What is a treaty?

• A. A formal agreement between two or more sovereign states.
• B. A domestic law
• C. An economic sanction
• D. A military alliance signed by one country

Answer: (A)

A treaty is a formal agreement between two or more sovereign states, and sometimes international organizations, that creates binding obligations under international law. It is entered into with the consent of the parties—usually viaSignature and ratification—and then governs the relations among those states. Treaties can be bilateral or multilateral and cover a wide range of issues, from peace and security to trade and environmental rules. In international law, treaties are a primary source of binding commitments and are interpreted and enforced according to established rules, such as those in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. This distinguishes them from domestic laws, which regulate internal affairs within a single country, and from sanctions or unilateral policy tools, which are not formal agreements between states. A military alliance can be a treaty if it involves multiple states, but a document signed by only one country does not meet the standard definition of a treaty.