What is the Montevideo Convention?
Q: What is the Montevideo Convention?
A: The Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States is a treaty that is now part of customary international law. It was signed at Montevideo, Uruguay, on December 26, 1933.
Q: Who declared the Good Neighbor Policy?
A: The Good Neighbor Policy was declared by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull at the Seventh International Conference of American States.
Q: What are the four criteria for statehood set out in Article 1?
A: Article 1 sets out four criteria for statehood that have sometimes been recognized as an accurate statement of customary international law - permanent population, defined territory, government and capacity to enter into relations with other states.
Q: What does Article 3 say about recognition by other states?
A: The first sentence of article 3 states explicitly that "The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states." This is known as the declarative theory of statehood.
Q: Are there any attempts to broaden the definition of statehood?
A: Some people have attempted make the definition of statehood broader, although they have less support.
Q: How do non-territorial micronations view this requirement in terms of justice?
A: Founders of non-territorial micronations often say that the requirement in the Montevideo Convention for a defined territory is unjust.
