On the global stage, there is a great need to establish standards among nations, aligning expectations and balancing cultural and social disagreements in order to maintain order and peace among societies.
Conflicts and controversies are common and occur practically all the time, and this is where initiatives such as international treaties arise, establishing structures that organize relations between two or more countries, so that they find paths of synergy and manage to establish a satisfactory standard among themselves.
In this article, we will explain what international treaties are, what their main characteristics are, in addition to giving you examples of treaties in force today and indicating which professionals are involved in an international treaty within a country. Continue reading and check it out!
What are international treaties?
In general, international treaties formally represent an agreed pact between two or more countries/nations. What characterizes an international treaty is the willingness of these regions to enter into synergy on matters relevant to the parties involved.
Your goal typically involves one of three possibilities:
- Organize business practices;
- Establish environmental preservation rules;
- Promote peace between countries.
Why are international treaties important?
Once we understand what international treaties are, it is already possible to have an idea of their importance on the world stage, both for economic issues and for preserving the environment and, especially, in conflict scenarios, such as in cases of war, for example.
What are the types of international treaties?
Basically, there are various types of international treaties, which can happen in different ways. See below what the top 3 are.
Bilateral Treaty
When there is a need for an agreement between two countries/nations, the type of international treaty in force in this case is what we call bilateral, precisely because it involves two sides.
An example of this is when two countries enter into trade agreements for imports and exports or when they define how they will deal with social conflicts between their peoples.
Multilateral Treaty
Unlike the bilateral, the multilateral international treaty is one that involves more than two countries.
In such cases, the nations involved come together to define needs common to their regions. Mercosur is a good example of this.
Treated by topic
On the other hand, the international treaty by topic occurs when there is a need for alignment on a certain subject, such as the Paris Treaty to contain global warming, for example. In this type of treaty, the number of countries is not the motivation for its creation.
What are the stages of an international treaty?
Now that you know the types of international treaties, let’s understand their stages. See below!
1 – Initial negotiations and signature
At this stage, the nations involved make their representatives available for discussion of the terms and demands of each party involved. Everything is done with the help of professionals from the diplomatic corps.
2 – Approval in the parliament of each nation
As soon as the signature of the first phase is finalized, the draft text is sent for parliamentary approval by the nations.
3 – Ratification or adherence to the text
After the second stage, this is the moment when the legislative power can authorize the ratification of the text and the country adheres to the corrected text.
4 – Decree and promulgation of the text in the Official State Press
Finally, in the last stage, the international treaty begins to be in force in the countries that signed it.
Both in the initial stage and in the final stage, the signature of an authority of each nation involved in the treaty is required.
How does the International Relations professional act in international treaties?
Now that you know what international treaties are and their main characteristics, you may be wondering how they are made and who are the professionals involved in the process.
The truth is that for an international treaty to be created, there are multidisciplinary teams that lead the process within each nation, including those responsible for government and, of course, the International Relations professional.
The position that stands out most in this process is that of Diplomat, a coveted position that offers one of the most solid careers for those who follow the area of International Relations.
Now that you know more about international treaties and their relationship with the International Relations career, how about knowing the 5 professions that may cease to exist by 2030?