"Without objection the Community adopts the Achkaerinese plan. Moving on," Kyōko shuffled her papers, "I now open a discussion on the CSTO, Present and Future."
“For an organisation which has its roots in the international effort against the USR and its Warsaw allies many have, understandably, expressed concern that the CSTO is obsolete, whilst others have expressed doubt in its continued existence. Many can be forgiven for remembering the days when the Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation was forged as an indispensable safeguard against a most certain existential threat, joining together the nations of Rokkenjima, Quinntopia, Kazarovia and Dartfordia, later to be joined by nations such as Chernobereg, Elpidia and Novincia following the great belligerence of the Warsaw Pact over the course of what was supposed to be a peace conference. This does not even count those nations which stood with the CSTO in partnership as Warsaw enacted a blockade of the Great Northern Ocean and threatened interests directly in the Illumic of every free nation upon Mundus.
In these lofty days we saw the creation of a Joint Protectorate Sphere which the Saisei Empress saw as a safety net for nations, whether they face instability or limited defensive abilities, to fall under our defensive umbrella so that they may maintain their territorial integrity, sovereignty and preserve their way of life. We saw back then that, at times, it is neutral parties and those incapable of defending themselves effectively which see their nations used as proxies for wars between the larger powers. It was the threat of the Warsaw Pact, which sought to unleash biological hell upon Mundus, which prompted a nation which would go on to become one of our greatest members, and staunch warrior for democracy, the Republic of Elpidia to join first the Joint Protectorate Sphere before being followed by Chernobereg.
We stared down some of the darkest days then and, through unified determination, overcame the collective might of the Warsaw Pact and kept the GSR-6 genie in the bottle. Naturally this lesson in history doesn’t speak on where the CSTO is today; its original purpose was for defense against attacks from the USR and its Warsaw allies, so why did we persist after they fell? Why did the CSTO rise as a phoenix after being rendered unnecessary once before?
Our core mandate remains the same: the defense of the territorial integrity and defense of all members of the CSTO which is provided through Article 5. Today much of what we do is most definitely more mundane than they were in the days of old: interoperability, joint armament procurements, standardized radio frequencies, even shared munitions. We also see efforts between the allies to combat human trafficking, piracy, abuses against human rights, slavery, and so forth. We have also seen in countless times where the CSTO has utilized its military might to liberate the People of Themata amongst others.
That speaks of our past and present, but what of our future? We see in the Cross-Straits Community a joining of the CSTO and CSU under one umbrella a move, I hope, which will see deeper integration between our states. We see joint ventures in space and the sciences and, while not tied directly to the Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation, we see these ventures carried out under the joint banner of the Cross-Straits nonetheless. At times we also forget that this accumulation of military might has peaceful and humanitarian applications as well: from the deployment of hospital ships to using the ability of nuclear powered carriers to distill sea water into that which is fit for human consumption, the applications of the capabilities of the CSTO have never been confined to a purely defensive arrangement as it were: we’ve helped nations outside of the alliance, whether through lending our might to causes ranging from national defense to ensuring their right to self-determination was upheld, or bringing free and uncensored information to the People of Zachachevania who lived under perhaps the most despotic government under the Warsaw system besides the Untied Soviet Russia itself.
We have in our hands something which can not only defend us, but can be utilized, truly, as a force for good in the world around us. How does the CSTO proceed from here, some may ask? We bring those thirsting water, well, water, we enrich those thirsting for knowledge open access to the world around them, and we stand by those who have no other means to defend themselves, who would otherwise have no advocate in their corner an advocate who will stand beside them, follow their lead, and enable them to stand another day living in freedom upon their terms. Where problems may be produced by some, allow us to offer solutions not just for ourselves, but because we share the belief that each human life has value, that it is worth defending, and that each People are worthy and deserving to chart their own course upon this blue marble we all share.
We have seen the challenge of international organisations in the past to effectively adapt to the contemporary international and geopolitical security reality while providing new, adequate answers to novel challenges and scenarios: the Commonwealth Treaty Organisation and its predecessor, the Covenant of Nations, being two prime examples of this while also highlighting the dangers of bureaucracy which often proved to hamstring the institutions in fulfilling even their most basic of purposes. Having the courage and fortitude to look beyond old ways of thinking, in relying upon strategies and approaches which are truly no longer relevant, looking to younger generations and encouraging them to share their ideas and solutions to the challenges we face is also a key component to ensuring the idea of an obsolete CSTO is wrong. We cannot allow ourselves to fall behind the ever-changing pace of political and technological developments, issues which demand us to look at the character and role of the Organisation itself.
In situations which would require the swift response of the Organisation I propose the creation of a new rapid reaction force comprising land, air, sea and special forces units with the capacity of rapid deployment, within 48 hours of receiving orders. These forces could be utilized both in defensive and disaster relief operations, with an initial target of 50,000 troops from across the Organisation. Through this Rapid Response Force we would increase our capabilities in providing for the collective defence of our members should Article V be invoked, providing for an initial force deployment in the build-up of a much larger force, disaster relief, peacekeeping operations, as well as crisis management and the protection of critical infrastructure.
We can look to revitalizing the Joint Protectorate Sphere to aid nations beyond the most obvious applications, perhaps bringing the Mundus Development Bank under the umbrella of the Cross-Straits Community and unlocking those funds so that they may truly achieve the goals of the Bank: increasing the standards of living across Mundus and lifting people up across nationalities and borders. We can work with existing organisations and alliances in those areas where we share common cause and, even in the absence of an overreaching institution such as the CTO, we can work to achieve its goals in spirit if not in form. The options before us are only limited beyond what we, here, today, are willing to commit to and the ideas we can share with one another to seeing the CSTO as an agile and adaptive force in an ever-changing Mundus.
If we put our mind to it, if we put our collective spirits behind this, I am confident that there is nothing we cannot face together. Is the CSTO thus obsolete? I think not, we merely need to realize that the best way to utilize strength is to employ it on behalf of those who lack it, who at times lack a voice or, unfortunately, even a sip of water to quench their thirst. There is so much more we can do if we only ask ourselves ”if I saw someone with less than me what can I do to bring some hope to their horizon?
I leave the floor open, thank you.”