Aquillan Seas Trade Union

Manibus apertis et apertis animis
Translated: With open hands and open minds.

— motto of the Aquillan Seas Trade Union

The Aquillan Seas Trade Union, often referred to as the Union or simply ASTU, is an economical and political alliance of democratic nations located around the Aquillan(Northern) Seas. Connecting every continent with sea lanes, the Union boasts the largest agglomeration of ships in the world with nearly twice as much naval presence as the Trans-Continental Socialist Confederation.
Thanks to the naval power projection capabilities of its members, the Union has become the defacto guardian of international peace for decades, although tensions with the TSCS remain even to this day. In addition, the Union allows its members to trade more effectively by using common laws and free trade agreements between members. This has led the organisation to be called the Bastion of Trade by the TSCS.

History

International violence

The Aquillan Seas Trade Union was founded to ease tensions between nations who had previously been opposed during a lengthy and costly war. The unification of these nations and shared single currency across their borders would, in time, reduce hostilities between the populations of each nation and act as a decent deterrent to prevent such a bloody war from occuring again.

Safer seas

Before reliable satellite imaging was available, the ASTU invested in private pathfinding companies as well as cartographers to ensure that they always had the most up-to-date, most accurate and safest possible sea-routes to keep their nations connected. Such expansive sea trade was made possible by the naval powerhouses within the ASTU who would initially lead the way in discovering and plotting routes as well as patrolling high-risk areas to ensure trade was as safe as possible.

Single currency

Many of the member nations of the ASTU have adopted a shared currency - Quills. This allows them to trade goods and services more efficiently due to no longer having to convert currencies as well as preventing the transition of labour/services into neighbouring nations by those looking for a stronger currency.
The single currency also helps to increase market competition and efficiency making for a better economy as well as producing better quality goods or services for both public and private markets.

Membership bands

There are three main factors that decide the membership status of a nation within the ASTU. A county can decide to only adopt one, adopt two, or even adopt all three depending on how they wish to interact with the ASTU. Those three main factors are:

Government

The economic and political union of members. This is where officials are elected to govern from each member, laws are agreed upon and embedded across nations and more.

Monetary

Members who have decided to adopt the Quill as their legal tender, bolstering the currency and making trade easier.

Mobility

Members open their borders to citizens of other ASTU nations without the need for identification at a mutual border.

Organisational structure

In order to lead and maintain a fair and democratic system, the ASTU is divided into three branches, each with their own roles and responsibilities and without power to dissolve each other. These three branches are defined as:

Separation of power

Legislative branch

The Legislative branch of the ASTU defines new laws and passes them on to the Executive branch to be signed and made official for all members.
It is made up of two members from every nation within the ASTU - one from each major political party to ensure fairness of representation.

Executive branch

The Executive branch signs the laws proposed by the Legislative branch into power or rejects them to be amended or scrapped.

Judicial branch

The Judicial branch of the ASTU upholds the law as defined by the Executive branch and decides whether laws are constitutional.

ASTU icon by Me (Fall)

Style of Goverment

Democratic

Driving Ideology

Capitalism

Succeeded by

Alliance of Democratic Nations

Currency

Quills and Knots