Ave, Sandum Citizens!
The Grand Unified Micronational has been drafting and has recently adopted a new GUM Charter, taking the place of the GUM Constitution which has been in force since 2009 under the authorship of Robert Lethler. The adopted text of the charter is perfectly acceptable to the State of Sandus, as the Office of the Sôgmô has approved the several drafts and clauses submitted to the Quorum and GUM members.
In the past few months, Sandus has not been active in the GUM organisation as it has been in the past, due to the Sôgmô’s course and work loads as a university student, his work in Sandum government, and because of the tenure of Quentin of Wyvern’s chairmanship – during which the Sôgmô decided not to entertain the possibility of aggression between the two notorious diplomatic rivals. Over the past few months, the State of Sandus has relied on bilateral and multilateral diplomacy between states and many of Sandus’s allies — exemplified by the CCPS Party Conference of Novembro MMXIII (November 2014).
This new Charter is required to be ratified by all current member-states of the GUM, otherwise membership will not be renewed after the ratification deadline. It is Sandus’s intention not to sign or ratify the new GUM Charter. Our decision not to sign or ratify the Charter is not because of discontent with the document itself, but with the nature of the organisation as a whole.
Over the past few seasons, we have observed a growing issue concerning the professionalism and diplomatic behaviour of the member-states of the GUM. Over the past few months, a lack of seriousness – which is a dire concern for Sandus was we consider our diplomatic involvement with foreign states – has made us reconsider the extent of which we are willing to become involved in the organisation. An example of this lack of seriousness is the common communication between representatives of other micronations. While the Sandum government is welcoming of engaging in informal discussions on a multilateral level, a decent amount of decorum and respect are required. It is in our professional opinion that the general nature of the organisation does not meet our rigorous requirements for professionalism and respect. Over the course of the past few months, as an example, the Sandum delegate to the GUM has left the GUM Lounge in response to other member-states’ delegates and their comments which deride Sandus’s sovereign policies and the respect afforded to all member-states in the GUM Constitution and Charter. The Sandum delegate has made his complaints well known, on multiple occasions, for months; the present Chair of the GUM has insofar refused to answer them, other than to publicly caution other delegates on a few rare occasions. In conclusion, the present diplomatic nature of the GUM is one which we believe is neither productive nor constructive to the development of Sandus or the other member-states of the GUM.
We have confirmed this decision with several of Sandus’s closest allies, some of who have agreed with our reasoning and have encouraged this move.
This decision is not a reflection of Sandus’s bilateral diplomacy or communication with any member-state of the Grand Unified Micronational. We continue to wish to construct productive bilateral and multilateral relations with other states, yet we believe the diplomatic nature of the GUM is unequipped in doing so.
— Sôgmô Sörgel
sandus.org 