Document: The Security Treaty between
Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America (the ANZUS
Treaty) (the Treaty entered into force on 29 April 1952)
Source [link within this page]:
Roger Holdich, Vivianne Johnson, and Pamela
Andre (eds.), Documents on Australian Foreign Policy: The ANZUS
Treaty, 1951 (Canberra, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
2001), pp. 242-4.
Comments:
The ANZUS Treaty was loosely modelled on the North Atlantic
Treaty of March 1949. But the US commitment to support Australia and
New Zealand under Article IV of the ANZUS Treaty falls short of the
commitment to defend the countries of Western European under Article
5 of the NATO Treaty, which states: “The Parties agree that an
armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America
shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they
agree that if such an armed attack occurs each of them in exercise of
the right of individual or collective self defence recognised by Article
51 of the Charter of the United Nations will assist the Party or Parties
so attacked by taking forthwith individually and in concert with the
other Parties such action as it deems necessary including the use of
armed force to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic
area.”
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NOTING that the United States already
has arrangements pursuant to which its armed forces are stationed in
the Philippines, and has armed forces and administrative responsibilities
in the Ryukyus, and upon the coming into force of the Japanese Peace
Treaty may also station armed forces in and about Japan to assist in
the preservation of peace and security in the Japan area,
RECOGNIZING that Australia and New Zealand as members
of the British Commonwealth of Nations have military obligations outside
as well as within the Pacific Area,
DESIRING to declare publicly and formally their sense
of unity, so that no potential aggressor could be under the illusion
that any of them stand alone in the Pacific Area, and
DESIRING further to co-ordinate their efforts for collective
defence for the preservation of peace and security pending the development
of a more comprehensive system of regional security in the Pacific Area,
THEREFORE DECLARE and agree as follows:
Article I
The Parties undertake, as set forth in the Charter of
the United Nations, to settle any international disputes in which they
may be involved by peaceful means in such a manner that international
peace and security and justice are not endangered and to refrain in
their international relations from the threat or use of force in any
manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.
Article II
In order more effectively to achieve the objective of
this Treaty the Parties separately and jointly by means of continuous
and effective self-help and mutual aid will maintain and develop their
individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack.
Article III
The Parties will consult together whenever in the opinion
of any of them the territorial integrity, political independence of
security of any of the Parties is threatened in the Pacific.
Article IV
Each Party recognises that an armed attack in the Pacific
area on any of the Parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety
and declares that it would act to meet the common danger in accordance
with its constitutional processes.
Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result
thereof shall be immediately reported to the Security Council of the
United Nations. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security
Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international
peace and security.
Article V
For the purpose of Article IV, an armed attack on any
of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack on the metropolitan
territory of any of the Parties, or on the island territories under
its jurisdiction in the Pacific or on its armed forces, public vessels
or aircraft in the Pacific.
Article VI
This Treaty does not affect and shall not be interpreted
as affecting in any way the rights and obligations of the parties under
the Charter of the United Nations or the responsibility of the United
Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security.
Article VII
The Parties hereby establish a Council consisting of their
Foreign Ministers or their deputies to consider matters concerning the
implementation of this Treaty. The Council should be so organised as
to be able to meet at any time.
Article VIII
Pending the development of a more comprehensive system
of regional security in the Pacific area and the development by the
United Nations of more effective means to maintain international peace
and security, the Council established by Article VII is authorised to
maintain a consultative relationship with states, regional organisations,
associations of states, or other authorities in the Pacific Area in
a position to further the purpose of this Treaty and to contribute to
the security of that area.
Article IX
This Treaty shall be ratified by the Parties in accordance
with their respective constitutional processes. The instruments of ratification
shall be deposited as soon as possible with the Government of Australia,
which will notify each of the other signatories of such deposit. The
Treaty shall enter into force as soon as the ratifications of the signatories
have been deposited.
Article X
This Treaty shall remain in force indefinitely. Any Party
may cease to be a member of the Council established by Article VII one
year after notice has been given to the Government of Australia, which
will inform the Governments of the other Parties of the deposit of such
notice.
Article XI
This treaty in the English language shall be deposited
in the archives of the Government of Australia. Duly certified copies
thereof will be transmitted by that Government to the Governments of
each of the other signatories.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned Plenipotentiaries have
signed this Treaty.
DONE at San Francisco this First day of September, 1951.