Hospital Ship Classification and Protection Act
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Hospital Ship Classification and Protection Act
Preamble:
The European Union has seen various forms of warfare throughout its history with each one having a varying level of death and destruction. Warfare and disaster will always occur through the world with people that need various help. This need is where the Hospital Ship comes in and sails to bring in the wounded, whether they are of the ship’s nationality or not. It is without any doubt that every nation within the European Union has guidelines or plans on how to quickly transform a merchant vessel into a hospital ship, a ship that heals the wounded and sick. However, within the European Union, there is no formal protection from international law that ensures that a Hospital Ship is not intentionally attacked; whether it is by a submarine equipped with various weapons, a warship on patrol, a aircraft on patrol, or any other form of attack not mentioned. This Bill is to have the European Union provide Hospital Ships international protection from any form of attack by military powers and provide a steadier classification on what makes a vessel into a Hospital Ship.
Section 1: Definitions
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Hospital Ship: A vessel that was built or converted (from a merchant ship of any type) to aid and medical support to any one in large number.
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Patient: A person that is wounded or requires immediate medical attention that was resulted from any form of disaster, whether it is an earthquake, warfare, political turmoil, and other forms of pain and destruction.
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Military Power: A military system that has the ability to attack any one with weapons of any form.
Section 2: Protections of a Hospital Ship
- A Hospital Ship that meets the required classifications described below is regarded as a vessel that is immune from being attacked by military powers in form.
Section 3: What Classifies a Ship as a Hospital Ship
The following guidelines implemented will internationally classify a ship as a Hospital Ship:-
The entire Hull of the ship must be painted white with a wide red strip running along the side of the hull or just a few meters above the waterline. In addition, on the red strip, there must be at least two red or green crosses that ensures that the vessel is recognized as a hospital ship.
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In addition, the vessel must be equipped with red cross lights on the sides of its hull, in order for it to be recognized as a hospital ship. These lights are required to be on during the night, fog, or any form of bad weather that impedes the vessel’s ability to see in the horizon.
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A Hospital Ship must not be used to transport Ammunition, guns, or any weapons of war meant to harm individuals. It may be allowed to have a military squad equipped with weapons as a way to protect the crew, medical staff, and patients from any threat that seeks to cause harm.
Section 4: Consequences of Attacking a Hospital Ship
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If a hospital ship is attacked, raided, sunk, and stuck upon by a military power, the European Union Court of Justice shall issue economic sanctions or whatever punishment that they think is suitable.
a. However, before any punishment is issued, the case of the any incident involving a hospital ship must be investigated by the European Union Court by revealing the evidence that either ship has.
b. In the worst-case scenario that there no survivors of what happened to a incident that involves a hospital ship, then the country or organization that operates the Hospital Ship may act as the plaintiff in the situation
c. The European Union Court of Justice shall examine both sides of the situation and determine whether or not that the attacker of the hospital is liable for the damages and/or loss that occurred in the incident.
d. The European Union Court of Justice may instead if sufficient evidence can be provided that the Hospital Ship should be held liable for the incident that involved it issue a punishment to the operators or captain of the hospital ship.
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Debate starts NOW and will last until 22:10 GMT on June 13th, 2020.
I quite like this piece of legislation and the principle behind it. Usually I have something to add, but I actually think this legislation is pretty good as it is. I'm curious what others will have to say. This has my full support.
Edward Firoux
Council Speaker and Councillor for Inquista -
Much like the speaker I quite like this act as well. Personally I believe that Section 3.3 is an arbitrary limit that most hospital ships would not meet so I am proposing an amendment to strike that section.
That said this was an extremely well written piece of legislation and exactly the kind of thing the EU needs, commonsense standards that help all of us and do not wish to divide us.
AMENDMENT 1:
Section 3:
3. The required patient capacity for a ship to be classified to as a Hospital Ship, it must be designed to hold at least 250 patients.3. A Hospital Ship must not be used to transport Ammunition, guns, or any weapons of war meant to harm individuals. It may be allowed to have a military squad equipped with weapons as a way to protect the crew, medical staff, and patients from any threat that seeks to cause harm.
4.Cllr. Carita Falk
Archrepublic of Vayinaod -
I think that the amendment presented by Councilor Falk are understandable and are acceptable.
Mr. Speaker, if it will be acceptable as it seems that the Council is mainly focused on the Reitzmag Sanctions and EU Assembly Bill that the Debate for this bill to be extended to allow the other Councilors a chance to have a voice in this matter.
Councilor Francis Plessis of Leagio
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I like this piece of legislation. Imagine we have a pandemic or a war, I hope not but just in case. There's no room left in hospitals all around Europe in the first scenario, in the countries involved on the second scenario. This ships could save lives, and that's what we want. I also like the fact that attacking one of those is illegal, and Councillor Pleasis has done a great work on describing in this piece of legislation how procedures should be made if there's an accident with one of these.
I will vote for it, as I will vote for Ms. Falk's amendmet.
Donald D. Tusk
Councillor for Spain -
Dear collègues, I fully support these proposition concerning the hospital ship classification.
Nevertheless I would like to add the following proposal. Recognizing or classificate is nothing without the ability for the ship to moor. Because the mooring is the main problem nowadays.
Therefore I propose that:
Any ship that is recognized or classified as a hospital ship has the right to dock at the nearest port in the country to which the territorial waters where the ship is currently located are located.And
That passenger whom are recognized or classified as patients have the right to obtain the necessary medical care, explained and documented by and in the national law of the country of arrival.
Thank you,
Mrs. Azaya Dubecq,
EU-Councilor for Nofoaga -
Debate is over and now is the time to vote on amendments. There are 3 amendments:
Amendment I - Proposed by Cllr. Falk
Section 3:
3. The required patient capacity for a ship to be classified to as a Hospital Ship, it must be designed to hold at least 250 patients.
4.3. A Hospital Ship must not be used to transport Ammunition, guns, or any weapons of war meant to harm individuals. It may be allowed to have a military squad equipped with weapons as a way to protect the crew, medical staff, and patients from any threat that seeks to cause harm.Amendment II - Proposed by Cllr. Dubecq
Any ship that is recognized or classified as a hospital ship has the right to dock at the nearest port in the country to which the territorial waters where the ship is currently located are located.Amendment III - Proposed by Cllr. Dubecq
That passenger whom are recognized or classified as patients have the right to obtain the necessary medical care, explained and documented by and in the national law of the country of arrival.Voting begins now and until 23:00 GMT on June 16th, 2020.
I vote FOR Amendment I, but I vote AGAINST Amendment II and Amendment III.
Edward Firoux
Council Speaker and Councillor for Inquista -
I vote FOR Amendments I, II, and III.
Councilor Francis Plessis of Leagio
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On behalf of the Archrepublic of Vayinaod, I, Carita Falk, vote FOR Amendments I and AGAINST Amendments II and III,
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I vote FOR all amendments.
Friedrich van Allen
Councilor, Kingdom of Reitzmag -
On behalf of the Republic Nofoaga, I vote FOR all Amendments.
Mrs. Azaya Dubecq,
EU-Councilor for Nofoaga -
On behalf of the Kingdom of Fremet, I vote FOR Amendment I and AGAINST Amendments II & III.
Charles Michel
Councillor for the Kingdom of Fremet -
On behalf of Free Icholase, I vote FOR Amendment I and AGAINST Amendments II & III.
Duchess Poppy Carlton-Romanov
Free Icholasen 'For Queen and Country' -
On behalf of the People's Confederation of Eastern Haane, I vote FOR Amendments I and II, but AGAINST Amendment III.
Martin Bourgaize
Councillor for the People's Confederation of Eastern Haane -
On behalf of the Union of Duxburian Dominions, I vote FOR Amendment I and AGAINST Amendments II and III.
Wesley Greene
Councillor of the Duxburian Union -
On behalf of The Malboryan Republic, I vote FOR all amendments.
Kent Evergreen
European Councillor of The Malboryan Republic -
On behalf of the Kingdom of Spain, I vote FOR Amendment I and AGAINST amendments II and III
Donald D. Tusk
Councillor for Spain -
The Exalted Ottoman State votes FOR Amendment I and AGAINST Amendments II and III
Su Tevfik
European Councillor from the Court of Osman -
Voting on amendments has now closed.
With 12 votes for, Amendment I has PASSED. With 5 votes for and 7 against, Amendment II has FAILED. With 4 votes for and 8 votes against, Amendment III has FAILED.
The legislation has been updated to relfect the changes of the passed amedment.
Final voting begins NOW and will last until 03:30 GMT on June 20th, 2020.
On behalf of the Most Blessed State of Inquista, I vote FOR this Act.
Edward Firoux
Council Speaker and Councillor for Inquista -
On behalf of the Kingdom of Fremet, I vote FOR this act.
Charles Michel
Councillor for the Kingdom of Fremet
The Kingdom of Spain
