I, and I think many others, am really set on this treaty being a success. That said, I cannot support it in its current state and it would be a terrible shame to see this opportunity for a special relationship with Osiris frustrated by small, easily fixed problems. The Assembly's input must be taken into account if this treaty is going to achieve the majority it requires.
First and foremost I think it needs to be borne in mind that this treaty has legal weight, that this is more than just a set of expectations we hope to live up to. We are making commitments here and the mechanisms for upholding them must be clearly defined.
I am going to post an edited draft that I hope you will consider.
The most major edits here are an adjustment of the language regarding each other's military operations and rewriting 4:3 so that it cannot possibly be interpreted as a pledge by the region as a whole to definitely punish those who Osiris has convicted of those crimes. Instead, it is a promise that our executive shall seek that outcome through an appropriate constitutional institution (the Court or the Council) and therefore be subject to the regulations of those institutions.
I hope that the spirit of these edits can be taken into consideration during further negotiations and that a new draft can come of it.
First and foremost I think it needs to be borne in mind that this treaty has legal weight, that this is more than just a set of expectations we hope to live up to. We are making commitments here and the mechanisms for upholding them must be clearly defined.
I am going to post an edited draft that I hope you will consider.
Quote:Article 1: Recognition
Treaty of the Sun
A treaty to define the fraternal and amicable relationship between Lazarus and Osiris.
(1) The Osiris Fraternal Order and its legal successors shall recognize the government established by the Twelfth Mandate of Lazarus and any of its legal successors as the legitimate government of the region of Lazarus.
(2) The government established by the Twelfth Mandate of Lazarus and its legal successors shall recognize the Osiris Fraternal Order and any of its legal successors as the legitimate government of the region of Osiris.
(3) Should the government of a signatory voluntarily disband while in exile, the other is freed from the commitments of Article 1, Sections 1 and 2. Additionally, if the new government refuses to recognize this treaty, it shall be automatically dissolved.
Article 2: Pact of Non-Aggression
(1) Both signatories hereby pledge not to invade, raid, or commit other such acts of aggression within the other’s region or any possessions they may have, nor aid any faction, government, or party in doing so.
(2) Both signatories affirm that the deployment of their co-signatory's military forces in any region that is a not possession of theirs does not constitute aggression against them.
(3) Both signatories affirm that the deployment of their co-signatory's military forces in any region that is a possession of theirs does not constitute aggression against them so long as the governments and military forces of both signatories have agreed upon said deployment in advance.
Article 3: Mutual Defense
(1) Both signatories pledge to defend one another militarily against any invasions or similar crises they may suffer.
(2) Both signatories pledge to send any military forces they possess at the request of the other in order to facilitate legitimate delegacy transitions, or in cases of emergency.
(3) Both signatories pledge that they shall not aid any region at war with the other.
(4) If one of the signatories does not possess any military forces and is called upon the other by the provisions set in Article 3, Sections 1 to 3, they must assemble a military force at the earliest opportunity.
Article 4: Protection Against Infiltration
(1) Both signatories pledge to inform the other’s government and any relevant intelligence services of any evidence they may have of espionage, infiltration, subversion, manipulation, or conspiracy against the other. They shall also inform the other of any conspiracies to commit any crimes in the other’s jurisdictions.
(2) Both signatories pledge to cooperate on matters of intelligence and security.
(3) The governments of both signatories pledge to seek the punishment of any of their citizens convicted by their co-signatory of committing espionage, infiltration, subversion, manipulation, or conspiracy.
(4) Both signatories shall condemn any acts of espionage, infiltration, subversion, manipulation, or conspiracy against and confirmed by their co-signatory.
(5) Both signatories pledge to never commit acts of espionage, infiltration, subversion, manipulation, or conspiracy against the other, or aid any faction, government, or party in doing so.
Article 5: Cultural Cooperation
(1) The relevant cultural authorities of both signatories shall actively cooperate on matters of culture, which may include festivals, games, roleplays, mafia, newspapers, radio shows, podcasts, graphic design, and others. At least one of these must be done annually as a bilateral event, unless in times of emergency. Furthermore, the relevant cultural authorities of both signatories are encouraged to do more than the required one bilateral event per year.
(2) The relevant cultural authorities of both signatories are encouraged to plan and cooperate on a festival celebrating the passage of this treaty.
(3) Citizens of Lazarus and Osiris are welcome to visit the other’s region and engage in events of cultural significance and to have fun with the other’s community.
Article 6: Provisions of Ratification, Amendment and Repeal
(1) Both signatories shall activate their legal mechanisms relevant to ratify a treaty after they agree to do so.
(2) If a signatory wishes to amend this document, they must negotiate with the other to do so. After this, the same legal mechanisms in each region relevant to ratify a treaty shall be activated to adopt these agreed amendments. If one region refuses these amendments, they are to not be adopted.
(3) If a signatory wishes to dissolve this treaty, they must notify, by any means of communication available and possible, their intention to dissolve said treaty to the other. After this, the legal mechanisms relevant to dissolve a treaty shall be activated in the region of the requesting signatory.
(4) The signatories may dissolve this treaty by mutual consent. The legal mechanisms relevant to dissolve a treaty must be activated, and if at least one region decides to repeal, the treaty is declared null and void with immediate effect.
The most major edits here are an adjustment of the language regarding each other's military operations and rewriting 4:3 so that it cannot possibly be interpreted as a pledge by the region as a whole to definitely punish those who Osiris has convicted of those crimes. Instead, it is a promise that our executive shall seek that outcome through an appropriate constitutional institution (the Court or the Council) and therefore be subject to the regulations of those institutions.
I hope that the spirit of these edits can be taken into consideration during further negotiations and that a new draft can come of it.