Enabling Legislation for the Department of
Conflict Resolution within the Federation of Earth

Short Title: Conflict Resolution Act

Whereas, Article 10 of the Earth Constitution, Section B, gives the staff of the World Attorney’s General Offices and World Police the following functions: “a. Investigation. b. Apprehension and arrest. c. Prosecution. d. Remedies and Correction. e. Conflict resolution.”

Whereas, World Legislative Act number 14 (World Security Act) reads:

“Section 4.7. From civil service lists, the Regional World Attorneys appoint a Commissioner to direct the Department of Conflict Resolution. The Department of Conflict Resolution performs these functions:

• Arbitrate for current conflicts & paired ratification;
• Maintain Liaison Offices with the World Commission on Terrorism;
• Educate with a global program of conflict prevention with Liaison Offices at campuses of the World University System.”

Whereas, Article 10, Section D, numbers 3 and 4 of the Earth Constitution, concerning the functions of the World Police, World Legislative Act number 31 (Ombudsmus Act) reads that the World Police are charged:

“To cope with situations of potential or actual riots, insurrection and resort to armed violence, particular strategies and methods shall be developed by the World Parliament and by the Office of World Attorneys General in consultation with the Commission of Regional World Attorneys, the collegium of World Judges, the Presidium, and the World Ombudsmus. Such strategies and methods shall require enabling legislation by the World Parliament where required in addition to the specific provisions of this World Constitution.

A basic condition for preventing outbreaks of violence which the Enforcement System shall facilitate in every way possible, shall be to assure a fair hearing under non-violent circumstances for any person or group having a grievance, and likewise to assure a fair opportunity for a just settlement of any grievance with due regard for the rights and welfare of all concerned.”

The overlap of functions between the Ombudsmus and the World Police is also recognized in the Earth Constitution Article 11, Section B-5: “The Council of World Ombudsmen shall establish twenty regional offices, in addition to the principal world office at the primary seat of the World Government. The twenty regional offices of the World Ombudsmus shall parallel the organization of the twenty Offices of Regional World Attorney.”

In the light of these overlaps, the World Ombusmus will (1) establish the means for close communication with the World Attorneys Generals offices and the World Police. The World Ombudsmus will work with the police in the process of conflict resolution among disputes worldwide. This coordination may be as an observer to the process or more active collaboration by arrangement with the World Police. It is important to recognize that the Ombudsmus is not the same as the Enforcement System of the Earth Federation. In spite of working together, the respective officials shall maintain proper division of powers. Part of Ombudsmus responsibility is to publicly observe the operations and procedures of the World Police to ensure human rights are protected and not violated.”

Whereas, these documents point to the transformed role of police where government is now in the service of humanity as a whole and no longer represents some territorial segment of humanity, or dominant group, or economic or other ruling class. The police will themselves operate with an absolute minimum of violence. The Earth Constitution and World Legislation direct Police activities to minimize institutionalized and all other forms of violence within the Earth Federation. The world police will represent the rights to freedom, justice, peace, and prosperity of all citizens of the Earth Federation as specified by the Constitution for the Federation of Earth. Earth Federation officials will use law in the service of these values and not as a tool of domination or oppression.

This Ninth Session of the provisional World Parliament, meeting in Tripoli, Libya, in February, 2006, hereby enacts this world legislation to enable the Department of Conflict Resolution of the Earth Federation.

• From civil service lists, the Regional World Attorneys appoint a Commissioner or a Commission to direct the Department of Conflict Resolution (DCR).
  • As a commission, the direction of the DCR may include up to five World Commissioners who operate as a committee.
  • The Commission shall plan and budget for interim central offices of the World DCR. The Commission may establish the interim office headquarters subject to relocation or approval by the World Parliament, upon declaration the first operative stage of world government.
  • From civil service lists, the Commissioner or Commissioners shall establish the offices and functions of the DCR as specified below.
• The World Department of Conflict Resolution shall establish twenty regional world offices in relation to the twenty regional offices of the World Attorney General and World Police. A regional DCR Commissioner shall head .each regional world DCR office
• The World Police under the supervision of the World Parliament shall determine the number and qualifications of staff adequate to the conflict resolution needs of respective regions for the twenty regional offices of the Department of Conflict Resolution Some regions may have much larger conflict resolution staffs than others depending on the necessities for conflict resolution of the people of each region.
• The World Ombudsmus shall have a staff member in each of the twenty regional offices of the Department of Conflict Resolution to act as a liaison and facilitate coordination with the offices of the World Ombudsmus.
• The Department of Conflict Resolution shall establish local offices on the campuses of the World University System. Professors knowledgeable in peace studies and conflict resolution from World University System campuses may staff the local campus offices.
  • The World Ombudsmus shall have a staff member in the offices of the CDR on World University campuses. This person may be a professor knowledgeable in peace studies and conflict resolution.
• The Department of Conflict Resolution shall maintain liaison offices with the World Commission on Terrorism (WCT)
  • The purposes of World Commission on Terrorism offices is to understand the patterns of violence in the world and the threat of future violence and to deal with these effectively through conflict resolution and peace building initiatives.
  • The liaison offices of the DCR with the World Commission on Terrorism must not involve police work of surveillance, apprehension, arrest, or prosecution of violators of world law.

• With regard to the work of the World Police in general, the World Attorneys General Office and World Police must not use the offices nor the staff of the Department of Conflict Resolution for other world police or attorney general functions such as the following:
  • investigation
  • apprehension
  • arrest
  • prosecution
  • sanctions; or
  • punitive correction. Violation of this provision is grounds for disciplinary action, up to dismissal and possible criminal charges. (interference with world government officials is unlawful: class 3 felony).
• Parties to disputes working with the DCR have the right to confidentiality. Staff of the DCR involved in conflict resolution have the power of confidentiality with parties to disputes. DCR staff are not required to inform with respect world police investigations or apprehensions.
• Without prejudice to the mandated reporter status for prevention of official world government corruption established by World Legislative Act #14, Article 10, the DCR must not engage in undercover world police work, spying or informing by staff, private hired consultants, or through other operations of the DCR. The DCR staff shall operate publicly. The DCR shall inform the public of the positions and roles that DCR staff actually have within the world government.
• Without prejudice to confidentiality regarding parties to disputes, the World Attorneys General Office may request and receive reports regarding the internal operation of the DCR, including specifically budgetary concerns and personnel concerns of the DCR.
• DCR personnel have no official powers of arrest. While on duty, DCR personnel must not carry instruments of defense requiring Enforcement System registration in conformance World Legislative Act #14, Article 11. Violation of this provision is grounds for disciplinary action, up to dismissal and possible criminal charges.

• The Department of Conflict Resolution shall, whenever possible, make use of existing resources.
  • Many universities or other centers of conflict resolution around the world have developed departments of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution and have accumulated a large body of literature and understanding of conflict, causes, and remedies. The World Department of Conflict Resolution offices and functions, shall draw on this literature and expertise in a variety of ways to enhance DCR effectiveness and knowledge.
  • Universities in regions of conflict have often extensively studied conflict in the respective region and have a knowledge and literature to draw upon. For example, this is true in both South Africa after the end of Apartheid, in Northern Ireland, with respect to the Kashmir dispute in Northern India, with respect to Hindu-Moslem relationships in India, with respect to the Tamil conflict in Sri Lanka, etc. The DCR shall draw on this extensive body of work already done for many conflict situations around the world.
  • The DCR may employ faculty, regional experts in conflict resolution, or leaders of non-governmental organizations active in conflict resolution to facilitate DCR work.
  • he DCR shall understand and assimilate as appropriate excellent strategies of peace-building that have been developed by conflict resolution activists and scholars.
    • In conjunction with the World Ombudsmus, the goal of peace building is to eliminate the deeper causes of violence and build enduring peace. The DCR shall know and study the variety of peace building strategies that have been developed.
    • Peace building approaches often specify three pillars of enduring peace: (1) meeting human needs (2) people-centered solutions encouraging mutual understanding, self-reliance, and local leadership, and (3) democracy-centered approaches activating public participation in policy development and conflict solutions. If possible, the DCR shall facilitate conflict resolution directed toward building enduring peace.
  • Often there are effective, knowledgeable existing programs in actual conflict resolution that the DCR must not interfere with but support and encourage. The purpose of the DCR is to minimize violence and conflict in the Earth Federation, not to be the sole arbitrator of disputes.

• The Department of Conflict Resolution shall rely and build upon, if possible, local knowledge and existing efforts.
  • Often local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or coalitions of NGOs, have taken the process of conflict resolution upon themselves. If possible, the local NGOs may take the lead in the process, supported by the DCR.
  • Sustainable, enduring solutions do not generally involve merely agreements among top level leaders but involve both mid-level leaders and ordinary citizens mobilized to create real conditions for enduring peace in their communities and regions. The DCR shall mobilize middle level leaders and ordinary citizens.
  • If possible, the DCR shall facilitate such processes, not supplant them. Peace building is as much a community function as it is a governmental function. Conflict resolution must include the community on all levels, from businesses to places of worship to community organizations, and government on all levels, from local to regional to national to world.
  • The DCR may provide local conflict resolution efforts with resources, expertise, or logistical support as these are needed.
  • If possible, the DCR shall cooperate and draw on the local expertise and knowledge of local, regional, and national governments, including peace building efforts of local, regional, and national police. DCR must not supplant the work of local authorities except insofar as human rights and the enforcement of world law under the Earth Constitution requires DCR substitution.
  • The DCR must not interfere with existing efforts or arrangements for conflict resolution except under these two conditions (9.6.1.) Significant communities or governments invite DCR to help or give support; or (9.6.2.) The local or pre-existing efforts or arrangements are failing and liable to lead to continued or renewed violence that is in violation of world law. The goal is to build enduring peace and a substantial end to violence for all regions of the world and within the world as a whole.

• The Department of Conflict Resolution shall submit an annual report to the World Police and the World Parliament detailing DCR conflict resolution activities, and the work of local and community conflict resolution activities, in each of the twenty world regions and the extent of continuing violence or danger of violence in each region.

  The World Attorney General and World Police division of the world government shall submit an annual DCR budget to the World Parliament as a separate part of the general Enforcement System budget request. The World Parliament retains the power to fund the DCR budget request separately from the general request of the Enforcement System budget, as well as to make additional DCR budgetary allocations not necessarily requested by the Enforcement System, based upon the reports of the World Ombudsmus and the agencies of the Integrative Complex.

• The World Office of the World Attorney General or the World Office of the World Police may remove for cause, under conditions of due process any officer or employee of the World Department of Conflict Resolution.

Conflict Resolution Department was adopted 12 April 2006, as World Legislative Act #32 by the ninth session of the provisional World Parliament, meeting in Tripoli in conformance with Article 19 of the Constitution for the Federation of Earth.

Attested : Eugenia Almand, JD, Secretary
Provisional World Parliament