Signatories

A signatory is a person, organization, or state that signs a document, signaling agreement or commitment. In international law, a signatory state or organization to a treaty is a party that has signed the instrument and intends to be bound, subject to the process of ratification or accession.

Signing is typically a preliminary act; the treaty usually requires ratification, acceptance, or accession before it becomes legally binding on the signatory. Some instruments provide for provisional or immediate effect upon signature. Even so, many signatories are constrained by a duty under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties not to defeat the object and purpose of the treaty pending its entry into force.

Signatories have rights and obligations, depending on the instrument. They may participate in negotiations, conferences, and amendments. Once a signatory ratifies, it becomes a full party and bears the treaty’s obligations, while domestic law may require implementing measures to give effect to the treaty.

In private or corporate contexts, a signatory to a contract is a party that has signed to accept the terms, making those terms legally binding between the signatories, subject to general contract law.

Examples of international instruments with signatories include the United Nations Charter, the Paris Agreement, and the Antarctic Treaty. The status of a signatory can differ from that of a state that has ratified or acceded to the treaty, and signatories may, in some cases, withdraw or be suspended from obligations in accordance with the instrument’s terms.