CHAPTER IV
SUSPENSION OF GUARANTEES, INTERPRETATION, AND APPLICATION
Article 27. Suspension of Guarantees
1. In time of war, public danger, or other emergency that threatens the independence or
security of a State Party, it may take measures derogating from its obligations under the
present Convention to the extent and for the period of time strictly required by the exigencies
of the situation, provided that such measures are not inconsistent with its other obligations
under international law and do not involve discrimination on the ground of race, color, sex,
language, religion, or social origin.
2. The foregoing provision does not authorize any suspension of the following articles: Article
3 (Right to Juridical Personality), Article 4 (Right to Life), Article 5 (Right to Humane
Treatment), Article 6 (Freedom from Slavery), Article 9 (Freedom from Ex Post Facto Laws),
Article 12 (Freedom of Conscience and Religion), Article 17 (Rights of the Family), Article 18
(Right to a Name), Article 19 (Rights of the Child), Article 20 (Right to Nationality), and
Article 23 (Right to Participate in Government), or of the judicial guarantees essential for the
protection of such rights.
3. Any State Party availing itself of the right of suspension shall immediately inform the other
States Parties, through the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, of the
provisions the application of which it has suspended, the reasons that gave rise to the
suspension, and the date set for the termination of such suspension.
Article 28. Federal Clause
1. Where a State Party is constituted as a federal state, the national government of such
State Party shall implement all the provisions of the Convention over whose subject matter it
exercises legislative and judicial jurisdiction.
2. With respect to the provisions over whose subject matter the constituent units of the
federal state have jurisdiction, the national government shall immediately take suitable
measures, in accordance with its constitution and its laws, to the end that the competent
authorities of the constituent units may adopt appropriate provisions for the fulfillment of this
Convention.
3. Whenever two or more States Parties agree to form a federation or other type of
association, they shall take care that the resulting federal or other compact contains the
provisions necessary for continuing and rendering effective the standards of this Convention
in the new state that is organized.
Article 29. Restrictions Regarding Interpretation
No provision of this Convention shall be interpreted as:
a. permitting any State Party, group, or person to suppress the enjoyment or exercise of
the rights and freedoms recognized in this Convention or to restrict them to a greater
extent than is provided for herein;
b. restricting the enjoyment or exercise of any right or freedom recognized by virtue of
the laws of any State Party or by virtue of another convention to which one of the said
states is a party;
c. precluding other rights or guarantees that are inherent in the human personality or
derived from representative democracy as a form of government; or