Drago-Porter Convention 1907

an international convention prohibiting the recourse to armed force for the recovery of contract debts claimed from the government of one state by another government on behalf of its nationals. The convention was adopted by the Second International Hague Conference on Oct. 18, 1907. The convention is based on the Drago Doctrine (1902) and the proposals of the US representative H. Porter. The Drago-Porter convention does not apply in certain cases, namely, if the debtor state refuses to accept an offer of arbitration; if it accepts the offer but prevents any compromise being reached; or if, after an arbitration hearing, it refuses to carry out the decision.

The Drago-Porter Convention was ratified by 17 states from 1909 to 1911: Austria-Hungary, Denmark, El Salvador, Germany, Great Britain, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, and the USA (all on Nov. 27, 1909), Nicaragua (Dec. 16, 1909), China (Jan. 15, 1910), Haiti (Feb. 2, 1910), France (Oct. 7, 1910), Norway (Nov. 19, 1910), Guatemala (Mar. 15, 1911), Portugal (Apr. 13, 1911), and Panama (Nov. 11, 1911).