Sixty-three years ago on October 24, 1945, the UN Charter entered into force and became legally binding upon 29 countries. The preamble to the UN Charter envisioned the establishment of an international organization "to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained." Today, the United Nations, its agencies, and its courts and tribunals play a prominent role in coordinating, reaffirming, and enforcing the promises of fundamental human rights, international peace and security, the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, and the rule of law. Most recently, 44 of the 192 UN member states took 84 treaty actions relating to 37 treaties registered with the United Nations on a wide range of subjects, including corruption, organized crime, human rights, disarmament, refugees, the environment, and trade.

The 84 treaty actions took place as part of Treaty Week 2008 in September-October 2008. A total of 44 states participated in 32 signatures and 47 ratifications, accessions, and consents to be bound legally under international law. The treaty actions involved 37 of the more than 500 treaties deposited and registered with the UN Secretary-General and published by the United Nations.

Highlights

United Nations Convention against Corruption

• 0 signatories
• 3 ratifications: Belgium, Malaysia, Tunisia

United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime

• 0 signatories
• 1 ratification: the Bahamas

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

• 6 signatories: Cameroon, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Solomon Islands, Togo, Ukraine
• 4 ratifications: Austria, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Uganda

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

• 7 signatories: Cameroon, France, Romania, Togo, Ukraine, Tanzania, Zambia
• 3 ratifications: Austria, Costa Rica, Uganda

International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance

• 5 signatories: Bulgaria, Greece, Iceland, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Tanzania
• 1 ratification: France

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

• 2 signatories: Congo, Zambia
• 2 ratifications/accessions: Switzerland, Tunisia

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

• 1 signatory: Timor-Leste
• 1 ratification: Burundi

Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects

• 0 signatory
• 1 ratification/accession: Jamaica to Protocol I, III, and Amendment

International Tropical Timber Agreement

• 4 signatories: Czech Republic, the Philippines, Romania, Spain
• 1 ratification: Australia

International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Control of Goods

• 0 signatory
• 1 ratification/accession: Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Read the full Final Report of Treaty Week 2008.