Region/International Democratic Union
International Democratic Union 
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|---|---|---|
| Founder | The IDU | |
| WA Delegate | Laeral | |
| Members | 145 | |
| - | of which WA | 43 |
| Regional population | ||
| - | 2014 estimate | 528 billion |
| GRP | N/A | |
| Regional HDI | 0.540 medium |
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| Region page International Democratic Union |
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| NSTracker International Democratic Union |
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The International Democratic Union (IDU) is a region that promotes universal values such as democracy, human rights and internationalism. It has historically been heavily involved in the WA (and the UN before it), with numerous authors of UN/WA legislation in its ranks. Most IDU nations occupy a massive continent in NS Earth's Northern Hemisphere, neighboring The North Pacific region, though thanks to fractal reality some nations may overlap with or even overlay each other, occupying different dimensions or planes of existence within the same region. Some nations may merely be politically aligned with IDU while geographically located elsewhere. The lands within IDU's reach contain a number of unique plant and animal species. IDU has a reputation for being more liberal than other regions, and definitely within the World Assembly as one more inclined toward internationalist or international federalist tendencies.
History
A series of raids against The North Pacific prompted some of the region's exiles to seek refuge in a region free from the threat of invasion or displacement. The International Democratic Union, founded on July 25, 2004, was such a region. The IDU's numbers have naturally fluctuated over the years, reaching lows of as little as 17 nations and highs of 100 or more. IDU members have traditionally celebrated the anniversary of the region's founding on July 25 of each year, known in some countries as "Democracy Day."
Culture
A community of nations within the International Democratic Union has preserved the region's unique culture over the years, with events such as the International Cheese Festival, among the most famous events on the IDU's social calendar. Other aspects of IDU culture include geography, including an impressively detailed political map; a chronicling of the region's native plant and wildlife species; and a communal newswire.
Nations
Government
Having gone through several incarnations, the IDU Regional Government has undergone another reorganization. A new charter was approved in June 2016, instituting a new governing council named the IDU States Assembly (IDUSA), and cementing the Regional Delegate's role as head of state.
Historically, IDU's government has adhered to a series of "fundamental values," including democracy, community, stability, human rights, national sovereignty, secular governance, and "a powerful WA." It is those central values that the government's revamping sought to respect. IDUSA replaces the recently abolished Council of IDU States (CIDUS); the region had voted to revert to its old charter on an interim basis until the new charter was adopted.
The current, elected Delegate is Sciongrad; the cabinet consists of a vice delegate (Gnejs), foreign minister (SchutteGod), co-culture ministers (Gnejs/Nova Sodor), and a hospitality/ecology minister (Bears Armed). IDU's Delegate has typically been an elected position, each WA nation holding one vote. The regional capital and seat of government is Democracity, located in the IDU neutral territory known as the Free Lands.
UN/WA politics
IDU has a history of strongly contributing to international law through the World Assembly, specifically its General Assembly branch. More than a dozen authors of UN/WA legislation are past and present IDU members, several of them also being members of prominent UN/WA organizations such as United Nations Old Guard. It has been estimated that as much as 10% of all WA resolutions were written by IDU nations.
Foreign relations
Historic ties with the North Pacific region have made its relationship with IDU virtually indispensable. The IDU-TNP Treaty contains provisions obligating The North Pacific's delegate to commit its support to resolutions written by IDU members. The IDU is also a member of WALL (World Assembly Legislative League), a multilateral General Assembly-oriented organization promoting cooperation between member regions on GA matters, and at times, a unified front on the GA's most important votes. Having outgrown a serious rivalry with its fellow UN/WA-oriented region Antarctic Oasis during the days of the UN, IDU in recent years has enjoyed much-improved relations with the Antarctic.
Regions with which IDU maintains embassies include Social Liberal Union, International Western Union, Forest, Osiris, Europeia, The Rejected Realms, TNP and AO.
