Charter of the Grand Unified Micronational (2014)

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PREAMBLE

We, the nations of the Grand Unified Micronational;

Striving towards unity and cooperation between nations;

Desiring to create an environment where selfish individualistic political platforms are set aside for cooperation and the transfer of information and knowledge;

Desiring to create an environment where new and old micronations can benefit from each other’s knowledge and experience to improve the quality and output of all our micronations;
Deciding to adopt this present Charter of the Grand Unified Micronational to govern the way we communicate, govern and cooperate within this organisation, and to serve as the framework for our goal;

To this end we acknowledge that:

  • a) The Grand Unified Micronational is to be a force for peace;
  • b) The Grand Unified Micronational is to be a force for cooperation and mutual development;
  • c) The Grand Unified Micronational is to serve as a platform to disseminate and practise these principles;

Accordingly, our respective governments and their representatives have declared that they will abide by this document, adhere to its fundamentals and in doing so cement the position of the Grand Unified Micronational in the greater community;

TERMINOLOGY

In order to secure an optimum conduct within the Grand Unified Micronational, the following terms shall be clearly defined within the provisions of the Charter:

  • a) The terms of ‘Chair’, ‘Chairman’, ‘Chairwoman’, ‘Chairperson’, ‘Chair of the Quorum’ and equivalents, ‘Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational’ and equivalents and ‘Chair of the Quorum of the Grand Unified Micronational’ and equivalents shall be considered synonyms in the context of this Charter and their meaning shall be interpreted in accordance with Article 13 of this Charter;
  • b) The terms of ‘Vice-Chair’, ‘Vice-Chairman’, ‘Vice-Chairwoman’ and ‘Vice-Chairperson’ shall be considered synonyms in the context of this Charter and their meaning shall be interpreted in accordance with Article 22 of this Charter;
  • c) The terms of ‘GUM’, ‘institution’ and ‘organisation’ shall be considered synonyms in the context of this Charter and their meaning shall be ‘the Grand Unified Micronational’, as defined by Article 1 of this Charter;
  • d) The terms of ‘the Quorum’, ‘the Quorum of Delegates’, ‘the Quorum of the Grand Unified Micronational’ and ‘the Quorum of Delegates of the Grand Unified Micronational’ shall be considered synonyms in the context of this Charter and their meaning shall be interpreted in accordance with Article 7 of the Charter;
  • e) The terms of ‘President of the Justice Commission’, ‘Chair of the Justice Commission’ and ‘Supreme Judge’ shall be considered synonyms in the context of this Charter and their meaning shall be interpreted in accordance with Article 29 of the Charter;
  • f) The term of ‘ratification’ shall mean the formal declaration of a sovereign state that it agrees with and accepts the text of the Charter of the Grand Unified Micronational in accordance with their national procedures for such a process;
  • g) The term of ‘denunciation’ shall mean the formal declaration of a sovereign state that it terminates its adherence to the text of the Charter of the Grand Unified Micronational in accordance with their national procedures for such a process;
  • h) The term of ‘act of hostility’ shall be defined as any declaration of military aggression or political, economic or diplomatic embargo presented by a state to another state;
  • i) The term of ‘member state’ shall be defined as any entity whose ratification of the Charter has been recognised by the Quorum of Delegates;
  • j) The terms of ‘term’ in the context of ‘term of office’ and ‘term of office’ shall be defined, within the context of this present Charter, as a period of time served in office that usually lasts for three months. However, for the purposes of term limits, a term of office of minimum 30 days shall be counted as a full term, regardless of how one attained their office;

TITLE I – GENERAL PROVISIONS

ARTICLE 1 – THE ORGANISATION

  • (1) The Grand Unified Micronational is an international organisation that comprises freely associated sovereign member states;
  • (2) The main purpose of the Grand Unified Micronational is international cooperation and, as such, shall be barred from taking any sovereign power of its member states;

ARTICLE 2 – CORE PRINCIPLES

The Grand Unified Micronational is established according to the following core principles, regarded as inviolable fundamentals of the institution:

  • a) that all states are equal in status and deserve to be treated as such in all cultural, social, political, economic, diplomatic and general matters unless exceptional circumstances deem otherwise;
  • b) that the sovereignty of a sovereign state is fundamentally inviolable;
  • c) that it is necessary for micronational states across the spectrum to work together to promote mutual development and international peace;
  • d) that micronationalism is a genuine, valid political movement that deserves recognition and respect;
  • e) that by organising themselves as serious political entities micronational states can achieve sufficient autonomy to be deemed sovereign states;
  • f) that through mutual cooperation and peaceful development all micronational states can better themselves in every way;
  • g) that micronational citizens have the right to be identified as a people equal in cultural, social and political status to ‘macronational’ races/ethnic groupings;

ARTICLE 3 – FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSES

The fundamental purposes of the Grand Unified Micronational are:

  • a) to promote mutual social, cultural, political, economic, scientific and technological development within the framework of a formal institution;
  • b) to maintain peace and security between member and non-member states by promoting collective defence and independent resolution of political and military conflicts;
  • c) to maintain peace between member and non-member states by promoting international law and, where necessary, establishing new legal conventions for members to follow accordingly;
  • d) to develop positive relations between member states, and indeed non-member states, according to the principle of national and ethnic equality;
  • e) to serve as a platform to disseminate these ideas and harmonise the actions of member states towards these common objectives;

ARTICLE 4 – SOVEREIGNTY OF MEMBER STATES

  • (1) The Grand Unified Micronational can only be a voluntary association of states. Any imperative imposition of membership shall be null and void;
  • (2) The Grand Unified Micronational can not involve itself in the domestic affairs of its member states, and indeed, of non-member states;
  • (3) As a voluntary association of states, every member state can freely leave the Grand Unified Micronational. The means to leave the Grand Unified Micronational shall be done according to the provisions of the present Charter;

ARTICLE 5 – DIPLOMATIC RECOGNITION OF MEMBER STATES

  • (1) Within the Grand Unified Micronational, the member and observer states shall act as if they all recognise each other, even if they do not;
  • (2) The Grand Unified Micronational shall strive to promote mutual recognition and the establishment of friendly diplomatic relations between its member states;

TITLE II – ORGANISMS OF THE GRAND UNIFIED MICRONATIONAL

ARTICLE 6 – SEPARATION OF POWERS

  • (1) For the activity of the Grand Unified Micronational to be successfully carried out, it is to be coordinated and administered by executive, legislative and judicial bodies;
  • (2) The Quorum of Delegates of the Grand Unified Micronational shall be the only body vested with the legislative power of the Grand Unified Micronational;
  • (3) The Chairman and the Secretariat shall be vested with the executive power of the Grand Unified Micronational, and shall only use this power with the confidence, approval and direction of the Quorum of Delegates;
  • (4) The Justice Commission of the Grand Unified Micronational shall be vested with the judicial power of the Grand Unified Micronational. In its carrying out of activity, it should only be guided by this present Charter and by any other legislation adopted in the Grand Unified Micronational;

II. CHAPTER ONE – THE QUORUM

ARTICLE 7 – ROLE OF THE QUORUM

  • (1) The Quorum of Delegates of the Grand Unified Micronational is the supreme organ of the Grand Unified Micronational. The Quorum has ultimate legislative, executive and judicial competence;
  • (2) The Quorum is the representative body of all member states and consists of designated representative officials from the governments of all member and observer states;
  • (3) The Quorum of Delegates is regarded as the collective leadership of the Grand Unified Micronational and embodies the power of the collective community;

ARTICLE 8 – MEMBERSHIP OF THE QUORUM

  • (1) The membership of the Quorum consists of all member and observer states of the Grand Unified Micronational through their respective nominated delegates;
  • (2) There shall be a maximum of three delegates for every member state, out of which one shall be designated as main delegate. Observer states have the right to send one observing delegate to the sessions of the Quorum. The delegates are considered representatives of their states, and shall hold the citizenship of the state they represent;
  • (3) All delegates shall exercise the rights of the states they represent in accordance with their states’ type of membership, and rights and duties associated with it;
  • (4) Each member state is entitled to appoint a Diplomatic Staff to their delegate(s). Members of this staff may include communications personnel, adjutants, advisors and other essential personnel to assist the delegate(s) in their duties. None of these staff members have the authority to represent their micronation in the Quorum, and they do not need to have the citizenship of the member states they are appointed by;
  • (5) Only one delegate per member state shall speak at a time during Quorum sessions. This delegate shall be the main delegate. On the occasion the main delegate is unable to attend a Quorum session, they shall be notifying the Chairman on a replacement before the session starts;
  • (6) An individual is not permitted to be a delegate of more than one member state or observer state at a time;

ARTICLE 9 – DIPLOMATIC DECORUM

  • (1) The Quorum of the Grand Unified Micronational is considered to be a venue of formal diplomatic discussions. As such, delegates and diplomatic staff are expected to be treated and to treat other delegates and diplomatic staff with the respect deserving of an individual of their station, as well as to use language appropriate for a formal decorum;
  • (2) Delegates and diplomatic staff have the right to be addressed in a form of their choosing that appropriately reflects their station and formal preferences;

ARTICLE 10 – DUTIES OF THE QUORUM

  • (1) It is the duty of the Quorum of Delegates to:
    • a) adopt legislation of all kinds for the GUM;
    • b) uphold the integrity and security of the GUM;
    • c) promote peace and mutual development between member and non-member states;
    • d) assist the Justice Commission in resolving all forms of conflict;
    • e) provide general direction with regards to the work of the institution;
    • f) elect and appoint members and officials to the Secretariat and the Justice Commission of the GUM;
    • g) review and recognise or refuse to recognise ratifications of the Charter by applicant states;
    • h) other duties and responsibilities as decided by the Quorum itself by a majority decision;

ARTICLE 11 – LEGISLATION

  • (1) The Quorum of Delegates adopts three different types of legislation: constitutional legislation, organic legislation and ordinary legislation;
  • (2) Constitutional legislation shall consist of this present Charter and any other future amendments that are to be applied on it, and shall be adopted in accordance with the provisions of this present Charter;
  • (3) Organic legislation may be adopted by the Quorum with a majority of at least half of its full member states and shall regulate the following:
    • a) powers of the Chairman and the Secretariat that are not already mentioned in this Charter;
    • b) structure and ministerial portfolios of the Secretariat;
    • c) formation of Select Committees, permanent or temporary, of the Quorum of the Grand Unified Micronational;
    • d) other kinds of legislation that this Charter requires only to be adopted through organic law;
  • (4) Ordinary legislation shall be any type of legislation that is neither constitutional, nor organic. It can be adopted by the Quorum with a simple majority;
  • (5) Any legislation adopted by the Quorum shall become part of a Code of Laws of the Grand Unified Micronational, that shall be available to all delegations at any given time;
  • (6) If there shall be a situation where there would be no legal solution to be found in the Code of Laws, the Justice Commission has the duty to issue decisions based on pre-existing legislation. These decisions must be added to the Code of Laws to become binding, and shall be put to a vote to be transformed into permanent legislation at the first session of the Quorum after the decision has been made;

ARTICLE 12 – SESSIONS OF THE QUORUM

  • (1) To exercise its powers and duties, the Quorum shall meet in ordinary and extraordinary sessions;
  • (2) Ordinary sessions shall be summoned by the Chair of the Quorum on Sundays, on a fortnightly basis;
  • (3) Extraordinary sessions shall be summoned by the Chair of the Quorum at their pleasure, whenever there is something of great emergency that needs to be discussed by the Quorum;
  • (4) For a session of the Quorum to be declared valid, there shall be a minimum Quorum of five delegations present;

II. CHAPTER TWO – THE CHAIRMAN

ARTICLE 13 – ROLE OF THE CHAIRMAN

  • (1) The Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational is the chief administrative officer of the organisation and the coordinator within the institution;
  • (2) The role of Chair is one of general direction and leadership. The Chair cannot solely assume the executive authority of the institution, which is also represented by the Secretariat, and the Chair is subordinate to the supreme authority of the Quorum.

ARTICLE 14 – DUTIES OF THE CHAIRMAN

  • (1) It is the duty of the Chair to:
    • a) review all applications for membership;
    • b) direct the general work of the institution;
    • c) maintain peace between member states by providing an independent platform for mediation outside of the judiciary;
    • d) hear and respond to complaints and criticisms against the institution;
    • e) ensure that all meetings of the Quorum adhere to a strict schedule, are completed on good time and to determine the agenda for these meetings;
    • f) provide general leadership for the Grand Unified Micronational;
    • g) other duties as decided by the Quorum of Delegates;

ARTICLE 15 – POWERS OF THE CHAIRMAN

  • (1) The Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational shall preside over Quorum meetings and shall have the power to moderate those meetings and assure that the decorum enshrined by this Charter and by any other legislation is in place. The Chairman is entirely responsible for the way they moderate sessions of the Quorum;
  • (2) The Chairman shall have the power to appoint delegates to serve on an ad interim basis in the offices of Vice Chairman, Supreme Judge and members of the Secretariat, on the occasion these offices are declared vacant. The Quorum shall vote at the proximate session to whether accept or reject the nomination as permanent;
  • (3) The Chairman shall have the power to suspend delegates or member states in the following cases:
    • a) during the sessions of the Quorum, with the approval of the Quorum through an ordinary motion;
    • b) outside the sessions of the Quorum, with the approval of the Supreme Judge, for violations of the Charter. Such a suspension may be overturned by the Quorum through an ordinary motion;
    • c) outside the sessions of the Quorum, the Chairman may issue a provisional suspension if the Supreme Judge is unavailable when a violation of the Charter takes place. Such a provisional suspension would require the approval of the Supreme Judge to become a full suspension and could be overturned by the Quorum;
  • (4) The Chairman shall have the power, with the approval of the Quorum through an ordinary motion, to suspend a delegate or member state during Quorum. The Chairman may also, with the approval of the Supreme Judge, suspend a delegate or member state outside Quorum for violations of the Charter; such a suspension may be overturned by the Quorum through an ordinary motion. The Chairman may unilaterally make a provisional suspension if the Supreme Judge is unavailable when a violation of the Charter takes place; such a provisional suspension would require the approval of the Supreme Judge to become a full suspension and could be overturned by the Quorum;
  • (5) The Chairman shall have the power to unilaterally suspend individual delegates if they have been proven to violate the Charter of the Grand Unified Micronational or any GUM legislation blatantly. The decision shall be made permanent or shall be overturned by the Quorum at the proximate session after the decision for suspension has been made;
  • (6) The Chairman shall have the power to veto any motion that has been found unconstitutional by any delegate to the Quorum. Such decision shall be countersigned by the Supreme Judge, who, along with the Chairman, shall decide on whether the motion is indeed unconstitutional or not;
  • (7) The Chairman shall enjoy any other power as given to him by the Quorum of Delegates through an organic motion;

ARTICLE 16 – ELECTION OF THE CHAIRMAN

  • (1) The Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational is elected by a ballot of all full members of the organisation;
  • (2) The term of a Chairman shall be set at three months;
  • (3) Nominations for Chair open sixteen days before the last day of the term, with voting opening nine days prior to the last day of the term. The voting period shall be set at seven days;
  • (4) In order to be eligible to stand in the election, a candidate must serve as a delegate of a full member state to the Quorum and must have the permission of their government;
  • (5) Full member states shall have the option to vote for one candidate for the position of Chairman, or to vote against all;
  • (6) After the voting period has ended, the candidate with most votes is declared the winner of the election. In the event that two or more candidates should tie for the leadership, an emergency run-off ballot is held to decide on the new Chair.
  • (7) For an election to be declared valid there shall be a turnout of at least one half of the full member states. If the election is found to be invalid, another election shall be held;

ARTICLE 17 – INCOMPATIBILITIES OF THE OFFICE

  • (1) The Chairman, while in office, may not serve simultaneously as Chairman of the Justice Commission or as member of the Secretariat, other than in his right as Chairman;
  • (2) A delegate that is nominated for the position of Chair of the Quorum may not be nominated for election to the offices of Chair of the Justice Commission or member of the Secretariat at the same time. The same principle stands for the other offices;
  • (3) A delegate who has served two consecutive terms as Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational shall be deemed incompatible to run for a third consecutive term;

ARTICLE 18 – IMPEACHMENT OF THE CHAIRMAN

  • (1) If the Chairman of the Quorum has acted in violation of the rights or duties granted to him by this Charter, or has otherwise been found incompatible with the office of Chairman, the Quorum of Delegates has the right to impeach the Chairman;
  • (2) The procedure of impeachment shall start with a motion of suspension against the Chairman, put forward in an ordinary session of the Quorum of Delegates by any delegation of a full member state;
  • (3) Upon receiving a majority of votes in an ordinary session of the Quorum, the Chairman shall be suspended and his office and the rights and responsibilities that come with it shall be taken over temporarily by another delegate, according to the official order of precedence;
  • (4) The motion of no confidence shall be put to vote for a period of 72 hours, so that all full member states have the opportunity to vote on it. If all full member states vote on the motion before the period of 72 hours expires, the voting period shall end when the last delegation for a full member state has voted;
  • (5) The Justice Commission may choose to report on the legal aspects of the behaviour of the Chairman that led to this motion and on the legal procedural validity of the procedure in question. This report shall be non-binding and is to be addressed to the Quorum of Delegates;
  • (6) If the motion of no confidence receives, within 72 hours, the support of a majority of all full member states, the Chairman shall be declared impeached. According to the official order of precedence, another delegate shall take up the office of Chairman until the next Chairman has been elected;
  • (7) If the motion of no confidence does not receive the support of a majority of all full member states within 72 hours, the procedure of impeachment shall end with the lifting of the suspension of the Chairman." and that Article 18 is to be adopted;

ARTICLE 19 – ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

  • (1) For the purposes of vacancy of any office, or any other issue that requires an order of precedence, the following shall be taken into consideration:
    • a) Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational;
    • b) Vice Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational;
    • c) Other members of Secretariat;
    • d) Chairman of the Justice Commission;
  • (2) The order of precedence of the other members of Secretariat shall be established by the Quorum;

II. CHAPTER THREE – THE SECRETARIAT

ARTICLE 20 – ROLE OF THE SECRETARIAT

  • (1) The Secretariat of the Grand Unified Micronational, along with the Chairman, has the duty to assure the general upkeep of the organisation, the implementation of the legislation adopted by the Quorum and the promotion of mutual social, cultural, political, economic, scientific, technological and environmental development between member states;
  • (2) The Secretariat shall consist of the Chairman of the Quorum, who shall serve as its presiding officer, the Vice Chairman, who shall assist the Chairman, and the secretaries, who shall be designated specific portfolios;

ARTICLE 21 – POWERS OF THE SECRETARIAT

  • (1) The Secretariat shall have the power to collectively issue executive decisions in order to implement the policies and projects that are decided by the sessions of their Secretariat, at the suggestion of the respective secretaries in their delegated fields;
  • (2) The Secretariat shall have the power to collectively issue public statements in the name of the organ, and to issue press releases and other kinds of statements in the name of the Quorum, at the Quorum’s request;
  • (3) The Secretariat shall enjoy any other power given to it through organic legislation;

ARTICLE 22 – THE VICE CHAIRMAN

  • (1) The Vice Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational shall assist and advise the Chairman in their duties, and may act in their place when required in their absence;
  • (2) The Vice Chairman shall coordinate the Secretariat along with the Chairman;
  • (3) The Vice Chairman shall be nominated by the Chairman at the proximate Quorum after their election, and they shall be confirmed in office by the Quorum through an organic motion. If the Quorum rejects the selection, the Chair shall continue to nominate prospective deputies until one is approved;
  • (4) The Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational may delegate the power to oversee and coordinate the Secretariat to the Vice Chairman for the duration of their term, should the Chairman wish so;
  • (5) If the Vice Chairman is found to no longer enjoy the confidence of either the Chairman or the Quorum, they shall be proposed for no confidence through an ordinary motion. If the motion passes, the Vice Chairman shall resign from their office;
  • (6) The Vice Chairman shall be consulted by the Chairman on any occasion they use their powers related to the overseeing and coordination of the Secretariat;
  • (7) The office of Vice Chairman shall be incompatible with the office of Chairman, Supreme Judge or any other kind of membership in the Secretariat;
  • (8) There shall be a term limit of two consecutive terms for an individual to serve as Vice Chairman;

ARTICLE 23 – COMPOSITION OF THE SECRETARIAT

  • (1) The Secretariat shall be charged with the overseeing of certain sectors of policies by the Quorum. These categories shall be put together under ministerial portfolios;
  • (2) Each secretary shall coordinate one ministerial portfolio;
  • (3) The role and structure of the ministerial portfolios shall be decided by the Quorum;

ARTICLE 24 – MEETINGS OF THE SECRETARIAT

  • (1) The Secretariat shall hold at least fortnightly meetings, independent of the sessions of the Quorum;
  • (2) The Chairman has the duty to summon the Secretariat for meetings and set the agenda, in cooperation with the Vice Chairman;

ARTICLE 25 – ELECTION OF THE SECRETARIAT

  • (1) The Secretariat shall be elected for a period of three months, at the same time with the Chairman and shall serve alongside the Chairman;
  • (2) The secretaries shall be elected on an individual basis, and are eligible for nomination only if they serve as delegates of a full member state;
  • (3) The procedure for electing the members of the Secretariat shall be done according to the provisions for the election of the Chairman of the Quorum;

II. CHAPTER FOUR – THE JUSTICE COMMISSION

ARTICLE 26 – ROLE OF THE JUSTICE COMMISSION

  • (1) The Justice Commission of the Grand Unified Micronational, as supreme judicial body of the organisation, shall be have the duty to safeguard the Charter and all legislation of the Grand Unified Micronational and assure their supremacy, in order to upkeep the constitutional order and stability;
  • (2) The Justice Commission shall be the main institution charged with the power to resolve conflicts of legal nature between member states, and, at their sovereign explicit request and approval, non-member states;
  • (3) The Justice Commission, with mandate from the Quorum of Delegates, has the duty to try GUM member states, willing third parties, GUM member state citizens and other individuals or organisations who have violated accepted international micronational law;

ARTICLE 27 – DUTIES OF THE JUSTICE COMMISSION

  • (1) The Grand Unified Micronational Justice Commission must always remain impartial and transparent. It is subject to the scrutiny of the Quorum of Delegates;
  • (2) It is the duty of the Justice Commission to:
    • a) provide an independent, unbiased platform for the trying of those charged with violating international micronational law;
    • b) enforce legislation of the Grand Unified Micronational within the organisation and, where there are no established GUM legal precedents, enforce accepted elements of international law;
    • c) investigate allegations of an individual or organisation violating GUM legislation;
    • d) provide an independent tribunal to try those who cannot, for whatever reason, be fairly tried in their native land;
    • e) review all cases brought before it in good time;
    • f) ensure justice delivered to any individual or organisation is fair, proportionate and in keeping with the appropriate legal systems and precedents used in the case;
    • g) other duties as decided by the Quorum of Delegates;

ARTICLE 28 – COMPOSITION OF THE JUSTICE COMMISSION

  • (1) The Justice Commission of the Grand Unified Micronational shall consist of a President, and members appointed on an ad hoc basis, on the occasion of a trial;
  • (2) The President of the Justice Commission is the senior leader of the Grand Unified Micronational Justice Commission and serves as the Supreme Judge of the Grand Unified Micronational;

ARTICLE 29 – PRESIDENT OF THE JUSTICE COMMISSION

  • (1) The President of the Justice Commission represents the authority of the judge and when presiding over a trial, and the ad hoc members of Justice Commission represent collectively the authority of the jury;
  • (2) On the occasion of a trial, the President of the Justice Commission, shall, on advice of the Quorum, appoint an odd number of delegates to serve as ad hoc members of the Justice Commission;
  • (3) The President of the Justice Commission, as sole permanent member of the Justice Commission, shall be the single person to carry out the duties of the organ in full, on the occasion there is no trial to be held, and as such, no reason for ad hoc members to be appointed to the Justice Commission;
  • (4) The President of the Justice Commission shall be elected by the Quorum alongside and in the same way as the Chair of the Quorum of Delegates;
  • (5) Any delegate of a full member state of the Grand Unified Micronational may nominate themselves for the position of President of the Justice Commission. The nomination must be endorsed by the delegate’s state in order to proceed;
  • (6) The delegate who manages to gain a plurality of votes is considered winner of the election. In the event a delegate is tied with one or more fellow delegates for the position, a second round of voting must be held. If a second round of voting is indecisive, the Chair of the Quorum appoints the new Supreme Judge from one of the remaining candidates;
  • (7) The office of Supreme Judge is incompatible with the offices of Chairman, Vice Chairman and any other member of the Secretariat. There shall be a limit of two consecutive terms for an individual that serves as Supreme Judge;

ARTICLE 30 – TRIALS OF THE JUSTICE COMMISSION

  • (1) Any Grand Unified Micronational member state or non-member state may bring a case before the Justice Commission for review;
  • (2) Any case must clearly indicate a violation of international micronational law or accepted international legal conventions and provide at least one item of conclusive evidence to support the case going to trial;
  • (3) The President of the Justice Commission must review cases brought before them at the earliest possible opportunity. If the case is extensive, a formal report must be published by the Presidium for Quorum review;
  • (4) Having reviewed a case, the President of the Justice Commission must formally decide if the case warrants an independent trial. Should the Supreme Judge decide against a trial, the Quorum has the right to appeal against this decision;
  • (5) The methods for the course of a trial, the participants at the trial, and other related issues shall be decided through organic legislation;

II. CHAPTER FIVE – VENUES OF THE INSTITUTION

ARTICLE 31 – VENUES OF THE INSTITUTION AND THEIR ROLES

  • (1) The Grand Unified Micronational, in order to secure an optimum conduct of its proceedings, shall have official venues in which the proceedings of the institution shall be pursued;
  • (2) The Quorum of the Grand Unified Micronational shall conduct its activities when it is in session in a room with the same name on Skype;
  • (3) In order for delegates and their states to make productive contributions for the development and activity of the Grand Unified Micronational when the Quorum is not in session, a Lounge of the Grand Unified Micronational, shortly called ‘GUM Lounge’ shall be used on Skype;
  • (4) The Quorum of the Grand Unified Micronational has the power to organise and approve other venues of communication and conduct of activities, in accordance with the provisions of the present Charter;

ARTICLE 32 – ROOM OF THE QUORUM OF DELEGATES

  • (1) The Room of the Quorum of Delegates shall have the role of venue for the sessions of the Quorum;
  • (2) The Room of the Quorum of Delegates shall be administered by the Chairman of the organisation, assisted by the Vice Chairman;
  • (3) In the Room of the Quorum, there shall only be a formal conduct of affairs, in accordance with the internationally recognised diplomatic principles and article 9 of this present Charter;

ARTICLE 33 – LOUNGE OF THE GUM

  • (1) The Lounge of the Grand Unified Micronational shall be a venue for all delegations to the Grand Unified Micronational and their respective staff to discuss, within a semi-formal environment, subjects related to micronationalism, to international micronational development, and to the development of the organisation and fulfilment of its purposes;
  • (2) The rules of conduct within the Lounge shall be established by the Quorum, and shall be made clearly visible to all delegates;

TITLE III – MEMBERSHIP OF THE GRAND UNIFIED MICRONATIONAL

ARTICLE 34 – GENERAL PROVISIONS OF MEMBERSHIP

  • (1) A member state of the Grand Unified Micronational is defined by their capability to sign and ratify the Charter of the Grand Unified Micronational, and to be recognised as such by the other member states within the context of the approval of such recognition by the Quorum of Delegates;
  • (2) For the Quorum to recognise the ratification of the Charter by a state, a motion must be passed when it is in session by a majority of the attending member states, and it must mention the type of membership the state is granted. A minimum quorum of five votes in support is required for such motion to pass;

ARTICLE 35 – TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP

  • (1) In order for the organisation to assure a wide range of membership options for the states that wish to ratify this Charter, the following types of membership shall exist:
    • a) Full member state;
    • b) Provisional member state;
    • c) Observer state;
  • (2) The full member state shall enjoy all rights and shall meet all duties given by this Charter and by any other GUM legislation to a member state. A micronational entity may only become a full member state after having spent two weeks as a provisional member state;
  • (3) The provisional member state shall comprise those member states whose ratification of the Charter was just recognised by the Quorum or those member states that have been put in the process of expulsion. A member state may only be a provisional member state for a maximum of 14 days. After this period expires, the Quorum shall vote on whether to elevate those respective member states, in the case of newly accepted member states, or whether to go on or cancel the process of expulsion, in the case of those member states that have been put under such process, according to the provisions of this Charter;
  • (4) The observer state shall comprise those micronational entities that do not wish to become member states. They do not enjoy the rights and do not have to meet the duties of member states as mentioned by this Charter or by any other GUM legislation, but the following:
    • a) They must renew their observership status in the Grand Unified Micronational every three months by sending an official notification to the Chairman that will clearly express such intention to continue;
    • b) They can observe sessions of the Quorum, and they may send official messages to the Quorum, only after those messages have been approved by the Chairman;
    • c) They can take part in the GUM Lounge with full privileges associated with such status;

ARTICLE 36 – SUCCESSION OF MEMBERSHIP

  • (1) If a member state is declared to be disbanded, and if there is another entity that is deemed, through internal legislation, as successor state of the original member state, they shall automatically be given the status of membership within the Grand Unified Micronational, after the Chair is notified of the successorship;
  • (2) If there is no internal legislation that specifically mentions a successor state, the membership of that state shall cease;
  • (3) If there is no internal legislation that specifically mentions a successor state, but there are claimants to that status, the Quorum of Delegates shall decide on whether or not to recognise the claimant, or the claimants, as successor state/s to the original member state. They shall only be given membership upon the approval of the Quorum of such legislation to recognise successor entities;
  • (4) The successor state (or states) has the obligation to sign and ratify the Charter within a period of 14 days from their recognition by the Chairman as successor state. If the successor state fails to sign and ratify the Charter after these 14 days, their membership status shall automatically be revoked;

ARTICLE 37 – CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP

  • (1) The status of membership in the Grand Unified Micronational of a state shall end when the state formally notifies the Chairman that it has denounced the Charter of the Grand Unified Micronational, when the state is declared to be disbanded or when the state is expelled from the organisation;
  • (2) The procedure of denunciation of the Charter shall be done according to the internal proceedings of each member state;
  • (3) The procedure of expulsion of a member state shall be done in accordance with the provisions of this Charter;
  • (4) The procedure of expulsion of an observer state shall be done by a motion presented before the Quorum of Delegates by at least one delegation. If the motion is adopted with the support vote of a majority of the number of member states present at the Quorum, the status of observer of a state shall be considered ended;

ARTICLE 38 – EXPULSION OF A MEMBER STATE

  • (1) The expulsion of a member state from the Grand Unified Micronational is considered a very serious move and shall only be done in the following circumstances:
    • a) The member state is found to violate the terms of this Charter, and continues to do so after having received a warning from the Chairman of the organisation;
    • b) The member state is deemed to be inactive for more than 45 days and unable to be contacted by any delegate of the Quorum;
    • c) The member state is deemed, by general consensus, a threat to the legal order and stability of the organisation, or which is otherwise deemed incompatible with the objectives of this organisation;
    • d) The member state declares an act of hostility upon another member state, and the conflict cannot be resolved peacefully in a period shorter than 25 days;
  • (2) The procedure for expelling a member state from the Grand Unified Micronational shall start with a motion of suspension put before the Quorum of delegates. If the motion passes by a simple majority, the member state loses any of their rights given by this Constitution. If the motion fails, and the Quorum considers that the reasoning behind the motion was not in accordance with this Charter, the member state that proposed the suspension shall be proposed itself for suspension through a motion put forward by the Chairman;
  • (3) If one of the suspended member state’s delegates holds an office at the time of their suspension, that delegate is considered suspended, and not removed from office, and shall be replaced in exercise of their duties by an acting official appointed by the Quorum;
  • (4) After the motion of suspension passes, a period of trial of two weeks starts, during which the Justice Commission and the Secretariat have the duty to present a report on whether there is a constitutional reason for the expulsion or not. The suspended member state and any other interested party are able to present a statement before the Quorum in regards to the proposal for expulsion should they wish so;
  • (5) After two weeks have passed, the Quorum of Delegates, taking into account the reports presented by the Justice Commission and the Secretariat, is able to vote on whether to expel the member state or not. The decision is to be taken with a two thirds majority, and the minimum quorum of presence is ten;
  • (6) If the proposal is considered to be passed, the member state is considered expelled from the Grand Unified Micronational;

TITLE IV – TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

ARTICLE 39 – ENTRY INTO FORCE

  • (1) The present Charter is to enter into force on the Fifteenth of February 2014, providing that at least three fourths of the states who were full members of the Grand Unified Micronational on the First of February 2014 have signed and ratified it by that time;
  • (2) If the Charter is not ratified by at least three fourths of the full members by the Fifteenth of February, the Charter shall enter into force as soon as this condition is met;

ARTICLE 40 – ORGANISMS OF THE INSTITUTION

  • (1) At the time the Charter enters into force, the Chairman, the Vice Chairman and the Supreme Judge shall remain in office, and their term shall end according to the provisions of the old Constitution. For the purposes of continuity, any legal term limit imposed by this Charter shall be counted starting with the next term period;
  • (2) At the time the Charter enters into force, the Councils of Advancement and Security shall continue their duties until elections;
  • (3) The Secretariat of the Grand Unified Micronational shall be elected at the same time with the first elections for the Chair, and its first membership shall be inaugurated on the same day with the next Chair;

ARTICLE 41 – TRANSITION OF MEMBERSHIP

  • (1) On the day of the entry into force of this Charter, full member states shall be transitioned into full member states;
  • (2) On the day of the entry into force of this Charter, those nations that were provisional members before its entry into force shall be given, for 14 days, the option to either become full member states or observers;
  • (3) On the day of the entry into force of this Charter, those nations that were observers or permanent observers before its entry into force shall automatically become observer states;

TITLE V – FINAL PROVISIONS

ARTICLE 42 – SOURCES OF LAW

  • (1) The present Charter of the Grand Unified Micronational and the Code of Laws shall be deemed as the only sources of legislation in the Grand Unified Micronational;
  • (2) Widely-accepted international law and conventions may only be taken into account when there is no legal precedent in the GUM for a specific situation, and their application shall be done following Article 11 of this present Charter;

ARTICLE 43 – LEGAL SUPREMACY

  • (1) At the time this Charter enters into force, the Constitution of the Grand Unified Micronational as adopted on 19 February 2012 is and remains repealed in its entirety;
  • (2) All legislation passed by Quorum before the entry into force of this Charter shall be considered null and void. The Quorum of Delegates has the duty to check the old legislation for compatibility with the Charter, and re-adopt relevant legislation within a period of 30 days from the entry into force of this Charter;

ARTICLE 44 – REVISION

  • (1) This Charter serves as the fundamental law of the Grand Unified Micronational, and as such can only be amended under special guidelines, as presented in this Charter;
  • (2) The Quorum has the sole sovereign power to amend the Charter, and it can only amend it by summoning an Extraordinary Constituent Quorum;
  • (3) Every amended article of the Constitution must be adopted separately by a vote of three fourths in the Extraordinary Constituent Quorum;
  • (4) The Extraordinary Constituent Quorum can only be adjourned when it has finished its mission to amend the Constitution, or when it has decided by its own sovereign power that the amendment process should be abandoned;

ARTICLE 45 – DEFENCE OF CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER

  • (1) Titles IV and V of this present Charter cannot be the subject of any amendment;
  • (2) The Justice Commission of the Grand Unified Micronational has the duty to check on whether the proposed amendments are in full agreement with the provisions of the text of the Charter before the amendment process is completed. If the amendments are not in agreement with the Charter, they cannot be adopted by the Quorum.

Signatories and ratifiers

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