Embassy of the South Pacific

[TSP Foreign Office]

TSP Foreign Update

Greetings friends and allies,

As July wraps up, we in the South wanted to take the opportunity to provide you with updates and information on our recent happenings and events. This summer has been particularly active for the South Pacific, mainly with the kind of internal democratic processes that are central to our region here in NationStates' oldest democracy.

Aegis Accords Ratified and Celebrated

After many months of negotiations, the South Pacific finalized and ratified the Aegis Accords, a Defender mutual defense and cultural cooperation treaty, with our allies in Spiritus, The Union of Democratic States, The Rejected Realms, and 10000 Islands. In the signing ceremony, Prime Minister JayCoop (Qvait) issued the following statement:

I am proud to put my signature on such a historic treaty that encapsulates the historic friendship that ties our regions together. For years, we have been friends and allies, tied together by one common cause. We are defenders, through and through. I truly cannot wait to see where we go from here, but I am confident that this alliance, the Aegis, will grow beyond the five of us to build a stronger, more united defender world.

Jay Coop
Prime Minister of the South Pacific

To celebrate the accomplishment, the South Pacific Special Forces (SPSF) conducted a joint detag run with the Ten Thousand Islands Treaty Organization (TITO), Rejected Realms Army (RRA), and Union of Democratic States Armed Forces (UDSAF) which detagged 342 regions over the span of two updates. Eight different SPSF personnel participated in this effort across both updates. We look forward to seeing what else this new partnership can accomplish.

Great Council Convened

After many months of discussion, debate, and High Court cases, a Great Council has been convened to rewrite the South Pacific's Charter and laws. The Great Council was convened in response to perceived flaws in the South Pacific's governing structure, which some argue were producing inactivity and limiting executive power, and out of a desire to allow a new generation of South Pacificans to shape their government's structure, which has been largely unchanged since the Great Council in 2016.

Since the start of the Great Council, many topics have been raised. Most prominent are debates about the future of the Local Council and "on-site governance", the role of the region's WA Delegate as an apolitical head of state, and the structure of the region's elected Cabinet. The full Great Council can be found here.

During this time, the current Charter remains in effect, and any and all diplomatic agreements made under the current Charter and laws will be considered valid under the new Charter. The South Pacific is still open for business while the GC is underway. If you have any concerns that the GC may impact relations with your region, please contact Minister of Foreign Affairs HumanSanity (HumanSanity#9270).

New Delegate Tepertopia Elected

The South Pacific has elected Tepertopia, also known as anjo, as the next Delegate of the South Pacific. Anjo has previously served as Chair of the Assembly and is currently the Director of the Office of WA Legislation and a member of the Legislator Committee (responsible for screening Legislator applicants). In addition to this long record of government service, anjo has promised to overturn the current pie-based leadership in favor of a cake-oriented regime, as well as regular "development reports" to the region on endorsement activity and new integration efforts. You can read more about anjo's campaign here.

Ministry of Media Abolished

After many attempted campaigns, long-time South Pacifican Belschaft won the election for Minister of Media on a campaign of abolishing the Ministry, which he believed suffered from inevitable inactivity and had a role which could be replaced by private individuals. Shortly thereafter, the Assembly passed laws repealing the Ministry's existence in the Charter, and bringing the Cabinet down to four Ministry portfolios.

Miscellaneous Updates

• Minister of Culture Eggraria became non-communicative with Prime Minister Jay Coop and is set to be recalled by the Assembly. After that, a Special Election will be held to fill their position.
• In response to the signing of the Steele of Horus treaty with The Black Hawks (an organization proscribed from the South Pacific for acts of hostility against the Coalition) and their maintaining relations with The Brotherhood of Malice (which has committed acts of espionage against our treaty partner Balder), the South Pacific has terminated its detente with Osiris and closed its embassy with Osiris.
• In response to the leaked infiltration of the South Pacific in August 2018 by 'Brax', an agent of The West Pacific's then-government, the South Pacific has proscribed several individuals who were involved in that infiltration attempt. We thank The West Pacific's current government for their assistance in verifying the details of this operation and reaffirm our existing mutually respectful relationship. The full statement can be found here.
• Moon/Emodea has been confirmed to the position of General of the South Pacific Special Forces by the Assembly after nomination by Minister of Defense Pronoun. The General Corps, along with the Minister of Defense, is the collective leadership of the South Pacific Special Forces.
• Forum Administration has announced a forum move to "Discourse", a new forum software, to occur at a to-be-determined date. Government officials and forum moderation/administration are currently preparing for the move. More details to come in future updates.

Update by HumanSanity, Minister of Foreign Affairs

[Refuge Isle]

Ministry of Media Abolished

After many attempted campaigns, long-time South Pacifican Belschaft won the election for Minister of Media on a campaign of abolishing the Ministry, which he believed suffered from inevitable inactivity and had a role which could be replaced by private individuals. Shortly thereafter, the Assembly passed laws repealing the Ministry's existence in the Charter, and bringing the Cabinet down to four Ministry portfolios.

I applaud this inspirational self-forced retirement.

[The North Polish Union]

A good first step, but I look forward to the day when Belschaft (or anybody else) runs and wins on a platform of abolishing the rest of TSP's government

[TSP Foreign Office]

ANNOUNCING: THE FELLOWSHIP OF LLAMAS AND EAGLES

11 August 2022

The Grand Republic of The League and the Coalition of the South Pacific are proud to announce a new chapter in our relationship. The ratification of the Fellowship of Llamas and Eagles cements the military, political, and cultural ties between our two regions. Prior to this treaty, though informally bound by our strong defender ties and membership in the Partnership for Sovereignty, there was no codified treaty formalising our bilateral relationship. With the Fellowship now ratified, the relationship between The League and the South Pacific has a legal foundation for years to come.

The Fellowship of Llamas and Eagles, named after our respective regional animals, contains provisions for government recognition, embassy exchange, non-aggression and mutual defense of our home regions and listed territories, intelligence sharing, WA cooperation, military war games, and cultural cooperation.

We both affirm our dedication to upholding the treaty and continuing forward in a spirit of fellowship with our now codified allies.

The Fellowship of Llamas and Eagles

The League and the South Pacific, recognizing our shared defender values and close cooperation in various areas, hereby enter into this treaty of friendship, mutual defense, military and cultural partnership.

Article I – Mutual Recognition of Government Legitimacy

1. The parties to this treaty recognize the Coalition of the South Pacific, as established by the Charter, as the sole legitimate government of the South Pacific. The parties to this treaty recognize the Republic of The League as the sole legitimate government of The League. The parties will not extend recognition as legitimate to any government otherwise represented.

2. The South Pacific shall be authoritatively represented by the government of the Coalition of the South Pacific, embodied principally by the relevant officials as outlined in the Charter of the Coalition of the South Pacific. The respective military authority of the South Pacific is the South Pacific Special Forces (SPSF).

3. The League shall be authoritatively represented by the government of the Republic of the League, headed by the Consulate. The respective military authority of The League is the League's Defense Forces (LDF), embodied principally by the relevant Consul and the General of the Defense Forces.

4. Should the government or military of either party change, authoritative representation will be performed by the corresponding functionally equivalent positions or institutions.

5. A territory of either party shall be a region which exists under the sovereign protection or control of the party’s legitimate government. In order for a territory or home region to be afforded protections under this treaty, it must be listed below:
I. The South Pacific, as the home region of the Coalition of the South Pacific.
II. The League, as the home region of the Republic of The League.
III. Concord, as a territory of the Republic of The League.

Article II – Non-Aggression and Mutual Defense

1. The parties shall respect the sovereignty of the other, encourage that respect amongst their partners and allies, and acknowledge that with sovereignty comes the right to govern themselves in the way of their choosing.

2. The parties to this treaty agree not to attack the home region or any recognized territory of the other party, nor participate in any action with the intent to overthrow their legitimate government.

3. Both parties will refrain from conspiring, either directly or through a third party, to destabilize or overthrow the legitimate government of either party’s home region or territories.

4. Both parties will refrain from conducting clandestine operations, espionage, or other forms of spying against either party.

5. Both parties will, in good faith, report any known threat or concern related to the other party's security, to the appropriate security organs. For the South Pacific, the authoritative security organ will be the Council on Regional Security. For The League, the authoritative security organ will be the Consulate. Should the government of either party change, these security functions will be performed by the corresponding functionally equivalent positions or institutions.

6. The parties to this treaty may seek assistance for the self-defense of their home region or a recognized territory by lodging an official request with the appropriate officials.

7. Both parties agree to aid each other against attempts to illegally overthrow the in-game Delegate of their respective home regions or recognized territory.

Article III – Cooperation

1. The parties’ home regions shall share in-game and off-site embassies in order to allow cross-posting. If an illegal delegate of one parties’ region closes the in-game embassy with the party region's counterpart, embassies shall be restored immediately following the restoration of the legitimate delegate.

2. The parties to this treaty agree to seek opportunities for military cooperation in defensive, liberation, and anti-fascist operations in accordance with their laws and traditions.

3. Both parties agree to share intelligence as circumstances permit for the purposes of conducting defensive operations. Both parties agree to keep classified any sensitive information regarding military affairs that concerns the other party or its defense operations, and only publish that information in a manner mutually agreed upon.

4. The parties to this treaty will endeavor to conduct communal cultural activities. This will include military confidence building measures and wargames at least once per year.

5. Each party will also endeavor, where appropriate and possible, to collaborate with the other in World Assembly programs and activities, such as the discussion or drafting of proposals, educational initiatives, or other similar projects.

6. The parties will assist each other during lawful delegate transitions of their home region or a territory upon request if operational circumstances permit.

Article IV – Peaceful Settlement of Disputes

1. The parties to this treaty undertake to settle any and all disputes between them through peaceful means and to refrain from using the threat of force or sanction against one another while this treaty is in force.

Article V – Deposit and Clarification

1. This treaty shall be deposited in a publicly accessible area of the community forums of both parties.

2. The parties to this treaty may, from time to time, clarify the terms of this treaty through memorandums of understanding, which shall be posted alongside the treaty.

Article VI – Suspension of Terms and Termination of the Treaty

1. Either party may suspend the terms of the treaty, if the other party has materially breached its terms, until such a time that both parties peacefully settle the dispute and adopt a memorandum of understanding that the treaty is again in force.

2. Either party may terminate the treaty with five days’ notice, posted publicly in the forum of deposit in both regions, after which the terms of the treaty are no longer binding on either party.

[Grea Kriopia]

Love the treaty name, big fan

Congrats to both regions!

[Astrobolt]

Congratulations to both The League and the South Pacific!

[TSP Foreign Office]

Citizens and friends,

We are proud to announce the passage of the Pact of Orohena, a non-aggression pact between Europeia and the South Pacific. Though we have had notable disagreements in the past, officials from both regions have made a concerted effort to dialogue and collaborate over the past few months, culminating in the passage of this agreement. Knowing what we have overcome to get to this point makes this moment all the more meaningful for everyone involved.

We are committed to developing a stronger bilateral relationship through mutual recognition and non-agression, intelligence sharing, and cultural pursuits.

Given this, we are optimistic about the future relationship between the South Pacific and Europeia, rooted in a renewed friendship, charting a better course for us both.


Signed,

HumanSanity, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the South Pacific
JayCoop (Qvait), Prime Minister of the South Pacific

Sopo (Ambrella), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Europeia
Writinglegend, President of Europeia

Pact of Orohena

Pact of Non-Aggression between

The Coalition of the South Pacific

and

The Republic of Europeia​

WHEREAS The Republic of Europeia and its government, hereinafter referred to as “Europeia”, and the Coalition of the South Pacific and its government, hereinafter referred to as “the South Pacific”, have shared ideals of democracy, sovereignty, and liberty;

WHEREAS Europeia and the South Pacific wish to build a relationship where there was once animosity;

NOW, THEREFORE, Europeia and the South Pacific agree to the following:

1. Mutual Recognition and Sovereignty

a. The Signatories to this treaty recognize the government of the other Signatory as legitimate based upon its constituting legal instruments and laws and will not extend that recognition to any government that comes to power unlawfully.

b. The Signatories shall maintain in-game (i.e. on the NationStates site) and off-site embassies with one another, consistent with facilities provided to other treatied allies, and strive to maintain diplomatic representatives in each other’s regions. If an illegitimate delegate of a signatory region, being someone who lacks legal recognition by the signatory government, closes the in-game embassy of the other Signatory, the embassy shall be restored immediately following the restoration of the legitimate delegate.

c. Neither Signatory may cede control of their region to another entity to the extent that they can no longer meet the obligations of this agreement.

2. Non-Aggression

a. Neither the South Pacific nor Europeia will engage in military hostilities against the other, or against one another's protectorates which have been established by regional law and communicated to the other signatory. Participation by the South Pacific and Europeia on opposite sides of a military engagement that does not constitute an attack on either region or a region's protectorate shall not be considered "military hostilities against the other" for this purpose.

b. Neither Signatory will engage in espionage against the other. For this purpose, "espionage" is the act of engaging a person to act under false pretenses in a Signatory region without the permission of that region's legitimate government.

c. The Signatories each shall provide information to the other if such information is pertinent to the other region's security or well-being, or otherwise upon the other's reasonable request, unless the party in possession of such information reasonably believes that providing that information might violate applicable laws or contravene the terms of service for NationStates or a regional communications platform, or when revealing that information would unduly compromise that party's source(s) of information. Both signatories shall endeavor to reveal as much as possible in such situations, but not more than they can under laws, terms of service, or the need to protect sources.

3. Cultural Undertakings

a. Each signatory will endeavour, where appropriate and possible, to engage in social and cultural activities with the other signatory. This can include, but is not limited to, festivals, competitions, and educational endeavors.

4. General Provisions

a. This Treaty will come into force on the date of ratification by both Europeia and the South Pacific as dictated by their respective governing procedures.

b. Either Signatory reserves the right to exit this Treaty. The exiting Signatory must privately notify the other’s respective head of government 72 hours prior to taking public action toward a repeal, providing their reasoning for termination.

c. This Treaty may be amended by mutual agreement of both Signatories so long as proposed amendments are ratified by both Signatories in accordance with their respective laws and norms. Both Signatories shall keep the other informed of an amendment’s ratification status.

d. Upon ratification, this treaty shall be the sole bilateral treaty between the South Pacific and Europeia, superseding any prior written documents describing a relationship between the regions.

[Quebecshire]

Congratulations to our two allies on this accomplishment, wonderful to see.

[Ambrella]

Glad to be a part of this and to be working more closely with TSP.

[North East Somerset]

Congrats to TSP and Europeia on this promising development!

[Kanglia]

Wonderful news indeed, congrats to both regions

[Hulldom]

Congrats to you both! Always nice to see our mutual friends also becoming friends.

[Aerlion]

I would like to thank The South Pacific for their support during these challenging times. This is the first time for years we have received such strong and positive diplomatic support, so it means a lot. It is, however, unfortunate that this statement has to be after I was elected on an electoral commitment to repeal our Treaty of Friendship.

I presume the TSP Ministry of Foreign Affairs must have somehow become aware of this electoral commitment, made by both the candidates who received over 90% of the votes for the Presidency, and that is the context for this sudden surge of compassion. However, despite this pleasant surprise, I must follow through on the commitments promised to my constituents.

We have a few older existent treaties, but we nonetheless reciprocate the great respect with regards to TSP's long history and vibrant culture.

Let's hope the second time is the charm.

[Unibot III]

I would like to thank The South Pacific for their support during these challenging times. This is the first time for years we have received such strong and positive diplomatic support, so it means a lot. It is, however, unfortunate that this statement has to be after I was elected on an electoral commitment to repeal our Treaty of Friendship.

I presume the TSP Ministry of Foreign Affairs must have somehow become aware of this electoral commitment, made by both the candidates who received over 90% of the votes for the Presidency, and that is the context for this sudden surge of compassion. However, despite this pleasant surprise, I must follow through on the commitments promised to my constituents.

We have a few older existent treaties, but we nonetheless reciprocate the great respect with regards to TSP's long history and vibrant culture.

Let's hope the second time is the charm.

There’s an old saying for that.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, cancel the treaty again and revive it in two years.

[TSP Foreign Office]

TSP Foreign Update

Greetings friends and allies,

I am pleased to provide our August update, containing information about the ongoing Great Council, other Legislative changes, leadership elections, and more.

New Minister of Culture Elected

Following the vacancy left by former Minister rosaferri, Election Commissioner Kringle oversaw a special election. Four candidates participated in this election: Comfed, former Minister of Culture Murelia, former Ministry of Regional Affairs staffer ProfessorHenn, and The Lile Ulie Islands (Maluhia). After eliminating Comfed and Murelia, Lile Ulie Islands was victorious over ProfessorHenn in the fourth round of voting by only 2 votes. Lile Ulie Islands was elected on a platform of working with the reigon's role play community and the Local Council. The winning platform can be found here and the results can be found here.

SPSF Activity Continues

The South Pacific Special Forces continued to operate under Minister of Defense Pronoun's sterling leadership. Monthly updates were issued for both July and August. The SPSF was also an active participant in the liberation attempts on Realm of the Whispering Winds, with 23 total updaters under an SPSF banner. The SPSF also welcomed five new recruits in August.

Carnival of Celebrations Held

The South Pacific hosted Percy Jackson & The Carnival of Celebrations alongside co-hosts 10000 Islands, Balder, The East Pacific, and The Order of the Grey Wardens, all of which are treatied partners of the Coalition. We were delighted to share this fun experience with our allies and look forward to future events. A recap of the event schedule can be found here.

New Treaties Ratified

During the month of August, two new treaties were fully signed, sealed, and ratified.

First, the Coalition signed the Fellowship of Llamas and Eagles with its recent defender partners in The League. The League and the South Pacific share defender values and have an extensive history of working together militarily. The announcement can be found here.

Second, the South Pacific signed the Pact of Orohena with Europeia. Europeia and the South Pacific previously held strong diplomatic relations, but these were soured due to diverging military alignments. Recent shifts in Europeia's military engagements and the formalized Defender alignment of the South Pacific have made stronger bilateral relations feasible once again. The announcement can be found here.

New Delegate Brings New Initiatives; New LC

Delegate Tepertopia (anjo) formally assumed the in-game Delegacy of the South Pacific on July 28. The South Pacific was proud to conduct this Delegate transition in only six days and without the assistance of foreign piler forces. Since assuming office, Delegate Tepertopia brought back the practice of publishing a Delegate's briefing and expanded it to include RMB Awards. The Delegate also conducted a September edition of Endorsement Days. Tepertopia also retains their position as Director of the Office of WA Legislation.

Also on the NationStates site, elections for Local Council concluded on July 25 with the election of Curlyhoward, Trivalve, and The free romanians as Local Councillors. More election information can be found here.

Changes in Culture

With the inauguration of a new Minister comes a flurry of activity. Minister of Culture Mulahia has already announced and begun work on the Mauna Kea Banjection Contest hosted via a NationStates side region and is working with RP Moderator Gianni to change the regional map rules to permit better use of the map for role playing. We look forward to seeing what more the new Minister can accomplish!

Great Council In Progress

The Great Council, an effort to rewrite the laws of the Coalition, remains in progress. A proposal has already been voted on to replace the Local Council with a team of appointed RMB Moderators and events run by the Ministry of Culture and proposals to change the elections process of the Delegate. Further proposals are under discussion regarding the High Court, the office of the Chair of the Assembly, and the process for selecting the Cabinet. The full Great Council forum can be found here.

Miscellaneous Other Items

• Following nomination by the Cabinet in consultation with the Legislator Committee, Moon/Emodea was appointed and then confirmed to the Legislator Committee. The debate thread can be found here.
• Prime Minister Jay compiled and published the Sunshine releases from the June to October 2021 (Witchcraft & Sorcery) and October 2021 to February 2022 (HumanSanity I) Cabinets. The full release can be found here.
• Regular elections for the Chair of the Assembly are currently ongoing. Currently, only the incumbent Chair The Haughterlands/Cryo is running. The campaign forum can be found here.
• The planned move to the "Discourse" forum software is still in-progress with a yet to be announced launch date.

Update by HumanSanity, Minister of Foreign Affairs

[TSP Foreign Office]

Greetings foreign friends!

Just wanted to give the world a heads up that TSP is doing a forum move from our old MyBB forum to a new shiny Discourse forum. Our new forum can be found here.

We're optimistic about the many, many quality of life upgrades the new forum will bring and look forward to receiving diplomats on the new forum!

[Madjack]

Greetings foreign friends!

Just wanted to give the world a heads up that TSP is doing a forum move from our old MyBB forum to a new shiny Discourse forum. Our new forum can be found here.

We're optimistic about the many, many quality of life upgrades the new forum will bring and look forward to receiving diplomats on the new forum!

Are accounts being migrated over or will new ones be required?

[HumanSanity]

Are accounts being migrated over or will new ones be required?

New accounts will be required but you will be able to link your account to Discord, so for many users new logins won't be required

I'll also post here once registration has gone live

[New Rogernomics]

Congrats! Discourse is a good choice.

Not sure if you've seen tried it already but migrating accounts is also possible, but takes a bit of effort:

https://meta.discourse.org/t/importing-migrating-mybb-to-discourse/130789
And someone who updated the script you have to edit the email in: https://meta.discourse.org/t/importing- ... /130789/13

Though if you are going afresh entirely can do that too I guess.

[Queen Yuno]

Nice choice of "forum migration" but you guys better not "migrate" that nasty post of yours about me.

I DID CLICK open the dang link to your "NEW" forum, and I see that it's "private." Good, it should stay private. If you make that accursed publication about me a public webpage, I'm going to be writing anti-TSP blog posts. So you guys better stay away from publishing anti-me content! Otherwise, expect me to post anti-TSP news!

TSP has an uber CRINGE, immature, fickle off-site administration.

[Red Eyes Black Nation]

Nice choice of "forum migration" but you guys better not "migrate" that nasty post of yours about me.

I DID CLICK open the dang link to your "NEW" forum, and I see that it's "private." Good, it should stay private. If you make that accursed publication about me a public webpage, I'm going to be writing anti-TSP blog posts. So you guys better stay away from publishing anti-me content! Otherwise, expect me to post anti-TSP news!

TSP has an uber CRINGE, immature, fickle off-site administration.

This is simply an issue of skill.

[Queen Yuno]

Nice choice of "forum migration" but you guys better not "migrate" that nasty post of yours about me.

I DID CLICK open the dang link to your "NEW" forum, and I see that it's "private." Good, it should stay private. If you make that accursed publication about me a public webpage, I'm going to be writing anti-TSP blog posts. So you guys better stay away from publishing anti-me content! Otherwise, expect me to post anti-TSP news!

TSP has an uber CRINGE, immature, fickle off-site administration.

This is simply an issue of skill.

I would hope that they don't have the skills, then. I will definitely be at the Region's door and fight them on it.

By the way, who might you be?

[Quebecshire]

Greetings foreign friends!

Just wanted to give the world a heads up that TSP is doing a forum move from our old MyBB forum to a new shiny Discourse forum. Our new forum can be found here.

We're optimistic about the many, many quality of life upgrades the new forum will bring and look forward to receiving diplomats on the new forum!

Congratulations to our allies in TSP on their forum move. Always wonderful to see regions improving their domestic infrastructure.

[Tinhampton]

If I were transitioning my regional forum to a new website where none of the accounts or threads are being transferred over while making the contents of the old website read-only, I too would do it in the middle of a constitutional convention

[Sandaoguo]

Congrats! Discourse is a good choice.

Not sure if you've seen tried it already but migrating accounts is also possible, but takes a bit of effort:

https://meta.discourse.org/t/importing-migrating-mybb-to-discourse/130789
And someone who updated the script you have to edit the email in: https://meta.discourse.org/t/importing- ... /130789/13

Though if you are going afresh entirely can do that too I guess.

Migrating our MyBB forum over to Discourse posed a major challenge due to how we had set up our forum hierarchy. Discourse only has 2 levels of hierarchy: categories and sub-categories. Our MyBB forum, at its deepest, has 4-5 levels. In the move to Discourse, we’ve completely revamped our hierarchies. We’re also making a conscious shift to using tags as our primary organization, so it’s really an entirely different paradigm. Overall it’s just simpler to start fresh.

If any other region admins want to chat about migrating to Discourse, I learned a lot setting it up and customizing it for our needs. Would be happy to share and exchange knowledge