To save succeeding generations from the scourge of intra-galactic war which has brought untold horror and suffering to our planetary social systems, and
To reaffirm faith in the fundamental intelligent life-form rights, in the dignity and worth of the intelligent life-form person, to the equal rights of male and female and of planetary social systems large and small, and
To establish conditions under which justice and mutual respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of interplanetary law can be maintained, and
To promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
To practice benevolent tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors, and
To unite our strength to maintain intra-galactic peace and security, and
To ensure by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods that armed force shall not be used except in the common defense, and
To employ intra-galactic machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all intelligent life-forms,
The purposes of the United Federation of Planets are:
The Federation and its members, in pursuit of the purposes stated, shall act in accordance with the following principles:
The original members of the United Federation of Planets shall be those planetary social systems which, having participated in the interplanetary conference on interplanetary Federation at Babel, or having previously signed the declaration of the United Federation of Planets of stardate 0963, sign these articles of Federation and ratify them in accordance with Article 110.
The Supreme Assembly may suspend the rights and privileges of membership of any member of the united Federation against which the Federation council has taken preventive or enforcement action. The Federation council may restore these rights and privileges of membership at its discretion.
Any member of the united Federation which has persistently violated the purposes contained in these articles of Federation may be expelled from the Federation by the Supreme Assembly upon the recommendation of the Federation council.
The United Federation shall place no restriction on the eligibility of male and female life-forms or any member planetary social system to participate in any capacity under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary agencies.
The Supreme Assembly shall consist of all the members of the United Federation of Planets. Each member shall be entitled to have not more than five (5) representatives in this body;
The Supreme Assembly may discuss any questions on any matters within the scope of these articles of Federation or relating to the powers and functions of any agencies provided for in these articles of Federation and, except as provided in Article 12, may make recommendations to the members and the Federation Council or both on any such questions or matters;
Subject to the provisions of Article 12, the Supreme Assembly may recommend measures for the peaceful adjustment of any situation, regardless of origin, which it deems likely to impair the general welfare or friendly relations among the planets, including situations resulting from violations of the provisions of these articles of Federation setting forth the purposes and principles of the United Federation of Planets;
The Supreme Assembly shall perform such functions of intra-galactic trusteeship as are assigned to it under Chapters XII and XIII, including the approval of the trusteeship agreements for areas which are not designated as strategic;
A member of the united Federation which is in arrears in the payment of its financial obligations to the Federation shall have no vote in the supreme assembly if the amount it is in arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two accounting periods. The supreme assembly may, nevertheless, permit such a member to vote if it is satisfied that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the member.
The Supreme Assembly shall meet in regular periodic sessions and in such special sessions as occasion may require. Special sessions shall be convoked by the Supreme-Secretariat at the request of the Federation Council or of a majority of the members of the united Federation;
The Supreme Assembly shall adopt its own rules of procedure. It shall elect its president for each session;
The Supreme Assembly may establish such subsidiary agencies as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions.
The members of the United Federation agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Federation Council in accordance with these articles of Federation;
In order to promote the establishment and maintenance of interplanetary peace and security with the least diversion of the Federation's life-forms, and economic resources for armaments, the Federation Council shall be responsible for formulating, with the assistance of Star Fleet Headquarters staff referred to in Article 47, plans to be submitted to the members of the United Federation for the establishment of a system for the regulation of armaments;
The Federation Council may establish such subsidiary agencies as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions;
The Federation Council shall adopt its own rules of procedure, including the method of selecting its governor;
Any member of the United Federation which is not a member of the Federation council may participate, without vote, in the discussion of any question brought before the Federation Council whenever the latter considers that the interests of the member are specifically affected;
Any member of the United Federation which is not a member of the Federation council or any planetary social system which is not a member of the United Federation of Planets, if it is a party to a dispute under consideration by the Federation Council, shall be invited to participate, without vote, in the discussion relating to the dispute. The Federation Council shall lay down the conditions as it deems just for the participation of a planetary social system which is not a member of the United Federation of Planets.
The Federation Council may investigate any dispute, or any situation that might lead to interplanetary friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuance of the dispute or situation is likely to endanger the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security;
Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 33 to 37, the Federation council may, if all the parties to any dispute so request, make recommendations to the parties with a view to a pacific settlement of the dispute.
The Federation Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations to maintain or restore interplanetary peace and security;
In order to prevent aggravation of the situation, the Federation Council may call upon the parties concerned to comply with such provisional measures as it deems necessary or desirable. Such provisional measures shall be without prejudice to the rights, claims, or position of the parties concerned. The Federation Council shall take into account any failure to comply with such provisional measures;
The Federation Council may decide what measures short of the use of armed force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and may call upon the members of the United Federation to apply such measures. These may include partial or complete interruption of economic relations, inter-planet radio and space travel, and severance of diplomatic relations;
Should the Federation Council consider that measures under Article 41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take such action by armed force as necessary to maintain or restore interplanetary peace and security. Such action may include demonstrations, blockades, and other operations by Star Fleet combined peace-keeping forces;
All members of the United Federation in obligation to the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security, agree to make available to Star Fleet, on call of the Federation Council, armed forces, assistance and facilities, including rights of passage, necessary for the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security;
When the Federation Council has decided to use force it shall, before calling upon a member not represented on it to provide armed forces in fulfillment of obligations assumed under Article 43, invite that member to participate in the decision of the Federation Council relating to the employment of contingents of the member's armed forces;
In order to enable the United Federation to take urgent military measures, all members so capable, shall assign contingents of their armed forces to Star Fleet to be employed as a single peace-keeping force of the United Federation of Planets. All contingents so assigned, and for the duration of their assignment, shall hold full faith and loyalty to the United Federation of Planets and the protection of the purposes and principles of these articles of Federation;
Plans for the application of Star Fleet armed forces shall be made by the Federation Council with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee of Star Fleet Headquarters;
The action required to carry out decisions of the Federation Council for the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security shall be taken by Star Fleet, using such contingents as appropriate to the specific action;
The members of the United Federation shall join in affording mutual assistance in carrying out the measures decided upon by the Federation Council and in assisting Star Fleet in the performance of its duties and obligations;
If preventive or enforcement measures against any planet are taken by the Federation Council, any other planet, whether a member of the United Federation or not, which finds itself confronted with special economic problems arising from the carrying out of these measures shall have the right to consult with the Federation Council with regard to the solution of its problems;
Nothing in these articles of Federation shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense against armed attacks occurring to members of the United Federation, until the Federation Council has taken measures necessary to maintain interplanetary peace and security, and Star Fleet forces can be brought into action. Such actions taken by members of the United Federation in their self-defense shall be immediately reported to the Federation council.
With a view to creating conditions of stability and well-being which are necessary for peaceful relations among planetary social systems based on respect for the principles of equal rights and self-determination of all intelligent life-forms, the United Federation of Planets shall promote:
B) solution of interplanetary economic, social, health, and related problems; and interplanetary cultural and educational cooperation; and
C) universal respect for, and observance of, intelligent life-form rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to culture, sex, language, or religion;
All members pledge themselves to take joint and separate action in cooperation with the United Federation for the achievement of the purposes and goals set forth in Article 55;
The United Federation shall make recommendations for the coordination of the policies and activities of the specialized agencies;
The United Federation shall, where appropriate, initiate negotiations among its members concerned for the creation of any new specialized agencies required for the accomplishment of the purposes set forth in Article 55;
Responsibility for the discharge of the functions of the United Federation as set forth in this Chapter shall be vested in the Supreme Assembly and, under the authority of the Supreme Assembly, in the economic and social council which shall have for this purpose the powers set forth in Chapter X.
The economic and social council may take appropriate steps to obtain reports from the specialized agencies. It may make arrangements with the members of the United Federation and with the specialized agencies to obtain reports on the steps taken to give effect to its own recommendations and to recommendations on matters falling within its competence by the Supreme Assembly;
The economic and social council may furnish information to the Federation council and shall assist the Federation Council upon its request;
The economic and social council shall set up commissions in economic and social fields and for the promotion of intelligent life-form rights, and such other commissions as may be required for the performance of its functions;
The economic and social council shall invite any member of the United Federation to participate, without vote, in its deliberations on any matter of particular concern to that member;
The economic and social council may make arrangements for representatives of the specialized agencies to participate, without vote, in its deliberations and in those commissions established by it, and for its representatives to participate in the deliberations of the specialized agencies;
The economic and social council may make suitable arrangements for consultation with non-governmental and intra-planet organizations which are concerned with matters within its competence. Such arrangements may be made with planetary organizations after consultation with members of the United Federation concerned;
Members of the United Federation which have assumed responsibilities for the administration of regions whose intelligent life-forms have not yet attained a full measure of self-government recognize the principle that the interests of the inhabitants of these regions are paramount, and accept as a sacred trust the obligation to promote to the utmost, within the system of interplanetary peace and security established by these articles of Federation, the well-being of the inhabitants of these regions, and, to this end:
B) to develop self-government, to take due account of the political aspirations of the intelligent life-forms, and to assist them in the progressive development of their free political institutions, according to the particular circumstances of each region and its intelligent life-forms and their varying stages of advancement;
C) to further interplanetary peace and security;
D) to promote constructive measures of development, to encourage research, and to cooperate with one-another and, when and where appropriate, with specialized interplanetary bodies with a view to the practical achievement of the social, economic, and scientific purposes set forth in this Article; and
E) to transmit regularly to the Supreme-Secretariat for information purposes, subject to such limitations as security and statutory considerations may require, statistical and other information of a technical nature relating to economic, social, and educational conditions in the regions for which they are respectively responsible other than those regions to which Chapters XII and XIII apply;
Members of the United Federation also agree that their policy in respect of the regions to which this Chapter applies, no less than in respect of their metropolitan areas, must be based on the general principle of good-neighborliness, due account being taken of the interests and well-being of the rest of the Federation territory in social, economic, and commercial matters.
The United Federation shall establish under its authority an interplanetary trusteeship system for the administration and supervision of such regions as may be placed thereunder by subsequent individual agreements. These regions are hereinafter referred to as trust regions;
The basic objectives of the trusteeship system, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Federation as laid down in these Articles of Federation, shall be:
B) to promote the political, economic, social, and educational advancements of the inhabitants of the trust regions, and their progressive development towards self-government or independence as may be appropriate to the particular circumstances of each region and its intelligent life-forms concerned, and as may be provided by the terms of the trusteeship agreement;
C) to encourage respect for intelligent life-form rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to culture, sex, language, or religion, and to encourage recognition of the inter-dependence of the intelligent life-forms of the galaxy; and
D) to ensure equal treatment in social, economic, and commercial matters for all members of the United Federation and their nationals, and also equal treatment for the latter in the administration of justice, without prejudice to the adjustment of foregoing objectives and subject to the provisions or Article 80;
B) regions which may be detached from alien social systems as a result of interplanetary war; and
C) regions voluntarily placed under the trusteeship system by social systems responsible for their administration;
The trusteeship system shall not apply to regions which have become members of the United Federation of Planets, relationship among which shall be based on the respect for the principle of sovereign equality;
The terms of trusteeship for each region to be placed under the trusteeship system, including any alteration or amendment, shall be agreed upon by the social systems directly concerned, including the mandatory power in the case of regions held under mandate by a member of the United Federation, and shall be approved as provided for in Articles 83 and 85;
The trusteeship agreement shall in each case include the terms under which the trust region will be administered and designate the authority which will be exercising the administration of the trust region. Such authority, hereinafter called the administering authority, may be one or more social systems of the United Federation itself;
There may be designated, in the trusteeship agreement, a strategic area or areas which may include part or all of the trust region to which the agreement applies, without prejudice to any special agreement or agreements made under Article 43;
It shall be the duty of the administering authority to ensure that the trust region shall play its part in the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security. To this end the administering authority may make use of volunteer forces, facilities, and assistance from the trust region in carrying out the obligations towards the Federation Council undertaken in this regard by the administering authority, as well as for the local defense and the maintenance of law and order within the trust region;
B) such of those members mentioned by name in Article 23 as are not administering trust regions; and
C) as many other members elected for three (3) session periods by the Supreme Assembly as may be necessary to ensure that the total number of members of the trusteeship council is equally divided between those members of the United Federation which administer trust regions and those which do not;
The Supreme Assembly and, under its authority, the trusteeship council, in carrying out their functions, may:
B) accept petitions and examine them in consultation with the administering authority;
C) provide for periodic visits to the respective trust regions at times agreed upon with the administering authority; and
D) take these and other actions in conformity with the terms of the trusteeship agreements;
The trusteeship council shall formulate a questionnaire on the political, economic, social, and educational advancement of the inhabitants of each trust region, and the administering authority for each trust region within the competence of the Supreme Assembly shall make a periodic report to the supreme assembly upon the basis of such questionnaire;
The trusteeship council shall, when appropriate, avail itself of the assistance of the economic and social council and of the specialized agencies in regard to matters with which they are respectively concerned.
The interplanetary supreme court of justice shall be the principle judicial instrument of the United Federation of Planets. It shall function in accordance with the appended statute, which is based upon the statute of the Tribunals of Alpha III, and forms an integral part of these Articles of Federation;
Nothing in these articles of Federation shall prevent members of the United Federation of Planets from entrusting the solution of their differences to other tribunals by virtue of agreements already in existence or which may be concluded in the future;
The Secretariat shall be comprised of a Supreme-Secretariat and such staff as the United Federation may require. The Supreme-Secretariat shall be appointed by the Supreme Assembly upon the recommendation of the Federation Council, and shall be the chief administrative officer of the United Federation;
The Supreme-Secretariat shall act in that capacity in all meetings of the Supreme Assembly, of the Federation Council, of the economic and social council, and of the trusteeship council, and shall perform such other functions as are entrusted to the Secretariat by these bodies. The Supreme-Secretariat shall make a periodic report to the Supreme Assembly on the work of the United Federation of Planets;
The Supreme-Secretariat may bring to the attention of the Federation Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of interplanetary please and security;
In the event of a conflict between the obligations of the members of the United Federation under these articles of Federation and their obligations under any other interplanetary agreement, their obligations under these articles of Federation shall prevail;
The United Federation shall enjoy in the territory of each of its members such legal capacity as may be necessary for the exercise of its functions and the fulfillment of its purposes;
Amendments to these articles of Federation shall come into force for all members of the United Federation when they have been adopted by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members of the Supreme Assembly and ratified in accordance with their respective statutory processes by two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the United Federation, including all the permanent members of the Federation Council;
These Articles of Federation, of which the various language texts are equally authentic, upon the coming into full force of the United Federation of Planets, shall be transferred by the United Nations to the organization for permanent deposit in its archives. Duly certified copies thereof shall be transmitted by the Supreme-Secretariat to the governments of all the signatory social systems.
Done at the planet Babel, Stardate 0965 (Standard year 2161)
(Followed by the signature sheets of the original signatory governments)