[Passed] Preventing Animal Abuse

[Applebania]

The Member Nations of the World Assembly:

Recognizing that animals are non-sapient, sentient beings capable of experiencing stress, fear, and pain;

Convinced that there is no just cause for intentionally abusing an animal, and that animals should be cared for in ways that support a healthy life free from suffering;

Resolved that animal abuse is utterly unjustifiable and should be universally condemned and prohibited;

Saddened that some individuals continue to permit or perpetrate acts of animal abuse out of antipathy, intransigence, and even malicious character;

Resolved that putting an end to unjustifiable cruelty is part of what it means to make the world a better place, one resolution at a time;

Now, therefore, the General Assembly hereby enacts the following provisions, subject to the rules and laws set by earlier WA resolutions that are still in force:

1. Declares that cruelly or maliciously causing physical injury to an animal, cruelly killing an animal, and torturing an animal are outlawed and prohibited within World Assembly member nations;

2. Further declares that individuals have an absolute right to defend themselves and others against a hostile animal, and nothing in this law shall be read to prevent or prohibit reasonable acts of self-defense, even if they cause injury to the animal;

3. Outlaws the use of animals in fighting sports and any other non-military and non-law enforcement exhibition where the animal is intentionally and purposefully exposed to physical injury;

4. Requires that any person who keeps an animal to provide that animal with reasonable and appropriate care necessary to promote the health of the animal and avoid suffering and disease;

5. Recommends that any person who keeps an animal must, to the best of their means and ability, provide the animal with access to professional veterinary care.

[Applebania]

I'm pretty sure this mandates Vegetarianism. AGAINST.

Douria, do you have a writeup?

[Transdavisia]

For.

[Treize Dreizehn]

While I am not currently charged with WA Affairs, I will say that this resolution lacks a definition for the word "animal" (the preambulatory clause doesn't actually work for that, it needs to be an active clause outlining a definition). This can be problematic for many reasons, probably most importantly that humans are in fact an animal. So while this aims to reduce cruelty against animals, it clumsily and in sweeping measure actually creates a bunch of rules and regulations for the treatment of humans as well.

While most of the things included are somewhat reasonable (or at the very least already covered by other resolutions on human rights), it's still way way way more sweeping of a resolution than the writer wanted it to be. I'm going to vote against and suggest the same for the region.

[Cormac]

I've lodged a vote against. Make your voices heard!