Opinion: Regulating International Transport: Get The World Assembly Back on Track!

21st November 2024

Note: This op-ed was written by the author of the World Assembly proposal 'Regulating International Transport'. You can view the text of the proposal here.

OPINION: The World Assembly has always had a strong focus on ensuring that international transport is well-regulated. Indeed, one of the first resolutions it ever passed - GA#34 "International Transport Safety" - concerned that subject. Unfortunately, that resolution is no longer with us, having been repealed because it failed to authorise International Transport Safety Committee (ITSC) oversight of domestic regulations.

I can assure you that I very much did not agree with Simone Republic's arguments for repeal. They weren't in accord with my long-held principles of national sovereignty, obviously. I thought that a repeal was unnecessary in order to achieve Simone Republic's other stated goals, such as effective accident investigation.

Yet here we are. It has been almost six months and we still do not have a replacement for GA#34. Simone Republic believed that GA#34 was unjust because it did not require member states to impose similar standards on domestic vehicles. Yet its absence has essentially invited members to abandon all standards for international freight, ferries and passenger aircraft.

International transport is, inherently, an international issue - one that demands international regulation. Hauliers need to be assured that the roads they are travelling on are safe and well-maintained. Pilots need to make sure that they can communicate with air traffic controllers and arrive safely. Bus drivers demand smooth, secure and speedy border crossing experiences. Additionally, member states would like their inhabitants to go places without having to worry about losing their lives or livelihoods.

My proposal will reintroduce the kinds of common-sense ITSC regulation that policymakers demand, and that they used to rely on for many years. It is clearer, more precise and more detailed than GA#34 was. It requires member states to provide the support that pilots, drivers, and portkeepers need in order to comply with the regulations. It also imposes consistent standards: member states may not set tougher standards for international transport than the ITSC does.

Notably, it also encourages member states to apply these regulations to domestic transport. This is not a step I took lightly - the idea of the WA regulating purely domestic matters does not sit easily with me. At the same time however, I understand this is a real concern for many nations and I have taken steps to ensure their concerns are reflected.

Some people say my proposal is too vague and there should be more detailed resolutions about each aspect of international transport. But two of Simone Republic's four stated replacements have passed - one of them before the repeal did. On the whole, these replacements largely rely on the interpretation of committees and other bodies than the voters of the World Assembly. They are not the solution we need.

If you disagreed with Simone Republic's repeal of GA#34, your best way out of this deregulatory nightmare is to support my proposal. If you believe that international transport demands international regulation, your best recourse is to support my proposal.

More than one in every eight delegates worldwide has approved 'Regulating International Transport', because they agree with me that this is a matter that requires the World Assembly's attention. It is, indeed, our only hope of better, clearer, and more compact transport regulations.

Editor's note: Only minor edits, of a primarily grammatical and formating nature, have been made to this op-ed. The views reflect those of the author and not necessarily those of The NationStates Times. Edited by Ecclestia.

Published 21st November - 06:00 UTC