Lieutenant
Post by Daniel Clark on Jul 14, 2007 21:51:44 GMT
We the intelligent life-forms of the United Federation of Planets determined :
To save succeeding generations from the scourge of intra-galactic war which has brought untold horror and suffering to our planetary social systems, and
To reaffirm faith in the fundamental intelligent life-form rights, in the dignity and worth of the intelligent life-form person, to the equal rights of male and female and of planetary social systems large and small, and
To establish conditions under which justice and mutual respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of interplanetary law can be maintained, and
To promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
And to these ends to practice benevolent tolerance and live together in peace with one another as Good Neighbours, and :
To unite our strength to maintain intra-galactic peace and security, and
To ensure by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods that armed force shall not be used except in the common defense, and
To employ intra-galactic machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all intelligent life-forms,
Have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims.
Accordingly, the respective social systems, through representatives assembled on the planet Babel, who have exhibited their full powers to be in good and due form, have agreed to these Articles of Federation of the United Federation of Planets, and do hereby establish an interplanetary organization to be known as the United Federation of Planets.
Chapter I
Purposes and Principles
Article 1
The purposes of the United Federation of Planets are:
To maintain interplanetary peace and security within the treaty exploration territory, and to that end : to take effective collective measures for the prevention of threats to the peace, the suppression of acts of aggression, and to bring about by peaceful means, and employing the principles of justice and intra-galactic law, adjustment or settlement of interplanetary disputes which might lead to a breach of the peace;
To develop friendly relations among planets based on respect for the principles of equal rights and self-determination of intelligent life-forms, and to other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;
To achieve interplanetary cooperation in solving intra-galactic problems of economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character; in promoting and encouraging respect for intelligent life-form rights; and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to culture, sex, life-form, or religious belief; and
To be a centre for concilience of the actions of all social systems in the attainment of these common ends.
Article 2
The Federation and its members, in pursuit of the purposes stated, shall act in accordance with the following principles:
The Federation is based on the sovereign equality of all its members;
In order to ensure to all of them equal rights and benefits resulting from membership, all members shall fulfil in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with These Articles of Federation;
All members shall settle their interplanetary disputes by peaceful means in such manner that intra-galactic 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 planetary social system, or in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Federation;
All members shall give the United Federation every assistance in any action taken in accordance with These Articles of Federation, and shall refrain from assisting any planetary social system against which the Federation is taking preventive or enforcement action;
The United Federation shall ensure that planetary social systems which are not members of the Federation act in accordance with these principles as necessary for the maintenance of intra-galactic peace and security;
Nothing within these Articles of Federation shall authorize the Federation to intervene in matters which are essentially the domestic jurisdiction of any planetary social system, or shall require the members to submit such matters to settlement under these Articles of Federation; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter VII.
Chapter II:
Membership
Article 3
The original members of the United Federation of Planets shall be those planetary social systems which, having participated in the interplanetary conference on interplanetary Federation at Babel, or having previously signed the declaration of the United Federation of Planets of stardate 0963, sign These Articles of Federation and ratify them in accordance with Article 110.
Article 4
Membership in the United Federation is open to any other peaceful planetary social systems which accept the obligations contained in These Articles of Federation and, in the judgement of the Federation, are capable and willing to carry out these obligations;
The admission of any such planetary social system to membership in the United Federation of Planets is contingent upon the decision of the supreme assembly upon recommendation of the Federation council.
Article 5
The Supreme Assembly may suspend the rights and privileges of membership of any member of the United Federation against which the Federation council has taken preventive or enforcement action. The Federation council may restore these rights and privileges of membership at its discretion;
Article 6
Any member of the United Federation which has persistently violated the purposes and principles contained in these Articles of Federation may be expelled from the Federation by the Supreme Assembly upon the recommendation of the Federation council.
Chapter III:
Agencies
Article 7
There are established as the principle agencies of the United Federation of Planets: a Supreme Assembly, a Federation Council, an economic and social council, a trusteeship council, an interplanetary supreme court of justice, a Star Fleet combined peace-keeping force, and a Secretariat;
Such subsidiary agencies as may be deemed necessary from time to time may be established in accordance with these Articles of Federation;
Article 8
The United Federation shall place no restriction on the eligibility of male and female life-forms or any member planetary social system to participate in any capacity under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary agencies.
Chapter IV:
The Supreme Assembly
Article 9
Composition
The Supreme Assembly shall consist of all the members of the United Federation of Planets. Each member shall be entitled to have not more than five (5) representatives in this body;
Functions and Powers
Article 10
The Supreme Assembly may discuss any questions on any matters 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, except as provided in Article 12, may make recommendations to the members and the Federation Council or both on any such questions or matters;
Article 11
The Supreme Assembly may consider the general principles of cooperation in maintaining interplanetary peace and security, including disarmament and the regulation of armaments, and may make recommendations with regard to such principles to the members or the Federation Council or to both;
The Supreme Assembly may discuss any questions relative to the maintenance of intra-galactic peace and security put to it by any member or the Federation council, or a non-member planetary social system in accordance with Article 25 Paragraph 2 and, except as provided in Article 12, may make recommendations with regard to any such questions to the members, the Federation Council, or the pleading planetary social system, or to all of them. Any such question on which action is necessary shall be referred to the Federation Council by the supreme assembly either before or after discussion;
The Supreme Assembly may call situations which are likely to endanger the interplanetary and intra-galactic peace and security to the attention of the Federation Council;
The powers of the Supreme Assembly as set forth in this Article shall not limit the scope of Article 10;
Article 12
Where the Federation Council is executing the functions assigned to it under these Articles of Federation with respect to any dispute or situation, the Supreme Assembly shall make no recommendation with regard to that dispute or situation unless so requested by the Federation Council;
The Supreme-secretariat, with the consent of the Federation Council, shall notify the Supreme Assembly at each session of any matters relating to the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security which are under discussion in the Federation Council, and shall notify the Supreme Assembly, or the members if the Supreme Assembly is not in session, immediately when the Federation Council completes its deliberations on any such matters;
Article 13
The Supreme Assembly shall initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of:
Promoting interplanetary co-operation in political fields and encouraging the progressive development of interplanetary law and its codification;
Promoting interplanetary co-operation in the economic, social, cultural, educational, and health fields, and assisting in the realization of intelligent life-form rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to culture, sex, language, or religion;
The further responsibilities, functions, and powers of the supreme assembly with respect to matters mentioned in Paragraph 1(B) above are set forth in Chapters IX and X;
Article 14
Subject to the provisions of Article 12, the Supreme Assembly may recommend measures for the peaceful adjustment of any situation, regardless of origin, which it deems likely to impair the general welfare or friendly relations among the planets, including situations resulting from violations of the provisions of these Articles of Federation setting forth the purposes and principles of the United Federation of Planets;
Article 15
The Supreme Assembly shall receive and consider regular and special reports from the Federation Council; which reports shall include an account of the measures that the Federation Council has decided upon or taken to maintain interplanetary peace and security;
The Supreme Assembly shall receive and consider reports from the other agencies of the united Federation on agreed upon regular periods or reporting;
Article 16
The Supreme Assembly shall perform such functions of intra-galactic trusteeship as are assigned to it under Chapters XII and XIII, including the approval of the trusteeship agreements for areas which are not designated as strategic;
Article 17
The Supreme Assembly shall consider and approve the budget of the United Federation of Planets;
The expenses of the United Federation of Planets shall be borne by the members as apportioned by the Supreme Assembly;
The Supreme Assembly shall consider and approve any financial and budgetary agreements with specialized agencies referred to in Article 57 and shall examine the administrative budgets of such specialized agencies with a view to making recommendations to the agencies concerned;
All budgets of, and expenses of the United Federation shall be made and paid in the common interplanetary credit. The common interplanetary credit shall be the official medium of exchange within the united Federation treaty exploration territory;
Voting
Article 18
Each member of the Supreme Assembly shall have one vote;
Decisions of the Supreme Assembly on important questions shall be made on a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present and voting. These questions shall include: recommendations with respect to the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security; the election of non-permanent members to the Federation Council; the election of members of the trusteeship council in accordance with Paragraph 1(C) of Article 86; the admission of new members to the Federation; the suspension of the rights and privileges of membership; the expulsion of members; questions relating to the operation of the trusteeship system; and budgetary questions;
Decisions on other questions, including the determination of additional categories of questions to be decided by a two-thirds (2/3) majority, shall be made by a majority vote of the members present and voting;
Article 19
A member of the United Federation which is in arrears in the payment of its financial obligations to the Federation shall have no vote in the Supreme Assembly if the amount it is in arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two accounting periods. The Supreme Assembly may, nevertheless, permit such a member to vote if it is satisfied that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the member.
Procedure
Article 20
The Supreme Assembly shall meet in regular periodic sessions and in such special sessions as occasion may require. Special sessions shall be convoked by the Supreme-secretariat at the request of the Federation Council or of a majority of the members of the United Federation;
Article 21
The Supreme Assembly shall adopt its own rules of procedure. It shall elect its president for each session;
Article 22
The Supreme Assembly may establish such subsidiary agencies as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions.
Chapter V:
The Federation Council
Article 23
Composition
The Federation Council shall consist of eleven (11) members of the United Federation. The United Nations of the planet Earth, the Planetary Confederation of 40 Eridani, the United Planets of 61 Cygni, the Star Empire of Epsilon Indii, and the Alpha Centauri Concordium of Planets shall be permanent members of the Federation Council. The Supreme Assembly shall elect six (6) other members of the United Federation to be non-permanent members of the Federation Council, due regard being especially paid, in the first instance, to the contribution of the members to the United Federation to the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security and to the other purposes of the Federation, and also to equitable geo-galactic distribution;
The non permanent members of the Federation Council shall be elected for a term of two (2) session periods. In the first election of non-permanent members, however, three (3) shall be elected for a term of one (1) session period. A retiring member shall not be eligible for immediate re-election;
Functions and Powers
Article 24
In order to assure prompt and effective action by the United Federation of Planets, its members confer on the Federation Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security, and agree that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility the Federation Council acts on their behalf;
In discharging these duties the Federation Council shall act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Federation. The specific powers granted to the Federation Council for the discharge of these duties are laid down in Chapters VI, VII, VIII, and XII;
The Federation Council shall submit regular and, when necessary, special reports to the Supreme Assembly for its consideration;
Article 25
The members of the United Federation agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Federation Council in accordance with these Articles of Federation;
Article 26
In order to promote the establishment and maintenance of interplanetary peace and security with the least diversion of the Federation's life-forms, and economic resources for armaments, the Federation Council shall be responsible for formulating, with the assistance of Star Fleet Headquarters staff referred to in Article 47, plans to be submitted to the members of the United Federation for the establishment of a system for the regulation of armaments;
Article 27
Voting
Each member of the Federation Council shall have one vote;
Decisions of the Federation Council on procedural matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of seven (7) members;
Decisions of the Federation Council on all other matters shall be made on an affirmative vote of seven (7) members including the concurring votes of the permanent members, provided that, in decisions under Chapter VI, and under Paragraph 3 of Article 52, a party to the dispute shall refrain from voting;
Procedure
Article 28
The Federation Council shall be so organized as to be able to function continuously. Each member of the Federation Council shall, for this purpose, be represented at all times at the seat of the Federation;
The Federation Council shall hold periodic meetings at which each of its members may, if it so desires, be represented by a member of its government or by some other specially designated representative;
The Federation Council may hold meetings at such places other than the seat of the Federation as in its judgement will facilitate its work;
Article 29
The Federation Council may establish such subsidiary agencies as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions;
Article 30
The Federation Council shall adopt its own rules of procedure, including the method of selecting its governor;
Article 31
Any member of the United Federation which is not a member of the Federation council may participate, without vote, in the discussion of any question brought before the Federation Council whenever the latter considers that the interests of the member are specifically affected;
Article 32
Any member of the United Federation which is not a member of the Federation council or any planetary social system which is not a member of the United Federation of Planets, if it is a party to a dispute under consideration by the Federation Council, shall be invited to participate, without vote, in the discussion relating to the dispute. The Federation Council shall lay down the conditions as it deems just for the participation of a planetary social system which is not a member of the United Federation of Planets.
Chapter VI:
Pacific Settlement of Disputes
Article 33
The parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security, shall, first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their own choice;
The Federation Council shall, when it deems necessary, call upon the parties to settle their disputes by such means;
Article 34
The Federation Council may investigate any dispute, or any situation that might lead to interplanetary friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuance of the dispute or situation is likely to endanger the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security;
Article 35
Any member of the United Federation may bring any dispute, or any situation of the nature referred to in Article 34, to the attention of the Federation Council or the Supreme Assembly;
A planetary social system which is not a member of the United Federation of Planets may bring to the attention of the Federation Council or the supreme assembly any dispute to which it is a party if it accepts in advance, for the purposes of disputes, the obligation of pacific settlement provided in these Articles of Federation;
The proceedings of the Supreme Assembly in respect to matters brought to its attention under this Article will be subject to the provisions of Articles 11 and 12;
Article 36
The Federation Council may, at any stage of a dispute of the nature referred to in Article 33 or of a situation of like nature, recommend procedures or appropriate methods of adjustment;
The Federation Council shall take into consideration any procedures for the settlement of the dispute which have already been adopted by the parties;
In making recommendations under the Article the Federation Council should also take into consideration that legal disputes should as a general rule be referred to the interplanetary supreme court of justice in accordance with the provisions of the statute of the court;
Article 37
Should the parties to a dispute as referred to in Article 33 fail to settle it by means indicated in that Article, they shall refer it to the Federation Council;
If the Federation Council deems that the continuance of the dispute is in fact likely to endanger the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security, it shall decide whether to take action under Article 36 or to recommend such terms as it may consider appropriate;
Article 38
Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 33 to 37, the Federation council may, if all the parties to any dispute so request, make recommendations to the parties with a view to a pacific settlement of the dispute.
Chapter VII:
Action with Respect to Threats of the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression
Article 39
The Federation Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations to maintain or restore interplanetary peace and security;
To save succeeding generations from the scourge of intra-galactic war which has brought untold horror and suffering to our planetary social systems, and
To reaffirm faith in the fundamental intelligent life-form rights, in the dignity and worth of the intelligent life-form person, to the equal rights of male and female and of planetary social systems large and small, and
To establish conditions under which justice and mutual respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of interplanetary law can be maintained, and
To promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
And to these ends to practice benevolent tolerance and live together in peace with one another as Good Neighbours, and :
To unite our strength to maintain intra-galactic peace and security, and
To ensure by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods that armed force shall not be used except in the common defense, and
To employ intra-galactic machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all intelligent life-forms,
Have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims.
Accordingly, the respective social systems, through representatives assembled on the planet Babel, who have exhibited their full powers to be in good and due form, have agreed to these Articles of Federation of the United Federation of Planets, and do hereby establish an interplanetary organization to be known as the United Federation of Planets.
Chapter I
Purposes and Principles
Article 1
The purposes of the United Federation of Planets are:
To maintain interplanetary peace and security within the treaty exploration territory, and to that end : to take effective collective measures for the prevention of threats to the peace, the suppression of acts of aggression, and to bring about by peaceful means, and employing the principles of justice and intra-galactic law, adjustment or settlement of interplanetary disputes which might lead to a breach of the peace;
To develop friendly relations among planets based on respect for the principles of equal rights and self-determination of intelligent life-forms, and to other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;
To achieve interplanetary cooperation in solving intra-galactic problems of economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character; in promoting and encouraging respect for intelligent life-form rights; and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to culture, sex, life-form, or religious belief; and
To be a centre for concilience of the actions of all social systems in the attainment of these common ends.
Article 2
The Federation and its members, in pursuit of the purposes stated, shall act in accordance with the following principles:
The Federation is based on the sovereign equality of all its members;
In order to ensure to all of them equal rights and benefits resulting from membership, all members shall fulfil in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with These Articles of Federation;
All members shall settle their interplanetary disputes by peaceful means in such manner that intra-galactic 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 planetary social system, or in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Federation;
All members shall give the United Federation every assistance in any action taken in accordance with These Articles of Federation, and shall refrain from assisting any planetary social system against which the Federation is taking preventive or enforcement action;
The United Federation shall ensure that planetary social systems which are not members of the Federation act in accordance with these principles as necessary for the maintenance of intra-galactic peace and security;
Nothing within these Articles of Federation shall authorize the Federation to intervene in matters which are essentially the domestic jurisdiction of any planetary social system, or shall require the members to submit such matters to settlement under these Articles of Federation; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter VII.
Chapter II:
Membership
Article 3
The original members of the United Federation of Planets shall be those planetary social systems which, having participated in the interplanetary conference on interplanetary Federation at Babel, or having previously signed the declaration of the United Federation of Planets of stardate 0963, sign These Articles of Federation and ratify them in accordance with Article 110.
Article 4
Membership in the United Federation is open to any other peaceful planetary social systems which accept the obligations contained in These Articles of Federation and, in the judgement of the Federation, are capable and willing to carry out these obligations;
The admission of any such planetary social system to membership in the United Federation of Planets is contingent upon the decision of the supreme assembly upon recommendation of the Federation council.
Article 5
The Supreme Assembly may suspend the rights and privileges of membership of any member of the United Federation against which the Federation council has taken preventive or enforcement action. The Federation council may restore these rights and privileges of membership at its discretion;
Article 6
Any member of the United Federation which has persistently violated the purposes and principles contained in these Articles of Federation may be expelled from the Federation by the Supreme Assembly upon the recommendation of the Federation council.
Chapter III:
Agencies
Article 7
There are established as the principle agencies of the United Federation of Planets: a Supreme Assembly, a Federation Council, an economic and social council, a trusteeship council, an interplanetary supreme court of justice, a Star Fleet combined peace-keeping force, and a Secretariat;
Such subsidiary agencies as may be deemed necessary from time to time may be established in accordance with these Articles of Federation;
Article 8
The United Federation shall place no restriction on the eligibility of male and female life-forms or any member planetary social system to participate in any capacity under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary agencies.
Chapter IV:
The Supreme Assembly
Article 9
Composition
The Supreme Assembly shall consist of all the members of the United Federation of Planets. Each member shall be entitled to have not more than five (5) representatives in this body;
Functions and Powers
Article 10
The Supreme Assembly may discuss any questions on any matters 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, except as provided in Article 12, may make recommendations to the members and the Federation Council or both on any such questions or matters;
Article 11
The Supreme Assembly may consider the general principles of cooperation in maintaining interplanetary peace and security, including disarmament and the regulation of armaments, and may make recommendations with regard to such principles to the members or the Federation Council or to both;
The Supreme Assembly may discuss any questions relative to the maintenance of intra-galactic peace and security put to it by any member or the Federation council, or a non-member planetary social system in accordance with Article 25 Paragraph 2 and, except as provided in Article 12, may make recommendations with regard to any such questions to the members, the Federation Council, or the pleading planetary social system, or to all of them. Any such question on which action is necessary shall be referred to the Federation Council by the supreme assembly either before or after discussion;
The Supreme Assembly may call situations which are likely to endanger the interplanetary and intra-galactic peace and security to the attention of the Federation Council;
The powers of the Supreme Assembly as set forth in this Article shall not limit the scope of Article 10;
Article 12
Where the Federation Council is executing the functions assigned to it under these Articles of Federation with respect to any dispute or situation, the Supreme Assembly shall make no recommendation with regard to that dispute or situation unless so requested by the Federation Council;
The Supreme-secretariat, with the consent of the Federation Council, shall notify the Supreme Assembly at each session of any matters relating to the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security which are under discussion in the Federation Council, and shall notify the Supreme Assembly, or the members if the Supreme Assembly is not in session, immediately when the Federation Council completes its deliberations on any such matters;
Article 13
The Supreme Assembly shall initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of:
Promoting interplanetary co-operation in political fields and encouraging the progressive development of interplanetary law and its codification;
Promoting interplanetary co-operation in the economic, social, cultural, educational, and health fields, and assisting in the realization of intelligent life-form rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to culture, sex, language, or religion;
The further responsibilities, functions, and powers of the supreme assembly with respect to matters mentioned in Paragraph 1(B) above are set forth in Chapters IX and X;
Article 14
Subject to the provisions of Article 12, the Supreme Assembly may recommend measures for the peaceful adjustment of any situation, regardless of origin, which it deems likely to impair the general welfare or friendly relations among the planets, including situations resulting from violations of the provisions of these Articles of Federation setting forth the purposes and principles of the United Federation of Planets;
Article 15
The Supreme Assembly shall receive and consider regular and special reports from the Federation Council; which reports shall include an account of the measures that the Federation Council has decided upon or taken to maintain interplanetary peace and security;
The Supreme Assembly shall receive and consider reports from the other agencies of the united Federation on agreed upon regular periods or reporting;
Article 16
The Supreme Assembly shall perform such functions of intra-galactic trusteeship as are assigned to it under Chapters XII and XIII, including the approval of the trusteeship agreements for areas which are not designated as strategic;
Article 17
The Supreme Assembly shall consider and approve the budget of the United Federation of Planets;
The expenses of the United Federation of Planets shall be borne by the members as apportioned by the Supreme Assembly;
The Supreme Assembly shall consider and approve any financial and budgetary agreements with specialized agencies referred to in Article 57 and shall examine the administrative budgets of such specialized agencies with a view to making recommendations to the agencies concerned;
All budgets of, and expenses of the United Federation shall be made and paid in the common interplanetary credit. The common interplanetary credit shall be the official medium of exchange within the united Federation treaty exploration territory;
Voting
Article 18
Each member of the Supreme Assembly shall have one vote;
Decisions of the Supreme Assembly on important questions shall be made on a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present and voting. These questions shall include: recommendations with respect to the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security; the election of non-permanent members to the Federation Council; the election of members of the trusteeship council in accordance with Paragraph 1(C) of Article 86; the admission of new members to the Federation; the suspension of the rights and privileges of membership; the expulsion of members; questions relating to the operation of the trusteeship system; and budgetary questions;
Decisions on other questions, including the determination of additional categories of questions to be decided by a two-thirds (2/3) majority, shall be made by a majority vote of the members present and voting;
Article 19
A member of the United Federation which is in arrears in the payment of its financial obligations to the Federation shall have no vote in the Supreme Assembly if the amount it is in arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two accounting periods. The Supreme Assembly may, nevertheless, permit such a member to vote if it is satisfied that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the member.
Procedure
Article 20
The Supreme Assembly shall meet in regular periodic sessions and in such special sessions as occasion may require. Special sessions shall be convoked by the Supreme-secretariat at the request of the Federation Council or of a majority of the members of the United Federation;
Article 21
The Supreme Assembly shall adopt its own rules of procedure. It shall elect its president for each session;
Article 22
The Supreme Assembly may establish such subsidiary agencies as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions.
Chapter V:
The Federation Council
Article 23
Composition
The Federation Council shall consist of eleven (11) members of the United Federation. The United Nations of the planet Earth, the Planetary Confederation of 40 Eridani, the United Planets of 61 Cygni, the Star Empire of Epsilon Indii, and the Alpha Centauri Concordium of Planets shall be permanent members of the Federation Council. The Supreme Assembly shall elect six (6) other members of the United Federation to be non-permanent members of the Federation Council, due regard being especially paid, in the first instance, to the contribution of the members to the United Federation to the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security and to the other purposes of the Federation, and also to equitable geo-galactic distribution;
The non permanent members of the Federation Council shall be elected for a term of two (2) session periods. In the first election of non-permanent members, however, three (3) shall be elected for a term of one (1) session period. A retiring member shall not be eligible for immediate re-election;
Functions and Powers
Article 24
In order to assure prompt and effective action by the United Federation of Planets, its members confer on the Federation Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security, and agree that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility the Federation Council acts on their behalf;
In discharging these duties the Federation Council shall act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Federation. The specific powers granted to the Federation Council for the discharge of these duties are laid down in Chapters VI, VII, VIII, and XII;
The Federation Council shall submit regular and, when necessary, special reports to the Supreme Assembly for its consideration;
Article 25
The members of the United Federation agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Federation Council in accordance with these Articles of Federation;
Article 26
In order to promote the establishment and maintenance of interplanetary peace and security with the least diversion of the Federation's life-forms, and economic resources for armaments, the Federation Council shall be responsible for formulating, with the assistance of Star Fleet Headquarters staff referred to in Article 47, plans to be submitted to the members of the United Federation for the establishment of a system for the regulation of armaments;
Article 27
Voting
Each member of the Federation Council shall have one vote;
Decisions of the Federation Council on procedural matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of seven (7) members;
Decisions of the Federation Council on all other matters shall be made on an affirmative vote of seven (7) members including the concurring votes of the permanent members, provided that, in decisions under Chapter VI, and under Paragraph 3 of Article 52, a party to the dispute shall refrain from voting;
Procedure
Article 28
The Federation Council shall be so organized as to be able to function continuously. Each member of the Federation Council shall, for this purpose, be represented at all times at the seat of the Federation;
The Federation Council shall hold periodic meetings at which each of its members may, if it so desires, be represented by a member of its government or by some other specially designated representative;
The Federation Council may hold meetings at such places other than the seat of the Federation as in its judgement will facilitate its work;
Article 29
The Federation Council may establish such subsidiary agencies as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions;
Article 30
The Federation Council shall adopt its own rules of procedure, including the method of selecting its governor;
Article 31
Any member of the United Federation which is not a member of the Federation council may participate, without vote, in the discussion of any question brought before the Federation Council whenever the latter considers that the interests of the member are specifically affected;
Article 32
Any member of the United Federation which is not a member of the Federation council or any planetary social system which is not a member of the United Federation of Planets, if it is a party to a dispute under consideration by the Federation Council, shall be invited to participate, without vote, in the discussion relating to the dispute. The Federation Council shall lay down the conditions as it deems just for the participation of a planetary social system which is not a member of the United Federation of Planets.
Chapter VI:
Pacific Settlement of Disputes
Article 33
The parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security, shall, first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their own choice;
The Federation Council shall, when it deems necessary, call upon the parties to settle their disputes by such means;
Article 34
The Federation Council may investigate any dispute, or any situation that might lead to interplanetary friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuance of the dispute or situation is likely to endanger the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security;
Article 35
Any member of the United Federation may bring any dispute, or any situation of the nature referred to in Article 34, to the attention of the Federation Council or the Supreme Assembly;
A planetary social system which is not a member of the United Federation of Planets may bring to the attention of the Federation Council or the supreme assembly any dispute to which it is a party if it accepts in advance, for the purposes of disputes, the obligation of pacific settlement provided in these Articles of Federation;
The proceedings of the Supreme Assembly in respect to matters brought to its attention under this Article will be subject to the provisions of Articles 11 and 12;
Article 36
The Federation Council may, at any stage of a dispute of the nature referred to in Article 33 or of a situation of like nature, recommend procedures or appropriate methods of adjustment;
The Federation Council shall take into consideration any procedures for the settlement of the dispute which have already been adopted by the parties;
In making recommendations under the Article the Federation Council should also take into consideration that legal disputes should as a general rule be referred to the interplanetary supreme court of justice in accordance with the provisions of the statute of the court;
Article 37
Should the parties to a dispute as referred to in Article 33 fail to settle it by means indicated in that Article, they shall refer it to the Federation Council;
If the Federation Council deems that the continuance of the dispute is in fact likely to endanger the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security, it shall decide whether to take action under Article 36 or to recommend such terms as it may consider appropriate;
Article 38
Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 33 to 37, the Federation council may, if all the parties to any dispute so request, make recommendations to the parties with a view to a pacific settlement of the dispute.
Chapter VII:
Action with Respect to Threats of the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression
Article 39
The Federation Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations to maintain or restore interplanetary peace and security;
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