How do international treaties affect daily life?

A good but infrequently discussed question. Considering only multilateral treaties, the short answer is that despite the conventional wisdom that treaties and multilateralism have had little impact, they have driven considerable change in many different fields. read more

From arms control to the environment, treaties have shaped state behavior in many ways. The norms treaties establish have caused states to align their national laws with international standards and have enabled third parties (e.g. citizens) to bring legal actions to contest or enforce those standards. read more

Treaties like the Louisiana Purchase are rare, but as the world’s economy grows treaties and executive agreements can impact our everyday lives. Treaties and executive agreements about trade are a good example of its effect in our daily routines. read more

The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT) - itself a treaty - regulates the life of treaties. Although not only states in the world are party to the VCLT, it is also for the most part regarded as customary international law; unwritten law valid for all states. read more