[DRAFT] Building Regulation Act

[The Langburn Islands]

Improving Building Standards
Category: Environment
Strength: Strong

The World Assembly,

Recognising that the physical quality of buildings varies immensely across the world,

Concerned that in many countries, little to no regulation of the construction of buildings exists,

Anxious that this lack of regulation is leading to serious building collapses and fatalities across the world,

Hereby enacts the following:

1. That member nations must ensure that the materials used in the construction of all buildings be safe and non-hazardous.
2. That member nations must ensure that all buildings constructed are done so in a safe and non-hazardous manner.
3. That member nations must ensure that individuals are granted the legal right to sue for damages in the event of a building collapse resulting in loss of property, mobility or life.
4. That member nations be strongly encouraged by this august body to enact comprehensive building regulation laws into national and subnational law.

Regulating Building Construction
Category: Regulation
Area of Effect: Safety
Strength: Strong

The World Assembly,

Recognising that the building quality of buildings varies immensely across WA member nations,
Concerned that in many WA member nations either through lack of government, lack of government intervention, wilful neglect or sheer ignorance, regulation of the construction of buildings either doesn’t exist or is woefully insufficient.
Anxious that this lack of regulation is leading to serious building collapses with resulting injuries and fatalities,
Maintaining the belief that greater regulation of the construction of buildings will bring great benefits to the wider architectural community by increasing public confidence in the safety of all buildings,

Hereby:

1. Defines a “building” as a structure that has a roof or walls which either permanently or semi permanently remains in a single position.
2. Defines an “independent building assessor” as an individual appointed independently and acting independently from the personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to objectively assess the construction quality of the building.
3. Defines "hazardous material" as being any substance used in the construction of buildings that is generally considered to be harmful to the health and well being of any individual.
4. Requires:
a. the construction of all buildings to be performed in a safe and non-hazardous manner with the greatest possible steps taken to limit harm to construction workers.
b. the construction of all buildings to be reviewed by an independent building assessor as determined by the national and subnational governments of WA member nations.
c. the independent building assessor to compile an objective appraisal of the quality of the construction work of all buildings and provide this information to the responsible government or authority of each WA member nation.
d. citizens and organisations who suffer from the negligent construction work of personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to have the right to sue for damages under the law of each WA member nation.
e. the greatest possible steps be taken to ensure that the materials used in the construction of buildings will not cause harm to any individual who uses buildings.

5. Prohibits:
a. personnel and organisations responsible for constructing buildings in WA member nations from offering inducements, payments, gifts or bribes to independent building assessors in order to secure a positive appraisal.
b. the use of hazardous materials in the construction of buildings.

Co-authored by The Crowned Republic.

Regulating Building Construction
Category: Regulation
Area of Effect: Safety
Strength: Strong

The World Assembly,

Recognising that the building quality of buildings varies immensely across WA member nations,

Concerned that in many WA member nations either through lack of government, lack of government intervention, wilful neglect or sheer ignorance, regulation of the construction of buildings either doesn’t exist or is woefully insufficient,

Anxious that this lack of regulation is leading to serious building collapses with resulting injuries and fatalities,

Maintaining the belief that greater regulation of the construction of buildings will bring many benefits to the wider architectural community by increasing public confidence in the safety of all buildings,

1. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution:

a. a 'building' as a structure that has a roof or walls which either permanently or semi-permanently remains in a single position;
b. an 'independent building assessor' as an individual appointed independently and acting independently from the personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to objectively assess the construction quality of the building;
c. 'hazardous material' as being any substance used in the construction of buildings that is generally considered to be harmful to the health and well-being of any individual;
d. 'negligent construction work' as construction work that fails to take the adequate steps or care to prevent harm from occurring to any individual.

2. Requires:

a. the construction of all buildings to be performed in a safe and non-hazardous manner with the greatest possible steps taken to limit harm to construction workers;
b. the construction of all buildings to be reviewed by an independent building assessor as determined by the national and subnational governments of WA member nations;
c. the independent building assessor to compile an objective appraisal of the quality of the construction work of all buildings and provide this information to the responsible government or authority of each WA member nation;
d. construction work found to be faulty by the objective appraisal is required to immediately cease until structural and safety improvements are made as determined by the independent assessor;
e. citizens and organisations who suffer from the negligent construction work of personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to have the right to sue for damages under the law of each WA member nation;
f. the greatest possible steps be taken to ensure that the materials used in the construction of buildings will not cause harm to any individual who uses buildings;

3. Prohibits:

a. personnel and organisations responsible for constructing buildings in WA member nations from offering inducements, payments, gifts or bribes to independent building assessors in order to secure a positive appraisal;
b. the use of hazardous materials in the construction of buildings;

Co-authored by The Crowned Republic.

Alright, my first GA resolution draft. What do you think?

[Ardiveds]

OOC: Is clause 2 talking about the menthod of construction being safe (for the construction workers) or the building itself being safe?

[The Langburn Islands]

OOC: Is clause 2 talking about the menthod of construction being safe (for the construction workers) or the building itself being safe?

OOC: My intention is for clause 2 to refer to the method of construction being safe during the actual construction phase for the construction workers.

[The Crowned Republic]

The World Assembly, [SUGGESTIONS]

Recognising that the physical quality of buildings varies immensely across the world,
- Theoretically, not all buildings may be physical and may also not be confined to a world.

Concerned that in many countries, little to no regulation of the construction of buildings exists,
- This situation could vary for many - even benign - reasons (i.e. different living circumstances, organization of government).
Anxious that this lack of regulation is leading to serious building collapses and fatalities across the world,
- Undoubtedly, but improving building standards serves to bring benefits to the wider architectural community and serves more for an international mandate.

Hereby enacts the following:

1. That member nations must ensure that the materials used in the construction of all buildings be safe and non-hazardous.
2. That member nations must ensure that all buildings constructed are done so in a safe and non-hazardous manner.
- Keeping this concise will help understanding.
3. That member nations must ensure that individuals are granted the legal right to sue for damages in the event of a building collapse resulting in loss of property, mobility or life.
- Too constricting. One may wish to sue for nominal damages or costs relating to losses not directly tied to a building falling upon something (e.g. psychologically). It's picky, sure, but a nefarious government could cite this in its current form to unfairly infringe on certain legal recourses.
4. That member nations be strongly encouraged by this august body to enact comprehensive building regulation laws into national and subnational law.
- The best thing would be to make comprehensive building regulations implied in the previous clauses. Even so, some nations may have varying subdivisions of their legislative branches.

- The acting clauses don't seem very aesthetically pleasing with all the repetition at the start. Encompassing this in the introductory clause instead could be useful.

- Also, while I'm not sure, this resolution might fit better under regulations than environment.

EDIT: It may also be advisable to modify the title to something along the lines of "Regulating Building Construction", as there isn't anything substantive on the distinct field of post-construction building regulation other than the vague and non-enforced encouragement. Ultimately, it may tie future efforts to enforce certain degrees of a standard building code (e.g. emergency lights in all buildings for fire emergencies).

The World Assembly,

Recognising the vast array of buildings internationally,

Desiring to provide uniform standards of safety on their construction,

Hoping to harmonize architecture at its core,

Hereby enacts the following standards for all structural development in a member state:

1. Use of safe and non-hazardous materials.
2. Creation of a secure working environment.
3. Provision of the legal right by afflicted parties to sue for damages resulting from failure to comply.

[The Langburn Islands]

Regulating Building Construction
Category: Regulation
Area of Effect: Safety
Strength: Significant

The World Assembly,

Recognising that the building quality of buildings varies immensely across WA member nations,
Concerned that in many WA member nations either through lack of government, lack of government intervention, wilful neglect or sheer ignorance, regulation of the construction of buildings either doesn’t exist or is woefully insufficient.
Anxious that this lack of regulation is leading is serious building collapses with resulting injuries and fatalities,
Maintaining the belief that greater regulation of the construction of buildings will bring great benefits to the wider architectural community by increasing public confidence in the safety of all buildings,

Hereby:

1. Defines a “building” as a structure that has a roof or walls which either permanently or semi permanently remains in a single position.
2. Defines an “independent building assessor” as an individual appointed independently and acting independently from the personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to objectively assess the construction quality of the building.
3. Requires:
a. the construction of all buildings to be performed in a safe and non-hazardous manner with the greatest possible steps taken to limit harm to construction workers.
b. the construction of all buildings to be reviewed by an independent building assessor as determined by the national and subnational governments of WA member nations.
c. the independent building assessor to compile an objective appraisal of the quality of the construction work of all buildings and provide this information to the responsible government or authority of each WA member nation.
citizens and organisations who suffer from the negligent construction work of personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to have the right to sue for damages under the law of each WA member nation.
d. the greatest possible steps be taken to ensure that the materials used in the construction of buildings will not cause harm to any individual who uses buildings.

4. Prohibits:
a. personnel and organisations responsible for constructing buildings in WA member nations from offering inducements, payments, gifts or bribes to independent building assessors in order to secure a positive appraisal.
b. the use of hazardous materials in the construction of buildings.

[The Langburn Islands]

The World Assembly, [SUGGESTIONS]

Recognising that the physical quality of buildings varies immensely across the world,
- Theoretically, not all buildings may be physical and may also not be confined to a world.

Concerned that in many countries, little to no regulation of the construction of buildings exists,
- This situation could vary for many - even benign - reasons (i.e. different living circumstances, organization of government).
Anxious that this lack of regulation is leading to serious building collapses and fatalities across the world,
- Undoubtedly, but improving building standards serves to bring benefits to the wider architectural community and serves more for an international mandate.

Hereby enacts the following:

1. That member nations must ensure that the materials used in the construction of all buildings be safe and non-hazardous.
2. That member nations must ensure that all buildings constructed are done so in a safe and non-hazardous manner.
- Keeping this concise will help understanding.
3. That member nations must ensure that individuals are granted the legal right to sue for damages in the event of a building collapse resulting in loss of property, mobility or life.
- Too constricting. One may wish to sue for nominal damages or costs relating to losses not directly tied to a building falling upon something (e.g. psychologically). It's picky, sure, but a nefarious government could cite this in its current form to unfairly infringe on certain legal recourses.
4. That member nations be strongly encouraged by this august body to enact comprehensive building regulation laws into national and subnational law.
- The best thing would be to make comprehensive building regulations implied in the previous clauses. Even so, some nations may have varying subdivisions of their legislative branches.

- The acting clauses don't seem very aesthetically pleasing with all the repetition at the start. Encompassing this in the introductory clause instead could be useful.

- Also, while I'm not sure, this resolution might fit better under regulations than environment.

EDIT: It may also be advisable to modify the title to something along the lines of "Regulating Building Construction", as there isn't anything substantive on the distinct field of post-construction building regulation other than the vague and non-enforced encouragement. Ultimately, it may tie future efforts to enforce certain degrees of a standard building code (e.g. emergency lights in all buildings for fire emergencies).

The World Assembly,

Recognising the vast array of buildings internationally,

Desiring to provide uniform standards of safety on their construction,

Hoping to harmonize architecture at its core,

Hereby enacts the following standards for all structural development in a member state:

1. Use of safe and non-hazardous materials.
2. Creation of a secure working environment.
3. Provision of the legal right by afflicted parties to sue for damages resulting from failure to comply.

I really appreciate your suggested changes and have added many of them to the second draft!

[Jedinsto]

You may want to define "hazardous," since it is used multiple times in the operatives, and also, put this within a clause or subclause;
"citizens and organisations who suffer from the negligent construction work of personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to have the right to sue for damages under the law of each WA member nation."

Other than that, you have my support on this.

[The Crowned Republic]

EDITED: The way I see it, if a material/practice damages or brings probable risk to that which it presides, it would be hazardous.

As to the right to sue, accounting for international law will be useful in avoiding contradictions and restricting future efforts on civil remedies in court.

[The Langburn Islands]

You may want to define "hazardous," since it is used multiple times in the operatives, and also, put this within a clause or subclause;
"citizens and organisations who suffer from the negligent construction work of personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to have the right to sue for damages under the law of each WA member nation."

Other than that, you have my support on this.

I agree with this, I will include a definition of 'hazardous' in the next draft. And with your second point, I will also add something similar to that as the current writing of the clause is extremely restrictive.

[Separatist Peoples]

"Opposed, not an international issue."

[The Crowned Republic]

"Opposed, not an international issue."

“It’s clear then that your people’s architects long for their re-entry into the wider world. Do elaborate.”

[Separatist Peoples]

"Opposed, not an international issue."

“It’s clear then that your people’s architects long for their re-entry into the wider world. Do elaborate.”

"The issue lacks international utility. Domestic building codes are issues best addressed by localities to address specific local needs. Not the World Assembly. You may as well insist upon World Assembly-mandated speed limits or seatbelt mandates. This is obvious to anybody with a modicum of experience analyzing policy."

[Barfleur]

1. Defines—

a. a “building” as a structure that has a roof or walls which either permanently or semi permanently remains in a single position;
b. an “independent building assessor” as an individual appointed independently and acting independently from the personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to objectively assess the construction quality of the building; and
c. "hazardous material" as being any substance used in the construction of buildings that is generally considered to be harmful to the health and well being of any individual.

2. Requires—

a. the construction of all buildings to be performed in a safe and non-hazardous manner with the greatest possible steps taken to limit harm to construction workers;
b. the construction of all buildings to be reviewed by an independent building assessor as determined by the national and subnational governments of WA member nations;
c. the independent building assessor to compile an objective appraisal of the quality of the construction work of all buildings and provide this information to the responsible government or authority of each WA member nation;
d. citizens and organisations who suffer from the negligent construction work of personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to have the right to sue for damages under the law of each WA member nation; and
e. the greatest possible steps be taken to ensure that the materials used in the construction of buildings will not cause harm to any individual who uses buildings.

3. Prohibits—

a. personnel and organisations responsible for constructing buildings in WA member nations from offering inducements, payments, gifts or bribes to independent building assessors in order to secure a positive appraisal; and
b. the use of hazardous materials in the construction of buildings.

OOC: Some formatting adjustments you might like. I'd also recommend adding spaces between the lines in the preambulatory clauses. On the merits of the case, I do not think it is a matter of international concern, but I wish you the best of luck.

[Ardiveds]

OOC: Clause 4a seems a bit too much with the only consideration being "greatest possbile". I mean construction of a hundred storey skyscraper definitely needs far more safety measures than construction of a two storey home, yet "greatest possbile measures" means both have to done with equal safety measures which seems absurd.

[The Langburn Islands]

Third draft of the resolution! Thank you to everyone who has commented and given me advice on this proposal so far!

Regulating Building Construction
Category: Regulation
Area of Effect: Safety
Strength: Strong

The World Assembly,

Recognising that the building quality of buildings varies immensely across WA member nations,

Concerned that in many WA member nations either through lack of government, lack of government intervention, wilful neglect or sheer ignorance, regulation of the construction of buildings either doesn’t exist or is woefully insufficient,

Anxious that this lack of regulation is leading to serious building collapses with resulting injuries and fatalities,

Maintaining the belief that greater regulation of the construction of buildings will bring many benefits to the wider architectural community by increasing public confidence in the safety of all buildings,

1. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution:

a. Defines a 'building' as a structure that has a roof or walls which either permanently or semi-permanently remains in a single position;
b. Defines an 'independent building assessor' as an individual appointed independently and acting independently from the personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to objectively assess the construction quality of the building;
c. Defines 'hazardous material' as being any substance used in the construction of buildings that is generally considered to be harmful to the health and well-being of any individual;
d. Defines 'negligent construction work' as construction work that fails to take the adequate steps or care to prevent harm from occurring to any individual.

2. Requires:

a. the construction of all buildings to be performed in a safe and non-hazardous manner with the greatest possible steps taken to limit harm to construction workers;
b. the construction of all buildings to be reviewed by an independent building assessor as determined by the national and subnational governments of WA member nations;
c. the independent building assessor to compile an objective appraisal of the quality of the construction work of all buildings and provide this information to the responsible government or authority of each WA member nation;
d. construction work found to be faulty by the objective appraisal is required to immediately cease until structural and safety improvements are made as determined by the independent assessor;
e. citizens and organisations who suffer from the negligent construction work of personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to have the right to sue for damages under the law of each WA member nation;
f. the greatest possible steps be taken to ensure that the materials used in the construction of buildings will not cause harm to any individual who uses buildings;

3. Prohibits:

a. personnel and organisations responsible for constructing buildings in WA member nations from offering inducements, payments, gifts or bribes to independent building assessors in order to secure a positive appraisal;
b. the use of hazardous materials in the construction of buildings;

Co-authored by The Crowned Republic.

[The Langburn Islands]

1. Defines—

a. a “building” as a structure that has a roof or walls which either permanently or semi permanently remains in a single position;
b. an “independent building assessor” as an individual appointed independently and acting independently from the personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to objectively assess the construction quality of the building; and
c. "hazardous material" as being any substance used in the construction of buildings that is generally considered to be harmful to the health and well being of any individual.

2. Requires—

a. the construction of all buildings to be performed in a safe and non-hazardous manner with the greatest possible steps taken to limit harm to construction workers;
b. the construction of all buildings to be reviewed by an independent building assessor as determined by the national and subnational governments of WA member nations;
c. the independent building assessor to compile an objective appraisal of the quality of the construction work of all buildings and provide this information to the responsible government or authority of each WA member nation;
d. citizens and organisations who suffer from the negligent construction work of personnel and organisations responsible for the construction of buildings to have the right to sue for damages under the law of each WA member nation; and
e. the greatest possible steps be taken to ensure that the materials used in the construction of buildings will not cause harm to any individual who uses buildings.

3. Prohibits—

a. personnel and organisations responsible for constructing buildings in WA member nations from offering inducements, payments, gifts or bribes to independent building assessors in order to secure a positive appraisal; and
b. the use of hazardous materials in the construction of buildings.

OOC: Some formatting adjustments you might like. I'd also recommend adding spaces between the lines in the preambulatory clauses. On the merits of the case, I do not think it is a matter of international concern, but I wish you the best of luck.

Thanks for this! I've changed the formatting of the resolution.

OOC: Clause 4a seems a bit too much with the only consideration being "greatest possbile". I mean construction of a hundred storey skyscraper definitely needs far more safety measures than construction of a two storey home, yet "greatest possbile measures" means both have to done with equal safety measures which seems absurd.

In my opinion, the current wording allows for sufficient scope and flexibility in all situations. The greatest possible steps to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the construction of a two storey house will be the greatest possible steps in that specific and particular situation as determined by the independent building assessor.

[Tinhampton]

Even drunk, sleepy me is opposed to the repetition of "Defines" at the beginning of each of Article 1's subclauses

[The Langburn Islands]

Even drunk, sleepy me is opposed to the repetition of "Defines" at the beginning of each of Article 1's subclauses

Fixed!

I also move this draft to last call and I intend to submit it in 3 days.

[Maowi]

Defines 'hazardous material' as being any substance used in the construction of buildings that is generally considered to be harmful to the health and well-being of any individual;

"I believe a better standard could be used for this definition than "generally considered to be harmful." For example, requiring some sort of scientific basis to the classification of a material as hazardous or not could potentially be beneficial."

[Tinhampton]

I also move this draft to last call and I intend to submit it in 3 days.

March 14th 2021 isn't three days from March 13th 2021 and you haven't addressed Maowi's concerns about your definition of a "hazardous material." Why did you submit this now?

[Thermodolia]

Also how is this an international issue. I see no reason that it is one and therefore I don’t support it

[The Langburn Islands]

Defines 'hazardous material' as being any substance used in the construction of buildings that is generally considered to be harmful to the health and well-being of any individual;

"I believe a better standard could be used for this definition than "generally considered to be harmful." For example, requiring some sort of scientific basis to the classification of a material as hazardous or not could potentially be beneficial."

"Ambassador, the original intention of the resolution in regards to what is hazardous is to allow individual national governments to define what is or isn't hazardous by the cultural norms of their nations. What is hazardous in one nation especially when we have multiple species as members of the World Assembly is vastly different to what is hazardous in another nation. It is for this reason why I oppose a prescriptive definition of what is hazardous."

I also move this draft to last call and I intend to submit it in 3 days.

March 14th 2021 isn't three days from March 13th 2021 and you haven't addressed Maowi's concerns about your definition of a "hazardous material." Why did you submit this now?

OOC : No major objections have been raised on regards to the proposal for a couple of days and with the floor clear, I thought it would be a good idea to submit now instead of waiting another day.

Also how is this an international issue. I see no reason that it is one and therefore I don’t support it

"Ambassador, we note your dissent and thank you for your input. The Commonwealth of the Langburn Islands firmly believes that there should be a basic level of building regulation enshrined into international law similar to how there is a federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour in the United States of America with state governments able to set higher state minimum wages".

[Separatist Peoples]

"Ambassador, we note your dissent and thank you for your input. The Commonwealth of the Langburn Islands firmly believes that there should be a basic level of building regulation enshrined into international law similar to how there is a federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour in the United States of America with state governments able to set higher state minimum wages".

"And yet, you've not managed to make a particularly strong case for it other than the ambiguous risk of collapse and fatality, a risk not necessarily traceable to poor building code and unconvincingly articulated as a sufficiently high cost to justify international interference."

[Outer Sparta]

Opposed. More of a local issue that can be addressed.

[Araraukar]

OOC: Please pull this from the submissions. It needs a lot of work, still. As written, it nonsensically bans all construction ever.