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My apologies for not submitting this to the floor sooner.

Chief Diplomat Wintermoot has announced a treaty promoting mutual alignment and cultural exchange between Wintreath and the International Northwestern Union. According to him:

I am happy to announce that Wintreath has completed treaty negotiations with International Northwestern Union (INWU), and that their region has already ratified the treaty. Our friendship with INWU began last spring on account of both our regions having treaties with The Rejected Realms and thus both our regions participating in Unibot's Rock-Paper-Scissors competition. Since then we have had an excellent relationship, with members of their region joining our Civ games and Werewolf competitions, and our region participating in their fall festival last year. I felt that it made sense for our regions to pursue a closer relationship, so last November I approached their then-delegate, Albiorix, and we negotiated this treaty. The treaty was delayed due to a reformation of their government, but just this week their new government passed the treaty, and I'm happy to pass it to the Storting for ratification after Underhusen elections are completed.

Of particular note is Article V Section 3, which grants the regions permission to promote their culture events outside of each others embassies, which is unique to each treaty. This will allow us to better promote our events and culture to their region, which is most active on their RMB, and will allow them a similar advantage here in our region.

Although the agreement has already been ratified by the other party, we should at the very least analyze whether the terms are acceptable. The text of the treaty is as follows:

Treaty of Friendship and Cultural Exchange
Between International Northwestern Union and The Frozen Realm of Wintreath

We, the sovereign regions of Wintreath and International Northwestern Union, agree to enact the terms of this treaty in the hopes of encouraging cooperation between regions, expanding our cultural endeavors, and achieving closer relations as allies. It is our hope that this treaty will enable the establishment of a cooperative spirit, under which we may accomplish great things to the benefit of both regions.

Article I - Mutual Recognition of Governments
1) The parties recognize the constitutional government of each region as legitimate and will not extend that recognition to any other government, except for successor governments created in a lawful manner.

Article II - Non-Aggression of the Parties
1) Neither party shall participate or support any action taken with the intent to destabilize or overthrow the government of the other party.

2) Neither party shall participate in military operations against the other party's home region or its colonies, vassals, or other subordinate possessions.

3) Neither party shall conduct or support the use of espionage, sabotage, or any other covert action against the other party.

4) Neither party shall utilize any third party to circumvent to provisions of this treaty in any way.

5) The parties agree that participation on opposing sides of a military engagement outside the provisions of Section 2 shall not constitute a violation of this treaty.

Article III - Diplomatic and Military Support
1) The parties agree to render military assistance in the protection of each other's home regions, colonies, vassals, and other subordinate possessions if requested to do so by the other party's Head of State.

2) The parties agree to provide diplomatic support to each other when doing so would not conflict with the internal policies of either party.

Article IV - Embassies and Ambassadors
1) Each party shall maintain a designated embassy for the other on their forums, and shall provide an ambassador to the other party. Each party shall endeavor to keep the other up to date on their regional affairs. The parties agree that ambassadors will behave in line with the laws and any ambassador protocols established by the host region.

2) The parties shall maintain in-game embassies with each other.

Article V - Cultural Cooperation and Exchange
1) The parties shall endeavor to hold joint festivals, events, and other cultural endeavors with each other, including at least one yearly festival to celebrate the friendship between the two regions.

2) Participants of joint events and activities shall follow the laws of the region hosting the event. The host region shall maintain the right to deny or revoke an individual's access to the festival for any reason.

3) The parties agree to allow each other to promote their regular cultural activities and events in the the cultural or general discussion area of their forum as well as their regional message board, so long as the activities and events are not shared with a non-signatory party.

Article VI - Commencement and Termination
1) The provisions of this treaty shall become operative upon its ratification by both parties.

2) A party may terminate this treaty by providing a notice of termination to the government of the other party on its forum. Termination shall take effect after seven calendar days. The parties agree to attempt to resolve any differences before attempting to terminate this treaty.

It all seems good to me.

Is INWU a defender region?  Just curious.  Everything looks good, though. 

EDIT: Technical error under Section 3, which Laurentus brought up.  I believe we should edit it to read "each other's"

Article III - Diplomatic and Military Support
1) The parties agree to render military assistance in the protection of each others home regions, colonies, vassals, and other subordinate possessions if requested to do so by the other party's Head of State.

2) The parties agree to provide diplomatic support to each other when doing so would not conflict with the internal policies of either party.

If we employ the other revision suggested in the citizen's platform, "each others'" we could have unintended obligations to support regions under the control of INWU members, and not necessarily of INWU.

Each others' is not proper grammar. People use it informally (as well as each others), but the correct wording is each other's. Each other is a singular pronoun, so the apostrophe must be before the s. The phrase each other also only refers to two entities.

I don't think this whole thing is really a problem anyway. We can correct it for those who would like the grammar to be correct, but I don't believe that anything will be taken advantage of since everything is already defined in the rest of the treaty: "home regions, colonies, vassals, and other subordinate possessions".

Laurentus said the context makes it clear which use of the term refers to. I believe the change is minor enough to correct it without having to alter it from the other side.

It has been about sixty-six-and-a-half hours since the bill was introduced. Since that is more than the forty-eight-hour debate period, we must now decide whether to vote, table, or extend debate on the bill.

I motion to extend debate another 48 hours.

Are we just deciding on whether or not to put the apostrophe?

I second the motion.

Debate has been extended by forty-eight hours. Any further motions can be made after that time.

I think this is good. Any objections to voting after the debate period?

I think it's good, too.

Should I add the apostrophe when it eventually comes to vote?

Yes, the mistake may be minor but the ramifications could be catastrophic.