NationStates Jolt Archive

hey guys, what do you think of this resolution? I would really appreciate it if an UN delegates out there could approve this resolution and bring it to a vote. It would be great! Please approve it and give me your feedback:

UN Nations Resolution- Taiff Elimination Act (TEA):

The United Nations,

Acknowledging the damage to nations' economies caused by high trade tariffs;

Concerned with rogue nations that distort free trade through unnecessary regulations and laws;

1. REPEALING trade tariffs between nations conducting legal and free trade

2. SANCTIONING Nations that impose significant taxes or tariffs

3. MANDATES the establishment of a UN committee to monitor free trade policies of member states that will be known as "UNFATRAC": United Nations Free Trade Regulation Committee.

4. STRONGLY ENCOURAGES that UNFATRAC consist of a select number of nations, based on a selection/reward process of the nations that adhere the most to these free trade laws.

5. ENCOURAGES that the World Trade Organization (WTA) effectively boycotts labeled nations as they see fit.

6. REQUIRES member states to adhere to the above declarations that have been stated.

Sorry, no. We have a natural aversion to proposals that try to cram any sort of general trade policy down the throats of thousands of nations with very different economic situations. Even if we were willing to accept that, though, Clause 2 would stop us dead in our tracks:

2. SANCTIONING Nations that impose significant taxes or tariffs

You've now gone far beyond the question of tariffs and are attempting to dictate our domestic tax policy. And besides, what's a "significant" tax? Is a 10% flat income tax "significant"? To those paying it, we bet it is.

Welcome to the UN. We appreciate your attempt to contribute. But we can't support this.

Travilia E. Thwerdock
Ambassador to the United Nations

National Sovereignity guys are going to love this.

In the title, you've left the 'r' out of the word "Tariff"...

There's already a committee that could do this job, established by an earlier resolution (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=9945882&postcount=131).
There isn't, as far as I'm aware, a [NS] 'World Trade Organization'.

Clause #2 needs to be changed so that it only applies to tariffs & taxes on international trade; also Customs duties that do not exceed whatever 'excise' taxes are levied on domestic production of equivalent goods should specifically be allowed.
Clause #4 is illegal, because you can't specify the composition of UN committees.
Clause #6 is superfluous, because compliance with [the letter of] UN resolutions is supposed to be automatic anyway.

It would need to include a clause specifying that reciprocal tariffs could still be used when dealing with non-UN nations that weren't themselves voluntarily complying with these rules.
And possibly some sort of anti-dumping clause, too.

Oh, and you'd need to make sure that it didn't contradict any of the existing resolutions on trade...

With those changes, my government might be able to accept it.
(Our policy on National Sovereignty is that it applies to nations' purely internal matters, but that any matters based on interactions between nations -- such as, obviously, international trade -- are acceptable topics for international legislation...)

No support here either,I'm afraid. My country and region are huge advocates of free trade but I'm afraid this resolution isn't a step in the right direction.
But thanks for running it up the flagpole.

5. ENCOURAGES that the World Trade Organization (WTA) effectively boycotts labeled nations as they see fit.

Why would a World Trade Organization be abbreviated WTA?

Bob Flibble
UN Representative