[CLOSED - ESQ ONLY | IC] Fourth Esquarian Summit

[Qianrong]

As the Cirdian delegate moved away from President Moutari, Hayato Nisimura approached. "Respected President Moutari, it is an honor," he said, bowing somewhat obsequiously to the Litorean leader.

"President, I would like to discuss the possibility of Senria engaging in the development of Litorea beyond simply the proposed Nautasian development fund," he began. "I believe that both Senria and Litorea could profit extensively if our governments were to agree upon lowering or entirely abolishing tariffs between our nations."

"As you no doubt know, my government has been pushing for Senria to switch from blue-collar industrial jobs to more white-collar professions in the interest of dealing with a recent... economic slowdown, as well as increasing the standard of living within Senria. However, Senrian corporations will continue to need labor for manufacturing their products. It is the belief of my government, and several of the keiretu, that Litorea would be a prime location for these corporations to begin manufacturing these products."

"Litorean labor would be cheaper than Senrian labor for the keiretu, however, the keiretu would still be able to provide higher wages and better conditions for Litorean workers than native corporations might be able to provide. This would simultaneously increase the standard of living for Litorean workers while keeping the price of their products down- which is important, as these made-in-Litorea products could be sold not only in Senrian and international markets, but also to Litoreans at a price they would be able to afford. Furthermore, the keiretu would also be able and willing to construct infrastructure in Litorea, including in areas that might not necessarily be eligible under the development fund, which would no doubt be valuable to the Litorean government and the Litorean people. It would also be a way of strengthening Litorea against its... continental rivals, and show Senria's commitment to legitimately benefiting the people of Nautasia in their quest for freedom against violence and fanaticism of any ideology."

He flashed his gaze to both sides before lowering his tone and moving in closer to Moutari. "On top of all that," he near-whispered, "I would also like to make it clear that both the Senrian government and the keiretu would be willing to... provide further incentives for yourself and your honorable colleagues in order to guarantee smooth and beneficial cooperation between Senria and Litorea in this area. After all, I am sure that you and your colleagues have re-election campaigns, and Senria would much prefer that a strong, friendly, government such as yours stay in power in Litorea."

[Xiaodong]

Yuan glanced around the room as the first stage of the summit ended. The eventual declaration had been satisfactory in Yuan's eyes, especially as the insufferable Koriz delegates proposal was shot down. With the summit adjourned, Yuan could now focus on what he really came to this dratted summit for - to explore the possibilities of beginning to negotiate closer economic relations with nations Xiaodong had so far meagre interest in. The sanctions applied by the EC had hurt the Xiaodongese economy but if he was able to strike a trade deal with one of their members, Xiaodong would be able to regain some of its trade with the bloc. Of course the common market frustrated such ambitions, but the prospect of joint investment and allowing for preferential access for each countries goods would be mutually beneficial.

Yuan turned to International Relations Minister Xu Bangguo. "You said earlier the Karazawan delegate could be interested in trade negotiations"

Xu nodded. "Karazawa's foreign policy has emphasised trade and anti-syndicalism, given the troubles they have with Alemannia. They could be a potential trade partner, given we can offer them consumer goods and ships in return for foodstuffs."

Yuan nodded as he spied the Karazawan delegate, Yrateq Obraq Sokkan, a small bespectacled man with a receding hairline and grave expression. Yuan had never met the Yrateq but his contributions so far at the summit gave Yuan the impression of an intelligent voice of reason, compared to the laughable proposals of the Luziyacan president to the tantrums of Litorean President General (who, Yuan noted, was being approached by the odious Nisimura). Straightening his tie and putting on a winning smile, Yuan approached the Yrateq with his hand outstretched.

"Yrateq Sokkan, it is a houner to meet you." Yuan said as one of his translators quickly relayed his words in Karazawish. "I would like to approach you with the offer of pursuing closer economic relations for both our states mutual benefits. Afterall both our countries - to my knowledge - share common commitments to ensure global economic and political stability, and believe that with the pursuit of economic ties we can both prosper. "

Yuan pursed his lips. "As you know, the EC has passed measures restricting trade between itself and Xiaodong and they had been some difficulties. Nevertheless I would like to assure you and your government that we want nothing better than positive economic relations, and wish to see a strong Karawaza. The recent actions undertaken by Alemannia reflect nothing more than aggression of the highest order, and the Xiaodongese government extends its full support to Karawaza - we too with Narmada know of the poison of syndicalism."

"With this in mind I believe increased and less restrained trade between our countries can and will result in mutual benefit. Karawaza has resources Xiaodong can benefit from, and our growing consumer goods and shipping industries could be of use to Karawazan needs. Now, due to Karawaza's inclusion within the EC tariffs cannot be lowered between our nations, so instead I propose a programme of joint investment in both our countries and to establish a framework wherein Xiaodongese business in Karawaza and Karawazan business in Xiaodong have a preferential access so we can mutually prosper and develop as nations. Xiaodong would also be interested in selling any military hardware or resources to Karawaza so that syndicalism can be removed from this planet."

[Namor]

The first leg of the summit was over. As President-General Antelope had expected, there was lot of saliva flying back and forth, but the leaders for the most part stayed civil and no bones were broken. Not bad, he thought, maybe we'll have a declaration in the end after all.

He stood up from his seat and stretched before leaving the table for lunch. He wanted to have a brief chat with Litorea's Moutari in order to assure him that as a country that was traditionally close to developing countries, Namor would not abuse the Nautasian development fund for its own benefit if it were to host the fund. But as soon as Moutari was done talking with the Cirdian foreign minister, he was approached by Senria's Nisimura. The President-General decided that a conversation with Moutari could wait. Litorea is one of Namor's largest trading partners, and there seems to be a considerable amount of trust between the two governments. Building more trust shouldn't take long in any setting.

Antelope looked around and caught an eye on Ainin's Cao, the leader whom he had met earlier on in his presidency and wanted to meet again before the summit officially opened. With the topic on natural disasters coming up, the President-General wanted to talk about June 10 tidal wave that had hit both Namor and Ainin pretty badly. The Aucurians proposed setting up an international organization that would coordinate responses to natural disasters. Antelope saw that as a good start; he had come to Kalnaspilis with an idea of his own - an international emergency alert system that could notify people in different countries of a coming disaster. He was hoping that Cao would agree with this idea.

Then there was something else the President-General wanted to discuss - the apolitical nature of natural disasters. Obviously, the wave-stricken Namorese did not receive the Pavonistadian president's ridiculous claims regarding the tidal wave well, and Antelope's nationalist base was counting on him to confront Pavonistade over the issue. Antelope figured that so long as Simpsen would never agree to a declaration that called his country out by name. Instead, he wanted the final declaration to clearly affirm that natural disasters are natural disasters, unrelated to the politics of their victims or the signing of any law.

"It is nice to meet you again, President Cao!" President-General Antelope said as he extended his hand towards the Aininian President. "Allow me to re-extend my condolences to Aininians who suffered from the tidal wave. Here's to a speedy recovery for both our countries, and all others impacted by the tragedy." Deep inside, he knew a speedy recovery would not be possible; even with the largest stimulus put into place, it would take a generation or so for Namorese or Aininians to put the tidal wave in the back of their heads. So many lives had been lost that past calamities seemed distant and irrelevant.

"As you may know, President Uspelevičius proposed setting up an international emergency response agency that would coordinate responses to natural disasters. I am sure this is something both our countries can approve without hesitation, given the scope of the disaster that our peoples had just witnessed. I am wondering if you are also in favor of an international emergency alert system - one that is perhaps coordinated by the international agency and national governments. From what we've seen last month, I think it's becoming clearer that a lot more lives could have been saved if the countries of the Central Ocean Basin were immediately warned of the tidal wave altogether. I say that we need to find more efficient ways to inform the people of imminent dangers if we are really serious about protecting the lives of our children and grandchildren from future disasters.

"One more thing," the President-General added, pausing to collect his thoughts. "While there is a general consensus among the nations of the world that natural disasters transcend national boundaries and are not...linked to the personal politics of certain people, there are still some who do not get the message. I think it'd help if we, along with other countries in this summit that were affected by the latest tidal wave in any way, push for this fact to be recognized in the Kalnaspilis declaration."

[Litorea]

-snip-

President-General Moutari had only been given the chance to return to his briefings for a split second, turning back to his seat and leaning over to continue his reading when the Senrian popped up behind him. As soon as the Litorean leader felt his counterpart's presence, he made an about face and returned Nisimura's respectful bow with a quick, awkward bowing of his head. Litorea, of course, at least nominally had a long tradition of egalitarianism brought on by the nature of life in Litorea's often violent frontiers centuries ago, and such a low bow was considered quite curious indeed. Damn foreign customs, Moutari thought to himself before listening to the Prime Minister Nisimura's propositions.

As Mr. Nisimura spoke, the Litorean removed his glasses and tapped the rims on his chin thoughtfully. Litorea had experienced somewhat of an industrial boom since the dawn of the decade, yet economic growth in the Union had been both heavily imbalanced and a touch slow for his liking. He had been brought to power on promises of more balanced and equitable growth in economic opportunity and an accompanying industrial boom, both of which were very much desired among blacks in Litorea's interior, where unemployment often reached 20% and quality of life was comparable to nations like Kinzeria. The proposition of having a major economy and major industrial power like Senria begin to invest in Litorea in earnest seemed to promise fulfillment of both those campaign promises - in conjunction with sizeable investments from other powers, of course.

The other promises that came slinking out of Nisimura's mouth proved tantalizing, too, at least if Moutari leaning into the conversation with interest was any indication. Infrastructure expansion - funded by the Senrian keiretu - would knock another campaign promise off the list and accelerate Litorean economic growth, while letting his government devote more of the budget to military modernization. And of course, simply expanding Litorean industrial capacity would be beneficial in the extreme for the country and make his government more able to effectively prosecute interventions against the certain other Union on the continent.

And then came the last proposal - the "incentives", as the Senrian PM painted them. In the last election, Litorea's perennial issues with corruption had thankfully taken a backseat to perceived injustices in the workplace and socio-economic inequalities, but he had still made the usual promises of combating blatant corruption, and even proposed establishing a proper anti-corruption office in government. Of course, he couldn't necessarily take blatant bribes - but perhaps a more covert system could be arranged, perhaps involving sizable corporate "donations". His party greatly needed such support - half of it was threatening to join a radical splinter faction due to Moutari being perceived as too moderate and capitalistic, and the traditional white parties that dominated Litorean politics since independence had unified into a single bloc of white voters who refused to join Moutari's big tent in March. A combination of massive economic growth and assistance from certain wealthy parties would secure Moutari and his party's position, and the President-General knew that well. And, as it turned out, he wasn't above it.

With a smirk, Moutari peered at Nisimura and shook the tip of his reading glasses at him. "You make some very, very good offers, Mr. Nisimura," the Litorean said with a chuckle. He nodded his head slowly and thoughtfully, as if he were coming up with certain grand schemes in his mind. "Every single thing you've offered would strengthen Litorea massively. Naturally, I've heard certain rumors that an East Borean power such as Senria would be interested in investing in my country, but I'm glad I'm hearing it from the Prime Minister himself."

"With your government's approval, I'll propose a cut-down on tariffs for Senrian goods and services to the Cabinet, and possibly consider other means of establishing a strong working relationship between our two countries - work exchanges and the like, perhaps." Moutari leaned in and lowered his voice to a whisper, seemingly much less cautious about being eavesdroppers than Nisimura. "And consider that offer of certain political incentives accepted, as well - but I would ask that your government make sure that they're kept mostly over the table. In Litorea, taking such... incentives while in office is easy to prosecute - but it's much harder to make a case for gifts to an election campaign. I'm sure you understand."

Naturally, Moutari had no intention of turning Litorea completely into a Senrian playground. He would continue with his plans to subsidize Litorean industry heavily, and a tariff reduction would do nothing to change that - having most of a nation's industry be foreign-owned was asking for trouble. Of course, the Senrian incursion would make their operations at home less profitable. Perhaps we will have to make incursions of our own, the President-General wondered.

[Karazawa]

Obraq Sokkan was finishing his plate, some of the most creative use of potatoes he ever saw, and thinking about the parallels between Aucurian passion for this tuber and the omnipresence of corn in Karazawa own culinary traditions, when he was approached by the Chairperson of Xiaodong.

Surprising. He thought while slowly getting up and shaking Yuan's hand. His own aides had noted the spying of the Xiadongeses and transmitted the information to the Yrateq, noting the possibility of an approach by them. It was quite unexpected, as neither Xiaodong or Karazawa had anything in common, historically or economically.

We'll see if it change.

At the very least, Yuan Xiannian was clear with his intentions. Of course, now that Obraq was thinking about it, this discussion was forced to happen. The EC's restrictions on trade with Xiaodong was hurting the latter, exactly how much the Yrateq didn't know, and to regain a bit of the lost market they would have to strike trade deals with individuals members. However, the list of EC member states willing to do so was thin.

"Chairman, your offer is... worthy of consideration. I think both our team should meet at a later date, to discuss such matters in a more suitable environment. But I can already say, it would be to negociate some minor details not worthy of our time."

Obraq invited Yuan to sit down which he then did. "Have you already ate ? They do have an excellent selection of wine."

[Qianrong]

-snip-

"I understand completely," Nisimura replied, grinning broadly. "I will make sure to tell my cabinet and my allies in the National Assembly to begin moving to strengthen Senrian-Litorean economic cooperation. And, of course, both my government and the keiretu will undoubtedly begin negotiations over the specifics. I look forward to a prosperous future for both of our countries."

[Xiaodong]

Yuan nodded as Sokkan gestured for him to eat the food, hiding a grimace as he speared another poorly cooked potato on his fork.

"We can discuss detail at anytime. I would be happy to schedule an appointment with our Ministers of Commerce to discuss the semantics of such a deal" Yuan said causally waving in the direction of Minister of Trade Huang Weidia as he leaned in closer to the Yrateq. "More importantly I propose some sort of joint summit at a later date where we can oversee commitments to economic cooperation and a strong stance against globalist syndicalism. Any such deal can be therefore negotiated at later date"

Yuan smiled as he drank from a more tasteful if still repellent glass of wine. Increased trade between Karawaza and Xiaodong hardly precluded either a life line to economic prosperity nor a loyal ally, but the interest of reviving the economy as quickly as possible was paramount to Yuan - if that meant expanding Xiaodongese economic ties further at the risk of irking Tuthina, so be it. Yuan had long been an advocate of increased trading ties with Xiaodong and other nations, especially in the interest of increased south-south cooperation.

[Karazawa]

Obraq Sokkan observed the Xiaodongese Chairman and studied his proposition. All while obviously not commanding a new plate of potatoes and even if he did served both Yuan and him in wine, he only dipped his lips in the red beverage once. While the consumption of alcoholic beverages wasn't outlawed in Karazawa, it was seen as disgraceful for an official or for anyone with a relatively important job to drink too much.

"A joint summit of a sort, as you say, would be interessing. Ostramar would be a perfect location. We are interested in your offers and I know certain peoples who wouldn't mind having a joint ventures with Xiaodongeses companies. As for the... unruly neighbors we both have and their common ideological tendencies, a discussion at a later-time wouldn't be unnecessary."

After a quick look at his watch, he continued. "But I'm afraid all of this as to be postponed to another time. I'm afraid the Summit will soon start again."

He then stood up and extended his hand to salute Yuan. Taking the time to smile.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, your excellence. We will retake contact with you very soon to organize all of this. Meanwhile, let's pray that the rest of this Summit will go as well as this morning did."

[Aucuria]

With lunch now over, the various leaders returned to their seats in the Green Room to prepare for the afternoon session of the summit. Once all the leaders were back in their assigned spots, Uspelevičius banged down a gavel to call the room back to order and turned on his microphone, to begin the discussion on the second topic area of the summit: creating, or at least calling for the creation of, an international agency to respond to natural disasters.

"Alright, let's move onto the second topic of discussion at this summit, which is supporting reconstruction efforts in the wake of natural disasters," Uspelevičius began. "Last month's tidal wave, of course, was the main impetus for putting this on the agenda; while my hope is that the solution we reach will be able to comprehensively handle all sorts of natural disasters, the June tidal wave made it quite clear how badly Esquarium needs a unified way to respond to natural disasters of all kinds."

"The scale of that catastrophe strained the resources of major powers that were hit by it, and utterly overwhelmed the disaster response capability of several smaller countries, like Pisdara, Phikam, and Kaona, that were hit by the wave. And while the outpouring of support for the countries that were affected by this wave was tremendous and near-universal, I still believe creating an even more coordinated response would be beneficial for all of us and our countries in the long run."

"As a result, I would like to propose the creation of an international organization that I've tentatively named the International Emergency Response Agency, or IERA. The IERA's primary focus would be to coordinate the international response to natural disasters, such as the delivery and distribution of financial and materiel aid, evacuation and temporary resettlement of displaced persons, provision of medical care and rescue services, and potentially the preservation of law and order in affected areas. In areas where local or national governments were overwhelmed, the IERA could step in and lead a strong, organized response. The IERA would also function as a neutral arbiter in the distribution of humanitarian aid, sending aid based on where it was needed, and telling countries and international non-profits what sort of support it needed in the wake of a certain disaster."

"On top of that, the IERA should also have a secondary focus on disaster preparedness and mitigation programs. It would identify which areas of the world are prone to which natural disasters, provide experts on disaster preparedness to local and national governments to reduce the impact of future disasters, and send out information on how to prepare for natural disasters to everyday people. These programs would then, in turn, lessen the strain on disaster response efforts and reduce the number of casualties in future disasters."

"It should be equipped, we believe, to handle all sorts of natural disasters: earthquakes and tidal waves, volcanic eruptions, droughts, flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes, avalanches and landslides, wildfires, et cetera. Ideally, it would also be capable of operating anywhere in the world if need be, to maximize the number of lives that it could save."

"Of course, while we cannot charter this organization now, I believe that we should work to create a comprehensive groundwork for this proposed IERA, and lay this plan out in the Kalnaspilis Declaration, so that once the summit is over our governments and the larger world community can bring this organization into existence quickly and smoothly."

Once again, the Aucurian switched off his microphone to signal that he was finished speaking, leaving the floor open to the various attending leaders.

[Pavonistade]

With the Aucurian president finishing his speech, President Simpsen believed an idea worthy of notice may be contributed to the framework of the IERA, even if he was skeptical of its fundamental purpose.

"Indeed, natural disasters are an insurmountable burden to countries," President Simpsen began to speak, "They do not discriminate against the lives that they take and they do not discriminate against the regions that they assault. If natural disasters are allowed to harm haphazardly, it is essential that international responses to disasters are to be properly coordinated and that any significant calamities are to be addressed without hesitation."

"This also brings to an issue that none of us should overlook. As natural disasters harm genuinely-innocent lives, so can human-influenced disasters. Of course, handling disasters from earthquakes to hurricanes in an appropriate manner is an utmost priority. But what about nuclear meltdowns or famines? Both of them are human-influenced disasters that can very well harm and destroy innocent lives just like natural disasters.

"Little effort is needed to realize that many more examples of human-influenced disasters exist. They can strike at any time, and devastate as rapidly as a tidal wave or a wildfire. They can levy burden upon countries without any sort of discrimination. They can harm innocent lives just like natural disasters. If we demand an international organization dedicated to disaster response and relief to exist, then we must see to it that it is also prepared to handle human-influenced disasters."

President Simpsen shut off the microphone and allowed the next leader to speak, then he drank.

[Namor]

As the Aucurian president began the discussion on natural disasters, President-General Antelope felt a sense of calm that he did not feel ever since he arrived at Kalnaspilis. Natural disasters do not involve spheres of influence, nine-dash lines, or political systems, so the issue shouldn't elicit passionate debate as the Nautasia one did. Most leaders who have a brain and heart should be able to support the sensible idea of establishing an international agency that will coordinate responses to earthquakes, landslides, wildfires...and tidal waves.

The thought of the June 10 tidal wave numbed the President-General, even as he wanted to speak after Uspelevičius. For seconds, he could no longer see the other leaders in the room, for they were replaced by images of debris in the beaches of Tuhao, homeless (and perhaps motherless) children in the makeshift shelters of Ngam, the long line of displaced persons waiting impatiently for food. Soon though, the long lines were no longer waiting for food; the President-General squinted and saw them standing behind something else - the ballot box. The victims had morphed into voters.

A voice broke through Antelope's ears and into his mind, washing away the images of the displaced persons like the tidal wave did to countless human lives. For a moment, the President-General didn't know what to say, or whether to believe what he was hearing. The demagogue from Pavonistade was talking about natural disasters, even though he evidently had no moral authority to. The President-General tilted his head downwards, trying to collect his thoughts as the Pavonistadian continued to speak. By the time the voice ceased, he tilted his head back up and turned on his microphone.

Fellow attendees, er, President Uspelevičius," he said, correcting himself. "On behalf of the Namorese people, the Namorese who are still here in spite of the events of June 10 and the Namorese who cannot be here because of June 10, I would like to express my profound gratitude for bringing the issue of natural disasters to the agenda of this summit.

"As...most of you may know," the President-General continued, wanting to be damning and subtle simultaneously, "My country was among the first to be hit by the tidal wave of June 10. Thousands of people lost their lives. Husbands lost their wives, wives lost their husbands, parents lost their children, and children lost their parents. The tidal wave did not discriminate between people according to their gender, ethnicity or...political orientation. When I visited the eastern coast to see the devastation myself, I met all kinds of people. Factory workers, students, soldiers, police. I talked with people who voted for me and had their houses washed away by the wave. I talked with people who didn't vote for me and couldn't find their friends and relatives. What surprised - and moved me - the most was how such a calamity could bring my people together. After the wave, where we worked, which ethnicity we belonged to, who we voted for and which policies we supported...no longer mattered. We were people of the same nation, affected by a common calamity and working together to see all our lives return to how they were before the wave struck.

"I think the same can be said of all people who were affected by the tidal wave, because this was not just a Namorese tragedy, but an international one, and international problems require international solutions. Which is why I stand foursquare behind the proposal for an international agency dedicated to natural disaster response. The discussion regarding such an agency shouldn't take long because President Uspelevičius already went over the important aspects. But I would like to bring up something else that I think needs to be addressed.

He shuffled his papers for the statistics. "Minutes after the earthquake, our Central Weather Authority forewarned millions of people of the coming tidal wave. I don't know how many lives were saved by the warnings, but a lot of people did evacuate the coast. By then, it was already known that the tidal wave would not only strike Namor, but other countries in the Central Ocean basin as well. Yet Aininians were told by their Ministry of Public Safety and Civil Defense to evacuate approximately an hour later. Thirty minutes after that, the Kaonese received a similar warning. As a consequence, the damage in property and human lives in regions thousands of kilometers away from the epicenter of the quake was more severe than expected. Many more lives could have been saved if all countries that were within the tidal wave's reach were warned at the same time.

"My point isn't to criticize any government for reacting slowly or poorly. But just as we need a coordinated response to natural disasters, we also need to coordinate forewarnings of natural disasters in the form of an international emergency alert system. Such an alert system is preferably managed by the agency that President Uspelevičius proposed. When disaster strikes, especially in international waters, the alert system will inform all countries that are found to be affected by the disaster sooner or later - either through the countries' respective governments, which will then issue alerts of their own, or directly to the people through television, radio and other modes of communication.

"I am willing to discuss the specific aspects of an international disaster alert system with the other attendants at the summit. I am hoping that in the hours we have here, we will set a foundation for an effective alert mechanism that can save the lives of millions of people, regardless of their background."

[Tuthina]

The lunch, for the Regent, was a mostly uneventful one. While some leaders decided to have relatively private conversations with each other, Anteko simply opted for sharing the moment with her aides. Perhaps uncharacteristic for stereotype of people from her country, all of them - even the younger servants - appeared to be quite proficient with the local cutlery. With their needs fulfilled, the delegates returned to their designated place for the next agenda.

"His Most Serene Majesty sees no reasons to refuse extension of His Empire's venerable disaster relief effort beyond His realm - in fact, He is quite eager to do so. As such, it is only reasonable that His Empire would be supportive of the International Emergency Response Agency proposed by our gracious host. Regarding the inquiry from the honourable representative from Pavonistade, I see no reason that the proposed agency restricts its capability to disasters that are wholly beyond human control. Indeed, one might argue that it would be immoral to stand by and watch a disaster unfold simply because it is partially - or even fully - caused by human decision."

[Luziyca]

Damir Agapov listened closely as the second topic of discussion began: to call for the creation of an international agency to respond to natural disasters.

However, Agapov soon had to listen through Kal Simpsen and his comments. As soon as he suggested that the agency be allowed to provide funding for "human-influenced" disasters, his mouth was... what was the term for it... Agape. Did Kal Simpsen say something that was not a lightning rod for angry criticism?

But as he thought about it for a while, that phrase hung in his head: human-influenced disasters. After all, Mr. Simpsen did blame the June 10th Tidal Wave on the policies of President-General Antelope. But little did he realize that climate change is, as a matter of fact, human-influenced. Yet, Kal Simpsen was notorious for denying climate change's existence. And climate change was, in many ways, similar to drought: it comes on very slowly.

Soon, Agapov heard another voice: the voice of President-General Shohai Antelope. As Agapov listened to the points presented by the President-General, he knew that in his heart that he was right. However, part of him reflected on the Phikamese: living in an archipelago, with not a lot of high ground. He knew that in a few months, Phikam will no longer be a Luziycan concern, but he knew that there are many Phikamese leaving the island for Luziyca, both because of the tidal wave, and because of the impending handover to the People's Union.

Yet, the idea of the proposed agency providing an international emergency alert system appealed to Agapov. Had there been such a system, 44 people may not have died. A thousand people may not have lost their homes. It may not sound like a lot, but Phikam was the last major possession of the Luziycan colonial empire.

Soon enough, the Regent of Tuthina spoke up, and it was pretty brief, stating that there is no reason why the agency only restricts its capabilities to natural disasters.

Finally, after she was done speaking, it was time for Agapov to speak.

"The Christian Republic of Luziyca wholeheartedly endorses and supports Mr. Uspelevičius' tabled proposal for the International Emergency Response Agency."

He paused for a few moments, pondering how to best continue without sounding like an absolute moron. After he found the right phrases to use, he continued.

"The Christian Republic seconds the suggestion tabled by the Namorese President-General to co-ordinate warnings for natural disasters. While the Phikamese have been warned within minutes of the quake as well, and while countless hundreds of thousands have been saved, the disaster impacted the archipelago in a time when it is undergoing significant change, both politically, and economically as many people are emigrating from Phikam to Luziyca."

He realized at that point that it was tangential, and decided to change his focus towards what Anteko had just spoken.

"On another note, the Christian Republic would also like to second the statement made by the Grand Princess of Sakawa when she stated that the International Emergency Response Agency should not restrict its capabilities to disasters that are completely beyond human control, for the same reasons that Her Royal Highness has already pointed out."

Agapov then shut off the microphone, and glanced around the room. Here is hoping he did not make a fool of himself like he did at the start of the summit...

[Cirdia]

"Cirdia supports the opinion of President Simpsen and the proposals of both President-General Moutari and Grand Princess of Sakawa. In order to support such an endeavor, I would also like to suggest that governments partner with the private sector in providing relief goods for those affected by such disasters, as well as to assist in the stockpiling of goods to be stored for future incidents. It is not a mandatory proposition, but one that we have found to work quite effectively in Cirdia, as we are also a nation that is vulnerable to multiple natural disasters. Any aid personally sent in by the civilian population may also be routed to the IERA for distribution.

However, as each nation has differing standards and capabilities when responding to disasters, it may also be helpful to engage local emergency services in a standardized emergency training program and to provide those with less or outdated equipment with the tools they need. Education and awareness programs for the general public will also be made available to supplement each nation's disaster preparedness programs. If disasters do strike, we would want our citizens to also know what to do and where to go as there will be times the IERA or emergency services will not be able to reach them right away. This should minimize casualties as well as prevent mass confusion and panic.

I am also concerned with remote communities that have the potential to be isolated when disasters strike. If it is possible to equip them with storage areas for basic needs such as generators, fuel, food, toilets, and other necessities, that should keep them going before assistance arrives. Satellite offices for IERA should also be available. These may be housed in existing offices for local emergency services or established in an area where coverage is thin.

As for disasters brought about by human causes, including conflicts, the IERA must be recognized as an organization not aligned with any national ideologies or politics to protect itself against possible criticism. It cannot choose to refuse aid to one nation because another disagrees with it. That will defeat the entire purpose of the IERA providing relief to victims. Disasters don't discriminate and neither should the IERA."

Alessa pauses, noticing that she has gone on speaking for quite some time without stopping. She glances around the room, gauging the reactions of each delegate. She clenches her hands under the table, feeling them tremble slightly from the calm intensity of her delivery, and decides to wrap up her thoughts.

"In summary, I propose that the IERA partner with the private sector, equip and train emergency services in less-prosperous nations, educate and train citizens on how to respond to disasters without immediate assistance, establish satellite offices to oversee isolated localities, and remain disassociated in conflicts of interest between nations in order not to jeopardize its purpose. It would be best if, in addition to the IERA's response, that it also assists our citizens in how to take care of themselves while the IERA mobilizes its resources."

Finished with her rather passionate presentation, she chides herself for letting emotions affect her delivery, but hopes that other delegates could see the importance of her propositions. After all, her personal experiences with natural disasters had left her orphaned as a child. She hopes that there's something that can be done to prevent other children from losing their parents the way she had.

[Union of Akoren]

Evren was not overly interested in the topic of global disaster response, never was. Ankoren and Pasdan suffered earthquakes all the same, but rarely did it take up his political focus. But the Union's position was passed on from the State Council, who many held strong views.

Reading from the notes passed on, he said "the Union wholeheartedly supports the creation of an international response agency, yet we would like to propose that, like peacekeeping efforts, all nations contribute a set number or rescue workers, to be ready for deployment at all times. We would also propose that this agency establish the means for coordination between major charities and civil groups.

"By having the resources and manpower in place at all times, our response times would be dramatically reduced and made more effecient." Volkan leaned back and awaited the reply.

[Aucuria]

"Alright," Uspelevičius began, turning on his microphone again. "I've taken the suggestions and proposals that have been made here thus far and made a draft for the Declaration of the Fourth Esquarian Summit on Natural Disasters." He quickly began reading the draft:

ON RESPONDING TO NATURAL DISASTERS

1. The attendees of the Fourth Esquarian Summit recognize that natural disasters pose a threat to all of the peoples and nations of Esquarium; they also recognize that natural disasters do not discern the nationality, religion, race, or ideology of their victims. They further recognize that, while international humanitarian efforts in response to such disasters have saved countless lives, the procurement and delivery of humanitarian aid, coordination of rescue efforts, and creation of disaster awareness and safety programs could be made more efficient and effective by the coordination of these efforts through an impartial group specially created to handle such tasks.

2. The Summit hereby calls for the creation of an international non-governmental not-for-profit organization dedicated to coordinating the responses to natural disasters that overwhelm the resources of local and national governments, tentatively named the International Emergency Response Agency (or “IERA”).

a. The IERA should be equipped to respond to all natural disasters, including but not limited to severe storms, cyclones, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tidal waves, floods, droughts, and wildfires. Furthermore, it should also be equipped to respond to man-made and man-influenced disasters, including but not limited to famines, epidemics and pandemics, and infrastructure failures.
b. The primary purpose of the IERA should be to coordinate the international response- including both the responses of governments and of non-governmental organizations- to natural disasters, including but not limited to the delivery and distribution of financial and material aid, evacuation and temporary resettlement of displaced persons, provision of medical care and rescue efforts, and the preservation of law and order in affected areas.
c. The IERA should also inform governments and other non-profit and humanitarian groups of what forms of support are needed in the wake of a disaster and act as a neutral arbiter in determining the allotment and distribution of humanitarian aid, in order to maximize the benefit of international humanitarian efforts.
d. The IERA should further have a secondary focus on disaster mitigation and preparedness programs, including but not limited to providing experts on disaster preparedness to local and national governments to reduce the impact of future disasters, working with national and subnational governments on improving evacuation and disaster mitigation programs, creating a unified and effective international disaster warning system, establishing satellite offices to guarantee a rapid response time, and providing disaster preparedness information and courses to civilians in potential disaster zones.
e. The IERA should further cooperate with national and subnational emergency management agencies as needed, and work to equip, train, and empower these agencies whenever able.

3. The Summit strongly urges that the IERA, or any equivalent body henceforth created, be formally established as a neutral and impartial body in all matters of potential political controversy, to prevent any potential distraction from the task of saving lives and promoting disaster preparedness.

4. The Summit urges that the greater international community come together to formally establish and implement the proposed International Emergency Response Agency as soon as possible.

"Any thoughts, suggestions, additions, objections?"

[Luziyca]

"The Christian Republic has no problems with the draft as currently presented," Agapov declared.

[Tuthina]

"His Most Serene Majesty approves."

[Pavonistade]

"The draft has no oustanding issues as it stands," President Simpsen asserts.

[Cirdia]

Alessa clicks her microphone. "Cirdia has no objections to the current provisions."

[Xiaodong]

Yuan looked over his notes again. Whilst not opposed to the principle of creating a body to manage disaster relief, he baulked as Uspelevičius read the draft which envisioned the IERA to take on what he viewed as a rather broad set of responsibilities without a clear plan on how such a body would be created. Yuan drank a swig of water before leaning into his microphone.

"Whilst not opposing the principle of the creation of the IERA, Xiaodong cannot approve of this proposal without confirmation of how this body is to be funded. The responsibilities laid down in the draft - relief for famines floods, droughts, cyclones, et cetera - whilst needing to be addressed would require substantial financial commitments that the Xiaodongese government feels has not been addressed. Without a proper framework, it could be the case that the IERA will rely on financial commitments from a select few wealthy countries which would seriously undermine the impartiality of the organisation."

"As such the Xiaodongese government cannot approve of the draft without proper detailing regarding the financing of the organisation".

[Qianrong]

Nisimura turned on his microphone, eager for a chance- however small- to get one over on Yuan. "With all due respect to the honorable Chairman Yuan," he said, speaking in an almost mockingly oleaginous tone as he addressed the repulsive rat of a man who led Senria's godforsaken neighbor, "I believe that it has been established at previous summits that this summit has limited authority regarding the foundation of new international organizations."

"While you raise a truly valid concern, one that will have to be settled before the formal creation of the IERA, it is important to note that while the Esquarian Summit can propose the creation of an international organization, such as the International League or the IERA, it cannot charter or found these organizations," he continued, intentionally allowing a somewhat patronizing tone to slip into his voice. "Instead, the burden of actually founding these organizations- and determining the specifics of their operations- is placed upon the international community. As a result, the Esquarian Summit can propose an organization, suggest what that organization's duties and activities should be, and strongly urge action by the international community, but it must leave the specifics to the international community as a whole. That is why, for example, it was decided not to include a statement on where the headquarters of any Nautasian development fund should be located- because such a dispute is beyond the scope of this summit, and should be settled by the international community later."

"That is not in any way to say that your concern is invalid," he continued, his voice drifting back towards mock obsequiousness. "It would be very important to guarantee that such an organization is funded impartially. After all, millions of lives are potentially on the line. But that is beyond the purview of this summit. We are given the authority here to construct a basic framework and to make suggestions; an issue such as yours, I believe, would have to be solved during the negotiations associated with formally chartering the IERA."

He then turned back towards the Aucurian president. "That having been said," he concluded, smiling, "the Senrian Republic has no objections to the current state of the draft."

[Namor]

As Prime Minister Nisimura and Chairman Yuan sparred over the draft, President-General Antelope reviewed the document in search of typos and politically disagreeable content. It contained language that should have rattled Kal Simpsen, though for some reason the Pavonistadian leader did not voice any objections. The President-General considered proposing a revision to the draft that would condemn Simpsen outright. However, he reminded himself that the summit was nearly halfway complete with less pandaemonium than expected; proposing trivial changes to the text of the draft declaration would not bode well for whatever tranquility that was left in the room. There was a better place and time to get under Simpsen's nerves.

He inched his head towards the microphone as his face, etched with a diplomatic smile, turned towards the Aucurian President. "This draft is satisfactory. I have no objections," he said. "I think I can speak for all people affected by the June 10 tidal wave that the sooner we have an international disaster response agency and alert system in place, the better."

[Ainin]

Pondering in his mind how this issue was even of international character, Cao thoughtfully sipped from his glass of water. Even though Ainin had been struck by a natural disaster of epic proportions, he was fairly unconcerned with the direction of the discussions and saw little need to get involved. In any case, the patterns on the walls ― oh hey, that motif kind of looks like a fractal! ― were more interesting than the talks themselves. Finally, his ears caught the words they sought ― "Any thoughts, suggestions, additions, objections?" ― and he once again tuned in.

With a swift stroke, he turned on his microphone and quickly blurted out: "No objections from Ainin."

Back to staring at the walls.

[Aucuria]

Uspelevičius looked up at the small analog clock over the Green Room's doorway; it was just past 4:00 PM. "Seeing that we appear to have come to a consensus on the IERA, I will add go ahead and it to the official declaration text, and declare discussion on this topic to be over. This will also mark our adjournment for today," he said, grinning. "We'll be heading out behind the manor for a group photograph. After that, you'll have until 6:00 to meet with other leaders on the side if you so desire."

"There will be a formal state dinner back in Kalnaspilis, at the Prezidentūra; you and your delegations are invited and strongly encouraged to attend. Afterwards, you'll all be able to return to the hotel and rest before tomorrow. The topics on our agenda tomorrow will be protecting human rights and the proposed International League."

Uspelevičius took a sip of water as the visiting delegates stood up, rejoined the remainder of their delegations, and began to head outside. Well, the summit hasn't gone down in flames yet, he thought. Let's see if tomorrow goes as successfully as today.

Outside the Manor

A gentle wind blew through the thick trees surrounding the manor, but the ambient temperature outside was still comfortable at just over 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The various attending leaders filed out of the building, to take a photo commemorating what would hopefully go down as a successful summit. Unlike the Xiangmen Summit- where heads of state were assigned to the first row and heads of government to the second, to be ordered by when they took office- the organizers of the Kalnaspilis Summit had opted simply to organize everyone alphabetically by country, excluding Uspelevičius, who would be standing in the middle of the front row, between Everàrd Torsièl and Tomás Jarramillo.

The leaders got themselves organized into two rows, then turned and faced towards the cameras of the press. "Is everybody ready?" came a voice from the junket of photographers. With a friendly nod and a poltician's smile, Uspelevičius signaled that the group was ready, triggering a series of flashes as each of the photographers sought to get a photo of the assembled world leaders.

---

The following day
July 11, 2017

The Green Room
9:03 AM

For the second morning in a row, the limousines pulled up one by one to Liūčaris Manor, dropping off the visiting officials before speeding off back into the woods. The previous night's formalities and celebrations, held at the Presidential Palace, had gone well; the state dinner had been sufficiently glamorous, the various potato-based food items well-prepared, and there had been no issues with protesters as the visiting leaders returned to their hotel for the night. That morning, they had been treated to room service by the hotel before once again being whisked out of the city and into the depth of the Aucurian woods. Everything had gone smoothly thus far, it seemed, especially given the fact that several of the attending world leaders explicitly despised each other.

No longer obligated to meet and greet every single world leader as they arrived, Uspelevičius instead elected to discuss domestic issues with his various cabinet ministers. Bendiktas Artemaitis and Judė Alduris, his ministers of foreign affairs and defense, were present at the manor, but he had to talk with the remainder via telephone. Overall, these talks went smoothly too; education minister Žukauskas mentioned that the Saeimas was likely going to pass a bill expanding support for preschools, environment minister Piečoniskaitė raved about the efforts of some litter cleanup group in Laižuotas, agriculture minister Sutkus noted the possibility of importing cheap tractors and fertilizers from Senria, and culture minister Tomasevičiutė praised the efforts of a group dedicated to promoting Aucurian theater. Domestically, it seemed, everything was going off without a hitch.

Which made the second day of the summit all the more foreboding.

The second topic on the docket today, the International League, was almost certainly going to go smoothly, if not explicitly boringly. There'd be some half-hearted speeches and then they'd release a few articles urging the IL's creation and saying it should be a representative body. There would be very little, if anything, contentious there. The first item on the agenda, though, was human rights- and that topic was no doubt going to be even more controversial than the prickly issue of Ankoreni imperialism in Nautasia. He was going to have to stand in front of some of the world's worst human rights violators, and try to persuade them that what they had done to get that absolute power was morally despicable and inherently repugnant. At best, the summit would produce some mealy-mouthed nonsense on the topic. At worst, the litany of bloodsoaked autocrats attending would storm out of the room and the summit would collapse.

If anything causes this summit to go up in flames, Uspelevičius thought, it'll be this.

But he didn't really have a choice, in the end. The international media had thoroughly panned and mocked him for his supposed "daftness" in bringing up the issue, but Uspelevičius knew full well that his morals would not have allowed him to leave the topic untouched- and that not bringing up the issue would have been political suicide in Aucuria. Aucurians were immensely proud of the Declaration of the Rights of the People, one of Esquarium's first human rights declarations, written by early Aucurian republicans during the Aucurian Revolution. It was a point of national pride, still legally in effect 227 years later, and credited as the inspiration for every other such document in Esquarium by many Aucurians. The press- and the voters- would have hounded him relentlessly, stirred up by charismatic opposition politicians like Dominykas Margraitis and Lilija Macijauskaitė, if he had decided not to bring up human rights. And with legislative elections coming up in 2018, such a misstep would have had severe consequences for the governing coalition's majority in the Saeimas.

With all the visiting leaders in their seats, Uspelevičius switched on his microphone and began to speak. "Good morning to all of you, and welcome back to Liūčaris Manor for the second day of the 2017 Esquarian Summit. I hope you all got a good sleep last night, and that we're all ready to resume discussions this fine morning. If there are no objections, then we can move on to the third topic of this summit and today's first topic: protecting and promoting human rights."

Hearing no objections- even from the murderous tyrants in the room- Uspelevičius quickly turned to his prepared remarks on human rights and continued speaking.

"All of you are no doubt aware," he began, "that Aucuria is immensely proud of the role that it has played in the Esquarian struggle for universal human rights. Its role is one of Esquarium's oldest and proudest, going all the way back to 1790, when the Aucurian Revolutionary Congress unanimously passed the Declaration of the Rights of the People- Esquarium's first human rights declaration. The Declaration was shockingly revolutionary then- for proclaiming that a government's legitimacy was based not on flimsy or ethereal concepts of favor, but rather on whether or not it conclusively and observably improved the living of the people it governed; for saying that rights were not only for elites, or nobles, or the wealthy, but instead were something that we all have, regardless of our race, our ethnicity, our sex, our religion, our profession, or our class; for laying out a definitive and comprehensive list of the rights that all people are entitled to. It rejected the repugnance and unfairness of a cruel and violent system, and dared to lay out a vision for a brighter, freer, fairer future."

"Aucurians are also aware of the role that the Declaration has played internationally. It inspired movements such as the Kansists in Namor. It served as a basis for documents such as the Luziycan Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Montecaran Declaration of the Rights of the Citizen. The Xiaodongese Constitutional Revolution was inspired by its principles; so was the Senrian Revolution, which began on the 128th anniversary of its ratification. The fact that the declaration inspired so many people and so many movements, from so many ethnic and religious backgrounds, all across Esquarium, is proof enough of the universality and inherence of the values that it espouses and the concepts that it promulgates."

"That does not mean that the fight for human rights was an easy one," he continued. "Even Aucuria struggled to uphold its values, and it frequently fell short. But in the end, justice and liberty triumphed over inequality and tyranny, no matter the obstacles that stood in their way. This manor was built as the private vacation home of Aleirikas Kalvaitis, a man who spent every day of several decades working to make sure that the torch of liberty- ignited in Kalnaspilis in 1790- would never shine on Aucuria again. His primary tools were the tools of every autocrat- brutality, fear, and murder."

"And he was executed by a firing squad in 1952," he said pointedly, "after the Velvet Revolution brought down the Grey Regime."

"Similarly, the fight for human rights across the region has been fiercely resisted and opposed by many groups and individuals- including, I will admit, some individuals in this room. But in the end, invariably, the people who were in the right- the people who fought for decency and liberty- won. Tyranny has never had any victory that was not temporary and ephemeral. Triumph has always ultimately come to those who stood on the right side of history. Libertas omnia vincit," he declared, reciting Aucuria's national motto. Liberty conquers all.

"You may have noticed the six individuals whose portraits hang from the walls of this room. All six of them are former Aucurian presidents, and all six of them are respected and revered by Aucurians today for their commitment to the cause of human rights. All of us gathered here today are sitting in the shadow of these six people who worked tirelessly and fought unceasingly for the rights and liberties of Aucurians and Esquarians. It would be a disgrace to their memory for us to leave this room today having not come to an agreement on this critical topic."

"I am well-aware that this will be by far the most difficult topic of this summit. I am aware that I have been questioned and derided and mocked by the international press for even daring to raise the issue at all. But it is my belief that the failure of some regimes to respect human rights is one of the greatest issues that the modern world faces, that it is the cause of a vast amount of the pain and suffering in Esquarium, and that so many of the calamities and catastrophies we face could be solved or at least ameliorated by working to promote and protect these basic, natural, inherent, universal, and I dare say sacred human rights. And I do not expect the negotiations and debates on this issue to go easily, but it is also my firm belief that we- as individuals and as a species- can rise above the base violence and tribalism and self-interest of our natures, that we can overcome our differences and our hesitations and our qualms and produce something on this critical issue."

"In preparation for today, I have already written a draft proposal for the Kalnaspilis Declaration on this issue," he said. After shuffling through his pages to find it, he began to read it off:

ON PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS

1. The attendees of the Fourth Esquarian Summit recognize that, while great strides have been made in the field of human rights since they were first articulated and enumerated, there are still many parts of Esquarium where human rights are not respected, and that there are many groups and individuals who ignore or actively violate these inherent and universal human rights. They further recognize that this disregard for basic human rights is the cause of significant human suffering and damages the prosperity and security of millions of Esquarians.

2. The summit recognizes that all human beings are born as and ought to remain equals in dignity and worth, and are naturally endowed with certain inherent, irrevocable, and involable human rights of which they cannot justly be deprived or denied.

3. The summit recognizes that government exists to promote the public welfare, provide for the common defense, establish just and equitable law, and ensure the preservation of the rights of its citizens.

a. The summit further recognizes that it is the right of the people to alter or abolish any government which fails to fulfill its duty to protect the liberty, prosperity, and security of its people.

4. The summit declares that all people ought to be treated as equals under the law, and should be protected from unfair, unequal, or discriminatory treatment.

5. The summit recognizes that all people have the right to think and speak freely, and to disseminate their opinions freely through the medium of their choice. The summit also recognizes that no government has the right to abridge the rights to freedom of thought, of speech, and of the press.

6. The summit recognizes that all people have the right to peaceably assemble in protest of unjust treatment, to freely associate and form associations to advance their interests, and to petition the government for redress of grievances.

7. The summit recognizes that all people have the right to worship freely both in public and in private. The summit also recognizes that no government should make laws respecting the establishment of a religion, nor shall they prohibit the free exercise thereof.

8. The summit recognizes that all people have the right to privacy, and to to be secure in their person, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures.

9. The summit recognizes that all people have the right to a fair and open trial, to be presumed innocent by the law, to know the charges being levied against them, to have legal counsel for their defense, and to confront their accuser.

10. The summit recognizes that all people should be protected from arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile, fabricated or falsified charges, excessive fines, bail, and sentencing, cruel or torturous punishment, being forced to testify against themselves, and being tried multiple times for an offense of which they have already convicted or acquitted.

11. The summit declares that human rights may never be used or construed to deny an individual or group the rights to which they are inherently entitled.

"I am presenting this as a draft and as a proposal," Uspelevičius remarked. "It is my hope that we will be able to agree upon all of it, but- as with previous proposals- you all are free to propose new articles and raise objections to the articles that I have proposed. It is my hope that we will be able to pass everything here- and perhaps a few more articles on top of that. At the very minimum, however, I would like to see articles 1 and 2 passed. If we can agree upon nothing else on this, it is my hope that we will be able to have those two articles put into the final Kalnaspilis Declaration."

"I will also note," he noted grudgingly, "that attending nations are allowed to sign with reservations- that is, an attending nation will be able to affirm only select areas of the declaration this summit produces." Personally, he felt like allowing human rights violators to avoid signing the entirety of the declaration was little more than a despicable loophole, but his advisors had told him it was better to have a nation sign with reservation than to have that nation storm out without signing anything.

"And on that note," he concluded, forcing a politician's smile onto his face after his pathos-heavy speech, "we can begin discussion on this issue and the proposed draft."