[PASSED] GMO International Trade Accord

[Cretox State]

Please remove clause 5, it adds nothing.

"It's an "encourages" clause that isn't directly addressed by any other part of the proposal. We'd like to keep it in."

[Comfed]

Please remove clause 5, it adds nothing.

"It's an "encourages" clause that isn't directly addressed by any other part of the proposal. We'd like to keep it in."

Nevertheless, it only exists to alienate socialist nations, and adds nothing.

[Kenmoria]

“There’s no need to have ‘where reasonable’ in clause 3b. If it were unreasonable to make the most environmentally-beneficial decision, member states could still use that literature to make their decision, even when the recommendations are reworked to fit circumstances.”

"It's an "encourages" clause that isn't directly addressed by any other part of the proposal. We'd like to keep it in."

Nevertheless, it only exists to alienate socialist nations, and adds nothing.

(OOC: Non-mandatory clauses are important. There are some resolutions with nothing but encouraging clauses because mandates would be too micromanaging. It’s important to remember that this is the combined urging of several thousand member nations, so is the equivalent of hundreds of strongly-worded letters.)

[Comfed]

Nevertheless, it only exists to alienate socialist nations, and adds nothing.

(OOC: Non-mandatory clauses are important. There are some resolutions with nothing but encouraging clauses because mandates would be too micromanaging. It’s important to remember that this is the combined urging of several thousand member nations, so is the equivalent of hundreds of strongly-worded letters.)

Exactly. I don’t want the equivalent of thousands of strongly worded letters telling me to become capitalist.

[Cretox State]

“There’s no need to have ‘where reasonable’ in clause 3b. If it were unreasonable to make the most environmentally-beneficial decision, member states could still use that literature to make their decision, even when the recommendations are reworked to fit circumstances.”

"Our logic was that sometimes it's unreasonable to make decisions based on environmental risk assessments, such as when there is too little data available to make such an assessment, or when a member nation experiencing a famine needs to import GMO foodstuffs immediately."

(OOC: Non-mandatory clauses are important. There are some resolutions with nothing but encouraging clauses because mandates would be too micromanaging. It’s important to remember that this is the combined urging of several thousand member nations, so is the equivalent of hundreds of strongly-worded letters.)

Exactly. I don’t want the equivalent of thousands of strongly worded letters telling me to become capitalist.

OOC: Except... you're not being encouraged to "become capitalist." You're being encouraged to facilitate the involvement of private companies in the development of biotechnology, such as through partnerships with multinational firms to research GMO technology. Being communist within your own territory doesn't mean you shouldn't take advantage of international opportunities, which private firms are uniquely positioned to provide.

[Araraukar]

OOC: Except... you're not being encouraged to "become capitalist." You're being encouraged to facilitate the involvement of private companies

OOC: In other words you're encouraged to become capitalist/cooperate with them.

[Tinfect]

OOC: Except... you're not being encouraged to "become capitalist." You're being encouraged to facilitate the involvement of private companies

OOC: In other words you're encouraged to become capitalist/cooperate with them.

OOC:
Agreed. There's absolutely no reason for this 'encouragement' that isn't just to try and harass governments that don't let their medical systems be cannibalized for profit.

[Cretox State]

OOC: In other words you're encouraged to become capitalist/cooperate with them.

OOC:
Agreed. There's absolutely no reason for this 'encouragement' that isn't just to try and harass governments that don't let their medical systems be cannibalized for profit.

OOC: Very well. I changed it to:

Encourages member nations to facilitate more expansive research and development of biotechnology.

[Comfed]

OOC:
Agreed. There's absolutely no reason for this 'encouragement' that isn't just to try and harass governments that don't let their medical systems be cannibalized for profit.

OOC: Very well. I changed it to:

Encourages member nations to facilitate more expansive research and development of biotechnology.

Much better. Other than that, full support.

[Separatist Peoples]

"Silly question: why is it the export company's obligation to clear their product with the foreign jurisdiction? Why is it not the importer's responsibility to ensure compliance?"

[Cretox State]

"Silly question: why is it the export company's obligation to clear their product with the foreign jurisdiction? Why is it not the importer's responsibility to ensure compliance?"

"That's a good question, actually. Changing it to importers would make more sense, in our opinion."

[Separatist Peoples]

"Silly question: why is it the export company's obligation to clear their product with the foreign jurisdiction? Why is it not the importer's responsibility to ensure compliance?"

"That's a good question, actually. Changing it to importers would make more sense, in our opinion."

"Then all of clause 3 is redundant, since importers would require compliance with national law on GMO imports in the first instance whether or not they seek additional permission."

[Cretox State]

"That's a good question, actually. Changing it to importers would make more sense, in our opinion."

"Then all of clause 3 is redundant, since importers would require compliance with national law on GMO imports in the first instance whether or not they seek additional permission."

"The idea behind that was not to ensure compliance so much as it was to ensure that national governments are informed of the import of GMOs. If it's a redundancy, we could remove it, and the proposal would not suffer substantially as a result."

[Cretox State]

OOC: Removed clause 3, and am bumping to last call. I don't plan to submit any earlier than next week.

[Picairn]

This proposal is now at-vote.

[Tinhampton]

Opposed - if I am correct in reading Article 4a as requiring that all member states legalise, in certain circumstances, the growing of sterilised plant GMOs.

[Honeydewistania]

Opposed - if I am correct in reading Article 4a as requiring that all member states legalise, in certain circumstances, the growing of sterilised plant GMOs.

It does. This will allow for companies to deceit the proletariat with suicide seeds

[Kandorith]

We do commend the proposal as it is an important step in biological research, possibilities, and further advancement of our nations. Yet, we have a reason for concern on one point. Clause 4a states; said policies must permit the use of sterilized plant GMOs in cases where the environmental benefit of using sterilized plant GMOs would clearly outweigh any downsides of their use.

To us this sounds like a, due to lack of better words, sneaky way to implement a mandatory use of GMOs. We are free to set our own policies on GMOs, but those policies must contain the legality and use of GMOs.

Because of this clause we are currently against the proposal.

[Picairn]

We do commend the proposal as it is an important step in biological research, possibilities, and further advancement of our nations. Yet, we have a reason for concern on one point. Clause 4a states; said policies must permit the use of sterilized plant GMOs in cases where the environmental benefit of using sterilized plant GMOs would clearly outweigh any downsides of their use.

To us this sounds like a, due to lack of better words, sneaky way to implement a mandatory use of GMOs. We are free to set our own policies on GMOs, but those policies must contain the legality and use of GMOs.

Because of this clause we are currently against the proposal.

"Sterilized plant GMOs are specifically designed to prevent transmission of these plants' genetic traits into wild relatives, reducing negative impacts to biodiversity. In exchange for that, the farmers will have to buy new seeds after every crop season and increase companies' profits, because sterilized GMO seeds cannot be resown. In summary, the author is willing to trade farmers' income for environmental benefits, even if it boosts companies' profits.

Hmmm... sounds like a corporate agenda, or a well-intentioned move that will indirectly benefit companies."

[Heavens Reach]

"It's an "encourages" clause that isn't directly addressed by any other part of the proposal. We'd like to keep it in."

Nevertheless, it only exists to alienate socialist nations, and adds nothing.

OOC: Why would encouraging the development of technology alienate socialist nations, speaking as a socialist nation?

[North American Imperial State]

Opposed - if I am correct in reading Article 4a as requiring that all member states legalise, in certain circumstances, the growing of sterilised plant GMOs.

Opposed - if I am correct in reading Article 4a as requiring that all member states legalise, in certain circumstances, the growing of sterilised plant GMOs.

It does. This will allow for companies to deceit the proletariat with suicide seeds

We do commend the proposal as it is an important step in biological research, possibilities, and further advancement of our nations. Yet, we have a reason for concern on one point. Clause 4a states; said policies must permit the use of sterilized plant GMOs in cases where the environmental benefit of using sterilized plant GMOs would clearly outweigh any downsides of their use.

To us this sounds like a, due to lack of better words, sneaky way to implement a mandatory use of GMOs. We are free to set our own policies on GMOs, but those policies must contain the legality and use of GMOs.

Because of this clause we are currently against the proposal.

We do commend the proposal as it is an important step in biological research, possibilities, and further advancement of our nations. Yet, we have a reason for concern on one point. Clause 4a states; said policies must permit the use of sterilized plant GMOs in cases where the environmental benefit of using sterilized plant GMOs would clearly outweigh any downsides of their use.

To us this sounds like a, due to lack of better words, sneaky way to implement a mandatory use of GMOs. We are free to set our own policies on GMOs, but those policies must contain the legality and use of GMOs.

Because of this clause we are currently against the proposal.

"Sterilized plant GMOs are specifically designed to prevent transmission of these plants' genetic traits into wild relatives, reducing negative impacts to biodiversity. In exchange for that, the farmers will have to buy new seeds after every crop season and increase companies' profits, because sterilized GMO seeds cannot be resown. In summary, the author is willing to trade farmers' income for environmental benefits, even if it boosts companies' profits.

Hmmm... sounds like a corporate agenda, or a well-intentioned move that will indirectly benefit companies."

Because of this very reason (Artical 4a), my vote has now changed to Against.
Shame as overall the proposal is very good, one that I could support.
If this passes I hope it is repealed so it can be improved on.

[Honeydewistania]

Nevertheless, it only exists to alienate socialist nations, and adds nothing.

OOC: Why would encouraging the development of technology alienate socialist nations, speaking as a socialist nation?

The original clause involved something about private companies, but it was removed

[Araraukar]

IC: "As the current definition of "biotechnology" does not fit the way^note such technologies are used in Araraukar, this does not actually apply to Araraukarian GMOs, and thus we are not opposed to it anymore. We do kind of feel sorry for those who are not as advanced in the field biotechnology, for being caught in this nonsense."

OOC note: The mismatch is real and not fancy RP for the sake of being cantankerous. Look up viruses carrying DNA between species and you'll realize that "techniques that overcome natural barriers" doesn't actually mean anything. There's also the bits that come after the "and", because what's traditional in one nation might not be - and in this case is not - in another.

[Heavens Reach]

said policies must permit the use of sterilized plant GMOs in cases where the environmental benefit of using sterilized plant GMOs would clearly outweigh any downsides of their use

As other ambassadors have pointed out, this is the fly in the ointment. Did this really deserve the weight of a mandate? The gross effects of sterilized seed usage, and their containability, are not even well-established in the literature at this point.

[Honeydewistania]

said policies must permit the use of sterilized plant GMOs in cases where the environmental benefit of using sterilized plant GMOs would clearly outweigh any downsides of their use

As other ambassadors have pointed out, this is the fly in the ointment. Did this really deserve the weight of a mandate? The gross effects of sterilized seed usage, and their containability, are not even well-established in the literature at this point.

"The more I think about it, the more I believe the committee and everything else was a sheep’s clothing in order to force nations to legalise suicide seeds. While I personally don’t have a problem, requiring their legalisation is out of place in a trade resolution. I hope this gets repealed as soon as possible."