Challenges of Studying International Treaties

Studying international treaties can be tough for researchers and lawyers. This is because international law is complex and changes a lot. Here are some main challenges they face:

1. Many Different Sources

Finding international treaties isn’t always easy. There are between 40,000 to 50,000 treaties that are active around the world. Each treaty can have its own rules for registration, languages, and countries involved, which makes research tricky.

• Languages: Many treaties are written in several languages, like English, Spanish, and Chinese. This can make it hard to understand the treaties because translating them accurately is important. Even small differences in wording can change the legal meaning.

2. Understanding the Context

International treaties are shaped by different factors like politics, economics, and culture. Researchers need to consider these factors to really grasp what a treaty means and its effects.

• Historical Background: Knowing the history of a treaty is important. For example, the Geneva Conventions, which started in 1949, were influenced by both World War II and earlier humanitarian efforts from as far back as 1864. The events and contexts that lead to treaties matter for how they are understood and followed today.

3. Different Ways of Implementation

Countries may enforce and follow treaties very differently, which can lead to confusion. There isn’t a central way to enforce international law, making it hard to see if countries are sticking to their agreements.

• Following the Rules: A study in the American Journal of International Law found that only about 60% of countries follow their treaty responsibilities completely. Also, the success of enforcement, like through the International Court of Justice, varies a lot. Only half of the cases lead to countries actually complying after a judgment.

4. Changing Nature of International Law

International law is always changing with new treaties and updates to old ones. Researchers need to keep up with these changes, which can be very challenging because things can change quickly in global relationships.

• Updates and Changes: For example, the Paris Agreement started in 2016 and has had several updates to help countries fight climate change. Knowing about these changes is crucial for accurate research.

5. Mixing Disciplines

Studying international treaties often means looking at other fields like political science, sociology, and economics. This can be intimidating for researchers who may not know much about these other areas.

• Skills from Other Fields: Researchers might need to understand negotiation theories or economic effects of treaties, like trade deals, which means they need to know about economic measures and money matters.

6. Access to Resources

Getting legal information can be hard, especially in developing countries where legal databases may be lacking. This gap in available information makes it tough for researchers to study treaties thoroughly.

• Economic Disparities: A report from the World Bank in 2020 said that around 1.3 billion people don’t have access to basic legal resources. This makes it hard for researchers in those areas to work fully with international treaties.

Conclusion

Studying international treaties comes with many challenges, like accessing different sources, understanding context, varying levels of compliance, constantly changing laws, needing cross-discipline skills, and limited resources. All these issues make it difficult for researchers in international law. To overcome these challenges is key to better understanding and improving international legal systems.