international treaties
Nations' binding accords
International treaties are formal agreements between nations, legally binding under international law.
They govern everything from trade and borders to human rights and environmental protection.
Treaties require ratification by participating countries and may be bilateral (two nations) or multilateral (many): The treaty banned chemical weapons.
A country that withdraws from or violates a treaty faces diplomatic and sometimes economic consequences.
- pacta sunt servandaAgreements must be kept
- good faithSincere, honest intent
- binding agreementEnforceable mutual commitment
- Geneva ConventionsWartime humanitarian treaties
- human rights lawRules protecting inherent freedoms
Paris Agreement · diplomatic negotiation · diplomatic immunity · Treaty of Versailles · ratification · bilateral agreement · reservations · accession · trade agreements · peace treaty · Kyoto Protocol · arms control · nuclear nonproliferation · trade treaty · law of the sea · United Nations Charter · sovereignty · signatories
- intellectual propertypatents, copyright, patent, trademark, trademarks
- legal systemsconstitutional law, judiciary, criminal code, court system, penal code
- arms controlarms control, disarmament, nonproliferation, arms deals, arms reduction
- wildlife protectionpark rangers, game wardens, rangers, forest rangers, wardens
- human rightshuman dignity, civil liberties, right to liberty, right to life, fundamental rights
- legal fieldscivil law, criminal law, administrative law, common law, civil procedure
international treatiesnational legislation
Laws governing entire country
local ordinances · domestic policy · federal law · state statutes · state law
international treatiesgentlemen's agreements
Unwritten deals based on honor
international treatiesdeclarations of war
Formal announcements initiating hostilities
trade wars · acts of aggression · isolationism · protectionism · armed conflict