Abstract

This paper examines the new policy issues surrounding the rise of the “sovereign wealth funds” in global capital markets. A profound and newly significant incidence of globalization, the role of foreign governments as capital providers in nominally capitalistic, free-market economies is disrupting basic principles and assumptions regarding the role of private and public markets and their regulators. This paper examines the potential for appropriate regulatory schemes to channel these wealth pools in economically productive and apolitically-motivated directions, with the goal of permitting them to perform the functions for which they were established: the preservation and prudential investment of the vast wealth of nations. This regulatory analysis proceeds along three lines: (i) first, a model for corporate governance of a “typical” sovereign fund is proposed, based on the established models of private sector investment fund schemes; (ii) second, a review of host state models and current proposals for foreign investment regulation is undertaken, focusing on the special scrutiny given or proposed to be made available for investments by state-owned funds; and (iii) finally, an assessment is offered regarding international organizations' potential role as venues for cooperation and coordination of the newest and largest players in global capital markets. Though the sovereign wealth funds have made significant gains in establishing their credibility as welcome and responsible providers of global capital through their voluntary and independent actions, this paper concludes that both state-level regulatory accommodation and international cooperation through established economic organizations such as the OECD and IMF offer significant potential benefits to both the funds and the national markets (and target companies therein) if appropriately designed. At a minimum, national and international treatment of the special nature of the sovereign wealth funds may enable capital markets to remain relatively open by specifically addressing the sources of market participants' (and politicians') fears of abuse, thereby strengthening the structures that support the global free movement of capital and channel it to its highest and best use.