An Invitation To The Signatories Of The Fair Seas Concordat

[Beatrice]

On The Fair Seas Concordat

In ten days it will have been six years since the First Empire approached the international community to establish the Fair Seas Concordat. In the years which have followed the signing of the Fair Seas Concordat all nations have reaped the benefits of the serenity it provides for all seafaring nations, allowing for international travel, trade and commerce to proceed through a common understanding as to what conduct is acceptable, and that which is not, on the high seas.

As we have seen in recent days, however, the Seleucid Crisis has brought to the forefront the need to revisit the Fair Seas Concordat and ensure that it has the mechanisms available to address violations and preserve serenity and order upon the seas of Mundus. While the actions of Royal Seleucid are without any doubt a gross violation of the Fair Seas Concordat we must also consider prior actions of the Commonwealth of the Iwi, which include kidnapping upon the high seas, as we approach this most recent violation of the Fair Seas Concordat and ensure that future violations do not take place.

This most recent crisis has brought about concerns for international shipping and is a threat to the peace and stability afforded by the Fair Seas Concordat. With an amount of tonnage headed to the Sea of Kyne not seen since the Era of Soviet Aggression further concerns are being brought to bear upon the FSC's capability to continue to ensure the safety of international shipping. We must not allow international standards to erode in the face of these actions, nor may we allow the idea that a 'double standard' exists in the application of the Concordat.

Echoing previous calls of the Holy Empire the First Empire calls for a meeting of the signatories of the Fair Seas Concordat to provide for commonly agreed upon mechanisms, a response to the violations perpetrated by both Royal Seleucid and the Commonwealth of the Iwi while putting into place measures to ensure that such violations are strongly discouraged in the future. Our nations have, perhaps, taken for granted the Fair Seas Concordat, which stands as the oldest active international accord and a cornerstone of international cooperation and order. We must ensure that it has the tools to properly deal with violations, as well as a common reaffirmation as to that behaviour which shall not be tolerated by the community of nations.

I shall look forward to welcoming you to discuss these important issues, and shall work with our Achkaerinese allies to set forth an agenda to ensure the Concordat is capable of fulfilling its most crucial mandates.

Respectfully yours;


Empress of Rokkenjima
Princess of Littlebrook

[RobertAgira]

While the Grand Duchy agrees broadly with this idea I believe that it is putting the cart before the horse. While we still have so many nations on Mundus that do not recognise the FSC with their signature it is going to prove impossible to enforce, in much the same way that the Mundus Convention of Universal Rights in unable to be enforced over the entirety of Mundus. Furthermore the issue is compounded by a lack of any organisation that brings together the majority of nations on Mundus. We have seen three failed attempts at forming such an organisation and each has ended in failure the latest being the CTO and the CMA. It is going to be the case whether we like to admit it or not that a two tier system will evolve, those nations willing to abide by the FSC and those who wish to go their own way. Thereby those accepting it will have no choice but to utilise military assets and power to force those who do not to accept their way.

It is my belief that what is needed is not a push to utilise some manner of court system or council to push a way forward. These will undoubtedly become political footballs as we have seen Royal Seleucid attempt to turn OPEN into. Furthermore while we have issues such as for example Tytor recognising the territory of Heyra but not the governorship of the Conglomerate, or situations like a "two Kaitaine" scenario these bodies will not be able to form an interpretation of the law as a basis for key-terms in the law can not be meet. Our own issues with the Water Nomads provides a perfect example. These people reside in our EEZ but are not deemed a sovereign state by ourselves, however other nations do therefore before any body you form can rule on the application of the EEZ laws of the FSC they must first rule on the sovereignty of another nations territory, something no nation signing the FSC is likely to wish.

It is therefore my view that a better response would not be to seek a way to enforce the FSC globally as I believe this is doomed to fail and will bring with it an increase and not decrease in tension. I believe a better way forward would be to utilise those nations willing to follow the FSC and with the capabilities to do so to support civilian shipping in their areas, the recent Paracambian initiative in the Kyne being a key example.

Need I remind the world that in 2015 there was significant support by some of the worlds more prominent powers to break the FSC by denying Nya Aland full utilisation of its EEZ. A proposal by Seaforth would have seen the Alanders denied the use of a 25km strip of their EEZ to allow protestors against whaling. This was supported by South Hills, Neuva Ardia, Dartfordia meanwhile Achkaeirn supported forcing the Alanders to allow people who potentially would disrupt their whaling to enter their waters. Furthermore during those discussions the CTO seriously considered issuing a resolution ordering Alander naval vessels to return to their bases. It was only a steadfast resolve of the Alanders to not yield an inch of their EEZ that halted action being taken by nations interpreting the FSC. The Alander representative at that meeting said that membership of such organisations become a way of "being a stick to beat smaller nations into the will of larger." The final resolution then effectively banned the Alanders from a zone of 10nautical miles from the eastward edge of their EEZ. Therefore in this example it is clear that attempts at managing the FSC by committee have failed in the past along with the bodies that oversaw them. The creation of a further body is not going to solve these issues.

Bakkermaya therefore suggests that rather than attempting to create an overriding body and court systems a simple panel of mediators is formed for each ocean area, these are to seek peaceful solutions should crisis occur and during those times maintain co-operation between nations to ensure safe shipping in much the way MICA have attempted and the current Paracambian Convoy system is doing. I for one would require much more information before committing to efforts suggested.

May The Gods Watch Over You and Your Seas Be Calm.

Grand Duke Hugo Lascelles of Bakkermaya