPA! I would also like to hear about what you think is the most enjoyable part of being the Minister of Home Affairs.

Nimarya: The most enjoyable aspect of being Minister of Home Affairs, for me at least, is harnessing the ideas and passion of the people who work with me. I like how we're all a team who wants to reach out to new players and help them become part of the region, and I think that passion and sense of community we share is crucial to the life and productivity of Home Affairs. It makes me very happy to see my staff have fun and engage with others, and that's been one of my most driving motivations as I work to continuously improve the Ministry.

Arichia: Before yourself, many people have held the position of the Minister of Home Affairs. As you are in that same position, who do you look up to, and what do you admire about them?

Nimarya: Well, I haven't worked under that many other Ministers in Home Affairs- only Bluie, very briefly, and Rocketdog. I have, however, also become friends with BMWSurfer who was a MoHA long before I joined TNP. I would say I respect each of them for different things. I admire BMW greatly for the advice he has given me throughout this term, as well as his genius creation of Home Affair's latest roster. I respect Bluie for being a solid and dependable worker and advisor who has stepped up to the plate multiple times this last term. I also admire the work he did with polls during his last term, an idea which, if I'm ever again able to work as MoHA, I intend to blatantly copy. Lastly, I respect Rocketdog for his example in delegating certain work to his deputies during his term as Minister, instead of trying to do everything himself. In that way I've chosen to follow in his footsteps by delegating work and trusting my deputies to help shoulder the work of Home Affairs, a tactic which I believe has led to better results all around.

Arichia: I see that you value hard work and determination. What are some difficult challenges that you have gone through during your time working in Home Affairs, or TNP government in general?

Nimarya: Two main challenges come to mind, I think. The first would be a more general challenge that just comes with gaining a leadership position. It can be hard establishing goals, schedules, and then of course figuring out step by step what exactly needs to happen and then how to make it happen. I think that's just gotten easier with experience as I've worked throughout the term. I've had to postpone different projects and I've had to accept that some things I would like to do just aren't feasible or important enough for the moment, which can be a hard pill to swallow sometimes. But I would like to say I'm learning, and getting better at management in general, and I am happy with the things we've been able to accomplish this term.

The other challenge would be handling situations with staff that aren't really doing what they're supposed to. This term we've had situations where people were claiming things out of order, or fighting over rows, and dealing with that hasn't been easy, but I think the key to solving or at least mitigating those problems has been just to talk to people, and work out what needs to change.

Arichia: Those are hard problems, but, of course, problems arise all the time, and we accomplish things too. Under your leadership, what do you believe is Home Affairs' greatest accomplishment?

Nimarya: That's a very tough question to answer. We have the new Log and Data Viewer system, which I believe to be revolutionary, and we've also recently introduced a cards reward program that I think will also go very far and might potentially serve as an inspiration for other cards programs. However, at the end of the day I think the most important thing Home Affairs has gained is a solid system of operations. We now have methods and routine for each of the main processes of Home Affairs, from distributing Home Office work in a rotational schedule, to guides for accepting and training new staff, to templates and procedures for mentoring, and more. At the beginning of my term, I said I wanted to do many small things to make Home Affairs easier to run and easier to work in. I think I can say I've succeeded at that.

Arichia: To my knowledge, much of the work you put into is for Home Affairs and the NPA. Are you part of other ministries, The Regional Assembly, or in any other places?

Nimarya: Well, as a citizen and Minister I'm definitely part of the Regional Assembly! I haven't been involved in drafting legislation, but that could change one day. Truth be told most of my focus and efforts have been on the NPA and HA, especially the past few months. However, I am part of Culture as well and have assisted with graphic design this term, and I'm also technically part of the Cards Guild, although that's mostly because Praetor hasn't kicked me out yet, and I want to become more involved with that in the future.

Arichia: And to finish, once your time as Minister is over, what do you plan to do, and would you consider doing anything more?

Nimarya: Well, when I'm done as Minister of Home Affairs, I'm probably going to turn my attention to trying out different areas of the game and region that I haven't explored much yet, namely Foreign Affairs and possibly World Assembly Affairs. I'll also consider running for office one of these days. That's not to say I intend to abandon Home Affairs or the NPA- on the contrary, I doubt I could ever leave them, but I probably will step back from leadership for at least a term in the future, just to recharge and figure out what it is I want to be doing.

Arichia: Those are all the questions I have. I really appreciate your time and answers! Thanks for the opportunity to interview you!

News - August 2020 Special Justice Election

by Comfed, Deputy Speaker​

After Lady Raven wing lost her justice position for not posting on the forum for 14 days, she lost her position as justice and a special election was called.

Candidates:
Yalkan
Vivanco
Eluvatar

Yalkan
Yalkan declared his candidacy in the candidacy declarations thread. He did not post a campaign thread.
Yalkan received 16.67% of the vote and was not elected.

Vivanco
Vivanco accepted a nomination from Praetor. He posted a campaign thread, and based it on his election to the now abolished post of Attorney General, and stated that he had enough experience to understand and interpret the law.
Vivanco received 28.12% of the vote and was not elected.

Eluvatar
Eluvatar accepted a nomination from Robespierre. He posted a campaign thread, and ran on the basis of his experience as a previous justice. He also included a FAQ in his thread.
Eluvatar received 55.13% of the vote and was elected.

Mall also ran, but since he already had a justice seat his candidacy was null. He posted a campaign thread only, which was entitled "Mall4Court 2: Thanks Election Commission". The election was run differently due to the"Lessening Repeating Work" bill recently passed by Praetor resulting in a vote system similar to Single Transferable Vote (STV).

News - September 2020 Special Justice Election

by Owenstacy, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs​

Due to losing citizenship, Eluvatar abandoned their position as justice, which resulted in a second Special Justice Election of the term being called. The election saw two candidates run, both of whom had experience in the judicial branch: Vivanco and Saintpeter.

VivancoSaintpeter
Saintpeter, running for justice for the second time this term, also pledged that they would not abandon office this term if elected. Apart from this, they ran on the same platform as they did in their last candidacy. This consisted of the clear implementation of judicial philosophy into the workings of the court and the court self-regulating its power. As well as this, Saintpeter proposed implementing a trial of law clerks to give people experience working in this branch.

Saintpeter received 14.29% of the vote and was not elected.

 

[Gorundu]

World Assembly Digest

by BMWSurfer, Minister of Communications​

Protecting Legal Rights Of Workers

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 5424 Against: 1105
Final Vote (TNP): For: 555 Against: 55 with percentage of WA nations voting: 38
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 100 Against: 17 with percentage of WA nations voting: 29
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 144 Against: 10 with percentage of WA nations voting: 34
Delegate's Vote (Europe): For
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 112 Against: 14 with percentage of WA nations voting: 28
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Integrity In Law Enforcement

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4978 Against: 1421
Final Vote (TNP): For: 519 Against: 67 with percentage of WA nations voting: 37
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 104 Against: 15 with percentage of WA nations voting: 29
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 144 Against: 21 with percentage of WA nations voting: 36
Delegate's Vote (Europe): For
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 118 Against: 16 with percentage of WA nations voting: 30
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

A proposal designed to lay the groundwork for police accountability in all member nations, "Integrity in Law Enforcement" effectively legislates in pursuit of its goal by mandating the disclosure of law enforcement records relating to investigations into and incidents of alleged wrongdoing by police, such as sexual assault and excessive use of force. The proposal strikes a good balance between facilitating transparency and providing for a necessary level of confidentiality, by allowing the redaction of records in order to protect personal information and preserve national security, as well as other reasons. Additionally, the legislation explicitly allows for national and World Assembly law to increase the scope of transparency regarding law enforcement records, and the public's access to such.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote General Assembly proposal, "Integrity in Law Enforcement."

Repeal Wartime Journalism Protection Act

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4398 Against: 1790
Final Vote (TNP): For: 515 Against: 69 with percentage of WA nations voting: 37
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 72 Against: 32 with percentage of WA nations voting: 25
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 135 Against: 30 with percentage of WA nations voting: 36
Delegate's Vote (Europe): For
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 28 Against: 96 with percentage of WA nations voting: 29
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): Against

Recommendation:

A well-written proposal, "Repeal: Wartime Journalism Protection Act" helps illuminate multiple glaring flaws in the target resolution. There are several loopholes in the resolution which include granting member-states the ability to expel reporters from scenes where chemical and biological weapons are being used on the grounds that it would put the journalist in danger, the ability to cover up crimes against humanity on the grounds that it would jeopardize its military efforts, and the ability to expel journalists carrying objects on the grounds that they are weapons, especially considering that target does not define a weapon. While these are not all the issues with the target, it very quickly becomes apparent that this repeal is necessary.

For these reasons, The North Pacific Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote for the at-vote proposal in the General Assembly, "Repeal: Wartime Journalism Protection Act".

Public Access To Court Records

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 5410 Against: 932
Final Vote (TNP): For: 542 Against: 43 with percentage of WA nations voting: 37
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 105 Against: 12 with percentage of WA nations voting: 29
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 155 Against: 9 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (Europe): For
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 112 Against: 9 with percentage of WA nations voting: 29
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

A solidly constructed proposal legislating on an important subject, "Public Access to Court Records" sets out to achieve one goal: to ensure public access to judicial records for the purposes of facilitating more effective oversight of national court systems. The proposal effectively fulfills this objective by mandating that court documents be provided to the public free of charge and in an easily accessible manner, while crucially allowing for redaction or sealing where it serves the public interest. Additionally, the proposal in question requires that all documents it pertains to be deposited with the Universal Library Coalition where reasonable.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the General Assembly proposal, "Public Access to Court Records".

Repeal Promotion Of Recycling

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4751 Against: 1404
Final Vote (TNP): For: 493 Against: 72 with percentage of WA nations voting: 36
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 93 Against: 19 with percentage of WA nations voting: 27
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 143 Against: 23 with percentage of WA nations voting: 36
Delegate's Vote (Europe): For
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 90 Against: 29 with percentage of WA nations voting: 28
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

A sensible repeal of quite a flawed resolution, "Repeal: 'Promotion of Recycling'" makes an effective case for why its target should be stricken from the body of international law. Chief among its arguments are the general incoherency of the target, holes in its wording, and careless oversights in matters such as the upgrading of existing recycling systems and the transshipment of viable waste materials for the purposes of recycling. With a superior replacement rapidly approaching the point of readiness for submission, we see little reason to oppose this proposal.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote General Assembly proposal, "Repeal: 'Promotion of Recycling'".

Restrictions On Forced Eugenics

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 5012 Against: 1409
Final Vote (TNP): For: 529 Against: 75 with percentage of WA nations voting: 38
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 89 Against: 17 with percentage of WA nations voting: 26
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 153 Against: 21 with percentage of WA nations voting: 38
Delegate's Vote (Europe): For
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 106 Against: 15 with percentage of WA nations voting: 30
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

The at-vote General Assembly proposal, "Restrictions on Forced Eugenics", is a concise and eloquent piece of legislation that protects the right of individuals to not be subject to genetic modification under the orders of any government. The proposal guarantees that governments cannot encourage the genetic modification of any person prior to birth for any reason other than to address bodily disorders and diseases. This proposal is an important step towards fully protecting bodily autonomy for all peoples of the World Assembly.

For these reasons, the North Pacific Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote General Assembly proposal, "Restrictions on Forced Eugenics."

Gmo International Trade Accord

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4730 Against: 1380
Final Vote (TNP): For: 518 Against: 52 with percentage of WA nations voting: 36
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 77 Against: 14 with percentage of WA nations voting: 23
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 91 Against: 66 with percentage of WA nations voting: 34
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 103 Against: 11 with percentage of WA nations voting: 28
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

The General Assembly proposal "GMO International Trade Accord" effectively legislates on several key areas concerning the transboundary movement and use of genetically modified organisms, with the goal of mitigating potential negative externalities of the use of GMOs. The proposal achieves this goal by targeting three points: the decision to import GMOs for agricultural or other use, the safe utilization of GMOs once they are within a member nation, and the sterilization of plant GMO seeds in order to prevent genetic contamination of nearby plants, which could result in consequences such as superbugs and herbicide-resistant weeds.

The first point is fulfilled by the creation of a committee, which provides guidance on environmental risk assessment of GMOs and their international trade. The proposal mandates that decisions on the import of GMOs are based on scientific environmental risk assessments, and that member nations take measures to prevent the release of GMOs or their genetic material where unintended or for malicious purposes. Perhaps the most important role of this proposal is to ensure that member nations have control over the sterilization of plant GMOs, so long as sterilized plant GMOs may be used where it is of net environmental benefit.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote General Assembly proposal, "GMO International Trade Accord".

Land Reclamation Regulation

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 3626 Against: 2709
Final Vote (TNP): For: 171 Against: 396 with percentage of WA nations voting: 36
Delegate's Vote (TNP): Against
Final Vote (Balder): For: 56 Against: 35 with percentage of WA nations voting: 23
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 92 Against: 81 with percentage of WA nations voting: 38
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 56 Against: 55 with percentage of WA nations voting: 27
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): Against

Recommendation:

The at-vote proposal in the General Assembly, "Land Reclamation Regulation," attempts to serve the noble cause of minimizing environmental damage that may occur through land reclamation (creating new land out of a body of water). Unfortunately, the method in which it does this is peculiar at best and ineffective at worst. By placing the responsibility of impact studies under a committee that will monitor all cases of land reclamation occurring in member-states, it creates an undue burden on the World Assembly when it could just as easily be handled by each individual nation. Additionally, clause two is worded in such a way that these impact studies may simply be required to be done on land reclamation as a whole, as opposed to each individual project that involved land reclamation - which is a fairly unhelpful task and makes the crux of the resolution pointless. Clause one is also worded perhaps a little too strongly, without having any reasonable limits set on what the "minimal" amount of environmental damage would be. While this issue likely deserves being legislated on, this proposal is too heavy-handed to be the legislation that covers it.

For these reasons, the North Pacific Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote Against the at-vote proposal in the General Assembly, "Land Reclamation Regulation."

Marine Protection Act

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4887 Against: 1155
Final Vote (TNP): For: 528 Against: 48 with percentage of WA nations voting: 36
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 85 Against: 14 with percentage of WA nations voting: 25
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 107 Against: 53 with percentage of WA nations voting: 34
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 105 Against: 9 with percentage of WA nations voting: 28
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

The at-vote proposal in the General Assembly, "Marine Protection Act," is a well-written proposal that tackles the somewhat nuanced problem of international maritime pollution. While this problem would ordinarily be complex to directly legislate on member-nations, this proposal eases that burden by setting up a World Assembly Committee in order to identify the problem and put proper regulations in place that should minimize the damage done to areas of profound biodiversity or cultural significance. This is a significant environmental issue which the proposal has tackled well, and its passage will be of benefit to the World Assembly and environmental health.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote for the at-vote proposal in the General Assembly, "Marine Protection Act."

Ensuring Effectual Recycling

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 5334 Against: 996
Final Vote (TNP): For: 521 Against: 49 with percentage of WA nations voting: 36
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 92 Against: 17 with percentage of WA nations voting: 28
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 155 Against: 17 with percentage of WA nations voting: 37
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 99 Against: 10 with percentage of WA nations voting: 27
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

The at-vote proposal in the General Assembly, "Ensuring Effectual Recycling," is a well-written proposal that obligates member-states to expand their recycling infrastructure and programmes. This proposal also incentivizes research done in the subject-area of recycling, which should ultimately make the process more efficient and effective in the long-term. This proposal is a direct replacement of GAR#483, "Promotion of Recycling", covering up an area of legislation that was left vacant following the repeal of which. As such, it is a worthy cause and an adequate proposal in the subject.

For these reasons, the World Assembly recommends a vote for the at-vote proposal in the General Assembly, "Ensuring Effectual Recycling."

Repeal Supporting And Valuing The Humanities

Spoiler

Status: Failed
Final Vote (World): For: 1725 Against: 4277
Final Vote (TNP): For: 116 Against: 430 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (TNP): Against
Final Vote (Balder): For: 20 Against: 78 with percentage of WA nations voting: 25
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 85 Against: 71 with percentage of WA nations voting: 33
Delegate's Vote (Europe): For
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 29 Against: 63 with percentage of WA nations voting: 23
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): Against

Recommendation:

"Repeal: 'Supporting and Valuing the Humanities'" seeks to strike out its target resolution on the basis of poor management of the World Assembly General Fund pursuant to the implementation of its mandates. The specific concerns presented are twofold: they include the resolution not placing strict enough limitations on the acquisition or use of WA funds, potentially permitting member nations to acquire funding they don't need to use on wasteful programs of no practical benefit; and the resolution's wording arguably requiring all funding to be ceased after receiving any mere report of improper use of funding, potentially stripping member nations of all WA funds due to frivolous reports. Additionally, the presence of other extant resolutions dealing with education means that the negative consequences of repealing the target will not be too severe.

However, these arguments are the subject of a not insignificant level of controversy. Opponents of this repeal argue that the resolution does not, in fact, mandate that all funds be ceased due to any reports, as the intended meaning of "funds" is clear in the context of the legislation. Additionally, the resolution does not actually lay out a concrete process for the submission of reports of improper use of funding, nor does it explicitly authorize the filing of reports. Further, this is inherently a technicality-based repeal, and the absence of any planned replacement does this attempt no favors.

We feel that this is a unique case in which we cannot readily offer a concrete recommendation in one direction or another. For this reason, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs issues no recommendation on which way to vote on the General Assembly proposal "Repeal: 'Supporting and Valuing the Humanities'", and instead urges individual nations to make an informed decision on the matter with the above points in mind.

Commercial Arbitration Recognition

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4577 Against: 1343
Final Vote (TNP): For: 526 Against: 36 with percentage of WA nations voting: 36
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 88 Against: 15 with percentage of WA nations voting: 27
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 144 Against: 28 with percentage of WA nations voting: 37
Delegate's Vote (Europe): For
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 96 Against: 7 with percentage of WA nations voting: 26
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

Disputes arising from commercial agreements between firms are inherently different from disputes between individual persons, due to the former's greater emphasis on neutrality, discretion, flexibility, and finality of judgement as a result of these disputes often occurring between actors in similar bargaining positions engaging in mutually beneficial dealings. Arbitration is an attractive and efficient form of alternate resolution of these disputes, due to its ability to provide a greater level of neutrality, flexibility, and discretion than national court systems. "Commercial Arbitration Recognition" seeks to provide for the enforcement of arbitration agreements and arbitral awards as pertaining to international commercial agreements, with certain exceptions. Seeing as the resolution's scope is limited to these types of agreements, and arbitration in these situations is quite beneficial and by definition mutually agreed upon, we see little reason to oppose this proposal.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote General Assembly proposal, "Commercial Arbitration Recognition".

Pedagogical Freedom

Spoiler

Status: Failed
Final Vote (World): For: 1250 Against: 5012
Final Vote (TNP): For: 67 Against: 482 with percentage of WA nations voting: 36
Delegate's Vote (TNP): Against
Final Vote (Balder): For: 14 Against: 94 with percentage of WA nations voting: 28
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 21 Against: 144 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 9 Against: 90 with percentage of WA nations voting: 26
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): Against

Recommendation:

A fairly benign proposal at first glance, "Pedagogical Freedom" aims to establish a balancing test with regards to the freedom of parents and legal guardians to interfere in the education of their children. However, this is where the problems begin. The proposal attempts to insert a supposed right of parents "to direct and guarantee, with regard to their sincerely-held moral beliefs, the education of their children" into its balancing test that all member nations must abide by. This is inherently problematic, firstly because it is not, and should not be, the role of parents to "direct and guarantee" their children's education in accordance with said parents' "moral beliefs," and secondly because nothing currently prevents parents from engaging with their children on educational topics outside of the classroom. This balancing test, which forms the crux of the proposal, is unnecessary at best and starkly contrary to the purpose of education at worst.

Furthermore, the proposal implicitly places the burden on member nations to demonstrate that families within their jurisdictions are not complying with the mandates of the proposal, thereby placing an unnecessary burden on the Independent Adjudicative Office by forcing it to make judgement as to whether individual children's education is compliant with the proposal's balancing test in a context where what is "adequate and appropriate" for one child is wholly inadequate or inappropriate for another. Due to this proposal's attempted inclusion of parents' morality into its primary (and only) mandate, and its efforts to address an issue that does not really exist as the proposal makes it out to, we see little reason to support it in its current form.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting Against the at-vote General Assembly proposal, "Pedagogical Freedom".

Sovereign Justice Accord

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4831 Against: 1138
Final Vote (TNP): For: 514 Against: 50 with percentage of WA nations voting: 37
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 86 Against: 18 with percentage of WA nations voting: 26
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 140 Against: 22 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (Europe): For
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 96 Against: 9 with percentage of WA nations voting: 27
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

Lawsuits between states and foreign legal persons have proven to be a particularly pernicious issue to diplomatic relations. The suit can happen in the courts of the nation, giving rise to a conflict of interest. Alternatively, the lawsuit may be filed in the foreign person's native courts, forcing one state to haul another into their courts. Both options are flawed. Furthermore, this opens up avenues for retaliatory and abusive suits between members, damaging the international system. "Sovereign Justice Accord" tactfully addresses this issue by redirecting such lawsuits to a neutral, well-regulated international court system. Given the importance of fairness and justice, there is scarce reason to oppose this proposal.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote General Assembly proposal, "Sovereign Justice Accord".

Ending School Segregation

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 5679 Against: 841
Final Vote (TNP): For: 530 Against: 38 with percentage of WA nations voting: 38
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 100 Against: 16 with percentage of WA nations voting: 30
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 161 Against: 21 with percentage of WA nations voting: 39
Delegate's Vote (Europe): For
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 107 Against: 6 with percentage of WA nations voting: 30
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

A proposal legislating on broader education quality as much as segregation, "Ending School Segregation" aims to ensure that all students in member nations have equal opportunities to attain a pluralistic and social education. The proposal accomplishes this by declaring all children as generally possessing this right, prohibiting segregation and self-segregation of students by protected classes, mandating that educational services not under nations' direct control not be worse in quality than those that are, and including a provision against mistreatment of students. This proposal is poised to make an excellent addition to the existing roster of education-based resolutions, and there is little reason to oppose it.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote General Assembly proposal, "Ending School Segregation".

Commend Trotterdam

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 5014 Against: 809
Final Vote (TNP): For: 531 Against: 35 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 86 Against: 16 with percentage of WA nations voting: 25
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 115 Against: 20 with percentage of WA nations voting: 30
Delegate's Vote (Europe): For
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 114 Against: 5 with percentage of WA nations voting: 26
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

Trotterdam is a well respected member of the Got Issues community for a plethora of reasons. First of all, Trotterdam has left useful feedback on hundreds of issue drafts over the years, enabling aspiring authors to produce high quality drafts that eventually end up in the game for players to answer. Additionally, Trotterdam has made significant strides in the general public's understanding of issue features that may not always be obvious, such as validities, macros, and issue chain sequences through posts on the various stickied megathreads in GI. Just as impressive is the creation of a database documenting more than 5000 issue effect lines, stat effects for each option, and a plethora of policy information. Ultimately, "Commend Trotterdam" does an excellent job of laying out these contributions and more in a comprehensible manner.

For these reasons, the North Pacific World Assembly Ministry recommends a vote for the at-vote Security Council proposal, "Commend Trotterdam".

Commend Nuremgard

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 3683 Against: 1914
Final Vote (TNP): For: 493 Against: 72 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 67 Against: 32 with percentage of WA nations voting: 24
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 78 Against: 57 with percentage of WA nations voting: 29
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 102 Against: 17 with percentage of WA nations voting: 27
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

"Commend Nuremgard" is an unusual proposal compared to the recently passed "Commend Frieden-und Freudenland" and "Commend Trotterdam," due to its focus on pure issue writing rather than other issues-related and regional development work. Nuremgard, the nation in question, has had eighteen high-quality issues written by them make it into the game for all nations to answer. Nuremgard is a unique target due to their lack of forum drafting for their issues, and their lack of a well-known online presence. Nevertheless, they are a highly skilled, dedicated, and underappreciated author who deserves to be recognized for their work in developing the game's community through issues authoring.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote Security Council proposal, "Commend Nuremgard."

Commend Wallenburg

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4199 Against: 1323
Final Vote (TNP): For: 485 Against: 66 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 71 Against: 21 with percentage of WA nations voting: 22
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 110 Against: 30 with percentage of WA nations voting: 30
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 81 Against: 26 with percentage of WA nations voting: 25
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): Against

Recommendation:

"Commend Wallenburg" is a commendation of one of the most well-versed General Assembly players, which they have authored nine distinct resolutions for. They are an incredibly well-respected voice within the community, and have helped countless drafts there. They also have served as The East Pacific's Chief Minister of World Assembly Affairs for approximately a year and a half to this day. The proposal touches on several other aspects of Wallenburg's good deeds, including their time spent in The Conclave (regional court) of The East Pacific, as well as multiple positive facets of their roleplay.

For these reasons, The North Pacific Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote for the at-vote proposal in the Security Council, "Commend Wallenburg".

Condemn Noahs Second Country

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4259 Against: 1268
Final Vote (TNP): For: 473 Against: 78 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 74 Against: 22 with percentage of WA nations voting: 23
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 117 Against: 26 with percentage of WA nations voting: 31
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 86 Against: 32 with percentage of WA nations voting: 28
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): Against

Recommendation:

The at-vote proposal, "Condemn Noahs Second Country", is a very well-written proposal that goes lengths and bounds to uncover the treachery committed by the target in the cards game. Noah, as they are oftentimes called, is easily within the ranks of the Card Elite, and have readily abused multiple facets of the game in order to further their own collection. Noah employs what is considered by many to be "scummy tactics", including exploitations that were so overpowered that they have since been changed considerably, meaning that it is now near-impossible to nations to replicate some of the tactics that have led to Noah's immense wealth. They have contributed a lot to the cards community, and deserve recognition for that - and the various ways that the nation has contributed to the game lend themselves well towards condemnation. Even beyond cards, however, Noah is a prolific Issues author and up-and-coming Security Council author, both of which are also touched on in this proposal.

For these reasons, the North Pacific Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote for the at-vote proposal in the Security Council, "Condemn Noahs Second Country".

Commend Valanora

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4511 Against: 1175
Final Vote (TNP): For: 511 Against: 53 with percentage of WA nations voting: 36
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 75 Against: 16 with percentage of WA nations voting: 23
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 117 Against: 22 with percentage of WA nations voting: 30
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 98 Against: 9 with percentage of WA nations voting: 26
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

"Commend Valanora" makes a convincing case for the commendation of a prolific contributor to the NationStates Sports community. The target, Valanora, has both held and ranked a number of tournaments- one of the most unforgiving and unrecognized jobs within NS Sports. They have also accomplished a vast range of athletic victories, such as being the "best football team ever in NationStates history." While these accomplishments alone are likely enough to merit commendation, they barely scratch the surface of the target's true contributions to the game's community. NS Sports is not often recognized by the World Assembly, but this proposal makes a strong and compelling case to do so.

For these reasons, the North Pacific Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote Security Council proposal, "Commend Valanora."

Repeal Commend Evil Wolf

Spoiler

Status: Failed
Final Vote (World): For: 1714 Against: 4044
Final Vote (TNP): For: 78 Against: 476 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (TNP): Against
Final Vote (Balder): For: 15 Against: 68 with percentage of WA nations voting: 21
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 42 Against: 113 with percentage of WA nations voting: 34
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 18 Against: 91 with percentage of WA nations voting: 27
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): Against

Recommendation:

"Repeal Commend Evil Wolf", the proposal that is at-vote in the Security Council, hinges nearly entirely on the somewhat flawed concept that the raiding of fascists ("fash-bashing") is not commendable. While this does seem to hold some merit at first sight, it fails to acknowledge a time-held precedent within the Security Council that fash-bashing is, in fact, commendable. This is the meat of the proposal, though there are a few more supplementary clauses that are largely non-compelling reasons for repeal. Among these are the claims that raiding that is unrelated to fash-bashing nullifies the rest of the proposal - this is not the case. What would've been more appropriate was an additional condemnation on top of the commendation. This may have been excusable, if there was a replacement condemnation drafted, but this was not the case.

For these reasons, the North Pacific Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote against the at-vote proposal in the Security Council, "Repeal Commend Evil Wolf."

Repeal Commend The Red Fleet

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4543 Against: 1081
Final Vote (TNP): For: 519 Against: 35 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 71 Against: 15 with percentage of WA nations voting: 22
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 125 Against: 21 with percentage of WA nations voting: 32
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 105 Against: 3 with percentage of WA nations voting: 27
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

While the Red Fleet is undeniably a staunch contributor to the cause of fighting fascism across NationStates, the region's current commendation is riddled with issues and does the anti-fascist effort no justice. "Repeal: 'Commend The Red Fleet'" aims to remove this flawed commendation, and brings its numerous issues to the forefront. For starters, the commendation was largely ghostwritten by a prominent member of TRF, which is itself dishonest and problematic. The military operations listed in the commendation are needlessly overblown and misleading, four major members of the region were deleted by game mods, and the region in question has a history of raiding regions unconnected with fascism. The actions of the Red Fleet recognized in the current commendation have arguably been of substantial detriment to the public image and standing of the anti-fascist effort as a whole.

While the current commendation should undoubtedly be repealed, there is a replacement proposal currently being drafted which seeks to properly recognize the region in question for their legitimate contributions to fighting fascism.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote Security Council proposal, "Repeal: 'Commend The Red Fleet'".

Repeal Commend Kuriko

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4803 Against: 839
Final Vote (TNP): For: 505 Against: 46 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 83 Against: 10 with percentage of WA nations voting: 24
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 126 Against: 19 with percentage of WA nations voting: 31
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 99 Against: 11 with percentage of WA nations voting: 27
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

The at-vote proposal in the Security Council, "Repeal: Commend Kuriko," is a repeal that adequately summarizes the flaws and general inadequacies with the target resolution. Kuriko, while a worthy candidate, is not done justice in the text of the resolution, which is poorly written and reads off like a laundry list of accomplishments. There are several other inaccuracies with SCR#300, which are written in the text of this repeal in plain view. Ultimately, SCR#300 is a resolution that deserves to be struck from the books of the Security Council, and the author has a replacement ready-to-go for whenever the candidate feels themselves worthy for it.

For these reasons, the World Assembly recommends a vote for the at-vote proposal in the Security Council, "Repeal: Commend Kuriko."

Commend Altino

Spoiler

Status: Failed
Final Vote (World): For: 1539 Against: 4212
Final Vote (TNP): For: 71 Against: 482 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (TNP): Against
Final Vote (Balder): For: 14 Against: 78 with percentage of WA nations voting: 23
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 37 Against: 109 with percentage of WA nations voting: 31
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 16 Against: 87 with percentage of WA nations voting: 26
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): Against

Commend The Red Fleet

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4374 Against: 1291
Final Vote (TNP): For: 490 Against: 58 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 74 Against: 19 with percentage of WA nations voting: 24
Delegate's Vote (Balder): For
Final Vote (Europe): For: 109 Against: 33 with percentage of WA nations voting: 30
Delegate's Vote (Europe): For
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 96 Against: 8 with percentage of WA nations voting: 26
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

Recently, the Security Council repealed its commendation of The Red Fleet (TRF). It did so - in an effort supported by TNP - because of flaws with the specific commendation. This, however, in no way made TRF less commend worthy. A force against fascism since its inception, TRF has conducted and participated in countless military operations against regions that operate with the express purpose of advocating fascism; often, these fascist regions raided otherwise peaceful regions that do not conform to their hateful ideology. While there are too many examples to cite, TRF played key roles in operations against The Greater German Reich, Apartheid South Africa, Nazi Europe, and others.

The North Pacific has remained strong in its commitment against fascism, and for the reasons stated above, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote Security Council proposal, "Commend The Red Fleet."

Liberate Syria

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 4989 Against: 875
Final Vote (TNP): For: 505 Against: 37 with percentage of WA nations voting: 35
Delegate's Vote (TNP): Against
Final Vote (Balder): For: 73 Against: 25 with percentage of WA nations voting: 26
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 134 Against: 21 with percentage of WA nations voting: 33
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 69 Against: 35 with percentage of WA nations voting: 27
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): Against

Recommendation:

The region of Syria has fallen victim to a past raid by members of The Wolf Clan, a notorious group of raiders that have previously cooperated with fascist regions. Though the region lacks an active native community at this moment, regions named after real-life countries always have good potential to develop a native community. The Wolf Clan should not be able to doom this region to destruction, and by liberating it, the Security Council would enable defenders to retake the region from its occupying forces.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote Security Council proposal, "Liberate Syria".

Condemn Ever-Wandering Souls

Spoiler

Status: Passed
Final Vote (World): For: 3766 Against: 1885
Final Vote (TNP): For: 458 Against: 67 with percentage of WA nations voting: 34
Delegate's Vote (TNP): For
Final Vote (Balder): For: 53 Against: 32 with percentage of WA nations voting: 22
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 89 Against: 51 with percentage of WA nations voting: 30
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 83 Against: 14 with percentage of WA nations voting: 25
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): For

Recommendation:

Due to their long and colorful history of effective raiding and related regional development, Ever-Wandering Souls (colloquially known as Souls) is undoubtedly deserving of a Condemnation by the Security Council. In this manner, the at-vote proposal "Condemn Ever-Wandering Souls" does not disappoint. The proposal provides a succinct overview of the most notable of Souls' numerous acts of raiding, with primary focus being given to regions either refounded or emptied of natives to severe harm, and effectively elaborates on why each of these acts contributes to the nominee's deserving of a Condemnation.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting For the at-vote Security Council proposal, "Condemn Ever-Wandering Souls".

Condemn The Land Of Kings And Emperors

Spoiler

Status: Failed
Final Vote (World): For: 2047 Against: 3598
Final Vote (TNP): For: 60 Against: 457 with percentage of WA nations voting: 34
Delegate's Vote (TNP): Against
Final Vote (Balder): For: 18 Against: 98 with percentage of WA nations voting: 30
Delegate's Vote (Balder): Against
Final Vote (Europe): For: 30 Against: 107 with percentage of WA nations voting: 29
Delegate's Vote (Europe): Against
Final Vote (Europeia): For: 16 Against: 93 with percentage of WA nations voting: 28
Delegate's Vote (Europeia): Against

Recommendation:

While the Land of Kings and Emperors could very well be deserving of a Condemnation by the Security Council, the current at-vote proposal "Condemn the Land of Kings and Emperors" should not be the proposal to do so. The Condemnation in question is riddled with numerous factual errors and questionable writing decisions, and is an overall sloppily constructed proposal. These errors and questionable decisions include, but are not limited to, inaccurately citing occupations, spelling mistakes, exaggerating contributions to raids on Hippiedom and The Union, and using failed raids and association with major raider regions as significant arguments for a Condemnation.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends voting Against the at-vote Security Council proposal, "Condemn the Land of Kings and Emperors".

NPA Bulletin

by Robespierre, Colonel of the North Pacific Army​

NPA soldiers, now under the leadership of 9003 and Gorundu, give one final hurrah to Rom and co. following the successful liberation of NationStates Monarchists from fascists.

Spoiler: Promotions

Major BMWSurfer was promoted to Colonel
Private German_nein was promoted to Private First Class
Lieutenant Nimarya was promoted to Captain
Major Robespierre was promoted to Colonel
Lieutenant Rom was promoted to Colonel

Kranostav (TlomzSouth Pacific. This marked a huge victory in gameplay and the efforts of all involved will not soon be forgotten.

Moving on, in true Independent fashion, the North Pacific Army followed up a successful liberation campaign by carrying out a number of raids over the course of the past two months. On the twenty-second (22nd) of August's major update, the region of Calefacta Aquas Piscinae fell victim to a short-lived invasion when NPA personnel rallied alongside the Black Hawks, the Europiean Republican Navy, Lone Wolves United, and others to seize the Delegacy for a day prior to a return by the region's Founder. Thirteen (13) of the North's finest participated in this endeavor and the exemplary efforts of many were showcased.

Shortly thereafter, on the twenty-fourth (24th) of August's major update, fourteen NPAers set out to bash the fash in cooperation with regions belonging to ANTIFA. It remains unclear exactly why these hateful ideological elements thought they ever stood a chance against the glorious boot of freedom, but suffice to say that then-Minister of Defense Rom was very happy to see such great poise from his army on display.

In other news, a joint operation between the North Pacific Army and the East Pacific Sovereign Army on the thirteenth (13th) of September's minor update resulted in a handful of regions being tagged and one region being defended. Five regions were visited in total and General BluieGamer lead the charge on the trigger. Lastly, rounding out the month of September, the EuroOlympics were underway and the NPA simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to compete. Later the same day, on the thirteenth (13th) of September's major update, ten soldiers deployed to EuroOlympics King of the Hill for a smile pile event! Soldiers remained stationed there for a few days out of the week before the host region came to recapture their hill.

... and that's all, folks! Up until this point, we've been staying busy, you've probably been staying busy, and we hope that you all have been staying safe during these difficult times. Thank you for reading this issue of the NPA Bulletin as we've rehashed the past two month's events and gotten to enjoy some precious moments in time with your favourite GPers! Until the next segment, cheers!

[align=center]The North Star: Lighting The Way To The Truth
Publisher: TlomzKrano :: Executive Editor: BMWSurfer :: Managing Editor: Bobberino

The North Star is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and is distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs externally and the Ministry of Home Affairs internally. Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific.

Index of Issues​

 

[Gorundu]

[align=center]World Assembly Accelerator Program AnnouncementYou do not have to be a citizen of TNP or a WA resident to apply. For more information on this unique opportunity, please review this thread: https://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/9193071/

 

[Gorundu]

 

[Gorundu]

 

[Gorundu]

The Spotlight - Interview With Gorundu

by Arichia, Deputy Minister of Communications​

Arichia: Alright! I'll get started now, When and how did you get started in TNP?

Gorundu: I joined TNP in May 2019, about 10 months after I started playing NationStates. I was the WA Delegate of a region of 30-ish WA nations at the time, but some people in the region were opposed to my agenda, and I felt I wouldn't be able to do what I wanted even in that position. So I decided to try my luck in the biggest region in the game, TNP. (My feelings turned out to be right and I ended up getting banned by the founder within 2 months) When I joined TNP I applied for every ministry except for Culture, and that was how I got started.

Arichia: Wow! You have an eventful past before TNP. Have you ever been involved in the NPA or any other military organization?

Gorundu: After I left my previous region, I decided to devote my WA to the NPA, and I've been in the NPA ever since. Currently I'm an Officer and a Deputy Minister of Defence.

Arichia: What are some accomplishments you or you helped achieve during your time in TNP?

Gorundu: In my previous roles as Speaker and Minister of World Assembly Affairs, I mostly continued to execute the existing duties of those offices, which was no easy task considering that in both roles I succeeded a relatively long-serving and popular holder of those offices, though I wouldn't consider these accomplishments. I'd like to think that as Minister of Communications I made some progress in reviving a struggling ministry by recruiting new members and managed to restart the publication of The Northern Lights, which probably counts the most in terms of my accomplishments.

Arichia: From what I see you've done a lot in TNP. Who do you consider a mentor throughout your time in TNP?

Gorundu: I would say McMasterdonia and Tlomz (Kranostav) have been most like a mentor for me. McMasterdonia offered me my first position in government (a short tenure as a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs) and was supportive of my run for Speaker. He also offered me my first cabinet position as Minister of World Assembly Affairs, and was very helpful in getting me settled into the position as the head of one of the most active ministries in the government. Tlomz was my predecessor as Minister of World Assembly Affairs and I served under him as Deputy Minister, during he helped me get a better understanding of the World Assembly and TNP's WA relationships, which enabled me to become his successor.

Arichia: What do you believe is TNP's best quality?

Gorundu: I would say the best quality that is unique to TNP is the depth and breadth of the discussions and debates in the Regional Assembly and in relation to the government. It points towards a citizenry that is committed to making TNP better in any way possible, but are unafraid to raise their own ideas or offer criticism for what isn't being done well. Another quality of TNP that I admire is that we are a pioneer in so many fields - for example, in the WA and in Trading Cards - and we have so many people dedicated to the success of these pioneering programs.

Arichia: I believe you had said before that you had run for speaker and you had been speaker as well. From your experiences then, would you run for speaker, or perhaps a different office in the future?

Gorundu: I don't see myself running for Speaker again for the near future. Serving as Speaker was an enlightening experience and taught me much about what people expect from a government official, but for now I'd like to focus on what I can do in the executive.

Arichia: And to finally close, would you take on more in the executive, or would you stay with what you are working on now?

Gorundu: I've been busy in real life recently, so I haven't taken on too much responsibility this term. I'm glad to have the opportunity to get involved in the NPA a little bit more as Deputy Minister of Defence, and I have continued advising the Ministry of Communications after departing as Minister. If I feel ready to take on more responsibilities, I will of course look for new opportunities.

Arichia: I believe those are all of my questions. I really appreciate all your time and answers here, and thanks again for the opportunity to interview you!

---

North Pacific Army Bulletin

by Jan Mackistan, Reporter for The Northern Star​

NPA and Libcord forces in the midst of liberating Smol Fur Empire

Spoiler: Promotions

Private Healiopolis was promoted to Private First Class

---

Regional Assembly Highlights

by Comfed, Deputy Speaker​

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Regional Assembly Highlights
Current Business

Timing Amendment to Security Council Disclosure by Comfed

Summary: Timing Amendment to Security Council Disclosure is a bill that would remove the 14-day time limit on releasing private Security Council logs of over 1 year of age requested by a resident.

Confirmation of Siwale to the Election Commission

Summary: Delegate TlomzKrano/Kranostav appointed Siwale to the election commission.

Passed - Legislative
No legislative bills were passed by the Regional Assembly this month.

Passed - Non-Legislative
No non-legislative bills were passed by the Regional Assembly this month.​

---

[ World Assembly Digest
[align=right]by Nimarya, Minister of Home Affairs​

---

WA Digest

The month of October saw four General Assembly resolutions passed, and the Security Council observed four proposals reach quorum, of which two were passed, one failed, and the last was quickly withdrawn. Of the Security Council proposals brought to vote during the month, two have stood out of particular interest.

The first was a resolution that passed without much issue, and yet seemed to be surprisingly controversial among The North Pacific citizens. On October 16th, Morover, an accomplished World Assembly author and a former Minister of World Assembly Affairs for The North Pacific, submitted a proposal to the Security Council that aimed to commend the nation KurikorepealedthreadthreadLiberate SyriaTinhampton submitted a proposal to condemn the nation Northern Borland. What made this proposal somewhat unique was that it aimed to condemn this nation based purely off of NationStates statistics, which is an oddity for the Security Council but not completely unprecedented, since the nation Kindjalthread and in the NationStates onsite discussion thread

---

The North Star: Lighting The Way To The Truth
Publisher: TlomzKrano :: Executive Editor: BMWSurfer:: Managing Editors: Arichia (Forumside) and Gorundu (Gameside)

The North Star is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and is distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs externally and the Ministry of Home Affairs internally. Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific.

Index of Issues​

 

[Gorundu]

The Spotlight - Interview with BMWSurfer

by Comfed, Deputy Speaker​

Comfed: Okay. First question: How did you start off in TNP?

BMWSurfer: Well I joined NationStates in early 2017, and founded in The South Pacific. After some region shopping, I decided the best way to learn about the game was to join the biggest region. I originally planned to only stay a few months then go make a name for myself in a UCR, but I loved it so much here that I ended up staying.

Comfed: I'm sure lots of people would be familiar with that story. You're currently a Colonel in the NPA, how did you get started in there?

BMWSurfer: Well, I read through all of my options in TNP government when I first joined, and military gameplay looked interesting to me. I wasn't sure at first if I really wanted to commit to being there during updates, so I joined the Auxiliary which at the time was essentially our piling service. I became close friends with the soldiers and officers, and over the next 9 months climbed my way up the ranks to Lieutenant (the first officer rank). I loved the culture of the NPA and the friendships I made there, so I stayed there and have been in the NPA through my entire NS career.

Comfed: That's great! What was your first position in the government and who gave it to you?

BMWSurfer: While I'm more well known in TNP for my role in Home Affairs, my first passion in NS was the World Assembly. My first leadership role was as a Deputy Minister of World Assembly Affairs, and I served under Deropia and alongside TlomzKrano, who is now Delegate.

Comfed: Very interesting. Could you go into a little more detail abut your role in TNP Home Affairs?

BMWSurfer: I served for a year as Minister of Home Affairs, for two terms under Siwale, and for one term under Pallaith. I also served this year as a deputy and advisor to current HA Minister Nimarya, where I created a system of recordkeeping for HA.
When I first joined TNP, I would've never believed I would become a Minister, especially in Home Affairs. However, over the years I've grown to love HA, and welcoming people into our great region.

Comfed: Home Affairs certainly is an overlooked but essential part of TNP. What was your favorite moment in TNP?

BMWSurfer: I took a break from NS for about a year, from the end of my last HA term until April of this year. When I refounded my nation, it was mere seconds before people here in TNP noticed. I hadn't even rejoined our Discord servers before I was pinged by people welcoming me back. Moments like that make everything worth it

.

ComfedBMWSurfer: I definitely think the community here is my favorite thing. If it weren't for the welcoming of the people here I probably wouldn't still be here

Comfed: If you could only pick one ministry to work in, which one would it be?

BMWSurfer: I would pick World Assembly Affairs. It has a little bit of everything, keeping new TNPers engaged, inter-regional cooperation, and plenty of stuff to do all the time. Although, both Home Affairs and Communications are very close seconds.

Comfed: Awesome! That's all the questions I have for now, thanks for being interviewed!

BMWSurfer: Thank you for interviewing me!

RA Highlights

by BMWSurfer, Minister of Communications​

November was a relatively peaceful month for the Regional Assembly, a reprieve from the busyness of October and a clear transition into the holidays. There were four motions brought before the chamber this month, of which two were appointee confirmations and two were related to citizenship applications.

In October, Delegate TlomzKrano re-appointed Siwale to the Election Commission for another 6 month term pending a vote of the RA to confirm the appointment. Debate was short, and consensus in support of the confirmation was clear from the beginning. Siwale has served on the EC for its entire modern history, and is a well known and very trusted member of the TNP community. Voting on the confirmation ended at the very beginning of this month, with 47 in favor, 1 against, and 4 abstentions.

In a similarly non-controversial move, Lady Raven Wing was appointed as prosecutor in the court case The North Pacific vs. St. George. The court case involves speaker St. George (also known as MadJack) refusing to process a citizenship application, and is still ongoing. The confirmation of Lady Raven Wing also had broad consensus, and the confirmation was passed with 31 in favor, 2 against, and 15 abstentions.

In addition to these, two residents who applied for citizenship, Funkadelia and Aleister, were denied citizenship by Vice Delegate Dreadton. When this happens, according to the legal code, the RA votes to uphold the rejection of citizenship. Both rejections were upheld.

In addition to these motions which went to vote, Cretox State applied to join the Security Council and was accepted pending a confirmation by the RA. The confirmation is still in debate, where much of the discussion revolves around balancing the needs of activity and seniority within the SC. We look forward to seeing how this debate unfolds in the coming month.

News - Z-Day

by Arichia, Deputy Minister of Communications

NPA Bulletin
[align=right]by Westinor, Deputy Minister of World Assembly Affairs​

Spoiler: Promotions

[PFC] Arichia -> Corporal
[PVT] Westinor -> Private First Class

World Assembly Digest

by Cretox State, Minister of WA Affairs​

WA DigestMost Supported
The most widely supported proposal during November was SC 332 ?Commend Sierra Lyricalia?Most OpposedMost Controversial

November Justice Election
[align=right]by Owen, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs​

The months of November brought us another Judicial election and this time all three justice positions were up for election. With it being a normal judicial election, there was a larger field than the special elections that have been held recently with 8 citizens declaring their candidacy. The citizens that ran in this election were: Comfed, Honeydewistan, Laeg, Lord Lore, Monkemafiatopia, saintpeter, Vivanco, and Yalkan.

Comfed
Comfed ran in this election on the back of their successful defence in a recent Court case as one of the newest citizens in the field. Comfed also ran on their belief that they had sufficient experience to allow them to take on the role of Justice with an open mind and the ability to be a neutral and unbiased judge of issues. Whilst Comfed received some support, they were not elected.

HoneydewistanLaegLord Lore
Lord Lore is a Security Councillor within TNP. They declared their candidacy in the election and then chose not to post a campaign thread. Despite not having a campaign thread, Lore was elected as Justice in the third tally of votes.

Monkemafiatopia
Monkemafiatopia is a new member of the TNP community and chose not to post a campaign thread. Likely due to the lack of a campaign thread, they received very little support and were not elected.

SaintpeterVivancoYalkan
Yalkan is a long-standing member of TNP and stood for election for the first time in a while. Yalkan did not post a campaign thread, which proved to be an issue when it came to voting. Due to the lack of a campaign, Yalkan was not very popular amongst voters and therefore was not elected as Justice.

Therefore, after an election that had a good turnout and had a large field, Vivanco, Saintpeter, and Lord Lore were elected as Justices.

The North Star: Lighting The Way To The Truth
Publisher: TlomzKrano :: Executive Editor: BMWSurfer :: Managing Editor: Arichia(Forum) and Gorundu (Dispatch)

The North Star is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and is distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs externally and the Ministry of Home Affairs internally. Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific.

Index of Issues​

 

[Gorundu]

Spoiler: Text Version

Editor's Note

by BMWSurferby DGESby DGESby DGESby Valentine Zby Valentine Z

https://imgur.com/SAHMGWa

by WestinorThe Northern Lights: Beauty in Truth
Publisher: TlomzKrano :: Executive Editor: BMWSurfer

The Northern Lights is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and is distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs externally and by the Ministry of Home Affairs internally. Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific.


Index of issues[/size]​

 

[Gorundu]

by Comfed[/align]
Comfed: When did you join The North Pacific?

Owen: I joined The North Pacific around 4 and a half years ago, in August 2016 I think. It was the region my first nation was founded in, so I just stuck around.

Comfed: And once you joined, what did you do?

Owen: For the first couple of days, I just got to grips with the region and became a citizen straight away. From there I started looking into the TNP government and joined the Foreign Affairs ministry, which was being led by Praetor I think, who really helped me get settled in the ministry and the region as a whole and was probably what got me really interested in FA, and that interest still remains today.

Comfed: What was the first thing you noticed about the TNP community?

Owen: I think the first thing I noticed about the TNP community was how involved and how active it was. I obviously joined right before a general election, so I saw what elections were like an it just surprised me how much is going on and how active it was all the time, and I think that is what has been something that I have always loved TNP for.

Comfed: Have any people in particular been important to you as mentors?

Owen: So this is a question that people have asked me a few times, and I think that his has changed the longer I have been around but I would definitely say that there are a couple of people that I would see as mentors. The first of these would be Pallaith. Pallaith was Speaker that saw something in me and gave me the chance to join the Speakers office and become more involved in the region. Since then, we have worked really closely on numerous occasions and I have never bee afraid to message and ask any questions that I have. The second of these is McMasterdonia. Since I first interacted with him when he became MoFA before going on to be Delegate, and we have developed a good relationship and have worked really closely on some really big projects and he is someone that I speak to a lot and bounce a lot of ideas off, so he is a really important mentor for me.

Comfed: So, what's your favorite ministry and why?

Owen: See this is something that is conflicting for me a little bit. Being the Home Affairs Minister, I should really be saying that it is the HA ministry, but then everyone would know that I am lying. For me, there isn't really much doubt, it has to be the FA ministry. It is the ministry that I have been a part of since the start and have done so much work for, so it cannot be anything else.

Comfed: Interesting! What was your first position in the government and who gave it to you?

Owen: So, the first position I had in government was actually a ministry that I am not really involved with now and that is the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs. Back when I was a deputy speaker, I was doing a bit in the ministry and Sil Dorsett approached me about becoming a deputy and I said yes.

Comfed: And finally, the most important question: cake or pie?

Owen: Now that depends, are we talking a sweet pie, like an apple pie, or a savoury pie?

Comfed: Whichever you prefer.

Owen: I would probably have to say a savoury pie, like a steak and gravy pie. I don't really have a sweet tooth and I usually prefer savoury to sweet, so I would have to go for that.

News - January Elections

by lol2639​

In January, TNP held a General Election. During this election, citizens voted on who should become the next Delegate, Vice Delegate, and Speaker of the Regional Assembly. In the Delegate election, McMasterdonia ran on a platform of government accountability and communication with the citizenry, while incumbent Tlomz ran on continuing his successes from the previous term. McMasterdonia won the delegacy, winning 78% of the total vote.

The race for Vice Delegate was uncontested, with only Cretox State running. He secured 79% of the total vote, with a notable 37% voting to re-open nominations. Robespierre and Bobberino, both former Deputy Speakers with similar backgrounds in TNP, were the primary challengers to the Speakership. Robespierre ultimately secured 43.9% of the vote, while Bobberino got 37% of the vote.

The transition into the new government was quick, with McMasterdonia taking the in-game delegacy within a couple weeks of the election. This was due to McMasterdonia having a high number of endorsements coming into the transition, and a rapid response from Home Affairs and the Gameside Advocates in publicizing the transition.

NPA Bulletin

by Westinor​

Spoiler: Promotions

Lieutenant Gorundu -> Captain
Lieutenant 9003 -> Captain
Corporal Westinor -> Sergeant
Private Great New Canada -> Private First Class
Private East Isles -> Private First Class

World Assembly Digest

by Honeydewistania ​

Commend Northrop-GrummanCommend Singapore no2
A very well written resolution, Commend Singapore no2 commended its nominee for their prolific issues authorship (28!), or as described in the resolution text, for their ability to resolve the conflicts that plague the nations of the world, as well as protecting their home region of Singapore in an issues-based commendation that broke the mold of past resolutions. Revised, rewritten and redrafted to excellent quality, the resolution passed comfortably and with the support of the North Pacific.

Regulating Remote Election Administration
Think you were out of the election woods when we exited 2020? Think again! The first General Assembly proposal to hit the floor in the New Year was in style, touching on mail voting (a RL hot button topic) and expatriate voters. The proposal was soundly (and perhaps surprisingly) defeated, garnering just over 10% of votes, due to multiple issues such as the narrow scope and the unpopularity of elections-related resolutions.

Fair Treatment of PrisonersDeath Penalty BanProtecting Sapient Life

Security Council Review

by Cretox State​

With a new Delegate, new Vice Delegate, new applicants, and new and ongoing projects, January was sure to be a hectic month for the Vice Delegate and the Security Council as a whole.

The Transition to a New Governmentin this thread.

2020 WADP SurveyWorld Assembly Development Programin this thread.

New SC Applicants and ResignationOther Projects

• here.

• This is the first edition of a new Security Council Review article for the Ministry of Communications, covering SC matters over the past month.

The North Star: Lighting The Way To The Truth
Publisher: mcmasterdonia :: Executive Editor: BMWSurfer
The North Star is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and is distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs externally and the Ministry of Communications internally. Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific.
Index of Issues[/size][/align]

 

[Indu]

On the Pax Polaris Occidens​

The North Pacific is delighted to announce the ratification of a new, multilateral treaty with The West Pacific and New Pacific Order.

Pax Polaris Occidens builds upon the Joint Statement On Continued Interregional Peace, released 12 June. The treaty reaffirms the signatories commitments to mutual defence and highlights our refusal to succumb to intimidation by foreign groups.

The North Pacific is proud to stand alongside its allies in The West Pacific and New Pacific Order against any attempt to threaten, intimidate or harm us, or our allies. This treaty throws a protective shield over any region or organisation that has concluded a mutual defence treaty with a signatory region, a total of 40 regions, providing a firm deterrent to any who would wish those regions harm.

Foreign Minister Hulldom had the following to say about this exciting new agreement:

“We are pleased to have concluded this agreement with the West Pacific and the New Pacific Order as we continue to combat malign actors in the wider game. I am certainly hopeful that the Pax Polaris Occidens will make others think twice before antagonizing us or any of our allies in the future.”

If you have any questions, please direct them to either our Delegate, Pallaith (@Ghost#8853) or our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hulldom (@QuatuorPlusOne#9419).

 

[Deleted1]

Ok. Thanks for the update.

 

[Ellenburg#8639]

Yes! Thank you for the update!

 

[Indu]

TNP Summer Update​

---

Hello all,


First, let us say that we are hopeful that we can get back into doing these at least once a month moving forward. One of the goals we have moving forward is that we can continue to be a positive example for NationStates in providing regular updates to our allies and friends abroad.


The last few months have been challenging ones for the North Pacific. We have strived to ensure that our beloved Independence maintains its prominent position while also ensuring that we can effectively and actively counter threats as they pop up.


To that end, this past term we concluded the Pax Polaris Occidens (with the Pacific and the West Pacific) which you hopefully have already heard about. We also recently ratified another agreement, the Modern Gameplay Compact (with Europeia, Balder, the Pacific, and the West Pacific) which ensures that our interests are protected and that the North Pacific begins to take a bold step in the face of the upcoming Frontier/Stronghold update.


Additionally, while it was not mentioned due to time constraints on behalf of the Minister and his team, the North Pacific also hosted a festival in late June with Europeia celebrating Pride. We were thrilled to have such an awesome time with our long-time friends and allies in Europeia celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community! Another cultural centerpiece this past term was the revival of the Northern Broadcasting System, which broadcast an an RP spotlight and reading with Prydania and a news show with Vivanco and Hulldom.


Exciting developments should also be on the horizon too with our Defense and Cards Ministries as they gear up for what should hopefully be an exciting fall in TNP!


On the agenda very recently were our September general elections, wherein the positions of Delegate, Vice Delegate, and Speaker of the Regional Assembly were up for grabs.


Two of the races were unopposed:

Pallaith (Ghost) was elected Delegate of the North Pacific for a fifth term overall and his second term in this stint. Ghost received 56 votes to 15 abstentions, with 23 of those 71 votes calling for nominations to be re-opened.
Hulldom was elected Vice Delegate of the North Pacific for his first term in that office. Hulldom received 51 votes to 20 abstentions, with 27 of those 71 votes calling for nominations to be re-opened.

The office of Speaker of the Regional Assembly was marginally more competitive as Sil Dorsett received 53 votes to 9 for his opponent Bobberino, with only 5 of those 71 votes calling for nominations to be re-opened.

We hope that you will join us in congratulating the victors of our most recent elections. The next ones we have on tap are in November as the three seats of the Court will be up for election in what is often an incredibly exciting and competitive set of elections.

Lastly, we want to inform you who everyone is in our new Cabinet so you can get to know us a bit more beyond whoever’s posting this in your region!


For his fifth term as Delegate, Ghost (Ghost#8872) selected:

Hulldom (@QuatuorPlusOne#9419) as his Minister of Foreign Affairs. Hulldom is entering his second term as Minister of Foreign Affairs. You may recognize him from his earlier terms as Minister of World Assembly Affairs.
Kastonvia (@Kasto#3705) as Minister of Home Affairs. Kastonvia is, among other things, our former Lead Gameside Advocate for the past two and a half terms and our departing three-term Vice Delegate.
Cretox State (@Cretox#0125) as Minister of Defense. Cretox has done it all in TNP. This will be his second go at the Ministry of Defense, having previously served twice as Vice Delegate and twice as Minister of World Assembly Affairs.
Kaschovia (@Kasch#1455) as Minister of Culture. Kasch, like Cretox, has done it all in TNP throughout the years. He brings a new set of eyes to the team, having only recently returned from an extended absence, but Kasch has been excellent since returning to Cabinet near the end of last term.
Card Kingdom (Rewan, @Rewan Demontay #4498) as Minister of Cards. Rewan is now in his second term as Minister of Cards, having served with distinction last term and in terms previous as a Deputy Minister. We look forward to seeing what he does to keep cards fun and interesting as we patiently await Season 3, and last, but certainly not least,
Chipoli (@Sir Lingardinho#0001) as Minister of World Assembly Affairs. Chipoli is starting his first full term at the MoWAA, having shot up the ranks very quickly as a quick learner and eager beaver. We are excited to see what he does with one of our centerpiece Ministries when given a full term to imprint his vision.


Additionally, foreign officials will be glad to know that our Gameside is in good hands with Ethnon taking over for a full term as Lead Gameside Advocate. If you have any needs regarding our gameside (say a pesky spammer from TNP, or the menagerie of ducks, axolotls, tea drinkers, and others on our RMB have escaped to your region!), he is your man, but any of the Cabinet would be happy to talk to you about that, or any other matter for that reason.



Thanks for reading and please feel free to reach out about anything! Our door is always open.



~~The TNP Foreign Affairs Ministry

---

 

[Deleted1]

Ty for the update.

 

[Goldie]

 

[Wymondham]

I can’t say I’m very good at this whole speech thing. I’m much better in a more casual setting and tend to be terse, yet here we are. Before I get into the stuff I know you’re all really here for, I want to take some time to close the last chapter.

Some of you may be surprised to know that was really my first time in the big arena so to speak. I’d done FA jobs elsewhere in the past, but the stakes were never so high, and never are so high, as they are in the North Pacific. I’d like to think I did well by the region in my service there, just as I’d like to think I’ll do well by my service here. I know that the skills and relationships I’ve built over the last sixteen months at the high table will only help me. One of our points of pride as the North Pacific ought to be this: even if our leaders are only on the big stage for a year or two, they show up when the world needs them and they’re prepared. I hope to be the continued embodiment of that tradition.

I also have a few thank yous to distribute even now. To Ghost, my predecessor, you’ve been a wonderful friend and an even better example of what true leadership can look like. If I’m even half the leader Ghost is at his very best, I am very confident for the term to come. To my competitor at the elections, Vivanco, you may not have the result you might have wanted, but chin up. Merely having competition is wonderful and shows the strength of our democracy that everyone will be held to account. And of course lastly, I’m going to say thank you to the awesome individuals who agreed to be in my Cabinet. Believe it or not, I had them write the bulk of my platform. The overarching agendas were my doing but the specific policy points can only be credited to them. And to their credit, they did splendidly.

Now, for the real stars of the show, my Cabinet. [Dispensing with the usual way we do this, I would simply encourage them to see the notification here and immediately go to take their oath.]

Minister of Foreign Affairs - Wymondham
What is there to say that hasn’t already been said about Wym? Y’all, he’s very special. He’s smart, he’s kind, and he’s a wonderful example of what this region can be and can do at its very best even if he didn’t get his start here. In the crucial months ahead, I know Wym will provide me with his sage advice and almost encyclopedic knowledge of the game and continue the FA trajectory (for the most part) we’re on.

Minister of Home Affairs - Caius
Of all the appointments from Ghost’s Cabinet, I must say that Caius both surprised me the most and pleased me the most. He did a wonderful job at Home Affairs last term and even if we start tailoring things to look a little different than they have in the past, I am confident in his ability to continue to rise to the occasion as he has in the past.

Minister of Culture + Lead Gameside Advocate - Fili
Fili is a relative newcomer to the Culture Ministry. In fact, he’s the only person on this list who was not either already a Minister or a Deputy Minister, but he has shown wonderful skill already in serving as Lead Gameside Advocate. Will his role look different this term? Yes. Do I think Fili will revitalize our Culture and help show why I’m making the choice to have Culture and Gameside together? Absolutely,

Minister of World Assembly Affairs - Fregerson
Freg has done excellent work in the WA Affairs Ministry this past term, making sure that the metaphorical trains ran on time. There are changes afoot in WA, but I feel positive that under Freg’s astute tutelage we will see a return to form.

Minister of Cards - Rewan Demontay
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Rewan has served the region well as Minister of Cards and comes into his third term still with gobs of potential. I am excited to see where the continued Season 3 mania goes and where Rewan’s leadership can take this Ministry. I hope we go from a Ministry on the brink to one which has fully and sensationally made itself an indispensable core part of Government.

Minister of Legal Affairs - Pallaith
This job is effectively an advisory one with the tenor of a Ministry. Ghost will immediately get to work helping the Government fulfill its legislative agenda and help us identify areas where the Government can help improve our Legal Code. I have full faith in Ghost to keep on, keeping on, even if his role is less than it has been this past term.

Now there is one Ministry you don’t see here, the Ministry of Defense. Is it without a leader? [strike]Am I violating the Constitution?[/strike] No. For the time being, ROM will continue his excellent work in leading the Ministry. I do have a pick for Minister of Defense but their work elsewhere renders them incapable of taking the position for about ten more days. When they are finally able to step into the role, I will make the announcement formally stating who they are. And trust me, I believe you all will be as excited for them as I am about them.

Lastly for this opening address, I have a few policy notes that I want to immediately address. Changes to Delegate Directives 4 and 5 will emerge today. These changes will do the following: reorder the precedence in Cabinet and reorder the list of Chair of the Executive Council in mine and Gorundu’s absence (should such occur) and, among other things, formally abolish the one organization policy—starting today, members of other armies (save for armies of sanctioned regions) may join the North Pacific Army. There will be other changes to DD5 especially, but these are yet to be finalized.

Now, I will leave you all with a parting thought. The next four months promise to be among the greatest challenges this region has ever faced, potentially even the greatest challenge it has faced in a decade. I cannot promise that every moment will be easy or that every decision we make will appear to be the right one at the time. But I can promise that we will fight for the North Pacific both at home and abroad and that the metaphorical light of Polaris will guide us.

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comment, please feel free to reach out via TG or Discord DM @AsquithsAngels#1924.

With hope,
~~Hulldom
Delegate

 

[Indu]

New Distribution Method for TNP Communications

Greetings!

Due to advances in technology over the past few decades TNP has decided to alter the way in which we deliver communications to our friends and allies. Going forwards TNP will be delivering all of its communications via discord using discord's announcement channel feature. All you need to do to get TNP diplomatic updates going forwards is to follow our #diplomatic-distributions channel in the TNP server, then any diplomatic updates will be sent directly to the channel which you have followed #diplomatic-distributions in. You can find out more regarding how to do this in the following guide from Discord https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/360028384531-Channel-Following-FAQ.
Going forwards your ambassadors will be focusing more on keeping TNP more up to date around the goings on in your region while the ministry conducts a detailed review on how to make ambassadors fit for purpose in 2023. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact our Minister of Foreign Affairs Wymondham on discord at Wymondham#3478.

 

[Deleted1]

This is probably the most important thing TNP has sent us in years.

 

[Indu]

Response to Recent Defender Transgressions
April 22, 2023​

The North Pacific is a proud Independent region. While we share common interests and goals with regions we consider our friends and allies, and our interests may even be perfectly aligned at times, the decisions we make and the actions we carry out are ultimately rooted in how to best serve our own region and its interests, not theirs. In recent weeks, many people in this game, unfortunately including some old friends, have seemingly forgotten this fact, or refused to respect this reality. Unfortunately, our old ally The South Pacific decided to deliver an ultimatum to our region and, in apparent solidarity with several other major defender regions, threatened to oppose any resolutions in the Security Council that we wished to see pass, if we did not join them in opposing condemnations of prominent raiders. There is no excuse for this, and it is entirely unacceptable for any region, especially one of our allies, to extort our vote in the World Assembly. TNP’s WA vote, like anything else, is only to be utilized in our region’s best interest, and consistent with the will of our citizens. While we are willing to discuss votes and come to agreement whenever possible, we almost never do so apart from our internal vote, and we almost never vote in contradiction of that internal vote. To make a binding pledge that extends beyond a delegate’s term in office before an internal vote has even taken place, and before a proposal is even at vote, is unheard of.

We have spoken to representatives from all the regions involved in this matter, as well as our other allies in the MGC, to get as clear a picture of these events as we could, and to determine how best to proceed. The tactic employed by The South Pacific, The Order of the Grey Wardens, 10000 Islands, and The League will never be accepted by our region, and will never be successful. Such an effort, should it ever be repeated in the future, will be rejected out of hand by this government, and we are confident in saying, every government in charge of TNP in the future, given the response of our citizenry, which has been loud and clear in its denunciation of what has happened. Similar efforts in the future will constitute the termination of our cooperation with the region or organization that attempts them, and this will include the termination of any treaties or formal diplomatic agreements we have in place, including any embassies.

We appreciate the apologies we have received, especially those made to our previous delegate, who despite his approach to handling this issue did not deserve to be treated the way he was. We recognize that all parties involved are aware of the gravity of their actions, regret them, and will change their own procedures and practices as a result. We take them at their word. Clear breakdowns in communication took place not just between our delegate and their regions, but among the defender regions as well. This is a shame, and we hope that all of us can work together in the future to communicate better and move past the recent bad habits of assuming the worst of each other, and holding back for the sake of pride or posture. Based on the conversations we have had with these regions, and the much appreciated assistance they have already provided in protecting The Wellspring, we believe that we can move forward accordingly, and continue to work together on areas of mutual interest, and do so in good faith.

But this does not change the severity of the offense. TNP has been disrespected and humiliated. We accept our role in these events, and are doing everything we can to move forward without repeating them, and guarding against similar failings in the future. Our community deserves better than how these matters have been handled as of late, and this government will deliver. They also deserve accountability for what was done, and we will deliver that as well. For the foreseeable future, the following measures will be taken (with others under active consideration) in response to this outrageous behavior:

• The North Pacific Army will not partake in any bilateral military cooperation/training operations with the South Pacific Special Forces, The Order of the Grey Wardens, the League Defence Forces, or the Ten-thousand Islands Treaty Organization;
• The talks in pursuit of a non-aggression pact with The League will be suspended;
• No additional diplomatic agreements will be considered with the regions of The South Pacific, The Order of the Grey Wardens, The League, and 10000 Islands, nor additional embassies constructed where they do not currently exist;
• All planned cultural events with the regions of The South Pacific, The Order of the Grey Wardens, The League, and 10000 Islands will be canceled, and no future cultural events or collaborations will be considered.

The North Pacific does not wish to close the door to future collaboration and cooperation with the regions named above, but if it is to resume, all regions that would seek to engage must do so with the understanding that we will not be intimidated, strong-armed, or treated as a subservient source for votes and boots on the ground. The talents of our players, and the votes we provide in resolutions, are ours first and foremost, to be used for us and our community, and while we are happy to help a friend or a worthy cause, that help should never be expected or demanded. When that assistance cannot or will not be provided, we expect that our decision not to provide it will be respected and speak to the issue in question, without being dragged into unrelated matters, and certainly not in a disproportionate way, as was done in this case.

Furthermore, while we accept that regions will often make deals or ask for assistance on matters that are important to them, all regions would do well to remember that The North Pacific is an Independent region, not an anti-raider one. We may or may not provide assistance in matters related to R/D concerns, but that assistance will never be on the basis of anti-raider sentiment. We have repeatedly explained our stance on this area, and have taken measures against prominent raider organizations, not based on their ideology, but in response to aggression and interference in our affairs. Any organization that conducts itself as these raider organizations have will meet with similar response, including defender organizations. And just as we have spoken out and taken action in defense of our allies and fellow Independent regions when certain raider organizations have wronged them, we will respond just the same should defender organizations or regions attempt something like the extortion we experienced against our allies. As we outlined in our prior statement On Alignment, The North Pacific is a pragmatic player in the R/D sphere. We believe there are times when raiding is acceptable, and we will conduct raids in such circumstances. Our leanings have not changed, nor have our priorities in the diplomatic space. We will continue to advocate for that pragmatic view, and resist the extremes of anti-raider sentiment, which played such a strong role in this drama. We hope that there will be no doubt about this in the future, and that if there is, we can talk it out rather than resort to threats and escalation.

Signed,

Gorundu
Acting Delegate