Any Member of the Alliance may, after two years’ notice of its intention so to do, withdraw from the Alliance, provided that all its international obligations and all its obligations under this Covenant shall have been fulfilled at the time of its withdrawal.
ARTICLE 2.
The action of the Alliance under this Covenant shall be effected through the instrumentality of an Assembly and of a Council, with a permanent Secretariat and Military Command.
The Duianna Emperor and Imperial Nobles may at will direct the action of the Alliance under this Covenant. Imperial actions may be overturned by three-quarter majority vote of the Assembly.
ARTICLE 3.
The Assembly shall consist of Representatives of the Members of the Alliance. No Member of the Alliance shall be without a Representative in the Assembly.
Any God or recognized direct representatives in attendance of a meeting of the Assembly shall be recognized as a Member of the Assembly.
The Assembly shall meet at stated intervals of six years, and from time to time, as occasion may require, at the Seat of the Alliance or at such other place as may be decided upon.
The Assembly may deal at its meetings with any matter within the sphere of action of the Alliance or affecting the peace of the world. At meetings of the Assembly, each Member of the Alliance or God shall have one vote and may have not more than three Representatives.
ARTICLE 4.
The Council shall consist of the Emperor of Duianna or direct representative, the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, together with Representatives of four other Members of the Alliance. These four Members of the Alliance shall be selected by the Assembly from time to time in its discretion. Until the appointment of the Representatives of the four Members of the Alliance first selected by the Assembly, Representatives of Yalthum, Karakia, Elraci, Nae-Rey and Dulgrium shall be members of the Council.
Any God or recognized direct representative in attendance of a meeting of the Council shall be recognized as a Member of the Council with privileges and powers equal to the Council seat of Emperor of Duianna.
With the approval of the majority of the Assembly, the Council may remove Members or name additional Members of the Alliance whose Representatives shall always be members of the Council; the Council, with like approval may increase the number of Members of the Alliance to be selected by the Assembly for representation on the Council.
The Council shall meet from time to time as occasion may require, but no less than once every three years, at the Seat of the Alliance or at such other place as may be decided upon. The Council-stated meetings shall be set to occur four months prior to the stated meetings of the Assembly.
The Council may deal at its meetings with any matter within the sphere of action of the Alliance or affecting the peace of the world. Any Council Member may declare an action of the Alliance to require presentation to the Assembly. Any Official Representative of a Member of the Alliance, Imperial Representative, Council Member, Assembly Member or Officer of the Alliance may call for a Council meeting to be convened.
Any Member of the Alliance not represented on the Council shall be invited to send a Representative to sit as a member at any meeting of the Council during the consideration of matters specially affecting the interests of that Member of the Alliance.
At meetings of the Council, each Member of the Alliance represented on the Council shall have one vote and may have not more than one Representative.
ARTICLE 5.
Except where otherwise expressly provided in this Covenant or by the terms of the present Treaty, decisions at any meeting of the Assembly or of the Council shall require the agreement of a two-thirds majority of the Members of the Alliance represented at the meeting. All Assembly or Council members are required to vote openly.
Any God present and the Emperor of Duianna or direct representative is granted the right of first vote which may be withheld to the final vote.
Except where otherwise expressly provided in this Covenant or by the terms of the present Treaty, no vote of the Assembly or of the Council shall be conducted by secret ballot. All recognized representatives present are required to vote. Votes will be called by random draw of each representative with the exceptions of Gods and the Emperor of Duianna as described.
The Emperor of Duianna or direct representative has veto authority on any Assembly or Council decision, which may be overridden by a three-quarter majority Assembly or Council vote within one day of the veto, excluding the Emperor of Duianna’s vote.
Any God present or direct representative has veto authority on any Assembly or Council decision, which may be overridden by a unanimous Assembly or Council vote including the Emperor of Duianna’s vote.
All matters of procedure at meetings of the Assembly or of the Council, including the appointment of Committees to investigate particular matters, shall be regulated by the Assembly or by the Council and may be decided by a majority of the Members of the Alliance represented at the meeting.
The first meeting of the Assembly and the first meeting of the Council shall be summoned by the Emperor of Duianna.
ARTICLE 6.
The permanent Secretariat shall be established at the Seat of the Alliance. The Secretariat shall comprise a Secretary General and such secretaries and staff as may be required.
The first Secretary General shall be the person named in Annex 2; thereafter the Secretary General shall be appointed by the Council with the approval of the majority of the Assembly.
The secretaries and staff of the Secretariat shall be appointed by the Secretary General with the approval of the Council.
The Secretary General shall act in that capacity at all meetings of the Assembly and of the Council.
The expenses of the Alliance shall be borne by the Members of the Alliance in the proportion decided by the Assembly based fairly on Member resources. In no way shall level of contribution be construed to imply greater authority on the Assembly or Council.
ARTICLE 7.
The Seat of the Alliance is established at Gracia.
The Council may, at any time, decide by three-quarter majority vote that the Seat of the Alliance shall be established elsewhere.
All positions under, or in connection with, the Alliance, including the Secretariat, shall be open equally to all member races’ males and females.
Representatives of the Members of the Alliance and officials of the Alliance when engaged on the business of the Alliance shall enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunities.
The buildings and other property occupied by the Alliance or its officials or by Representatives attending its meetings shall be inviolable. In the event that the Seat of the Alliance is voted to be moved, a Transition Schedule of office moves from the old Seat to the new Seat shall be made, not to exceed fifteen years, and shall be drafted and approved by a majority vote of the Council. During the transitional period, both the old and new buildings and other property occupied by the Alliance or its officials or by Representatives attending its meetings shall be inviolable. After the move has been completed, the old buildings and property shall revert in status and be disposed of as agreed by the Council in the Transition Schedule.
ARTICLE 8.
The Members of the Alliance recognize that the maintenance of peace requires the reduction of national armaments to the lowest point consistent with national safety and the enforcement by common action of international obligations.
The Council, taking account of the geographical situation and circumstances of each State, shall formulate plans for such reduction for the consideration and action of the several Governments. Such plans shall be subject to reconsideration and revision at least every ten years.
After these plans shall have been adopted by the several Governments, the limits of armaments therein fixed shall not be exceeded without the concurrence of the Council.
The Members of the Alliance agree that the manufacture by private enterprise of implements of war is open to grave o
bjections. The Council shall advise how the harsh effects attendant upon such manufacture can be prevented, due regard being had to the necessities of those Members of the Alliance that are not able to manufacture the implements of war necessary for their safety.
The Members of the Alliance undertake to interchange full and frank information as to the scale of their armaments and their military programs and the condition of such of their industries as are adaptable to war-like purposes.
ARTICLE 9.
A permanent Alliance Military Command shall be established at the Seat of the Alliance. The Alliance Military Command shall comprise a Field Marshal and such Marshals and staff as may be required.
The Alliance Military Command’s primary role is to advise the Council on the execution of the provisions of Articles 1 and 8 and on military issues generally. The Alliance Military Command is also designated to be the Supreme Command staff for any joint military actions of the Alliance authorized by the Council or Assembly.
In no case shall the Alliance field its own armed forces. All Alliance military actions will be conducted by contributed military resources from each of the Alliance Members directly commanded by the Alliance Field Marshal.
The first Field Marshal is named Rolly Duke Bensure, Duke of Willshire; thereafter, upon the request or absence of the Field Marshal, the Council with the approval of a three-quarter majority of the Assembly may appoint a Field Marshal. The Field Marshal may be relieved only by unanimous vote of the Assembly.
Marshals of the Field Marshal shall be appointed by the Field Marshal and approved with a simple majority approval of the Council.
The Field Marshal shall act in that capacity at all meetings of the Assembly and of the Council.
The expenses of the Alliance Military Command shall be borne by the Members of the Alliance in the proportion decided by the Assembly based fairly on Member resources. In no way shall level of contribution be construed to imply greater authority on the Assembly or Council.
ARTICLE 10.
The Members of the Alliance undertake to respect and preserve against external aggression the territorial integrity and existing political independence of all Members of the Alliance. In case of any such aggression or in case of any threat or danger of such aggression, the Council shall advise upon the means by which this obligation shall be fulfilled.
ARTICLE 11.
Any war or threat of war, whether immediately affecting any of the Members of the Alliance or not, is hereby declared a matter of concern to the whole Alliance, and the Alliance shall take any action that may be deemed wise and effectual to safeguard the peace of nations. In case any such emergency should arise, the Secretary General shall on the request of any Member of the Alliance or of the Field Marshal forthwith summon a meeting of the Council.
It is also declared to be the friendly right of each Member of the Alliance to bring to the attention of the Field Marshal, the Assembly, or of the Council any circumstance whatever affecting international relations that threaten to disturb international peace or the good understanding between nations upon which peace depends.
ARTICLE 12.
The Members of the Alliance agree that, if there should arise between them any dispute likely to lead to a rupture, they will submit the matter either to arbitration or judicial settlement or to enquiry by the Council, and they agree in no case to resort to war until six months after the award by the arbitrators or the judicial decision or the report by the Council. In any case under this Article, the award of the arbitrators or the judicial decision shall be made within a reasonable time, and the report of the Council shall be made within six months after the submission of the dispute.
ARTICLE 13.
The Council shall formulate and submit to the Members of the Alliance for adoption plans for the establishment of a Permanent Court of International Justice. The Court shall be competent to hear and determine any dispute of an international character, which the parties thereto submit to adhere to the decisions of such court. The Court may also give an advisory opinion upon any dispute or question referred to it by the Council or by the Assembly.
ARTICLE 14.
The Members of the Alliance agree that whenever any dispute shall arise between them, which they recognize to be suitable for submission to arbitration or judicial settlement and which cannot be satisfactorily settled by diplomacy, they will submit the whole subject-matter to arbitration or judicial settlement.
Disputes as to the interpretation of a treaty, as to any question of international law, as to the existence of any fact that would constitute a breach of any international obligation if established, or as to the extent and nature of the reparation to be made for any such breach are declared to be among those which are generally suitable for submission to arbitration or judicial settlement.
For the consideration of any such dispute, the court to which the case is referred shall be the Permanent Court of International Justice, established in accordance with Article 13, or any tribunal agreed on by the parties to the dispute or stipulated in any convention existing between them.
The Members of the Alliance agree that they will carry out in good faith any award or decision that may be rendered and they will not resort to war against a Member of the Alliance which complies therewith. In the event of any failure to carry out such an award or decision, the Council shall propose what steps should be taken to give effect thereto.
ARTICLE 15.
If there should arise between Members of the Alliance any dispute likely to lead to a rupture that is not submitted to arbitration or judicial settlement in accordance with Article 14, the Members of the Alliance agree that they will submit the matter to the Council. Any party to the dispute may effect such submission by giving notice of the existence of the dispute to the Secretary General, who will first notify the Field Marshal of the dispute and make all necessary arrangements for a full investigation and consideration thereof in coordination with the Field Marshal.
For this purpose, the parties to the dispute will communicate to the Secretary General, as promptly as possible, statements of their case with all the relevant facts and papers, and the Council may forthwith direct the publication thereof.
The Council shall endeavor to effect a settlement of the dispute, and if such efforts are successful, a statement shall be made public giving such facts and explanations regarding the dispute and the terms of settlement thereof as the Council may deem appropriate.
If the dispute is not thus settled, the Council by a majority vote shall make and publish a report containing a statement of the facts of the dispute and the recommendations deemed just and proper in regard thereto.
Any Member of the Alliance represented on the Council may make public a statement of the facts of the dispute and of its conclusions regarding the same.
If a report by the Council is unanimously agreed to by the members thereof, other than the Representatives of one or more of the parties to the dispute, the Members of the Alliance agree that they will not go to war with any party to the dispute which complies with the recommendations of the report.
If the Council fails to reach a report which is unanimously agreed to by the members thereof, other than the Representatives of one or more of the parties to the dispute, the Members of the Alliance reserve to themselves the right to take such action as they shall consider necessary for the maintenance of right and justice.
If the dispute between the parties is claimed by one of them and is found by the Council to arise out of a matter which by international law is solely within the domestic jurisdiction of that party, the Council shall so report and shall make no recommendation as to its settlement.
The Council may in any case under this Article refer the dispute to the Assembly. The dispute shall be so referred at the request of either party to the dispute, provided that such request is made within fourteen days after the submission of the dispute to the Council.
In any case referred to the Assembly, all the provision
s of this Article and of Article 12 relating to the action and powers of the Council shall apply to the action and powers of the Assembly, provided that a report made by the Assembly if concurred by the Representatives of those Members of the Alliance represented on the Council and of a majority of the other Members of the Alliance, exclusive in each case of the Representatives of the parties to the dispute, shall have the same force as a report by the Council concurred by all the members thereof other than the Representatives of one or more of the parties to the dispute.
ARTICLE 16.
Should any Member of the Alliance resort to war in disregard of its covenants under Articles 12, 13, 14 or 15, it shall ipso facto be deemed to have committed an act of war against all other Members of the Alliance, which hereby undertake immediately to subject it to the severance of all trade or financial relations, the prohibition of all intercourse between their nationals and the nationals of the covenant-breaking State, and the prevention of all financial, commercial or personal intercourse between the nationals of the covenant-breaking State and the nationals of any other State, whether a Member of the Alliance or not.
It shall be the duty of the Council in such case to recommend to the several Governments concerned what effective military, naval, air, space or magical force the Members of the Alliance shall severally contribute to the armed forces to be used to protect the covenants of the Alliance.
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