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PROTOCOL OF
AMENDMENTS TO THE CHARTER OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
IN
THE NAME OF THEIR PEOPLES, THE STATES REPRESENTED AT THE SIXTEENTH SPECIAL
SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, MEETING IN WASHINGTON, D.C., HAVE AGREED UPON
THE FOLLOWING
PROTOCOL OF AMENDMENTS
TO THE CHARTER OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
ARTICLE
I
The following new article 9 is being added to Chapter III of the Charter
of the Organization of American States:
Article 9
A Member of the Organization whose democratically constituted government
has been overthrown by force may be suspended from the exercise of the right to
participate in the sessions of the General Assembly, the Meeting of
Consultation, the Councils of the Organization and the Specialized Conferences
as well as in the commissions, working groups and any other bodies established.
a)
The power to suspend shall be exercised only when such diplomatic
initiatives undertaken by the Organization for the purpose of promoting the
restoration of representative democracy in the affected Member State have been
unsuccessful;
b)
The decision to suspend shall be adopted at a special session of the
General Assembly by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Member States;
c)
The suspension shall take effect immediately following its approval by
the General Assembly;
d)
The suspension notwithstanding, the Organization shall endeavor to
undertake additional diplomatic initiatives to contribute to the
re-establishment of representative democracy in the affected Member State;
e)
The Member which has been subject to suspension shall continue to fulfill
its obligations to the Organization;
f)
The General Assembly may lift the suspension by a decision adopted with
the approval of two-thirds of the Member States;
g)
The powers referred to in this article shall be exercised in accordance
with this Charter.
ARTICLE
II
The texts of the following articles of the Charter of the Organization of
American States are amended to read as follows:
Article 2
The Organization of American States, in order to put into practice the
principles on which it is founded and to fulfill its regional obligations under
the Charter of the United Nations, proclaims the following essential purposes:
a)
To strengthen the peace and security of the continent;
b)
To promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for
the principle of nonintervention;
c)
To prevent possible causes of difficulties and to ensure the pacific
settlement of disputes that may arise among the Member States;
d)
To provide for common action on the part of those States in the event of
aggression;
e)
To seek the solution of political, juridical, and economic problems that
may arise among them;
f)
To promote, by cooperative action, their economic, social, and cultural
development;
g)
To eradicate extreme poverty, which constitutes an obstacle to the full
democratic development of the peoples of the hemisphere; and
h)
To achieve an effective limitation of conventional weapons that will make
it possible to devote the largest amount of resources to the economic and social
development of the Member States.
Article 3
The American States reaffirm the following principles:
a)
International law is the standard of conduct of States in their
reciprocal relations;
b)
International order consists essentially of respect for the personality,
sovereignty, and independence of States, and the faithful fulfillment of
obligations derived from treaties and other sources of international law;
c)
Good faith shall govern the relations between States;
d)
The solidarity of the American States and the high aims which are sought
through it require the political organization of those States on the basis of
the effective exercise of representative democracy;
e)
Every State has the right to choose, without external interference, its
political, economic, and social system and to organize itself in the way best
suited to it, and has the duty to abstain from intervening in the affairs of
another State. Subject to the
foregoing, the American States shall cooperate fully among themselves,
independently of the nature of their political, economic, and social systems;
f)
The elimination of extreme poverty is an essential part of the promotion
and consolidation of representative democracy and is the common and shared
responsibility of the American States;
g)
The American States condemn war of aggression:
victory does not give rights;
h)
An act of aggression against one American State is an act of aggression
against all the other American States;
i)
Controversies of an international character arising between two or more
American States shall be settled by peaceful procedures;
j)
Social justice and social security are bases of lasting peace;
k)
Economic cooperation is essential to the common welfare and prosperity of
the peoples of the continent;
l)
The American States proclaim the fundamental rights of the individual
without distinction as to race, nationality, creed, or sex;
m)
The spiritual unity of the continent is based on respect for the cultural
values of the American countries and requires their close cooperation for the
high purposes of civilization;
n)
The education of peoples should be directed toward justice, freedom, and
peace.
Article 33
The Member States agree that equality of opportunity, the elimination of
extreme poverty, equitable distribution of wealth and income and the full
participation of their peoples in decisions relating to their own development
are, among others, basic objectives of integral development. To achieve them, they likewise agree to devote their utmost
efforts to accomplishing the following basic goals:
a)
Substantial and self-sustained increase of per capita national product;
b)
Equitable distribution of national income;
c)
Adequate and equitable systems of taxation;
d)
Modernization of rural life and reforms leading to equitable and
efficient land-tenure systems, increased agricultural productivity, expanded use
of land, diversification of production and improved processing and marketing
systems for agricultural products; and the strengthening and expansion of the
means to attain these ends;
e)
Accelerated and diversified industrialization, especially of capital and
intermediate goods;
f)
Stability of domestic price levels, compatible with sustained economic
development and the attainment of social justice;
g)
Fair wages, employment opportunities, and acceptable working conditions
for all;
h)
Rapid eradication of illiteracy and expansion of educational
opportunities for all;
i)
Protection of man's potential through the extension and application of
modern medical science;
j)
Proper nutrition, especially through the acceleration of national efforts
to increase the production and availability of food;
k)
Adequate housing for all sectors of the population;
l)
Urban conditions that offer the opportunity for a healthful, productive,
and full life;
m)
Promotion of private initiative and investment in harmony with action in
the public sector; and
n)
Expansion and diversification of exports.
Article 116
The General Secretariat shall promote economic, social, juridical,
educational, scientific, and cultural relations among all the Member States of
the Organization, with special emphasis on cooperation for the elimination of
extreme poverty, in keeping with the actions and policies decided upon by the
General Assembly and with the pertinent decisions of the Councils.
ARTICLE
III
The numbering of the articles of the Charter of the Organization of
American States is changed from Article 9, which becomes article 10. Article 10 becomes article 11 and so on, until article 151
which becomes article 152.
ARTICLE IV
The present Protocol shall
remain open for signature by the Member States of the Organization of American
States and shall be ratified in accordance with their respective constitutional
procedures. The original
instrument, the Spanish, English, Portuguese and French texts of which are
equally authentic, shall be deposited with the General Secretariat, which shall
transmit certified copies thereof to the Governments for purposes of
ratification. The instruments of
ratification shall be deposited with the General Secretariat, which shall notify
the signatory Governments of such deposit.
ARTICLE V
The present Protocol shall enter into force among the ratifying States
when two-thirds of the signatory States have deposited their instruments of
ratification. It shall enter into
force with respect to the remaining States in the order in which they deposit
their instruments of ratification.
ARTICLE
VI
The present Protocol will be registered with the Secretariat of the
United Nations through the General Secretariat of the Organization of American
States. IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, duly authorized by their respective governments, subscribe to the present Protocol, which shall be called the "Protocol of Washington" in the city of Washington, D.C., United States of America, on the fourteenth day of December, of the year one thousand nine-hundred ninety-two. |
