An update about the New Nation Project.

This is a rather long post, so I will endeavour to make a video of this in the near future if you prefer to listen and watch rather than read.

You may recall that the opening statement on our website reads:

“The New Nation Project is our attempt to establish a new, free nation, based on concepts of limited government and free market principles. It is to be a nation of liberty that aims to do good for her people and neighbours. It is to be a refuge and help for those seeking freedom, and a beacon of liberty.”

We then discuss using the land of Bir Tawil as our proposed site for the project.

As you would be aware, the state of Sudan has experienced a civil war since April this year, between the army and the RSF units. This has led to many projects in Sudan being put on hold or cancelled. The Australian mining operation located just south-west of Bir Tawil has been suspended until the security and governmental situation improves. If we take a longer term view (ie, not just 12-18 months) we can see that there have been times of conflict in the region that come and go. Whilst we pray for a peaceful resolution to the current conflict, we know that there will be a time in the future when the country returns to the progress it had been making.

So, what does that mean for our New Nation Project?

As long as Bir Tawil remains unclaimed this will remain a focus for our efforts. Unless there is an agreement between Egypt and Sudan about the boarders, this land will remain terra nullius.

Of course, our project is called the “New nation” project, not the “Bir Tawil” project.

At a fundamental level, our efforts are for a new nation, with freedom at its core. Bir Tawil presents the best option for long term land, but it is not the only option.

If you are interested in our project for the opportunity to help build a new nation, then our next steps will hopefully be viewed as a worthwhile pivot.

Let’s leave the desert sands of Bir Tawil for the moment, and consider the oceans. In the new nation, and micro nation community, the concept of sea steading has long been an option. There has also been much progress in recent years and months with various projects being launched, and prototype sea stead vessels being built.

It is possible, then, for our New Nation to first be born on the seas, whilst we wait for the firm land of Bir Tawil to become accessible.

Of course, the idea of a floating city may not appeal to all, and we appreciate that. However, at this stage, it is likely to be a viable way for us to progress our pursuit of a real new nation.

In addition to sea steads, you may also be familiar with the idea of free cities, or charter cities. There are multiple of these being started, with Prospera one better known example. The idea of a charter city is where a portion of land is leased from an existing state, and allowed to operate under broadly deregulated legal structures. In all cases to date, none are sovereign, and they generally are allowed to decide on business regulations, but not criminal. Also, they are subject to the hose country reversing any legislation that allowed the formation of these zones in the first place.

Many sea steads aim to operate within territorial water of a host nation, or to locate themselves on the open seas.

When it comes to creating a new nation (and by that, we mean one that could be recognised as an independent state), neither nether charter cities, nor current sea steads offer that.

What will the New Nation project pursue?

We see sea steading and charter cities as valuable contributions to the creation of free and prosperous communities. However, sovereignty is important.

The problem with charter cities is that they are not sovereign, but a commercial lease of an existing state. The problem with sea steads is that they don’t really fulfil the requirement of the Montevideo convention for states, being that they don’t exhibit a defined territory. Now, you could argue that a floating sea stead in international waters could declare their sea stead to be a defined territory. This may have some validity, but it has never happened before, and there is little likelihood that it will be seen as a valid claim or territory.

What we plan to pursue is what is referred to a Sovereign Lease of territory. This just means that we, as a political body, obtain a lease with an existing sovereign country for piece of land. These types of leases are not very common, but they do happen, with Hong Kong being the most famous and successful example. Hong Kong was leased from China to the UK for a 99 year period. During this lease, the territory was considered to be properly under the political authority of the UK, not China.

The US Navy has a sovereign lease from Cuba of Guantanamo Bay. Article 3 of the permanent leas states: “Cuba retains ultimate sovereignty, but during the occupation, the U.S. exercises sole jurisdiction over the areas described in Article 1.”

It is the ability to exercise sole jurisdiction over an area that allows for a proper nation state to function and be recognised.

What sort of lease would we pursue?

We would look to obtain a lease for a period of 99 years, covering an uninhabited island of a nation that is happy to lease to us.

Why 99 years?

This is long enough to establish our nation, and doesn’t prevent the negotiation of future leases.

Why an uninhabited island?

Uninhabited means no persons are at risk of being displaced by our project. This is important from both a practical, and also a moral standpoint.

Why an island?

Because this allows for a vibrant sea steading community to form around the island.

How big does the island have to be?

Not very. The bulk of the population could live and work on floating sea steads, with some infrastructure like and airport located on the island itself.

How would this allow us to launch as a nation?

If we are able to secure a sovereign lease with a nation state, by definition we will be recognised by them as the other party to the lease agreement. If any other nation chooses not to recognise us as a sovereign state, they would still have to respect the sovereignty of the island itself, which provides us with a degree of protection.

Which island will be leased?

In short, the first one we can.

There are many uninhabited islands around the world. However, many would be excluded due to sheer isolation. Many are excluded as the current nation is unlikely to grant a sovereign lease to a new entity. Some might be excluded due to security concerns.

We are therefore going to be limited to a small number of possible islands. Each would have pros and cons.

This is where you could be of enormous help – we will be forming a working group to investigate possible islands, and most of the research will be searching public databases to provide a summary of the benefits and drawbacks of each. From this, we can then look at approaching individual countries with our proposal. More importantly, with a prospect of a real lease, we would be able to more easily raise the funding that we need to make our plans reality.