Wanna Sign a Treaty? Head to Turtle Bay

The U.N. announced today that it would once again hold a “treaty” day this September during which countries would be encouraged to sign various multilateral treaties. This seems like a fairly pointless event, since countries can sign treaties whenever they want. I somehow doubt that they will do so just because the U.N. is offering drinks and hor d’oeuvres along with treaty-signing.

Still, the U.N. officials are probably right to highlight the growing importance of treaties in an everyday person’s life.

It was important, [a U.N. official] stressed, to remember that treaties right now are the main source of international governance. “Much of what we take for granted in our day-to-day lives is enshrined in treaties, whether you make an international telephone call or take a flight to a different country or send a parcel by FedEx,” he said.