Department for the Promotion of Peace

OAS Peace FundOAS | Organization of American States

A

AGGRESSION:

The Protocol of Amendment to the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty), Article I, art. 9, defines aggression as the use of armed force by a State against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations, the Charter of the Organization of American States or the Rio Treaty.
http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/treaties/b-29(1).html


ARBITRATION:

Dispute settlement mechanism, whereby the contending parties refer a controversy to an external entity, which normally takes the form of an ad hoc tribunal, for final and binding decision. The disputants define by agreement the issues to be arbitrated, the method for selecting arbitrators and the procedural process. Pursuant to article XXXV of the American Treaty on Pacific Settlement (Pact of Bogotá), if the International Court of Justice declares itself to be without jurisdiction to hear and adjudge a controversy between signatories of the Pact, the Parties obligate themselves to submit it to arbitration.

D

DEMOBILIZATION, DISARMAMENT, AND REINTEGRATION (DDR):

The objective of the DDR process is to contribute to security and stability in post-conflict environments so that recovery and development can begin. DDR helps create an enabling environment for political and peace processes by dealing with security problem that arises when ex-combatants are trying to adjust to normal life, during the vital transition period from conflict to peace and development. (www.un.org/peacekeeping/issues/ddr) See also Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration.

DEMOBILIZATION:

Is the formal and controlled discharge of active combatants from armed forces and groups, including a phase of “reinsertion” which provides short-term assistance to ex-combatants. (www.un.org/peacekeeping/issues/ddr)

DIPLOMATIC ASYLUM:

Article 1 of the Convention on Diplomatic Asylum defines diplomatic asylum as: “Asylum granted in legations, war vessels, and military camps or aircraft, to persons being sought for political reasons or for political offenses shall be respected by the territorial State In accordance with the provisions of this Convention. For the purposes of this Convention, a legation is any seat of a regular diplomatic mission, the residence of chiefs of mission, and the premises provided by them for the dwelling places of asylees when the number of the latter exceeds the normal capacity of the buildings. War vessels or military aircraft that may be temporarily in shipyards, arsenals, or shops for repair may not constitute a place of asylum.”

DISARMAMENT:

is the collection, documentation, control and disposal of small arms, ammunition, explosives and light and heavy weapons from combatants and often from the civilian population. (www.un.org/peacekeeping/issues/ddr)

G

GOOD OFFICES:

According to the American Treaty on Pacific Settlement (Pact of Bogotá), articles IX and X, the procedure of good offices consists in the attempt by one or more American Governments not parties to the controversy, or by one or more eminent citizens of any American State which is not a party to the controversy to bring the parties together, so as to make it possible for them to reach an adequate solution between themselves. Once the parties have been brought together and have resumed direct negotiations, no further action is to be taken by the states or citizens that have offered their good offices or have accepted an invitation to offer them; they may, however, by agreement between the parties, be present at the negotiations.

(http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/treaties/a-42.html)

I

INVESTIGATION AND CONCILIATION:

Pursuant to article XV of the American Treaty on Pacific Settlement (Pact of Bogotá), the procedure of investigation and conciliation consists in the submission of the controversy to a Commission of Investigation and Conciliation, which shall be established in accordance with the provisions established in that same treaty and shall function within the limitations there prescribed.

(http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/treaties/a-42.html)

M

MEDIATION:

As defined by the American Treaty on Pacific Settlement (Pact of Bogotá), article XI, the procedure of mediation consists in the submission of the controversy to one or more eminent citizens of any American State not a party to the controversy.
http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/treaties/a-42.html

MEDIATOR:

Pursuant to articles XI and XII of the American Treaty on Pacific Settlement (Pact of Bogotá), a mediator is an eminent citizen of any American State, not party to the controversy, chosen by mutual agreement between the parties. The mediator’s function is to assist the parties in the settlement of controversies in the simplest and most direct manner, avoiding formalities and seeking an acceptable solution. No report shall be made by the mediator and, so far he is concerned, the proceedings shall be wholly confidential.
http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/treaties/a-42.html

P

POLITICAL ASYLUM:

Article 3 of the Convention of Political Asylum defines political asylum as “an institution of humanitarian character, is not subject to reciprocity. Any man may resort to its protection, whatever his nationality, without prejudice to the obligations accepted by the State to which he belongs; however, the States that do not recognize political asylum, except with limitations and peculiarities, can exercise it in foreign countries only in the manner and within the limits recognized by said countries.

T

TERRITORIAL ASYLUM:

Article 1 of the Convention on Territorial Asylum states: “Every State has the right, in the exercise of its sovereignty, to admit into its territory such persons as it deems advisable, without, through the exercise of this right, giving rise to complaint by any other State.”

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