Nysdra Sea Treaty Association

The Nysdra Sea Treaty Association (NSTA), is an intergovernmental organization between several Levantine and Cronite nations as well as an international charter city. The organization implements the Nysdra Sea Treaty that was signed on 5 November 2016. NSTA constitutes a system of collective security whereby its independent member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party. The Treaty also consists of trade agreements, requiring that all signatories refuse to import goods into the "Inner Crona" region - defined as the Nysdra Sea basin - from non-signatory powers. NSTA, consequently, serves as both a mutual defense agreement and a restricted trade area. The organization is also an informal means of nations to acquire aid money from Urcea according to many international observers. The organization is headquartered in Port St. Charles in New Harren.

Mission
The Nysdra Sea Treaty set forth the mission of the Nysdra Sea Treaty Association:


 * To ensure long-lasting peace in northwestern Crona by mutual cooperation
 * To provide for the mutual self-defense of its members against hostile actors
 * To promote economic development and self-reliance between its members
 * To protect the common cultural and religious bonds between its members

History
During the South Nysdra War, Urcea eventually intervened on behalf of the "Legitimist" faction of Telucti Cheveyo, who emerged as King Telucti I of Quetzenkel following his victory. The War had been ongoing for nearly two years and issues related to the status of Veltorine people prompted Urcea's intervention. The new King of Quetzenkel and the Government of Urcea sought to formalize their alliance forged during the conflict, and negotiations began on the Nysdra Sea Treaty. The initial aim behind the treaty was to establish a formal diplomatic system for relations between states in northwestern Crona, and to additionally create a favorable economic climate for the development of industry and self-reliance in the northwestern part of Crona. Urcea and Quetzenkel, along with Urcea's union partner New Harren, formally agreed to the treaty on 5 November 2016. The Treaty provided for a "participating observer" status for Corumm's Xisheng territory, requiring the treaty members to protect it in exchange for that territory respecting some of the economic prohibitions called for under the treaty; Corumm signed in late November 2016.

In 2017, Pachaug, Housatonic, the Unnuaq Mission State, and Caphiria (on behalf of Shenendehowa Bay) all joined the association with the latter as a participating observer. In 2023, the Treaty was amended in accordance with the Protocols Act of 2023, allowing ministries of Urcea's Concilium Purpaidá to directly interact with and coordinate with full NSTA members without need of diplomatic protocol or using the Ministry of State as an intermediary. Following the Final War of the Deluge, the Chenango Confederacy was admitted in 2024, and Copake was admitted to the Association in 2025.

In 2025, the Association voted unanimously to amend the treaty requiring that all full members of the Association must hold a "free and fair" democratic election at least once per decade. According to the terms of the treaty, elections will be observed by inspectors from Urcea as well as from Stenza. In 2028, the newly organized state of New Veltorina was admitted to the Association. The Protocols Act was repealed in 2030, a move interpreted by many analysts to signal Urcea's intent to let the region develop organically.

Structure
The Nysdra Sea Treaty Association is governed according to the terms of the Nysdra Sea Treaty, signed on 5 November 2016. The Treaty not only historically constituted the Association but also actively serves as its charter. Any change to the structure of the association requires approval of the Nysdra Sea Treaty Council. The Treaty, as currently constituted, provides for three primary organs within it. The Office of the Chair provides for basic administrative oversight of the Association, ensuring the proper functioning of the other two organs, while also serving as the presiding officer of the NSTA Council. The Nysdra Sea Treaty Council is the central organ, which can make changes to the Treaty and all other major changes to the Association as needs. The third organ is the Administrative Agency of the Association, which is answerable to the Council and executes the basic operations of the Association. The Treaty also sets forth a two-tiered system of membership.

NSTA Council
The Nysdra Sea Treaty Council, often referred to as the "NSTA Council", is the central organizing body of the Association. The Council has the authority to amend or dissolve the Nysdra Sea Treaty, to admit members to the Treaty and Association, and the authority to organize or dissolve any body of the Association as the need arises. The Council also confirms any nomination to an office of the Association made by the current chairperson. It is comprised of one voting member from each full member of the Association, as well as two non-voting members from both participating observer members. The Chairperson of the Association usually serves as presiding officer of meetings of the Council. The members of the Council are appointed by each member nation and serve at the pleasure of their respective governments.

Defense Coordination Initiative (DCI)
The Defense Coordination Initiative is an initiative of the Association which broadly integrates the defense functions of the members, including with streamlined basing agreements and shared intelligence. Critically, the Initiative also includes measures that allow the seamless integration of units within the members' militaries within any military body designated as the lead defense organization for the Association. The lead defense organization has been, for the entire history of the Association's existence, the Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea. As a result of the Initiative, and also owing to the small population size of many of the Association's members, most of the militaries of member nations are designed to be specific formation-sized (i.e. brigade, division, corps) units intended to be organized under Urcean command and within Urcean units in the event of war.

Every member of the Association, with the exception of Quetzenkel, is a member of the Initiative. Due to its size and relative military strength, Quetzenkel's military is able to operate independently. In its place, Quetzenkel and Urcea have a bilateral basing agreement as well as an agreement detailing shared strategy in the event of a war involving the Association.

Nysdra Sea Guard
The Nysdra Sea Guard (NSG) is a military organization which serves as the effective navy and coast guard for all full NSTA members besides Urcea and Quetzenkel. It was established in 2026. Funded from stipends from each member of NSTA and staffed with officers and enlisted men from all participating NSTA members, the NSG is a rare example of a trans-national military force. The Sea Guard is largely responsible for Nysdra Sea anti-piracy actions as well as anti-smuggling and anti-drug trafficking activities, although it has limited defensive capabilities as well. In the event of war, the NSG is designed to integrate with the Royal Navy and Quetzen Navy to form a joint Nysdra Area Defense Force under Royal Navy leadership with NSG personnel and ships fulfilling secondary littoral protection roles.

Order of the North Star
The Order of the North Star is a meritorious order created for recognition of military service to NSTA during the Final War of the Deluge. The Order has become readily identified with NSTA, so much so that the star of the order was incorporated onto NSTA's flag in 2026.

Full member
Full members of the Association are parties who are direct signatories to the Treaty who have ratified it and have agreed to abide by its provisions. Full members are organized under the various organs and agencies that the Treaty authorizes to act on behalf of the Association. This includes participation in Association-wide military organization and collective defense, as well as obligations to trade only with other Association members - both participating and full - except as explicitly authorized by the Treaty or by the Association Council.

Participating observer
The Nysdra Sea Treaty provides for "participating observers", nations and territories which are a party to the collective defense provisions under the treaty but are not obliged to participate in collective defense. This was written to provide that Urcea and its allies would be partly responsible for the protection of Shenendehowa Bay and, to a lesser extent, Xisheng, while Caphiria and Corumm would not be drawn into a war to protect Urcea's allies in the region. The participating observer status obligates its signatories to take part in the economic and trade restrictions established by the treaty. Participating observers are allowed to import goods from specific non-signatory members - namely Caphiria and Corumm - but provides that purchases of these goods can only be fulfilled and delivered to the signatory party. This functionally means that Caphirian and Corummese firms can do business in the Nysdra region but primarily through intermediaries in Shenendehowa Bay and Xisheng, respectively.

Criticism
NSTA has been criticized by many - including the Social Labor Party within Urcea - as being a method by which Urcea exerts colonial control over states in Crona. Specifically, the organization has been classified by some as a league between Urcea and two states which only enjoy nominal independence, given New Harren's real union with Urcea and Quetzenkel's economic and military dependence on Urcea. Such criticisms have been ignored by many major powers, especially with regards to claims of "dominion" over Quetzenkel, which is a state recognized by many nations.