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This article is more than 7 years old

GUM Summit held at Birmingham

Yesterday saw the first international summit organised by the Grand Unified Micronational (GUM) held at Birmingham.

With twelve attendees representing eight GUM member states and Westarctica, the summit was the largest held in the United Kingdom for small nations since PoliNation 2012, seven years ago.

Organised by outgoing GUM Chairman Adam I of Adammia, the summit was held in the Guild Council Chamber of the University of Birmingham, the university at which Adam I is currently studying.

Adam I was joined by Lady Hermione Peace, his Minister of National Development. Austenasia was represented by Emperor Jonathan I.

The summit was, naturally, chaired by Adam I as Chairman, assisted by Jonathan I, who was as Associate Justice and Archivist the next-highest ranking GUM official in attendance.

Other attendees were Lord Mike Lewis of Lundenwic, and two diplomatic representatives of Westarctica.

Also in attendance were five officials from the micronation of Essexia, three of whom each also represented another GUM member state (Gradonia, Aspen, and Quebec resepectively).

The summit saw presentations by attendees, as well as open discussions on law enforcement, international organisations, and economics

The summit was also used as an occasion for the signing of the Edgbaston Convention, a treaty aiming to ensure higher standards of accuracy in regards to the sometimes vague or frivolous claims made in the community of small nations.

As well as signing the Edgbaston Convention, Emperor Jonathan I also signed a treaty of mutual recognition with the State of Gradonia, courtesy of its Essexian representative.

With so many national delegations gathered in one place, the opportunity was held to hold only the second in-person Quorum meeting of the GUM in history. The first had been held at the Tate Modern in July 2012, the day following PoliNation; Jonathan I is the only person to have been present at both.

This in-person Quorum was primarily a ceremonial event, but did vote to refuse one membership application and to expel an unprofessional observer state.

The summit ended with the playing of national anthems. It is hoped that a similar summit will be held next year.

About this article

Additional context relevant to this article.

Who is Jonathan Austen? Jonathan Austen, formerly Emperor Jonathan I Augustus, is the founder and fourth Emperor of Austenasia. He co-founded Austenasia with his family in 2008 and served for many years as Prime Minister before ascending to the throne in 2013. During his reign, Jonathan oversaw a substantial period of Austenasian expansion and development and played a major role in establishing its institutions and foreign relations. He abdicated on 29 September 2024 after more than eleven years as Emperor. Following a period of continued public service after his abdication, Jonathan resigned from his remaining government duties in 2025.
Austenasia and the GUM Austenasia withdrew from the Grand Unified Micronational (GUM) on 18 September 2024, following concerns regarding bullying and harassment within the organisation and dissatisfaction with how such allegations were handled. Austenasia had been involved with the GUM for approximately fifteen years. This notice is displayed on articles concerning the GUM, including articles published before Austenasia’s withdrawal.
Austenasia and Adammia Austenasia does not currently maintain friendly relations with the Empire of Adammia. The two nations were formerly close diplomatic partners and cooperated extensively for several years. Relations deteriorated during the Austenasian political crisis of 2025 and subsequently broke down. The present Austenasian Government does not regard Adammia as a diplomatic partner. Historical articles concerning Adammia may therefore reflect a substantially different relationship between the two nations.