[DRAFT] Protecting Against Invasive Plants

[Aidenfieeld]

Protecting Against Invasive Plants
Proposed by: Aidenfieeld
Co-author: Peoples Guerilla Armed Coalition

Greetings, everyone! This proposal intends to legislate an environmental concern that is often forgotten about: the introduction and resulting spread of non-native and invasive plant species in foreign natural environments. Hopefully you will find the reasoning behind treating this as a significant international issue to be sufficiently given in this proposal. Massive credit goes to my co-author, Peoples Guerilla Armed Coalition, whose contributions have been vital to the shaping of the current version of this draft.

Feedback and suggestions are welcome.

This is the seventh version of the draft.

The World Assembly,

Observing the prevalence of non-native plant species as ornamental plantings in built environments;

Concerned about the widespread germination and resulting proliferation of non-native invasive species in the natural environments of member states, due to the presence of these plantings;

Noting the many harms that invasive species inflict upon such environments, including: outcompeting native plant species for important resources, thereby upsetting ecological balance in the area; potentially harbouring diseases and parasites against which native species have no natural defenses; and providing few tangible benefits to native organisms through symbiotic relationships, relative to those provided by native plants;

Contending that the ability of invasive species to freely cross international borders and contaminate the natural environments of neighbouring nations; the harm that even localized ecological destruction by invasive floras can inflict upon organisms that are not bound by national borders, such as migratory birds; and the potential for localized ecological destruction by invasive species to have unforseen consequences for global climates makes this an issue of international concern;

Recognizing the need, therefore, that the introduction of invasive plant species is regulated, and their spread contained;

1. Defines the following terms as such:
   
   
   1. “Native species” are floras that presently inhabit the geographic range where they naturally evolved and established populations as a result of natural processes.
      
   2. “Non-native species” are floras that presently inhabit a geographic range where they did not naturally evolve or establish populations as a result of natural processes, and were introduced into the geographic range through direct or indirect means, such as transportation by sapient beings.
      
   3. "Invasive species" are non-native species which inflict harm upon the local ecosystem.
      
   4. “Natural environment” refers to geographic areas that remain predominantly undisturbed by activity or intervention of sapient beings, in which ecosystems are shaped by natural processes, and where the introduction or spread of non-native species may disrupt the local ecosystem.
2. Mandates the following actions:
   
   
   1. Construction projects that receive funding from the World Assembly shall, if applicable, exclusively plant native species. Certain construction projects, such as arboretums or indoor spaces, may be exempted from this rule, provided that said projects implement or prove the existence of a method of containment to prevent germination in natural areas.
      
   2. Member states shall create a framework for private distributors and sellers of plants to cease the distribution and sale of species in geographic areas in which they are non-native, except in cases where there exists an effective method for containment of their spread into the natural environment.
      
   3. Member states shall make a coordinated effort to contain the spread of non-native and invasive species within natural environments through the establishment of effective response mechanisms for newly identified non-native specimens, and the enactment of control and eradication programs. A nation may be exempt from this requirement if eradication of specimens could reasonably cause significant damage to the natural environment; or, if the non-native species has become naturalized as a vital component of the local ecosystem, where it fulfills a role comparable to that of native species, such as by providing a valuable food source to native organisms, or else is entirely innocuous.
      
   4. Individual member states may enact a wide variety of containment methods as they see fit, though the excessive or indiscriminate spraying of toxic chemicals as a means of controlling invasive species is prohibited. Deliberate, targeted usage of such chemicals (as are permitted under international law) is permissible.
3. Establishes the World Assembly Office of Floral Biodiversity (WAOFB), to be tasked with:
   
   
   1. Observing and documenting the spread of non-native and invasive species within member states, and publishing and distributing said documentation to the respective governments of member states no less than once per-year.
      
   2. Issuing recommendations to member states on best practices for transitioning away from planting non-native species and/or containing their spread.
      
   3. Providing funding to member states in order for them to fulfill the containment obligation as stated in Clause II.c. The WAOFB shall conduct regular audits of member states' containment programmes to ensure the proper usage of these funds, but may not revoke this funding unless examples of fraud or abuse have been found, such as misappropriation of WAOFB funds towards an area unrelated to invasive species containment.
      
   4. Working directly alongside member states, on their request, to engage in containment of invasive flora, and to develop future methods of containment. To fulfill this duty, the WAOFB may engage in scientific research both alongside member states and independently, so long as such research remains within the bounds of international and member state law.
      
   5. Engaging in ecosystem rehabilitation efforts in natural environments affected by the spread of invasive species, upon request of the given member state. Such efforts include the restoration of native floras, the reintroduction of symbiotically beneficial species, and other measures that may be reasonably necessary to achieve ecological balance. If a member state possesses the necessary financial and technical capacity to implement ecosystem rehabilitation independently, the WAOFB may limit its assistance to advisory or research support.
      
   6. The WAOFB shall have sole legal authority to determine if a construction project may be reasonably made exempt from the requirements stated in Clauses II.a. and II.c.
4. All provisions of this resolution are to be applied and upheld according to the unique collection and constitution of native and non-native plant species in each individual member state.

The World Assembly,

Observing the prevalence of non-native plant species as ornamental plantings in built environments;

Acknowledging the value of such plantings for both their beauty and the environmental benefits they provide to the localizedbuilt environment, including the provision of oxygen and concomitant cooling effect as part of the process of photosynthesis;

Concerned, however, about the widespread germination and resulting proliferation of non-native invasive species in the natural environments of member states due to the presence of these plantings;

Noting the many harms that invasive species inflict upon such environments, including: outcompeting native plant species for important resources, thereby upsetting ecological balance in the area; potentially harbouring diseases and parasites against which native species have no natural defenses; and providing few tangible benefits to native organisms through symbiotic relationships, relative to those provided by native plants;

Recognizing the need, therefore, that the introduction of invasive plant species is regulated, and their spread contained;

1. Defines the following terms as such:
   
   
   1. “Native species” are flora that presently inhabit the geographic range where they naturally evolved and established populations as a result of natural processes.
      
   2. “Invasive species” are flora that presently inhabit a geographic range where they did not naturally evolve or establish populations as a result of natural processes, and were introduced into the geographic range through direct or indirect means.
      
   3. “Natural environment” refers to geographic areas that remain predominantly undisturbed by human activity or intervention, in which ecosystems are shaped by natural processes, and where the introduction or spread of non-native species may disrupt the local ecosystem.
2. Mandates the following actions:
   
   
   1. Construction projects that receive funding from member states or the World Assembly shall, if applicable, exclusively plant native species. Certain construction projects, such as arboretums or indoor spaces, may be exempted from this rule, provided that said projects implement or prove the existence of a method of containment to prevent germination in natural areas.
      
   2. Member states shall create a framework for private distributors and sellers of plants to replace non-native and invasive species with comparable native ones.
      
   3. Member states shall make a coordinated effort to contain the spread of invasive species within natural environments through the establishment of effective response mechanisms for newly identified invasive specimens, and the enactment of control and eradication programs. The financing of such operations is to come exclusively at the expense of the individual nation, provided it is financially able to do so.
      
   4. Control methods must be biological in nature, and may include the introduction of parasitic organisms or diseases into the environment that are damaging to the invasive species (without posing a threat to native ones), and targeted removal of invasive flora, among others. The excessive or indiscriminate spraying of toxic chemicals as a means of controlling invasive species is prohibited.
3. Establishes the World Assembly Office of Floral Biodiversity (WAOFB), to be tasked with:
   
   
   1. Observing and documenting the spread of invasive species within member states, and publishing and distributing said documentation to the respective governments of member states no less than once per-year.
      
   2. Issuing recommendations to member states on best practices for transitioning away from planting non-native species and/or containing their spread.
      
   3. Providing assistance, direct or financial (if a member state is unable to fulfill the funding obligation of Clause II.c.), to member states for containing the spread of invasive species and for developing future methods of containment. To fulfill this duty, the WAOFB may engage in scientific research both alongside member states and independently, so long as such research remains within the bounds of international and member state law.
      
   4. Engaging in ecosystem rehabilitation efforts in natural environments that have been affected by issues associated with the spread of invasive species. Efforts to implement ecosystem rehabilitation include the restoration of native flora, the reintroduction of symbiotically beneficial species, and other measures reasonably necessary to achieve ecological balance. Such efforts should be prioritized on the basis of the severity of ecological harm from the invasive species, the likelihood of said efforts succeeding, and the availability of WAOFB resources.
      Considering that a member state possesses the necessary financial and technical capacity to implement ecosystem rehabilitation independently, the WAOFB may limit its assistance to advisory or research support.
      
   5. The WAOFB shall have sole legal authority to determine if a construction project may be reasonably made exempt from the requirements stated in Clause II.a.
4. All provisions of this resolution are to be applied and upheld according to the unique collection and constitution of native and invasive plant species in each individual member state.

The World Assembly,

Observing the prevalence of non-native plant species as ornamental plantings in built environments;

Acknowledging the value of such plantings for both their beauty and the environmental benefits they provide to the localized built environment, including the provision of oxygen and concomitant cooling effect as part of the process of photosynthesis;

Concerned, however, about the widespread germination and resulting proliferation of non-native invasive species in the natural environments of member states due to the presence of these plantings;

Noting the many harms that invasive species inflict upon such environments, including: outcompeting native plant species for important resources, thereby upsetting ecological balance in the area; potentially harbouring diseases and parasites against which native species have no natural defenses; and providing few tangible benefits to native organisms through symbiotic relationships, relative to those provided by native plants;

Contending that the ability of invasive species to freely cross international borders and contaminate the natural environments of neighbouring nations; the harm that even localized ecological destruction by invasive flora can inflict upon organisms that are not bound by national borders, such as migratory birds; and the potential for localized ecological destruction by invasive species to have unforseen consequences for global climates makes this an issue of international concern;

Recognizing the need, therefore, that the introduction of invasive plant species is regulated, and their spread contained;

1. Defines the following terms as such:
   
   
   1. “Native species” are flora that presently inhabit the geographic range where they naturally evolved and established populations as a result of natural processes.
      
   2. “Invasive species” are flora that presently inhabit a geographic range where they did not naturally evolve or establish populations as a result of natural processes, and were introduced into the geographic range through direct or indirect means, such as transportation by sapient beings.
      
   3. “Natural environment” refers to geographic areas that remain predominantly undisturbed by activity or intervention of sapient beings, in which ecosystems are shaped by natural processes, and where the introduction or spread of non-native species may disrupt the local ecosystem.
2. Mandates the following actions:
   
   
   1. Construction projects that receive funding from the World Assembly shall, if applicable, exclusively plant native species. Certain construction projects, such as arboretums or indoor spaces, may be exempted from this rule, provided that said projects implement or prove the existence of a method of containment to prevent germination in natural areas.
      
   2. Member states shall create a framework for private distributors and sellers of plants to replace inventory of non-native and invasive species with comparable native ones.
      
   3. Member states shall make a coordinated effort to contain the spread of invasive species within natural environments through the establishment of effective response mechanisms for newly identified invasive specimens, and the enactment of control and eradication programs. The financing of such operations is to come exclusively at the expense of the individual nation, provided it is financially able to do so. A nation may be exempt from this requirement if eradication of a non-native specie could reasonably cause significant damage to the natural environment; or, if the non-native specie has become naturalized as a vital component of the local ecosystem, where it fulfills a role comparable to that of native species, such as by providing a valuable food source to native organisms.
      
   4. Control methods must be biological in nature, and may include the introduction of parasitic organisms or diseases into the environment that are damaging to the invasive species (without posing a threat to native ones), and targeted removal of invasive flora, among others. The excessive or indiscriminate spraying of toxic chemicals as a means of controlling invasive species is prohibited.
3. Establishes the World Assembly Office of Floral Biodiversity (WAOFB), to be tasked with:
   
   
   1. Observing and documenting the spread of invasive species within member states, and publishing and distributing said documentation to the respective governments of member states no less than once per-year.
      
   2. Issuing recommendations to member states on best practices for transitioning away from planting non-native species and/or containing their spread.
      
   3. Providing assistance, direct or financial (if a member state is unable to fulfill the funding obligation of Clause II.c.), to member states for containing the spread of invasive species and for developing future methods of containment. To fulfill this duty, the WAOFB may engage in scientific research both alongside member states and independently, so long as such research remains within the bounds of international and member state law.
      
   4. Engaging in ecosystem rehabilitation efforts in natural environments that have been affected by issues associated with the spread of invasive species. Efforts to implement ecosystem rehabilitation include the restoration of native flora, the reintroduction of symbiotically beneficial species, and other measures that may be reasonably necessary to achieve ecological balance. Such efforts should be prioritized on the basis of the severity of ecological harm from the invasive species, the likelihood of said efforts succeeding, the chance that an invasive species may spread across an international border, and the availability of WAOFB resources. If a member state possesses the necessary financial and technical capacity to implement ecosystem rehabilitation independently, the WAOFB may limit its assistance to advisory or research support.
      
   5. The WAOFB shall have sole legal authority to determine if a construction project may be reasonably made exempt from the requirements stated in Clauses II.a. and II.c.
4. All provisions of this resolution are to be applied and upheld according to the unique collection and constitution of native and invasive plant species in each individual member state.

The World Assembly,

Observing the prevalence of non-native plant species as ornamental plantings in built environments;

Acknowledging the value of such plantings for both their beauty and the environmental benefits they provide to the localized built environment, including the provision of oxygen and concomitant cooling effect as part of the process of photosynthesis;

Concerned, however, about the widespread germination and resulting proliferation of non-native invasive species in the natural environments of member states due to the presence of these plantings;

Noting the many harms that invasive species inflict upon such environments, including: outcompeting native plant species for important resources, thereby upsetting ecological balance in the area; potentially harbouring diseases and parasites against which native species have no natural defenses; and providing few tangible benefits to native organisms through symbiotic relationships, relative to those provided by native plants;

Contending that the ability of invasive species to freely cross international borders and contaminate the natural environments of neighbouring nations; the harm that even localized ecological destruction by invasive floras can inflict upon organisms that are not bound by national borders, such as migratory birds; and the potential for localized ecological destruction by invasive species to have unforseen consequences for global climates makes this an issue of international concern;

Recognizing the need, therefore, that the introduction of invasive plant species is regulated, and their spread contained;

1. Defines the following terms as such:
   
   
   1. “Native species” are floras that presently inhabit the geographic range where they naturally evolved and established populations as a result of natural processes.
      
   2. “Invasive species” are floras that presently inhabit a geographic range where they did not naturally evolve or establish populations as a result of natural processes, and were introduced into the geographic range through direct or indirect means, such as transportation by sapient beings.
      
   3. “Natural environment” refers to geographic areas that remain predominantly undisturbed by activity or intervention of sapient beings, in which ecosystems are shaped by natural processes, and where the introduction or spread of non-native species may disrupt the local ecosystem.
2. Mandates the following actions:
   
   
   1. Construction projects that receive funding from the World Assembly shall, if applicable, exclusively plant native species. Certain construction projects, such as arboretums or indoor spaces, may be exempted from this rule, provided that said projects implement or prove the existence of a method of containment to prevent germination in natural areas.
      
   2. Member states shall create a framework for private distributors and sellers of plants to replace inventory of non-native and invasive species with comparable native ones.
      
   3. Member states shall make a coordinated effort to contain the spread of invasive species within natural environments through the establishment of effective response mechanisms for newly identified invasive specimens, and the enactment of control and eradication programs. A nation may be exempt from this requirement if eradication of a non-native specie could reasonably cause significant damage to the natural environment; or, if the non-native specie has become naturalized as a vital component of the local ecosystem, where it fulfills a role comparable to that of native species, such as by providing a valuable food source to native organisms, or else is entirely innocuous.
      
   4. Control methods must be biological in nature, and may include the introduction of parasitic organisms or diseases into the environment that are damaging to the invasive species (without posing a threat to native ones), and targeted removal of invasive floras, among others. The excessive or indiscriminate spraying of toxic chemicals as a means of controlling invasive species is prohibited.
3. Establishes the World Assembly Office of Floral Biodiversity (WAOFB), to be tasked with:
   
   
   1. Observing and documenting the spread of invasive species within member states, and publishing and distributing said documentation to the respective governments of member states no less than once per-year.
      
   2. Issuing recommendations to member states on best practices for transitioning away from planting non-native species and/or containing their spread.
      
   3. Providing funding to member states in order for them to fulfil the containment obligation as stated in Clause II.c. The WAOFB shall conduct regular audits of member states' containment programmes to ensure the propoer usage of these funds, but may not revoke this funding unless examples of fraud or abuse have been found, such as misdirection of WAOFB funds towards an area unrelated to invasive species containment.
      
   4. Working directly alongside member states, if requested, to engage in containment of invasive flora, and to develop future methods of containment. To fulfill this duty, the WAOFB may engage in scientific research both alongside member states and independently, so long as such research remains within the bounds of international and member state law.
      
   5. Engaging in ecosystem rehabilitation efforts in natural environments that have been affected by issues associated with the spread of invasive species. Efforts to implement ecosystem rehabilitation include the restoration of native floras, the reintroduction of symbiotically beneficial species, and other measures that may be reasonably necessary to achieve ecological balance. Such efforts should be prioritized on the basis of the severity of ecological harm from the invasive species, the likelihood of said efforts succeeding, the chance that an invasive species may spread across an international border, and the availability of WAOFB resources. If a member state possesses the necessary financial and technical capacity to implement ecosystem rehabilitation independently, the WAOFB may limit its assistance to advisory or research support.
      
   6. The WAOFB shall have sole legal authority to determine if a construction project may be reasonably made exempt from the requirements stated in Clauses II.a. and II.c.
4. All provisions of this resolution are to be applied and upheld according to the unique collection and constitution of native and invasive plant species in each individual member state.

[spoiler=Draft VI]The World Assembly,

Observing the prevalence of non-native plant species as ornamental plantings in built environments;

Acknowledging the value of such plantings for both their beauty and the environmental benefits they provide to the localized built environment, including the provision of oxygen and concomitant cooling effect as part of the process of photosynthesis;

Concerned, however, about the widespread germination and resulting proliferation of non-native invasive species in the natural environments of member states due to the presence of these plantings;

Noting the many harms that invasive species inflict upon such environments, including: outcompeting native plant species for important resources, thereby upsetting ecological balance in the area; potentially harbouring diseases and parasites against which native species have no natural defenses; and providing few tangible benefits to native organisms through symbiotic relationships, relative to those provided by native plants;

Contending that the ability of invasive species to freely cross international borders and contaminate the natural environments of neighbouring nations; the harm that even localized ecological destruction by invasive floras can inflict upon organisms that are not bound by national borders, such as migratory birds; and the potential for localized ecological destruction by invasive species to have unforseen consequences for global climates makes this an issue of international concern;

Recognizing the need, therefore, that the introduction of invasive plant species is regulated, and their spread contained;

1. Defines the following terms as such:
   
   
   1. “Native species” are floras that presently inhabit the geographic range where they naturally evolved and established populations as a result of natural processes.
      
   2. “Invasive species” are floras that presently inhabit a geographic range where they did not naturally evolve or establish populations as a result of natural processes, and were introduced into the geographic range through direct or indirect means, such as transportation by sapient beings.
      
   3. “Natural environment” refers to geographic areas that remain predominantly undisturbed by activity or intervention of sapient beings, in which ecosystems are shaped by natural processes, and where the introduction or spread of non-native species may disrupt the local ecosystem.
2. Mandates the following actions:
   
   
   1. Construction projects that receive funding from the World Assembly shall, if applicable, exclusively plant native species. Certain construction projects, such as arboretums or indoor spaces, may be exempted from this rule, provided that said projects implement or prove the existence of a method of containment to prevent germination in natural areas.
      
   2. Member states shall create a framework for private distributors and sellers of plants to cease the distribution and sale of species in geographic areas in which they are non-native, except in cases where there exists an effective method for containment of their spread into the natural environment.
      
   3. Member states shall make a coordinated effort to contain the spread of invasive species within natural environments through the establishment of effective response mechanisms for newly identified invasive specimens, and the enactment of control and eradication programs. A nation may be exempt from this requirement if eradication of a non-native specie could reasonably cause significant damage to the natural environment; or, if the non-native specie has become naturalized as a vital component of the local ecosystem, where it fulfills a role comparable to that of native species, such as by providing a valuable food source to native organisms, or else is entirely innocuous.
      
   4. Individual member states may enact a wide variety of containment methods as they see fit, though the excessive or indiscriminate spraying of toxic chemicals as a means of controlling invasive species is prohibited. Deliberate, targeted usage of such chemicals (as are permitted under international law) is permissible.
3. Establishes the World Assembly Office of Floral Biodiversity (WAOFB), to be tasked with:
   
   
   1. Observing and documenting the spread of invasive species within member states, and publishing and distributing said documentation to the respective governments of member states no less than once per-year.
      
   2. Issuing recommendations to member states on best practices for transitioning away from planting non-native species and/or containing their spread.
      
   3. Providing funding to member states in order for them to fulfill the containment obligation as stated in Clause II.c. The WAOFB shall conduct regular audits of member states' containment programmes to ensure the proper usage of these funds, but may not revoke this funding unless examples of fraud or abuse have been found, such as misdirection of WAOFB funds towards an area unrelated to invasive species containment.
      
   4. Working directly alongside member states, if requested, to engage in containment of invasive flora, and to develop future methods of containment. To fulfill this duty, the WAOFB may engage in scientific research both alongside member states and independently, so long as such research remains within the bounds of international and member state law.
      
   5. Engaging in ecosystem rehabilitation efforts in natural environments that have been affected by issues associated with the spread of invasive species. Efforts to implement ecosystem rehabilitation include the restoration of native floras, the reintroduction of symbiotically beneficial species, and other measures that may be reasonably necessary to achieve ecological balance. Such efforts should be prioritized on the basis of the severity of ecological harm from the invasive species, the likelihood of said efforts succeeding, and the availability of WAOFB resources. If a member state possesses the necessary financial and technical capacity to implement ecosystem rehabilitation independently, the WAOFB may limit its assistance to advisory or research support.
      
   6. The WAOFB shall have sole legal authority to determine if a construction project may be reasonably made exempt from the requirements stated in Clauses II.a. and II.c.
4. All provisions of this resolution are to be applied and upheld according to the unique collection and constitution of native and invasive plant species in each individual member state.

[Old Hope]

We are not convinced.

“Natural environment” refers to geographic areas that remain predominantly undisturbed by human activity or intervention, in which ecosystems are shaped by natural processes, and where the introduction or spread of non-native species may disrupt the local ecosystem.

This is discrimination by species. The World Assembly contains sapient species other than humans.

The proliferation of foreign species through trade is something that can hardly be avoided(because of illegal activity). Sometimes, it is beneficial for a nation to deliberately import foreign species - for example, because it is superior to native organisms. Member states have big incentives to not import harmful species in the first place. A requirement to evaluate the harm a foreign species could bring upon the native environment might be enough. This is too inflexible.

[The Crusader Kings]

Protecting Against Invasive Species
Proposed by: Aidenfieeld
Co-author: Peoples Guerilla Armed Coalition

Greetings, everyone! This proposal intends to legislate an environmental concern that is often forgotten about: the introduction and resulting spread of non-native and invasive plant species in foreign natural environments. Hopefully you will find the reasoning behind treating this as a significant international issue to be sufficiently given in this proposal. Massive credit goes to my co-author, Peoples Guerilla Armed Coalition, whose contributions have been vital to the shaping of the current version of this draft.

Feedback and suggestions (including for a better title?) are welcome.

The World Assembly,

Observing the prevalence of non-native plant species as ornamental plantings in built environments;

Acknowledging the value of such plantings for both their beauty and the environmental benefits they provide to the localized built environment, including the provision of oxygen and concomitant cooling effect as part of the process of photosynthesis;

Concerned, however, about the widespread germination and resulting proliferation of non-native invasive species in the natural environments of member states due to the presence of these plantings;

Noting the many harms that invasive species inflict upon such environments, including: outcompeting native plant species for important resources, thereby upsetting ecological balance in the area; potentially harbouring diseases and parasites against which native species have no natural defenses; and providing few tangible benefits to native organisms through symbiotic relationships, relative to those provided by native plants;

Contending that the ability of invasive species to freely cross international borders and contaminate the natural environments of neighbouring nations makes this an issue of international concern;

Recognizing the need, therefore, that the introduction of invasive plant species is regulated, and their spread contained;

1. Defines the following terms as such:
   
   
   1. “Native species” are flora that presently inhabit the geographic range where they naturally evolved and established populations as a result of natural processes.
      
   2. “Invasive species” are flora that presently inhabit a geographic range where they did not naturally evolve or establish populations as a result of natural processes, and were introduced into the geographic range through direct or indirect means, such as transportation by humans.
      
   3. “Natural environment” refers to geographic areas that remain predominantly undisturbed by human activity or intervention, in which ecosystems are shaped by natural processes, and where the introduction or spread of non-native species may disrupt the local ecosystem.
2. Mandates the following actions:
   
   
   1. Construction projects that receive funding from member states or the World Assembly shall, if applicable, exclusively plant native species. Certain construction projects, such as arboretums or indoor spaces, may be exempted from this rule, provided that said projects implement or prove the existence of a method of containment to prevent germination in natural areas.
      
   2. Member states shall create a framework for private distributors and sellers of plants to replace inventory of non-native and invasive species with comparable native ones.
      
   3. Member states shall make a coordinated effort to contain the spread of invasive species within natural environments through the establishment of effective response mechanisms for newly identified invasive specimens, and the enactment of control and eradication programs. The financing of such operations is to come exclusively at the expense of the individual nation, provided it is financially able to do so.
      
   4. Control methods must be biological in nature, and may include the introduction of parasitic organisms or diseases into the environment that are damaging to the invasive species (without posing a threat to native ones), and targeted removal of invasive flora, among others. The excessive or indiscriminate spraying of toxic chemicals as a means of controlling invasive species is prohibited.
3. Establishes the World Assembly Office of Floral Biodiversity (WAOFB), to be tasked with:
   
   
   1. Observing and documenting the spread of invasive species within member states, and publishing and distributing said documentation to the respective governments of member states no less than once per-year.
      
   2. Issuing recommendations to member states on best practices for transitioning away from planting non-native species and/or containing their spread.
      
   3. Providing assistance, direct or financial (if a member state is unable to fulfill the funding obligation of Clause II.c.), to member states for containing the spread of invasive species and for developing future methods of containment. To fulfill this duty, the WAOFB may engage in scientific research both alongside member states and independently, so long as such research remains within the bounds of international and member state law.
      
   4. Engaging in ecosystem rehabilitation efforts in natural environments that have been affected by issues associated with the spread of invasive species. Efforts to implement ecosystem rehabilitation include the restoration of native flora, the reintroduction of symbiotically beneficial species, and other measures that may be reasonably necessary to achieve ecological balance. Such efforts should be prioritized on the basis of the severity of ecological harm from the invasive species, the likelihood of said efforts succeeding, the chance that an invasive species may spread across an international border, and the availability of WAOFB resources. If a member state possesses the necessary financial and technical capacity to implement ecosystem rehabilitation independently, the WAOFB may limit its assistance to advisory or research support.
      
   5. The WAOFB shall have sole legal authority to determine if a construction project may be reasonably made exempt from the requirements stated in Clause II.a.
4. All provisions of this resolution are to be applied and upheld according to the unique collection and constitution of native and invasive plant species in each individual member state.

EXTREME Racism towards non-humans(Of which the WA has many). "undisturbed by human activity or intervention", "such as transportation by humans",

Also, your definition of "Invasive Species" is not agreeable. What if we introduce a species that isn't native that helps the environment and doesn't hurt it? By your definition, anything non-native is invasive.

"The WAOFB shall have sole legal authority to determine if a construction project may be reasonably made exempt from the requirements stated in Clause II.a." So you mean my country can't decide? Heavens no, SUCH a Sovereignty breach.

Who says an Invasive Species can't be an animal? Does it have to be Flora?

Member states shall create a framework for private distributors and sellers of plants to replace inventory of non-native and invasive species with comparable native ones." No. You will not tell me how to spend the time of my government. If I want to keep non-native species in my nation, I will.

All of this overlooks one big flaw? What if an area HAS no native plants(Because your entire draft ignores animals, as far as I can see)? Like, if I just nukes it, and there's nothign left? Does that mean I can't introduce anything because it's "Non-native"?

I will be firmly AGAINST this Draft, for the reasons I have provided above.

[Aidenfieeld]

Thank you both for your comments.

EXTREME Racism towards non-humans(Of which the WA has many). "undisturbed by human activity or intervention", "such as transportation by humans",

This is discrimination by species. The World Assembly contains sapient species other than humans.

This is an interesting point. My thinking is that the resolution intends to regulate something that is very-much an Earth-specific issue, and on Earth, it is an issue caused exclusively by humans. I'm not entirely sure that this could be adequately applied to other planets because of that. I will consider adding an additional clause exempting other planets from this, if there is a desire for that.

The WAOFB shall have sole legal authority to determine if a construction project may be reasonably made exempt from the requirements stated in Clause II.a." So you mean my country can't decide? Heavens no, SUCH a Sovereignty breach.

Without this, member states could exempt themselves from these requirements for any reason, effectively rendering having such requirements entirely useless.

Who says an Invasive Species can't be an animal? Does it have to be Flora?

There is nothing in the draft to suggest that this is the case. Rather, the regulation of non-flora invasive species simply lays outside the scope of this resolution, which is solely concerned with flora.

No. You will not tell me how to spend the time of my government. If I want to keep non-native species in my nation, I will.

I'm thinking this is going to be a fundamental point of disagreement, but there are two main points to be made:
1. This does not completely ban non-native species, but merely limits them, and requires that there be methods for containment of their spread before they're allowed to be planted.
2. Environmental issues are not solely the concern of individual nations; there is significant overlap between the natural environments across different places, and thus they are inherently global issues. In this instance, the fact is that if one nation fails to contain the spread of invasive species, they leave-open the very likely possibility that those invasive species cross-over into neighbouring countries, even if those other countries make an active effort to remove non-natives; why should a neighbouring country have to exhaust significantly more resources than they would otherwise in order to deal with the preventable issue caused by their neighbour? If anything, that would be a violation of national sovereignty. Additionally, the destruction of ecosystems by the proliferation of invasive species can have devastating consequences for the planet's environmental health as a whole, as it can greatly harm (or completely eradicate) populations of migratory birds, contribute to climate change and desertification, etc. This is an international issue.

The proliferation of foreign species through trade is something that can hardly be avoided(because of illegal activity).

This can be used to argue against literally any restriction on anything ever. Should we not bother to ban slavery, because it will inevitably still be practiced through illegal means?

Sometimes, it is beneficial for a nation to deliberately import foreign species - for example, because it is superior to native organisms. Member states have big incentives to not import harmful species in the first place. A requirement to evaluate the harm a foreign species could bring upon the native environment might be enough. This is too inflexible.

The frequent "superiority" of non-native species to native ones is part of the problem, though; they outcompete native plants, because they are often not susceptible to certain diseases, or have evolutionary advantages like shade-tolerance. But in addition to usually introducing a number of harms, this provides literally no benefit to an ecosystem. It inevitably reduces biodiversity (because of its ability to outcompete native species), provides no natural advantages to other native organisms (because of the lack of evolved symbiotic relationships), and can even pose threats like increasing flooding risk (typically, non-native plants grow shallower roots, making them less effective at flood management), or introduce diseases or parasites.

Like, if I just nukes it, and there's nothign left? Does that mean I can't introduce anything because it's "Non-native"?

By definition, the plants that evolved to inhabit that geographic area are native. I think you'd have bigger things to worry about in that instance, though.

[Old Hope]

The frequent "superiority" of non-native species to native ones is part of the problem, though; they outcompete native plants, because they are often not susceptible to certain diseases, or have evolutionary advantages like shade-tolerance. But in addition to usually introducing a number of harms, this provides literally no benefit to an ecosystem. It inevitably reduces biodiversity (because of its ability to outcompete native species), provides no natural advantages to other native organisms (because of the lack of evolved symbiotic relationships), and can even pose threats like increasing flooding risk (typically, non-native plants grow shallower roots, making them less effective at flood management), or introduce diseases or parasites.

That is not true all the time, and your resolution has no flexibility.
Furthermore, some plants that were imported long ago simply have already eradicated the native species and/or are impossible to contain or destroy without extreme damage to the nation.

This is an interesting point. My thinking is that the resolution intends to regulate something that is very-much an Earth-specific issue, and on Earth, it is an issue caused exclusively by humans. I'm not entirely sure that this could be adequately applied to other planets because of that. I will consider adding an additional clause exempting other planets from this, if there is a desire for that.

This sounds like a terrible idea. Nations that have more experience with drafting know that trying to use the fictional planet "Earth" as a reference seems to cause the proposal documents to immolate themselves....(OOC: Please read rule 2b: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=43278196#p43278196).

[Merethin]

I haven't read the draft in-depth yet, but I wanted to comment on this:

My thinking is that the resolution intends to regulate something that is very-much an Earth-specific issue, and on Earth, it is an issue caused exclusively by humans. I'm not entirely sure that this could be adequately applied to other planets because of that. I will consider adding an additional clause exempting other planets from this, if there is a desire for that.

"Earth" does not exist in the NationStates world. And even if it did, within the vast multiverse in which NS nations exist, making an international body issue regulations for one specific planet would be silly.

Many things which are referenced in General Assembly resolutions are phenomena which are only observed on Earth, but can be imagined to happen in any number of fictional nations on fictional planets. Broadening the resolution to not refer to humans specifically would be enough to address this issue in particular, in my opinion.

[Aidenfieeld]

"Earth" does not exist in the NationStates world. And even if it did, within the vast multiverse in which NS nations exist, making an international body issue regulations for one specific planet would be silly.

Many things which are referenced in General Assembly resolutions are phenomena which are only observed on Earth, but can be imagined to happen in any number of fictional nations on fictional planets. Broadening the resolution to not refer to humans specifically would be enough to address this issue in particular, in my opinion.

This sounds like a terrible idea. Nations that have more experience with drafting know that trying to use the fictional planet "Earth" as a reference seems to cause the proposal documents to immolate themselves....(OOC: Please read rule 2b: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=43278196#p43278196).

Thank you for this. I have edited the draft to replace mention of "humans" with "sapient beings".

Furthermore, some plants that were imported long ago simply have already eradicated the native species and/or are impossible to contain or destroy without extreme damage to the nation.

I have added this to clause II.c.: "A nation may be exempt from this requirement if eradication of a non-native specie could reasonably cause irreparable damage to the natural environment."

[Old Hope]

"Earth" does not exist in the NationStates world. And even if it did, within the vast multiverse in which NS nations exist, making an international body issue regulations for one specific planet would be silly.

Many things which are referenced in General Assembly resolutions are phenomena which are only observed on Earth, but can be imagined to happen in any number of fictional nations on fictional planets. Broadening the resolution to not refer to humans specifically would be enough to address this issue in particular, in my opinion.

This sounds like a terrible idea. Nations that have more experience with drafting know that trying to use the fictional planet "Earth" as a reference seems to cause the proposal documents to immolate themselves....(OOC: Please read rule 2b: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=43278196#p43278196).

Thank you for this. I have edited the draft to replace mention of "humans" with "sapient beings".

Furthermore, some plants that were imported long ago simply have already eradicated the native species and/or are impossible to contain or destroy without extreme damage to the nation.

I have added this to clause II.c.: "A nation may be exempt from this requirement if eradication of a non-native specie could reasonably cause irreparable damage to the natural environment."

The invasive species could also have become a food source. It might be better to carve out an exception to originally non-native species that have become, essentially, native species. There is no strict difference between naturally and unnaturally introduced new species, after all.

[Aidenfieeld]

The invasive species could also have become a food source. It might be better to carve out an exception to originally non-native species that have become, essentially, native species. There is no strict difference between naturally and unnaturally introduced new species, after all.

Okay, this is the new version of the addendum to clause II.c.: "A nation may be exempt from this requirement if eradication of a non-native specie could reasonably cause significant damage to the natural environment; or, if the non-native specie has become naturalized as a vital component of the local ecosystem, where it fulfills a role comparable to that of native species, such as by providing a valuable food source to native organisms."

I hope this adequately addresses your conerns. Your feedback has been much-appreciated!

[Aidenfieeld]

I've made a slight edit to the preamble's "Contending" clause in order to make it more apparent that this is an international issue. It now reads like this: "Contending that the ability of invasive species to freely cross international borders and contaminate the natural environments of neighbouring nations; the harm that even localized ecological destruction by invasive flora can inflict upon organisms that are not bound by national borders, such as migratory birds; and the potential for localized ecological destruction by invasive species to have unforseen consequences for global climates makes this an issue of international concern;"

I do hope that using the term "global climates" is sufficient for avoiding reference to a specific planet?

[New Halo]

Support, well made from both of you.

[Peoples Guerilla Armed Coalition]

Thanks for the thoughtful suggestions people! If anyone has any objection or suggestion to add, please feel free to share.

[Pazill Ran]

The Ambassador to the World Assembly of Pazill Ran, Elaine Hamilton, rises from her seat.

The Federation of Pazill Ran opposes any requirement that constrains the legal authority of member states under the World Assembly, primarily in Section II. Clause IIa would be unobjectionable to us if it constrained projects receiving World Assembly funding without infringing on the sovereign authority of states. Clause IIc, however, infringes on the legal and sovereign authority of states and therefore we must object to this resolution.

Section III is mostly unobjectionable except insofar as Clauses IIa and IIc are concerned.

As such, we cannot support this resolution in its current state.

Ambassador Hamilton then proceeds to sit down

OOC: It's a pretty good resolution. I don't have any suggestions to give but others might.

[Old Hope]

Member states shall make a coordinated effort to contain the spread of invasive species within natural environments through the establishment of effective response mechanisms for newly identified invasive specimens, and the enactment of control and eradication programs. The financing of such operations is to come exclusively at the expense of the individual nation, provided it is financially able to do so. A nation may be exempt from this requirement if eradication of a non-native specie could reasonably cause significant damage to the natural environment; or, if the non-native specie has become naturalized as a vital component of the local ecosystem, where it fulfills a role comparable to that of native species, such as by providing a valuable food source to native organisms.

On further thought, the protections against financial problems are not strong enough. A nation may be financially able to do something, but it might still require far more resources than it can sustainably spend, require the nation to run unacceptable debts... until its economy is crippled and it can no longer comply. That's not a good sequence of events. Also, keep in mind that this proposal might not be the only resolution that requires member states to spend money.

[Aidenfieeld]

The Ambassador to the World Assembly of Pazill Ran, Elaine Hamilton, rises from her seat.

The Federation of Pazill Ran opposes any requirement that constrains the legal authority of member states under the World Assembly, primarily in Section II. Clause IIa would be unobjectionable to us if it constrained projects receiving World Assembly funding without infringing on the sovereign authority of states.

Alright; I have decided to entirely remove the requirement for adherence to Clause II.a. in projects funded by member states. I had originally been opposed to this, as it does drastically limit the scope of that clause, but I have come to acknowledge the limiting of sovereignty inherent in the original writing of the clause, which there is clearly little appetite for in the current GA environment. Ultimately, the resolution as it is now written is better than no resolution on this subject at all.

Clause IIc, however, infringes on the legal and sovereign authority of states and therefore we must object to this resolution.

On further thought, the protections against financial problems are not strong enough. A nation may be financially able to do something, but it might still require far more resources than it can sustainably spend, require the nation to run unacceptable debts... until its economy is crippled and it can no longer comply. That's not a good sequence of events. Also, keep in mind that this proposal might not be the only resolution that requires member states to spend money.

To be clear, the financial protection was intended to extend to the prevention of incurring debt and overextending its financial resources, and it was written in an effort to imply that. I can see how the current wording may be somewhat ambiguous, though, I can also see how it would be considered a breach of sovereignty. I see two potential solutions for this:

1. Put all responsibility, both financial and active, for invasive species containment onto the WAOFB. This would spread-out the financial obligation across all member-states funding the WAOFB (which I would clarify only includes those that are financially able), significantly reducing the burdon on individual states.

There are few issues with this, though. Firstly, I would argue that this is an even bigger violation of sovereignty, as it would give the WAOFB full authority over containment methods and action within member states; something that seems excessive even to someone like myself, who is not much of a NatSov. This breach of sovereignty could be ameliorated if containment was made voluntary, but that would then render this resolution largely feckless and useless. Secondly, it would require slightly more funding for the WAOFB on the part of member states that may not have much need for most of its services, if they have no problem with invasive flora, themselves. Now, the increase would be slight (since, again, it's spread-out over thousands of member states), but it could be viewed as "unfair" by some as a matter of principle.

2. Turn funding for containment over to the WAOFB, but have the actual actions carried-out by individual member states according to methods they best see fit for their particular situation. This would similarly spread-out the fincancial obligation, lessening the burdon on individual member states; whilst ensuring that there is as little breach of national sovereignty as possible, by giving individual member states control over their own containment programmes.

There is one potential issue with this, though: member states would need to ask for funding from the WAOFB for invasive species control measures, which may open-the-door to abuse by member states that ask for more funding than is necessary, enabling them to engage in corruption (paying-off profiteering private companies involved in the containment efforts) and indirectly incentivizing inefficient and unnecessarily expensive projects. The only way I can think of solving this is through the conducting of regular audits, which seems like common-sense to me, but may be opposed by others.

Let me know, of course, which of these options you (this is a general "you", open to everyone, not just those I'm responding to) prefer, or if you have a better potential solution.

OOC: It's a pretty good resolution. I don't have any suggestions to give but others might.

I appreciate the kind words.

[Aidenfieeld]

Big update!
I have gone with option 2 from above; the WAOFB is now the sole financer of invasive flora containment programs created and enacted by individual member states. The lessens the financial burden on individual states, whilst increasing their autonomy. You can see the new changes (which have been highlighted for emphasis) compared to the previous draft below:

The World Assembly,

Observing the prevalence of non-native plant species as ornamental plantings in built environments;

Acknowledging the value of such plantings for both their beauty and the environmental benefits they provide to the localized built environment, including the provision of oxygen and concomitant cooling effect as part of the process of photosynthesis;

Concerned, however, about the widespread germination and resulting proliferation of non-native invasive species in the natural environments of member states due to the presence of these plantings;

Noting the many harms that invasive species inflict upon such environments, including: outcompeting native plant species for important resources, thereby upsetting ecological balance in the area; potentially harbouring diseases and parasites against which native species have no natural defenses; and providing few tangible benefits to native organisms through symbiotic relationships, relative to those provided by native plants;

Contending that the ability of invasive species to freely cross international borders and contaminate the natural environments of neighbouring nations; the harm that even localized ecological destruction by invasive flora can inflict upon organisms that are not bound by national borders, such as migratory birds; and the potential for localized ecological destruction by invasive species to have unforseen consequences for global climates makes this an issue of international concern;

Recognizing the need, therefore, that the introduction of invasive plant species is regulated, and their spread contained;

1. Defines the following terms as such:
   
   
   1. “Native species” are flora that presently inhabit the geographic range where they naturally evolved and established populations as a result of natural processes.
      
   2. “Invasive species” are flora that presently inhabit a geographic range where they did not naturally evolve or establish populations as a result of natural processes, and were introduced into the geographic range through direct or indirect means, such as transportation by sapient beings.
      
   3. “Natural environment” refers to geographic areas that remain predominantly undisturbed by activity or intervention of sapient beings, in which ecosystems are shaped by natural processes, and where the introduction or spread of non-native species may disrupt the local ecosystem.
2. Mandates the following actions:
   
   
   1. Construction projects that receive funding from the World Assembly shall, if applicable, exclusively plant native species. Certain construction projects, such as arboretums or indoor spaces, may be exempted from this rule, provided that said projects implement or prove the existence of a method of containment to prevent germination in natural areas.
      
   2. Member states shall create a framework for private distributors and sellers of plants to replace inventory of non-native and invasive species with comparable native ones.
      
   3. Member states shall make a coordinated effort to contain the spread of invasive species within natural environments through the establishment of effective response mechanisms for newly identified invasive specimens, and the enactment of control and eradication programs. [Removed funding obligation of individual member states.] A nation may be exempt from this requirement if eradication of a non-native specie could reasonably cause significant damage to the natural environment; or, if the non-native specie has become naturalized as a vital component of the local ecosystem, where it fulfills a role comparable to that of native species, such as by providing a valuable food source to native organisms, or else is entirely innocuous.
      
   4. Control methods must be biological in nature, and may include the introduction of parasitic organisms or diseases into the environment that are damaging to the invasive species (without posing a threat to native ones), and targeted removal of invasive flora, among others. The excessive or indiscriminate spraying of toxic chemicals as a means of controlling invasive species is prohibited.
3. Establishes the World Assembly Office of Floral Biodiversity (WAOFB), to be tasked with:
   
   
   1. Observing and documenting the spread of invasive species within member states, and publishing and distributing said documentation to the respective governments of member states no less than once per-year.
      
   2. Issuing recommendations to member states on best practices for transitioning away from planting non-native species and/or containing their spread.
      
   3. Providing funding to member states in order for them to fulfil the containment obligation as stated in Clause II.c. The WAOFB shall conduct regular audits of member states' containment programmes to ensure the propoer usage of these funds, but may not revoke this funding unless examples of fraud or abuse have been found, such as misdirection of WAOFB funds towards an area unrelated to invasive species containment.
      
   4. Working directly alongside member states, if requested, to engage in containment of invasive flora, and to develop future methods of containment. To fulfill this duty, the WAOFB may engage in scientific research both alongside member states and independently, so long as such research remains within the bounds of international and member state law.
      
   5. Engaging in ecosystem rehabilitation efforts in natural environments that have been affected by issues associated with the spread of invasive species. Efforts to implement ecosystem rehabilitation include the restoration of native flora, the reintroduction of symbiotically beneficial species, and other measures that may be reasonably necessary to achieve ecological balance. Such efforts should be prioritized on the basis of the severity of ecological harm from the invasive species, the likelihood of said efforts succeeding, the chance that an invasive species may spread across an international border, and the availability of WAOFB resources. If a member state possesses the necessary financial and technical capacity to implement ecosystem rehabilitation independently, the WAOFB may limit its assistance to advisory or research support.
      
   6. The WAOFB shall have sole legal authority to determine if a construction project may be reasonably made exempt from the requirements stated in Clauses II.a. and II.c.
4. All provisions of this resolution are to be applied and upheld according to the unique collection and constitution of native and invasive plant species in each individual member state.

The World Assembly,

Observing the prevalence of non-native plant species as ornamental plantings in built environments;

Acknowledging the value of such plantings for both their beauty and the environmental benefits they provide to the localized built environment, including the provision of oxygen and concomitant cooling effect as part of the process of photosynthesis;

Concerned, however, about the widespread germination and resulting proliferation of non-native invasive species in the natural environments of member states due to the presence of these plantings;

Noting the many harms that invasive species inflict upon such environments, including: outcompeting native plant species for important resources, thereby upsetting ecological balance in the area; potentially harbouring diseases and parasites against which native species have no natural defenses; and providing few tangible benefits to native organisms through symbiotic relationships, relative to those provided by native plants;

Contending that the ability of invasive species to freely cross international borders and contaminate the natural environments of neighbouring nations; the harm that even localized ecological destruction by invasive flora can inflict upon organisms that are not bound by national borders, such as migratory birds; and the potential for localized ecological destruction by invasive species to have unforseen consequences for global climates makes this an issue of international concern;

Recognizing the need, therefore, that the introduction of invasive plant species is regulated, and their spread contained;

1. Defines the following terms as such:
   
   
   1. “Native species” are flora that presently inhabit the geographic range where they naturally evolved and established populations as a result of natural processes.
      
   2. “Invasive species” are flora that presently inhabit a geographic range where they did not naturally evolve or establish populations as a result of natural processes, and were introduced into the geographic range through direct or indirect means, such as transportation by sapient beings.
      
   3. “Natural environment” refers to geographic areas that remain predominantly undisturbed by activity or intervention of sapient beings, in which ecosystems are shaped by natural processes, and where the introduction or spread of non-native species may disrupt the local ecosystem.
2. Mandates the following actions:
   
   
   1. Construction projects that receive funding from the World Assembly shall, if applicable, exclusively plant native species. Certain construction projects, such as arboretums or indoor spaces, may be exempted from this rule, provided that said projects implement or prove the existence of a method of containment to prevent germination in natural areas.
      
   2. Member states shall create a framework for private distributors and sellers of plants to replace inventory of non-native and invasive species with comparable native ones.
      
   3. Member states shall make a coordinated effort to contain the spread of invasive species within natural environments through the establishment of effective response mechanisms for newly identified invasive specimens, and the enactment of control and eradication programs. The financing of such operations is to come exclusively at the expense of the individual nation, provided it is financially able to do so. A nation may be exempt from this requirement if eradication of a non-native specie could reasonably cause significant damage to the natural environment; or, if the non-native specie has become naturalized as a vital component of the local ecosystem, where it fulfills a role comparable to that of native species, such as by providing a valuable food source to native organisms.
      
   4. Control methods must be biological in nature, and may include the introduction of parasitic organisms or diseases into the environment that are damaging to the invasive species (without posing a threat to native ones), and targeted removal of invasive flora, among others. The excessive or indiscriminate spraying of toxic chemicals as a means of controlling invasive species is prohibited.
3. Establishes the World Assembly Office of Floral Biodiversity (WAOFB), to be tasked with:
   
   
   1. Observing and documenting the spread of invasive species within member states, and publishing and distributing said documentation to the respective governments of member states no less than once per-year.
      
   2. Issuing recommendations to member states on best practices for transitioning away from planting non-native species and/or containing their spread.
      
   3. Providing assistance, direct or financial (if a member state is unable to fulfill the funding obligation of Clause II.c.), to member states for containing the spread of invasive species and for developing future methods of containment. To fulfill this duty, the WAOFB may engage in scientific research both alongside member states and independently, so long as such research remains within the bounds of international and member state law.
      
   4. Engaging in ecosystem rehabilitation efforts in natural environments that have been affected by issues associated with the spread of invasive species. Efforts to implement ecosystem rehabilitation include the restoration of native flora, the reintroduction of symbiotically beneficial species, and other measures that may be reasonably necessary to achieve ecological balance. Such efforts should be prioritized on the basis of the severity of ecological harm from the invasive species, the likelihood of said efforts succeeding, the chance that an invasive species may spread across an international border, and the availability of WAOFB resources. If a member state possesses the necessary financial and technical capacity to implement ecosystem rehabilitation independently, the WAOFB may limit its assistance to advisory or research support.
      
   5. The WAOFB shall have sole legal authority to determine if a construction project may be reasonably made exempt from the requirements stated in Clauses II.a. and II.c.
4. All provisions of this resolution are to be applied and upheld according to the unique collection and constitution of native and invasive plant species in each individual member state.

I would like to submit this soon, but would appreciate further feedback. Of course, thank you very much to those that have provided suggestions thus far!

[Aidenfieeld]

The title has been updated to "Protecting Against Invasive Plants", in order to better encapsulate the essence of what this resolution is concerned with.

[Astrobolt]

OOC: This is being rushed, you just made a major update, this should not be on last call - especially given this has only been in public drafting for 10 or so days.

Where does the funding of the WAOFB come from?

More specific comments to come later hopefully.

[Aidenfieeld]

Alright, that is very fair; I think the GA reset sped-up my internal clock a bit too much. On further thought, I really needed to be told that, so thank you.

Where does the funding of the WAOFB come from?

The funding comes from contributions by each member state. Because there is no centralized funding mechanism (like the WA General Fund), and because a number of other recent proposals have created agencies without explicitly mentioning their funding scheme, I assumed that that would be implied. If you think that should be elaborated-upon in the proposal, I'd be happy to do so.

[Jiangbei]

Decent fit for an international resolution.

I think it'll be neater if we could merge all invasive species into one resolution, instead of regulating flora here and writing a similar resolution for fauna later.

Member states shall create a framework for private distributors and sellers of plants to replace inventory of non-native and invasive species with comparable native ones.

A plant is native or invasive based on where you are, it's not an intrinsic property of the plant, it's a bit weird to say in isolation that you should replace them, especially since you can't just toss a plant in a rubbish bin and buy a new one.

I would prefer that it mandates sellers to not sell or distribute species in areas where they are non-native/invasive unless it can be contained from natural areas.

Control methods must be biological in nature, and may include the introduction of parasitic organisms or diseases into the environment that are damaging to the invasive species (without posing a threat to native ones), and targeted removal of invasive floras, among others. The excessive or indiscriminate spraying of toxic chemicals as a means of controlling invasive species is prohibited.

Diseases/parasites are some of the less effective ways to control an invasive species, and biological methods are not always better than other methods.

I'm going to be very disappointed if the World Assembly ends up explicitly endorsing a method that has wildly unpredictable effects, may end up resulting in mutated versions of diseases that jump over to other species, and usually isn't effective over long periods of time as resistance evolves. The use of disease to control invasive species is not recommended as a first line of defence by most conservationists. Also you add a requirement of "without posing a threat to native ones" which is much harder to guarantee for biological organisms that can mutate and change, and expensive mistakes have happened with this in real life.

This also excludes mechanical methods like just clearing invasive species by hand, which is useful for smaller invasions, and works for many species of flora, though there's some that are hard to remove this way.

About chemicals, no one nowadays seriously advocates for indiscriminate application of chemicals, but using them in a targeted way can work while minimizing the negative effects. And chemicals usually fade away when you stop, and you can adjust how much you use or your methods, but you cannot undo a disease or parasite once you release one.

Anyways rant concluded. The next clauses seem fine.

[Aidenfieeld]

Apologies for the relatively late response. Thank you for your comments.

I think it'll be neater if we could merge all invasive species into one resolution, instead of regulating flora here and writing a similar resolution for fauna later.

So, I do agree that it would probably be preferable to have one resolution that's all-encompassing, and if there's a way to include fauna here without needing to completely re-write the proposal, we (myself and PGAC) definitely will consider it.

Now, with that being said, I wouldn't count on it happening; fauna are fundamentally different from flora in that they are able to move about freely in a way that florae cannot. In part because of this, the introduction of non-native species of fauna to foreign environments is very rarely deliberate, unlike the introduction of non-native species of flora, which is almost always the result of human (or, for the purposes of this resolution, other sapient being) activity. For that reason, they're significantly more difficult to regulate, and thus putting them together with flora into one resolution would probably not be a great fit.

A plant is native or invasive based on where you are, it's not an intrinsic property of the plant, it's a bit weird to say in isolation that you should replace them, especially since you can't just toss a plant in a rubbish bin and buy a new one.

I would prefer that it mandates sellers to not sell or distribute species in areas where they are non-native/invasive unless it can be contained from natural areas.

This has been fixed. It now reads like this: "Member states shall create a framework for private distributors and sellers of plants to cease the distribution and sale of species in geographic areas in which they are non-native, except in cases where there exists an effective method for containment of their spread into the natural environment."

Diseases/parasites are some of the less effective ways to control an invasive species, and biological methods are not always better than other methods.

I'm going to be very disappointed if the World Assembly ends up explicitly endorsing a method that has wildly unpredictable effects, may end up resulting in mutated versions of diseases that jump over to other species, and usually isn't effective over long periods of time as resistance evolves. The use of disease to control invasive species is not recommended as a first line of defence by most conservationists. Also you add a requirement of "without posing a threat to native ones" which is much harder to guarantee for biological organisms that can mutate and change, and expensive mistakes have happened with this in real life.

This also excludes mechanical methods like just clearing invasive species by hand, which is useful for smaller invasions, and works for many species of flora, though there's some that are hard to remove this way.

About chemicals, no one nowadays seriously advocates for indiscriminate application of chemicals, but using them in a targeted way can work while minimizing the negative effects. And chemicals usually fade away when you stop, and you can adjust how much you use or your methods, but you cannot undo a disease or parasite once you release one.

Woah, so this was a very good catch on your part; this clause was never intended to exclude targeted removal or even spraying of invasive plants, but I do definitely see how it could be construed to do so because of the wording. I'm not entirely sure why I thought beginning the clause with "Control methods must be biological in nature" would be a good idea, when I literally explicitly mentioned later-on that targeted removal of plants is acceptable. Again, really good catch on your part; thank you!

The primary purpose of this clause is to prevent member states from thinking that they can fulfill their obligations simply by indiscriminantly spraying chemicals from planes on massive swaths of land. Given this, and what you have said, I've decided that there really isn't any reason for this resolution to explicitly endorse any specific containment method at all, and that it should not attempt to do anything more than what its original intended purpose was. Thus, it now reads like this: "Individual member states may enact a wide variety of containment methods as they see fit, though the excessive or indiscriminate spraying of toxic chemicals as a means of controlling invasive species is prohibited. Deliberate, targeted usage of such chemicals (as are permitted under international law) is permissible." This does mention targeted chemical spraying, but merely in order to differentiate it from indiscriminant spraying, so as to make clear that usage of such chemicals (at least the ones that remain legal under international law) is not entirely banned.

[Aidenfieeld]

I'm posting in part to bump this thread, but also to mention that I've added the original draft, plus drafts IV and V (II and III seem to have been lost to the wind) to the original post, for interested parties.

We're still open to feedback.

[Old Hope]

Member states shall make a coordinated effort to contain the spread of invasive species within natural environments through the establishment of effective response mechanisms for newly identified invasive specimens, and the enactment of control and eradication programs. The financing of such operations is to come exclusively at the expense of the individual nation, provided it is financially able to do so.

This is still a problematic clause. A nation may be able to pay for such operations... by taking up big foreign debt, for example, but that doesn't mean that would be a good idea. And it would have to, to follow this proposal.

[Aidenfieeld]

This is still a problematic clause. A nation may be able to pay for such operations... by taking up big foreign debt, for example, but that doesn't mean that would be a good idea. And it would have to, to follow this proposal.

That was already fixed previously. The current draft is the one displayed in the original post. Clause IIc reads like this now: "Member states shall make a coordinated effort to contain the spread of invasive species within natural environments through the establishment of effective response mechanisms for newly identified invasive specimens, and the enactment of control and eradication programs. A nation may be exempt from this requirement if eradication of a non-native specie could reasonably cause significant damage to the natural environment; or, if the non-native specie has become naturalized as a vital component of the local ecosystem, where it fulfills a role comparable to that of native species, such as by providing a valuable food source to native organisms, or else is entirely innocuous."

Funding comes at the expense of the WAOFB, which is itself funded collectively by member states, like any other WA agency.

[Aidenfieeld]

Another bump.

We're still looking for thoughts and feedback!