[DISCUSSION] On the Antarctic Region

[Jydsken-Østveg]

ON THE ANTARCTIC REGION

Lena Johansson, EF Representative for the Scanlaw and Free Peoples of the North (SKÅNSKELAG)

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«Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to call attention to what I see as a slow motion crisis scenario. There is currently an Antarctic Region in the far south that is administered by the European Forum as a Mandate. While the end of the Mandate System has certainly been a cause for concern, there is a process of elections and referendums to settle the administration of these regions. There lies in the waits a problem though. The Antarctic Region is home to a population of roughly five hundred people, none of which are native, none of which reside there for any longer than several months at a time, and really have no business for having a referendum. This is because the Antarctic Region is a barren land of snow and ice. Mining is not even of realistic nature in this region because the cost of tunneling through so much ice with no idea have what one might find is simply uneconomic and uninteresting. I have found that this problem is unique in that the end of this international governance system will open the gateway to military bases, pollution, and of course a series of claims which may only end up resolved in war. Rather than invite ourselves into a new crisis scenario, I urge the governments party to this European Forum to act now. The Antarctic Region is seen as of great importance scientifically, and of course strategically. We should not allow this region to fall into chaotic expeditions and outposts for claims. Instead, I urge the European Forum to find a solution before the Christmas break and thereby avoid a mad rush to the south.»

«My own Government has promised to avoid any potential rush southward so long as progress is made in this chamber. Our suggestion is to indefinitely extend the Antarctic Mandate separate from the EF Mandate system. Doing so will prevent chaos, but also allow for limited disruption to the current work being done there by climate scientists, biologists, and others.»

 

[Justosia]

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[Josepania]

Anayansi Quintanilla Cuesta, Representative of San José to the European Forum:

Honorable representatives,

La Gran República Archipelágica de San José thanks the Honorable Representative for the Scanlaw and Free Peoples of the North for bringing this to the European Forum's attention. This is indeed a regrettable oversight in our noble attempt to abolish an obsolete system of neo-colonialism in the form of the Mandates, and it must be corrected as soon as possible.

The urgency of this task is all the more apparent given reporting by the Justosian press, JNN International through Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå, of a Justosian task force already enroute to the Antarctic for, I quote: "

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" How can we see this as anything but a blatant attempt by agents of the Global Exploitation Conspiracy to further plunder our planet and start a new crisis when we are already in the throes of tensions in the international world?

Therefore, I second Representative Johansson's call for action from this international body, and further call for an emergency vote to be scheduled this week. The vote would be focused only on, as previously outlined, indefinitely extending the Mandate status of the Antarctic region for the strict purpose of finding a long-lasting solution to this potential crisis, and therefore avoiding resource plundering or land grabs by imperialist powers.

I yield the floor.

 

[Ebria]

Antonio Galan y Sarmiento, Representative of Natal to the European Forum:

Esteemed members,

The United States of Natal stands in full accord with its friends from Scanlaw and the Great Archipelagic Republic of San Jose. We know and did observe for quite a while that the status of the Antarctic continent, is now in limbo, as we ourselves have supported for quite a while the disbandment of the Mandates of the European Forum, yet we ignored the Mandate status of Antarctica. We hope that this time, we will manage to sort it out and create an areal of natural protection.

As of yet, the continent is kept exclusively as a research area and it must remain the same. The huge levels of ice and snow make economic activities unfeasible, not without completely destroying the environment and creating problems for the life of the local fauna. We hope the nations of the world will be sensible enough to understand that there is literally no reason to claim this continent and to fight for it, only to destroy it for a potential promise of resources, which may or be not even be real.

Our position is that the EF should enforce the status of Antarctica into a natural sanctuary that should be continued to be kept exclusively for research.​

 

[Radilo]

Anzolo Schiavon, representative of the Radilan Republic to the Eurooean Forum

My esteemed colleagues,

I will not keep you long. I will only say that the Antarctic belongs to this world's people, all of it, to all people. It now stands a symbol of universal brotherhood and of scientific progress. It must remain so, now and for our posterity. Though our common neglect has resulted in situation we now find ourselves, it can be our collective resolve to to fix it.

I urge that Antartica remain a common global possession, through whatever mandates are necessary to achieve that, and that it remain a safe haven for scientific research, free of economic and political exploitation.

Antarctica serves as a reminder that we are able work togeather for universal good, if we can keep it.

 

[Justosia]

Lord Fernando Torres,
Justosian Ambassador to the European Forum

"Fellow Ambassadors,

Firstly I would like to thank our gracious hosts for the opportunity to even be here. What will receive no gratitude from myself, as voice of el Continental Imperio presently is what I see as a timed, calculated, and premeditated political attack by radical leftist nations that has been in the works for some time now. That news broke five days ago. Five. Odd all this commotion and outcry hasn't happened sooner. I personally find it very suspect.

My government isn't here to play boogeyman despite all of the grandstanding otherwise. Since relevant to this issue I will explain. Upon reuniting with our islands, reaching a massive naval construction deal with Tarusa, and an expanding economy, particularly record automobile purchases, our nation's petrol needs have increased. Rather significantly. Not to the point however, that we would consider tapping into our strategic reserves. Via a two thousand law passed by the senate, it must be a national emergency. This isn't. Yet. Options were devised and floated. An expedition to the Antarctic was indeed one. A civilian led task force was dispatched. They reached its shores late afternoon yesterday. They have merely observed. Scanned. Recorded. Last brief I received, that region is barren. Our government has no intention of letting simple curiosity become some Neo Communist's propaganda tool. Not at all. Now that they, and we know what they know, that expeditionary force has received orders to make for home. The region is as undisturbed as it ever was.

I do hope I've illuminated this issue for you and put any further assumptions to rest. I yield the floor."

He had promised his sovereign, his Holiness Temporal, that he wouldn't project or antagonize when she was kind enough to offer him this posting & a chance to serve his country again after he retired. So help him God he tried to make good. However that just wasn't in his blood. He always did love dishing back what he took.

 

[Josepania]

Anayansi Quintanilla Cuesta, Representative of San José to the European Forum:

Honorable representatives,

Ambassador Torres wishes to lecture those of us justifiably outraged by blatant Justosian resource imperialism on the timing of our response. If he wishes to harp on the timing of this manufactured crisis, then let us address it a bit further and expose the hollowness of his arguments.

As my colleague the Honorable Representative Antonio Galan y Sarmiento correctly indicated, the continent of Antarctica was designated as a European Forum Mandate strictly for scientific research, nothing more. Partly out of the noble principle of keeping at least one portion of the world untouched by the Global Exploitation Conspiracy, but also out of practicality: weather conditions prevent any simple extraction of resources without extensive and irreversible damage to the flora and fauna of the area, therefore scientific research is the only human presence allowed in that area. This European Forum Mandate is set to expire on January 1st of 2022, therefore as of now international law surrounding that mandate still stands. Keep that in mind.

Ambassador Torres calls the Justosian expedition "simple curiosity." Yet let us return to the question of timing: nearly a month before this mandate expires Justosia attempts to get ahead of the pack by seeking to find oil in Antarctica and, if found, plunder it before anyone else to literally fuel their nation. They do not even hide their intentions: their petrol needs have increased, and rather than exploit their own lands to meet their needs, they seek to exploit lands that do not belong to them, and try to sneak in before they're even allowed to. Must I really spell out how this looks to the rest of the world? At worst this is a violation of European Forum law, at best this is poor logistical planning in regards to timing, but the result is the same: Justosia seeks to bring back the 19th century and graft it onto the 21st century, sparking a race for resources that can potentially lead to resource wars.

Ultimately, they have backed down, but only because their expedition found nothing, but we as an international body must prevent this from happening again. I state again that we must have an emergency vote to extend the mandate for at least another year while we debate and craft a more binding and permanent resolution that protects Antarctica from exploitation by any power, regardless of their political orientation.

I yield the floor.

 

[Justosia]

Lord Fernando Torres,
Justosian Ambassador to the European Forum

"Fellow Ambassadors,

I would like to firstly today make something abundantly clear. Our nation never had any intention to violate EF law. Earlier this year when the mandate system was voted abolished, we were under the very logical impression that these mandates and laws were null and void then and there. His Excellency Canciller Suarez believed this. It was in fact his advice that led Her Imperial Majesty to ascend the request for this expedition. This controversy has arisen from a simple misunderstanding. I aplogise for this. I will not further sate the San Jose argument for political grandstanding here. I merely wished to clarify the aforementioned. An incident like this will not happen in the future. I yield the floor."

Fernando was well suited for this job as former Foreign Minister. He knew how to lie too. Canciller Suarez was quite indifferent to the expedition. He had no feelings either way but knew the laws were still in place until the beginning of next year. The Emperatriz didn't. She is shielded from much after all. He was simply protecting her & always would. He saw how excited she was for it. He could never refuse God's chief representative on Earth. He didn't think this much commotion would rise & was happy to fall on that sword.

 

[Pelasgia]

Ioannes Markopoulos, Ambassador and Delegate General of the Carian Confederacy to the European Forum:

"Honourable colleagues,

"It is the opinion of the Carian Confederacy that the Antarctic Region is the common inheritance of all mankind, and that it must therefore be disposed of by all European nations collectively. Any unilateral action in violation of this principle, and of the laws surrounding it, is unacceptable to us and most worthy of condemnation.

"We find it hard to believe that a whole nation could have made a mistake with regards to international law, and that, indeed, it could not be bothered to check with other delegates in this body before embarking on such a costly endeavour. Then again, if the Justosians wish to paint their civil administration as incompetent rather than dishonest, that is their prerogative.

"We shall offer no further comment on this matter, other than to state that the Antarctic should be jointly exploited by all Europeans, if at all, and that it should not be used as a geopolitical or diplomatic set piece by the various alliances that currently dot Europe."​