Oceanic Defense Coalition (ODECON) Charter
Preamble
The Parties to this Coalition reaffirm their desire to live in peace and prosperity with their neighbors and all peoples and governments of the world. They are determined to safeguard the freedom of their people, the principals of democracy, and the rule of law. In doing this, they seek to provide security and stability to their fellow members and themselves.
They are resolved to unite themselves in this common purpose and therefore agree to abide by a singular document in addition to their own Constitutions and Charters, to which the right of members to possess shall not be infringed.
Article I
Whenever possible, tariffs between member-states should be abolished entirely. Members of ODECON shall not levy tariffs exceeding more than 3% against fellow member states.
Article II
This Charter shall not infringe upon the right of member states to engage in trade with non-ODECON states.
Article III
Trade between member states shall be free of quotas, regulatory legislation (except where mentioned in Sec 1, Art 1), and subsidies which seek to give certain factors of production an advantage over others.
Article IV
Member states shall have free access to market information.
Article V
Member states shall endeavor to keep sea lanes free of piracy, and neutral merchant shipping shall not be subject to boarding or interception unless a credible threat to life or property, public or private, exists.
Article VI
Investments made by an investor from a member state into another are granted a number of guarantees, including fair and equitable treatment, protection from expropriation, and free transfer of means.
Article VII
Laborers and professionals from an ODECON member state shall have the right to immigrate to another member state temporarily for purposes of employment. The time in question shall be decided by the individual state, but must exceed six months and cannot exceed two years.
Article VIII
Unemployed or employed workers from an ODECON state have the express right to seek employment permanently in another member state free of hindrance, as long as the immigration process is legal by the state’s laws.
Article I
Each member state shall send two representatives to serve in the ODECON Regulatory Congress. The Congress has the express power to propose new legislation related to ODECON functions to be vetoed or accepted into international law by the President. All votes are by a simple majority.
Article II
The Multilateral Authority (henceforth to be known as the MA) is the de jure ruling body of ODECON. The members each have specific administrative or political duties. The MA shall be made up of the following titled individuals, voted in by the Regulatory Congress in majority votes:
Undersecretary to the President
Chief Director of ODESTAR
Chief Director of ODEPOL
Head of Financial Affairs
Foreign Affairs Secretary
Military Overseer
Article III
The Regulatory Congress shall be housed in ODECON Headquarters in Osterwieck. The Multilateral Authority will be based out of the same building.
Article IV
By a simple majority vote, the RC may form new organizations within the Coalition that draw upon ODECON resources, including tax revenue from member states, in order to serve the Coalition as a whole. Any nation may opt out of these child organizations, but doing so will not affect funding for said agency. The addition of a new child agency will be accompanied by a new MA position pertaining to the agency.
Article V
Amendments to the Coalition charter require the support of at least two-thirds of respondents in the Regulatory Congress in order to be enacted.
Article VI
Elections for Congressmen shall be a simple majority vote conducted in the member state. A majority of voters must select the two representatives before they are legally declared members of the Regulatory Congress.
Article VII
Member states are expected to comply with extradition requests by fellow ODECON members. Should a dispute arise surrounding extradition, the case must be brought before the Regulatory Congress, where a simple majority will settle the case.
Article VIII
Contributions to the ODECON treasury by member nations in the form of the required 1% tax shall be stripped of all nationality upon being transferred to the Coalition, and will be allocated by the Head of Financial Affairs.
Article IX
No agency may be allocated more than 15% of the Coalition budget without a specific mandate in the charter or by the RC to do so.
Article I
The primary goal of the Coalition being to protect the territorial sovereignty and freedom of her member’s citizens, ODECON member states shall maintain the ability to protect themselves from armed attack.
Article II
The Regulatory Congress has the authority to declare a state of conflict in line with the articles laid down in the ODECON Charter. The MA can check this power by overturning the decision in a 2/3 majority vote, and the decision is subject to veto by the President as a normal proposal would be.
Article III
Should a state of conflict be declared, it is the duty of every ODECON member state to comply with the order and treat the foreign threat as it was a threat against their own nation. No nation may choose to ignore the threat lest they risk expulsion from ODECON. If a nation is for any reason physically unable to come to the assistance of an ally, they may be exempt from this rule.
Article IV
The ODECON defense structure is triple-tiered. National militaries maintain unilateral independence from the alliance, but may be called upon as per Article IV. For situations where total war may not be the proper course of action, ORRF (ODECON Rapid Reaction Force) will be comprised of volunteer soldiers and will be placed under the command of the Supreme Military Overseer. Finally, ODECON installations (as explained in Article VII) will be established in areas deemed by the Supreme Military Overseer to be unstable or susceptible to attack by foreign threats. This is to allow for quick alliance reaction to potential attacks on member-states.
Article V
National militaries will gradually adopt the standard ODECON round for assault rifles. This is to ease logistical troubles inherent in separate militaries fighting together.
Article VI
A series of ODEFOR-run installations will be established in select ODECON member states. The staff will be made up of international soldiers, fighting under the ODECON flag as well as their own. This is made possible by quasi-integration of national militaries, as outlined below.
Article VII
Militaries from ODECON member states should be comfortable with each others organization and customs on a basic level. It should be noted that English is the language of ODEFOR, and ODECON in general when two or more nations are concerned, as well.
Article VIII
ODEFLEET shall be established as a term encompassing all alliance naval assets from individual member-states. During times of war, assets in ODEFLEET may be called upon by the Military Overseer.
Article IX
The official ODECON brevity code will be used in wartime situations involving the alliance. Individual brevity codes may still be used in non-alliance situations, and during peacetime.
Article X
No two nations in ODECON may engage in hostilities with each other under any circumstances. If they do, the aggressor nation shall be expelled and treated as any other foreign power would be.
Article I
In order to be considered for ODECON membership, a nation must first undergo a screening process, ensuring that they have shown a determination to safeguard freedom and democracy, protect the weak, and live in peace with their neighbors.
Article II
The ability to pay a flat tax in the order of one percent of the nation's budget to the ODECON treasury is required.
Article III
Nations must prove that they are able and willing to defend their fellow member states.
Article IV
Prospective members shall have their applications reviewed by the Regulatory Congress and a simple majority shall be used to decide on application. A tie always goes to the negative in the application process.
Article V
There is no provision for observers under the ODECON charter, nor will there ever be. Nations may not apply for observer status.
*tl;dr: Just read the damn thing, ffs.
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ODECON Forums
Signatories (20):
- Federal Republic of Leistung
- Federated Empire of Akimonad
- Kiravian Empire
- Holy Empire of Stevid
- Commonwealth of Brittanican Adenia
- Imperial Republic of Greal
- United States of Sur Abruzzi
- Holy Empire of Lord Sumguy
- Republic of Zinaire
- Allied States of New Kereptica
- Most Serene Noble Republic of Santheres
- Armed Republic of Salzland
- Holy Empire of Anemos Major
- Commonwealth of Whiskeasy
- Sovereign Republic of Stabistan
- Republic of Parilisa
- Empire of New Chalcedon
- Commonwealth of Valipac
- Federal Union of Barrettstia
- Unitary Technocracy of Etoile Arcture
- Soviet Socialist Republic of Osea
- Republic of Reijvajik
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