Talk:Articles of the Federation

Note: The following is a re-interpretation of the Articles of the Federation, as written by "ASmallDuck" and presented by the NascentNovice site. It is presented as a complete Federation Charter, to include the Fundamental Guarantees. It has successfully broken away from being a plagiarized version of the United Nations Charter and would have been included as SFC's version of the document if the original had not already been so heavily incorporated into the framework of the site. It is included here for reference and inspiration.

Charter Preamble

WE HAVE AGREED that our worlds hold these truths to be self-evident: that all intelligent life has inherent dignity and value and so is endowed with certain fundamental and inherent rights.

AND AS THE RECENT CONFLICT has proven the existence of threats to these rights, we have recognized that only through sharing the resources, knowledge and capabilities of our societies can we guarantee the enjoyment of life and liberty and self-actualization to ourselves and our posterity.

AND SO WE, THE INTELLIGENT BEINGS of Earth, Alpha Centauri, Vulcan, Andoria, and Tellar are resolved that henceforth our relations shall be those of worlds which, as sovereign equals, cooperate in friendly association to promote the common welfare, to ensure the rights and responsibilities of Federation citizenship, and therefore are desirous of concluding a federal union of our societies.

AND IN FURTHERANCE OF THIS UNION we have come together to formulate a general law to establish a common justice, to ensure tranquility founded upon the pursuit of peace and durable interstellar law, to unite our strengths in order to provide for common security, and to promote the general welfare and economic and social advancement of all lifeforms.

AND SO IT IS RESOLVED that the respective peoples, through their representatives holding such power, agree to these Fundamental Guarantees and Articles of Federation and do hereby establish an interstellar organization to be known as the UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the representatives of these societies so gathered and having valid authority to do so have signed these Articles of Federation.

DONE at the City of San Francisco, Earth on the date 2161 August 12.

Alpha Centauri Concordium

Zella Cinear
Jie Cong Li
Lillian Hayes
Nasrin Sloane
Ugo Hadriese

Andorian Empire

Samiterih Sh’Naazrin
Anlenthoris Ch’Vendreni
Ferrinesh Ch’Theru
Thirjhamel Zh’Dhaven
Hravishran Th'Zoarhi
Symo Zh’Rhevoq
Rol Ch’Therreq
Athrorel Ch’Arhiavok

Confederacy of Vulcan

T’Pau
Soval
Pekev T’Sri T’Maran
Solkar
L’Nel
T’Imail
Ugaya T’Pri L’Sprang
Staam

United Planets of Tellar

Gora Bim Gral
Besh Chim Kar
Coti Jav Granch
Tishli Prann
Canniv Bim Vagh
Ligao Lulansh
Vaash Bav Jashnoor

United Earth

Observers

Thimur Wross
Mohammed Khan
Qaletaqu

Fundamental Guarantees of Freedoms, Rights & Responsibilities

Guarantee 1: Guarantee of Self

Every sentient being has the right to life, liberty, and security of individuality.

Guarantee 2: Guarantee of Federation citizenship

Every citizen of a member of the United Federation of Planets shall also be a citizen of the United Federation of Planets.
Any individual born to a member government of the UFP, is immediately entitled to the rights and responsibilities of Federation citizenship.
No member state of the United Federation of Planets may, by law or deed, create unequal Federation citizenship among its own citizens.

Guarantee 3: Guarantee of self-expression and speech

A Federation citizen has a right to self-expression and thoughts, and the right to express them freely without government interference. This right includes the freedom to receive self-expression from others. Both rights imply expression through any form of media, work of art, public declaration, or conversation.
The threshold for any suppression of speech or self-expression must be extremely high, clearly delineated, and frequently reviewed.

Guarantee 4: Guarantee to freedom of spiritual expression, and from spiritual compellation

A Federation citizen has the right to religious or spiritual expression.
A Federation citizen has the freedom from any religious or spiritual compellation.
No member government may legislate against the free practice of religion, spirituality, or faith. No member government may promote or encourage any particular practice of religion, spirituality, or faith. No member government may prioritize the religious above the irreligious, or vice versa.

Guarantee 5: Guarantee from Want

The United Federation of Planets guarantees a basic subsistence of dignity to any and all Federation citizens. This is taken to mean a standard of living commensurate with the level of health, well-being, and satisfaction of the individual. This is taken to include, but not be limited to, nutrition, clothing, shelter, means of production or creation, and healthcare.

Any member government of the United Federation of Planets shall endeavor to provide this minimum to any Federation citizen within their area of Federation space and the United Federation of Planets government shall endeavor to provide this minimum to any Federation citizen, regardless of location.

If an individual planetary government is unable to complete this Guarantee, due to emergency or disaster, it is assumed the United Federation of Planets government shall endeavor to honor this right, at minimum.

This guarantee is not meant to indicate the maximum level of support that organizations of the United Federation of Planets should strive to provide.

Guarantee 6: Guarantee from Terror

A Federation citizen is to expect their lives to be free of terror.
A Federation citizen is free from the assumption their government will court war with another power for the purposes of territorial gain, personal interest, or to increase violence in the quadrant.
A Federation citizen is free from the assumption that their government shall use terror to compel behavior of them, or others.

Guarantee 7: Guarantee of Due Process under the Law

A Federation citizen is guaranteed any and all due process under Federation law.
A Federation citizen may not be used to incriminate themselves, by thought, word, or deed.
A Federation citizen may not be submitted to arbitrary, or personal legal action brought by the state without due process.

Guarantee 8: Guarantee from Killing and Compelled Violence

A Federation citizen may not be compelled to commit an act of violence without their free consent, by the government of the United Federation of Planets or any other member state government.
A Federation citizen shall never be required to kill without their free consent.
A Federation citizen who chooses to refuse member state compulsory military service during a time of war or other military action may do so through this Guarantee. No fee, penalty, or confinement may be levied against a Federation citizen for doing so.

Guarantee 9: Guarantee of Exceptional Legal Scrutiny

Any law or act of the Federation Council, or any succeeding governmental body, that seeks to curtail or diminish these articulated “Fundamental Guarantees” must survive the highest conceivable bar of legal scrutiny by the Federation Judicial Council, in three consecutive sittings. If at such a time, these criteria are met, then amendment to these rights shall be allowed.
The adoption of new Guarantees that expand rights, and in no way curtail those already present, may be adopted utilizing the same procedure. It is to be understood that this guarantee protects existing rights; they are not to be used to prohibit further rights.
To abridge, through statute or tradition, any such right must only come through the highest level of legal scrutiny and be directly involved in criminal or negligent behavior that endangers Federation citizens.

Guarantee 10: Guarantee of Democratic Political Legitimacy

Any political legitimacy imbued within the United Federation of Planets, and any subsidiary governmental bodies, is guaranteed to be based in popular, explicit, and implicit consent of the governed.

This consent is to be understood as civil legitimacy, accountable to, but not limited to, democratic elections, financial, philosophical, and stake-holder transparency, recusal of perceived or actual corruption, and continual appraisal of perceived legitimacy.

A Federation citizen, or group of citizens, is guaranteed the right to petition the government, and any subsidiary governmental bodies, of the United Federation of Planets for redress to any lack of legitimacy and is guaranteed a reasonable response to any such petition.

Articles of the United Federation of Planets

We, the Heads of State and Governments of the Member States of the United Federation of Planets:

Inspired by those ideals of dignity, justice, peace, and progress, form this union to promote interplanetary unity, to reaffirm fundamental sentient rights, and to guarantee a set of rights to every Federation citizen. And to this end, to practice tolerance and live together in peace as good neighbors and to unite to maintain peace and security, to employ our diverse talents and cultures to mutual benefit and progress for all Federation citizens

HAVE RESOLVED TO EMPLOY OUR DIVERSE SOCIETIES AND CULTURES TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS:

Chapter 1: Purposes and Principles of the United Planets of the Federation

Article 1 - Principles of the United Federation of Planets

The United Federation of Planets is a voluntary organization of combined values, intentions, and goals. The United Federation of Planets and its Members, in pursuance of the purposes so stated, shall act in accordance with the following principles:

The United Federation of Planets is based on the equality of all its Members.

In order to ensure all Members the rights and benefits resulting from membership, all Members shall in good faith fulfill all obligations assumed by them in accordance with these Articles of Federation and all duly adopted rulings, charters, and decisions created by this Federation;

All Members shall settle all interplanetary disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that interstellar peace, security, and justice are not endangered;

In all interplanetary relations, all Members shall refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any society within or without this Federation, and refrain from any acts in any manner inconsistent with the purpose of the United Federation of Planets.

All Members shall give the United Federation of Planets every assistance in any actions taken in accordance with these Articles of Federation, and shall refrain from assisting any group against which the Federation is taking preventative or enforcement action, within or without;

Nothing within these Articles of Federation authorizes the Federation to intervene in matters which are essentially within the purely domestic jurisdiction of a nation or planetary system, nor shall anything require Members to submit such matters to settlement under these Articles of Federation; but this principle does not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under said Articles or any action that infringes upon a Fundamental Guarantee of Federation Citizenship.

Article 2 - Purposes of the United Federation of Planets

The purposes of the United Federation of Planets are:

To maintain interplanetary and interstellar peace and security within our acknowledged and accepted borders, and to that end: to take collective measures for the prevention of threats to such peace, to suppress acts of aggression, and to bring about by peaceful means and employing the principles of justice and interstellar law an adjustment or settlement of any interplanetary disputes which might lead to a breach of the interstellar peace;

To improve the lives of Federation citizens through diligent work and open governmental action;

To develop friendly relations among planets and species based on respect for the principles of the equal rights and self-determination of all intelligent lifeforms, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;

To achieve interplanetary cooperation in solving interstellar problems of economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character; in promoting and encouraging respect for the rights of all intelligent lifeforms; and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to culture, sex, gender, disability, caste, species, or spiritual belief; and

To be a place of coordination for the actions of all peoples in the attainment of these common ends.

Article 3 - Temporary Arrangements

Before the implementation of this Federation, including during the transitory period between coming into force and the full establishment of this Federation such that its agencies and organs may fulfill the duties for which they were created, nothing in these Articles shall bind Members from taking joint actions to maintain interplanetary and interstellar peace and security.

Until such a time as an election for The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets may be held, not to be longer than four years after the signing of these Articles of Federation, there shall be a caretaker official appointed by the unanimous consent of the inaugural membership of the Federation Council. In all ways this official shall act as The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets.

Article 4 – Process of Ratification for the Articles and their Coming into Force

These Articles of Federation shall be ratified by each signatory in accordance with their respective statutory processes, and each signatory shall notify the Foreign Minister of United Earth. Upon receipt of a ratification, the government of United Earth shall record it and maintain such a record. United Earth shall notify all signatory governments of each deposit as well as the Secretariat of the Federation. After the Federation comes into force, the United Earth commission for this purpose shall be replaced by a commission under the Secretariat of the Federation.

Chapter 2: Membership

Article 5 – Member States of the United Federation of Planets

The United Federation of Planets consists of the following member states:

The Alpha Centauri Concordium
The Andorian Empire
The Confederacy of Vulcan
United Earth
The United Planets of Tellar.

Article 6 – Member State Internal Changes

Changes to the internal organization of Members of the United Federation of Planets will abide by the following:

If the naming convention of a member state is changed, though the government has not sufficiently changed in nature, a simple amendment may be used to update their governmental designation.
If the substance of a member state government has changed sufficiently for the Federation Council to deem it a “new state”, then a full vote of the Federation Council must pass in order for the member state to remain.
The Federation Council may choose to suspend the rights and privileges of membership in the United Federation of Planets for any Member of the United Federation of Planets against which the Federation Council has chosen to take enforcement action against. These rights may be later restored by the Federation Council.
Notwithstanding this, no one may deny any Member of the United Federation of Planets its right to speak in the Federation Council.

Article 7 – Admission of New Members

The United Federation of Planets shall admit new members through the following process:

Application to the United Federation of Planets is available to any and all governmental bodies that apply.
Application for membership shall be directed to the Federation Council, or any body appointed by Council law to do so.
Eligibility requirements for admission to the United Federation of Planets remains in the sole purview of the Federation Council, or any body appointed by Council law to do so.
Admission shall be considered of any government that meets the criteria outlined in Articles 7, 8, and 9. This new member shall be nominated by an existing Federation member government, and voted upon by the Federation Council. Admission shall be granted if more than 70% of the councilors vote in the affirmative. This 70% margin shall be superseded by the voting formula present below, if necessary to make the process more streamlined. (See Appendix K: Article 7 voting criteria, 5-100 members)
A single Federation Councilor may veto admission for two successive sessions. If a vote for admission in a third session passes through the process outlined in Article 7 or 8, the veto shall be overridden.
All measurements or time indicated in any article regarding to admission shall be regulated by Federation Standards. Federation Standards shall be defined by the Federation Standards Committee. The Federation Standards Committee shall be created, determined, and decisions ratified by a simple majority vote of the Federation Council.

Article 8 – Association, or Provisional, Membership

Any governmental body that wishes to join the United Federation of Planets but does not immediately meet any of the requirements may join as an “Associated Member” by a majority vote of the Federation Council.

Membership in the United Federation of Planets is also open to any peaceful society which accept the obligations contained within these Articles of Federation and, in the judgment of this Federation capable and willing to carry out these obligations;
Such governments should be considered in good standing with the United Federation of Planets, and member governments of the UFP shall treat these governments as allies and friends.
Within a session of the Federation Council, the Federation Membership Council shall send a delegation to this government to determine their suitability for membership and develop a criteria for full membership.

Article 9 – Secession, or Removal, from Membership

Member states of the United Federation of Planets may secede or be removed from the UFP, at any time, under the following procedures:

Articles of secession will be admitted to the Federation Council, during an open session. These articles shall be recorded at time of submission.
The member state government shall relinquish any, and all, legal rights to Federation legal assets, upon this admission. Adjudication of Federation assets shall be completed by the Federation Judicial Council prior to any legal succession.
The member state may retain treaties, alliances, or rights outside their Federation membership, unless otherwise decided by the articles of secession or act of the Federation Council.
All individuals previously known as Federation citizens shall retain such citizenship within the Federation, until such a time that they renounce such citizenship.
Illegal secession from the Federation forgoes such rights for the secessionist government.
Any Member of the United Federation of Planets which has persistently and willfully violated the purposes and principles contained in these Articles of Federation may be expelled from this Federation by the Federation Council.

Article 10 – Designation of Federation Space

Federation Space shall refer to the area of space claimed by and conforming to the protections, rights, and responsibilities found within this charter. This space shall be defined by the Federation Council and may be amended by the Federation Council by a majority vote. As a minimum immediate designation, Federation Space shall be understood to include all space within five light-years from any member states’ home star or stars.

Also understood as Federation Space shall include all space within five light-years from any colony system claimed and protected by a member state.
Territory within Federation space but within planetary orbits shall be considered the legal jurisdiction of member planets for legal purposes.
Any change or redesignation of this definition of space shall be decided by the Federation Council, in consultation with the Federation Standards Committee

Chapter 3: Organizations

Article 11 – Organizations of the United Federation of Planets

The United Federation of Planets shall establish organizations needed to appropriately execute the functions of the Federation Council. The Federation Charter establishes the organizations of the Federation Council, the Federation Secretariat, the Federation Defense Committee, the Federation Judiciary Committee, and Federation Star Fleet.

Article 12 – Additional Organizations

Such subsidiary organs as may be found necessary may be established in accordance with Federation law by the Federation Council.

Article 13 – United Federation of Planets Colonies

A Federation Colony shall be formally designated by unanimous vote of the Federation Council.
A Federation Colony shall be afforded every right enumerated to Federation colonies within the Articles of the Federation and any subsequent Federation law.
The citizens of a Federation Colony shall be subject to all rights and responsibilities present in the Fundamental Guarantees of the Federation.

Article 14 – The Federation Council

The Federation Charter establishes the Federation Council. This council is a legislative body consisting of a Councilor from every active member of the Federation.
The Federation Council is vested with all legislative powers herein, and granted to the members of the Federation Council.
The members of the Federation Council shall be elected by election, from each Federation member, according to their own selection method. This selection method shall be democratic in theory, and responsible to review from the Federation Judiciary Council.
The Federation Council establishes the following committees: Foreign Affairs, Defense, Commerce, Science, Standards, Membership, and Justice. These committees shall be presided over by a Commissioner, nominated by the President of the Federation Council and confirmed by a majority vote of the Federation Council. This Commissioner shall oversee a committee including a representative from each Federation member state. This commission shall present annual budgets, priorities, and propositions to the Federation Council for ratification. These committees shall be supported by professional civil professionals, known as the Federation Secretariat.

Article 15 – The Federation Security Council

In order to facilitate efficient and quick handling of matters important to the security and peace of the United Federation of Planets, upon reaching a large enough size a sub-Council of the Federation Council of the United Federation of Planets shall be created. This shall occur when the Federation Council determines its need.
The provisions regarding such a creation can be found in Chapter 5 of these Articles.
Until such a time that such a council may be created, the Federation Defense Commissioner shall be responsible for defense and response to external threats, through oversight of the Federation Council.

Article 16 – The Federation Secretariat

A SECRETARIAT to house such bureaucratic and records-keeping agencies as this Federation may require to carry out the decisions of its legislature, which shall be created by the Federation Council as necessary from time to time. It will be detailed in CHAPTERS 4 and 10 of these Articles of Federation.

In addition to individual assignments, each Commissioner and each Committee shall be provided an adequate bureaucratic secretariat to accomplish its goals, as defined by the Federation Council.

Article 17 – Federation Judicial Committee

A FEDERATION JUDICIAL SYSTEM to resolve matters of constitutional questions and procedures of law, as well as to administer the judicial system of this Federation in areas where Member governments do not administer justice. Additional provisions shall be detailed in CHAPTER 9 of these Articles.

Article 18 – The United Federation of Planets Star Fleet

There shall be established a Federation Star Fleet, a service which shall serve as the peacekeeping, exploration, and self-defense force of the United Federation of Planets. It shall be initially composed of such contingents assigned to it by members of this Federation under ARTICLES 65, 68, and 69 until such time as facilities, recruitment, and training removes the necessity of drawing upon the armaments and personnel of any Member, except as provided for by ARTICLE 47 and 66.

The Star Fleet, as part of its peace-keeping role, is also hereby commissioned to enforce the laws and regulations of the United Federation of Planets as they apply in open space and such Federation territories which are not the territory of any Member, but it shall have no unilateral authority to enforce the laws and regulations of those systems comprising this Federation in compliances with the principles stated in CHAPTER 1.

The operations and actions of the Star Fleet shall be at times under the direct cognizance of the Star Fleet Chiefs of Staff and Military Staff Committee which shall also prepare and approve the provisional budget for its operations.

Initial expenditures are authorized under these Articles for the establishment of a Star Fleet Headquarters, continued construction and maintenance of the bases on the Romulan Neutral Zone, and the establishment of three Starbases to be located equitably within the territory of the United Federation of Planets and outside of any possible conflict with the territorial boundaries of any Member of this Federation. The Star Fleet Chiefs of Staff with the aid of the Military Staff Committee shall review and approve the locations of these installations and such other expenses of further Starbases and such other facilities as shall seem appropriate from time to time in the maintenance of interplanetary and interstellar peace and security.

Chapter 4: Governance of the United Federation of Planets

Article 19 – Composition of Federation Council

The Federation Council, as outlined in Article 14, shall exist under the following criteria:

The Federation Council of the United Federation of Planets, hereafter the Council, shall be a unicameral council consisting of one councilor from each Member of the United Federation of Planets.

Each Councilor shall lead a delegation of diplomatic staff from each member state. Each Member shall decide its own Councilor positions by its own methods, as long as those methods do not contravene the stipulations and principles of these Articles of Federation. These delegations shall include any Commissioned Committee member and subsidiary staff. These delegations are not meant to include members of the Judicial Council or Secretariat; as those members are beholden to their specific service, not Member State delegation.

Article 20 – Supremacy of the Federation Council

The Federation Council may discuss questions on any matter within the scope of these Articles of Federation or relating to the powers and functions of any agencies provided for in these Articles of Federation and may make recommendations and decisions for the members, as well as on any questions or matters pertinent to the functioning of this Federation whether relating to charters, statutes, or resolutions.

The Federation Council is the sole and supreme body of the United Federation of Planets. No agency or organ of this Federation may overrule the general will of its Members as expressed through the Federation Council.

Article 21 – Guidelines for the Federation Council Scope

The Federation Council shall consider the general principles of cooperation when it makes recommendations and decisions with regard to such principles for the members and for this Federation as a whole.

The Federation Council may choose to discuss any question within its scope as put to it by any member, or by any non-member in accordance with ARTICLE 8 and may make recommendations and decisions with regard to any such questions for the members, the Federation Council, the pleading non-member or all such parties.

The Federation Council shall call situations which are likely to endanger interstellar peace and security or are otherwise within the competence of the Star Fleet Chiefs of Staff to the attention of the appropriate council.

Article 22 – Principles of Federation Council Authority

The Federation Council, holding the combined and pooled sovereign power of all the members of the United Federation of Planets, shall initiate studies and make recommendations, decisions, and regulations for the purposes of:

1. Promoting interplanetary and interstellar political cooperation and encouraging positive developments in interstellar law and its codification.

2. Promoting interstellar economic, social, cultural, and medical cooperation amongst its members and between this Federation and non-members.

3. Promoting the common good of all intelligent lifeforms in the economic, social, cultural, and medical spheres.

4. Promoting the further realization of the fundamental rights and freedoms of all intelligent lifeforms.

Furthermore, if the Federation Security Council is not yet established, the Federation Council shall perform all the duties of the Security Council, with the Defense Committee providing for defense and response to external threats.

Article 23 – Federation Council Authority over Crises

The Federation Council may recommend or order measures which will assist in the most peaceful, just, and equitable possible adjustment of any situation, regardless of origin, which it deems likely to impair the general welfare or peaceful relations among its members, including situations resulting from violations of the provisions of the Articles of Federation which set forth the purposes and principles of this Federation.

Article 24 – Federation Council Notification

The Federation Council shall receive and consider regular and special reports from the any and all subsidiary council. Such reports shall include an account of measures that the Council or any portion of the Secretariat has decided upon or taken to maintain Federation rights, responsibilities, principles, and priorities.

The Federation Council shall also receive and consider reports from other agencies of the United Federation of Planets following agreed-upon regular periods of reporting.

Article 25 – Federation Council Power over Federation Space

The Federation Council has the capability to recommend, order or decide matters over such territories of the United Federation of Planets which may be part of no member of this Federation but which are directly controlled by the agencies or organs of this Federation.

Article 26 – Federation Council Budgeting

The Federation Council shall consider and approve the budget of the United Federation of Planets for allocating resources towards the agencies and activities of this Federation. Budgeting shall be done according to a timescale set by the Federation Council no more frequently than once per year. Other principles and procedures for drafting and implementing the budget shall also be determined by the Federation Council.

The expenses of the United Federation of Planets shall be borne by the Members as well as Federation-controlled non-Member areas as apportioned by law by the Federation Council or a subsidiary agency created for this purpose, keeping in mind the principles of the Federation. Implementation of the budget shall be subject to review by the Federation Council.

The Federation Council shall consider and approve all financial and budgetary arrangements with external agencies it may interact with and shall have the right to examine the administrative budgets of such agencies with a view towards making recommendations for the agencies concerned.

For the purposes of budgeting as a unit of account the United Federation of Planets shall create and guarantee the value of a common interplanetary credit, named the Federation Credit. An agency of the Federation created by the Federation Council shall have the sole right to issue such Credits and to utilize any existing member state currency as it deems necessary to facilitate such an aim. The Federation Credit shall also be accepted as a medium of exchange within all territory of this Federation for all societies which utilize currency.

Article 27 – Federation Council Voting Procedure

Each councilor sent to the Federation Council, of which there will be one per Member, will provide one vote for its member-state delegation.

Decisions of the Federation Council will be made by majority vote from delegations, with a mind towards compromise and reconciliation amongst all members in accordance with the principles of interstellar cooperation and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

The Federation Council agrees that, in accordance with ARTICLE 36 and ARTICLE 37, once the Federation Security Council is established, it will delegate the following decisions to the Federation Security Council:

1. Decisions with major foreign policy import, including but not limited to war, peace, admission of new members to this Federation, and alliances of all kinds whether offensive or defensive in purpose

2. The expulsion of a Member

3. Suspension or restoration of rights and privileges of a Member

4. Adjustment of territory of a Member, including colony regions

5. Questions relating to or revisions of the nature of these Articles of Federation

6. Resolution of disputes between Members.

Article 28 – Federation Council Voting Rights

Notwithstanding ARTICLE 8, no member of the United Federation of Planets may have their voting rights in the Federation Council restricted by this Federation, except that a member of the United Federation of Planets which is in arrears in the payment of its financial obligations to this Federation shall exercise no vote in the Federation Council if the amount it is in arrears equals or exceeds the amount of contributions due to it over the preceding two accounting periods.

The Federation Council may nevertheless permit a member so in arrears to vote if it is satisfied that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the member.

Article 29 – Federation Council Sessions

The Federation Council shall meet in regular periodic sessions, the location and length of which shall be decided by the Federation Council with the following requirement:

For no less than 2 times per Earth Calendrical Year and no less than 9 weeks per session, the Federation Council shall meet in Full Session, where all Councilors and The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets are obliged to attend. No bills or resolutions may be passed except during a Full Session. If The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets is absent, an acting presiding officer will be selected by the Councilors, but this acting presiding officer shall not enjoy the presumption of speakership.

Special Sessions, including Full Sessions outside of the regular calendar so specified by the Federation Council, may be convened by the Federation Council’s Speaker at the request of a majority of the Members of the United Federation of Planets.

Article 30 – Federation Council Session Procedure

The Federation Council shall adopt its own rules and procedures. It shall elect a person to hold the position of Chair, the Speaker of the Federation Council, each session by majority vote, starting with The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets as its first nominee. Should The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets not succeed in this nomination as the Chair of the Federation Council, any voting councilor of the Federation Council who can win a roll call vote for it may appoint any Federation citizen, including a member of their own delegation. The President of the Federation Council may, if they are unable to attend sessions, delegate any Councilor of the Federation Council to act as Acting Speaker of the Federation Council during their absence. The current Speaker will, in each session, notify the Federation Council of all matters relating to the maintenance of interstellar peace and security which need discussion.

Should a vote on measure which requires the allocation of significant resources such as a Budget, or any other bill the Chair declares a critical measure fail, the Chair shall immediately resign their position and shall undertake to resign their position as The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets, Federation Official, Ambassador and/or Councilor as soon as a replacement may be elected or appointed. In addition, if any Member delegation should have no confidence in the Chair’s ability to continue to lead, they may call for a Motion of No Confidence. Should this motion be seconded by at least one-fifth of the Federation Council, the Chair shall immediately hold a vote on the motion which must be declared a critical measure. A delegation may call for or second a motion of no confidence no more than twice per session. After a successful Motion of No Confidence, a new Chair is to be appointed by the normal mechanisms as a caretaker for the session.

Article 31 – Council Right to Investigate

The Federation Council may conduct an investigation into any dispute or any situation including at least one party who is a Member of the United Federation of Planets which may lead to inter-Member friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuation of the dispute or situation is likely to endanger the maintenance of interplanetary and interstellar peace and security.

All Members agree to assist with such investigations of disputes to which they are parties, to better allow the Federation Council to better understand the situation so as to assist it in producing a peaceful, just, and equitable settlement.

Any Member of the United Federation of Planets may bring any dispute or situation of a nature to the attention of the Federation Council.

A non-member of the United Federation of Planets may also bring to the attention of the Federation Council any such issue or dispute to which it is a party, if it commits to accept in advance the obligation to pursue a peaceful, just, and equitable settlement as provided for in these Articles of Federation. If it so does, the body having been notified may investigate and provide recommendations for the resolution of the dispute.

In a dispute involving at least one non-member of the United Federation of Planets, if all parties agree they may agree to submit their dispute to the Federation Judiciary Council for arbitration, but they must also further agree in advance that they will accept the judgment of the Federation Judiciary Council, whatever said judgment may be.

The Federation Council may, at any stage of a dispute or a dispute of a like nature, recommend or decide on procedures or appropriate methods to resolve the dispute.

It shall take into consideration any procedures for the settlement of the dispute which have already been adopted or are accepted as common custom by the parties.

In making recommendations and judgments under this article the Federation Council will take into consideration that legal disputes should as a general rule be referred to the Federation Judiciary Council, particularly those between Members of the United Federation of Planets.

Article 32 – Federation Council Subsidiary Agencies

The Federation Council may establish subsidiary agencies as created by its resolutions and decisions as necessary to accomplish its will. Such agencies consisting of permanent non-Ambassadorial staff working for the Federation as a whole will be placed under the management of the Secretariat.

Such agencies as already exist may be incorporated into the Secretariat by the action of the Federation Council and said agency.

The Federation Standards Committee shall meet during each session of the Federation Council. The members of the committee shall be members of the Federation Council, in number determined by the prior session of the Federation Council. Any and all changes to standards from the Federation Charter Appendix: Federation Standards, shall be voted upon by the Federation Council after suggestion by the Federation Standards Committee.

Articles 33 – Member Commitment to Peaceful Resolution of Disputes

Members of the United Federation of Planets who are party to any dispute the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of interplanetary and interstellar peace and security shall first seek a just and equitable solution by negotiation, inquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to other agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their own mutual choice.

Members absolutely and wholly forswear any supposed right to settle disputes via violence, including warfare, terrorism, and fostering civil strife in other members, as well as forswear the usage of coercion via a threat of employing such means.

The Federation Council shall, if it deems the act necessary, remind parties of their obligation to settle existing disputes by peaceful and mutually acceptable means.

Article 34 – Authenticity of Copies and Translations

These Articles of Federation are equally authentic and authoritative in each of the forty-seven languages they were drafted in. This clause in no way precludes the creation of other official translations of the Articles of Federation.

The Secretariat, in consultation with the Universal Translator Project, shall also reconfirm and verify that all translations of these Articles are in conformity with one another in consultation with experts in law, translation and linguistics. Within 90 days after the signing of these Articles of Federation, the Secretariat, having completed its confirmation and verification of the four languages, will transmit the verified copies to the governments of all signatories, should they differ from the draft copies in any way.

The signed copies of these Articles shall be deposited and preserved in the ratification commission’s archive located upon Babel around the Wolf 424 star system. Duly-certified copies thereof shall be transmitted by the commission to the governments of all Members.

Article 35 – The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets

1. The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets shall be elected by popular election of all Federation citizens of voting eligibility.

A. Any Federation citizen is eligible to submit their candidacy for The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets.

B. Voting shall take place during the first five days of the Earth month of November, beginning at 12:01 AM Nov. 1 and ending at 11:59 PM on Nov. 5, Earth GMT. All voting authorities shall endeavor to limit all “last-minute” situations or complications that would limit the franchise.

C. Voting procedures and declarations shall be delegated to local authorities, who will endeavour to encourage the greatest, feasible electoral participation.

D. The candidate with the largest total number of votes cast for their candidacy shall win the election.

2. The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets shall oversee the Commissioned Committees.

A. These commissions shall comprise one Commissioner, nominated by the President of the Council of the UFP, and confirmed by the Federation Council by majority vote.

B. These commissions shall comprise of one member of the committee for each Member State.

C. The Commission Councils shall consist of any deemed needed by the Federation Council.

D. Each Commission Council shall be re-ratified within 5 days of the beginning of a new session of the Federation Council.

E. Commissioners are confirmed to the Commission Council by a majority vote of the Federation Council on the first day of a new session. Commissioners may be removed from the Commission Council by impeachment.

3. The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets may bring to the attention of the Federation Council any matter which in their opinion may threaten the maintenance of interplanetary and interstellar peace and security. The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets shall have the right to attend any meeting of the Federation Council as they deem necessary for the performance of their duties.

4. The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets shall, in cases where they have reason to believe a miscarriage of justice has occurred, have the right to order the Federation Judiciary to convene a special panel of inquiry. This panel shall examine the conviction of any person convicted by the Federation Judiciary and consider whether there is cause to grant clemency, including but not limited to partial or full commutation of sentence, partial or full remission of penalties, or granting of respite or reprieve, as well as whether the conviction should be overturned, the records of it sealed or expunged, or both.

Chapter 5: Defense and Security

Article 36 – The Federation Security Council

In order to facilitate efficient and quick handling of matters important to the security and peace of the United Federation of Planets, upon reaching a large enough size a sub-Council of the Federation Council of the United Federation of Planets shall be created. This shall occur when this Federation has 20 or more Members.

The Federation Security Council shall consist of twelve Member representatives―five permanent and seven non-permanent. United Earth, the Confederacy of Vulcan, the United Planets of Tellar, the Andorian Empire, and the Alpha Centauri Planetary Concordium shall be the five permanent members of the Security Council.

The Federation Council shall select seven other Members delegations to the Security Council, with due regard being paid to the contributions of the Members towards the maintenance of interstellar peace and security and towards the purposes and principles of the Federation, while also keeping in mind equitable distribution of participation. No Members delegation shall be selected for a non-permanent seat twice in a row. Non-permanent members of the Federation Security Council shall serve for a term of 6 standard Earth calendrical years. If by their method of selecting an Ambassador their Ambassador’s term would last longer than that, they shall resign their position from the Security Council but may continue to serve as Ambassador for the Member.

A thirteenth non-voting member to the Federation Security Council will be the Federation High Commissioner, an official nominated by the Secretariat and approved by the Federation Council.

Article 37 – Delegation of Authority to the Security Council

In order to assure prompt and effective action by the United Federation of Planets, its Members via their pooled sovereignty and authority vested in the Federation Council confer upon the Federation Security Council the responsibility for the maintenance of interplanetary and interstellar peace and security, and agree that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility the Federation Security Council may act on their behalf, issuing decisions, regulations, and orders and accepting treaties and conducting diplomatic relations with non-members under the authority of the Federation Federation Council with full force of law.

In so discharging these duties the Federation Security Council shall act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Federation of Planets.

However, in delegating these powers for regular usage and extraordinary usage, no loss of its supreme power will occur for the Federation Council, which retains all the sovereignty and authority. Furthermore, the Federation Council shall retain the right to review the actions of the Security Council before they take effect.

The Federation Security Council shall submit regular and, when necessary, special reports to the Federation Council for its consideration.

Article 38 – Acceptance of Judgments

The Members of the United Federation of Planets agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Federation Security Council in accordance with these Articles of Federation.

Any non-member of the Federation which brings an issue to the Federation Security Council to ask for mediation or judgment must resolve to accept in advance the decision of the Security Council, whatever it may be, as binding and to carry it out to the best of their ability.

Article 39 – Security Council Scope

The Federation Security Council hereby undertakes to decide all matters which impinge upon Federation security, including the following:

1. Decisions with major foreign policy import, including but not limited to war, peace, admission of new Members to this Federation, and alliances of all kinds whether offensive or defensive in purpose.

2. The expulsion of a Member

3. Suspension or restoration of rights and privileges of a Member

4. Adjustment of territory of a Member, including colony regions

5. Questions relating to or revisions of the nature of these Articles of Federation

6. Resolution of disputes between Members

Furthermore, in order to promote the establishment and maintenance of interplanetary and interstellar peace and security, the Federation Security Council is to formulate with the assistance of the staff plans to be submitted to Members of the United Federation of Planets for the regulation of armaments.

The Members of the United Federation of Planets agree that they shall conduct no business which is within the authority of the Federation Security Council, including bilateral or multilateral diplomacy with any state whether Member or non-member, outside the auspices of the Federation Security Council except as authorized and approved by said Council.

As an exception, the Federation Council may authorize the creation of bilateral or multilateral agreements between Federation Members on matters not involving foreign policy towards non-member if the agreement is not a matter of controversy that would require the involvement of the Security Council.

As a further exception, if a Member is invaded or under imminent and credible threat of invasion of such exigency that the Security Council cannot be notified beforehand, it shall have the right to defend itself within its own territory and within Federation territory that is not a part of any Member from the invader without the approval of the Security Council. Such a Member must notify the Security Council of the invasion at the earliest possible opportunity so that the rest of the Federation may assist it. Furthermore, during a state of war if a credible offer of peace on terms judged likely to be amenable to the Federation is received, a Member may provisionally accept a ceasefire from the enemy power for such a time as to notify the Security Council of the offer.

The Members also agree that Federation laws and regulations and obligations and duties of Federation membership shall be in all cases superior in application to any other obligations or duties a Member owes due to already-existing bilateral or multilateral treaties with non-Members, but the Federation shall as part of its Accession Process to be decided upon by the Federation Council shall contain a consideration to preserving important treaties or organizations that membership candidates may be part of, particularly if all members of a bilateral or multilateral treaty shall be admitted to the Federation as a block.

Article 40 – Security Council Voting Procedure

Each delegation whose members are current sitting members on the Federation Security Council shall exercise one vote and will share that vote in common amongst its delegation. In the case of irreconcilable disagreement amongst a delegation, the Ambassador shall control the vote, or if the Ambassador is not present the delegation shall abstain.

Decisions of the Federation Security Council on all matters require an affirmative vote of a majority of the voting delegations sitting on the council.

The presiding officer of the Security Council and its chair shall be the Federation High Commissioner or, if the Federation High Commissioner is absent and cannot attend, another member of the Security Council chosen by the Security Council.

Unless the matter is an exigency as declared properly, the Federation Council shall be notified and allowed the opportunity to review all decisions of the Security Council before they take effect.

Article 41 – Security Council Sessions

The Federation Security Council shall meet in regular periodic sessions, the location and length of which shall be decided by the Security Council with the requirement that they be organized such that it can meet at least three times per Terran Month (36 times per Terran Calendrical Year) for a duration of no less than five days per session.

Special sessions of the Federation Security Council may be further be called, by the Security Council itself, Federation Council, Secretariat, or any Member with cause.

Article 42 – Security Council Sessions

The Security Council may establish subsidiary agencies as created by its resolutions and decisions as necessary for the performance of its functions. Such agencies consisting of permanent non-Ambassadorial staff working for the Federation as a whole will be placed under the management of the Secretariat.

Article 43 – Security Council Rules

The Federation Security Council may adopt its own rules of procedure excepting that they may not contravene these Articles of Federation.

Article 44 – Security Council Option to Include

The delegation of any Member of the United Federation of Planets which is not currently a member of the Federation Security Council may be summoned to a meeting of said Council to participate without voting rights on any proposition or dispute before the Council if said Council determines that the interests of said Member are affected sufficiently as to warrant this, or if consultation with that Member or its Councilor is desired for any reason such as knowledge or expertise in the matter at hand possessed by the Member.

The Federation Security Council may give conditions as it sees fit to allow the participation of groups which are not Members of the United Federation of Planets, including areas of the Federation not accorded Member rights.

Article 45 – Member Right to be Included

Any Member of the United Federation of Planets which is not seated on the Federation Security Council, if it is party to an intra-Federation dispute under consideration by the Federation Security Council, shall be invited to participate without voting rights in the discussion relating to the dispute, absent exigent circumstances.

Article 46 – Declaration of War

A declaration of war against any sovereign enemy by the United Planets of the Federation shall include, but not be limited to, any Federation military assets. No sovereign member of the United Planets of the Federation shall be required by law or custom to declare individual war against any other stellar power.

Article 47 – Limitation of Star Fleet Independent Action

Any military action by United Planets of the Federation Starfleet forces shall be recorded and presented by the Commander of Starfleet, or any individual in such a position that would denote the terminal leader of Starfleet, to review by the Defense Committee within 5 Federation days. Any military action taken by United Planets of the Federation Starfleet forces shall be ratified or denounced by the Federation Council within ninety Federation days of report to the Defense Committee.

Article 48 – Limitations of Military Action

The United Planets of the Federation shall not declare pre-emptive, colonial, proxy, religious, or champion warfare. It is to be widely understood that these are illegitimate justifications for armed conflict. The UFP may declare war for the purposes of defense of Federation citizens or the preservation of Federation citizen rights.

Article 49 – Assumption of Non-Violent Alternatives to Armed Conflict

The United Planets of the Federation shall promote non-violent, diplomatic, and restorative alternatives to armed conflict.

Article 50 – Assumption of Defense

The United Planets of the Federation shall provide defensive support for all Federation colonies, regardless of their individual ability to contribute to their own defense.

Article 51 – Promotion of Federation Service

The United Planets of the Federation shall promote and encourage service to the federation though any organization set up by this federal body. Similarly, it will encourage service through any member state organization that has pledged support of this federation; including, but not limited to, through the United Earth Space Probe Agency, the Vulcan Science Academy, the Andorian Imperial Guard, the Tellarite Space Administration, and the Alpha Centauri Space Research Council.

Article 52 – Remedies Not Involving Armed Force

The Federation Council may decide what measures not involving the usage of armed force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and may call upon Members to assist in applying such measures.

Article 53 – Remedies Involving Armed Force

Should the Federation Council consider that measures would be inadequate or they have already proved to be inadequate, the Defense Committee may authorize the taking of action involving armed force as necessary to maintain or restore interstellar and interplanetary peace and security. This action may include demonstrations, blockades, and other actions up to and including warfare.

Article 54 – Member Consultation Before Cooperation with Armed Force

If the Defense Committee has decided to use armed force it shall, before calling on a Member of the United Federation of Planets whose delegation is not currently represented on it to provide assistance, it shall invite that Member to participate, if that Member so desires, in the decision of the Federation Council concerning how that Member’s armed forces and assets shall be employed and utilized.

A Member’s participation or non-participation in such a consultation does not remove the obligation of contributing to collective security.

Article 55 – Member Cooperation with Remedies Involving Armed Force

All members of the United Federation of Planets, in order to contribute to the maintenance of interstellar and interplanetary peace and security, undertake to make available to the Defense Committee, on its call during a properly declared State of Emergency and in accordance with Federation law, such a portion of their armed forces as they are able, as well as assistance and such facilities as may prove useful to operations as they are able, including starbases and stardocks (both civilian and military) and transportation, repair and fueling facilities. Further, if called to, they agree they will provide rights of passage without restriction and will assist with travel through their territory.

Federation laws created for the implementation of this article may include exemptions for individual Members on specific facets of this article if there is good cause. Such exemption to the terms of this article must be individually detailed and particular as well as explicitly approved by the Defense Committee. Exemptions applying upon entry shall be negotiated individually and explicitly by prospective members before entry into the Federation. Additions, revisions, or deletions of a Member’s exemptions may be decided and ratified by the Defense Committee in consultation with the affected party.

Notwithstanding the prior paragraph, no Member may be required to maintain armed forces or participate in military action against its considered moral opposition to doing so. Any Member with such objections may make a declaration to this effect upon joining this Federation or at any time with the consultation and approval of the Defense Committee, which may set a transitional period for such a declaration to take effect over. Any Member who does not contribute to the collective defense to such a degree as they are able, such as by not maintain armed forces despite being able or not participating in the use of armed force, will provide additional funding of an amount to be decided in the budgetary sections for the Federation Star Fleet to be established in ARTICLES 66to fulfill their obligations in lieu of some of their obligations under ARTICLE 70.

Article 56 – Members Retain Right to Self-Defence

Nothing in these Articles of Federation shall be interpreted as to impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense against armed aggression occurring against Members of this Federation until such a time as the Defense Committee and the Star Fleet have taken appropriate measures necessary to maintain interplanetary and interstellar peace and security.

Any such actions taken by Members of the United Federation of Planets in their own self-defense independently or collectively without the presence of coordination by the Defense Committee and the Star Fleet must be reported to the Defense Committee immediately, and shall not in any way affect either the responsibility or the authority of the Defense Committee to take action at any time such as it deems necessary to maintain interplanetary and interstellar peace and security.

Chapter 6: Trade and Dispute Adjudication

Article 57 – Prohibition of Internal Tariffs

No member of the United Federation of Planets may impose a unique tariff against another member of the United Federation of Planets. Any and all economic systems that include tariffs, sanctions, blockades, or embargoes against a member of the United Federation of Planets by a single member against another or multiple others are illegal.

Article 58 – Imposition of Tariffs on External Powers

Any and all economic systems that include tariffs, sanctions, blockades, or embargoes against a sovereign power shall be decided upon by the United Federation of Planets Council.

Article 59 – Economic Committee

The Economic Committee may make or initiate studies and reports with respect to international economic, social, cultural, educational, health, and related matters and may make recommendations with respect to any such matters to the Federation Council to the Members of the Federation, and to the specialized agencies concerned.

1. It may make recommendations for the purpose of promoting economic opportunity 2. It may prepare draft conventions for submission to the Federation Council, with respect to matters falling within its competence. 3. It may call, in accordance with the rules prescribed by the Federation Charter, international conferences on matters falling within its competence.

Article 60 – Promotion of Improved Material Circumstance

With a view to the creation of conditions of stability and well-being which are necessary for peaceful and friendly relations among members states, the Economic Committee shall promote:

1. Higher standards of living, meaningful employment, and conditions of economic progress and development; 2. Solutions of international economic, social, health, and related problems; and international cultural and educational cooperation; and 3. Universal respect for, and observance of, all Fundamental Guarantees as they interact with economic endeavor.

Chapter 7: Science & Technology

Article 61 – Promotion of Scientific Endeavour

The United Federation of Planets promotes scientific endeavor within its member states. Acknowledging the substantial contributions to scientific knowledge resulting from international cooperation in collaborative research.

The establishment of a firm foundation for the continuation and development of such cooperation on the basis of freedom of scientific investigation with the interests of science and the progress of all members will strengthen existing scientific organizations.

Furthermore, the Federation should endeavor to facilitate further integration and collaboration between scientists and research institutions of their member states.

Article 62 – Designation of “Federation Protected Space”

The Federation may designate areas of space as “Federation Protected Space” for peaceful, scientific purposes. There shall be prohibited, inter alia, any measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, as well as the testing of any type of weapons. This shall not prevent the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purpose.

In order to promote international cooperation in scientific investigation in designated “Federation Protected Space”, member states agree that, to the greatest extent feasible and practicable: (a) information regarding plans for scientific programs in Federation Protected Space shall be exchanged to permit maximum economy and efficiency of operations; (b) scientific personnel shall be exchanged in such space between expeditions and stations; (c) scientific observations and results from such space shall be exchanged and made freely available.

Article 63 – Designation of Protected Species

The Federation may deem species within Federation Space as “protected” and therefore subject to specific designations, after so being deemed.

To be deemed a Protected Species, the species must meet one of five criteria:

1. There is the present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range.

2. An overuse for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes.

3. The species is declining due to disease or predation.

4. There is an inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms.

5. There are other natural or artificial factors affecting its continued existence.

Chapter 8: Foreign Relations and the United Federation of Planets Star Fleet

Article 64 – Federation Diplomatic Service

The United Federation of Planets shall maintain a diplomatic service able to promote the values of peaceful diplomacy, encourage Federation rights of citizenship, and engage in nonviolent solutions to external conflicts. This diplomatic service shall be maintained by the Secretariat and be responsible to the Federation Council.

Article 65 – Support of the Federation Star Fleet

The United Federation of Planets Star Fleet shall assist in promoting and facilitating the missions of the UFP Diplomatic Service, whether through material support or logistical support.

Article 66 – Member Delegation of Ships to the Federation Star Fleet

In order to enable the United Federation of Planets to take urgently required actions and in accordance with each Member’s commitment to the collective defense of this Federation, all members so capable except those exempted under Guarantee No. 8 are to assign contingents of their fleets to the peace-keeping force of the United Federation of Planets Star Fleet or any other such organization designated by the Federation Council. All contingents so assigned, for the duration of their assignment, shall give their full loyalty to the United Federation of Planets and shall endeavor to protect the purposes and principles of these Articles of Federation.

Article 67 – Establishment of the Military Staff Committee

There shall be established a Military Staff Committee as part of the Secretariat to advise and assist the Federation Defense Committee on all matters relating to this Federation’s military requirements for maintaining interstellar and interplanetary peace and security, as well as the employment and command of forces placed at its disposal and the regulation of armaments within this Federation. The Military Staff Committee shall enjoy considerable autonomy of action and shall not be subject to arbitrary interference by the acts of the Secretariat.

The Military Staff Committee shall consist of the Chiefs of Defense of the United Earth Stellar Navy, the Alpha Centauri Space Research Council, the Andorian Imperial Guard, and the Tellar Space Administration, or their delegated military representatives. The Vulcan Minister of Peace shall have the right to attend meetings of the Military Staff Committee. The Confederacy of Vulcan shall have the right to declare their full voting participation in the Military Staff Committee at their own request. Any Chief of Defense of a Member of the United Federation of Planets shall be invited to temporarily participate and provide representation on the Military Staff Committee where its responsibilities require the participation of that member in its work.

The Military Staff Committee shall also be responsible for the strategic direction of Starfleet as well as any armed forces placed at the Defense Committee’s disposal.

Article 68 – Federation Star Fleet To Carry Out Federation Decisions

Those actions required to carry out decisions of the Federation Council for the maintenance of interplanetary and interstellar peace and security shall be carried out by the Federation Star Fleet in accordance with its lawfully given directives, using such contingents as appropriate for the specific action.

Article 69 – Member Cooperation with the Star Fleet

The Members of the United Federation of Planets shall join in affording mutual assistance to one another in assisting the Star Fleet in the performance of its duties and obligations.

Article 70 – Design, Procurement, and Operation of Starships and Starbases

Initial expenditure is also granted under these Articles of Federation for the design, procurement, and operation of a sufficiently large and capable fleet of Starships to provide the initial nucleus of Starfleet’s peace-keeping, exploration, and self-defense operations. The Star Fleet shall maintain Starships capable of extended-duration patrol and exploration with equipment appropriate to such a vessel and the tasks expected of them.

Expenditure shall also be granted under these Articles of Federation for the procurement of such classes of vessel or station as required to support the operations of the Star Fleet and its Starships, including but not limited to logistical support craft and small craft.

Article 71- Mandate to Explore

The training of all Star Fleet personnel shall include training in all relevant fields of science and technology in addition to such practical arts as are necessary to accomplish its missions. It is the intent of these Articles of Federation that the Star Fleet shall be used to conduct missions of scientific exploration, discovery and investigation whenever their services are not required in the maintenance of interplanetary and interstellar peace and security.

Star Fleet Headquarters and the Federation Council shall be kept appraised at all times of the activities undertaken or contemplated for scientific exploration and investigation. Any vessel especially employed so shall be detached from fleet duty and re-assigned as a peaceful scientific unit of the United Federation of Planets.

Chapter 9: Justice

Article 72 – Federation Judiciary Council

The Federation Judiciary Council shall be the highest judicial body for Federation law. The Federation Judiciary Council shall rule upon the legality and constitutionality of all Federation Council legislation, and will be supported by the Justice Committee and all subsidiary organs.

Article 73 – Nondiscrimination

There shall be no restrictions on the ability for sentient lifeforms who are Citizens of the United Federation of Planets capable of participating in the United Federation of Planets’ principal and subsidiary organs to participate due to reasons of species, nor for reasons of sex, species, gender, age, family status, disability, language(s) spoken, familial origin, regional origin, caste, or citizenship in a particular Member state. None of these categories shall be used for reasons of preference or dispreference by the United Federation of Planets for placement to positions within its principal and subsidiary organs.

A judicial sitting is defined as the period in which a Federation council session is in session, and the remaining days before the official beginning of the next Federation council session.

Article 74 – Federation Citizenship

All Citizens of Members admitted to the United Federation of Planets, including the initial members, as well as all persons without Citizenship who durably reside within the territory of said members and are subject to the law of those Members, are to be granted Citizenship in the United Federation of Planets.

The Federation Council may grant Citizenship in the United Federation of Planets to individuals or groups, and may establish a process to grant Citizenship to residents of the United Federation of Planets who so lack it.

All Citizens of the United Federation of Planets are equally entitled to the rights, privileges, and benefits of Citizenship, and all are equally subject to the duties and responsibilities of Citizenship.

Children, natural or otherwise, of a Federation Citizen or Citizens are Citizens. Children who live within the territory of the United Federation of Planets lacking Citizenship with any Member who also do not have Citizenship in a known non-Federation society or whose Citizenship status is unknown shall be granted Federation Citizenship.

Article 75 – Challenge to a Universal Guarantee

Any ruling or punishment from a justice of the Federation Judiciary Council that infringes upon a Universal Guarantee of a Federation citizen, it must be for a limited period, clear a high bar of challenge, and may not include cruel, excessive, or irreversible punishments.

Article 76 – Provisions for the Establishment of a Judicial System

There shall be established a Federation Supreme Court of Justice to serve as a court of last resort for cases under Federation law as well to serve as a court for the resolution of inter-Member disputes on matters of law. It shall function in accordance with statutes to be established by the Federal Council and guided by the principles and purposes of the United Federation of Planets.

The Federation Supreme Court of Justice shall be created by the Judicial Council, and ratified by the Federation Council.

This court shall comprise of 15 members. Each Judge shall serve for a term of 15 standard Earth years, with three replacements being selected every three years. In order to produce this pattern, when the Supreme Court is first established, all fifteen Judges shall be selected and then by a random process three will be allocated three year terms, three will be allocated six year terms, three will be allocated nine year terms, three will be allocated eleven year terms, and the remaining three will be allocated fifteen year terms.

In addition, there shall also be established a separate court named the Federation Tribunal, which shall have competence over questions of the interpretation of these Articles as well as other fundamental laws of the United Federation of Planets. The Federation Tribunal shall also have the ability to determine if the actions or decisions of any Federation official or agency violates these Articles of Federation and order such actions and changes as to remedy violations. The Supreme Court of Justice may refer any cases which are found to pose such issues to the Federation Tribunal.

The Tribunal shall have a membership like the Supreme Court of Justice, but separate from that body, with the same terms of office and the same initial procedure for setting up terms upon its founding.

Changes to the Federation Tribunal, or decisions of the Federation Tribunal, shall be legislated in the same way as Fundamental Guarantees.

Article 77 – Applicability of Federation Justice

All Members of the United Federation of Planets are inherently parties to the statutes of the Supreme Court of Justice, by virtue of their membership, and subject to the rulings of the courts of the Federation Judiciary on areas within their competence. No means can suspend or revoke this status as a party short of leaving this Federation.

Article 78 – Compliance with Rulings, Extradition

Each Member of the United Federation of Planets undertakes to comply with the decisions of the Federation Judiciary and such subsidiary agencies as have the authority to decide matters for it.

If any Member fails to perform obligations incumbent upon it under a judgment rendered by the Judiciary, affected parties may have recourse to the Federation Council, which may, if it deems necessary, make recommendations or decide upon measures to take in order to cause the judgment to take effect.

Federation institutions and administrative bodies shall comply with the decisions of the Federation Judiciary and such subsidiary agencies as have the authority to decide matters for them. These entities shall neither alter any court decisions in any respect nor delay their execution. The Federation Council agrees not to utilize its supreme authority in such matters as have been decided by the Judiciary to overrule its judgments.

Groups operating inside the territory of the United Federation of Planets will comply with all decisions of the Judiciary and such subsidiary agencies as have the authority to decide matters for them. The laws and rulings of this Federation shall also apply to all with Federation Citizenship as well as those without Citizenship who reside in or who are transitorily present in the Territory of this Federation.

Each Member of the United Federation of Planets agrees that it will deliver persons accused of breaking another Member’s law into the hands of that Member. However, no Member shall be required to do so should the person so accused be in danger of the death penalty or any other punishment that for the accused’s species or in their own culture is considered excessive and cruel enough to inalienable and inherent rights of all sentient lifeforms which these Articles are set up to protect. Furthermore, no Member shall be required to deliver a member of their own citizenry who is accused of an act which is not illegal in their own jurisdiction. The Supreme Court of Justice or a judicial body specially established for this purpose shall arbitrate disputes between all Members on the matter of delivering persons accused of crimes.

If the alleged crime or crimes was committed against or involves multiple Members of this Federation or the Federation itself, and there is a dispute on where the case shall be tried or by whom, the Supreme Court of Justice or a judicial body specially established for this purpose shall arbitrate the dispute between Members, assigning the duty of trying the crimes to Members, regulating the order in which the accused is tried by which Member, or taking jurisdiction over the trial into the hands of this Federation as is appropriate by the principles and purposes of this Federation and in accordance with statutes to be issued by the Federation Council.

Article 79 – No Requirement to Avail and Supremacy

Nothing in these Articles of Federation shall prevent Members from entrusting the solution of their differences by peaceful, equitable, and just means to other valid methods, including other lesser Tribunals as may exist by virtue of prior agreements or agreements which may be so concluded, but the Supreme Court of Justice’s judgment shall be superior to that of all excepting the decision of the Federation Council in areas within its competence. Such judgments shall not be overruled by any Tribunal within this Federation or without.

No court, including the Supreme Court of Justice, may dispute or alter the rulings of the Federation Tribunal, whose rulings on matters within its competence are final.

Article 80 – Advisories on Actions

Any Member of the Federation Council may request the Federation Tribunal to give an advisory opinion on any legal question, including the permissibility of proposed decisions and actions.

Any other agency or organ of the United Federation may also request advisory opinions from the Federation Tribunal on legal questions arising within the scope of their activities.

Any individual or group that is party to a lawsuit or trial involving Federation law may also request advisory opinions from the Federation Tribunal on legal questions arising from the legal proceedings which they are a part of.

Should the Tribunal find that a decision or act already having been carried out violates these Articles of Federation or its purposes and principles, it shall order those decisions struck down and the already-performed actions reversed to the greatest extent possible.

Article 81 – Judicial Guidelines and Independence

The Federation Judiciary will judge so as to ensure fair, equitable, and just settlements for all. It shall safeguard the rights and legitimate interests of all Members, citizens, individuals, legal entities, and the Federation itself.

The Federation Judiciary and all subsidiary organs created by it shall be autonomous and fully independent in their decision making from the Federation Council, Secretariat, any other non-judicial organ, authority, office, group of individuals, or individual, and are bound only by the principles of law and legal ethics. The Federation Judiciary and all its subsidiary organs created by it shall in no way be administered by the Secretariat of the Federation, including by any department of the Secretariat with duties relating to justice or legal matters. The Judiciary shall enjoy exclusive and total competence to determine innocence or guilt of those accused pursuant to law without interference, excepting the separate rights of the Federation Council to decide important questions of a political rather than legal nature.

Interference with the activities of a Judge or official of the Federation Judiciary or any of its subsidiary organs by any institution with state power, Member of the United Federation of Planets, political faction, public organization, or citizen is prohibited and shall incur such liability as provided for by law. Notwithstanding this, the Federation Council may discipline or remove any Judge that brings dishonor upon the court, is found to be incompetent, or willfully and wantonly violates the provisions of these Articles of Federation or the fundamental principles in a manner as determined by law.

Chapter 10: Provisions of the Secretariat

Article 82 – Establishment of the Secretariat and President

The Secretariat shall be composed of The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets who shall serve as the supreme secretary of this Secretariat, and any staff such as the United Federation of Planets and its subsidiary agencies as established by the Federation Council may require.

The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets shall be the chief officer administering the Secretariat, excepting any agencies declared by law to be independent agencies which shall administer themselves according to said law. Agencies declared independent shall be free from political interference by the Secretariat and the Federation Council.

The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets shall be elected by popular vote amongst all Citizens of this Federation, through direct, universal, equal, and secret ballot. There shall be established an independent agency of the Secretariat, the Federation Election Coordination Bureau, to assist the Members in coordinating the election for The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets.

Article 83 – Secretariat Interaction With Federation Council

The President of the Council of the United Federation of Planets shall provide the ceremonial presiding officer of all meetings of the Federation Council, and shall also hold the right to be the presumptive nominee in the first decision for a session establishing the presiding officer. Notwithstanding this, the right of the Federation Council shall be to choose its own presiding officer.

The Secretariat and its officials shall make periodic reports to the Federation Council on their work, and the Federation Council shall, in turn, keep the Secretariat and its officials apprised of any information which is necessary for the performance of their duties.

Article 84 – Secretariat Impartiality with regard to Members

The Secretariat is a Federation-level institution, and by the principle of its independence from all Member delegations and governments, no official of the Secretariat nor any of its subsidiary agencies, whether established by initiative of the Secretariat or by order of the Federation Council, shall serve as a Councilor for a Member of the United Federation.

No official of the Secretariat nor any of its subsidiary agencies shall seek or receive instructions from any government or from any other authority external to the government of the United Federation of Planets, including from any of its Members outside of the lawful established channels of the United Federation of Planets. Such officials shall refrain from any and all actions which might reflect disreputable on their position as officials responsible only to the United Federation of Planets.

Each Member of the United Federation of Planets also undertakes to respect the exclusively interplanetary character of the responsibilities of the Secretariat and staff and shall not seek to unlawfully influence them in the discharge of their responsibilities.

Article 85 – Secretariat Staff Agencies

Such permanent and temporary staff as are necessary for the accompaniment of the duties of the Secretariat shall be appointed to the subsidiary agencies by procedures and regulations to be established by the Federation Council of the Federation Council.

In all cases the paramount consideration in employment of the staff and in the determination of the conditions of service shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard shall also be paid to the importance of recruiting staff on a diverse and wide basis.

Article 86 – The Federation Organization of Standardization

The Federation Organization of Standardization shall be organized by the Federation Council. Such an organization shall keep record of all language, measurements, time, and other structures necessary for fidelity across member states. This organization shall work with the Standards Commissioner.

Chapter 11: Amendments

Article 87 – Method of Amending Fundamental Guarantees

A Fundamental Guarantee of the United Federation of Planets cannot be amended, modified, or otherwise altered without unanimous affirmative votes by the Federation Council in three, separate sessions. A Fundamental Guarantee of the United Federation of Planets cannot be retroactively denied to a Federation citizen.

Article 88 – Method of Amending Articles of the Federation

Amendments to these Articles of Federation may be made as necessary by the Federation Council with the advice of the Judiciary Council and any other relevant Secretariat organs or desired testimony. Amendments shall be approved by a majority of the Federation Council in two, separate sessions.

All revisions to these Articles of Federation shall respect:

1. The unity of the Membership of this Federation and this Federation’s independence from any higher institution or polity which does not fully share in the principles and purposes of this Federation.

2. The principles of Member autonomy and authority in their own local affairs as expressed and the consequent distribution of power between Members and the United Federation of Planets, excepting that with the approval of those Members such distribution of power may be altered.

5. The fundamental rights, freedoms, and guarantees made to citizens of the United Federation of Planets and all intelligent lifeforms, excepting such modifications to them made only in such a way as to make the implementation of said rights, freedoms, and guarantees more effective.

Conclusion

These Articles of Federation shall come into force upon the deposit of the ratifications of: United Earth, the Confederacy of Vulcan, the United Planets of Tellar, the Andorian Empire, and the Alpha Centauri Planetary Concordium. Upon the deposit of those five ratifications, United Earth shall notify all signatory governments that the United Federation of Planets has been created.

Each of these five nations shall exactly simultaneously become the initial membership of the United Federation of Planets, all dated to the date of the final ratification.

Future members shall be recorded here as well, with date of accession.

Signatories

Alpha Centauri Concordium, 12 August, 2161

Andorian Empire, 12 August, 2161

Confederacy of Vulcan, 12 August, 2161

United Earth, 12 August, 2161

United Planets of Tellar, 12 August, 2161