Talk:Council of Funding Nations

Very interesting discussion! On the question of membership, perhaps membership of the CFN is similar to to membership of the European Space Agency or the Large Hadron Collider project. In other words, not a question of eligibility (like the UN) but simply a coalition of the willing. In short, the funding nations are simply those who were willing to pay. Of course, in exchange for their contribution they get a share in the spoils, preferential protection (reflected in the score & funding mechanics) and the power to set the rules of engagement.

on the legalities, perhaps the CFN adopted an earlier preceedent set by one of its members and defined UFO occupants ans craft as "illegal enemy combatants" and, as such, not subject to the laws or norms of war nor to civil protection. x-COM's apparent licence to destroy real estate with impunity and risk civilians in the crossfire is harder to explain. i expect a large and hidden part of X-COM's funding is tied up in expensive insurance, compensation, & hush money schemes.

Spike 14:08, 11 March 2008 (PDT)

Quid pro quo

Politics is never disinterested. In return for their financial contributions, the funding council nations received agreed material benefits:

1. Exclusive access to the spooils of operational missions at agreed, stable prices. X-COM could not auction the proceeds to the highest market bidder. Instead, proceeds were allocated to each nation in strict rotation. In the allocation of artefacts, each country's funding level determined both the precedence and quantity of artefacts received. Once allocated the funding nations were free to trade or sell items to other FCN members, but not to other nations or the market. Clauses of the charter reserved to the FCN the right to act as a cartel and sell any collectively agreed surplus to the wider world, splitting the proceeds according to funding contributions.

2 All funding nations, equally, received all information gleaned from the project, including technologies. Nations were free to exploit this technology for internal use, but not to sell information, technology or equipment. Any manufactured goods sold would be subject to a royalty payable to the FCN and disbursed according to funding contributions.

3 Lastly, all nations received preferential protective treatment from X-COM forces, governed by a detailed technical appendix to the charter known as the Security Commitment Objective - Resource Engagement (SCORE).

Spike 15:11, 11 March 2008 (PDT)