Conference of American States

Conference of American States
*Conferencia de los Estados Americanos*
*Conférence des États Américains*
*Konferenz der Amerikanische Staaten*
*Конференция государств Америки*
*Conferência dos Estados Americanos*
Conference of American States; Conferencia de los Estados Americanos; Conférence des États Américains; Konferenz der Amerikanische Staaten; Конференция государств Америки ; Conferência dos Estados Americanos
	Flag
	Member states Observers
Headquarters	Seattle, Astoria
Working languages	English · Spanish · French · German · Russian · Portuguese
Membership	25 member states Alaska ; Antigua and Barbuda ; Astoria ; Bahamas ; Barbados ; Belize ; Brazil ; Brazoria ; Central America ; Dominica ; Greenland ; Grenada ; Guyana ; Jamaica ; Manitoba ; Paraguay ; Patagonia ; Saint Kitts and Nevis ; Saint Lucia ; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ; São Leopoldo ; Sierra ; Superior ; Suriname ; United Provinces ;
Leaders
• Secretary General	Johann Hauptsmann
• Assistant Secretary-General	Oscar Turray
• Legislature	American Council (upper); American Parliament (lower)
• Judiciary	American Court of Justice
• Financial body	American Customs Authority
Establishment
• Treaty of Seattle	7 January 1966
• Treaty of Portland	December 31, 1978
• Lincoln Agreement	April 24, 1996
	Website; www.cas.org

The Conference of American States (Spanish: Conferencia de los Estados Americanos, French: Conférence des États Américains, German: Konferenz der Amerikanische Staaten, Russian: Конференция государств Америки), or the CAS or CEA, is a supranational political-economic union of 25 member states that are located primarily in North and South America, including the Caribbean and Central America. Covering an area of around 11,678,900 square miles (18,795,368 square kilometers) that stretches from the northernmost piece of land on earth in Greenland to several Antarctic territories of its member states that reach the South Pole, and with an estimated population of over 600 million people, the Conference of American States has a combined GDP of $24 trillion, and if it were a sovereign state, would be the largest country and the largest economy in the world, surpassing China and the European Community. The CAS is often viewed as a sui generis legal entity (without precedent or comparison), having the characteristics of both a federation and confederation.

The CAS features an organized system of supranational institutions and standardized laws that apply to all member states. The organization's principal institutions include the American Parliament, the American Council, the American Secretariat, American Court of Justice, and the American Customs Authority. Within the Lincoln Area, border control between participating member states has been eliminated. The CAS features a common market (the American Single Market) with an overarching free trade agreement among all member states (the American Economic Area), which also combines with the American Free Trade Association, allowing two non-CAS countries to participate in the common market without being full members of the Conference. Members of the American Parliament are elected every four years by CAS citizens while members in the Conference's other institutions are appointed internally or by their member states.

Through common agreement and the Treaty of Seattle, the CAS is enabled the power to protect basic human rights and to enact legislation concerning internal affairs and justice, and common policies on trade, agriculture, and the environment. In recent decades however, the scope of legislation for the CAS has expanded to address virtually all areas and issues. There is no currency union although there is customs union (the American Customs Authority) with a fixed exchange-rate system. In modern times, there has been a push for more economic unity between member states. The American Customs Authority and the American Economic Area have created an internal American Single Market with its own unified legal and legislative framework that is designed to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capital; this is also assisted with common policies for certain sectors of the economy and regional development. As of 2023, proposals for the amero as a common currency have not been implemented and are still in preliminary discussions, though an American Currency Unit (ACU), a basket of CAS member state currencies, has been used as a accounting currency for calculating prices of certain international transactions since 2004 and is considered a potential basis for implementing the amero. The Sierran dollar is the most widely circulated CAS currency and is an international reserve currency.

Member states of the CAS also are expected to adhere to the Common Foreign and Security Policy, which is a collective response of the CAS to crises in international diplomacy that mainly relates to matters of national defense of the Western Hemisphere. The CAS sees the Northern Treaty Organization as being mainly responsible for defense, despite being a separate entity, as many of its original members are also members of NTO, but due to the increase of Central and South American countries in the CAS that do not fill the criteria to join the organization and divergences in security interests between European and American NTO states, it began following a Common Defense and Security Policy as well. The American Defense Agency exists to facilitate the CDSP, while the American External Action Service facilitates the CFSP, with both of them being responsible to the Ambassador for Foreign and Security Policy. The 1965 Seattle Treaty included a mutual self-defense clause similar to the Northern Treaty, though it has been common practice for the NTO to take the lead in peacekeeping and other military actions over the past several decades. The 2021–23 Caribbean diplomatic crisis contributed to an increase in support for the military function of the CAS' institutions and the early 2020s have seen greater CAS military cooperation outside of the NTO structures.

The CAS was created through the Treaty of Seattle in 1965, following the conclusion of Great War II, with the intention of creating an international union that would include all countries in the Americas and to prevent further fighting occurring on the continent. The organization was also created to curb the rising influence of the United Commonwealth and Landonism over the rest of the continent. The CAS was initially founded with only four states: Astoria, Manitoba, Sierra, and Superior. These nations were already close allies and also each others' top trade partners, with some of them participating in both Great Wars. Alaska joined in 1981, and between the late 1980s and late 1990s the membership expanded dramatically, with a majority of the North American continent, Central America, and the Caribbean becoming members after going through an application and evaluation process by the early 2000s. Since then, the organization has continued to expand into South America, with Guyana and Suriname being the first nations there to join, in 2003. Brazil is the latest nation to join the CAS, becoming a full member in 2016 after six years of candidate status. Mexico was briefly a member in the 1960s before withdrawing from the organization, and is the only country to have left the CAS as of 2023.

As a whole, the CAS has been treated as a supranational entity with some elements akin to that of a sovereign state. In the League of Nations and other organizations, the CAS represents itself alongside its own member states, although only as an non-voting observer state, having enhanced participation rights and the status as an observer. Featuring some of the wealthiest and most politically developed nations, including Sierra, Astoria, Manitoba, Brazoria, and Superior, the Conference of American States has been described and treated as a world superpower by its own right, due to its global and political influence.

History

The assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and other prominent American leaders led to the collapse of the United States and rise of a fractured Anglo-America.

In the early 19th century, the region today known as Anglo-America was composed of the United States, the British-Canadian dominions, Brazoria, and Sierra, the most powerful and largest of which was the United States. As the first true Anglo-American country, the United States was a major influence in the region. From the beginning of its history in the 1770s however, the nation faced regionalism, principally between the North and South. These differences worsened over the years, and by the 1860s, regionalism had fractured the political fabric of the United States that it led to the American Civil War in 1861 when Southern states began seceding from the Union. Although the Union prevailed and regained control over the South by 1865, the assassination of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln and other high-profile American leaders led to political turmoil, derailing into the re-secession of the South, along with New England, New York, and the American West in an event known as the War of Contingency. The states which remained under the American government reorganized as the United Commonwealth, and centralized its government, moving the capital from Washington, D.C. to Chicago in Illinois. The South would form the Confederate States of Dixie, the State of New York became the Hudson Republic, the New Englander states became the New England Republic (the two later merged into the Northeast Union, and the American Western states became Superior. The United Commonwealth attempted to restore the Union by invading the self-declared breakaway countries in the War of Contingency but ultimately failed with Brazoria and Sierra intervening on the side of the seceding states, and guaranteed their independence. During the decades leading up towards Great War I, tensions between the United Commonwealth and the rest of the continent would continue to rise. After the Continental Revolutionary War and the establishment of a Landonist government, the ideology of Continentalism, the belief that Anglo-America should be united under one central government, began to gain traction, not just in the United Commonwealth, but in different areas of the continent.

Decades of increasing tensions and a uneasy relationship between Sierra and the United Commonwealth, which were considered the superpowers of the New World, would boil over during Great War I, when the United Commonwealth and its allies launched an invasion into western North America, hoping to eliminate their Sierran rivals and to finally establish a continent-wide government. After it's successful invansions into Brazoria and Superior, the United Commonwealth attempted to invade the Sierran homeland by passing through the Rocky Mountains. However, the United Commonwealth's attempts to breach the the Rockies would result in failure and revolts in occupied territories would force the U.C to withdrawal its forces. Great War I would end in 1946 with the Treaty of Verdun, with no all sides gaining or losing much territory. However, what would emerge from the conclusion of the first Great War would be a intense hatred and rivalry between the Sierran and Continentalist blocs.

The period between Great War I and Great War II would known as the Interwar Period, and would be marked by increased paranoia and hatred in North America, especially between Sierra and the United Commonwealth... (Events pertaining to Great War II and the Cold War will be added as those pages are completed)

After the start of the Cold War, talks to form a union of American states began between the major anti-Landonist countries. These series of conferences and meetings would all lead up to the Seattle Conference and later the signing of the Treaty of Seattle, forming the early Conference of American States. Originally an economic and diplomatic alliance, the Conference of American States would later develop into a political union in 1967 after the signing of the Treaty of Salt Lake City, electing it's first democratically-elected General Secretary, (TBD) of Sierra.

Future

Opening its membership up to South America, the CAS has intended to continue the process of political and economic integration of its member states. With the entry of Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay in 2006, becoming the largest single entrance of countries into the CAS since Sierra in 1966.

There have been plans among the member states of the CAS to expand the Lincoln Area, mainly among the Caribbean states. In addition, the CAS has been working towards standardized drug and energy policies. The CAS is also exploring the possibility of including mutual defense policy, increased military cooperation, and continuing its mission towards promoting "peace, democracy, and liberty" across the Americas and the world. One of the Conference's stated goals is to promote democracy in Mexico, an aim that faces great obstruction due to the Mexican government's resistance against reform and defense of Veracruzism, an ideology that is deemed "fundamentally and morally incompatible" with the CAS. In 2014, the Mexican government-in-exile in Sierra was officially recognized by the CAS as the official representative of Mexico within the organization, and has been granted special observer status.

Geography

The CAS encompasses much of the Western Hemisphere, except for the United Commonwealth, Tournesol, Quebec, the Maritimes, Placentia, Mexico, the Antilles, and the overseas territories of European countries (such as Bermuda). With approximately 11,678,900 square miles (18,795,368 km²) of CAS territory, there are a total of 25 member states in the Conference, of which 16 are also part of the Lincoln Area.

The CAS covers a geographically diverse and vast landscape, occupying much of the North American continent, the Central American peninsula, the Panamanian isthmus, the Caribbean, and several islands in the Pacific including the Hawaiian Islands and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. Meteorologically, climate is equally diverse in CAS, ranging from Arctic (Alaska, Greenland, northern Manitoba) to tropical (Hawaii and various Caribbean members), with much more consistent, and smooth transition of climates along the Atlantic Seaboard, and haphazardly varied climates in the western continental region of the CAS. Sierra and Adamantina also have territories in Antarctica.

Member states

The Conference of American States was originally composed of only four member states: Sierra, Astoria, Manitoba, and Superior in 1966, which are known as the "inner four." Since then, membership count has expanded to a total of 25 states. In order to join the Conference, countries must become signatories of the Conference's founding treaties, namely the Treaty of Seattle, and have been approved for ascension by the American Council and Parliament through an application and evaluation process. Members are free to withdraw from the Conference although as of date, there has never been an instance of a member state leaving the CAS. As a member, countries agree to confer some of its sovereignty to the Conference in exchange for representation and participation.

Before a country can even apply for membership, it must satisfy all of the Toscouné criteria, Articles 3 and 49 of the Seattle Treaty, and the terms of a country's individual Accession Treaty. These usually include the following general points:

the country must be predominantly located in either North or South America and share a border, land or maritime, with at least one existing member state;
the country must be a fully sovereign state recognized by the League of Nations;
the country must have a democratic form of government which allows all of its citizens to participate equally in the national civic discourse and hold free elections at every level of government;
the country has a functioning market economy which is capable of competing against and withstanding the international market;
the country must have adopted and complied, or is in the process of adopting and complying with the most up-to-date accumulated law of the CAS.

In addition to member states, there are candidate, potential candidate, and regional partner states. Candidate states are countries which are in the process of fulfilling the criteria and negotiating with the Conference on the terms of ascension, and the process itself usually takes between 4–10 years to implement. Potential candidate states are those whose aspirations to join the bloc have been officially recognized by the CAS, but who are not yet ready to submit an application. Partner states are countries which are ineligible for candidacy (namely as they do not satisfy Rule 1 which requires the country be primarily located in the Americas) but nonetheless, are influential, trusted allies outside the Americas with the Conference who seek to engage and work alongside the Conference as a whole directly.

Membership list
Country	Capital	Date of Ascension	Area (km²)	Population	Pop. year
Alaska	Juneau	June 4, 1990	1,717,856	738,448	(2018)
Antigua and Barbuda	St. John's	July 24, 1997	443	91,244	(2020)
Astoria	Astor City	January 7, 1966	TBD	19,184,019	(2020)
Bahamas	Nassau	July 24, 1997	13,878	400,516	(2022)
Barbados	Bridgetown	July 24, 1997	439	287,025	(2021)
Belize	Belmopan	March 4, 1993	22,966	412,387	(2022)
Brazil	Rio de Janiero	September 1, 2016	8,337,218	210,147,125	(2020)
Brazoria	Grand Llano	August 1, 2000	1,201,404	49,528,570	(2020)
Central America	Sonsonate	August 9, 2002	423,493	42,610,347	(2020)
Dominica	Roseau	July 24, 1997	750	72,412	(2020)
Greenland	Godthåb	November 1, 1994	2,166,086	107,840	(2019)
Grenada	St. George's	July 24, 1997	348.5	124,610	(2021)
Guyana	Georgetown	December 1, 2008	214,970	743,700	(2019)
Jamaica	Kingston	June 12, 1995	10,991	2,726,667	(2018)
Manitoba	Toscouné	December 12, 1970	TBD	13,669,923	(2020)
Paraguay	Villa Hayes	January 1, 2006	246,925	213,000	(2020)
Patagonia	Magallanes	January 1, 2006	373,700.4	2,095,440	(2016)
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Basseterre	July 24, 1997	261	47,600	(2021)
Saint Lucia	Castries	July 24, 1997	617	184,961	(2022)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Kingstown	July 24, 1997	389	140,332	(2021)
São Leopoldo	São Pedro	May 30, 1999	576,410	44,674,515	(2019)
Sierra	Porciúncula	January 7, 1966	1,225,601	87,287,291	(2016)
Superior	St. Anthony	January 7, 1966	2,089,384	33,134,706	(2016)
Suriname	Paramaribo	December 15, 2003	163,821	632,638	(2021)

– Part of the Lincoln Area

Government and politics

Similar to the European Union, the Conference of American States operates as a conferral and supplementary institution governed by the Treaty of Seattle and other regulatory documents. Laws made by the Conference of American States can be either binding or non-binding, the former generally being mandatory statutes that must be enforced in all member states with or without CAS financial assistance, and the latter recommended implementation plans that always entails guaranteed funding. It is composed of five primary organs: the American Parliament (located in Seattle), the American Council (located in Seattle), the American Secretariat (located in Seattle), the American Court of Justice (located in Salt Lake City), and the American Customs Authority (located in New Hamburg).

Principal Institutions of the Conference of American States

American Parliament - Legislature -	American Council - Legislature -	American Secretariat - Executive administration -
establishes CAS law and common policies forms and controls budget negotiates with the Council on legislative policymaking has legislative oversight over other CAS bodies based in Seattle	concludes international agreements reviews and approves legislative actions of Parliament coordinates with national governments and legislatures in implementing common policy negotiates with the Parliament on legislative policymaking oversees CAS defense policy and international security based in Seattle	is the executive implements policy establishes CAS agenda sends legislative proposals to Parliament administers the CAS organization and staff commands and leads the collective American defense system engages in diplomatic dialogue with member states and non-CAS states based in Seattle

	American Court of Justice - Judiciary -		American Customs Authority - Financial auditor -
	ensures the uniform application and interpretation of American law has the power to decide legal disputes between member states, the institutions, businesses, and individuals defends human rights and reviews human rights cases based in Porciúncula		coordinates and promotes uniformity in monetary policy reviews and ensures proper implementation of budget oversees economic regulations assesses economic data and recommends action to other bodies and governments based in New Hamburg

American Parliament

The American Parliament, alongside the American Council, form the official deliberative, legislative body in the CAS. The Parliament consists of 800 Members of the American Parliament (MAPs) who are directly elected by CAS citizens every four years on the basis of the D'Hondt method form of party-list proportional representation. MAPs are seated and grouped based on political coalitions rather than by nationality, and the number of seats each member state has is based on a fixed proportion grounded on population.

The American Parliament is charged with formulating and passing legislation on virtually every area of issues and policies, and include binding and non-binding legislation, the former being mandatory statutes that must be implemented by member states, and the latter recommended policy plans. The Parliament is in charge of creating the Conference's budget and together with the Council, appropriates funds to CAS bodies and member states to ensure policy can be implemented properly and efficiently. The Parliament is the origin of all CAS law and possesses the right of legislative initiation, but all proposed legislation must be reviewed and approved by the Council. Typically, Parliament and the Council work together in formulating law but ultimately, the Council decides whether or not if a legislation shall pass. Parliament is also responsible for creating and controlling the budget for the Conference. As with normal legislation, any appropriation of funds must be reviewed by the Council.

The Parliament is headed by the President of the American Parliament, who is currently Sofia Muñoz from Honduras. The President serves as the speaker and chairperson in the Parliament, and its official spokesperson to the public. The President's signature is one of the names required for legislation to pass. The President and other senior officials in Parliament are elected by MAPs every 2 years and may serve indefinitely renewable terms. There are also group leaders for every one of Parliament's nine official political groups: the Alliance of American Unity (AAU), American Coalition for Liberty (ACL), American Conservative Coalition (ACC), Americans for Democracy and Liberty (ADL), Liberal Democrats of America (LDA), Pan-American Reform Union (PARU), Red-Green Alliance (RGA), Social Democrats of America (SDA), and the United Alliance of the Left (UAL). There is no party leader for the Non-Inscrits which comprises of all parties which are not a part of any of the other nine groups.

American Council

The American Council is a 28-member institution that serves as the other half of the CAS legislature. Each member, known as a minister, is a representative appointed by their respective member state. The Council is led by the Presidency which rotates among the ministers every six-months. The current President of the Council is Jérôme François Brissot from Canada. The Council is primarily concerned with reviewing and modifying legislation submitted by Parliament, and sending back revisions and amendments to Parliament if the legislation requires additional deliberations. Once a compromise has been reached with the legislation deemed satisfactory by the Council, the legislation is passed and signed by the President of the Council, President of the Parliament, and the Secretary-General, thus officiating the legislation into law. If compromise cannot be reached, a conciliatory committee is formed to reconcile differences and disputes between the two bodies. If a compromise cannot be reached within 30 working days, the bill is automatically dismissed and must be re-proposed on the Parliament floor, restarting the drafting process. A bill can be dismissed instantly by the Council if more than 60% of the Council rejects its initial proposal.

On matters regarding foreign policy, defense policy, and transnational security, the Council is responsible for proposing legislation within its floor without the input of Parliament. Although a conciliatory committee may be formed, this is not required, and any legislation regarding these fields may be passed as long as a supermajority is reached and is signed by the President of the Council and the Secretary-General.

American Secretariat

The American Secretariat is responsible for running and administrating the daily affairs of the CAS organization. The American Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General who acts as the CAS leader and official spokesperson. The current Secretary-General is Johann Hauptsmann from Superior. In addition to the Secretary-General, he is aided by the Deputy Secretary-General and Adjunct Secretaries who head one of the Secretariat's 12 departments ranging from foreign policy to healthcare. The Secretariat can propose legislation before Parliament and is involved in the legislation process as a moderator, by steering legislation to fit according to the Secretariat agenda. All pieces of legislation require a signature from the Secretary-General in order to pass.

The Secretariat is responsible for ensuring that all member states comply with CAS law and implement the law correctly and efficiently. If the Secretariat deems a nation as non-compliant, it may flag the nation and submit a Writ of Suspension to the defiant government, ordering compliance within a set time period. If the nation fails to meet the requirements by then, the nation's membership can be automatically suspended and all CAS funding to the country can be halted, and representatives placed on administrative leave until the suspended nation can prove it has complied with the Secretariat's orders. It is imperative and within the interest of the Secretariat to maintain continuous dialogue with the governments of all member states, and is seen as the persuasive arm of the Conference to encourage member states to back CAS policy and legislation, and foster cooperation.

In times of emergency or war, the Secretariat acts as the focal point of collective defense and works with coordinating the commanders-in-chief and their militaries of all member states in defending the region from any threats internal or external. Although the Secretariat does not have any direct power or control over any individual military, nor does it control any independent defense organization, it does have limited authority over joint international military bases set aside for the Conference itself.

American Court of Justice

The American Court of Justice is the chief judicial authority in the Conference and is responsible for interpreting American law, and oversees the law being uniformly applied across the member states. Contrary to popular thought, the cases settled by national supreme courts within a member state's own jurisdiction cannot usually be appealed to the American Court of Justice as the Court has no jurisdiction or competence in interpreting the laws of individual member states. However, it does have jurisdiction over the following cases: a member state against another member state; a member state against a non-member state; individuals, companies, or governments whose cases involve American law; internal actions pertaining to the Conference; and any cases involving treaties or international agreements.

American Customs Authority

The American Customs Authority is the most recently established institution of the CAS, created in 2006, superseding the former American Commission on Trade and Finance. Currently, the American Customs Authority is responsible for auditing and reviewing the CAS' finances and budget, oversees economic regulations, and working with national banks. In the future, once a common currency is adopted (most likely the proposed Amero), the Customs Authority has, by a 2011 CAS statute, the right to upgrade into a central bank with control over monetary policy as it was intended to do. It is based in Porciúncula.

Legal system

The Conference of American States is an internationally recognized supranational politico-economic entity which is based on the culmination of several treaties signed over the years including the Treaty of Seattle by its member states. The treaties were mutual, multilateral agreements that granted the Conference various political rights and authority to carry out the stated goals and aims of the Conference's member states. Some of these legal powers include the right to enact legislation which can apply to all citizens and governments within the CAS. Internationally, the CAS has a legal personality, and is allowed to sign agreements and international treaties as a singular signatory. A condition of membership in the CAS requires that the member state adopt and ratify all treaties that the CAS is built upon, and signs itself, even if such documents violate national law under the principal of CAS legal supremacy. The American Court of Justice is responsible for interpreting and reviewing all actions that pertain to the American legal and treatise system.

Under the 1980 Treaty of San Francisco, citizens of the CAS are guaranteed "essential" human rights, among them including the freedom of religion, speech, employment opportunity, basic housing, and education. The CAS promotes itself as a supporter of human rights, dignity, peace, freedom, democracy, rule of law, protection of minority and indigenous rights, national sovereignty, and transnational security.

Foreign relations

The American Secretariat and Council are charged with coordinating, formulating, and enforcing Common Foreign and Security Policy among member states. The development of a common foreign affairs policy started with the foundation of the CAS. By the late 1960s, as nations including Sierra joined, in wake of rising tension between the West and the Eastern Bloc, the American Parliament and Council established the Common American Cooperation Initiative (CACI) which aimed towards establishing a non-binding consultive group tasked with evaluating, recommending, negotiating, and supporting relations with non-member states. The purposes and goals of the CACI were later incorporated into the 1983 Wagner Treaty, or Defense Integration Treaty, which led to the creation of the American External Action Service to coordinate the CFSP among member states and be the foreign service of the CAS as an institution.

Mutual defense and military policy is closely tied with the CFSP, in the form of the Common Defense and Security Policy (CDSP), also sometimes called the "American States Defense Union" (ASDU). It serves a mutual collective self-defense purpose, similar to the Northern Treaty Organization, but only among CAS member states. The American Defense Agency was founded by the Wagner Treaty to implement the CDSP.

Military

The military history of the CAS predates the existence of the organization, and began under the CAS' immediate predecessor, the North American Defense Organization (NADO). Founded in 1938 by the continental Anglo-American nations, the military alliance was created in response to rising tensions with the United Commonwealth, and the desire to create a common defense against potential Landonist revolutions or Continental invasions. On the North American Front of Great War I, which lasted from 1932 to 1938, the countries of Sierra, Astoria, Brazoria, Manitoba, and Superior worked closely and integrated their militaries to a great degree during their operations against the Continental Army. This was continued in the 1950s and was used during Great War II as well (minus Brazoria). This foundation was integrated into the CAS, with the assistance of the American Integration Society (AIS). Together with the Northern Treaty Organization (NTO) created in 1960, the CAS led the Western Bloc in the Cold War, against the United Commonwealth, the People's Republic of China, and the Landonist International. The two organizations have been considered "separate, but not separate," and for much of the Cold War all members of the CAS were also members of NTO. As the Conference began expanding dramatically in the 1990s, Belize became the first member of the CAS in 1994 that was not already a close associate of NTO. The American Defense Agency and the Common Defense and Security Policy were seen as secondary up to that point, and have gradually taken a greater role in the past few decades as the CAS has expanded to include many countries that are not eligible for NTO membership.

The policy of the CAS' military security, crisis management and peace keeping is collectively known as the Common Defense and Security Policy, which encompasses both the civilian and military leaders that handle the defense of the CAS. The CDSP is the collective response for overseeing crisis management operations, peacekeeping missions, and the CAS' collective military forces known as the Combined Armed Forces of America. The chief coordinator of the CDSP is the Ambassador of the Conference for Common Foreign and Defense Policy, who serves as the lead official for diplomatic missions, crisis management operations, diplomacy and peacekeeping missions and is the highest-ranking civilian leader within the CAFA, though he is represented on a day-to-day basis by the Director of the American Defense Agency. The Director General oversees the primary military leaders (the American Military Staff), who are the General Commander and Deputy General Commander. Both positions are held by generals, usually those from CAS member states, and are appointed by the Ambassador and approved by both national legislatures and the American Parliament Committee on Defense and Security.

Military units of the CAFA are divided into battlegroups which range from the size of four regiments to two or three divisions and are all placed under a regional command. All members of the CAS contribute and provide funding, logistical support, resources, troops, and facilities to support the military operations and defensive functions of the CAS. Battlegroups are multinational military formations that are part of a single unified command and is headed by generals from a "lead nation", a position historically held by Sierra, Brazoria, and Superior.

Foreign aid

Economy

The Conference of American States has evolved to become a full-fledged single market, guaranteeing free trade and free movement of goods, enterprise, capital, and people. The Conference is represented in the World Trade Organization and the World Bank, and has a combined GDP of $27.5 trillion, making it the largest political entity in the world by GDP. Although the Conference officially established a single market in 2002, plans to introduce a common currency has been delayed, and a unified, legally binding monetary policy has met resistance by several members, most notably from Astoria and Sierra. The proposed currency union would use the Amero. In 2016, the American Parliament unveiled design plans for the Amero, and established a pathway for it to be preliminarily implemented by 2022.

Customs union

Demographics

Culture

As a supranational union of American states, the CAS has promoted the shared cultural heritage and experiences of its member states, and has been deeply invested in all aspects of preserving and protecting historic sites, art, literature, music, and other non-tangible cultural objects. CAS policies have helped support the development and growth of individuals, corporations, and organizations committed towards the fields of cinema, television, music, literature, journalism, dance, and more. The organization also hosts a number of annual celebrations and competitions to raise awareness of cultural diversity, including the Solaris Song Contest and the American Culture of the Month program, aimed at educating citizens, and supporting students, artists, entrepreneurs, and others.

Unionism

The Betsy Ross flag, which represents the original Thirteen Colonies, is the predominant symbol of American unionism, and also serves as the symbol of Anglo-America.

Symbols

Flag

Criticism

Ameroskepticism

Ameroskepticism (spelled as Ameroscepticism in the former British dominions) is the criticism or opposition to the Conference of American States, and consists of two variants: "soft" (which advocates reforming the Conference) and "hard" (which advocates for the abolishment of the Conference or the withdrawal of one's state from the organization). Ameroskepticism is contrasted with American unionism which may include soft Ameroskeptics as generally, American unionists believe the Conference is essential towards American unity and integration, and is beneficial to the peoples of the Americas. Ameroskepticism is most prevalent among Sierrans and Confederates who have historically been resistant towards integrating or reluctant to participate with the rest of their Anglo-American neighbors.

Ameroskepticism is both a historic and a recent political phenomenon, with its resurgence occurring after the September 11 attacks when several major international cities including New York City, Porciúncula, Houston, and Louisville were attacked by Islamic terrorists. In Sierra, differences on foreign policy, trade, and national sovereignty reignited the discussion and controversy on the nature of the CAS as an organization, and gained traction across both sides of Sierra's political spectrum. These concerns were similarly apparent in the Confederate States, and in minor circles in the other states including the United Commonwealth and the Confederate States. Ameroskepticism is also pronounced in Superior and Quebec, two nations which have resisted Anglicization, and retained their respective, distinct cultural and linguistic differences (German/Scandinavian and French respectively). Ameroskepticism has also been on the rise in Astoria after in recent years Astoria has been under pressure within the CAS to reduce its high budget deficits, which in turn has led to unpopular austerity policies blamed on the CAS alongside opposition to immigration.

In Sierra

Historically, the Sierran government officially maintained a policy of neutrality and a semi-isolationist foreign policy, having only engaged in one foreign war, the War of Contingency before the arrival of the 20th century. Although Sierra's principal ally was Astoria, Sierran interaction with the rest of Anglo-America was minimal with the exception of trade and transnational commerce. When World War I broke out, Sierra was hesitant to join the collective forces of Anglo-America, and vehemently opposed coalescing its military with others under a defense group.

In Brazoria

Brazoria has one of the highest percentage of Ameroskepticism, with a majority of right-leaning citizens having negative opinions about the organization. This is mainly due to the CAS's responses to United Commonwealth aggressions and the push for a more federal organization. The largest Ameroskeptic party is the National Conservative Party, which is also the second largest conservative party in the country.

In Superior

In Astoria

Ameroskepticism is rare in Astoria, due to the country's close and personal relationship and history with the Conference of American States. Despite this, the National Party of Astoria, though not officially endorsing the ideology, does have elements of Ameroskepticism when revolving around trade and greater federalization.

Conference of American States

Contents