[DEFEATED] Regulation on the Integrity of Genetic Data

[Tinhampton]

Smith: How are more than twenty thousand member states supposed to impose crushing sanctions on a handful of companies that offer DNA tests?

[Daarwyrth]

Smith: How are more than twenty thousand member states supposed to impose crushing sanctions on a handful of companies that offer DNA tests?

Vyn Nysen: "I would assume that not all companies would immediately be non-compliant with this resolution. However, I imagine that a possible sanction could be the prohibition of sales on the markets of the member states, until the company in question rectifies their state of non-compliance. That way the companies in question would be barred from a market of significant size (if all member nations impose such a ban of sales), and I imagine that would be motivational for a company to rectify their errors. Unless, of course, our delegation sees this incorrectly/too naively? I will gladly defer to your experience, Delegate-Ambassador."

[Daarwyrth]

Vyn Nysen: "As our draft has not been garnering any more feedback, our delegation has decided to make a last call for feedback and commentary, before we move to submit this proposal to the General Assembly. If we are moving too swiftly, please do not hesitate to inform us of such."

[Daarwyrth]

Vyn Nysen: "Our delegation has submitted this proposal to the World Assembly, just a few moments ago. We thank all who have given feedback on this proposal draft for their commentary and insights."

[Tinhampton]

The following campaign telegram was sent by the author to tag:delegates at 11:59:57 BST today. Note that this telegram does not contain a link to the proposal in question:

Esteemed Delegates of the World Assembly,

Through this telegram, I would like to make you aware of our delegations submission of the resolution proposal "Regulation On the Integrity Of Genetic Data".

The genetic code of any living being is a valuable treasure trove of information. It can be used for medical purposes, for scientific goals, or even for genealogical research. These uses of genetic data largely sound benevolent in their nature, and I would argue they are indeed so.

However, as genetic data contains invaluable information, it can also become the target of malicious handling. After all, some will argue that even information is a commodity that can be bought and sold, including genetic data.

Genetic data is no longer solely produced by means of medical or scientific research, but also for commercial purposes, where a consumer procures a DNA test from an entity selling such tests, for either recreational purposes, uncovering personal family history, or for any other non-medical purpose. Very often, the genetic data that is procured by those entities selling non-medical DNA tests are contractually bound to remain in the hands of those companies for a defined or undefined period of time. In other words, the entity is in the possession of a valuable treasure trove of information, namely the genetic data of its consumers.

As such, our delegation's intent is to thwart the sale of this genetic data, in an effort to prevent any malicious handling of this information, so that the integrity of any non-medical DNA test can be preserved, as well as the privacy of citizens of member states across the World Assembly. As entities selling non-medical DNA tests do not operate within a single internal market, but oftentimes will do so on a wider, international one, it is my delegation's conviction that any regulation on the matter should be handled internationally as well. This is the reason why we have submitted the proposal "Regulation On the Integrity Of Genetic Data" to the World Assembly.

In name of my nation's delegation, I humbly ask you, the Honourable Delegates of the World Assembly, for your approval of this resolution proposal. Your vote of approval will be one step closer to safer handling of genetic data across the entirety of the World Assembly.

Yours faithfully,
Dame Maria vyn Nysen
WA Representative of the Royal State of Daarwyrth

[Daarwyrth]

The following campaign telegram was sent by the author to tag:delegates at 11:59:57 BST today. Note that this telegram does not contain a link to the proposal in question:

Esteemed Delegates of the World Assembly,

Through this telegram, I would like to make you aware of our delegations submission of the resolution proposal "Regulation On the Integrity Of Genetic Data".

The genetic code of any living being is a valuable treasure trove of information. It can be used for medical purposes, for scientific goals, or even for genealogical research. These uses of genetic data largely sound benevolent in their nature, and I would argue they are indeed so.

However, as genetic data contains invaluable information, it can also become the target of malicious handling. After all, some will argue that even information is a commodity that can be bought and sold, including genetic data.

Genetic data is no longer solely produced by means of medical or scientific research, but also for commercial purposes, where a consumer procures a DNA test from an entity selling such tests, for either recreational purposes, uncovering personal family history, or for any other non-medical purpose. Very often, the genetic data that is procured by those entities selling non-medical DNA tests are contractually bound to remain in the hands of those companies for a defined or undefined period of time. In other words, the entity is in the possession of a valuable treasure trove of information, namely the genetic data of its consumers.

As such, our delegation's intent is to thwart the sale of this genetic data, in an effort to prevent any malicious handling of this information, so that the integrity of any non-medical DNA test can be preserved, as well as the privacy of citizens of member states across the World Assembly. As entities selling non-medical DNA tests do not operate within a single internal market, but oftentimes will do so on a wider, international one, it is my delegation's conviction that any regulation on the matter should be handled internationally as well. This is the reason why we have submitted the proposal "Regulation On the Integrity Of Genetic Data" to the World Assembly.

In name of my nation's delegation, I humbly ask you, the Honourable Delegates of the World Assembly, for your approval of this resolution proposal. Your vote of approval will be one step closer to safer handling of genetic data across the entirety of the World Assembly.

Yours faithfully,
Dame Maria vyn Nysen
WA Representative of the Royal State of Daarwyrth

OOC: I'm very sorry for the oversight of not including a link to the proposal text, this should have absolutely been added into the message! I will make sure not to forget adding a link in the future. It's not an excuse of course, but I blame it on the excitement of submitting a proposal to the World Assembly for the first time

[Araraukar]

OOC: You realize your definition currently catches most veterinarian genetic tests too? Not meaning looking for sick animals' genes but for breeding purposes? Which makes clause 2 extra difficult. If you meant to restrict this to people, then withdraw and fix it.

Also any scientific research gene tests where the tests are bought as services from a commercial provider.

[Daarwyrth]

"Our resolution proposal "Regulation On The Integrity Of Genetic Data" has reached quorum, and is currently in queue.

Our delegation wants to express its profound gratitude to all the Honourable Delegates who approved our resolution proposal."

- Dame Maria vyn Nysen
WA Representative to the Royal State of Daarwyrth

[Imperium Anglorum]

Rec'd, after dispatch to tag:delegates, 5:25 am EDT 24 Apr 2021.

Esteemed Delegates of the World Assembly,

As the timeframe for the approval of our resolution proposal "Regulation on the Integrity of Genetic Data" is nearing its end, our delegation sends this last campaign telegram to you.

Honourable Delegates, imagine you purchase a commercial DNA test to discover your personal ancestry for your own leisure and pleasure. Upon receiving the results, you believe your genetic data to be safe and sound, until you learn that the blueprint of your very being has been sold to a third party for unknown intents and purposes. Would that not trouble you gravely?

That is why our delegation asks you one final time to approve our proposal "Regulation on the Integrity of Genetic Data", to prevent such a thing from happening across the member states of the World Assembly, and to promote and safeguard the integrity of genetic data.

Yours faithfully,
Dame Maria vyn Nysen
WA Representative for the Royal State of Daarwyrth

[Tinhampton]

And this was the second telegram (omitted by IA above), sent to tag:delegates at 17:18:26 BST on Thursday:

Esteemed Delegates of the World Assembly,

Yesterday, you received a telegram from our delegation informing you about the submission of our proposal "Regulation On The Integrity Of Genetic Data".

Alas, we made a grave oversight of not referring you to the text of our proposal in our campaign message. While it is of course no excuse, I would like to put the blame for that oversight on our delegation's excitement at submitting our first resolution proposal to the World Assembly. As such, we extend our apologies for this oversight, and hope you can look upon it kindly.

In light of this, our delegation is sending a campaign message once again, yet this time its content will refer you, the Honourable Delegates of the World Assembly, to the text of our proposal "Regulation On The Integrity Of Genetic Data".

It is my belief that as a joint entity, namely the World Assembly as a whole, we can thwart the malicious handling of genetic data that is produced through non-medical means, such as commercial DNA tests. There are those who believe that information is a commodity that can be bought and sold, your or my genetic data included.

The proposed resolution will use the collective strength of the World Assembly to prohibit the sale of genetic data, and thus safeguard the integrity of the collected genetic data.

It is our delegation's hope that you will aid our efforts, and as such I would ask you, the Honourable Delegates of the World Assembly, to approve our resolution "Regulation On The Integrity Of Genetic Data".

Yours sincerely,
Dame Maria vyn Nysen
WA Representative for the Royal State of Daarwyrth

ROTIOGD required ten approvals in about six hours to avoid falling out of queue but will now likely be voted on between the minor updates of Friday 30th April and Tuesday 4th May.

[Daarwyrth]

ROTIOGD required ten approvals in about six hours to avoid falling out of queue but will now likely be voted on between the minor updates of Friday 30th April and Tuesday 4th May.

OOC: Looking forward to those days, then!

[Tinhampton]

The below campaign telegram was sent to tag:delegates at 00:40:05 BST today. Daarwyrth has now sent out four campaign telegrams in favour of this proposal without anything even vaguely resembling a serious counter-campaign:

Honourable Delegates of the World Assembly,

In a few hours, our proposal "Regulation on the Integrity of Genetic Data" will be moved to the floor to be voted upon.

In order to ensure that the very blueprint to a person's body and being will be protected from malicious entities seeking to sell the genetic data that they acquired through non-medical DNA tests - for example commercial DNA tests meant to unveil a person's genetic ancestry - I would like to ask you to vote 'For' our resolution proposal "Regulation on the Integrity of Genetic Data", if you are willing and able to do so, of course.

Your vote 'For' will be one step closer to ensuring the integrity of the genetic data that entities in possession of such data have stored on their databanks.

Let us not allow genetic information to become a commodity that can be bought and sold by entities that should have no access to such data.

Yours faithfully,
Dame Maria vyn Nysen
WA Representative of the Royal State of Daarwyrth

[Big Boyz]

This is at vote. Good luck, ambassador.

OOC: First vote FOR

[Daarwyrth]

The below campaign telegram was sent to tag:delegates at 00:40:05 BST today. Daarwyrth has now sent out four campaign telegrams in favour of this proposal without anything even vaguely resembling a serious counter-campaign:

OOC: As this is my first time campaigning for a WA proposal, I'm still trying to figure out what's done and what's not. I apologise for any nuisance that I might have caused, this was not intentional. The feedback that I already received - your post included - clearly tells me that this is not the way to do it. Rest assured, I'm learning from this, and in the future will restrict my campaigns to one telegram per resolution

[Lumermeyr]

3. Clarifies that the laboratories that analyse and study the genetic samples produced by non-medical DNA test for testing entities are excluded from the prohibition under Clause 2, to the extent to which they need to fulfill their contractual obligations to the testing entity;

"We fear this clause might, in very specific and maleficent cases, allow for laboratories to become some sort of dealers for the testing entities, with monetary payments performed separately and secretly, thus leading to tax evasion. We hope it is just a pessimistic view on things, however."

[Daarwyrth]

3. Clarifies that the laboratories that analyse and study the genetic samples produced by non-medical DNA test for testing entities are excluded from the prohibition under Clause 2, to the extent to which they need to fulfill their contractual obligations to the testing entity;

"We fear this clause might, in very specific and maleficent cases, allow for laboratories to become some sort of dealers for the testing entities, with monetary payments performed separately and secretly, thus leading to tax evasion. We hope it is just a pessimistic view on things, however."

"The Clause was not an initial part of the resolution proposal, yet the exclusion was added after we were attended to the fact that, because of the prohibition under Clause 2, laboratories would not be able to properly do their work for the testing entities. It is why the clause was added, to ensure that laboratories working for testing entities in legitimate capacities would be able to fulfil their contractual obligations.

No law is of course perfect, yet we tried to minimise the amount of possible exploits in this resolution, while taking into account the commentary and feedback that was presented to us. It is our hope that both the WAGDOA and the other appropriate authorities of the WA will be able to deal with any possible exploiters, should they indeed arise. And of course, should this resolution come to pass. Judging by the disparity in numbers at the moment, our delegation sadly expects the opposite, but hopes for the best of course."

[Imperial Felchah]

"While the Hegemony recognises and understands the overarching message of the proposal, it disagrees with its current form and regrets to inform the Assembly of its negative vote. Its principle is fair, but we have decided that it does not directly solve the issues at hand and simply creates yet another sub-organisation to be buried in legislative obscurity." - Representative to Alkmon Parliament & the World Assembly Kyuhana Cho

OOC: All I can say is good luck with your future proposals; I've made one myself (which never even got to the proposal phase), and all of the blunders that came with it hit me square in the face. You seem to have a semblance of what you're doing, so I hope you continue to try.

[Remlasia]

The Principality of Remlasia votes AGAINST this proposal.

Section 3 of the Resolution at Vote provides what appears to be more or less a legal loophole that permits commercialisation, so the Resolution at Vote appears to be self-defeating.

Furthermore, the Principality of Remlasia does not necessarily agree that the commercialisation of genetic information should be outlawed entirely, but that a robust legal framework should certainly be considered by the Assembly to properly protect the processing of genetic information by public and private entities, especially across borders

We urge the World Assembly to stay within the remit of its function, which should be to propose and debate resolutions that concern cross-border matters, and not matters for which often inappropriately supplant the rights and responsibilities of national parliaments and assemblies to manage their own internal affairs.

[Daarwyrth]

"While the Hegemony recognises and understands the overarching message of the proposal, it disagrees with its current form and regrets to inform the Assembly of its negative vote. Its principle is fair, but we have decided that it does not directly solve the issues at hand and simply creates yet another sub-organisation to be buried in legislative obscurity." - Representative to Alkmon Parliament & the World Assembly Kyuhana Cho

OOC: All I can say is good luck with your future proposals; I've made one myself (which never even got to the proposal phase), and all of the blunders that came with it hit me square in the face. You seem to have a semblance of what you're doing, so I hope you continue to try.

Dame Maria vyn Nysen: "We are appreciative of your candor, Ambassador. It is unfortunate that the critiques that we have received during the vote hadn't been presented to us during the drafting process, but of course, our delegation understands that many proposals and drafts require feedback, and that each Ambassador's or Delegate's time is limited. As such, you can be assured of the fact that, if we return to a future (re)draft on this subject, we will take into account the feedback and commentary that we have received now."

OOC: Thank you! I do intend to keep drafting and working on proposals, as even with the way this resolution vote has been turning out, the experience has been interesting and informative! I also enjoyed the writing process a lot, so I'm definitely not dissuaded one can only learn if they try!

[Heavens Reach]

The proposal is going to fail, ambassador. But it's well-written and most people agree with its premise. I'd suggest redrafting it and taking another crack at acquiring feedback once the voting closes.

[Daarwyrth]

The proposal is going to fail, ambassador. But it's well-written and most people agree with its premise. I'd suggest redrafting it and taking another crack at acquiring feedback once the voting closes.

"Yes, the first day of voting showed the direction the vote would go, quite clearly. However, we appreciate your comments and kind words, Ambassador. Our delegation will take a moment to reflect upon this draft once the voting closes, and decide upon a continued course of action regarding a possible redraft and resubmission with a revised draft thereafter."

[Laka Strolistandiler]

Instead of Oe Ishi or her “mad” compatriot a new face appears in the Assembly. She looks far more reasonable and logical than the two idiots that came before her.
Coming closer to Daarwynth’s delegation’s seat, she would speak with a soft and somewhat saddened voice.
I agree that the supposed failure of this resolution is a great loss for the WA. We do believe that personal information freedoms should be upheld and protected by the international community. I would also like to take this opportunity to apologize to the ambassadors for the behavior of my predecessors. Both of them no longer work in our WA sub administration and are currently on trial on national dishonor charges. Before you ask, they’ll most likely get fined, no more.
I would also like to read out my queen’s apology for the general problems caused by our WA mission. She would’ve loved to attend, but could not as she is on leave.
Opening a briefcase, she gets out a handwritten notebook page, and reads a few words: “We’re sorry and are taking measures to ensure compliance with WA laws. The general populace is finally understanding the importance and the consequences of breaking the international law. These idiots (refers to general populace) can see the problem only when it’s lands on their doorstep. God I wish we could go away with general populace referendums”
This is the end of her majesty’s message. She wishes to say the truth and only the truth,- Elena would add with a salty grin on her face- the general populace already know what the queen thinks of them, so why should she hide it?

[Arcturus Novus]

Keep the WA's hands off of my genetic info.

[Daarwyrth]

Keep the WA's hands off of my genetic info.

"This resolution proposal would have brought that idea a step closer, Ambassador. The resolution would have prevented third parties from obtaining your genetic information. The WA wouldn't have access to your genetic data through this resolution, rather, it would have placed another safeguard in place to keep that data in your hands."

[Niveusium]

Hyrus: This is the WA forcing itself onto an area that does not need enforcing. Clause 3 and clause 4 is an automatic invasion of privacy for many citizens who might just want to know their heritage or risk of genetic disease. It is difficult to balance order and privacy, but these are blatant attempts at trying to stick the state's nose where it's not supposed to go.

Automatic against vote.