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(a) Any defense treaty or other inter-
national security agreement applied by 
the Government of the United States as 
Administering Authority of the Trust Ter-
ritory of the Pacific Islands as of October 
20, 1986. 
(b) Any defense treaty or other inter-
national security agreement to which the 
Government of the United States is or 
may become a party which it determines 
to be applicable in the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands. Such a determination 
by the Government of the United States 
shall be preceded by appropriate con-
sultation with the Government of the Re-
public of the Marshall Islands. 
Article IV 
Service in Armed Forces of the United States 
Section 341
Any person entitled to the privileges set 
forth in Section 141 (with the exception of any 
person described in section 141(a)(5) who is 
not a citizen of the Republic of the Marshall 
Islands) shall be eligible to volunteer for serv-
ice in the Armed Forces of the United States,
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but shall not be subject to involuntary induc-
tion into military service of the United States 
as long as such person has resided in the 
United States for a period of less than one 
year, provided that no time shall count to-
wards this one year while a person admitted 
to the United States under the Compact, or 
the Compact, as amended, is engaged in full-
time study in the United States. Any person 
described in section 141(a)(5) who is not a cit-
izen of the Republic of the Marshall Islands 
shall be subject to United States laws relating 
to selective service. 
Section 342
The Government of the United States 
shall have enrolled, at any one time, at least 
one qualified student from the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, as may be nominated by the 
Government of the Republic of the Marshall 
Islands, in each of: 
(a) The United States Coast Guard 
Academy pursuant to 14 U.S.C. 195. 
(b) The United States Merchant Ma-
rine Academy pursuant to 46 U.S.C. 
1295(b)(6), provided that the provisions of
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46 U.S.C. 1295b(b)(6)(C) shall not apply to 
the enrollment of students pursuant to 
section 342(b) of this Compact, as amend-
ed. 
Article V 
General Provisions 
Section 351
(a) The Government of the United States 
and the Government of the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands shall continue to maintain a 
Joint Committee empowered to consider dis-
putes arising under the implementation of 
this Title and its related agreements. 
(b) The membership of the Joint Com-
mittee shall comprise selected senior officials 
of the two Governments. The senior United 
States military commander in the Pacific area 
shall be the senior United States member of 
the Joint Committee. For the meetings of the 
Joint Committee, each of the two Govern-
ments may designate additional or alternate 
representatives as appropriate for the subject 
matter under consideration. 
(c) Unless otherwise mutually agreed, the 
Joint Committee shall meet annually at a time
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and place to be designated, after appropriate 
consultation, by the Government of the 
United States. The Joint Committee also shall 
meet promptly upon request of either of its 
members. The Joint Committee shall follow 
such procedures, including the establishment 
of functional subcommittees, as the members 
may from time to time agree. Upon notifica-
tion by the Government of the United States, 
the Joint Committee of the United States and 
the Republic of the Marshall Islands shall 
meet promptly in a combined session with the 
Joint Committee established and maintained 
by the Government of the United States and 
the Government of the Federated States of Mi-
cronesia to consider matters within the juris-
diction of the two Joint Committees. 
(d) Unresolved issues in the Joint Com-
mittee shall be referred to the Governments 
for resolution, and the Government of the Re-
public of the Marshall Islands shall be af-
forded, on an expeditious basis, an oppor-
tunity to raise its concerns with the United 
States Secretary of Defense personally re-
garding any unresolved issue which threatens
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its continued association with the Govern-
ment of the United States. 
Section 352
In the exercise of its authority and re-
sponsibility under Title Three, the Govern-
ment of the United States shall accord due re-
spect to the authority and responsibility of 
the Government of the Republic of the Mar-
shall Islands under Titles One, Two and Four 
and to the responsibility of the Government 
of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to as-
sure the well-being of its people. 
Section 353
(a) The Government of the United States 
shall not include the Government of the Re-
public of the Marshall Islands as a named 
party to a formal declaration of war, without 
that Government’s consent. 
(b) Absent such consent, this Compact, as 
amended, is without prejudice, on the ground 
of belligerence or the existence of a state of 
war, to any claims for damages which are ad-
vanced by the citizens, nationals or Govern-
ment of the Republic of the Marshall Islands,
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which arise out of armed conflict subsequent 
to October 21, 1986, and which are: 
(5) petitions to the Government of the 
United States for redress; or 
(6) claims in any manner against the 
government, citizens, nationals or enti-
ties of any third country.
(c) Petitions under section 353(b)(1) shall 
be treated as if they were made by citizens of 
the United States. 
Section 354
(a) The Government of the United States 
and the Government of the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands are jointly committed to con-
tinue their security and defense relations, as 
set forth in this Title. Accordingly, it is the in-
tention of the two countries that the provi-
sions of this Title shall remain binding as long 
as this Compact, as amended, remains in ef-
fect, and thereafter as mutually agreed, un-
less earlier terminated by mutual agreement 
pursuant to section 441, or amended pursuant 
to Article III of Title Four. If at any time the 
Government of the United States, or the Gov-
ernment of the Republic of the Marshall Is-
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lands, acting unilaterally, terminates this 
Title, such unilateral termination shall be 
considered to be termination of the entire 
Compact, as amended, in which case the pro-
visions of section 442 and 452 (in the case of 
termination by the Government of the United 
States) or sections 443 and 453 (in the case of 
termination by the Government of the Repub-
lic of the Marshall Islands), with the excep-
tion of paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of sec-
tion 452 or paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of 
section 453, as the case may be, shall apply. 
(b) The Government of the United States 
recognizes, in view of the special relationship 
between the Government of the United States 
and the Government of the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, and in view of the existence 
of the separate agreement regarding mutual 
security concluded with the Government of 
the Republic of the Marshall Islands pursuant 
to sections 321 and 323, that, even if this Title 
should terminate, any attack on the Republic 
of the Marshall Islands during the period in 
which such separate agreement is in effect, 
would constitute a threat to the peace and se-
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curity of the entire region and a danger to the 
United States. In the event of such an attack, 
the Government of the United States would 
take action to meet the danger to the United 
States and to the Republic of the Marshall Is-
lands in accordance with its constitutional 
processes. 
(c) As reflected in Article 21(1)(b) of the 
Trust Fund Agreement, the Government of 
the United States and the Government of the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands further rec-
ognize, in view of the special relationship be-
tween their countries, that even if this Title 
should terminate, the Government of Repub-
lic of the Marshall Islands shall refrain from 
actions which the Government of the United 
States determines, after appropriate consulta-
tion with that Government, to be incompat-
ible with its authority and responsibility for 
security and defense matters in or relating to 
the Republic of the Marshall Islands or the 
Federated States of Micronesia.
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TITLE FOUR 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
Article I 
Approval and Effective Date 
Section 411
Pursuant to section 432 of the Compact 
and subject to subsection (e) of section 461 of 
the Compact, as amended, the Compact, as 
amended, shall come into effect upon mutual 
agreement between the Government of the 
United States and the Government of the Re-
public of the Marshall Islands subsequent to 
completion of the following: 
(a) Approval by the Government of 
the Republic of the Marshall Islands in 
accordance with its constitutional proc-
esses. 
(b) Approval by the Government of 
the United States in accordance with its 
constitutional processes. 
Article II 
Conference and Dispute Resolution 
Section 421
The Government of the United States 
shall confer promptly at the request of the
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Government of the Republic of the Marshall 
Islands and that Government shall confer 
promptly at the request of the Government of 
the United States on matters relating to the 
provisions of this Compact, as amended, or of 
its related agreements. 
Section 422
In the event the Government of the 
United States or the Government of the Re-
public of the Marshall Islands, after confer-
ring pursuant to section 421, determines that 
there is a dispute and gives written notice 
thereof, the two Governments shall make a 
good faith effort to resolve the dispute be-
tween themselves. 
Section 423
If a dispute between the Government of 
the United States and the Government of the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands cannot be re-
solved within 90 days of written notification 
in the manner provided in section 422, either 
party to the dispute may refer it to arbitra-
tion in accordance with section 424. 
Section 424
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Should a dispute be referred to arbitra-
tion as provided for in section 423, an Arbitra-
tion Board shall be established for the pur-
pose of hearing the dispute and rendering a 
decision which shall be binding upon the two 
parties to the dispute unless the two parties 
mutually agree that the decision shall be advi-
sory. Arbitration shall occur according to the 
following terms: 
(a) An Arbitration Board shall consist 
of a Chairman and two other members, 
each of whom shall be a citizen of a party 
to the dispute. Each of the two Govern-
ments that is a party to the dispute shall 
appoint one member to the Arbitration 
Board. If either party to the dispute does 
not fulfill the appointment requirements 
of this section within 30 days of referral 
of the dispute to arbitration pursuant to 
section 423, its member on the Arbitra-
tion Board shall be selected from its own 
standing list by the other party to the 
dispute. Each Government shall maintain 
a standing list of 10 candidates. The par-
ties to the dispute shall jointly appoint a
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Chairman within 15 days after selection 
of the other members of the Arbitration 
Board. Failing agreement on a Chairman, 
the Chairman shall be chosen by lot from 
the standing lists of the parties to the dis-
pute within 5 days after such failure. 
(b) Unless otherwise provided in this 
Compact, as amended, or its related 
agreements, the Arbitration Board shall 
have jurisdiction to hear and render its 
final determination on all disputes aris-
ing exclusively under Articles I, II, III, IV 
and V of Title One, Title Two, Title Four, 
and their related agreements. 
(c) Each member of the Arbitration 
Board shall have one vote. Each decision 
of the Arbitration Board shall be reached 
by majority vote. 
(d) In determining any legal issue, the 
Arbitration Board may have reference to 
international law and, in such reference, 
shall apply as guidelines the provisions 
set forth in Article 38 of the Statute of 
the International Court of Justice.
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(e) The Arbitration Board shall adopt 
such rules for its proceedings as it may 
deem appropriate and necessary, but 
such rules shall not contravene the provi-
sions of this Compact, as amended. Un-
less the parties provide otherwise by mu-
tual agreement, the Arbitration Board 
shall endeavor to render its decision 
within 30 days after the conclusion of ar-
guments. The Arbitration Board shall 
make findings of fact and conclusions of 
law and its members may issue dis-
senting or individual opinions. Except as 
may be otherwise decided by the Arbitra-
tion Board, one-half of all costs of the ar-
bitration shall be borne by the Govern-
ment of the United States and the re-
mainder shall be borne by the Govern-
ment of the Republic of the Marshall Is-
lands. 
Article III 
Amendment 
Section 431
The provisions of this Compact, as amend-
ed, may be further amended by mutual agree-
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ment of the Government of the United States 
and the Government of the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, in accordance with their re-
spective constitutional processes. 
Article IV 
Termination 
Section 441
This Compact, as amended, may be termi-
nated by mutual agreement of the Govern-
ment of the Republic of the Marshall Islands 
and the Government of the United States, in 
accordance with their respective constitu-
tional processes. Such mutual termination of 
this Compact, as amended, shall be without 
prejudice to the continued application of sec-
tion 451 of this Compact, as amended, and the 
provisions of the Compact, as amended, set 
forth therein. 
Section 442
Subject to section 452, this Compact, as 
amended, may be terminated by the Govern-
ment of the United States in accordance with 
its constitutional processes. Such termination 
shall be effective on the date specified in the 
notice of termination by the Government of
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the United States but not earlier than six 
months following delivery of such notice. The 
time specified in the notice of termination 
may be extended. Such termination of this 
Compact, as amended, shall be without preju-
dice to the continued application of section 
452 of this Compact, as amended, and the pro-
visions of the Compact, as amended, set forth 
therein. 
Section 443
This Compact, as amended, shall be termi-
nated by the Government of the Republic of 
the Marshall Islands, pursuant to its constitu-
tional processes, subject to section 453 if the 
people represented by that Government vote 
in a plebiscite to terminate the Compact. The 
Government of the Republic of the Marshall 
Islands shall notify the Government of the 
United States of its intention to call such a 
plebiscite, which shall take place not earlier 
than three months after delivery of such no-
tice. The plebiscite shall be administered by 
the Government of the Republic of the Mar-
shall Islands in accordance with its constitu-
tional and legislative processes, but the Gov-
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ernment of the United States may send its 
own observers and invite observers from a 
mutually agreed party. If a majority of the 
valid ballots cast in the plebiscite favors ter-
mination, the Government of the Republic of 
the Marshall Islands shall, upon certification 
of the results of the plebiscite, give notice of 
termination to the Government of the United 
States, such termination to be effective on the 
date specified in such notice but not earlier 
than three months following the date of deliv-
ery of such notice. The time specified in the 
notice of termination may be extended. 
Article V 
Survivability 
Section 451
(a) Should termination occur pursuant to 
section 441, economic and other assistance by 
the Government of the United States shall 
continue only if and as mutually agreed by 
the Governments of the United States and the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands, and in ac-
cordance with the countries’ respective con-
stitutional processes.
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(b) In view of the special relationship of 
the United States and the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, as reflected in subsections 
(b) and (c) of section 354 of this Compact, as 
amended, and the separate agreement en-
tered into consistent with those subsections, 
if termination occurs pursuant to section 441 
prior to the twentieth anniversary of the ef-
fective date of this Compact, as amended, the 
United States shall continue to make con-
tributions to the Trust Fund described in sec-
tion 216 of this Compact, as amended. 
(c) In view of the special relationship of 
the United States and the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands described in subsection (b) 
of this section, if termination occurs pursuant 
to section 441 following the twentieth anni-
versary of the effective date of this Compact, 
as amended, the Republic of the Marshall Is-
lands shall be entitled to receive proceeds 
from the Trust Fund described in section 216 
of this Compact, as amended, in the manner 
described in those provisions and the Trust 
Fund Agreement. 
Section 452
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•HJ 63 RH 
(a) Should termination occur pursuant to 
section 442 prior to the twentieth anniversary 
of the effective date of this Compact, as 
amended, the following provisions of this 
amended Compact shall remain in full force 
and effect until the twentieth anniversary of 
the effective date of this Compact, as amend-
ed, and thereafter as mutually agreed: 
(1) Article VI and sections 172, 173, 
176 and 177 of Title One; 
(2) Article One and sections 232 and 
234 of Title Two; 
(3) Title Three; and 
(4) Articles II, III, V and VI of Title 
Four. 
(b) Should termination occur pursuant to 
section 442 before the twentieth anniversary 
of the effective date of this Compact, as 
amended:
(1) Except as provided in paragraph 
(2) of this subsection and subsection (c) 
of this section, economic and other assist-
ance by the United States shall continue 
only if and as mutually agreed by the
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Governments of the United States and 
the Republic of the Marshall Islands. 
(2) In view of the special relationship 
of the United States and the Republic of 
the Marshall Islands, as reflected in sub-
sections (b) and (c) of section 354 of this 
Compact, as amended, and the separate 
agreement regarding mutual security, 
and the Trust Fund Agreement, the 
United States shall continue to make con-
tributions to the Trust Fund described in 
section 216 of this Compact, as amended, 
in the manner described in the Trust 
Fund Agreement. 
(c) In view of the special relationship of 
the United States and the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, as reflected in subsections 
354(b) and (c) of this Compact, as amended, 
and the separate agreement regarding mutual 
security, and the Trust Fund Agreement, if 
termination occurs pursuant to section 442 
following the twentieth anniversary of the ef-
fective date of this Compact, as amended, the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands shall con-
tinue to be eligible to receive proceeds from
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sections (c) and (d) of this section, these con-
sultations shall determine the level of eco-
nomic and other assistance, if any, which the 
Government of the United States shall pro-
vide to the Government of the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands for the period ending on the 
twentieth anniversary of the effective date of 
this Compact, as amended, and for any period 
thereafter, if mutually agreed. 
(c) In view of the special relationship of 
the United States and the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, as reflected in subsections 
354(b) and (c) of this Compact, as amended, 
and the separate agreement regarding mutual 
security, and the Trust Fund Agreement, if 
termination occurs pursuant to section 443 
prior to the twentieth anniversary of the ef-
fective date of this Compact, as amended, the 
United States shall continue to make con-
tributions to the Trust Fund described in sec-
tion 216 of this Compact, as amended. 
(d) In view of the special relationship of 
the United States and the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, as reflected in subsections 
354(b) and (c) of this Compact, as amended,
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and the separate agreement regarding mutual 
security, and the Trust Fund Agreement, if 
termination occurs pursuant to section 443 
following the twentieth anniversary of the ef-
fective date of this Compact, as amended, the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands shall con-
tinue to be eligible to receive proceeds from 
the Trust Fund described in section 216 of 
this Compact, as amended, in the manner de-
scribed in those provisions and the Trust 
Fund Agreement. 
Section 454
Notwithstanding any other provision of 
this Compact, as amended: 
(a) The Government of the United 
States reaffirms its continuing interest in 
promoting the economic advancement 
and budgetary self-reliance of the people 
of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. 
(b) The separate agreements referred 
to in Article II of Title Three shall remain 
in effect in accordance with their terms. 
Article VI 
Definition of Terms 
Section 461
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For the purpose of this Compact, as 
amended, only, and without prejudice to the 
views of the Government of the United States 
or the Government of the Republic of the Mar-
shall Islands as to the nature and extent of the 
jurisdiction of either of them under inter-
national law, the following terms shall have 
the following meanings: 
(a) ‘‘Trust Territory of the Pacific Is-
lands’’ means the area established in the 
Trusteeship Agreement consisting of the 
former administrative districts of Kosrae, 
Yap, Ponape, the Marshall Islands and 
Truk as described in Title One, Trust Ter-
ritory Code, section 1, in force on Janu-
ary 1, 1979. This term does not include 
the area of Palau or the Northern Mar-
iana Islands. 
(b) ‘‘Trusteeship Agreement’’ means 
the agreement setting forth the terms of 
trusteeship for the Trust Territory of the 
Pacific Islands, approved by the Security 
Council of the United Nations April 2, 
1947, and by the United States July 18,
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1947, entered into force July 18, 1947, 61 
Stat. 3301, T.I.A.S. 1665, 8 U.N.T.S. 189. 
(c) ‘‘The Republic of the Marshall Is-
lands’’ and ‘‘the Federated States of Mi-
cronesia’’ are used in a geographic sense 
and include the land and water areas to 
the outer limits of the territorial sea and 
the air space above such areas as now or 
hereafter recognized by the Government 
of the United States. 
(d) ‘‘Compact’’ means the Compact of 
Free Association Between the United 
States and the Federated States of Micro-
nesia and the Marshall Islands, that was 
approved by the United States Congress 
in section 201 of Public Law 99–239 (Jan. 
14, 1986) and went into effect with re-
spect to the Republic of the Marshall Is-
lands on October 21, 1986. 
(e) ‘‘Compact, as amended’’ means the 
Compact of Free Association Between the 
United States and the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, as amended. The effec-
tive date of the Compact, as amended, 
shall be on a date to be determined by
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the President of the United States, and 
agreed to by the Government of the Re-
public of the Marshall Islands, following 
formal approval of the Compact, as 
amended, in accordance with section 411 
of this Compact, as amended. 
(f) ‘‘Government of the Republic of 
the Marshall Islands’’ means the Govern-
ment established and organized by the 
Constitution of the Republic of the Mar-
shall Islands including all the political 
subdivisions and entities comprising that 
Government. 
(g) ‘‘Government of the Federated 
States of Micronesia’’ means the Govern-
ment established and organized by the 
Constitution of the Federated States of 
Micronesia including all the political sub-
divisions and entities comprising that 
Government. 
(h) The following terms shall be de-
fined consistent with the 1978 Edition of 
the Radio Regulations of the Inter-
national Telecommunications as follows: