oF

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
OF
THE COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION
AND
DESCRIPTION OF ITS TERMS

The Compact of Free Association is divided into a preamble
and four titles:
Governmental Relations; Economic Relations;
Security and Defense Relations; and General Provisions.

PREAMBLE
The Preamble states that the relationship which will exist

between the United States and the three states emergent from the

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands is "Free Association."

The Preamble recognizes that the agreement is concluded on a
government-to-government basis; that the peoples of the Trust
Territory have and retain their sovereignty and their sovereign
right to self-determination; that the Freely Associated States
(FAS) are self-governing under their own constitutions; and that
the political and legal relationship between the FAS and the

United States is fully described and governed by the Compact.
The
Preamble recognizes the competence of the constitutional governments with the Trust Territory to enter into the Compact and
supports the legitimacy of the new political status as consistent
with the goals of the United Nations trusteeship system and
consequently as a basis for termination of the Trusteeship.
TITLE ONE
GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
Article I,

Self-Government

Section lll.
This section recognizes that the peoples of the FAS,
acting through their constitutional governments, are self-governing.
This recognition is the foundation of the government-togovernment agreement and is consistent with the international
political status of free association.
Article II, Foreign Affairs
Section 121.
The United States, in this section, recognizes the
capacity of the FAS to conduct foreign affairs in their own name
and right.
This includes the capacity to enter into treaties and

other international agreements with other governments or international organizations, as appropriate.

This recognition of foreign

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