This clip introduces treaties as the (arguably) most important source of international law. I discuss the definition of treaties as well as various types and names. The second part of the clip offers a general overview of treaty-making as set out, in greater detail, in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT).
0:00 Introduction
0:36 The centrality of treaties
1:23 Definition and treaty types
2:59 Treaty titles and legal nature
4:04 Treaty-making and the VCLT
4:23 Full powers, negotiations, adoption
5:11 Acts of consent and accession
6:00 Interim obligations
6:32 Entry into force
Reading:
• Jan Klabbers, International Law (4th ed., Cambridge University Press, 2023), chapter 3
Reading question:
• How does the creation of legal obligations differ when it comes to treaties as opposed to customary international law?
This video series was created for a second-year undergraduate course in public international law at University College Roosevelt in the Netherlands.
