Superhuman Test Ban Treaty
Following the Kaliningrad Incident and the hundreds of thousands of deaths that resulted from it, the nations of the world concluded that it was time to do away with military-sanctioned superhumans and superhuman testing, lest they bring about the end of the world before the nukes could. In response, the United Nations introduced the Superhuman Test Ban Treaty. Under it, the genetic modification of human beings for militaristic purposes, baseline or superhuman, is illegal. Furthermore, it is illegal for nations to employ superhumans in their armed forces.
Purpose
The purpose of the Superhuman Test Ban Treaty was to prevent the future creation or employment of "super soldiers" in the wake of the Kaliningrad Incident.
Document Structure
Clauses
The Preamble begins with the declaration that the undersigned state parties are all in agreement to the following regulations. Article I outlines the exact prohibitions that the state parties are forbidden to commit. Article II gives the necessary details for the definitions each state party must submit to the Secretary-General after the ratification. Article III explains how each ratifying state party should go about getting rid of any and all military-related superhuman experimentation projects and military-serving superhumans. Article IV details how the state parties should go about assisting any baseline or superhuman victims who were affected by super soldier projects. Article V lists the penalties that will be imposed on any state party found in violation of the treaty.
Caveats
Any nation found conducting genetic experimentation in violation of the treaty must submit the offenders to the United Nations International Court of Justice for judgement. Any superhuman found serving in a nation's armed forces is to be immediately discharged.
Publication Status
The entire treaty is completely accessible to the public and is available in numerous print and electronic sources.
Historical Details
Background
With increased superhuman and superhero activity following the end of World War II, both the United States and the Soviet Union sought to increase their military strength not just through nuclear weapons, but through superpowered soldiers as well. As the Cold War went on, each country, along with their allies, poured resources into the research of superhuman genetics and the development and augmentation of superpowers in their armed forces. Some developments went public, while others remained classified for decades.
History
The turning point came in December of 1989 when American and Soviet military-sanctioned super soldiers clashed in the Kaliningrad Oblast. The resulting fight led to the detonation of a nuclear payload and the destruction of the majority of the Kaliningrad region, as well as the subsequent deaths over 400,000 people. Panic ensued until the cause of the destruction was revealed to not be an act of war. After this, the United Nations immediately began looking into super soldier projects on both sides of the Iron Curtain and started the first drafts of what would become the Superhuman Test Ban Treaty.
Public Reaction
The public was mostly relieved at the passing of the treaty. After the destruction of Kaliningrad, there was widespread fear and anger. Many believed that World War III was on the horizon and the world's superpowers didn't care how many would die in the ensuing conflict. The Superhuman Test Ban Treaty assuaged those fears and made people feel safer.
Legacy
Despite the ban on superhuman presence in the military, many nations found ways to circumvent this. Superhumans continue to be employed by federal law enforcement agencies around the globe, as they are not subject to the ban. Whole organizations like BASTION were even formed that specialized in hiring superhuman employees.
Type
Treaty, Diplomatic
Medium
Paper
Ratification Date
November 24, 1991
Signatories (Organizations)
Comments