New version (submitted: 27th May '09)
Access to Sweetness
Category: Free Trade
Strength: Significant
Description: The World Assembly,
Recognising that many people like to include various sweet substances, such as (but not limited to) honey, maple syrup, marmalade, condensed milk, treacle, sugar, or molasses, amongst the foodstuffs that they consume,
Regretting that some governments choose to impose customs duties, tariffs, or other taxes, that make it harder for people to afford such substances,
Recognising that this organisation should only reduce the sovereign rights of the member nations' governments within their own lands when this is absolutely necessary, but that international trade is a legitimate subject for international legislation;
1. Strongly urges member nations to refrain from taxing any such dietary sweeteners that are produced within their borders, or at least to refrain from taxing these at rates that would make them too expensive for most of those nations’ inhabitants;
2. Strongly urges member nations to ensure that the supplies of such sweeteners available within their territories, whether produced domestically or imported, are adequate in both quantity and quality to meet the demand for those substances there;
3. Declares that no member nation may impose customs duties, tariffs, or other taxes on any such imported dietary sweeteners, unless at least one of the following conditions applies_
A/ The nation concerned also produces the same substance within its own territories, and taxes that specific domestic product at least as heavily as it wishes to tax the imports;
B/ The nation concerned produces at least one other such substance within its own territories, and taxes all such domestically produced sweeteners at least as heavily as it wishes to tax the imports;
D/ The nation concerned applies taxation at the level concerned to all foodstuffs, regardless of whether those are domestically produced or imported;
D/ This imposition of tariffs or other taxes is intended purely to counteract production subsidies within, and/or "product dumping" by, another nation, and does not exceed the level that is actually necessary for this purpose;
E/ This imposition of tariffs or other taxes is intended purely to help balance any such charges that the nation exporting the sweeteners itself places on some or all of its imports from this nation, and does not exceed the level that is actually necessary for this purpose;
3. Creates an organisation called the ‘World Assembly Free Trade Investigation and Normalisation Group’ (or 'WAFTING'), and _
A/ Gives WAFTING the right and duty to impose binding arbitration on any disputes about the application of this resolution's terms that are brought before it;
B/ Creates a universal right of appeal to WAFTING in any disputes about these matters that the relevant nations’ legal systems do not settle to the satisfaction of all parties involved;
C/ Authorises WAFTING to collect the costs of holding its hearings from the parties to those hearings, as a part of its decisions in those cases;
D/ Requires that WAFTING and all of its staff act honestly, and without fear or favour, in these matters.
Original version
Access to Sweetness
Category: Free Trade
Strength: Significant
Description: The World Assembly,
Recognising that many people like to include sweet substances, such as honey, maple syrup, marmalade, condensed milk, treacle, sugar, or molasses, in their foods,
Regretting that some national governments impose customs duties, tariffs, or other taxes, that make it harder for people to afford such substances,
Recognising that this organisation should only reduce the sovereign rights of the member nations' governments within their own lands when this is absolutely necessary, but that international trade is a legitimate subject for international legislation;
1. Strongly urges member nations to refrain from taxing any such dietary sweeteners that are produced within their borders, or at least to refrain from taxing these at rates that would make them too expensive for most of those nations’ inhabitants;
2. Declares that no member nation may impose customs duties, tariffs or other taxes on any imported dietary sweeteners of such types, unless either or both of the following conditions apply _
A/ The nation concerned also produces the same substance within their own territories, and taxes that domestic product at least as heavily as they wish to tax the imports;
B/ The imposition of tariffs or other taxes is intended purely to counteract production subsidies within, and/or "product dumping" by, another nation, and does not exceed the level that is actually necessary for this purpose;
3. Creates an organisation called the ‘World Assembly Free Trade Investigation and Normalisation Group’ (or 'WAFTING'), and _
A/ Gives WAFTING the right and duty to impose binding arbitration on any disputes about the application of this resolution's terms that are brought before it;
B/ Creates a universal right of appeal to WAFTING in any disputes about these matters that the relevant nations’ legal systems do not settle to the satisfaction of all parties involved;
C/ Authorises WAFTING to collect the costs of holding its hearings from the parties to those hearings, as a part of its decisions in those cases;
D/ Requires that WAFTING and all of its staff act honestly, and without fear or favour, in these matters.
Its main differences from the previously-attempted version are its title, the addition of a new clause #1 and subsequent re-numbering of the other clauses, and a re-naming of the WA agency to be created if it is passed.
Borrin o Redwood,
Chairbear, Bears Armed Mission at the World Assembly,
For
The High Council of Clans,
The Confederated Clans of the Free Bears of Bears Armed.
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Approval link: http://www.nationstates.net/page=UN_proposal1/match=Sweetness
(Yes, I’ve submitted it without a further drafting stage: Nobody had any real changes to suggest last time around, after all, and I think that the changes that I have made between the versions should probably be about as acceptable — or unacceptable, depending on your tastes — as the original draft was… besides which, the list was pretty well empty and I wanted to take advantage of that fact…