Bowman Acts
The Bowman Acts are a series of legislative articles, approved and signed into law secretly by many of the nations of the world, which provide a legislative framework for the day-to-day dealings, operations, and other concerns in relation with metahuman and extra-terrestrial interests and development on Earth (or Earth-247, as catalogued in the Daria Multiverse.) The initial signing by world powers of the Acts was on July 8; as a result, that day is considered an unofficial holiday for many in the metahuman community, and many metahumans gather in the New York area for celebrations.
The majority of the Bowman Acts are unrevealed at this time; however, one thing that is known is that there are definite protocols in place for the conduct of telepathic citizens within Bowman Act-signatory countries. Another known section of the Acts is the 'mutual-defense treaty' portion, in which all nations have promised to join forces for the purpose of defending the entire planet from imminent threats of natures specifically stated in the Acts. There is also a statute in place that regulates the overt use in public of metahuman abilities (similiar in concept and function to the Wizarding World's International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy.)
A curious statictic noted is that all countries that have hosted the Olympic Games since its resurgence in the modern era are also signatories to the Bowman Acts. It is also considered tradition that any country that hosts the Games becomes a signatory beforehand. On two occasions, countries that were believed certain to host the Games lost to other nations; this occured because they refused to sign.
In the United States, individuals with metahuman powers who recieve any form of training in the use of their powers are required to study the Bowman Acts as part of said training.
Bowman Acts signatory nations (partial list)
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahrain (as a formality; has special laws in place in order to create 'open-city' stance towards metahumans)
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Cuba (as part of a secret deal with the U.S. for foreign aid and specialized medical care)
- European Union (all nations recognize the Acts upon joining)
- Egypt
- France
- Great Britain
- Greece (first nation to sign on)
- India
- Iran
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kuwait (after 1991 Gulf War)
- Liberia (enacted to allow for more foreign aid)
- Libya (as a goodwill gesture to help stabilize US/Libyan relations)
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Nepal
- New Zealand
- The Netherlands
- People's Republic of China
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Switzerland (as a formality; has special laws in place in order to preserve traditional neutrality stance)
- United Arab Emirates
- United States of America (special waivers are in place for the State of California and the New York City Exclusion Zone)
- Vatican City