Rio De Janeiro Conference
RIO DE JANEIRO CONFERENCE
RIO DE JANEIRO CONFERENCE (15 August–2 September 1947), a meeting of nineteen American republics (Nicaragua and Ecuador did not take part) in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, to discuss regional cooperation in a spirit of Pan-Americanism. Wishing to give permanent form to principles of hemispheric solidarity embodied in the Act of Chapultepec (March 1945), the participating countries signed the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance. The treaty had great significance because it was the first regional collective security agreement as authorized by Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. Each signatory nation agreed to assist in meeting an armed attack against an American country, or in the case of internal instability in an American country (for example, a revolution), the members would immediately meet to decide on what measures should be taken. The importance attached to the conference by the United States was indicated by President Harry S. Truman's journey to Brazil to address the final session.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Green, David. The Containment of Latin America: A History of the Myths and Realities of the Good Neighbor Policy. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1971.
Stuart, Graham H., and James L. Tigner. Latin America and the United States. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1975.
Charles S.Campbell/a. g.
See alsoLatin America, Relations with ; Pan-American Union ; Treaties with Foreign Nations ; United Nations .