WA General Assembly

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The World Assembly General Assembly (or the GA) is the redundantly named original branch of the World Assembly that makes laws that take effect in all member states. The GA was formed in June 2009 when, in response to stinging criticism from WA forum members about new categories to the WA, admins split the WA into two "Councils," with the GA continuing to forge traditional WA legislation and the newly created "Security Council" taking up the then-controversial "Commend and Condemn" categories. The GA and the SC differ significantly from one another, in that one branch is dominated by a clique of arrogant and narcissistic "elites" who hold juvenile debates about pointless resolutions, and is often beset by trolling, drive-by posting, and constant repeals and re-votes on the same issues, over and over again -- while the Security Council likes to hand out badges.

The NationStates FAQ describes the GA thusly:

 
 
The General Assembly is concerned with passing international law: resolutions to improve human rights, environmental standards, and the like... Broadly speaking, the General Assembly does not concern itself with individual nations or regions (as the Security Council does), but humanity as a whole.
 

 

An artist's rendition of the GA chamber, which is unfortunately fraught with inaccuracies. I mean, where are all the windows to the outside? How are all these people defenestrated week after week?

While this is a good basic description of the GA's main function, it fails to take the whole picture into account.

A more accurate portrayal of the GA would include the rampant corruption of the "festering snakepit," the intrusive and wasteful provisions of WA laws, the meddling and condescension of the gnomish bureaucracy, the contempt and entitlement of the entrenched ambassador corps, the puerile infighting between warring "sovereigntist" and "federalist" factions, the rules-lawyering gone amok in proposal drafting, the occasional shouting matches between the Secretariat and rank-and-file members, the numerous bribes-for-votes scandals, and the fact that any newcomer bold enough to stand up to the establishment on a particular issue runs the risk of being tossed from the windows into the Vastiva Memorial Reflecting Pool outside.

But it's not all petty sniping and defenestrations in the GA: the members will also occasionally pass a resolution so it looks like they're actually getting things done. The General Assembly's considerable infrastructure includes real estate in the main WA Headquarters, a General Fund to finance the GA's many operations, numerous committees to oversee specific mandates spelled out in WA legislation, and a place where weary delegates and staffers can get drunk after a long and grueling day of debate and diplomacy: the famed Strangers' Bar.

The name General Assembly is a nod to the UN General Assembly, the term GAers used for the UN's plenary voting body.