Rahuleping

Rahuleping, Estonian for peace treaty, is a formal agreement between warring parties to end conflict and establish a durable peace. It codifies the cessation of hostilities and defines the terms under which the parties will govern their future relations.

A peace treaty typically covers ceasefire provisions, territorial or governance arrangements, borders, security guarantees, demobilization or disarmament, reparations, refugee and humanitarian issues, and mechanisms for dispute resolution and verification. It may also include timelines for implementation, demobilization, and normalization of diplomatic and economic relations.

Negotiation and entry into force: such treaties are usually the result of negotiations, sometimes with international mediation. They become binding under international law, often requiring ratification by the parties' domestic authorities, and they come into force on specified dates. They may be guided by frameworks like the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties for states that are parties.

Impact and examples: Peace treaties can be bilateral or multilateral and vary in durability and enforcement. Notable historical examples include the Treaty of Westphalia (1648), the Treaty of Paris (1783) ending the American Revolutionary War, and the Treaty of Versailles (1919) ending World War I; the Dayton Agreement (1995) helped end the Bosnian War.