Created by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane on Aug 16, 2016 @ 3:52pm

CHARTER OF THE UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS

The FEDERATION CHARTER is a major political and philosophical document, arguably even more important than the Articles of Federation. Whereas the Articles is a foundational document, the Charter outlines the political aims of the Federation, acting as a constitution-of-sorts for the organisation. When a planet applies for membership of the Federation, they are required to ratify the Federation Charter as one of the final steps before admittance. The Charter came into force at the same ceremony that founded the United Federation of Planets.

The preamble of the Charter takes an immediate stand for collective security and mutual support :

"We, the lifeforms of the United Federation of Planets, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, and to reaffirm faith in the fundamental rights of sentient beings, in the dignity and worth of all lifeforms, in the equal rights of members of planetary systems large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of interstellar law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of living on all worlds..."

The Federation Charter is a constituent treaty, and all Federation members are bound by its articles. The Charter supersedes any and all existing treaty obligations of any member worlds.

On stardate 2.141014, in response to the Romulan invasion of the Neutral Zone, the Federation Council declared martial law across the Federation and handed control of the government over to Admiral Richard Edgerton. His first act was to 'suspend' the Federation Charter, removing its legal power and the protection it afforded to Federation citizens.

Following the defeat of the Neo-Essentialist regime in 2431, the Federation government was reconstituted, and the Charter was once more reinstated across the Federation.