Peaceful Commerce

1. Preamble & Purpose of the Standard

This Peaceful Commerce Standard v1.1 (the "Standard") sets forth the conditions under which a commercial entity (the "Certified Company") is granted Level 1 certification by Stefan ANTUN, operating under the Peaceful Commerce brand (the "Licensor"). By entering into this agreement, the Certified Company formally commits to respecting the principles of a demilitarized civilian economy.

Peaceful Commerce is the first certification label showing that a company does not want to profit from violence. The goal of this Level 1 certification is to make a public and verifiable declaration confirming that the Certified Company does not supply goods or services directly to armed groups.

2. Pioneer Status (Valid until July 1, 2026)

Companies that commit and sign this agreement before July 1, 2026, will receive the exclusive "Pioneer" status. This status grants the Certified Company the right to use the specific "Peaceful Commerce - Pioneer" badge in all its corporate communications in perpetuity, provided the certification is maintained. The annual renewal fee for Pioneer companies remains permanently fixed at CHF 1 (or €1).

3. Regulatory Definitions: Armed Groups vs. Civil Police

The Certified Company commits not to sell goods or services, regardless of the product's nature (lethal or non-lethal), to prohibited entities.

3.1. Definition of an Armed Group (Prohibited Entity)

Any organization, state or non-state, structured and equipped for the use of lethal force for combat, national defense, territorial conquest, or insurgency. Considered as Armed Groups (non-exhaustive list):

Regular armed forces (army, air force, navy).
National guards, militias, and paramilitary groups.
Insurgent or terrorist groups.
Private Military Companies (mercenaries).
National or foreign intelligence agencies (e.g., the CIA).
State-sanctioned hacker groups (APT / offensive cyber warfare units).
State propaganda and psychological operations divisions.

3.2. Definition of Civil Police (Authorized Exception)

A group whose exclusive purpose is the enforcement of common law and the protection of citizens, without a mandate for territorial defense or external force projection. To be eligible under this label, five cumulative conditions must be met:

Territorial limitation & Stability: Must not have the mission to protect the territory against external aggression, nor to enter territories where the group lacks civil authority. Furthermore, the entity must operate exclusively on uncontested and stable land (or waters); forces operating in contested or active conflict zones are considered de facto militaries.
Nature of the mandate: Exclusion of mixed or militarized mandates (e.g., gendarmerie, border guards, military anti-terrorism, extraterritorial units).
Hierarchical independence: The force must be under civil authority (e.g., Ministry of Interior) and not under military command.
Absence of military privileges: The police force must not grant any special status to military members and must have authority to intervene against military personnel committing common law offenses.
Respect for Human Rights: Police forces tasked with enforcing laws contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are excluded.

Note on Internal Affairs & Federal Police: Entities like the FBI are generally allowed. Their role is strictly domestic law enforcement, investigating federal crimes, and policing internal affairs (policing the police). They are not under military command and do not engage in border disputes or national defense against foreign militaries.

4. Special Cases & Grey Zones

Private Security Companies (PSCs) & Defensive Cybersecurity: These entities can be sold to, but they must be certified at Level 2 or higher.
Open Source vs. Ethical Source Software: Traditional Open Source Software (under OSI definitions, such as MIT or GPL) is prohibited from certification because these licenses explicitly forbid restricting who can use the software. However, Ethical Source software (using licenses like the Hippocratic License) is authorized provided the license explicitly restricts use by armed groups.
The "Grey Zone" of UN Peacekeeping: UN peacekeeping forces are currently prohibited as they are militarily structured and equipped. Their status will be subject to review by a future advisory board.
Individuals vs. Legal Entities: The certification applies exclusively to moral persons (legal entities, organizations, and businesses), not to physical persons.
Right of Refusal: The Licensor reserves the right to refuse certification to entities, or to reject specific edge cases not yet explicitly enumerated here, should they go against the core spirit and mission of this certification.

5. Guiding Principles (The "Litmus Tests")

To help determine if an entity falls under the prohibited or authorized category, consider these four guiding principles. In case of doubt, the benefit of the doubt is not granted.

1. The "Wartime Target" Test During an active war, would this entity be actively targeted by an invading enemy force? If the entity would not be considered a strategic military target by an adversary, it is highly likely to be an allowed civil organization.

2. The "Transplant & Occupy" Test If the territory were lost to an invading army, could the entity theoretically continue to function as if nothing happened, keeping the exact same personnel to manage everyday civil order? Alternatively, could this entity be transplanted into another nation and still function in its exact same capacity? If both answers are yes, it is likely an authorized civil police force.

3. The "Stateless World" Test If nations and their borders were to disappear globally, would this entity still have a reason to exist? Entities focused on national defense, border security, foreign intelligence, or state-sponsored cyber espionage would become obsolete. Conversely, entities dedicated to local civil order and citizen protection would still be necessary. If it would continue to exist, it is likely an authorized civil organization.

4. The "Loyalty & Identity" Test Does the entity pledge exclusive loyalty to a specific nation, ideology, or group, and use that identity as a justification to use lethal force or non-kinetic warfare against "others"? Civil police enforce laws universally within their jurisdiction. Militaries use force to defend a specific identity against external adversaries. If their operations are rooted in exclusive loyalty and identity-based opposition, it is a prohibited entity.

6. The Certification Framework (Levels 1 to 4)

Although this document concerns joining Level 1, the Certified Company acknowledges the existence of the global framework structured into four levels of requirement:

Level 1 (Self-Declaration): An engagement via a sworn self-declaration (this document).
Level 2 (Third-Party Audit): An audit conducted by an independent third party to validate the reality of the commitment beyond mere words.
Level 3 (Client Flowdown): The certified company commits to working only with clients who are themselves certified. A "Depth Gauge" system measures how deeply this commitment penetrates the downstream supply chain (e.g., Level 3.1, 3.2, etc.).
Level 4 (Infinite Flowdown): The obligation to demand unlimited downstream compliance. A product sold by a Level 4 company can never reach armed groups, regardless of the distribution chain's length. Note: An arms manufacturer can only be certified at Level 4, to prove their weapons exclusively reach authorized civil police forces.

7. Anti-Circumvention & Supply Chain Policy

To ensure the integrity of the label, the following rules apply to all certified entities proportionally to their level:

Corporate Groups & Subsidiaries: A parent company, its subsidiaries, and affiliates under common control are treated as a single entity. A company cannot use a subsidiary as a "buffer." If a controlled subsidiary sells to the military, the entire corporate group is disqualified.
Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBO): Companies must declare their UBOs. If the UBO of the certified company matches the UBO of the client company, the transaction does not count as a valid "flowdown" step.
Product Transformation: To qualify as a valid Level 3 client, the purchasing entity must significantly transform the product, integrate it, or consume it internally. If the client acts solely as a paper reseller, certification requirements automatically pass through them to the next buyer.
Proof of Real Operations & Captive Entities: Any company acting as a certified node must prove it is a real, operating business (physical offices, employees, diverse client base). If a client derives an overwhelming majority of its revenue from selling your products, they are flagged as a "captive entity" and treated as an extension of your company.
Verified End-of-Life & Recycling: To prevent goods from entering the military supply chain via "scrap," companies must ensure that discarded products are verifiably destroyed, rendered unusable for military applications, or processed by certified recycling partners.
Handling Level 4 Products: Level 4 status is strictly contagious: any product, service, or system that integrates or utilizes a Level 4 product automatically inherits the strict Level 4 flowdown requirements.

8. Obligations of the Certified Company (Level 1)

By signing this Level 1 Self-Declaration, the Certified Company swears and affirms that:

No Direct Sales: It does not, and will not, sell goods or services directly to the Prohibited Entities defined in Article 3.
Good Faith: It operates as a legitimate civilian business and commits not to use shell companies to bypass these ethical restrictions.
Notification: It will immediately inform the Licensor and forfeit its certification should its business model change in a way that violates these terms.

9. Granted Rights & Strict Use of the Trademark

Upon signature of this agreement and receipt of the certification fee, the Licensor grants the Certified Company a non-exclusive, personal, non-transferable, and revocable license to display the Level 1 Certification badge. This use is subject to the following strict rules:

Visual Integrity: The badge and logo must be used exactly as provided in the official digital files. No alterations to color, text, proportions, or design are permitted.
Click-Through Requirement: Any digital use of the badge must imperatively include a hyperlink pointing directly to the Certified Company's public profile in the official Peaceful Commerce registry.

10. Revocation, Limitation of Liability & Indemnification

The Licensor reserves the right to unilaterally revoke the certification without notice if it is proven or reasonably suspected that the Certified Company has breached its obligations. Refusal to cooperate with a request for clarification will result in immediate revocation.

The Peaceful Commerce label is an ethical declaration of intent and a private standard. The Licensor (Stefan ANTUN / Peaceful Commerce) disclaims all liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages, or reputational harm, that the Certified Company may suffer as a result of its participation in the program or the revocation of its label.

The Certified Company assumes full and exclusive responsibility for the accuracy of its self-declaration. Should the Licensor face any claim or lawsuit due to a false statement made by the Certified Company, the Certified Company agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold the Licensor harmless (including legal costs and attorney fees).

11. Data Protection & Jurisdiction

By signing this agreement, the Certified Company explicitly consents to the collection, processing, and publication of its corporate information in the public online registry of Peaceful Commerce. This data is processed in accordance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP).

This agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with substantive Swiss law. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with this agreement shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland, subject to appeal to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.

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