Alliance of Northwest Gondwana

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The flag of the Alliance of Northwest Gondwana.

File:Ang wiki-jan 2021.png

The members of the Alliance. Members who are in both the Alliance Trade Area and the Alliance Free Travel Area are in yellow. Members who are in just the Alliance Trade Area are in green.

The Alliance of Northwest Gondwana, abbreviated ANG, is a free trade and free-travel agreement among states in the northwestern region of the continent Gondwana. It was established on May 2nd, 2018, when the Charter Establishing the Alliance of Northwest Gondwana entered into effect. Negotiations were held at a summit held in the city of Crystal Coast, Acronis in April and May of 2017. The founding members of the Alliance are Acronis, Ayaupia, Hausberg, Libertanny, Lunaria, Vultuca, Ragea, Sanctmunitis, Talusi, and Zukchiva. The Tavari Union was admitted as the 11th member on July 13th, 2020. The headquarters of the Alliance are also located in Crystal Coast.

Alliance Trade Area

The primary function of the Alliance is as a free trade agreement between the signatory states. The Charter Establishing the Alliance of Northwest Gondwana refers to the free trade agreement as the "Alliance Trade Area," one of two major pillars of the agreement. Signatories agree to abolish internal economic controls such as tariffs on their fellow member-states and establish a common system of regulation for the safety and quality of agricultural goods and other goods, as well as a common standard of labor safety regulation and minimum wages.

Common Currency

The charter allows for the Alliance to establish a common currency among members, if the members choose to adopt such a currency. In the event that the Alliance does establish a common currency, it has the authority to set economic requirements for member-states to meet before they can adopt the common currency.

Alliance Free Travel Area

Additionally, the Charter created the Alliance Free Travel Area, in which there shall be no border controls between members. Membership in the AFTA is voluntary for ANG member states, but those who join must allow citizens of other AFTA members to visit without a visa, and to live and work in their country for at least one year without obtaining a visa. AFTA members may extend the period beyond one year, but cannot make it less than one year.

AFTA rules allow for member-states to temporarily establish border controls in the event of an emergency for up to six months. Keeping restrictions for longer than six months allows the Alliance to sanction a member-state, which includes allowing the other member-states to impose reciprocal restrictions on the member in violation.

The current members of the Free Travel Area are Acronis, Ayaupia, Hausberg, Lunaria, Talusi, and Vultuca. The Tavari Union was a member of the ANG Free Travel Area until its abrupt withdrawal in January of 2021.

Governance

The governing body of the Alliance is called the Alliance Council, which consists of one representative from each member-state. The Alliance Council appoints the Secretary-General of the Alliance of Northwest Gondwana, who is in charge of day-to-day administration of the organization and leads the Alliance Secretariat, the administrative support staff. The Council, Secretary-General, and Secretariat are all based in Crystal Coast, Acronis. The Alliance headquarters, leased from Acronis for the nominal rent of 1 Acronian Našdat per year, have been granted extraterritorial status.

The logo of the Alliance of Northwest Gondwana.

Membership

Membership in the Alliance is open to all sovereign states "with territory in the region of Northwestern Gondwana." The Charter defines the region as "those portions of the continent of Gondwana, including islands off the coast, north of the line 15 degrees south of the Aequator and west of the line 100 degrees west of the Prime Meridian." Colonies and non-self governing territories are not eligible for membership. Membership may be granted by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the Alliance Council.

Any nation may choose to revoke its membership in the ANG at any time by issuing a written declaration of such to the Alliance Council. Such revocation shall become effective one year after the declaration is received by the council unless extended.

Observer Status

Sovereign states that are located outside the region can be granted observer status by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the Alliance Council. Observer states shall have the right to attend meetings of the ANG but shall hold no vote in any proceeding and may not join either the ATA or the ATFA. Observer states may negotiate favored-nation status with the ANG for access to the ATA.

Sanctions

The Alliance Council has the power to suspend or revoke the membership of member-states who are held to have "acted contrary to the established doctrines" of the Charter. In order to suspend a member, the Council must vote by 2/3, while revocation of membership requires a unanimous vote excluding the member-state being considered for revocation.

Alliance Space Cooperative

In 2020, the Alliance officially inaugurated its joint space program, the Alliance Space Cooperative. Currently, member states Acronis, Ayaupia, the Tavari Union, and Zukchiva participate in the Cooperative, although membership is open to all member-states of the Alliance. The launch site for the Cooperative is at Vraalatec in Ayaupia, and is positioned very near the Aequator. This allows for easier launches into aequatorial, geostationary orbits, and because the site faces east over the sea, rockets can take advantage of the Urth's angular momentum while having less risk of debris falling on inhabited areas. The program's first launch took place on December 26th, 2020, with manned orbital missions planned to take place as soon as 2021.

On January 11th, 2021, the Tavari Union abruptly withdrew from the Alliance Space Cooperative, without immediately citing a reason for its withdrawal.