List_of_treaties_by_number_of_parties

List of treaties by number of parties

List of treaties by number of parties

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This article contains a list of treaties by number of parties to the treaty. A "party" to a treaty is a state or other entity that ratifies, accedes to, approves, or succeeds to the treaty.[lower-alpha 1]

General principles of ratification

In general, multilateral treaties are open to ratification by any state. Some treaties may also be ratified by supranational bodies, such as the European Union, and by other international organizations.

In practice, the depositary of a treaty will usually only recognise ratifications of the treaty that are performed by a state that is recognised as a state at international law. A state can be formally recognised as such by becoming a member of the United Nations; there are currently 193 member states of the United Nations. The only non-UN states that undoubtedly meet the standard of statehood are the Cook Islands and Niue, who have had their "full treaty-making capacity" recognised by the United Nations Secretariat.[1][2] The Holy See (Vatican City) is also widely recognised as being able to legitimately ratify treaties, and has been granted non-member observer state status by the UN General Assembly.[3][lower-alpha 2] Following the UNGA passing a resolution granting non-member observer state status to the State of Palestine, the UNSG has begun to recognize its right to ratify treaties. Ratifications performed by other states with more limited recognition—such as Abkhazia, the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the Republic of China (Taiwan), Kosovo, Northern Cyprus, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara), Somaliland, South Ossetia, and Transnistria—have usually not been recognised by treaty depositaries as states that can ratify treaties, although there are some exceptions to this general rule.

If a state party to a treaty denounces the treaty, the state (often after a certain period before the denunciation takes effect) is no longer a party to the treaty, although in some cases certain parts of the treaty may continue to apply.

Ratifications by defunct states

States change over time, and often a state that ratified a treaty will cease to exist. International law deals with this issue in two ways. First, it is possible for a state to be declared the successor state to the defunct state. In this situation, any ratifications performed by the defunct state are transferred to and attributed to the successor state. Examples of successor states are the Russian Federation (successor to the Soviet Union), People's Republic of China (successor to the mainland Republic of China), Serbia (successor to Serbia and Montenegro), Belarus (successor to the Byelorussian SSR), Ukraine (successor to the Ukrainian SSR), and Tanzania (successor to Tanganyika). It is possible for a single state to be the successor state of multiple states, as with Yemen being the successor state of both North Yemen and South Yemen.

Second, some states have no legal successor state but cease to exist; in such cases, the ratifications performed by the state are disregarded. In some cases, such states are subsumed into an existing state, as when East Germany merged into the Federal Republic of Germany, and when Zanzibar merged into Tanzania (at first United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar). In other cases, the defunct state is divided into two or more states, with none of the states being designated as the formal successor state. Examples of the latter situation include SFR Yugoslavia (now six independent states) and Czechoslovakia (now two independent states). In this situation, the new states usually declare which treaties the defunct state ratified continue to have force for the new state. Such a declaration is regarded as a "ratification" by the new state.[lower-alpha 3]

For purposes of the numbers in this list, only ratifications, accessions, or successions of currently existing states are considered. No regard is given to ratifications by defunct states that have no current successor state.

Maximum limits to ratification numbers

Due to these limitations, in 2021, the maximum number of state ratifications that a multilateral treaty can have is 198; this total consists of all 193 UN member states; both UN observer states, the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine; as well as the Cook Islands, Niue, and Kosovo (member states of eight, five, and two UN specialized agencies respectively). If supranational or other international organizations ratify the treaty, the total number of ratifications may exceed 198.

When a treaty is ratified by nearly all recognized states in the world, the legal principles contained in the treaty may become customary international law. Customary international law applies to all states, whether or not the state has ratified a treaty that enshrines the principle. There is no set number of ratifications that are required to convert a treaty's principles into customary international law, and states and experts often disagree on what principles have and have not attained the status.

List of treaties by number of parties

Below is the list of treaties by number of parties. Only treaties with a minimum of 170 parties are included.

More information Treaty, Year concluded ...

Notes

  1. For simplicity, this article uses "ratify" to mean "ratify, accedes to, approves, or succeeds to".
  2. For simplicity, this article treats the Holy See as a state rather than as a non-state organization.
  3. Similar declarations may be made by states that result from the division of a defunct state when there is a formal successor state. For instance, when Serbia and Montenegro divided into Serbia and Montenegro, Serbia was designated as the successor state. Upon division, Montenegro made declarations as to which treaties ratified by Serbia and Montenegro remain in force for Montenegro.
  4. Total number of UN member states that are party to the treaty.
  5. Total number of non–UN member states that are party to the treaty.
  6. Total number of states that are party to the treaty.
  7. Total number of non-states, such as supranational or other international organizations, that are party to the treaty.
  8. Total number of parties to the treaty.
  9. Identity of the states that are not parties to the treaty that could become party to the treaty (including states that have denounced the treaty)
  10. The London, Copenhagen, Montreal and Beijing Amendments have also been ratified by 197 parties (excluding Palestine).
  11. By its Geneva Conventions Act 1958, Niue considers New Zealand's ratification of the Geneva Conventions to cover its territory.
  12. However, Israel and the United States withdrew from UNESCO on 31 December 2018.
  13. Switzerland made the following declaration upon ratification: "My Government has instructed me to notify you that the authorities in Switzerland have agreed with the authorities in the Principality of Liechtenstein that this Convention will be applicable to the territory of the Principality as well as to that of the Swiss Confederation, as long as the Treaty of 29 March 1923 integrating the whole territory of Liechtenstein with the Swiss customs territory will remain in force".
  14. The International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC) was created in 1923. It became the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO) with the new Constitution adopted in 1956.
  15. In addition, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten are full members of Interpol, making the total number of members 195.
  16. The Cook Islands inquired about becoming a member in 1996. According to Interpol, this inquiry was turned down by the Secretary General of the organization because the territory didn't enjoy "full legal capacity".[29]
  17. Ratified the treaty but has subsequently denounced it and withdrawn.
  18. Not including North Korea, which ratified the treaty but subsequently denounced it. There is disagreement among the parties to the treaty whether North Korea's withdrawal was in conformity with the terms of the treaty.[37]
  19. The UPU recognises the membership of 192 parties.[45] From 1874 to 1964, membership in the Universal Postal Union was governed by the Treaty of Bern. On 10 July 1964, the UPU incorporated the Treaty of Bern into a new Constitution of the UPU, which is now the governing treaty that is ratified when a state joins the UPU. Included as UPU members are two "joint memberships" for dependent territories (one for the British Overseas Territories and one for the Caribbean constituent countries (Dutch: landen) of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten), originally as Netherlands Antilles). Dependent territories are not permitted to ratify the UPU Constitution, but because the Treaty of Bern allowed for dependencies to join the UPU,[46] listing these members separately as "Colonies, Protectorates, etc.",[47] the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union grandfathered them when membership was restricted to sovereign states.[48][49] However, neither the British nor the Dutch entities ratified the Treaty of Bern separate from the ratifications of the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, respectively. Also included as members are three states which were party to the Treaty of Bern in 1964, and hence members of the UPU, and which have signed but never ratified the Constitution: the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and the Sudan.[44] These states are deemed to have "tacitly ratified" the agreement due to their continued participation in the UPU.[46]
  20. The Constitution of the ILO was originally part of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. Since 1919, the Constitution has been amended a number of times, most significantly in 1945–46, when the ILO became a specialized agency of the United Nations.
  21. In addition, six dependent territories or groups of territories (the "British Caribbean Territories" (joint membership), French Polynesia, Hong Kong, Macau, Curaçao and Sint Maarten (joint membership) and New Caledonia) are full members of the WMO. The article 3 of its Convention allows territories or groups of territories to become members of the WMO if they maintain their own meteorological service.[52]
  22. Prior to ratifying this treaty, the state would have to ratify the Articles of Agreement of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, since only IBRD member states may ratify this agreement.
  23. An amendment allowing accession by regional organizations and customs territories has not entered into force
  24. The depositary (Government of Belgium) has registered 4 more parties, as it includes the dependent territories of Bermuda, Netherlands Antilles, Hong Kong, and Macau.[72]
  25. North Korea ratified the IAEA Statute in 1974, but denounced it in 1994.[75]
  26. Treaty has not entered into force.
  27. Russia ratified the treaty, but withdrew prior to its entry into force.
  28. Malaysia and Singapore ratified the Convention, but denounced it subsequently.
  29. Moreover, Bahrain, Bhutan, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, San Marino and Saudi Arabia are Observer States.[87]
  30. However, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Lithuania, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States denounced the treaty.[98]

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