INTER-AMERICAN TREATY OF RECIPROCAL ASSISTANCE OF RIO DE JANEIRO (1947)

Abstract

This chapter describes the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance of Rio de Janeiro. The Treaty authorizes the Organ of Consultation to determine those measures of a collective character deemed advisable to meet aggression or the threat of aggression. The Organ of Consultation is a meeting of ministers of foreign affairs or their special delegates of those Organization of American States (OAS) member states that have ratified the treaty. To ensure timely action, the treaty empowers the Permanent Council of the OAS to act provisionally as the Organ of Consultation until the convocation of meeting of ministers of foreign affairs. Article 8 of the Treaty establishes the measures that the Organ of Consultation may apply; these includes the recall of chiefs of diplomatic missions; breaking of diplomatic relations and breaking of consular relations; partial or complete interruption of economic relations or of rail, sea, air, postal, telephonic; radiotelephony or radiotelegraphic communications; and the use of armed force.