Articles 17-19: Actualization Protocol

Article 19 of the Earth Constitution establishes Provisional World Government. The core of this Provisional World Government is the Provisional World Parliament (PWP) along with 8 Commissions designed to actualize the Parliament and lay the groundwork for ratification of the Constitution and the ascent to the First Operative Stage of the Earth Federation under the criteria for ratification set out in Article 17. These include a Ratification Commission, an Electoral Commission, a Funding Commission, a Nomination Commission, etc.

Article 18 defines the power of amendments and/or constitutional review that obtains after the First Operative Stage is reached. Together these 3 Articles present a protocol of actualization the Earth Federation under the Earth Constitution. In the following draft for a World Legislative Act, to be introduced to the 16th session of the PWP planned for Pondicherry, India early in 2023, we have articulated the pattern for ratification that is laid out in these three concluding articles of the Earth Constitution. In sum, it defines 5 steps for actualization based on Articles 17, 18, and 19:

1. Provisional World Government laying the infrastructure for elections and ratification (going on now).
2. Actualization of the First Operative Stage under Article 17.3 of the Constitution.
3. Reexamination of the Earth Constitution to make any needed amendments to make it as excellent as possible for the people of Earth.
4. Actualization of the Second Operative Stage under Article 17.4 in which the nations follow a carefully designed process of disarmament.
5. Actualization of the Full Operative Stage when the world is disarmed, human rights are protected everywhere, significant social equality is realized, and our planetary ecosystem is restored and protected.

Actualization Protocol for the Earth Federation

Whereas, the Preamble of the Earth Constitution envisions a comprehensive transformation of our world system from one of fragmentation, war, and conflict to one or peace with justice; it declares the principle of unity in diversity as “the basis for a new age when war shall be outlawed and peace prevail; when the earth’s total resources shall be equitably used for human welfare”;

Whereas, the Article 1 of the Constitution details this comprehensive transformation across fundamental dimensions of life on Earth: (1) ending war and disarming the nations, (2) protecting universal human rights, (3) diminishing social differences on a global scale, (4) regulating the use of world resources, (5) protecting the ecological fabric of life, and addressing all other global issues that are beyond the scope of nation-states.

Whereas, in past discussions of the Earth Constitution and its capacity to effect these comprehensive transformations there has been some confusion concerning the stages articulated in Articles 17, 19, and elsewhere,

Whereas, there has been the inevitable criticism of some details embedded in the Earth Constitution since it was proclaimed ‘finished’ at Troia, Portugal, 1991,

We delegates of the Provisional World Parliament at its 15^th session, meeting at New Delhi,

Hereby affirm and declare this Actualization Protocol as official Parliament policy.

Article 1.  The five broad phases of the actualization process are the following:

Phase 1: Provisional World Government: jump starting, laying foundations in the PWP and WEADs, working for ratification.

Phase 2. First Operative Stage: legitimizing and activating the transformational infrastructure while addressing fundamental world problems.

Phase 3:  Progressive Constitutional Amendments and a World Constitutional Convention (Article 18): refining the transformational instrument named the Constitution for the Federation of Earth.

Phase 4:  Second Operative Stage: demilitarization and planetary conversion to a world peace and sustainability system.

Phase 5: Final Operative Stage: actualizing the transformed world system premised on Peace, Justice, Sustainability, and universal Human Dignity.

Article 2.   Provisional World Government

            2.1  Article 19 outlines the first phase of the actualization process. It is the phase we have been in approximately since the second constituent assembly in 1977.

            2.2  Article 19.1 and 19.2 mandates the setting up of at least 10 fundamental commissions to facilitate both ratification of the Constitution and the jump-stating of emerging world government under the Constitution. These 10 fundamental commissions form a fundamental force behind the emerging Earth Federation System. Two of these are the “World Development Commission” and “World Problems Commission,” which begin the process of addressing the many world problems that are beyond the capacity of nation-states to address. The mandate is clear:  World Government in its first phase must begin addressing real solutions to global problems under the authority of the Earth Constitution.

2.3.  Article 19 sets up the Ratification Commission as a global network of persons promoting the ratification of the Constitution according to the criteria set out in Article 17.  This Commission is to operate until the full operative stage of the Earth Federation Government is reached as defined in Article 17.5.  This Commission shall be a major component in the transition to the full operative stage of the Earth Federation as mandated by Article 19.2.1.

            2.3    Article 19.3 mandates setting up, and holding sessions of, the Provisional World Parliament (PWP). This process has been going on since the first session of the Parliament in Brighton, England, in 1982, and has today reached the current 15^th session in New Delhi, India. This 15^th session of Parliament commends the recent initiation of a permanent offices for the PWP here in New Delhi and mandates that the PWP continue to develop an enduring Secretariat, Offices, and the infrastructure to move forward with actualizing all the commissions and processes required by Article 19.

            2.3  The first phase also includes the development of World Electoral and Administrative Districts (World Districts, WEADs or WDs) and elections within those districts to the House of Peoples and the House of Counselors (19.2.2).  This 15^th session of the Provisional World Parliament mandates that the World Parliament and Constitution Association (WCPA) and Earth Constitution Institute (ECI), the organizations sponsoring and guarding the Earth Constitution in this first phase of the actualization process  activate a World Elections Commission within each WEAD (using WCPA membership where feasible) as each of these districts is defined. The Parliament directs that these organizations [P1] cooperate with the relevant WCPA-ECI officers to further define the districts, secure reliable voter IDs, and begin the process of elections to the House of Peoples and House of Counsellors.

            2.4    Defining these WEADs and securing voter registrations opens up two of the three options for entering the First Operative Stage of the Earth Federation Government as outline in Article 17.3. One option is elections conducted within at least 100 WEADs (with no nations having ratified). The second option provides for elections within 50 WEADs (with at least 10 nations having ratified). The third option is ratification by a minimum of 25 nation-states (and no WEADs), each of which conducts a referendum of its population to secure initiating the Earth Federation. 

Article 3. Phase Two: First Operative Stage as ratified under Article 17.3.

3.1  Phase two initiates virtually all the essential features of the Earth Federation as defined by the Constitution: the three houses of the World Parliament, the Presidium and Executive Cabinet, the World Supreme Court, the Enforcement System, the Ombudsmus, the Civil Service Administration (and other agencies outlined in Article 8).  It calls explicitly for a World Disarmament Administration (WDA), an Earth Emergency Rescue Administration (EERA), an integrated global energy system, a World University System, a World Corporations Office, the World Service Corps, and a World Ocean and Seabeds Administration.

3.2   The Provisional World Parliament affirms the absolute need for the activation of the infrastructure of the Earth Federation government to form Phase Two of the process.  The world of 2021 is the terrible crisis perceived by the framers of the Earth Constitution magnified 10-fold.  The world cannot wait much longer to activate the key institutions that can effectively address our lethal circumstances or the progressive [P2] deterioration of our planet may become unstoppable leading to the death of all or most higher forms of life. 

3.3   The Earth Constitution lays out the basic template, the design, for human beings to take some control of their destiny by protecting their planetary home and eliminated WMDs.  Phase 2 may well be the crucial step that secures human survival.  The Constitution requires ratification as it is (with no quibbling over words or debating changes) because of the urgency of our situation. [P3] Possible changes are reserved for Phase 3.

3.4   (Reserved).  [P4] 

3.5   The Commission for Legislative Review shall continue to operate an Office for Proposed Constitutional Amendments or Revisions.   This office shall record and correlate all incoming suggestions for changes in the Earth Constitution from the people and nations of the Earth.

3.6     During Phase 2, the World Disarmament Commission (WDC, Enforcement Commission) will not only accept the role of dismantling nuclear weapons. It will also further prepare the infrastructure, planning, and protocols for worldwide military disarmament[P5] .  Under these protocols, nations will work together in planned de-escalation and reduction of investment, planning, production, deployment, and maintenance of military weapons and organizations.   The WDC will work with the nations to so that this process in not only completely in place by the inauguration of Phase 3 but may also be either completed or well under way during the First Operative Stage.  The significant progress in the demilitarization of some or all Earth Federation nations during the First Operative Stage is a goal of the WDC.

Within the context of the emergence of the Earth Federation, reason demands that we recognize that functions of world disarmament are functions of the Enforcement System and World Judiciary under the Earth Constitution, and not a matter of rhetoric, moralization or treaty. Over 14 sessions of Provisional World Parliament, the general guidelines for an integrating systems approach to the issues of military armaments and militarization have been adopted, including nearly all aspects of the militarization process.

The major branches of the Earth Federation, including particularly the Enforcement System, the World Ombudsmus and the World Judiciary, do not operate in isolation from the process of military disarmament. Rather, a major function of these branches of world government is to ensure world military disarmament without encroaching on civil liberties. Therefore, the major concern of the World Disarmament Commission is not to cajole opposing nations, nor to plead for international treaties, but rather to approach world military disarmament and law enforcement through this universal integrating systems approach.

               3.7.    In conformance with EC 17.3.9., ratifying nations retain half the amount of their last military budget before ratification for their own use and shall pay the other half to the Earth Federation Funding Corporation (EFFC), earmarked for the World Economic Development Organization (WEDO).  WEDO and the Emergency Earth Rescue Administration (EERA) shall cooperate to address the world climate crisis.  Nations may pay in national currencies or in-kind. Payments are eligible for scheduled remission in the Earth Hour credit and currency system to equitable citizen accounts of the respective nation, in conformance to the provisions of Earth Constitution Article 17.6. and the provisions of World Legislative Act Number 07, for the EFFC. [P6] 

Article 4.  Phase 3.  Amendments and/or a Constitutional Convention.

               4.1   Article 18 specifies the procedure for amending the Earth Constitution. It also mandates a Constitutional Convention within 10 years after Phase 2 begins in order the reexamine the Constitution as a whole. Such Constitutional Conventions are required at least every 20 years after that (Article 18.4).

               4.2   This Parliament affirms that with the Earth in the process of becoming organized for human and ecological peace, justice, and flourishing (under Phase Two), the citizens of Earth will be in a much better position than now to know what changes to the Constitution are necessary or optimal.  In addition, the citizens of Earth will have a legal and legitimate mechanism for making such changes (namely, the World Parliament) and contention over proposed changes will be taken out of the realm of speculation, ideology, and wishful thinking (where it is now) and placed in a meaningful legal context premised on the common good of humanity and future generations.

               4.3  Such changes to the Constitution as Phase 3 of the actualization process will undoubtedly make the Earth Constitution even more persuasive and compelling for the people of Earth who are not part of the initial Federation of Phase Two.   Phase 3, therefore, will facilitate further ratification and likely lead to a rapid ratification of the Constitution thereby actualizing Phase Four.

Article 5.  Phase Four.   The Second Operative Stage of the Earth Federation.

               5.1   The Second Operative Stage is required under Article 17.4 to continue to establish and activate the remaining offices and features defined by the Earth Constitution. It also calls for the U.N. to integrate into the Earth Federation.

               5.2   The Second Operative Stage is also required ensure further competent enforcement of domains of planetary authority specified in Article 4, including restatement of declaration that the oceans and seabeds and polar caps under the sovereignty of the people of Earth and subject to governance by the World Parliament.

               5.3  This session of the PWP, affirms, that a crucial feature of the Phase 4 is disarmament.  Under the supervision of the World Disarmament Commission (WDC) [P7] the nations already belonging to the federation are required to disarm from both WMDs and conventional military armaments and the nations now joining the Earth Federation are also so required.

               5.4   Since the WDC will have long since established a secure and equitable process for disarmament (or may even have achieved significant disarmament among Earth Federation Nations), the process of completing the disarmament of the Federation nations and the new nations now joining will be smooth, secure, impartial, and equitable.

               5.5    In conformance with EC 17.4.7., ratifying nations retain half the amount of their last military budget before ratification for their own use and shall pay the other half to the Earth Federation Funding Corporation (EFFC), earmarked for the World Economic Development Organization (WEDO).  WEDO and the Emergency Earth Rescue Administration (EERA) shall cooperate to address the world climate crisis.  Nations may pay in national currencies or in-kind. Payments are eligible for scheduled remission in the Earth Hour credit and currency system to equitable citizen accounts of the respective nation, in conformance to the provisions of Earth Constitution Article 17.6. and the provisions of World Legislative Act Number 07, for the EFFC. [P8] 

               5.5   World Parliament announces transparent and public [P9] process of disarmament -worldwide so that non-federation nations will see that this general liberation from the burden of militarism is occurring and that a peaceful and prosperous future of humanity is indeed being secured.  This will likely become a major attractor for the remaining nations of the world to join the Federation, making the Earth Federation truly planetary under Phase 5.

Article 6.  Phase 5.   The Full Operative Stage of World Government.

6.1    The full operative stage involves completing and filling out the full set of agencies and institutions begun during the Second Operative Stage.  This stage completes the actualization process of the unity in diversity of humanity within a system premised on universal human dignity announced in the Preamble to the Constitution.

6.2    This 15^th session of the Provisional World Parliament affirms the entire process through its 5 phases as the official and legitimate protocol for establishing the Federation of Earth.  The transition has been made from a global fragmentation with its war-system, injustice system, and ecologically destructive system to the holism described in the Preamble.