Law of the Seas Convention: Proposed Amendment

[Ric]

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ADD

Convention on the Laws of the Seas

1. Any nation that has signed the General Membership Treaty may sign this Convention. Any State, that is concurrently a member of the Micras Cartography Society, may accede to this Convention.

2. The territory of a state extends 24 kilometers from the baseline coast of that state. This water is considered territorial water and subject to the full jurisdiction of the state. All matters of customs, taxation, and immigration operate as if wholly within the state.

3. The reserve zone of a state extends 360 kilometers from the baseline coast of that state. The economic and environmental resources within this zone belong fully to that state.

4. In special situations where the territorial waters or the reserve zone of two states would overlap, the line of separation will be drawn along the midpoint between the baseline of each state.

5. The baseline coast of state will be determined accordingly:

5.1. In localities where the coastline is deeply indented and cut into, or if there is a fringe of islands along the coast in its immediate vicinity, the method of straight baselines joining appropriate points may be employed in drawing the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
5.2. Where because of the presence of a delta and other natural conditions the coastline is highly unstable, the appropriate points may be selected along the furthest seaward extent of the low-water line and, notwithstanding subsequent regression of the low-water line, the straight baselines shall remain effective until changed by the coastal State in accordance with this Convention.
5.3. The drawing of straight baselines must not depart to any appreciable extent from the general direction of the coast, and the sea areas lying within the lines must be sufficiently closely linked to the land domain to be subject to the regime of internal waters.
5.4. Straight baselines shall not be drawn to and from low-tide elevations, unless lighthouses or similar installations which are permanently above sea level have been built on them or except in instances where the drawing of baselines to and from such elevations has received general international recognition.
5.5. Where the method of straight baselines is applicable under paragraph 4.1, account may be taken, in determining particular baselines, of economic interests peculiar to the region concerned, the reality and the importance of which are clearly evidenced by long usage.
5.6. The system of straight baselines may not be applied by a State in such a manner as to cut off the territorial sea of another State entirely from the high seas or a reserve zone.

6. Innocent Passage is permitted through territorial waters so long as it is not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State. Such passage shall take place in conformity with this Convention and with other rules of international law.
6.1. Passage of a foreign ship shall be considered to be prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State if in the territorial sea it engages in any of the following activities:
6.2. any threat or use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of the coastal State;
6.3. any exercise or practice with weapons of any kind;
6.4. any act aimed at collecting information to the prejudice of the defence or security of the coastal State;
6.5. any act of propaganda aimed at affecting the defence or security of the coastal State;
6.6. the launching, landing or taking on board of any aircraft;
6.7. the launching, landing or taking on board of any military device;
6.8. the loading or unloading of any commodity, currency or person contrary to the customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations of the coastal State;
6.9. any act of willful and serious pollution contrary to this Convention;
6.10. any fishing activities;
6.11. the carrying out of research or survey activities;
6.12. any act aimed at interfering with any systems of communication or any other facilities or installations of the coastal State;
6.13. any other activity not having a direct bearing on passage.

7. Transit passage is permitted through the reserve zone solely for the purpose of continuous and expeditious travel between one part of the international waters or reserve zone and another.

8. This treaty recognizes the following bodies of water as International Waters: Great Western Sea, Halberd Strait, Shire Sea, Central Sea, Gaeos Strait, Raynor Sea, Northern Sea, Strait of Pearls, O'Rear Strait, Dyre Straits, Captive Sea, Orange Sea, Sea of Storms, Austral Strait, Eastern Ocean, Pond Strait, Normark-Lindley Passage, New Brannum Strait, Inner Cibolan Sea, and all other open ocean that is beyond the reserve zone of every nation represented on the Micronational Cartography Society's map.
8.1. Any portion of International Waters that would otherwise be defined as the territorial water of a State is excluded from the definition of International Waters.

9. Acts of piracy, boarding with hostile intent, purposeful harm to a person, and purposeful obstruction of transit in International Waters are to be considered intolerable and go against the order and law of the high seas.

10. This convention is governed by the state parties to it.
10.1 The state parties shall, in regular intervals, decide on a state party between them to be a presiding state party.
10.2 The presiding state party shall host regular conference of state parties, and bear witness to accessions to the Convention, and departures from the Convention.
10.3 The conference of state parties may issue resolutions under this convention.

10. This convention may be amended by 3/4 majority of signatory nations. 11. This convention may be amended by the approval of at least three quarters of the state parties to the Convention.

Honourable Delegates of the State Parties to the Convention of the Law of the Seas,

It has over the years come to my attention that there are countries that wish to accede to this Convention without being part or supportive of the MTO system. As such, I believe it would make sense for the Convention to be "un-coupled" from the MTO and exist as an independent mechanism.

For that reason, I have proposed amendments to the Convention that would make the Convention independent of the MTO, as well as provide for governing the Conference of State Parties (which would be the highest authority under the Convention), being free to govern itself without due to the MTO Court and General-Secretary.

I now open up this matter for debate.

[Ric]

We have eighteen state parties to the Convention: Çakaristan, Cisamarra, Constancia, Floria, the Imperial Federation, Highpass, the Hexarchy, Hurmu, Meckelnburgh, Natopia (Eastern), Natopia (Western), Normark, Nouvelle Alexandrie, Ransenar, Sanama, Shireroth, Valora, and Zeed.

For this amendment to pass, we need three quarters' of the members to approve, which means 14 members.

TRACKER

Approve (14)
Çakaristan
Cisamarra
Constancia
Hexarchy
Highpass
Hurmu
Imperial Federation
Normark
Nouvelle-Alexandrie
Ransenar
Sanama
Shireroth
Western Natopia
Zeed

Oppose (2)
Eastern Natopia
Floria

Other (1)
Valora

[EF2000]

Floria remains committed to the current guise of the treaty.

[Continuator]

Delegate from Normark: I have been instructed by my government to endorse this proposal.
Delegate from Zeed: The request to endorse this proposal has been passed to the Supreme Plenipotentiary of the Trans-Euran Command in Zeed for consideration.

[Ric]

Floria remains committed to the current guise of the treaty.

Thank you. Can Floria clarify whether it, given its commitment of the treaty's current wording (as all parties are bound to uphold), approves or opposes the proposed amendment?

[Ric]

Delegate from Normark: I have been instructed by my government to endorse this proposal.
Delegate from Zeed: The request to endorse this proposal has been passed to the Supreme Plenipotentiary of the Trans-Euran Command in Zeed for consideration.

I thank the delegates from Normark and Zeed for speedy communication of their intents.

[Ric]

Hurmu approves of the amendment.

[Malliki]

Sanama: Approve
Highpass: Approve
Cisamarra: Approve

[Continuator]

Delegates of Constancia and Zeed: After onwards referral to the Committee of Euran Salvation, authorisation has been given for our nations to endorse this proposed amendments.

[Ric]

Sanama: Approve
Highpass: Approve
Cisamarra: Approve

Delegates of Constancia and Zeed: After onwards referral to the Committee of Euran Salvation, authorisation has been given for our nations to endorse this proposed amendments.

I thank the delegates from Cisamarra, Constancia, Highpass, Sanama, and Zeed for their communication of intent.

[Cosmic Fury]

The Imperial Federation thinks this is a wise move and assents to this proposal.

~~~~~~~

The Hexarchy's delegate expresses approval.

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Valora sends no message about the topic, as they have bigger problems to deal with right now.

[Ric]

The Imperial Federation thinks this is a wise move and assents to this proposal.

~~~~~~~

The Hexarchy's delegate expresses approval.

~~~~~~~

Valora sends no message about the topic, as they have bigger problems to deal with right now.

The approval from the Hexarchy and abstention from Valora have been received; the Imperial Federation is, as far as the Secretariat is aware, not a party to the Convention, and thus its vote is not counted for now.

[EF2000]

Floria remains committed to the current guise of the treaty.

Thank you. Can Floria clarify whether it, given its commitment of the treaty's current wording (as all parties are bound to uphold), approves or opposes the proposed amendment?

Oppose please.

[Ric]

Floria remains committed to the current guise of the treaty.

Thank you. Can Floria clarify whether it, given its commitment of the treaty's current wording (as all parties are bound to uphold), approves or opposes the proposed amendment?

Oppose please.

Thank you!

[Edgard]

Nouvelle Alexandrie, Ransenar, and Western Natopia all agree with the proposed amendments.