International Protection Agency

Preamble
We, the nations and members of the International Protection Agency, in order to serve and protect the rights of its members, seek out peace in any event, and better relations with all alliances, do hereby ordain and establish this Constitution of the International Protection Agency.

Article I Application & Rights
A. Application

In order for a new recruit to join the International Protection Agency (IPA), he/she must fill out an Application Form in the Application Center:

Nation:

Ruler:

Nation Link:

Nation Color:

Nation Resources:

Recruited by:

The first member of government to encounter the new Application Form must administer the Tech Raid Exam, located in the Department of Internal Affairs. The Secretary of Internal Affairs, or whoever encounters the new Application Form, will perform a mandatory background check on the new recruit. The new recruit cannot be in any wars in which he/she is the instigator. If the new recruit participated in another alliance, it is to the discretion of the background checker to ask for a recommendation. Once the background check is complete and the Tech Raid Exam has been completed and graded, the new recruit may be masked accordingly. Members who are already part of the IPA when the Constitution is ratified are grandfathered past the Tech Raid Exam requirement.

B. Rights

1. Freedom of Speech

Members of the IPA are entitled to freedom of speech with respect and courtesy to peoples of all, but not limited to, alliances, races, genders, sexual preference, and religion. Such statements, be it in the IPA Forum, the CyberNations (CN) Forum, another alliance’s Forum, or Private Message, will not be tolerated and will result in a warning; the limit being five warnings. Following the fifth warning, the member will be put on one day’s probation and will not have access to the IPA Forums. If the problem persists, the next degrees of punishment are three days Forum probation, one week Forum probation, and, finally, expulsion from the IPA. Any member of the IPA may suggest a law, treaty, or amendment to the Senate.

2. Aggression Isolation

Should a member of the IPA attack an unaligned nation, classified as a Rogue Nation, or an inactive nation without expressed permission from Government officials, that member will be left to fend for him/herself against his/her target(s) and face the consequences and repercussions without aid from the IPA. Attacks against Aligned Nations are strictly prohibited, regardless if inactivity, unless they are military targets of war specified by the Government.

a. Tech Raid

Tech Raiding is a common practice among CN alliances, but it has the possibility of causing conflicts - TECH RAID AT OWN RISK. Before any member of the IPA tech raids, he/she must fill out a Tech Raid Form:

IPA Member:

Target Nation:

Target Nation's Link:

Target Nation's Color:

Unaligned?:

Government approval Approval:

The target nation must a) be unaligned, and b ) inactive for 5 days or more. It is mandatory that the IPA member list “Tech Raid PM for Reps” as the reason for war. Should the target nation become active, attacking is to cease immediately and all raided materials returned to the target nation. It is recommended that the tech raid be carried out according to the Tech Raid Guide provided by the IPA.

3. Freedom from Attack

a. Rogue Nation

Should a member of the IPA be attacked by a Rogue Nation, it is that member’s right to defend him/herself from any form of aggression. Taunting and malice over Private Messages is not a valid form of attack; retaliation will not be sanctioned. It is the responsibility of the attacked IPA member to report the incident to the Department of Defense by copying and pasting all relevant messages, such as Battle Reports, in the Department of Defense Thread.

b. Aligned Nation

Should a member of the IPA be attacked by an Aligned Nation, the member is given the liberty to counterattack and must report the incident immediately to the Department of Defense by copying and pasting all relevant messages, such as Battle Reports, in the Department of Defense Thread. The Secretary of Foreign Affairs will investigate the situation and negotiate a peace settlement. Should the other alliance’s intentions be belligerent, the IPA will mobilize for war - see Article IV.

Article II Government
The government body of the International Protection Agency consists of the following positions, respectively:

A. Chief of State

The Chief of State is elected by the majority of the IPA members and serves as the leader of the alliance. The Chief of State has the power to veto any and all motions, treaties, and legislation, but cannot solely create legislation. All treaties, legislation, and amendments are to be signed by the Chief of State before being executed and becoming official. The Chief of State has the power to mask new members and foreign diplomats and create embassies. The Chief of State is responsible for updating the alliance on the status of the IPA and any information of interest to it. The Chief of State serves as Judge in trials and Commander-in-Chief in times of war.

B. Secretary of Defense

The Secretary of Defense is elected by the majority vote of the members of the IPA. In the event that the Chief of State should be absent, the Secretary of Defense serves the role of Chief of State. The Secretary of Defense is responsible for, but not limited to, organizing and training the armed forces of the IPA, updating information regarding the National Strength of IPA members, appointing Generals to military regiments, creating a contingency plan for war, and masking new members. All appointments made by the Secretary of Defense are to be approved by a simple majority of the Senate.

1. Generals

Generals are appointed by the Secretary of Defense and are subject to Senate approval. Generals are responsible for assisting the Secretary of Defense in updating the members belonging to their regiment and the range of their regiment’s National Strength. Generals are also responsible for issuing and executing orders, coming from the Chief of State or Secretary of Defense, to their regiments in times of war. Depending on the size of the regiment, Generals may organize Squads and appoint Squad Leaders, which are subject to the Secretary of Defense’s approval.

C. Secretary of Internal Affairs

The Secretary of Internal Affairs is elected by the majority vote of the members of the IPA. The Secretary of Internal Affairs is responsible for, but not limited to, masking new members, running regular background checks on all members, investigating complaints issued by IPA members, establishing a recruitment program, administering the Tech Raid Exam, approving the Tech Raid Form, and appointing an Attorney General and a Recruitment Chief. The position of Attorney General is subject to Senate approval by simple majority, but the position of Recruitment Chief is left to the Secretary of Interior Affairs’ discretion. The Secretary of Internal Affairs serves as the Prosecutor in trials.

1. Attorney General

The Attorney General is appointed by the Secretary of Interior Affairs and is responsible for assisting the Secretary of Interior Affairs in addressing and investigating complaints issued by IPA members, running background checks, and keeping track of the Tech Raid list. The Attorney General serves as the Defense in trials.

2. Recruitment Chief

The Recruitment Chief is appointed by the Secretary of Interior Affairs and is responsible for assisting the Secretary of Internal Affairs in establishing and running a recruitment program.

D. Secretary of Foreign Affairs

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs is elected by the majority of the members of the IPA. The Secretary of Foreign Affairs is responsible for, but not limited to, masking foreign diplomats, create embassies, assigning ambassadors to other alliances, and moderate ceasefire and peace talks between IPA members, as well as new recruits, and other nations or alliances.

E. Secretary of the Treasury

The Secretary of the Treasury is elected by the majority of the members of the IPA. The Secretary of the Treasury is responsible for, but not limited to, organizing aid programs for new recruits, supervising all aid requests, donations, and loans, establishing and administering an official IPA Bank, and creating and implementing a Tech Farm. The Secretary of the Treasury is permitted to appoint one Banker to assist in all functions of the Treasury. The Banker is subject to Senate approval by simple majority.

F. The Senate

The Senate holds five members of the IPA elected by the majority of its members. The Senate is responsible for reviewing, discussing, and signing all legislation, treaties, and amendments brought before it. A signature is hereby defined as an actual signature on the document presented; oral or expressed support is not a valid form of signature. Legislation requires a simple majority to pass, treaties require a simple majority to pass, and amendments require unanimous support to pass. Any piece of legislation, treaty, or amendment left unapproved by the end of the government term is terminated. In the event of veto from the Chief of State, the Senate may override it with a unanimous vote. The Senate serves as the Jury in trials.

Article III Elections
At the end of every other month, the IPA will hold elections for all the offices stated in Article I.

A. Nominations

On the 25th day of the election month, any member of the IPA may nominate a fellow member but cannot nominate him/herself.

B. Campaigning

Beginning on the 27th of the election month, nominations will cease and the nominated candidates for their respective positions can create threads to campaign; they may make speeches, present their positions, or discuss their plans to the voters, but smearing and mudslinging is worthy of expulsion from the electoral race for that month.

C. Voting

On the 29th of the election month, campaigning will cease and election polls will open up to the entire alliance, closing on the 30th at 3:00am EST (12:00am PST). There are no restrictions as to who a member can vote for. Results will be announced on the 1st of every month. The term of an elected government official will last for two full months, until the 30th/31st of every month for two months.

Article IV War, Peace, & Nuclear Policy
A. War

In the event that the IPA should be attacked by a belligerent alliance, the Senate reserves the right to declare war. Should the Senate not be able to convene in time, the Chief of State may declare a state of emergency and declare war without the Senate’s approval.

1. Justification for War

The following reasons justify the IPA going to war:

a. An alliance has officially declared war on the IPA.

b. An alliance which has signed a Mutual Defensive Pact or Mutual Aggressive/Defensive Pact with the IPA is attacked.

c. An alliance has committed an unreasonable or violating act against another alliance or the rules of CN.

B. Peace

Peace is the cornerstone of the IPA, and all manners and methods will be used to achieve this end goal. The Government is to settle all matters and difficulties in a peaceful and diplomatic fashion.

1. Post-War Between Nations

Following a war between nations, both the IPA member and the opposing nation must agree to terms. If the IPA member is the aggressor, he/she is to honor the peace treaty and pay the reparation amount demanded, but may not turn to the Treasury Department for assistance; he/she may ask a fellow IPA member for assistance. If the IPA member is the defender, he/she is entitled to war reparations if he/she so chooses. The Secretary of Defense may be called upon to assess the damages and calculate a fair reparation price.

2. Post-War Between Alliances

Following a war between alliances, both the IPA and the opposing alliance must agree to a ceasefire and begin the negotiations of peace. Any member of the IPA caught violating the ceasefire will be reprimanded and punished by the Chief of State, Secretary of Internal Affairs, and the Senate. If the IPA is the aggressor, the terms set by the opposing alliance are to be honored and followed through. If the IPA is the defender, the Chief of State, the Secretary of the Treasure, the Secretary of Defense, and the Senate will assess the damages and calculate a fair reparation price. Following a war, under no circumstances will the IPA integrate or be integrated by another alliance nor subject or be subjected to oversight by another alliance. Should an alliance disband following a war, it is of their own will and of no consequence or responsibility of the IPA.

C. Nuclear Policy

The IPA is a second-strike policy alliance. Any member wishing to use a nuclear weapon must first inform a Government official and receive approval for its use.

Article V Espionage
No member of the IPA is to take part in espionage of any kind. Any IPA member caught spying by an opposing alliance is subject to reparations, unassisted war resulting in his/her infrastructure being zeroed, and/or expulsion from the alliance. Any member of the IPA caught spying on the IPA for another alliance is subject to immediate expulsion from the alliance and will have their infrastructure zeroed by the IPA Military. The alliance employing the spy will be notified and, if the Chief of State, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and the Senate agree, diplomatic relations will be severed for the remainder of that government term.

Article VI Resignation
At any time, a member of the IPA may resign from the alliance. He/she will have 24 hours to say farewell before being permanently unmasked. A former member not expelled may rejoin the alliance at any time, but will be subject to any established rules and regulations in the application process.

Links
- International Protection Agency Forum

- IPA Facebook Group