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International Relations & Diplomacy vocabulary · Treaties & Agreements

Ratify

Meaning in international relations & diplomacy, with examples

/ˈrætɪfaɪ/verbCore term

In international relations & diplomacy, ratify means: To give formal final approval to a treaty, usually after a parliament agrees, so that the state becomes legally bound by it.

In Turkish: onaylamak, uygun bulmak

How it is used

Signing shows a state's intention; ratifying makes the commitment binding. News reports say a parliament 'ratifies' a treaty, although the head of state often completes the process. The noun is 'ratification', and the official document deposited is the 'instrument of ratification'.

Example sentences

  1. Parliament voted to ratify the agreement by a large majority.

  2. Only twelve states have ratified the convention so far.

  3. The government signed the treaty in 2019 but has not ratified it.

Common collocations

  • ratify a treaty
  • ratification process
  • instrument of ratification
  • fail to ratify
  • ratified by parliament
  • treatyA formal written agreement between states, or between states and international organisations, that is governed by international law and creates legal obligations.
  • signatoryA state or person that has signed an agreement; in treaty law, a state that has signed a treaty but may not yet have ratified it.
  • entry into forceThe moment when a treaty or law starts to have legal effect, often after a set number of states have ratified it or on a specified date.
  • accessionThe act of a state becoming a party to a treaty that it did not sign earlier, or joining an international organisation such as the EU or NATO.
  • bindingCreating a legal obligation that the parties must follow, so that a binding agreement or decision cannot simply be ignored.

More terms: Treaties & Agreements

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