[SUBMITTED] Tourist Assistance Bill

[Calladan]

This is Version 3 and - once again - has a new name, due to the previous name apparently being a tad too long to fix in the box.

I think this will be the last pre-submission version, unless there are any major issues with it. So - enjoy

Title :- Tourist Assistance Bill
Category : Education & Creativity
Area : Educational

Noting that when visiting another country, tourists may find themselves in distress or witnessing others in distress and in need of emergency assistance;

Noting that it might not be clear how to summon this, or what the procedures and protocols are;

Noting that some countries might require payment for healthcare (or other services), while others might not; and

Noting that some nations may distinguish between the treatment of citizens and tourists;

The WA hereby:-

1. Mandates that nations are required to provide information about their emergency services via at least one of the following methods:-

• With the other official travel documentation such as visas or travel permits;
• At their passport/border entry points;
• At their official consulate/embassy in other nations; or
• On request via the most expedient communication method.

2. Mandates that this information includes details on how to contact the emergency services when in the nation, and any device required to do so.

3. Strongly suggests that this information includes other salient details, such as potential charges, protocols and procedures.

4. Strongly encourages citizens of member states who are planning on visiting other member states to familiarise themselves with the information provided in Clauses 1 & 2.

5. Notes that the final responsibility for ensuring a visitor can get help in an emergency lies with the visitor, rather than the nation they are visiting.

I could not find a way to combine Clause 1 & Clause 2 without it being the most torturous run on sentence in history (and believe me, I tried several different permutations), so I decided that two clauses was the way to go.

After advice from wiser and more sage minds than mine, Education & Creativity seemed the best category, because none of the rest would do (which, I admit, is not the best reason to pick something, but sometimes it is the only reason).

I am going to leave this up for a few days before submitting it, just to ensure that if there are any kinks, issues, spelling mistakes, typos or other problems they can all be ironed out - I would rather not get landed upon from on high for something as stupid as two letters being the wrong way round

Finally - I renamed it after a request from My Tri-Arch, to match the naming conventions we have in Calladan.

Version Two - Tourist Emergency Assistance Directives
(a redraft of the somewhat ill-fated Universal Emergency Services Number proposal)

Following a spirited (and, in parts, dispiriting debate), I have had another go at redrafting this with assistance from My Tri-Arch, my wife and suggestions from various delegates (the term I have decided to adopt for everyone present in this chamber, if that is alright?) as to how this might go.

[box]Title : Tourist Emergency Assistance Directives
Category : Social Justice or Moral Decency - not sure yet
Effect : Mild

Noting that when visiting another country, tourists may find themselves in distress or witnessing others in distress and in need of emergency assistance,

Noting that it might not be clear how to summon this, or what the procedures and protocols are,

Noting that some countries might require payment for healthcare (or other services), while others might not,

and noting that some nations may distinguish between the treatment of citizens and tourists,

The WA hereby :-

1) Mandates member states to provide all contact details/methods for emergency services at the points of ingress to their nation

2) Highly encourages member states to provide any other salient information regarding emergency services at the same points of ingress
2.1) Salient information would include (but are not limited to) potential charges, protocols, procedures and so forth.

3) Methods of presenting this information can include (but are not limited to) posters, leaflets, jumbotrons and so forth

4) Encourages member states to provide the information detailed in Clauses 1 & 2 in an external form to other member states
4.1) Examples of this form would include (but are not limited to) making available via the world wide interwebs, available via electronic mail, via standard post and so forth.

5) Highly encourages citizens of member states who are planning on visiting other member states ("tourists") to take advantages of the information provided in Clauses 1, 2 and 3

6) Notes that - ultimately - the responsibility for ensuring a citizen can get help in emergency lies with the citizen, rather than in the state they are visiting.

This is a remarkably watered down version of my original bill, however - as has been pointed out by a number of my fellow delegates - it does fulfil most of the original requirements, in that if I am walking down the streets of Genovia and I see an apartment building burst in to flames, I can probably contact the fire brigade and get them to come and put it out.

And if I suddenly burst into flames (unlikely as that sounds) my wife can do the same before I become too crispy

I realise there might be a question of funding, but I am not sure if I can address that within the proposal or not. I plan to leave it up to the nation - either get the tourist firms to stump up the cash, or find some other way to raise the money.

I also have a question about real life references - is the internet, email, jumbotrons and the postal system forbidden? (Is jumbotron a brandname?)

But, those questions aside, I present to you version two of my bill. Version one is contained under the spoiler code, just to show you how wildly different it is (and what prompted the large debate that follows!)

And finally - I haven't counted characters yet - I will do that once it comes closer to submission (if it should get to such a point).

Title : Universal Emergency Services Number
Category : Not sure? Maybe Social Justice or Moral Decency?
Effect : Is there anything less than mild? Very mild? Soporific?

Noting (or hoping) that most countries/worlds have a single number for contacting emergency services,

also noting that this number is different across most countries/worlds,

noting that international travellers might have trouble remembering all these different numbers, and

noting that in an emergency, every second counts and the extra seconds taken to remember a number could make the difference between life and death,

The World Assembly hereby :-

1) Mandates that all member states adopt a universal (WA wide) single number to allow citizens and visitors to contact the emergency services,

2) Mandates that all member states implement an automated relay system to forward all calls made to the new number on to the existing emergency services number for the given nation/world

3) Strongly suggests if they do not have a single number that they use this as an opportunity to create one as soon as possible.

4) Recommends advertising campaigns at custom and borders points in member states so that everyone will learn about this new single number if they visit a new country.

Currently the suggestions floated are 123, 112, 909 and 114

Fellow ambassadors, delegates and other representatives to this august body - before the usual process of debating a proposal begins, I would like to say a few words.

Firstly - this is just a very rough draft. I have not counted the letters in the title or the text, so they could be wildly over the limit. I plan to revise those later once the main part of the debate is over.

Secondly - it may not have escaped your notice that I have missed out one very important point in this proposal, and that is what the new single number is to be. Please be assured this is not an oversight on my part.

Instead I wanted to make this part of the debate - given that every country here present will have, or at least potentially will have, a different number, and that what is the emergency number in one country might be the number for directory enquiries in another country, I thought it best that we discuss what the number should be, rather than Calladan arbitrarily imposing it upon the entirity of the WA. While I do have an initial suggestion for this (909 for reasons I will explain in a moment) I am not overly attached to it and will happily entertain any other suggestions from my fellow representatives. I should point out it is not the number in Calladan (Calladan's emergency services number is 113, just in case anyone ever comes to visit our fair country and finds themselves in need of help!)

My reasons for suggestion 909 are four fold - firstly, it is short. Secondly, it is easy to remember. Thirdly it is not that easy to dial by accident. And fourthly the numbers are easy to find when it is dark/smokey/if the house is on fire/if you have been blinded because acid has been thrown in your eyes etc. But - as I said - it is just a starting point and I am not emotionally attached to it in any way.

I realise that will cost a bit of money to implement - both the automated relay system and the advertising campaign (should member states decide to take that part of the proposal up), however I do believe this would be a worthwhile activity across the WA and while it would potentially be a large initial investment, it would be a one off cost for what would be a long term way of saving lives and improving the general provision of services to citizens and tourists alike.

Thank you.

[Kryozerkia]

If you're wondering about category. ask yourself these questions: (a) is it restricting or taking away someone's rights? Based on what you've got, doesn't look like it. (b) is this going to improve individual welfare or social welfare? It might, depending on how it's ultimately worded, since it is about ease of access. I wouldn't say 'Human Rights' because it isn't giving an individual rights; it's establishing a 'social service'.

As for strength, 'Mild' is the lowest option.

[Separatist Peoples]

"I suppose this assumes that nations have adopted a numeric, as opposed to alphanumeric or alphabetical telecommunications system. Or that they don't utilize live operators. Or that their telecommunications system isn't already solely for emergency and official use.

"I am not convinced by your fourth preambulatory clause. If the difference between life and death is measured in seconds, would not the time for emergency services to arrive, which naturally would be more than a few seconds for all but the most advanced nations, cause death? That is the logical conclusion to your proffered situation. Unless you instead mean that the extra few seconds gained could add to the extra few minutes that matter, but I believe that is a much weaker argument that presumes that all situations are those in which a few seconds would have mattered.

"And would it not be a greater cost to a nation to change it's entire system just for a comparatively few international travelers? I sympathize with strangers falling victim in a strange land, your Excellency, but let us use an intellectual scale. What is the greater harm? Changing a system which no less than tens of millions of citizens rely on in every nation, to accommodate a few individuals who bear the responsibility of research and preparation before travel, or accepting the risk to a comparatively minute selection of people, numbering, at best, in the tens of thousands? The mathematics do not weigh heavily in your favor, ambassador.

"That would be a no from me."

[Imperium Anglorum]

Parsons: I hear of plans to change 999 to 0118-999-88199-9119-725-3. Fortunately, the MP who proposed that got laughed out of the House of Commons.

[Separatist Peoples]

Parsons: I hear of plans to change 999 to 0118-999-88199-9119-725-3. Fortunately, the MP who proposed that got laughed out of the House of Commons.

OOC: I miss that show

[AustraliaII]

The Colony of Australia II tentatively agrees to this on the proviso that the WA assist in covering the cost of retrofitting and/or the proposed public service announcements.

First post, am I doing it right?

[Separatist Peoples]

The Colony of Australia II tentatively agrees to this on the proviso that the WA assist in covering the cost of retrofitting and/or the proposed public service announcements.

First post, am I doing it right?

OOC: Not too bad! Generally, we bargain with the author to change their approach, not the WA itself, but you've basically got it! Welcome to the General Assembly!

[Calladan]

Changing a system which no less than tens of millions of citizens rely on in every nation, to accommodate a few individuals who bear the responsibility of research and preparation before travel, or accepting the risk to a comparatively minute selection of people, numbering, at best, in the tens of thousands? The mathematics do not weigh heavily in your favor, ambassador."

I am not suggesting replacing one number with another, but merely adding the new number into the system.

So that - for example - in Calladan there would be two numbers : 113 and 909 (should that be the adopted number). The millions of Calladans who have lived their lives dialling 113 in an emergency can continue to do so, but the thousands of tourists we get each year can dial 909.

Over time it might be that more people start to use the adopted number by default, and the WA can revisit the topic in a generation or two, however for now I am merely suggesting it be a supplementary number, not a replacement. I would never ask the many billions of WA citizens to learn a new number just for the benefit of one or two thousand tourists.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/112_(emergency_telephone_number)

[Jarish Inyo]

And why should a nation tax it's citizens for this secondary number for unprepared tourist to use?

[Hirota]

"I suppose this assumes that nations have adopted a numeric,"

Or even a base10 numeric system. There is no reason why base8 and others should be excluded.

[Calladan]

And why should a nation tax it's citizens for this secondary number for unprepared tourist to use?

Where is there a tax in this proposal? Or at least where is there a required tax in this proposal?

[Calladan]

"I suppose this assumes that nations have adopted a numeric,"

Or even a base10 numeric system. There is no reason why base8 and others should be excluded.

Although I can not believe people can be offended by this, I apologise for offending nations who use a differing numbering system than Calladan.

The choice of the word "number " was simply to get the idea across. If you can think of a better word to communicate the desired intention, please feel free to suggest it.

And I would remind the delegates here gathered that my suggestion of 909 was simply a starting point based on my person experiences in Calladan, Genovia and Maryvilleland and that I accept there are other systems in other countries which was why I did not put the "number" in the initial draft proposal and instead left it open for debate within this august chamber.

[Jarish Inyo]

And why should a nation tax it's citizens for this secondary number for unprepared tourist to use?

Where is there a tax in this proposal? Or at least where is there a required tax in this proposal?

A tax would be required to implement this secondary number. After all phone numbers are not free. And governmental funding comes from citizens paying taxes. So, again, why should a nation tax it's citizens for this secondary number for unprepared tourist to use?

[Separatist Peoples]

Changing a system which no less than tens of millions of citizens rely on in every nation, to accommodate a few individuals who bear the responsibility of research and preparation before travel, or accepting the risk to a comparatively minute selection of people, numbering, at best, in the tens of thousands? The mathematics do not weigh heavily in your favor, ambassador."

I am not suggesting replacing one number with another, but merely adding the new number into the system.

So that - for example - in Calladan there would be two numbers : 113 and 909 (should that be the adopted number). The millions of Calladans who have lived their lives dialling 113 in an emergency can continue to do so, but the thousands of tourists we get each year can dial 909.

Over time it might be that more people start to use the adopted number by default, and the WA can revisit the topic in a generation or two, however for now I am merely suggesting it be a supplementary number, not a replacement. I would never ask the many billions of WA citizens to learn a new number just for the benefit of one or two thousand tourists.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/112_(emergency_telephone_number)

"Thank you, your Excellency, for the clarification, but I am afraid it doesn't address the flaws in your approach. Ultimately, the cause of action for your proposal is to reduce the difficulty that foreigners have when accessing emergency aid. I believe we can boil it down even further into protecting foreigners from crime abroad. This is admirable, but you impose a high cost of implementing an entirely different system, one that must conform universally, assuming that a universal number will make a difference. However, your Excellency does not seem to account issues of response time, language barriers in reporting, or unfamiliarity with a location, all of which would compound an emergency service response. In light of that, would the few seconds of time saved in dialing really make a statistical difference?

"It is not my intention, Ambaddador McGill is it? It is not my intention to disparage your efforts. Quite the contrary, I laud them as well intentioned and well articulated. I merely point out that, for less cost and greater efficiency, tourists can be advised of how to obtain emergency services in the county they are visiting and bear their own responsibility. If they fail to pay enough attention to a topic of such gravity, the number they dial will be the least of their concerns.

"It is my goal to shift the burden of responsibility on the few who choose, voluntarily, to travel to a new country to learn of the most important safety policies, not to aggressively scuttle your draft."

Or even a base10 numeric system. There is no reason why base8 and others should be excluded.

Although I can not believe people can be offended by this, I apologise for offending nations who use a differing numbering system than Calladan.

The choice of the word "number " was simply to get the idea across. If you can think of a better word to communicate the desired intention, please feel free to suggest it.

And I would remind the delegates here gathered that my suggestion of 909 was simply a starting point based on my person experiences in Calladan, Genovia and Maryvilleland and that I accept there are other systems in other countries which was why I did not put the "number" in the initial draft proposal and instead left it open for debate within this august chamber.

"Your Excellency, we are merely pointing out a possible oversight on your part, not taking personal umbrage at the substance of your proposal."

[Hirota]

Or even a base10 numeric system. There is no reason why base8 and others should be excluded.

Although I can not believe people can be offended by this, I apologise for offending nations who use a differing numbering system than Calladan.

OOC: Believe me people will raise dumber shit than numbering systems as issues. Different numbering systems do occasionally pop up in history in RL. Base16 was employed in weights and measures in China, Base8 was used by some Native American tribes, Base5 was used by Aboriginal Australians. Heck Base60 was used by Sumerians.

[Calladan]

Where is there a tax in this proposal? Or at least where is there a required tax in this proposal?

A tax would be required to implement this secondary number. After all phone numbers are not free. And governmental funding comes from citizens paying taxes. So, again, why should a nation tax it's citizens for this secondary number for unprepared tourist to use?

While I am not an expert in how telephone and other communication systems work, I would assume that an existing emergency services number does not direct to a specific location. The number 113 Calladan does not put you through to one large building in the centre of my nation where one team of people deal with EVERY emergency call in the country. That would be utterly ludicrous and incredibly dangerous. What if the building they were housed in caught fire and they had to evacuate? Who would deal with 113 calls then?

I assume (again - not being an expert) that 113 routes to the nearest centre for calls that deal with emergency services - the nearest geographical location to the caller. So if I am Pond Street in Andromeda, it would direct to the FMH on Cable Street (my cousin works there), where as if I am on Candlestick Lane in Greater Leadworth it would direct to... wherever the nearest EMS is.

And while I don't have the figures to hand, surely adding a second number to this system - a system that would be in place and operating (under the terms of the proposal as it stands) would not be that expensive. Yes - it might cost a minute fraction a tiny part of the standard emergency services operating budget, but I do not believe it is asking for the ends of the earth.

And while I understand that some nations are unwilling to spend money on something that does not personally benefit themselves, I choose to believe that there are nations out there who are more philanthropic and charitable than that.

[Separatist Peoples]

And while I don't have the figures to hand, surely adding a second number to this system - a system that would be in place and operating (under the terms of the proposal as it stands) would not be that expensive. Yes - it might cost a minute fraction a tiny part of the standard emergency services operating budget, but I do not believe it is asking for the ends of the earth.

"Not actually true, ambassador. Such systems need to be given constant upkeep, extreme protection from incidental damage, and even hardening from deliberate attack. Many emergency systems operate on satellite systems rather than terrestrial towers, so as to prevent those in "dead zones" from being without emergency access. That would require no less than one space launch per nation to address, probably more for multiple satellites. You are asking for more than a minute fraction of an operating budget, you are asking for a redesign."

And while I understand that some nations are unwilling to spend money on something that does not personally benefit themselves, I choose to believe that there are nations out there who are more philanthropic and charitable than that.

"We would rather spend our tax money on our citizens, rather than transient foreigners who will not bring anything of equal value to the table. Since it's illegal to tax tourists for their impact on our infrastructure, as such a tax would be discriminatory, this is the fair alternative."

[Hirota]

Where is there a tax in this proposal? Or at least where is there a required tax in this proposal?

A tax would be required to implement this secondary number. After all phone numbers are not free. And governmental funding comes from citizens paying taxes. So, again, why should a nation tax it's citizens for this secondary number for unprepared tourist to use?

Most nations would already have a emergency services hotline in place. The addition of a single additional number to comply with international legislation would most likely be a one-time and fairly minimal cost to add an additional forwarding number.

[Separatist Peoples]

A tax would be required to implement this secondary number. After all phone numbers are not free. And governmental funding comes from citizens paying taxes. So, again, why should a nation tax it's citizens for this secondary number for unprepared tourist to use?

Most nations would already have a emergency services hotline in place. The addition of a single additional number to comply with international legislation would most likely be a one-time and fairly minimal cost to add an additional forwarding number.

"A forwarding number would seem to be a bandage on a potentially dangerous wound. That would create extra steps in a complex telecommunications process, extra steps that could easily generate additional hard- or software problems.

"Moreover, the inclusion of a standardized code would have a serious case of misdials in jurisdictions that already use that code in their numbering system. Let us say, theoretically, that we have a geographic location that uses the Calladan 113 code as the first three digits of a nine digit dialing system. If the World Assembly were to come to some sort of consensus that 113 should be the number for universal emergency services notification, how, exactly, would anybody be able to call those in the hypothetical territory? Are we going to force a reorganization of states unfortunate enough to already use the same number the World Assembly settles on? Now, that would cost quite a bit of money.

"Let us continue in that vein. Let us say that the World Assembly settles, again, on 113, since it is the author's home code. Let us return to the C.D.S.P.'s hypothetical territory, where the first three digits of their system is not 113, but 131. How many misdials are we likely to see? What kind of a burden will that place on the emergency dispatch service? In most areas, every single call, even hang-ups and disconnects, must be investigated. Even if the minimal requirement was that Dispatch called them back to verify, response time would be seriously delayed. Nations with this issue would, therefore, have to balance either a decrease in effectiveness of their dispatch, or an increase in cost to hire additional dispatchers, so the effectiveness remains while the additional workload rises.

"The great alternative that the author seems unwilling to accept is that, by making individuals who choose to travel to foreign territories responsible for their own education of their host nation's customs and practices, the issue solves itself with a perfectly manageable margin of error: reasonably prudent foreigners will take the time to inform themselves, host nations can take care of their tourist population, and only those who were imprudent or irresponsible are likely to suffer for any difficulty in foreign dispatch systems. Considering the balancing act we are working with, the numbers for imprudent foreigners would have to number in the tens or hundreds of thousands to justify a systemic change."

[Cogoria]

Cogoria will support this endeavour. However we would prefer the number 114 as the thumb of most individuals (except the left handed) rests naturally above the 1 key, while the 4 is merely to reduce accidental dials.

[Tahkranul]

"Well now, darling, your proposal and the discussion you've sparked is of particular interest to me. The possible expansion of our police boxes and government phones to home use is still being rather hotly debated right now in Tahkranul. So while I am very interested in where all this conversation may go, it seems to me that Bell darling has raised some very important points regarding infrastructure and maintenance.
"Now, I had a thought about that dear, that may be more accommodating to both of your concerns -- although it will fundamentally change your proposal, so make of it what you will. Why not simply mandate that member nations display their emergency services number on their telephones? Whether it is engraved, printed, or otherwise marked is inconsequential as long as it clearly and easily found on the phone itself. I suppose, dear, that you might wish to include a clause standardizing where that number is preferably displayed. For the more advanced nations that can carry these devices about on their person... well, darling, I hope you've got some ideas on that one, as I'm entirely unsure about that."

[Almonaster Nuevo]

Almonaster Nuevo does not offer universal services, nor would we have the budget to do so. If this resolution is to gain our support, a term such as "standardised" might better fit what we hope was the intent. Additionally, we would strongly recommend that the code to be used should be included in the proposal, since there will doubtless be disagreement on that point if it is left unspecified.

[Calladan]

Almonaster Nuevo does not offer universal services, nor would we have the budget to do so. If this resolution is to gain our support, a term such as "standardised" might better fit what we hope was the intent. Additionally, we would strongly recommend that the code to be used should be included in the proposal, since there will doubtless be disagreement on that point if it is left unspecified.

The term "universal" refers to a WA wide number - one that would be used right across every nation in the WA - not to a standard of services within each member nation. The idea is that if you travel from your nation to any other WA member nation, you would have the number for the emergency services to hand because it would be the same number.

And, as I said in my introductory remarks, when this proposal is finally submitted (should it reach that stage) then it will include the proposed number. However at this stage, due to the wide number of nations in The WA, I did not feel safe arbitrarily proposing a single number because I felt it would just give some nations more of a reason to argue against the proposal (because - for example - if I proposed "555" then Genovia would tell me that is the number for "dial-a-pizza" in Genovia and so they reject the proposal out of hand).

[Calladan]

"A forwarding number would seem to be a bandage on a potentially dangerous wound. That would create extra steps in a complex telecommunications process, extra steps that could easily generate additional hard- or software problems.

As I said - the existing emergency services number is already just a forwarding number. Adding another number to that cannot possibly be that complex.

"Moreover, the inclusion of a standardized code would have a serious case of misdials in jurisdictions that already use that code in their numbering system. Let us say, theoretically, that we have a geographic location that uses the Calladan 113 code as the first three digits of a nine digit dialing system. If the World Assembly were to come to some sort of consensus that 113 should be the number for universal emergency services notification, how, exactly, would anybody be able to call those in the hypothetical territory? Are we going to force a reorganization of states unfortunate enough to already use the same number the World Assembly settles on? Now, that would cost quite a bit of money.

"Let us continue in that vein. Let us say that the World Assembly settles, again, on 113, since it is the author's home code. Let us return to the C.D.S.P.'s hypothetical territory, where the first three digits of their system is not 113, but 131. How many misdials are we likely to see? What kind of a burden will that place on the emergency dispatch service? In most areas, every single call, even hang-ups and disconnects, must be investigated. Even if the minimal requirement was that Dispatch called them back to verify, response time would be seriously delayed. Nations with this issue would, therefore, have to balance either a decrease in effectiveness of their dispatch, or an increase in cost to hire additional dispatchers, so the effectiveness remains while the additional workload rises.

Which is why I opened the subject of the number up to debate. While it might seem like I am a dreamer, I do not find it beyond reason that we can find a single number, two or three digits long, that is not used as part of an existing area code in any country.

As for miss-dials - that, I accept, may be a problem, but I am confident we can find a way round that given time to work on the problem. One idea that springs to mind (and I admit this is being made up as I go along, with no idea how feasible it is, so there might be a lack of reality in this) is to prefix the number with a # or *. Or to find a number that does not fall into any version of any area code.

Or - potentially - the draft could be adjusted so that the first phase of the proposal sees a working group put together from a number of countries to solve this problem and find an acceptable number that will reduce if not remove this problem.

"The great alternative that the author seems unwilling to accept is that, by making individuals who choose to travel to foreign territories responsible for their own education of their host nation's customs and practices, the issue solves itself with a perfectly manageable margin of error: reasonably prudent foreigners will take the time to inform themselves, host nations can take care of their tourist population, and only those who were imprudent or irresponsible are likely to suffer for any difficulty in foreign dispatch systems. Considering the balancing act we are working with, the numbers for imprudent foreigners would have to number in the tens or hundreds of thousands to justify a systemic change."

When I go abroad I do tend to try to learn things about the nation I am visiting, but sometimes things fall through the cracks. And I think most people would agree that you tend to forget things, or at least struggle to remember things, when you are under pressure. Such as when you are in a crisis or emergency situation.

And - for an example as to why this might be of benefit to more than just a few imprudent foreigners, I give you this example :-

Before My Tri-Arch came to power, she was on holiday in Genovia. She was walking down a street late at night when she saw an apartment block on fire. No one else was around, and the fire was burning away quite merrily. So she pulled out her phone and called 113 (because that was the number she knew for emergency services). Which turned out to be Genovian directory enquiries.

They helpfully connected her to the fire brigade, who then sent out a response team and the fire was put out, with no loss of life (although most of the apartment block was a total write off) and only a few injured.

Now imagine if 113 was not directory inquiries, but a dead-end. Imagine if My Tri-Arch had had to dig around in her handbag for the number for Genovian emergency services and the fire had gone on for a few more minutes before she had found the number - or she hadn't been able to find it and had to resort to banging on doors to wake up the locals to get their attention to get someone else to call.

Imagine the number of dead and injured Genovian citizens there could have been then.

I put it to the assembled delegates that making it as easy as possible for every citizen of The WA to contact the emergency services of whatever nation they are in is in the best interests of every member state and every citizen who dwells therein.

[Calladan]

"Well now, darling, your proposal and the discussion you've sparked is of particular interest to me. The possible expansion of our police boxes and government phones to home use is still being rather hotly debated right now in Tahkranul. So while I am very interested in where all this conversation may go, it seems to me that Bell darling has raised some very important points regarding infrastructure and maintenance.
"Now, I had a thought about that dear, that may be more accommodating to both of your concerns -- although it will fundamentally change your proposal, so make of it what you will. Why not simply mandate that member nations display their emergency services number on their telephones? Whether it is engraved, printed, or otherwise marked is inconsequential as long as it clearly and easily found on the phone itself. I suppose, dear, that you might wish to include a clause standardizing where that number is preferably displayed. For the more advanced nations that can carry these devices about on their person... well, darling, I hope you've got some ideas on that one, as I'm entirely unsure about that."

Sadly we are finding the existence of public telephones is somewhat declining in Calladan because more and more people are starting to use mobile phones and other personal communication devices. And as for police boxes and so forth - they went the way of the VHS tape over three or four decades ago.

So while we could mandate that, we would also have to mandate that member states maintain a healthy supply of public telephone/public communication devices, and given how well this proposal - which I personally thought was mild and very unobjectionable - appears to be going down in some quarters - I would hate to think how badly a demand to maintain a public call box on each corner would be received

(I think I would be better off demanding every citizen be given a free mobile phone with the emergency service number hard-coded in to it!!).