The aim would be to forge a new, global Concordat of Civic Governance, to regulate the conduct of world trading relations and the conduct of all trading corporations. The CCG would also entrench the rights of the contracting states to regulate their own internal affairs, spelling out  Each contracting state would be required to deliver, within a transitional period of say ten years, internal regimes consistent with their CCG obligations, including a new regime for the regulation of all trading corporations.  Corporations in their turn would (so far as their internal governance were concerned) simply have to comply with the statute law of their state of registration.

• NB  For each nation-state, there would thus be two dealing levels.  First, the CCG would spell out the overall framework within which each state would have to operate.  Second, each nation-state would make its own judgment, through its own institutions, about the specific national deal that it wishes to make, while respecting the CCG parameters.

In the day-to-day operation of the new system, the CCG Tribunal would determine whether or not a nation-state was complying with the Concordat (i.e. a state-in-compliance, or SiC), and whether a trader was in compliance (a TiC).  The Concordat would spell out the entitlements both of a SiCs and TiCs.  All traders, if in compliance, could rely globally on the recognition of their trading and proprietary rights, and States in compliance would be entitled to regulate their affairs within the framework of the Concordat. Thus both "interests" would be accommodated, even though both "parties" had not played a matching role in the negotiating process.

The negotiating focus would at all times be the overall trading process - not merely the role of "corporations". That is partly because the Wealth of Nations lies in trade, and many trading transactions are still in practice undertaken by natural persons (sole traders, partners) - and partly because it is entirely conceivable that in future wealthy individuals will trade globally in their own right, without intermediary artificial persons (i.e. corporations).  Globalisation means the generalisation of trading transactions throughout the entire globe, and the conflict of interests between non-territorial "traders" and territorial "Governments".

What would the traders seek to achieve?  Traders in compliance should be accorded -

• Equal access to the trading sectors of all Concordat States, on the same terms as all other CCG  traders, including home traders;
• Access for all TiC staff, on visa terms without naturalisation, to facilitate global trading operations;
• Transferability of financial resources throughout Concordat territory, without Exchange controls;
• Exchange rates to be determined by market forces, rather than Governmental fiat;
• Enforceability of Court judgements, throughout Concordat territory, without secondary judgment, coupled with effective legal system for the recovery of commercial debts;
• No nationalisation without compensation (already accorded by treaty)

What would the Concordat States seek to achieve?

• Right to designate any internal economic sector as a "public service" sector, to be served without participation by traders of any kind; if traders were to be admitted at all, however, access should be on equal terms for all TiCs;
• Right to favour incipient trading sectors, within each national economy, for an initial ten-year period;
• Right to favour new-firm foundation during establishment period (say, five years);
• Proper regulation of the creation of artificial trading persons (i..e. "corporations") in accordance with Concordat principles, to achieve proper transparency, effective internal checks and balances, limiting the scope of limited liability, and other public policy objectives (see Tame the Corporations);
• Right to regulate the activities of all traders trading within national territorial limits 9e.b. for health and safety reasons, worker protection, environmental protection) provided there were no discrimination between TiCs;
• Positive compliance by all TiCs with tax legislation, including the voluntary elimination of fraudulent transfer-pricing and other tax-evasion measures; a commitment to the attribution to each nation-State of a fair tax-contribution, relating to the trading functions actually undertaken in its territory.

Other legitimate negotiating objectives will no doubt occur to you, as the concept develops. This Concordat would replace the World Trade Organisation Treaty, and would represent a more balanced view of future relations between the democratic authority of the nation-State and the undemocratic functions of trading enterprises.

So much for my view of the international framework for the conduct of national politics.  I have even more radical proposals for the socialist deal which we should seek to strike, within that framework...  Watch this space..