Treaty of Port St. Charles
The Treaty of Port St. Charles was an agreement signed in 2034 in an effort to end several outstanding diplomatic disputes in Cusinaut, including and especially the 2034 Urceo-Canespan diplomatic standoff. The agreement would include most major world powers, inaugurate political changes in Canespa, legitimate Daxian influence in western Cusinaut, enhance Shenendehowa Bay as a global economic hub, and solidify Urcea's reputation as the "power of record" in resolving disputes and spreading socio-political influence in northern Crona.
The Treaty negotiations began as secret talks between Urcean officials and Quicksilver Industries leaders representing Shenendehowa Bay, and quickly came to involve many major world powers.
Parties to the treaty
Under the Treaty, parties were divided into three groups: guarantors, signatories, and associates. The guarantors under the treaty were
The signatories were:
The associates were:
Though they were not parties to the Treaty, five other countries were given specific importer rights within the economic terms of the agreement:
Provisions
The Treaty of Port St. Charles includes dozens of provisions which can be divided into economic, diplomatic, and political lenses. Through its provisions it creates a patchwork of organizations which have collectively been referred to as the Caroline treaty system, which is actually four different organizations created under the Treaty that relate to West Cusinaut.
Economic provisions
WCDA
The Treaty of Port St. Charles created the West Cusinaut Development Area (WCDA), an economic area including the signatory countries. The primary purpose of the WCDA was to improve economic development in the area by creating self-sufficiency and limiting imports from outside entities. In this respect WCDA was explicitly modeled on the Nysdra Sea Treaty Association's trade provisions.
Under WCDA, the signatory powers are allowed to continue to make unlimited export agreements to any foreign power. All trade barriers between the four signatories were immediately eliminated, implementing complete free trade among signatory countries. However, the ability to import into the signatory countries was significantly curtailed. The WCDA portion of the Treaty provided that all imports from countries who were not either signatories or regional partners (defined in the Treaty) must be made through intermediaries in Shenendehowa Bay. Import agreements for intermediaries would be subject to a new body, the Cenendovia Import Management Authority, which would ensure the economic wellbeing of the signatory countries by regulating importation agreements.
Under the agreement, the "regional partners" were defined as:
All of the regional partners except Caphiria and Faneria were subject to second-hand trade rules, defined separately within the treaty; these provisions functionally prohibited direct imports from Urcea or Kiravia into the WCDA. Port Extranjero, a possession of Burgundie was specifically delineated in the treaty as being outside the WCDA and not a regional partner but having special trade rights to be negotiated between it and the Cenendovia Import Management Authority.
Second-hand exchange and cause of action
Regional partner importers in the WCDA agreed not to facilitate the direct importation of goods from their allies (specifically Kiravia and Urcea, but also any other NSTA state generally). As part of that agreement, the Treaty outlined that no goods may be sold into the WCDA by intermediaries within the regional partners, except those goods which were considered to be second-hand goods, defining that term as any good purchased primarily for a purpose other than importing into the WCDA and possessed (physically or in title) for at least a two year period. The Cenendovia Import Management Authority was empowered to bring lawsuits against firms within the regional partners or in Urcea or Kiravia who violated these terms, and both Urcea and Kiravia agreed to implement corresponding cause of action statutes within its domestic laws in order to effectuate the ability of lawsuits to proceed.
Exporter protections
The Treaty prohibited all guarantors and associates from issuing retaliatory tariffs and other prohibitions on exporters in the signatory countries as a result of any disruption the WCDA's import ban created. Specifically, it also envisioned (but did not require) both the guarantors and associate countries to resume, to the extent politically possible and economically feasible, any export agreements it had in place with the Canasta Company as of 1 January 2033.
Standardization
As part of the implementation of West Cusinaut free trade, the WCDA provided for significant economic standardization scheme. It created the West Cusinaut Economic Integration Board (WCEIB) charged with making non-binding recommendations regarding standardization among the four signatory powers. The board had one representative from each of the signatory powers.
Carrier agreements
The Treaty provided that imports into the WCDA via Shenendehowa Bay should, "to the extent possible and subject to an agreement with the Cenendovia Import Management Authority", be carried by Burgoignesc firms, including both seaborne, railborne, and airborne shipping of goods out of Shenendehowa. The Treaty cited the historic friendly trade relations and importance of Burgoignesc shipping to Cusinaut. As part of the Treaty, any firm doing such business was required to open "regional liaison offices" within the nations whose territory it traveled through, and, to the extent possible, were expected to hire local Cusinauti employees and allow use of any new infrastructure to the nations subject to a usage agreement.
Infrastructure development fund
The Treaty created the West Cusinaut Infrastructure Group Fund (WCIGF), an international agency responsible for the construction of infrastructure projects within the signatory states. The WCIGF would be governed by a board of representatives from each of the four states, and would provide major grants to facilitate economic growth, urbanization, irrigation, and other similar projects. The Treaty obligated the three guarantors and two associates to each contribute five billion dollars per year for ten years following the effective date of the Treaty, and thereafter empowered the WCIGF to solicit independent agreements with each of the guarantors, associates, or any other state.
Diplomatic provisions
The Treaty of Port St. Charles included many diplomatic provisions aimed at establishing a "final peace" (relative to the longterm ramifications of the Deluge) and to provide for stability in western Cusinaut. As a consequence of the creation of a defense area, economic area and infrastructure program in various parts of the agreement, the Treaty dissolved the Cusinaut Area Socio-Economic Initiative and replaced with Treaty-created organizations.
Recognition
Under the Treaty, Urcea agreed to restore recognition of Canespa upon the successful implementation of its political reforms. Urcea also pledged to urge its NSTA allies to do the same, and to support readmission of the Canespan delegation to the League of Nations. The Treaty also required Urcea and its allies to drop all support for the Provisional Government of the Republic of Canespa and to eject it from New Harren and the Algosh Republic. This section functionally ended the 2034 Urceo-Canespan diplomatic standoff.
Guarantees
The Treaty obliged Daxia to guarantee the independence of Austro-Caldera and Urcea to guarantee the independence of both Caracua and Netansett. It required, further, both parties to not only affirm those nations' independence but their "inviolable territorial integrity." These provisions were intended to provide geopolitical stability in western Cusinaut.
Mutual security
The Treaty of Port St. Charles created the West Cusinaut Protection Zone (WCPZ), a mutual defense agreement between the four signatory members. the WCPZ provided that any attack on any member of the four signatories by an outside power, or by a signatory themselves, would trigger cobelligerency with the other signatory members. The WCPZ specifically excluded the guarantors from triggering the WCPZ, but also included a pledge from all three powers to a non-aggression pact. These pacts excluded actions taken by the guarantors necessary to enforce provisions of the treaty or other international law.
Existing defense agreements
The Treaty confirmed existing defense agreements between Daxia on the one hand and Canespa and Caldera on the other. The Treaty ratified the ability of the Daxian military to construct and operate bases within those countries pursuant to agreements between them and Daxia. The Treaty also provided the ability of the countries to revoke their military agreement with Daxia through a complex arbitration process.
Political provisions
The Treaty of Port St. Charles included two major provisions related to domestic political reforms within signatory powers. It obligated Canespa to separate the Canasta Company from official state control and cede power to an institution of its choice provided said institution was considered a "legitimate sovereign entity" as defined in the Treaty. The Treaty's effective date was tied to when these reforms were implemented and ratified by the three guarantor powers. Additionally, the Treaty also provided Austro-Caldera the opportunity to renege on previous agreements made to reform its state in line with demands made by Canespa in 2034.
Effectiveness
The Treaty of Port St. Charles becomes effective once two criteria are met:
- All parties ratify the agreement through whatever domestic means required
- Political reform in Canespa has been meaningfully implemented
The terms of the Treaty are effective for ten years, after which time the Treaty will be automatically renewed for another ten years. The Treaty was to be considered abrogated if more than two signatories took affirmative acts to renew it at the conclusion of the ten years. The Treaty allowed any signatory to opt out five years after the effective date of the Treaty if their effort to leave was sponsored by a guarantor. Associates were free to denounce the Treaty at any time, but would lose their benefits under the agreement if they did so.