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Press Releases, vol. XIX, p. 494
Declaration of
American Principles by the Eighth International Conference of American States,
December 24, 1938
Declaration of American Principles:
WHEREAS
The need for keeping alive the fundamental
principles of relations among nations was never greater than today; and
440
DOCUMENTS
Each state is interested in the preservation
of world order under law, in peace with justice, and in the social and economic
welfare of mankind.
The Governments of the American Republics
resolve
To proclaim, support and recommend, once
again, the following principles, as essential to the achievement of the
aforesaid objectives:
1. The intervention of any state in the
internal or external affairs of another is inadmissible;
2. All differences of international character
should be settled by peaceful means;
3. The use of force as an instrument of
national or international policy is proscribed;
4. Relations between states should be
governed by the precepts of international law;
5. Respect for and the faithful observance of
treaties constitute the indispensable rule for the development of peaceful
relations between, states, and treaties can only be revised by agreement of the
contracting parties;
6. Peaceful collaboration between
representatives of the various states and the development of intellectual
interchange among their peoples is conducive to an understanding by each of the
problems of the other as well as of problems common to all, and makes more
readily possible the peaceful adjustment of international controversies;
7. Economic reconstruction contributes to
national and international well-being, as well as to peace among nations; and
8. International cooperation is a necessary
condition to the maintenance of the aforementioned principles.
LIMA, December
21, 1938.
[Here follow signatures.]