Declaration of the Presidents of the American Republics in Panama

Panama City, Panama

WE, THE PRESIDENTS OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLICS

Commemorating in the historic city of Panama the Assembly of Plenipotentiaries of the American States of 1826, convoked by the Liberator Simón Bolívar, which constituted the first collective manifestation of Pan Americanism; and recognizing the continuing validity of the ideals which inspired the precursors of continental solidarity, subscribe to the following Declaration:

1. The destiny of America is to create a civilization that will give tangible meaning to the concept of human liberty, to the principle that the State is the servant of man and not his master, to the faith that man will reach ever greater heights in his spiritual and material development, and to the proposition that all nations can live together in peace and dignity.

2. The full realization of the destiny of America is inseparable from the economic and social development of its peoples and therefore makes necessary the intensification of national and inter-American cooperative efforts to seek the solution of economic problems and to raise the standards of living of the Continent.

3. The accomplishments of the Organization of American States, an assurance of peace among the Member States and of security for the Continent, demonstrate how much can be achieved in the various fields of international endeavor through a loyal cooperation among sovereign nations, and move us to strengthen the inter-American organizations and their activities.

4. In a world in which the dignity of the individual, his fundamental rights and the spiritual values of mankind are seriously threatened by totalitarian forces, alien to the tradition of our peoples and their institutions, America holds steadfastly to its historic mission: to be a bulwark of human liberty and national independence.

5. An America united, strong and benevolent will not only promote the well-being of the Continent but contribute toward achieving for the whole world the benefits of a peace based on justice and freedom, in which all peoples, without distinction as to race or creed, can work with dignity and with confidence in the future.

Signed in the City of Panama this twenty-second day of July, nineteen hundred and fifty-six.