vienna convention on law of treaties pdf

The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties: A Milestone in International Diplomacy

The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, adopted in 1986, is a landmark treaty that sets forth the rules governing the conclusion and interpretation of treaties between States. The convention was the culmination of years of diplomatic efforts to codify the law of treaties, which had been a subject of contention among nations for centuries.

In the early 20th century, international organizations such as the League of Nations and the United Nations began concluding treaties with States and other organizations. However, there was no clear legal basis for these treaties in international law. Scholars and jurists developed different theories to identify the legal foundation of these agreements, but a universally accepted opinio juris did not emerge.

The International Law Commission (ILC) attempted to codify the law of treaties in its 1950 draft articles, but it initially excluded treaties concluded by international organizations from its scope. This omission was later rectified in 1962, when the ILC included these types of agreements in its revised draft articles.

Despite this progress, significant differences remained between parallel provisions in the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and the new convention being drafted. The Assembly took an active role in the preparation of the Conference to ensure that the specific provisions concerning international organizations were acceptable to a wide range of participants.

The General Assembly decided to hold a conference in Vienna to adopt the draft articles as a convention, which was achieved in 1986. The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties is a testament to the power of diplomacy and international cooperation in shaping the rules that govern relations between States.

Vienna convention on law of treaties pdf