Multilateral treaty facts for kids
A multilateral treaty (say: myoo-lee-LAT-er-al TREE-tee) is like a big agreement or promise between three or more independent countries. When countries sign a multilateral treaty, they all agree to follow the same rules and promises. Sometimes, a country might have a special condition or "reservation" about a small part of the agreement.
Multilateral treaties are very important for solving big problems that affect many countries. For example, they help with things like protecting refugees, managing the oceans, or setting rules for how countries should act during wars.
What's the Difference: Multilateral vs. Bilateral Treaties?
A bilateral treaty is an agreement between just two countries. Think of it like a promise between two friends.
A multilateral treaty, on the other hand, is a promise between many countries. It's like a big group of friends all agreeing on something together.
Sometimes, a bilateral treaty can become multilateral if more countries decide to join it later.
Why Multilateral Treaties Are Important
Many people believe that multilateral treaties are better than bilateral ones for the whole world. Pope Francis, a very important religious leader, wrote in his message Fratelli tutti (which means "All Brothers") in 2020 that group agreements are usually better. He said they help make sure that what's best for everyone is promoted, and they can protect smaller or weaker countries.
What is a Plurilateral Treaty?
A plurilateral treaty is a special kind of multilateral treaty. It's an agreement between a small group of countries that have a very specific interest in the topic of the treaty.
The main difference is that with a plurilateral treaty, it's harder to make special conditions or "reservations." Because these treaties are for a limited group, everyone involved needs to fully cooperate for the treaty's goals to be met. This means that if one country wants to make a reservation, all the other countries in the treaty usually have to agree to it.
This rule is written down in international law in a big rulebook called the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. It says that if a treaty is meant for a small number of countries and needs everyone to agree completely, then any special conditions need to be accepted by all the other countries.
An example of a plurilateral treaty is the Antarctic Treaty. This treaty was signed on December 1, 1959, by countries interested in Antarctica. It helps make sure Antarctica is used for peaceful scientific research and not for military purposes.
