Because it’s not like I don’t already have a million things to do.
The “flaws” section is still a WIP - I feel the third point is weak (and quite possibly incorrect) and that I might have missed some flaws in #107 that should be included. In spite of that, I would really appreciate any feedback you have to offer! If all goes to plan, I plan to spend a bit of time drafting here before taking it to the forums.
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Repeal GAR#107 “Clean Water Act”
Category: Repeal
The General Assembly,
Commending the attempted aims of GAR#107 “Clean Water Act” to provide access to safe and reliable sources of drinking water to all citizens of member nations, but;
Realising that GAR#107 “Clean Water Act” contains significant flaws, including:
- The requirement for all member nations to provide access to clean drinking water to their respective citizens without exception. This leaves member nations that are unable to provide such access through no fault of their own, including nations that are experiencing or have recently experienced a natural disaster, in breach of WA legislation and subject to all the penalties included therein.
- The prohibition of intentional contamination of drinking water supplies under any circumstances. Here, the ambiguous use of “contamination” (which can mean “to make impure”, not necessarily “to pollute”) prevents member nations from adding disinfectants or beneficial additives to drinking water sources, resulting in poorer public health outcomes and drinking water that may contain pathogens. This creates an irresolvable conflict with clause four which allows member nations to intentionally contaminate their drinking water supplies with disinfectants and chemical additives.
- The requirement for member nations to provide financial assistance to citizens to ensure all citizens can afford to access drinking water. This could foreseeably allow morally corrupt member nations to provide citizens with money in place of providing drinking water, leaving their citizens rich but facing dehydration, famine and disease.
Further realising that extant World Assembly legislation more effectively resolves the issues that GAR#107 “Clean Water Act” aims to counter, including:
- GAR#344 “Minimum Standard of Living Act”, which mandates that member nations provide access to safe drinking water to all inhabitants and does include reasonable exceptions for extreme and unavoidable circumstances such as those mentioned above.
- GAR#441 “A Convention on Freshwater Shortages”, which:
- Prohibits member nations and any businesses contained therein from disposing hazardous waste into drinking water supplies.
- Tasks the Joint Water Resources Management Panel with sending aid to member nations whose drinking water sources are at risk as a result of environmental disasters, helping member nations to manage drinking water supplies when those supplies are threatened and providing member nations with the tools required to monitor the quality and security of drinking water sources.
- Provides guidance for member nations on supplying clean, sustainably sourced and environmentally friendly drinking water to all citizens without over-legislation or micromanagement.
- GAR#223 “Transboundary Water Use Act”, which mandates that member nations use transboundary drinking water sources in a fair and sustainable way, providing a framework for the effective sharing of drinking water sources between member nations.
- GAR#272 “Chemical Weapons Accord”, which prohibits the contamination of drinking water supplies as a military tactic.
Recognising that with the above extant legislation in place GAR#107 “Clean Water Act” does little more than create yet another committee with no apparent purpose but to drain World Assembly funds;
Believing that legislation on the protection of drinking water supplies which goes beyond the aforementioned extant World Assembly legislation will likely be specific to individual member nations and so should be within the remit of national law, and;
Acknowledging that flawed and redundant World Assembly legislation should be repealed wherever possible;
Hereby repeals GAR#107 “Clean Water Act”.
