Proposal: Assembled Nations Task Force for the Abolition of Slavery (ANTFAS)

[Gaellicia]

June 1, 2010
Angus MacAlpine, Permanent Representative for Gaellicia, 
addressing the open session of the Assembled Nations.

"Thank you Madame Secretary for the floor.

My fellow representatives. I address you today to bring to your attention an issue that tarnishes our wurld. Slavery. Slavery still exists in our wurld. Exists because the nations of the wurld allow it to. This is a travesty of justice and a failure of conscience. I am calling on this body, on the nations present that also recognize this evil, to take action.  

Recognizing that the international community has already convened on the outlawing and condemnation of slavery. Nevertheless, the practice continues. The law existing is not enough. It must be enforced!

Gaellicia is looking to form a task force to combat and ultimately bring slavery to an end. We would like to call it the Assembled Nations Task Force for the Abolition of Slavery, or ANTFAS. The plan of attack consists of three prongs. At the market place, at home, and by sea.

To combat slavery economically, the wurld must divest itself from materials and products that are produced using slave labor. What is needed is a comprehensive catalogue of slave produced products. On this can be built an international treaty where signatories agree to sanction and ban the import of products found on the catalogue. The economic cost of slavery must exceed the benefits.

On the home front, resources will be dedicated to combating root causes of slavery. Investigations into cultural justifications, the raising of awareness of the practice and its humanitarian violations. Most importantly though, persons freed from slavery must have their needs met, a path to integration into free society laid out.

Lastly, the sea. The most tangible yet delicate front. A commitment of naval assets is required. Armed ships to perform search and interdiction missions. A permanent presence must be established in hot zones. Naval missions dedicated to searching vessels suspected of carrying enslaved persons. When located, those persons will be freed and brought to host nations. Furthermore, the naval task forces will halt vessels smuggling contraband sanctioned by the soon to be international treaty. The fate of vessels themselves will need to be decided by international court, but the fate of their cargo is not so murky.

No matter how good this plan may sound, for now it is only theory. It must be put into practice. We need a committee to oversee and administer this effort. If your nation is willing to devote resources to ridding the wurld of this evil, I ask you to step forward now before this assembly."

OOC: So I’m kind of figuring this out as we go along but I envision this as an open session with all the AN reps present. So feel free to react even you don’t want to RP a contribution. Feel free to boo and jeer if you’re against the proposal. Applaud in support of in favor etc.

Edited Thursday at 10:15 PM by Gaellicia
OOC added (see edit history)

[Advocatius]

AN Headquarters, Anbrekport, Iwenland, 01/06/2010

Francis E. Clark,
AN Permanent Representative for Advocatius,
In regards to the proposition made by Angus MacAlpine

"The concept of ANTFAS is indeed a noble cause, one of the primary issues plaguing our modern wurld has been the continuation of slavery, a barbaric practise aimed at exploiting and abusing human beings for the gain of resources and money. It has long been an issue, and when the AN conformed to ridicule the practise it was hoped it could end, yet still it remains. ANTFAS appears to be a solution, however I personally have query's on the consequences that could be caused in how you have proposed the task force with function.

Effectively inducing an international embargo on the nations with it's practise can cause drastic consequences for the domestic, regional and international economy, with how much of the wurld is reliant on resources exported out of the nations which maintain this practise. Many of this is important to the wellbeing's of people across the glube, and this could cause many nations to undergo crisis on the shortage of products and resources vital to the economy.

And for nations that practise slavery, similar consequences for the people who live in the nations that propagate slavery as a practise. Many of these nations are developing, their economy's often reliant on the trade made by resources produced by slaves, even if this nation t'was attempting to make strides in it's abandonment, would it still undergo these circumstances which could cause suffering amongst the people who have had no say in their governments continuation of slavery to suffer.

Of course, Advocatius has long strived for slavery's end, as it is believed to be the duty of our nation to stand forth for the people and workers across Eurth, slaves are often ridiculed and condemned by the nations which abuse them, nations such as @Florentiahaving caused many anti-native sentiment and Europan supremacism, which has caused suffering and hatred to be embraced against it's native peoples.

ANTFAS would indeed encourage the end of slavery at a practise but still one has to wonder whether the consequences I have listed be worth it? Some may suggest to wait until these nations come to their own conclusion and amend the legality of slavery, perhaps limiting it to a few nations which have appeared to make less actions against it.

For all of the questions and consequences that may come I have raised, it could still be ANTFAS is the platform of which could serve as the spark to end slavery as a practise in these nations and all across the Eurth, and should it be needed Advocatius may come to the aid of the task force should these problems be addressed, though that it still up for debate among our nations Assembly's."