World Assembly HQ – The nations of the International Democratic Union region have chosen Sanctaria’s Ambassador to the World Assembly, Dr. Katherine Saunders, to lead their regional delegation to that body for the next six months. Saunders, who takes up the position immediately, was the only nominee and was elected unopposed.
All regions have regional delegations to the World Assembly in addition to their member states’ own national missions to the body. As leader of the IDU regional declaration, Dr. Saunders’ voting weight will include the number of nations in the region who have signified to the World Assembly that they would like their regional delegation leader to also reflect their vote. In practice this means that instead of Dr. Saunders only having one vote, she will have approximately twenty votes when casting decisions in the body’s two chambers. Member nations within the region still retain their one vote.
Dr. Saunders takes over from the Xiomerian World Assembly delegation who held the regional delegation leadership for the past twelve months. Terms of office are six months, with ambassadors only permitted to hold the position twice consecutively.
Aiming to become leader of the IDU regional delegation was a foreign policy goal for Sanctaria’s incumbent government, the Democratic Left Party lead by Chancellor Charlene Hendry. Sanctarian Ambassadors have held the position of leader of the IDU regional delegation – or regional delegate – before, most notably in 2012 and in 2014.
KIM TOWERS, World Assembly Correspondent
