International Law 2
International Law
Part A: The Negotiation of Multilateral Treaties
Negotiations on a multilateral treaty involving sovereign states require the input of every
state regarding consent and legal commitment, as controlled by international law. The members
are expected to extend similar treatment to each other, except to the degree that they reserved the
same (Morgenthau, & Thompson, 1993). In essence, every country is expected to comply or face
the legal or other actions as stated by the international statutes. The international law provides a
stable environment for their interaction and breaching this law disrupts the balance needed to
keep the treaty in function and is heavily dependent on politics. Political scholars have used
fields of idealism and realism express ideas about the international law. Realists argue that
morality may be used as a screen for self-interest, but not that important to the functioning of the
international political system. Idealism suggests to us that there is a standard of good, an absolute
good, that exists and cannot be ignored. Idealists often argue that everyone’s fate is intertwined
and that the fate of the international system depends on the recognition of this fact. I think a
combination of realism and idealism would generate contrasting issues, but which are important.
In multilateral treaties balance is sort to maximize participation through ensuring
representation of each member state. The balance in participation is achieved through
commitment of States to give equal opportunities and representations of the members. That way
each state has a chance to participate fully in the functionalities of the international treaties.
However, in some cases reservation is deemed necessary. The reservations should be
taken when a state finds it the circumstances unfavorable and takes exception of one or more of
the provisions within a multilateral treaty, which may alter the rights obligations of that state.