2018 Treaty of Midweis on Weapons of Mass Destruction [Attn: All]

((OOC: To save time and because I don't think role-playing out a Third conference to settle on all these terms would be very interesting or productive, I present the results of the Happened-off-screen Third Midweis Conference, in which a bunch of Gallo-Germanic nations agreed to present to the world a treaty banning the use of WMD. The text of this agreement is mostly copied from the 1925 Geneva Protocol.))



The Undersigned Plenipotentiaries, in the name of their respective Governments:

Whereas the use in war of biological, chemical, poisonous, neurotoxic, substances, and of all analogous gases, liquids, materials or devices, has been justly condemned by the general opinion of the civilised world; and

Whereas the prohibition of such use has been declared in previous Treaties to which the majority of Powers of the World are Parties; and

To the end that this prohibition shall be universally accepted as a part of International Law, binding alike the conscience and the practice of nations;

Declare:

That the High Contracting Parties, so far as they are not already Parties to Treaties prohibiting such use, accept this prohibition, agree to extend this prohibition to the use of bacteriological and chemical methods of warfare and agree to be bound as between themselves according to the terms of this declaration.

The High Contracting Parties will exert every effort to induce other States to accede to the present Treaty. Such accession will be notified to the Government of the Bergenheim Republic, and by the latter to all signatory and acceding Powers, and will take effect on the date of the notification by the Government of the Bergenheim Republic.

The present Treaty, of which the Germanic and English texts are both authentic, shall be ratified as soon as possible. It shall bear todays date.

The ratification of the present Protocol shall be addressed to the Government of the Bergenheim Republic, which will at once notify the deposit of such ratification to each of the signatory and acceding Powers.

The instruments of ratification of and accession to the present Protocol will remain deposited in the archives of the Government of the Bergenheim Republic.

The present Protocol will come into force for each signatory Power as from the date of deposit of its ratification, and, from that moment, each Power will be bound as regards other powers which have already deposited their ratification.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Protocol.

DONE at Midweis in a single copy, this Twenty-First September, Two Thousand and Eighteen.

Signed on behalf of the Kingdom of Eiffelland,


«Signature illegible»

Albrecht von Dietz-Hadamar, King of Eiffelland


«Signature illegible»

Dr. Stephan Röpke, Chancellor


«Signature illegible»

Prof. Dr. Julia Böttcher, Minister of Justice

Signed on behalf of the Federation of the Natal

«Signature illegible» «Signature illegible» «Signature illegible»

Rufaro Mutasa, State President Liam Savage, Chef Minister Ryan Mopantokobogo, Minister of Foreign Affairs

OOC: And now I am in dubio about whether Retalia would sign or not. He did not sign for the territorial waters treaty, and I know that he RPs the country as more laissez-faire than I do.

Signed as minister plenipotentiary on behalf of JULIAN Regina Marpesiae,

[signature illegible]

Stephen G. Larkin
Foreign Secretary
Kingdom of Gunnland

Public statement - for immediate release.

To whom it may concern,

The Government of the Pelasgian Empire will not being signing the 2018 Midweis Treaty on WMDs. The Empire continues to believe that the availability of all modern weapons to its own Armed Forces is necessary for the defence of Pelasgian citizens, territory, and interests. This measure, though hopeful and well-meant, is ultimately self-defeating in that it denies its signatories the use of such weapons while doing nothing to keep non-signatories from maintaining and using them against the said signatory states.

If anything, the recent tragedy in Gallo-Germania is adequate proof that WMDs will hardly be kept out of a modern war, as long as it escalates to a point that states can justify their use by strategic objectives. Indeed, the lack of any enforcement mechanism would make it impossible to truly know if signatory states could be counted amongst those secretly maintaininng supplies of WMDs for use in such circumstances. In any case, a mechanism of this kind would be neither desirable nor possible, as it would constitute an immense breach of state sovereignty.

While we applaud the sentiment behind this initiative, we cannot neglect our duty to protect our country and its citizens, as well as the interests thereof, by endorsing or signing such a treaty. What other states choose to do in this regard is none of our concern, as what we do is none of theirs. Such is the reality of a multilateral and pluralistic world of sovereign states.

Signed and sealed,
Emannouil Avgiros
Minister of External Affairs
Government of Pelasgia

Signed, on behalf of the nation of Occitania, it's people and it's King,

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mateu Barbera
Duke of Sagola, Ricard Casafont
Duke of Viasinde, Adrius Robles

Signed on behalf of the Aurarine Republic

«Signature illegible»
Manuel Sanabria, President of the Republic

«Signature illegible»
Rodrigo Ferreiro, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Public statement - for immediate release.

To whom it may concern,

The Government of the Pelasgian Empire does not support "absolutism", being a Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy, governed by Laws and not by decrees of the Throne. Such a label would be more fitting for the many totalitarian nations of the Red East, such as those that do not allow meaningful opposition parties to exist, like the so-called "Northern Cooperatives". The Pelasgian Empire's refusal to sign is in part motivated by the latest displays of "humanism" by the Premier's ideological brothers in Gallia, where large quantities of chemical weapons were allegedly used against soldiers and civilians alike. Perhaps the Northern Cooperatives should look there for scapegoats for their foreign policy, rather than at our own state.

Signed and sealed,
Emannouil Avgiros
Minister of External Affairs
Government of Pelasgia

Communique 2018-10-14/01
Marked: General

At the Second Midweis Conference on humanitarian action in Crotobaltislavonia in the wake of the 7 Day War, the Kingdom of Elben suggested that the topics of weapons of mass destruction, their use, and the condemnation of Serenierre for using them in its war with Occitania would be better approached by a conference specifically convoked for that task. Such a conference, the Third Midweis Conference, has produced the Treaty of Midweis on Weapons of Mass Destruction that has been put forward for the sovereign states of Europe to consider.

While it acknowledges as it did at the Midweis conference that indiscriminate violence against civilians in wartime is reprehensible, the Kingdom of Elben will not be signing this treaty at this time. The treaty lacks any formal definition of Weapons of Mass Destruction and offers no rationale for the prohibition of their use. The mere assertion that they have been condemned by general opinion is hardly reason for the Kingdom of Elben to accede to such a treaty. Elben shall not be a party to such a precedent that could lead to other possible treaties either condemning and prohibiting or sanctioning actions that are counter to the fundamental tenets of the Christian Faith.

Signed on behalf of Geotri, König Wilhelm Wächtler IV, and it's people

«Signature illegible»
Emilia Christmann
Ambassador, Geotri

The People's Federal Republic of Kadikistan does not recall discussing or even being consulted concerning the content of this document. This seemingly obligatory treaty will therefore not be considered by the Supreme All-Union People's Assembly, nor the Central Committee of the Kadikistani Communist Workers' Party. We do however see the irony of Midweis positioning itself as a guardian against mass destruction while not so long ago Bergenheim served so willingly as a gateway for Trier Concordat military forces to launch attacks against the Rurikgrad Pact. An act which so blindly threatened to escalate the conflict beyond repair, causing destruction the likes of which have never been seen before.

Signed,
Petar Kujundzic
People's Commissar for External Affairs
People's Federal Republic of Kadikistan

The République Populaire de Sereniérre does not recognize the authority or the validity of this illegal intrusion into the rights of sovereign states by hermit kingdoms. Furthermore, we do not recognize any claim to universal jurisdiction by this entity or its member-states.

Departementet for de Udenlandske Anliggender
(Udenrigsministeriet): No restrictions (Ingen begrænsning)

The Two Kingdoms of Jyskerige and Østveg are appreciative of the sentiment and general ambition of this treaty. Being considered by a great portion of the international community as intrusive and obstructive to their sovereignty, this treaty fails the basic requirements necessary to be considered international law. As a treaty of pure volunteerism, with no ability for enforcement, nor consequences for the failure to adhere to, the spirit of the document does not meet reality.

While the Two Kingdoms maintain its strict doctrine of neutrality, this neutrality is never assured while not all nations recognize it. We will maintain a policy in which all conventions not considered international law will not be subscribed to until all nations recognize the neutrality of the Two Kingdoms.

As such, we humbly wish to inform the international community that the Two Kingdoms of Jyskerige and Østveg will not accede to this treaty. Questions or concerns will be received by the Two Kingdom’s Embassy in Bergenheim, or maybe be received by the Government in Gøthehavn (Gothenhagen).

Med vænliga hælsningar,
Carl Fredrick Rundblad
Utrikesminister

De : Monsieur le Ministre des Affaires Diplomatiques et Commerciales Jérôme M. A. Richard,
À : Arch Chancellor von Bundesrepublik Bergenheim Sigrid Vogt,
Statut : Public.

Salutations à Son Excellence l’Archichancelier,

The issue brought by your Government illustrate how deep the human-king can inflict itself disastrous and terrible acts. It have been raised that, even if we have our own laws and legislations prohibiting such thing from ever happening in our dear Republic, we have not yet signed nor ratified your Treaty. This is therefore, with a great honour, that I have apposed my signature following a validation of the Conseil d’État on the three (3) versions and translations of this document, that effectively have been translated in French for the occasion, and shall have a copy sent along the two (2) others to your esteem archives.

Today, a Référendum d’Action Publique, at my demand and following the validation of the Conseil d’État, have been started with three (3) choices being given to every single citizens of our Republic, For, Against or Neutral on the matter to ratify the International Treaty of Midweis on the Prohibition of Weapons of Mass Destruction. It is, now in this late hour, already tomorrow for this vote, that results largely in favour of the ratification by our people, by the Republic, have been decided. The ratification have been made only a few minutes since the redaction of this letter, as the ink is still fresh. You shall find joint all the needed documents for your archives, and bringing to posterity the Treaty of Midweis.

We also, therefore, condemn the strong actions which have led to the creation of this Treaty of Midweis, and call for the non-Signatories to revisit their position, as the République Fleuroise shall remain at their disposal, an open door, for continuous talks in the hope of seeing them, one day, join it.

Thank you for your participation to a brighter tomorrow,
Cordially,