Articles of Colonization (2035)

2035 Articles of Interstellar Colonization

This treaty deals with the proper procedures and protocols for the claiming of Trans-Newtonian Rift Points (Hereafter referred to as Jump Points or JPs) and the systems beyond them. It was ratified by majority vote of the UNEC on 6 September 2035.

Terminology

AoC: Articles of Colonization (2027)

UN: United Nations

FEAN: Federation of European and Asian Nations

Jump Point, JP: Trans-Newtonian Rift Point as defined in Jump Point Theory. Jump points are numbered in ascending order based on distance from the system primary.

Directly linked: In the context of systems, two systems are considered directly linked if there is a single jump point connecting both systems.

Article I: Regarding claims on Jump Points within Sol

I: Signatories agree that Jump Point 1 and Jump Point 3 and the systems they directly connect to (Klondike-Kagayan, Roanoake, resp.) are UN sovereign space and Jump Point 2 and the system it directly connects to (Zhongguo) is FEAN sovereign space. The Solar System itself will be considered a neutral system for the purposes of this treaty.

Article II: Regarding Jump Point ownership

II a: The sovereign owner of a Jump Point holds all rights related to the point. No ship may transit through the point without express permission from the sovereign owner or its duly appointed representatives, except where outlined in clauses c and d of this article.

II b: A Jump Point connecting a sovereign system to a neutral system will be considered the sovereign property of the owner of the former system, and any space within 50 million kilometers of the a sovereign Jump Point will be considered sovereign space of the Jump Point's owner.

II c: If a vessel had no reasonable way of knowing the point of transit led to a foreign-held system (See article III for definition of foreign-held), and through transiting, found itself violating article II without intent or malice, the trespassing vessel may be forbidden from travelling further into the system, but may not be forbidden from leaving the system through their point of entry. If the safety of the trespassing vessel and its crew would be seriously endangered by such travel, the system owner is obliged to provide the vessel with shelter until such a time it can return home safely. Examples of serious danger include hostile third party warships, natural hazards and ship damage so great a safe return is unlikely. In the last case, the system owner has the option to either transport the crew to a colony or system of the crew's sovereignty if asked, require that the SNO employing the crew pick up the crew from a designated "safe" location, or any combination of the two provided the crew's health and safety are held paramount. The system owner is not obliged to aid in repairs, and has the right to seek monetary reimbursement for any expenses incurred in relocating, housing, or providing the basic human needs for the crew.

-Safe is here defined to be a body rendered inhabitable (either naturally or via colonization infrastructure) in a system which has been found devoid of hostile ETI, if any such exist

II d: In some scenarios (outlined in article III, clauses b and c of this treaty, or determined by a separate treaty or agreement), a nation or SNO may have privileged access to a system owned by another nation or SNO. Unless explicitly allowed to do otherwise by the system owner, accessing vessels must keep their civilian transponder active at all times and may not turn on active sensors with coverage extending beyond any sovereign space their nation or SNO may own in-system.

Article III: Regarding system ownership

III a: A system of any description or layout will be considered sovereign territory of a nation or SNO if all involved parties sign and ratify a treaty declaring it to be so. Involved parties in this case is defined as a nation or SNO holding sovereign space in a directly linked system.

III b: If a system contains a habitable world legally annexed by a nation or SNO under the AoC, and no other nation or SNO owns inhabited colonies in that system, the system will be considered sovereign territory of the colony owner. Owners of non-inhabited colonies in the system will be given a grace period of two years to evacuate all installations, personnel and vessels.

III c: If a system contains multiple inhabited colonies owned by different nations or SNOs, the system will be considered neutral, and sovereignty of space will be decided according to exclusion cordons surrounding bodies legally annexed under the AoC.

III d: A system of any description or layout may be claimed as sovereign territory if the claiming nation or SNO holds sovereignty over all directly connected systems.

III e: Public claims on systems without inhabitable worlds may be filed with the ICCS, if the claiming nation or SNO has at least one installation in-system and the claim has gone uncontested two years after filing, the system will become sovereign space of the claiming nation or SNO. A claim may be contested by any nation or SNO controlling sovereign space, populations or installations in the claimed system or one directly connected to it. A contested claim will be handled the same as a disputed claim in clause f of this article.

III f: A system without non-stellar celestial bodies may be claimed by the first nation or SNO to claim sovereignty over a directly connected system. In event of a dispute, the relevant claimants may take the case to the ICCS, agree to a separate treaty detailing that specific claim conflict, or declare the system international space.

Article IV: Regarding Dead-End situations

IV a: If any signatory nation or SNO reach the point where all systems that they are directly linked to have been claimed by another nation or SNO, they may file a petition before the ICCS. A grace period of 2 years will be provided for that signatory nation to prove to the ICCS they are unable to expand, during which the ICCS will both verify that claim and act as both mediator and intermediary between the signatory petitioner and the nation or SNO(s) which have sovereign claim upon the systems that are adjacent to the signatory petitioner. This period may be extended in 6 month periods, up to a maximum of 5 years from receipt of the petition. The intent of these mediations are to negotiate for a peaceful route of passage / expansion for the signatory petitioner.

IV b: Upon the expiration of the grace period, or at a maximum of 5 years, the signatory petitioner will forfeit exclusive rights to any JPs and systems, as detailed within Article III, within their borders for traffic. Bodies within those formerly claimed systems would still be considered the sovereign property of the signatory petitioner and subject to the terms of the AoC, if they are a party to that treaty.

IV c: Upon the conditions of IV b, the ICCS will create a right-of-way for the signatory petitioner through a directly linked system(s), preferentially using systems(s) covered under Article III Clauses E and F. This right-of-way would be subject to the terms of Article II Clause D. This right-of-way would terminate in the closest (by jumps) system to the beginning of the right-of-way which does not border a claimed system with population greater than 20M inhabitants. In return, the affected non-petitioner nation(s) or SNO(s) may be awarded by ICCS a reasonable reimbursement, which may be asked for by the affected and may include, but is not limited to, mineral rights, research grants, monetary compensation, or exchange of sovereignty over a body populated by no more than 100M inhabitants.

IV d: The terms within IV a, b and c would not apply if the ICCS are unable to verify that the signatory petitioner is "boxed in", or if one or more of the directly linked nations or SNOs are not a party to this treaty.

IV e: The petition and all effects of Article IV Clauses A, B, and C may be suspended at any time by the signatory petitioner. At time of Notice of Suspension being provided to the ICCS, the terms of Articles II and III would resume effect, with the length of times within Article II Clause D, Article III Clause B and Article III Clause C would be doubled. If awards to affected nation(s) or SNO(s) cause differences in sovereignty of an affected body or system, the conditions at time of Notice of Suspension would prevail. Any awards remain the property of the affected, unless another treaty has caused some change, in which case the terms of the treaty would apply.

Article V: Regarding ownership transfers

V: Sovereign systems may be sold or traded between nations and/or SNOs subject to the terms of an individual treaty governing that sale.