...Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, signed at Rio de Janeiro on 2 September l947, the HighContracting Parties "agree that an armed attack by any State against...of the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence recognized by Article 5 l of the Charter of the United Nations"; and under paragraph 2...

...that, in the event of an armed attack against a member of NATO, each other member "in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith individually and in...

...an attack on any party to the Treaty as an attack on all NATO members, is explicitly built upon the right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the UN Charter. Similarly, NATO members have agreed to uphold and support the principles of the Organization...

...all."13 The treaty further provides that, in the event of an attack, the member states may exercise the right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the UN Charter and assist the country or countries attacked by taking "such action as it deems necessary,...

...before referring it to the General Assembly or the Security Council of the United Nations. Article 3. 1. The High Contracting Parties agree that an armed attack...self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. 2. On the request of the State or States directly attacked and until the decision of...

...Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance." The basic principle is spelt out in Article 3(1): The High Contracting Parties agree that an armed attack...self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations.34 When an armed attack occurs, Article 3(2) permits response on two levels: (i) at...

...<http://www.nato.int/docu/speech/2001/s011002a.htmhttp://www.nato.int/ docu/speech/2001/sOl 1002a.htm>. 34 "The High Contracting Parties agree that an armed...self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations." Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, Sept. 2, 1947, art. 3.1, 62 Stat....

...North Atlantic Treaty of 1949. The basic purpose of the Rio Treaty, stated in Article 3, is that 'an attack by any State against an American State shall...as an attack against all the American States,' and that each of the Contracting Parties undertakes to assist in meeting the attack in the inherent right...

...and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and...

...considered an attack against them all." In the event of an attack, member states could exercise the right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the UN Charter and assist the country or countries attacked by taking "such action as it deems necessary,...