Santo Niño Cooperation Union
Santo Niño Cooperation Union | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Motto: "For Glory, For Progress, For the Union" | |
| Headquarters | Santo Niño City, Arlandica |
| Official languages | 5 languages |
| Membership | |
| Government | Intergovernmental direct democracy |
| Jerold I | |
| Zakia Jacob Precioso | |
| Legislature | Central Committee |
| Establishment | |
• Established as UTOA | 13 July 2021 |
• Treaty of Santo Niño | 10 May 2024 |
| Area | |
• Total | 869.7 km2 (335.8 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 474 |
| Time zone | UTC+8 to +12 (PST, NZST) |
The Santo Niño Cooperation Union (SNCU; Filipino: Unyong Pangkooperasyon ng Santo Niño; Ilocano: Santo Niño Agtitinnulong a Punglo), also known as the Santo Niño Pact and the Greater Arlandica, is an intergovernmental security alliance and supranational political union composed of 4 self-proclaimed sovereign states, commonly known as micronations. Members are usually protectorates under Arlandica or, if not, neighboring micronations. All members may demonstrate a pro-Arlandican and pro-monarchy stance.
SNCU was originally established on July 13, 2021, as the United Territories of Overseas Arlandica (UTOA). On May 10, 2024, the Treaty of Santo Niño was signed in Santo Niño City, Arlandica, officially establishing the organization.
It is a regional organization, with its member states located in the northern and southern portions of the Philippines (particularly Mindanao and the northern and southern areas of Luzon), excluding the Metro Manila area, and some islands in Eastern Antarctica. These areas, with the exception of Antarctic claims, fall under the sphere of influence of member states, especially Arlandica.
History
July 2021–April 2024
It was originally established by Jerold I, the monarch of Arlandica, on July 13, 2021, under the name United Territories of Overseas Arlandica (UTOA). UTOA was composed of Arlandica and its colonies: Southern Australis and Coulman Island (which later became part of Courline), as well as initial land claims in Northern Canada (known as East Greenland) and parts of the Southern Philippines. On August 1, 2021, UTOA became temporarily defunct due to a lack of structure, such as a charter and purpose.
On January 25, 2024, the Treaty of San Sebastian was signed between Arlandica and Zakinesia, making Zakinesia a protectorate of Arlandica. Zakinesia was occupied by Arlandica from January 11-15, 2024. Offers of annexation were extended to Vurmond but were later rejected.
On February 10, 2024, the Parliament of Arlandica passed Act of Parliament No. 14, establishing guidelines and provisions for the governance, cooperation, and mutual relations between Arlandica and the designated micronations under its protectorate status.
On April 29, 2024, an "Agreement for the Cession" was signed between Arlandica, Vilasia, Zakinesia, and the newly-formed Kingdom of Courline. This agreement involved the withdrawal of all claims by Vilasia and Zakinesia to transfer them to Courline, which would be recognized as an independent sovereign state. The transfer of claims did not include Mac. Robertson Land. Courline became under a personal union with Arlandica later that day.
May 2024–present
Jerold I presented the Treaty of Santo Niño on April 15, 2024. Later, on May 10, 2024, the governments of Arlandica, Courline, and Zakinesia ratified the treaty, establishing the Santo Niño Cooperation Union (SNCU). These micronations became the founding members of the organization.
On June 3, 2024, Jerold I and Jacob, the Grand Duke of Zakinesia, became the inaugural Secretary-General and the Supreme Commander of the Joint Security Forces, respectively. At the same day, Vilasia joined the organization.
Treaty of Santo Niño
The Treaty of Santo Niño is the charter of the SNCU and is the highest document drafted by Jerold I, describing the structure and purpose of the organization. It consists of a preamble, 8 articles, and 55 sections, totaling 2,112 words.
Arlandica, Courline, and Zakinesia were the first micronations to ratify the charter, making them the founding members of the organization.
Structure
SNCU is a supranational union with a collective security alliance, considered an intergovernmental elective direct democracy. It has a less complex structure. The organization is headed by a Secretary-General, and the central committee serves as the sole supreme decision-making body, making them its primary institutions.
Secretary-General
The Secretary-General is the administrative head of the organization, elected for a 1-year term by the majority of the central committee. The term is renewable, and the Secretary-General may be re-elected. Any citizen of SNCU member countries is eligible for the position. The Secretary-General provides leadership, direction, and guidance to the member states. Their powers include:
- Opening and closing legislative sessions.
- Having the authority to approve or veto proposed resolutions.
- Issuing executive orders.
- Managing the union's external relations.
- Mediating conflicts and issues involving member states.
- Bestowing honors, grants, and awards.
As of June 2024, Jerold I, the monarch of Arlandica, is the current Secretary-General.
Central Committee
The Central Committee is the main governing body of the organization. Its sessions and meetings are taking place online, through Facebook Messenger. It comprises all incumbent heads of state and government or designated representatives of all member states, including observers with no voting powers. It consists of a single chamber, headed by the Secretary-General, who serves as the speaker of the body.
The members of the Central Committee, including the Secretary-General, create and propose legislative documents that address particular issues in the organization. These may take the form of executive orders issued by the Secretary-General or resolutions by the member states' representatives.
Joint Security Forces
The SNCU Joint Security Forces (SNCU-JSF) is a multinational security force consisting of units or divisions from the law enforcement and self-defense forces of the organization's member states. Its primary purpose is to protect and defend the territorial claims of the countries that are members of the organization. An attack from a non-member (external party or parties) against one or more of the SNCU member states is considered an attack against the entirety of the organization. This includes an invasion or occupation of a recognized territory of an SNCU member, as mandated by Article 5 of the charter.
During peacetime, the SNCU-JSF serves peacekeeping purposes. Each member state may contribute to the Joint Security Forces to conduct operations. Grand Duke Zakia Jacob is currently the Supreme Commander of the SNCU-JSF.
Purpose and Goals
The SNCU promotes the principles of monarchy, democracy, and stable governance for the common good of its micronations. It is exclusively for micronations that are not affiliated with any Philippine-based organizations, such as the Association of Micronations in the Philippine Islands (AMPI) and Accande Terrie Ornindo (ATO), making the organization a third-party entity. The SNCU aims to protect its members from potential harm by external parties and promote cooperation among micronations that share deep-rooted historical, cultural, political, diplomatic, and cooperative ties with the Kingdom of Arlandica.
The organization strives to become a key player in mediating conflicts and promoting peace and stability in micronational communities around the Southeast Asian region. SNCU provides educational assistance on nation-building to its member states. According to King Jerold I, the 1st and incumbent SNCU secretary-general, "each member state is willing to become micronational regional powers in the Philippines" and "SNCU is not encouraging territorial or sphere of influence expansion, but we promote peaceful enlargement that all micronations may agree on or let us just do our thing," he added.
The organization also collects financial contributions from member-states, whether voluntary or not, to use during emergencies and address other concerns.
Members
Requirements
The SNCU membership is exclusively open to micronations that have protectorate status under Arlandica in accordance with signed treaties or documents, or to micronations that exhibit close territorial proximity to the sovereign territory of Arlandica and demonstrate a pro-Arlandica and pro-monarchy stance.
Membership procedures
The following are the membership procedures:
- Applicant micronations shall send a letter of intent to the Secretary-General, stating their commitment and confirming that they meet the requirements.
- All existing SNCU member states must reach a consensus to invite a new country to join the union.
- The letter of intent is subject to approval or rejection by the Secretary-General.
- Once invited, the applicant micronation must ratify the Treaty of Santo Niño through its national legislative process.
- Once the treaty is ratified by the micronation, the Secretary-General shall proclaim the new member on its media platforms.
Dismissal
Member-states have the right to withdraw from SNCU and terminate their treaties with the organization at any time. A member-state wishing to withdraw from the union should notify the Secretary-General and the Central Committee in writing of its intention to do so, stating the reasons for withdrawal.
A member-state that has been declared dissolved may also be automatically removed from SNCU.
List
| Country | Code | Capital | Flag | Coat of arms | Form of government | Official languages | Leaders | Accession | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head of state | Head of government | ||||||||
| Kingdom of Arlandica | ARD | Santo Niño City | 
|
|
Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy | Cebuano, Filipino, Ilocano | Jerold I | 10 May 2024 | |
| Kingdom of Courline | CNE | Coulman Island | 
|
 |
Unitary absolute monarchy | English | 10 May 2024 | ||
| Empire of Vilasia | VSA | Vierdiña City | 
|
|
Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Cebuano, English, Filipino | Vince Jugado | 3 June 2024 | |
| Grand Duchy of Zakinesia | ZAK | San Sebastian City | 
|
 |
Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy | English, Filipino, Hiligaynon | Zakia Jacob Precioso | Den Cenjie Sombrano | 10 May 2024 |
Dialogue Partners
The Observer states, or Dialogue Partners in SNCU, are allowed to participate in the sessions of the Central Committee but have no voting powers, in accordance with Section 3 under Article 3 and Section 4 under Article 2 of the charter. Any micronations or multilateral organizations that have diplomatic relations with Arlandica or any members of the organization are eligible to become Dialogue Partners.
A Dialogue Partner must send a letter of intent to the Secretary-General expressing their interest in joining the Central Committee. This letter is subject to approval or veto by the Secretary-General.
As of May 2024, there are no micronations or organizations that hold observer status.