The Covenant of the League of Nations, Part I of the Treaty of Versailles, was signed at Versailles on 28 June 1919, in the Hall of Mirrors. The French and English texts are authentic. Depositary: France. It is not the UN Charter of 1945, nor the remainder of the Treaty of Versailles (frontiers, reparations, Part XIII on the ILO). It comes into force with the peace treaty: 10 January 1920.

The preamble: international co-operation, peace and security, the obligation not to resort to war. Article 1: original Members — the Signatories named in the Annex and invited States which accede without reservation; later admission by two-thirds of the Assembly; withdrawal after two years’ notice. Articles 2–7: an Assembly, a Council (the Principal Allied and Associated Powers plus four Members selected by the Assembly), a permanent Secretariat, the Seat at Geneva, and equal openness of League posts to men and women. The first Secretary-General, named in the Annex: James Eric Drummond. An armaments handbook is not transcribed.

Article 10, at framework level: respect and preservation of the territorial integrity and existing political independence of all Members. Articles 12–15: disputes shall be submitted to arbitration or to the Council, with a three-month delay before resort to war; a Permanent Court of International Justice, for which the Council shall formulate plans. Article 16: a Member which resorts to war in disregard of Articles 12, 13 or 15 shall ipso facto be deemed to have committed an act of war against all other Members; economic measures and recommendations by the Council. A sanctions or force handbook is not transcribed.

Article 18: treaties hereafter entered into shall be registered with the Secretariat and published. Article 22, still at framework level: mandates over territories which have ceased to be under the sovereignty of the former states, as a “sacred trust of civilisation”, with annual reports to the Council; a colonial-administration handbook is not transcribed. Article 26: amendments take effect when ratified by the Members represented on the Council and by a majority of the Assembly; a dissenting Member shall cease to be a Member.

Cover: the signing of peace in the Hall of Mirrors; the Covenant is Part I of the same instrument. Wikimedia Commons, free licence.

Sources consulted: Covenant of the League of Nations; The Versailles Treaty, Part I: The Covenant of the League of Nations (Avalon).