IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 430 
Expressing the sense of Congress that the policy (popularly known as the 
‘‘Stimson Doctrine’’) of the United States of not recognizing territorial 
changes effected by force, should continue to be the guiding foreign 
policy of the United States in diplomatic discourse. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 25, 2008 
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress that the policy (popularly 
known as the ‘‘Stimson Doctrine’’) of the United States 
of not recognizing territorial changes effected by force, 
should continue to be the guiding foreign policy of the 
United States in diplomatic discourse. 
Whereas the former Secretary of State, Henry Stimson, de-
clared in 1932 that the United States would not recog-
nize territorial changes effected by force following the sei-
zure of Manchuria by Japan; 
Whereas this doctrine of non-recognition became known as 
the Stimson Doctrine; 
Whereas the United States properly applied the doctrine of 
non-recognition in 1940 to the countries of Estonia, Lat-
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•HCON 430 IH 
via, and Lithuania and every Presidential administration 
of the United States honored this doctrine until inde-
pendence was restored to those countries in 1991; 
Whereas article 2, paragraph 4 of the Charter of the United 
Nations demonstrates a wider application of the Stimson 
Doctrine, stating that ‘‘All Members shall refrain in their 
international relations from the threat or use of force 
against the territorial integrity or political independence 
of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with 
the Purposes of the United Nations.’’; 
Whereas principle III of the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 
states that ‘‘The participating States regard as inviolable 
all one another’s frontiers as well as the frontiers of all 
States in Europe and therefore they will refrain now and 
in the future from assaulting these frontiers.’’; 
Whereas principle IV of the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 states 
that ‘‘The participating States will respect the territorial 
integrity of each of the participating States. Accordingly, 
they will refrain from any action inconsistent with the 
purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Na-
tions against the territorial integrity, political independ-
ence or the unity of any participating State, and in par-
ticular from any such action constituting a threat or use 
of force.’’; and 
Whereas the principles of inviolability of borders and terri-
torial integrity in the purposes and principles of the 
Charter of the United Nations serve to preserve political 
stability among countries while still protecting the legiti-
mate aspirations of the peoples of the world: Now, there-
fore, be it 
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•HCON 430 IH 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) reaffirms the continued validity and appro-
priateness of the principles of inviolability of the 
borders and territorial integrity of countries as a 
vital instrument of the foreign policy of the United 
States (popularly known as the ‘‘Stimson Doc-
trine’’); 
(2) calls upon the President to declare un-
equivocally that the United States does not, and will 
not, recognize territorial changes effected by force 
alone; 
(3) calls upon the countries of the world to 
strive to preserve the principles of inviolability of 
borders and territorial integrity as a means of pre-
serving political stability among countries while still 
protecting the legitimate aspirations of the peoples 
of the world; 
(4) condemns the violation of the principle of 
territorial integrity that occurred during August and 
September of 2008, as a result of Russia’s armed in-
cursion into the sovereign country of Georgia; and 
(5) urges Russia to withdraw its recognition of 
South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent coun-
tries and to refrain from acts and policies that un-
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dermine the principle of inviolability of borders and 
territorial integrity. 
Æ 
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