Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 117.djvu/2814

 PUBLIC LAW 108–188—DEC. 17, 2003 Signed (May 14, 2003) For the Government of the United States of America:

Signed (May 14, 2003) For the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia:

Ambassador Larry M. Dinger U.S. Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia

117 STAT. 2795

His Excellency Jesse B. Marehalau Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

(b) COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION, AS AMENDED, BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS.—The Compact of Free Association, as amended, between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands is as follows:

48 USC 1921 note.

PREAMBLE THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS Affirming that their Governments and their relationship as Governments are founded upon respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, and that the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands have the right to enjoy self-government; and Affirming the common interests of the United States of America and the Republic of the Marshall Islands in creating and maintaining their close and mutually beneficial relationship through the free and voluntary association of their respective Governments; and Affirming the interest of the Government of the United States in promoting the economic advancement and budgetary self-reliance of the Republic of the Marshall Islands; and Recognizing that their relationship until the entry into force on October 21, 1986 of the Compact was based upon the International Trusteeship System of the United Nations Charter, and in particular Article 76 of the Charter; and that pursuant to Article 76 of the Charter, the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands have progressively developed their institutions of selfgovernment, and that in the exercise of their sovereign right to self-determination they, through their freely-expressed wishes, have adopted a Constitution appropriate to their particular circumstances; and Recognizing that the Compact reflected their common desire to terminate the Trusteeship and establish a government-to-government relationship which was in accordance with the new political status based on the freely expressed wishes of the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and appropriate to their particular circumstances; and Recognizing that the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands have and retain their sovereignty and their sovereign right to self-determination and the inherent right to adopt and amend their own Constitution and form of government and that the approval of the entry of the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands into the Compact by the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands constituted an exercise of their sovereign right to self-determination; and Recognizing the common desire of the people of the United States and the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands

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