Imperial Commonwealth of Nations

The **Imperial Commonwealth of Nations** (**ICN**), sometimes referred to simply as **the Commonwealth**, is an international body established and led by the Emperor of the United Empire of Solvada, initially as a means through which to administrate and oversee the various issues and disputes across his Imperial Realm, but it has since evolved into an organization whose primary interest is to establish and maintain peace across the world, as well as provide a common forum in which all states may arrange treaties and trade agreements, or simply settle disputes with one another without force of arms. The Solvadan Emperor is recognized in his capacity as head of the Commonwealth with the title of 'Chairman', and holds authority over mediation, adjudication, and occasionally international legislation. All nations on Earth have pledged themselves to the Commonwealth, including larger political entities such as China, Russia, India, and so on.

## History

The Commonwealth was originally founded in the year 2013, shortly after Ricarius completed the Unification of Earth which solidified Solvada's control over all humankind for generations to come. It is the political arm of Ricarius' global dominion, allowing him to ensure that his rule remains stable, and so that he may more easily and efficiently respond to the demands of his subjects across the globe. The final draft of the Commonwealth Charter was ratified about a month after the unification process began, with all nations of the world agreeing to the terms included in the document. Under Ricarius' administration as Chairman, numerous resolutions and additional treaties were signed by many different nations at a time, the treaties themselves ranging from issues such as environmental regulation to counter-terrorist operations.

## Political Structure

The Commonwealth political structure makes use of a primarily democratic system of deliberation, where the leaders of each member state are given the opportunity to propose and cast votes on Commonwealth legislation through the use of a Grand Assembly, and each member state represented in the Assembly will be given one vote for each proposal. However, the Emperor of Solvada, who holds the office of 'Chairman' and presides over most meetings and gatherings between members of the Commonwealth, possesses the unique ability to veto any proposal made, if they feel that any proposal is detrimental or counter to the Commonwealth's principles and interests. The Chairman's power of veto applies regardless of the type of proposal made, whether it be a declaration of war, suing for peace, or any other treaty or pact signed between the Commonwealth and a foreign power. When the Chairman chooses to not be directly involved in active sessions within the Grand Assembly, the member states may elect an individual to serve in the office of 'Secretary-President', a temporary substitute for the Chairman who carries all the same duties and privileges as the Chairman, except that they may not issue a veto on any resolutions passed by the Assembly.

Before being officially admitted into the Commonwealth, an aspiring member state must agree a specific condition of membership: In matters related to the Commonwealth and its interactions with foreign powers, the decisions of the Commonwealth's Grand Assembly will hold supreme authority, and the Chairman will be called upon to represent the many member states of the Commonwealth when negotiating with foreign powers over issues of diplomatic, commercial, and military relevance. Despite the restrictive terms in regards to Commonwealth-related foreign policy, the domestic policy of any and all member states remains primarily under the jurisdiction of their own respective governments, without any direct intervention by the Commonwealth itself or any other member states within it. The only exception to this is in cases where the fundamental rights of human beings are being ignored or actively suppressed within the member state, at which point the Chairman is expected to intervene on behalf of the oppressed populace.

## Defense Force

The **Commonwealth Defense Force** (CDF) is the military arm of the Imperial Commonwealth of Nations, which serves the purpose of acting as a peacekeeping paramilitary order, as well as a first line of defense against any attacks from foreign entities which pose a threat to humanity or the planet Earth. According to the laws of the Commonwealth Charter, no single nation is permitted to own or operate any armed military equipment beyond Earth's atmosphere, and so any space-faring military assets are maintained by the Commonwealth Defense Force and operated by volunteer soldiers who have sworn allegiance to the Chairman above their home nation. Among the CDF's most powerful military assets is the Damocles, a manned space station and orbital weapons platform previously operated by the United Empire of Solvada, but later transferred to the Commonwealth Defense Force following its founding. Solvada remains the primary supplier of funds and personnel for maintaining the Damocles' operation, as well as the other assets operated by the CDF, but other notable contributors include Japan, China, Germany, and other major powers.

The highest military rank in the Commonwealth Defense Force is the Defense Secretary, who holds direct authority over all branches and subdivisions of the CDF on behalf of the Chairman. The official command post for this rank is located on the Damocles station, allowing for them to effectively coordinate and supervise CDF operations world-wide from a place of relative safety.

## Membership

There are multiple statuses under which nations participating in the Commonwealth may be categorized, according to the specific kind of relationship which they have towards Solvada's Emperor and the ICN itself:

***MEMBER*** - Nations falling under this category make up the bulk of the Commonwealth, and enjoy both the benefits and responsibilities afforded to them according to the ICN Charter. Members are granted the opportunity to vote on any proposed resolutions which may be deliberated upon in the ICN Grand Assembly, the Commonwealth's main body of international debate and legislative oversight. As a result, they are also obligated to comply with any and all resolutions that are passed within the Grand Assembly. All members are generally expected to defer to the Office of the Chairman in matters of national foreign policy, except when interacting with other member states of the ICN. Conversely, the domestic policy for each nation remains under the sole jurisdiction of the member state itself. Another major stipulation is that no member may field a military force that is greater than 50% of the strength of Solvada's own armed forces.

***VASSAL*** - Nations falling under this category share many of the same benefits and responsibilities as normal members. However, vassals are unique in that their ruler has pledged his or herself as a subordinate vassal client under the overlordship of the Solvadan Emperor, in the interest of peace, unity, and the protection offered by the United Empire of Solvada. As well as having their military power restricted in much the same way as normal members, vassals will also be required to pay a tribute of at least 5% of their annual national income to the Solvadan Imperial Crown.

***PROTECTORATE*** - Nations falling under this category have taken the next step beyond simple vassalage, and along with accepting the responsibilities that both member and vassal states are bound to, they have also chosen to recognize the Solvadan Emperor as their official head of state, a symbolic representation of their country and ceremonial figurehead whose duty is to rally the citizens behind a common cause. Governmental affairs are directly handled by the nation's domestic legislative, judicial, and executive administrations, with the Emperor holding no formal control over law-making or other domestic affairs. The Emperor does, however, have a strong indirect authority over the nation itself, in that he may give speeches and rally the populace behind him, to encourage a specific agenda to take root within the government. All crown dependencies are also granted observer status within the Solvadan Imperial Senate.

***ASSOCIATE*** - Nations falling under this category enjoy the same freedoms as members, however they are not bound by any international laws deliberated upon by the ICN Grand Assembly. Because of this, they also lack the opportunity to vote within the Grand Assembly on any laws proposed. There are currently no nations which have this status.