Atlantic Commonwealth

The Atlantic Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organisation of five independent member states. All of the member states are part of the AIN.

The member states cooperate within a framework of common values and goals as outlined in the Liberators City Declaration. These include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism, and world peace. The Atlantic Commonwealth is not a political union, but an intergovernmental organisation through which countries with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status.

History
The concept of an Atlantic Commonwealth was mooted in 2005 after a proposition by Corraile to other Atlantic states, notably the Atlantic Federation and Llithustania. However, the proposal received a lukewarm response from the other countries approached and thus was dropped.

The modern iteration of the Atlantic Commonwealth was reignited by a revised proposal by Corraile, who proposed the formation of an Atlantic Commonwealth during a bilateral meeting with the Atlantic Federation in 2010. Due to the different context this proposal was set in, with global economic uncertainty and the rise of unionism in the Atlantic states as a means of effectively overcoming the problems brought about by the global economic crisis, this proposal saw a much more enthusiastic response from the AF delegation, and further negotiations were soon set in motion between other Atlantic states, namely Galbadia and later Llithustania. Negotiations between the foreign ministries of the respective states came to a close with the drafting and signing of the Pan-Atlantic Treaty on October 25th, 2011 by the foreign ministers of the Atlantic Federation, Corraile, Galbadia and Llithustania, formalising the formation of the Atlantic Commonwealth.

The formation of the Atlantic Commonwealth was motivated by the common desire of each country's government to further promote trade in a period of economic uncertainty, as well as to further develop economic and political ties. For Corraile, the AC enabled it to seek further security via the mutual defence framework set in place by the Pan-Atlantic Treaty, while the Atlantic Federation was more supportive of the AC's economic purpose, to enable it;s industries and it's economy to further develop with the improvement of ties with neighbouring Atlantic states.

Soon after the formation of the Atlantic Commonwealth, it accepted Lorenta as it's first non-founding member. However, it has since left the Commonwealth, while Ascadylea is now the Commonwealth's only current non-founding member.

AC Conference
The Commonwealth holds meetings, known as the AC Conference, where heads of government of each member meet to discuss and resolve regional issues, as well as to conduct other meetings with other countries outside of the bloc with the intention of promoting external relations.

Atlantic Commonwealth Free Trade Region (ACFTR)
The Atlantic Commonwealth Free Trade Region (ACFTR) is considered the keystone of the AC in promoting economic freedom and the free flow of goods within the AC. The ACFTR was included as one of the initial terms in the Pan-Atlantic Treaty, and has since been put into effect by all 5 members of the AC. Aside from promoting free trade within the confines of the AC, it also encourages the growth of domestic industries in member states, by reducing the trade restrictions that would otherwise apply to imported goods. The ACFTR requires all member states to abolish all trade restrictions on goods exported to or imported from AC member states, as well as encourage economic activity between member states by reducing tax burdens on companies that do business other AC states, or providing other incentives to increase trade within the Commonwealth.

The ACFTR aims to achieve the following goals


 * Promote a successful and unified manufacturing base
 * Encourage growth to form a single, dynamic economy
 * Fully integrate national economies into the international market

Additional terms have since been included after the original terms were agreed upon. These include favourable tax rates for investments by companies in AC member states.

Atlantic Commonwealth Openskies Agreement (ACOA)
The Atlantic Commonwealth Openskies Agreement (ACOA) aims to develop a free and unified aviation sector within the AC, by lifting or relaxing national regulations and restrictions governing the operation of carriers within their airspace. The ACOA was considered and proposed by the AC Transport Commission in February 2012 after a study concluded that it would be beneficial to both the public and aviation companies if commercial aviation regulations were relaxed within the AC. This proposal is currently under negotiation between the constituent states of the Commonwealth, and a consensus is expected to be reached by mid-2013. if agreed upon, the ACOA is expected to fully liberalize air travel between member states in the Atlantic region, allowing Commonwealth countries and airlines operating in the region to directly benefit from the growth in air travel around the world, and also freeing up tourism, trade, investment and services flows between member states.

Common Currency Initiative (CCI)
It was initially proposed that the constituent states of the AC adopt a common currency. This was further supported by the Atlantic Federation, which supported the move on the grounds that it would bring about a boost in trade and investment within the region. The concept of a common currency, however, was soon put on hold on the basis that structural issues had to be worked out to prevent a credit crisis similar in scale and complexity to the Euro debt crisis. As a result, each constituent state of the Commonwealth continues to use it's own national currency. However, it has been hinted that the adoption of a common currency may be pursued in the future, when all possible problems have been identified and solved, although public opposition may be a barrier to such a policy.

Current economic standings
The AC consists of some of the largest economies in the world. If considered as a single entity, the AC would be the second-largest economy in the world (based on nominal GDP figures). Economies part of the AC are as follows (international rankings of individual economies are listed in parentheses)


 * Atlantic FederationAtlantic Federation - 4.9 Trillion
 * GalbadiaGalbadia - 1.5 Trillion
 * AscadyleaAscadylea - 1.35 Trillion
 * CorraileCorraile - 649 Billion

Atlantic Commonwealth Mutual Defence Framework (AC-MDF)
As part of the Pan-Atlantic Treaty, the AC includes the Atlantic Commonwealth Mutual Defence Framework (AC-MDF), which enables mutual defence of member states in times of crises against foreign threats. This has resulted in the improvement of ties between the militaries of the constituent states, as well as the standardisation of defence platforms to further improve the effectiveness of mutual defence whenever necessary. Furthermore, annual military exercises are carried out between the militaries of AC member states to enable cross-training and sharing of resources, so as to improve the effectiveness of every individual force within the Commonwealth.

As of October 2011, some 3 military exercises have been carried out.


 * ATNAV I Exercise (December 7-21 2011) - Navies of AC member states
 * SPEFORS I (March 11-30 2011) - Special forces of AC member states
 * ACAF I (August 1-13 2011) - Air forces of AC member states

Atlantic Commonwealth Aid Initiative (ACAI)
The Atlantic Commonwealth Aid Initiative, or ACAI, provides humanitarian aid from the AC to developing countries. The total contributed by member states towards the provision of developmental aid reached over USD37.9 billion, 63% of which went to the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

Humanitarian aid is financed indirectly by the national governments of the constituent states, where the ACAI helps to promote the donation of funds from national governments and channels the collected funds for humanitarian purposes in developing states. Much of this funding is directed into spending on essential infrastructure as required for the furtherance of development in the beneficiary states, such as clean drinking water systems, power plants and agricultural development initiatives, where fertilisers and seeds are provided to farmers to further boost yields. In addition, funds are used to alleviate unequal development within the AC itself, but investing the funds into underdeveloped communities or the working-class who require aid.

Currently, the amount contributed to the ACAI is much lower than the UN's aid target of 0.7% of gross national product. However, the aid contributed by AC members states towards the initiative is expected to rise, and hit the 0.7% target by at least 2020.

Members
Ever since it's foundation in 2011, the AC has had 5 members.

Founding Members

 * Atlantic Federation - Located in the Veratlantic Archipelago. Made up of 7 different republics.
 * Corraile - A group of islands in the North Atlantic ( south of Nova Scotia ).
 * Galbadia - Located in the Veratlantic Archipelago.
 * Llithustania - Located in Western Europe. Neighbors include Spain and Portugal

Non-founding Members

 * Ascadylea - Located in the Veratlantic Archipelago.

Atlantic Broadcasting Union (ABU)


The Atlantic Broadcasting Union, or ABU, is an community involving the major national or international broadcasters of the countries in the AC. It's purpose is to establish inter-network ties and to improve co-operation and mutual development in broadcasting and programming, as well as provide a international platform for national broadcasters to reach new audiences and markets within the Commonwealth. As part of the ABU, a framework has been set up to allow national broadcasters of one constituent state of the AC to broadcast programmes in another member nation, by working towards the common usage of infrastructure such as broadcasting stations and satellites by the different national broadcasters.

The concept of an Atlantic Broadcasting Union preceded the formation of the Atlantic Commonwealth, but the Union was never formalised until the signing of the Pan-Atlantic Treaty. Initially, the proposed ABU was meant to emulate the structure and management of the EBU, to promote co-operation and co-participation in programme development and resource sharing, given that the Atlantic region covers vast territory and as such advanced broadcasting equipment is usually needed for effective coverage in different regions. While the national broadcasters of Atlantic region countries were generally interested in the idea, it did not result in a full-fledged agreement towards the formation of a broadcasting union until the Atlantic Commonwealth was finalised.

National broadcasters representing the member nations of the Commonwealth:


 * Atlantic FederationAtlantic Federation - TBD
 * Unitedrepllithustaniaflag.jpgustania - TBD
 * AscadyleaAscadylea - TBD
 * GalbadiaGalbadia - TBD
 * CorraileCorraile - CorraileMetro

Atlantic Commonwealth Multicultural Programme (ACMP)
The Atlantic Commonwealth Multicultural Programme aims to help promote the unique and diverse cultures and traditions that exist within the confines of the AC. This is done via two main methods: Preservation, and Promotion. Under Preservation, the Atlantic Commonwealth, via the governments of the countries involved, works with the Alliance's Ministry for Culture, Arts and Sports and the Cultural Protection Agency to help fund the conservation, preservation and restoration of culturally significant buildings or landmarks, as well as traditions and cultural events which are deemed as significant in value towards the local community.

Under promotion, the ACMP helps to encourage successive generations of citizens in the AC countries to take ownership in preserving and maintaining their own heritage and culture. This is done by creating platforms for people to come together and share and celebrate their cultural differences, through events such as the proposed Atlantic Youth Summit. Furthermore, the ACMP works in tandem with the ABU to help further promote cultural programming within the Commonwealth such that the unique features of local cultures can be shared internationally. The programme also hosts cultural activities in an attempt to further integrate the region. These include sports and educational activities as well as writing awards.

Controversy
The formation of the Atlantic Commonwealth resulted in much controversy within the AIN, with some charging that the formation of the AC was tantamount to the creation of a "superbloc" that would impose it's will upon other, small, non-aligned states within the Alliance. This view was further entrenched by the fact that 3 of the Alliance Security Council permanent members were also part of the AC. After the announcement of the formation of the AC on October 10, leaders of the Pizen Pact also labelled the AC as a "response to the Pizen Pact". However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Atlantic Federation was quoted as saying that "The Atlantic Commonwealth is not an answear to the Pizen Pact, as our nations have way a longer historic of cooperation and interaction: This has being planned for a long time." The foreign ministries of the other member states have also concurred.

Furthermore, criticism was levelled at the AC for it's failure to act unilaterally during the Shudo-Hijaran War, with members of the AC supporting different sides during the conflict, damaging the AC's reputation as a major player in geopolitics and foreign affairs.