Treaties are?

• A. An international agreement concluded between states in written form and governed by international law
• B. A domestic agreement between individuals
• C. An unwritten ethical guideline
• D. A cultural practice with no written form

Answer: (A)

Treaties are formal, legally binding agreements between states that are written and governed by international law. The essential idea is that they are created by the explicit consent of the parties, recorded in a written instrument, and their obligations arise under international law rather than domestic rules. Once a state signs and ratifies a treaty, it becomes bound to its terms and can be held accountable through international dispute mechanisms if it fails to comply.

This distinguishes them from a domestic agreement between individuals, which operates under domestic law; an unwritten ethical guideline, which has no binding legal force; and a cultural practice with no written form, which isn’t a treaty at all in the international sense.