Signed at Montevideo, 26 December 1933 Entered into Force, 26 December 1934 Article 8 reaffirmed by Protocol, 23 December 1936

Bolivia alone amongst the states represented at the Seventh International Conference of American States did not sign the Convention. The United States of America, Peru, and Brazil ratified the Convention with reservations directly attached to the document.

CONVENTION ON RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF STATES

The Governments represented in the Seventh International Conference of American States:

Wishing to conclude a Convention on Rights and Duties of States, have appointed the following Plenipotentiaries:

For Honduras

Miguel PAZ Baraona Augusto C. COELLO Luis BOGRAN For the United States of America

Cordell HULL Alexander W. WEDDELL J. Reuben CLARK J. Butler WRIGHT Spruille BRADEN Miss Sophonisba P. BRECKINRIDGE For El Salvador

Hector David CASTRO Arturo Ramon AVILA J. Cipriano CASTRO For the Dominican Republic

Tulio M. CESTERO For Haiti

Justin BARAU Francis SALGADO Antoine PIERRE-PAUL Edmond MANGONES For Argentina

Carlos SAAVEDRA Lamas Juan F. CAFFERATA Ramon S. CASTILLO Carlos BREBBIA Isidoro RUIZ Moreno Luis A. PODESTA Costa Raul PREBISCH Daniel ANTOKOLETZ For Venezuela

Cesar ZUMETA Luis CHURTON José Rafael MONTILLA For Uruguay

Alberto MANE Juan José AMEZAGA José G. ANTUNA Juan Carlos BLANCO Senora Sofia A. V. DE DEMICHELI Martin R. ECHEGOYEN Luis Alberto DE HERRERA Pedro MANINI Rios Mateo MARQUES Castro Rodolfo MEZZERA Octavio MORATA Luis MORQUIO Teofilo PINEYRO Chain Dardo REGULES José SERRATO José Pedro VARELA For Paraguay

Justo Pastor BENITEZ Geronimo RIART Horacio A. FERNANDEZ Senorita Maria F. GONZALEZ For Mexico

José Manuel PUIG Casauranc Alfonso REYES Basilio VADILLO Genaro V. VASQUEZ Romeo ORTEGA Manuel J. SIERRA Eduardo SUAREZ For Panama

J. D. AROSEMENA Eduardo E. HOLGUIN Oscar R. MULLER Magin PONS For Bolivia

Casto ROJAS David ALVESTEGUI Arturo PINTO Escalier For Guatemala

Alfredo SKINNER Klee José GONZALEZ Campo Carlos SALAZAR Manuel ARROYO For Brazil

Afranio DE MELLO Franco Lucillo A. DA CUNHA Bueno Francisco Luis DA SILVA Campos Gilberto AMADO Carlos CHAGAS Samuel RIBEIRO For Ecuador

Augusto AGUIRRE Aparicio Humberto ALBORNOZ Antonio PARRA Carlos PUIG Vilassar Arturo SCARONE For Nicaragua

Leonardo ARGUELLO Manuel CORDERO Reyes Carlos CUADRA Pasos For Colombia

Alfonso LOPEZ Raimundo RIVAS José CAMACEO Carreno For Chile

Miguel CRUCHAGA Tocornal Octavio SENORET Silva Gustavo RIVERA José Ramon GUTIERREZ Felix NIETO DEL RIO Francisco FIGUEROA Sanchez Benjamin COHEN For Peru

Alfredo SOLE Y MURO Felipe BARREDA Laos Luis Fernan CISNEROS And for Cuba

Angel Alberto GIRAUDY Herminio PORTELL Vila Alfredo NOGUEIRA

Who, after having exhibited their Full Powers, which were found to be in good and due order, have agreed upon the following:

Text of the Convention

Article 1

The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications:

(a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.

Article 2

The federal state shall constitute a sole person in the eyes of international law.

Article 3

The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states. Even before recognition the state has the right to defend its integrity and independence, to provide for its conservation and prosperity, and consequently to organize itself as it sees fit, to legislate upon its interests, administer its services, and to define the jurisdiction and competence of its courts.

The exercise of these rights has no other limitation than the exercise of the rights of other states according to international law.

Article 4

States are juridically equal, enjoy the same rights, and have equal capacity in their exercise. The rights of each one does not depend upon the power which it possesses to assure its exercise, but upon the simple fact of its existence as a person under international law.

Article 5

The fundamental rights of states are not susceptible of being affected in any manner whatsoever.

Article 6

The recognition of a state merely signifies that the state which recognizes it accepts the personality of the other with all the rights and duties determined by international law. Recognition is unconditional and irrevocable.

Article 7

The recognition of a state may be express or tacit. The latter results from any act which implies the intention of recognizing the new state.

Article 8

No state has the right to intervene in the internal or external affairs of another.

Article 9

The jurisdiction of states within the limits of national territory applies to all the inhabitants.

Nationals and foreigners are under the same protection of the law and the national authorities and the foreigners may not claim rights other or more extensive than those of the nationals.

Article 10

The primary interest of states is the conservation of peace. Differences of any nature which arise between them should be settled by recognized pacific methods.

Article 11

The contracting states definitely establish as the rule of their conduct the precise obligation not to recognize territorial acquisitions or special advantages which have been obtained by force whether this consists in the employment of arms, in threatening diplomatic representations, or in any other effective coercive measure. The territory of a state is inviolable and may not be the object of military occupation nor of other measures of force imposed by another state directly or indirectly or for any motive whatever even temporarily.

Article 12

The present Convention shall not affect obligations previously entered into by the High Contracting Parties by virtue of international agreements.

Article 13

The present Convention shall be ratified by the High Contracting Parties in conformity with their respective constitutional procedures. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uruguay shall transmit authentic certified copies to the governments for the aforementioned purpose of ratification. The instrument of ratification shall be deposited in the archives of the Pan American Union in Washington, which shall notify the signatory governments of said deposit. Such notification shall be considered as an exchange of ratifications.

Article 14

The present Convention will enter into force between the High Contracting Parties in the order in which they deposit their respective ratifications.

Article 15

The present Convention shall remain in force indefinitely but may be denounced by means of one year's notice given to the Pan American Union, which shall transmit it to the other signatory governments. After the expiration of this period the Convention shall cease in its effects as regards the party which denounces but shall remain in effect for the remaining High Contracting Parties.

Article 16

The present Convention shall be open for the adherence and accession of the States which are not signatories. The corresponding instruments shall be deposited in the archives of the Pan American Union which shall communicate them to the other High Contracting Parties.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the following Plenipotentiaries have signed this Convention in Spanish, English, Portuguese and French and hereunto affix their respective seals in the city of Montevideo, Republic of Uruguay, this 26th day of December, 1933.

Reservations

The Delegation of the United States of America, in signing the Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, does so with the express reservation presented to the Plenary Session of the Conference on December 22, 1933, which reservation reads as follows:

The delegates of Brazil and Peru recorded the following private vote with regard to article 11:

Signatories

For Honduras

Miguel PAZ Baraona Augusto C. COELLO Luis BOGRAN For the United States of America

Alexander W. WEDDELL J. Butler WRIGHT For El Salvador

Hector David CASTRO Arturo Ramon AVILA For the Dominican Republic

Tulio M. CESTERO For Haiti

J. BARAU F. SALGADO Edmond MANGONES A. PIERRE-PAUL For Argentina

Carlos SAAVEDRA Lamas Juan F. CAFFERATA Ramon S. CASTILLO I. RUIZ Moreno L. A. PODESTA Costa D. ANTOKOLETZ For Venezuela

Luis CHURTON J. R. MONTILLA For Uruguay

A. MANE José Pedro VARELA Mateo MARQUES Castro Dardo REGULES Sofia Alvarez Vignoli DE DEMICHELI Teofilo PINEYRO Chain Luis A. DE HERRERA Martin R. ECHEGOYEN José G. ANTUNA J. C. BLANCO Pedro MANINI Rios Rodolfo MEZZERA Octavio MORATA Luis MORQUIO José SERRATO For Paraguay

Justo Pastor BENITEZ Maria F. GONZALEZ For Mexico

B. VADILLO M. J. SIERRA Eduardo SUAREZ For Panama

J. D. AROSEMENA Magin PONS Eduardo E. HOLGUIN For Guatemala

M. ARROYO For Brazil

Lucillo A. DA CUNHA Bueno Gilberto AMADO For Ecuador

A. AGUIRRE Aparicio H. ALBORNOZ Antonio PARRA V. C. PUIG V. Arturo SCARONE For Nicaragua

Leonardo ARGUELLO M. CORDERO Reyes Carlos CUADRA Pasos For Colombia

Alfonso LOPEZ Raimundo RIVAS For Chile

Miguel CRUCHAGA J. Ramon GUTIERREZ F. FIGUEROA F. NIETO DEL RIO B. COHEN For Peru

Alfredo SOLE Y MURO For Cuba

Alberto GIRAUDY Herminio PORTELL Vila Ing. NOGUEIRA