Ratification

Ratification is a formal act by which a state confirms its consent to be bound by an agreement. In treaty law, it usually follows signature and completes the state’s consent to the treaty.

Treaty signature: An authorized act authenticating a treaty or expressing preliminary consent to its terms. Signature commonly precedes ratification, but usually does not itself bind a state to the treaty.
Treaty: A written international agreement governed by international law and concluded between states or other treaty-making entities. Ratification is a means of consenting to be bound by this broader class of agreement.
Treaty approval: A domestic political or constitutional authorization for a state to proceed with a treaty commitment. Approval may be required before ratification, but it is not itself the international act of ratification.
United States Senate advice and consent: The U.S. Senate’s constitutional role in consenting to treaty ratification by the president. It illustrates how domestic approval can precede a state’s international ratification.
Instrument of ratification: A formal document through which a state records its ratification of a treaty. States communicate ratification by depositing or exchanging this document.
Consent to be bound: A state’s legally expressed acceptance of an international agreement’s obligations. Ratification is one recognized form of this underlying legal act.
Treaty acceptance: A formal means of expressing a state’s consent to be bound by a treaty, with effects equivalent to ratification. Some treaties use acceptance instead of ratification, even when domestic procedures differ.
U.S. ratification of the Treaty of Versailles: The unsuccessful effort to secure U.S. Senate consent to ratify the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. The Senate’s rejection kept the United States from becoming a party to the treaty.
Deposit of an instrument of ratification: Delivery of a treaty-related instrument to the designated depositary for official custody and notification. Deposit commonly makes ratification effective internationally when a treaty prescribes that procedure.
Treaty law: The body of international law governing the conclusion, interpretation, application, and termination of treaties. Its rules define ratification’s legal effect and procedural role.

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