Federation Starfleet Prime Directive
General Order 1
The Prime Directive As the right of each sentient being to live in accordance
with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Starfleet
personnel may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien
life and culture. Such interference includes introducing superior knowledge,
strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling
such advantages wisely. Starfleet personnel may not violate this Prime
Directive, even to save their lives and/or their ships, unless they
are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination
of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other
considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation.
General Order 2
No Starfleet personnel shall unnecessarily use force, either collectively
or individually, against members of the United Federation of Planets,
their duly authorized representatives, spokespersons, or designated
leaders, or members of any sentient non-member race, for any reason
whatsoever.
General Order 3
The sovereignty of each Federation members being respected in all things,
Starfleet personnel shall observe any and all statutes, laws, ordinances,
and rules of governance currently in effect within the jurisdiction
of a member planet. Violators of such ordinances will be subject to
such punishments or corrections as shall be determined by local governmental
bodies.
General Order 4
If contact is made with hitherto undiscovered intelligent lifeforms,
under no circumstances shall Starfleet personnel, either by word or
deed, inform said lifeforms that worlds other than their own exists
outside the confines of their own space.
General Order 5
In cases of extreme emergency, Federation special representatives are
empowered to assume emergency powers to deal with a condition or circumstance
that is deemed hazardous to the welfare of Federation citizenry. Within
the scope of these emergency powers, duly authorized civilian personnel
may assume temporary command of Starfleet vessels and/or personnel to
deal with the emergency. Starfleet personnel must submit to their authority
for the duration of the crisis.
General Order 6
The request for emergency assistance from Federation citizenry demands
unconditional priority from Starfleet personnel. Such personnel shall
immediately respond to said request, postponing all other activities.
General Order 7
No Starfleet vessel shall visit the planet Talos IV under any circumstances,
emergency or otherwise. This order supersedes General Order 6. Any transgression
of this general order shall be punishable by death.
General Order 8
Upon sighting a warship within Federation space and identifying it as
belonging to a foreign power, the commander of the Starfleet vessel
shall determine the reason(s) for that craft's presence in the vicinity.
If there is conclusive evidence that the vessel has a hostile intention,
the Federation vessel may take appropriate action to safeguard the lives
and property of Federation members. In such cases, the commander may
use his discretion in deciding whether to use force to disable the hostile
vessel. However, care should be taken to avoid unnecessary loss of sentient
life.
General Order 9
No commander of a Starfleet vessel, military or auxiliary, may grant
political asylum to any individual without first being given express
permission to do so by a representative of the Federation government.
General Order 10
If there exists eyewitness testimony by senior officers or similar verifiable
evidence that an individual has violated the Prime Directive, said individual
may be relieved of duty by a duly sworn representative of the Federation
government and placed under immediate arrest. The governmental representative
shall then take such action as he deems necessary to minimize the results
of the violation.
General Order 11
Starfleet officers with the rank of captain or higher are granted full
authority to negotiate conditions of agreement and/or treaties with
legal representatives of non-Federation planets. In such circumstances,
the acting officer carries de facto (by default) powers of a Federation
special ambassador. Any and all agreements arranged in this manner are
subject to approval by the Commander in Chief of Starfleet Command and
the Secretary of Starfleet.
General Order 12
Federation officers may violate Neutral Zone areas as designated by
treaty only if such action is required to save the lives of Federation
citizens under conditions of extreme emergency.
General Order 13
Except when orders state to the contrary, Starfleet personnel will
respect the territorial integrity of independent planetary systems and
governments, and will not violate territorial space belonging to such
worlds.
General Order 14
Starfleet personnel may intervene in local planetary affairs to
restore general order and to secure the lives and property of Federation
citizens only upon receiving a direct order to do so from a civilian
official with the title of governor or higher.
General Order 15
No officer of flag rank may travel into a potentially hazardous
area without suitable armed escort.
General Order 16
Starfleet personnel may extend technological, medical, or other
scientific assistance to a member of a previously unrecognized sentient
species only if such assistance in no way compromises the Prime Directive
of the security of the Federation or Starfleet.
General Order 17
Starfleet vessel captains are to consider the lives of their crew
members as sacred. In any potentially hostile situation, the captain
will place the lives of his crew above the fate of his ship.
General Order 18
Upon being accused of treason against the Federation, Starfleet
personnel may demand a trial conducted by the Federation judiciary.
If the individual is acquitted, Starfleet Command shall have no further
legal recourse against the accused in said manner.
General Order 19
Except in times of declared emergency, Starfleet personnel may
under no circumstances convey personnel or material between planets
or planetary systems when there is reason to believe that said personnel
or material may be used to conduct aggression. This order applies to
independent worlds within the Federation as well as to Federation members.
General Order 20
Officers and personnel of Starfleet Command may employ whatever
means necessary to prevent the possession, transportation, sale, or
commercial exchange of sentient beings being held against their wishes
within the boundaries of Federation space.
General Order 21
No Starfleet personnel, either officer or enlisted, may offer his
services to an independent foreign government without the express authorization
of the Federation Assembly.
General Order 22
As the rights of individual expression and free discourse are considered
sacred, Starfleet personnel may debate the policies and decisions of
their governmental representatives privately at any time, to the extent
that such discussions do not violate their command oath or specific
duties to the Federation per these General Orders or Starfleet regulations.
General Order 23
When verifiable proof is presented to the senior commanding officer
of a Starfleet vessel or post that a Federation representative may currently
be acting or has acted in the past to violate the Prime Directive, the
officer may relieve said representative of office, then assume the full
powers of that office pending a full investigation by government officials.
General Order 24
If a commanding officer deems that an individual or group of individuals
pose a threat to Starfleet personnel or Federation civilians, he may
take any action deemed necessary (including the use of force) to secure
the safety of those threatened.
General Order 25
Civilian and military personnel taken into custody by Starfleet
personnel during times of extreme emergency shall be accorded proper
treatment consistent with rank or station, insofar as such treatment
does not compromise the security of the Federation or Starfleet. (General
Orders 26-32 were enacted during the "Next Generation Time Period")
General Order 26
No member of a ship's complement or other ground-based installation
can be held directly accountable for the actions of their superiors.
Similarly, no member of a ship's company or other Starfleet personnel
will share in disciplinary measures taken against the commanding officer(s)
if said individuals were not directly involved in the actions leading
to disciplinary measures. This order extends to conditions involving
proven violations of the Prime Directive, where proof of such violations
exist.
General Order 27
No member of Starfleet shall be required by the assignment of standard
duties and responsibilities to undergo extended separation from his
family if family members can be reasonably provided for aboard ship
or as a part of an existing Starfleet installation.
General Order 28
No officer of command rank shall be removed from command status
unless such action has the complete and unqualified agreement of at
least three senior officers present. Whenever possible, such officers
shall include the ship's First Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Counselor,
and one junior officer of command station.
General Order 29
The primary responsibility of the commander of any Starfleet vessel
or installation is the welfare and safety of his crew, including any
civilian members. No action may be taken that creates an unwarranted
threat to the safety of those individuals under the officer's charge,
except in the line of duty and when otherwise unavoidable.
General Order 30
Starfleet Command recognizes the right of each ship commander to
interpret the specifications of the Prime Directive as he sees fit,
consistent with the conditions of other existing general orders in effect,
and based upon circumstances that may arise in dealing with newly discovered
sentient races.
General Order 31
The conditions and specifications of the Prime Directive shall
henceforth apply to all sentient lifeforms discovered, whether they
are of natural or artificial origin.
General Order 32
Except in the case of an extreme emergency, no Starfleet commander
is authorized to order his ship to travel faster than Warp Factor Five
without express permission from Starfleet Command.
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