This progress report is unique and I have to thank the Minister of Justice Michal Ptáčník for pointing this out to me during the last congressional debate where he raised the point that some of these elements whether treaties or organizations they have either membership dues or compliance fees involved so with this progress report round we will be diving into the upkeep costs of maintaining these different elements and I will officially add a new cost scoring metric as well for all future items.
International Relations Series: A Summary of the Top 40 Treaties and Organizations for Liberland
As Liberland continues to build its international profile, the evaluation of treaties and organizations through a libertarian lens remains a cornerstone of our foreign policy. The top 40 entries in our ranked list represent the highest-scoring options based on criteria such as individual liberty, minimal government, free markets, non-aggression, decentralization, feasibility, and citizen consent. These selections prioritize frameworks that enhance sovereignty, reduce coercion, and facilitate voluntary cooperation, with scores out of 70 reflecting their alignment with our values.
This article summarizes the top 40, highlighting key benefits, scores, and strategic fit for Liberland. As an addendum, I have introduced a new scoring metric: Cost (1-10), where 10 represents the lowest cost (minimal financial or administrative burden) and 1 the highest (significant dues, compliance, or implementation expenses). This metric is based on research into ratification and ongoing costs for small or microstates, factoring in one-time setup (e.g., legal review, deposit) and annual compliance (e.g., reporting, training, dues). Costs are estimates in USD for a small entity like Liberland (population <10,000, limited infrastructure), drawn from UN, IMO, HCCH, and case studies for similar nations (e.g., Liechtenstein, Monaco). For articles already written the cost metric is incorporated here; for future articles I will include as they are published.
Summary of the Top 40 Treaties and Organizations
The top 40 focus on commercial facilitation, safety standards, human rights protections, and innovative governance, dominating with high scores in free markets and feasibility. Here’s a categorized overview:
- Commercial and Legal Facilitation (High Scores: 60+): Treaties like the New York Convention (65), CISG (65), and Hague Apostille (61) excel in reducing barriers to trade and disputes, ideal for Liberland’s crypto and tech economy.
- Transportation and Mobility (Scores: 60-64): Vienna Road Traffic (64) and Signs (63) ensure safe, standardized travel, supporting tourism and logistics with minimal intrusion.
- Governance and Rights (Scores: 50-56): ICCPR (56) and Geneva Conventions (53) provide human rights safeguards, enhancing our ethical appeal without heavy burdens.
- Organizations for Innovation (Scores: 50-67): GBBC (67), ICC (65), and Seasteading Institute (50) offer networks for blockchain, trade, and experimental living, aligning with decentralization.
Full ranked list with original score and new Cost metric:
| Rank | Type | Name | Year | Original Score (/70) | Cost (1-10) |
| 1 | Org | Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC) | – | 67 | 8 (Low dues ~$1k-$5k/year; minimal compliance) |
| 2 | Treaty | New York Convention | 1958 | 65 | 9 (Low ratification $500-$2k; compliance $1k-$5k/year training) |
| 3 | Org | International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) | – | 65 | 7 (Dues ~$5k-$20k/year for small entities; compliance low) |
| 4 | Treaty | CISG | 1980 | 65 | 9 (Low ratification $500-$2k; compliance $2k-$10k/year legal updates) |
| 5 | Org | ICANN | – | 64 | 7 (No dues for observers; compliance $5k-$15k/year domain policies) |
| 6 | Treaty | Hague Choice of Court Agreements | 2005 | 64 | 9 (Low ratification $1k-$3k; compliance $1k-$5k/year court training) |
| 7 | Treaty | Vienna Convention on Road Traffic | 1968 | 64 | 8 (Low ratification $500-$2k; compliance $5k-$20k/year for signs/licenses) |
| 8 | Org | Internet Governance Forum (IGF) | – | 63 | 9 (No dues; low compliance $1k-$5k/year participation) |
| 9 | Treaty | Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals | 1968 | 63 | 8 (Low ratification $500-$2k; compliance $10k initial signs + $2k/year) |
| 10 | Org | World Trade Organization (WTO) | – | 62 | 6 (Dues $20k-$28k/year for small; compliance $100k-$500k/year reporting) |
| 11 | Treaty | Vienna/ICSPR Multilingual Civil-Status Records | 1976 | 61 | 9 (Low ratification $500-$2k; compliance $1k-$5k/year registry) |
| 12 | Treaty | Hague Apostille Convention | 1961 | 61 | 9 (Low ratification $1k-$3k; compliance $2k-$10k/year apostille ops) |
| 13 | Org | N.F.-Board (Non-FIFA Board) | – | 61 | 9 (Low/no dues; compliance $1k-$5k/year event participation) |
| 14 | Treaty | Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties | 1969 | 61 | 9 (Low ratification $500-$2k; compliance $1k-$5k/year legal training) |
| 15 | Treaty | Cape Town Convention + Aircraft Protocol | 2001 | 59 | 8 (Low ratification $2k-$10k; compliance $5k-$20k/year registry if aircraft) |
| 16 | Org | European Free Trade Association (EFTA) | – | 58 | 7 (Observer free; full membership dues ~$50k/year for small + compliance $10k-$50k) |
| 17 | Org | International Olympic Committee (IOC) | – | 58 | 8 (NOC setup low $5k-$15k; no dues, compliance training/events) |
| 18 | Treaty | Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations | 1961 | 58 | 8 (Low ratification $500-$2k; compliance $5k-$15k/year if embassies) |
| 19 | Treaty | SOLAS | 1974 | 56 | 7 (Low ratification $1k-$5k; compliance $10k-$100k/year if fleet, low for landlocked) |
| 20 | Treaty | ICCPR | 1966 | 56 | 8 (Low ratification $500-$2k; compliance $5k-$20k/year reporting) |
| 21 | Org | FIFA | – | 56 | 7 (Association setup $10k-$30k; dues ~$5k/year + compliance training) |
| 22 | Org | World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO) | – | 56 | 9 (Low/no dues; compliance $1k-$5k/year participation) |
| 23 | Treaty | Hague Child Abduction Convention | 1980 | 55 | 8 (Low ratification $1k-$3k; compliance $5k-$25k/year central authority ops) |
| 24 | Org | International Trade Centre (ITC) | – | 54 | 8 (No dues for partners; compliance $5k-$20k/year project participation) |
| 26 | Org | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) | – | 54 | 7 (Observer/key partner $50k-$100k/year contributions; compliance reporting) |
| 27 | Treaty | STCW | 1978 | 54 | 7 (Low ratification $1k-$5k; compliance $10k-$50k/year if seafarers, low for small) |
| 28 | Treaty | Stateless Persons Conventions | 1954/61 | 53 | 9 (Low ratification $500-$2k; compliance $2k-$10k/year registry updates) |
| 29 | Treaty | Geneva Conventions I–IV | 1949 | 53 | 8 (Low ratification $500-$2k; compliance $5k-$20k/year IHL training) |
| 30 | Treaty | UNCLOS | 1982 | 52 | 8 (Low ratification $1k-$5k; compliance $10k-$50k/year for maritime admin, low for landlocked) |
| 31 | Org | Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) | – | 52 | 8 (Low dues ~$5k-$10k/year for small; compliance participation) |
| 32 | Treaty | COLREGs | 1972 | 51 | 9 (Low ratification $1k-$5k; compliance $2k-$10k/year if fleet) |
| 33 | Org | Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) | – | 51 | 9 (Low dues ~$1k-$5k/year; compliance advocacy) |
| 34 | Treaty | Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 | 1899/1907 | 51 | 9 (Low ratification $500-$2k; compliance $1k-$5k/year military training if forces) |
| 35 | Treaty | Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons | 1968 | 50 | 9 (Low ratification $500-$2k; compliance $5k-$20k/year IAEA reporting) |
| 36 | Org | Council of Europe (CoE) | – | 50 | 7 (Observer free/low; full membership dues ~$50k/year for small + compliance reporting) |
| 37 | Org | Seasteading Institute | – | 50 | 8 (No dues; compliance $5k-$20k/year project participation) |
| 38 | Treaty | Hague Service of Documents Convention | 1965 | 49 | 9 (Low ratification $1k-$3k; compliance $2k-$10k/year authority ops) |
| 39 | Treaty | Hague Taking of Evidence Abroad Convention | 1970 | 49 | 9 (Low ratification $1k-$3k; compliance $3k-$15k/year evidence handling) |
Addendum: Introduction of the New “Cost” Metric
To enhance the evaluation framework, I have now added a “Cost” metric into the main scoring metric that will be scored from 1-10, where 10 indicates the lowest cost (negligible financial/administrative burden) and 1 the highest (significant dues, reforms, or ongoing expenses). This is based on research into ratification (one-time) and compliance (annual) costs for small/microstates, considering legal reviews, reporting, training, and dues. Estimates assume Liberland’s scale (no large fleet/military/nuclear programs), sourced from UN, IMO, HCCH, and case studies (e.g., Liechtenstein’s WTO dues ~CHF 20k/year; Hague conventions ~$2k/year ops).
For treaties 1-40, the metric is now included in the table above. Average cost score: 8.3 (generally low for most, with WTO/EFTA/OECD higher due to dues/reporting). This metric will be integrated into future dossiers; for unwritten treaties (41+), it will be added as dossiers are drafted.
Overall, the top 40 are cost-effective (mostly 8-9), with total estimated annual compliance under $500k for all—feasible for our budget, yielding high returns in trade, safety, and rights. This positions Liberland as a low-cost, high-freedom global player.
I will note though that the WTO and a few others with higher costs may need to be set aside until such time that the Liberland budget will allow for membership or other applicable costs that will have to paid through the Liberland treasury.
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