NationStates Jolt Archive

In case some of you have not seen it, there is a new UN proposal designed to protect "Exchanges of Cultural Heritage", which effectively will ban prohibition and secure the right to frosty adult beverages for all nations! Please urge your UN delegates to support this proposition before it expires and passes from existence!

Category: Free Trade
Strength: Mild

Description: RECOGNIZING that the world benefits enormously from the vast cultural diversity of all nation states, and each contribution of unique cultural heritage;

REALIZING that without proper consideration and safeguarding of these invaluable cultural treasures, that these contributions could be stifled and ultimately lost forever;

UNDERSTANDING that the loss of the cultural contributions of each member nation would collectively lead to a loss of identity among member nations and their peoples;

We hereby RESOLVE to prohibit any UN member nation from passing any law restricting the free practice or exchange of culturally enriching activities; Specifically, no UN member nation will prohibit the manufacture, sale, usage or transport of alcoholic beverages, a practice that has been refined over the course of centuries by nearly all nations of the world.

We hereby FURTHER RESOLVE that no UN member nation shall impose restrictions on the free trade of alcoholic beverages, except to comply with local safety and age restrictions. Specifically, no member nations shall impose restrictions on advertising, nor impose tariffs or duties on the cross-border trade of alcohol.

A little dry in the writing style, but Bahgum likes it, a delegates approval for an issue of importance to many.

This is not something that the UN should be legislating.

If a member nation morally disapproves of the use of alcoholic beverages because they feel it weakens their society, they have every right to ban them, even if other nations feel that it is an important part of their cultural history.

I've reposted my tabled alcohol free trade proposal from September. The idea or author, did not have enough political support to break 80 endorsements on this idea, but my government would love to see a Free Trade issue reach the UN floor.

However, in my version you'll see that we approached the subject of nations that are anti-alcohol, like the Mimbari Federation, by simply suggesting that if you want to ban the import of alcohol, you can't export it either. (And yes, we didn't say that in so few words, but that is because we wanted to be extremely precise about how we did just that -- and in a manner befitting an international political body.)

My government is undecided on your proposal, but would certainly not object to your proposal reaching the UN floor for greater debate. If you visit the IDU (link in my signature), I have a list of prior UN Delegates whom endorsed my proposal. That would make an EXCELLENT telegramming list for your nation.

Once on the IDU forum, go to the second page in the Proposed UN Resolutions section. (I can dig up the exact link if you are interested.)

In any event, I'd like to encourage you to listen to the comments here and continue to work on your free trade issue. If others like my old idea, we can merge our ideas.

I will endorse the legislation, as besides of the personal pleasure issue, the free trade implications benifit all member nations

Sounds stupid, but I have to protect my beer. You have my support.

We hereby RESOLVE to prohibit any UN member nation from passing any law restricting the free practice or exchange of culturally enriching activities; Specifically, no UN member nation will prohibit the manufacture, sale, usage or transport of alcoholic beverages, a practice that has been refined over the course of centuries by nearly all nations of the world.

I personally think this paragraph is too full of loopholes to be acceptable. This is because the Proposal calls for both the abolition of trade restrictions regarding alcohol AND the abolition of restrictions over overall cultural exchanges. If it simply said "since beer plays a strong role in defining a nation's culture, the UN is to mandate that the beer trade be protected from tariffs, etc." then I might support it, but the loopholes in this paragraph alone stop me from doing so.

In case some of you have not seen it, there is a new UN proposal designed to protect "Exchanges of Cultural Heritage", which effectively will ban prohibition and secure the right to frosty adult beverages for all nations! Please urge your UN delegates to support this proposition before it expires and passes from existence!

Category: Free Trade
Strength: Mild

Description: RECOGNIZING that the world benefits enormously from the vast cultural diversity of all nation states, and each contribution of unique cultural heritage;

REALIZING that without proper consideration and safeguarding of these invaluable cultural treasures, that these contributions could be stifled and ultimately lost forever;

UNDERSTANDING that the loss of the cultural contributions of each member nation would collectively lead to a loss of identity among member nations and their peoples;

We hereby RESOLVE to prohibit any UN member nation from passing any law restricting the free practice or exchange of culturally enriching activities; Specifically, no UN member nation will prohibit the manufacture, sale, usage or transport of alcoholic beverages, a practice that has been refined over the course of centuries by nearly all nations of the world.

We hereby FURTHER RESOLVE that no UN member nation shall impose restrictions on the free trade of alcoholic beverages, except to comply with local safety and age restrictions. Specifically, no member nations shall impose restrictions on advertising, nor impose tariffs or duties on the cross-border trade of alcohol.

And all the Islamic nations out there that forbid alochol because of their religion? Should they be forced to go against their holy laws?

I think the idea of "cultural" protections for states that outlaw or highly restrict the sale and production of alcohol is addressed in my version. :)

I'd appreciate it if RomeW and TilEnca (and others) whom have raised this point (which I honestly think is valuable), would also look over my government's proposal and offer their advice.

Very cleverly worded resolution. I love the approach you took to this to make it look like any other important cultural tolerance issue, good work!

The DRA will support this.

We hereby RESOLVE to prohibit any UN member nation from passing any law restricting the free practice or exchange of culturally enriching activities;

Something else that bothers me, quite aside from the religious intolerance this whole proposal displays.

Does this mean the UN can't pass laws? Or I can't pass a law in my nation to outlaw something that someone else thinks is okay?

Because in the first case it is most likely illegal, and in the second case it is so totally unacceptable that it would be something worth resigning over.

I know - you think this relates just to beer. But this line here would open it up to massive absuses.

Just thought I would mention that.

Here is the link to the thread with my alternative proposal:

http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=356574

This is not something that the UN should be legislating.

If a member nation morally disapproves of the use of alcoholic beverages because they feel it weakens their society, they have every right to ban them, even if other nations feel that it is an important part of their cultural history.

This is something I Strongly Agree on. I personally disapprove of the use of alcohol. Second, I dont feel that the UN should legislate on this topic, all the members of the UN should not have to follow a law like this.