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Epidemic Response Act
A resolution to improve world security by boosting police and military budgets.
Category: International Security
Strength: Strong
Proposed by: Goddess Relief Office
Description: THE WORLD ASSEMBLY,
NOTING the danger posed by communicable diseases, especially those whose etiology, pathology, and prognosis are unknown and cause human fatality;
REALIZING that a nation that intentionally withholds information about an epidemic within its borders places the international community at risk by impeding the ability of others to put into action plans to contain the disease or research a vaccine;
HEREBY
1) CREATES the Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response Center (EPARC) within the World Health Authority. The EPARC shall serve the following primary functions:
a. Identifying and confirming international outbreaks;
b. Coordinating international outbreak response using resources from scientific institutions in World Assembly member nations, medical initiatives, regional technical networks, and international humanitarian nongovernmental organizations; and
c. Strengthening readiness for outbreaks of dangerous and emerging pathogens.
2) REQUIRES that all member nations report any outbreak to the World Health Authority EPARC if the incidence rate of a disease in any localized area reaches a level of more than twice that of the same calendar month in the previous year;
3) STRONGLY URGES all member nations enact immediate measures to combat a local outbreak while it is still in the incipient stages, including, but not limited to, the following:
a. Providing medical care to infected individuals;
b. Issuing public news updates;
c. Eradicating insects, vermin, or livestock if they carry the disease;
d. Quarantining infected individuals in their homes or in hospitals;
4) REQUIRES that all member nations share viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens samples with the World Health Authority EPARC so that the international community can research a vaccine and is kept abreast of developments if the disease evolves in virulence or other characteristics;
5) FURTHER REQUIRES that all member nations allow health inspectors from the World Health Authority and international aid agencies to travel to the affected area to provide aid to infected individuals, conduct research, distribute medical supplies and vaccines, or report the latest developments to the international community, as appropriate;
6) MANDATES that all member nations act responsibly in the control of the nation's land, sea, and airport and impose travel restrictions, if recommended by the World Health Authority EPARC, to help control the spread of the disease; and
7) ASKS that all member nations cooperate at all times with the World Health Authority EPARC on issues not enumerated.
Votes For: 1,026
Votes Against: 345
[Delegate Votes]
Voting Ends: Wed Jul 15 2009 |
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Bettia |
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We don't do defence |
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Posts: 956 |
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As a nation that has recently suffered from a major epidemic, Bettia takes a strong interest in this resolution. However, I'm going to have to vote No on this one, and not because of the grammatical mess that is Article 4 (why would we want to share viruses? Surely we DON'T want that).
Article 6 states "MANDATES that all member nations act responsibly in the control of the nation's land, sea, and airport and impose travel restrictions, if recommended by the World Health Authority EPARC, to help control the spread of the disease."
Although the intentions are good, I would imagine quite a few countries would object to having their borders violated in this fashion. It could also raise a few hypothetical nasties. For example, what would happen if, say, a passenger plane took off from an airport from an 'infected' country? The country / countries that has assumed control of the skies could very well shoot it down and justify their actions by saying it did so to prevent the spread of disease. Something tells me the victims' nation wouldn't accept this - hey presto, instant war! |
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Bettia |
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We don't do defence |
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Posts: 956 |
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| QUOTE (Bettia @ Jul 13 2009, 09:27 AM) | As a nation that has recently suffered from a major epidemic, Bettia takes a strong interest in this resolution. However, I'm going to have to vote No on this one, and not because of the grammatical mess that is Article 4 (why would we want to share viruses? Surely we DON'T want that).
Article 6 states "MANDATES that all member nations act responsibly in the control of the nation's land, sea, and airport and impose travel restrictions, if recommended by the World Health Authority EPARC, to help control the spread of the disease."
Although the intentions are good, I would imagine quite a few countries would object to having their borders violated in this fashion. It could also raise a few hypothetical nasties. For example, what would happen if, say, a passenger plane took off from an airport from an 'infected' country? The country / countries that has assumed control of the skies could very well shoot it down and justify their actions by saying it did so to prevent the spread of disease. Something tells me the victims' nation wouldn't accept this - hey presto, instant war! |
Sharing samples with EPARC is common sense, if they're the ones 'identifying and confirming international outbreaks and coordinating international outbreak response'.
The border closures thing - well I doubt it would go that far, unless we enter a poor made-for-tv movie type situation where they're closed just after said plane has taken off. In any normal pair of countries, either the plane would return and land, or it would - if beyond the point of no return - carry on, land and be instantly quarantined for a refuel and a send back from whence it came.
Simples! |
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OOC: How on earth did it manage to reach this stage with such a mis-match between 'Category' and contents? I call "Illegal"! |
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| QUOTE (Starblaydia @ Jul 13 2009, 10:55 AM) | | QUOTE (Bettia @ Jul 13 2009, 09:27 AM) | As a nation that has recently suffered from a major epidemic, Bettia takes a strong interest in this resolution. However, I'm going to have to vote No on this one, and not because of the grammatical mess that is Article 4 (why would we want to share viruses? Surely we DON'T want that).
Article 6 states "MANDATES that all member nations act responsibly in the control of the nation's land, sea, and airport and impose travel restrictions, if recommended by the World Health Authority EPARC, to help control the spread of the disease."
Although the intentions are good, I would imagine quite a few countries would object to having their borders violated in this fashion. It could also raise a few hypothetical nasties. For example, what would happen if, say, a passenger plane took off from an airport from an 'infected' country? The country / countries that has assumed control of the skies could very well shoot it down and justify their actions by saying it did so to prevent the spread of disease. Something tells me the victims' nation wouldn't accept this - hey presto, instant war! |
Sharing samples with EPARC is common sense, if they're the ones 'identifying and confirming international outbreaks and coordinating international outbreak response'.
The border closures thing - well I doubt it would go that far, unless we enter a poor made-for-tv movie type situation where they're closed just after said plane has taken off. In any normal pair of countries, either the plane would return and land, or it would - if beyond the point of no return - carry on, land and be instantly quarantined for a refuel and a send back from whence it came.
Simples!
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With regards to my point on article 4, the way this is worded makes that intention rather unclear - we should share viruses, bacteria and pathogen samples? If it was worded "share samples of viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens...", there wouldn't any possibility of it being misinterpreted in that way.
As for the other point, as I said that is only a hypothetical situation... granted, a VERY hypothetical situation. Perhaps I shouldn't have put that in. What is important is the possibilty of having your airspace and borders controlled by what is essentially an unelected body. |
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Bettia |
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We don't do defence |
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Posts: 956 |
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Besides the points Bettia brought up, this is a prime example of yet another unfunded mandate from the World Assembly.
Sarzonia again is relieved not to be involved in this mess known as the World Assembly.
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Sarzonia |
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It's all about the Navy. |
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Posts: 577 |
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| QUOTE (Bettia @ Jul 13 2009, 09:44 AM) | | QUOTE (The Bear Islands @ Jul 13 2009, 02:50 PM) | | OOC: How on earth did it manage to reach this stage with such a mis-match between 'Category' and contents? I call "Illegal"! |
That matter has been mentioned briefly on the NS forum. Trouble is, a suitable category doesn't actually exist for this at the moment so the proposer had to go for one which fitted the best.
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That's it from the proposer's viewpoint, okay, but in the past the the Mods have generally ruled that if a proposal doesn't really fit any category properly then it can't just be crammed into one that the proposer thinks is "closest"... |
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So this was the 'oh Gods, let's get a resolution in that isn't a C&C or Liberation' resolution, and it's suffering for it. |
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With a 2-5 majority, AO has voted NAY. Mind you, it's obvious it will pass. |
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Bettia |
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We don't do defence |
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Posts: 956 |
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