--- title: "Where International Rules Come From" description: "International law includes treaties and other legal sources. States have legal duties without a world government. Treaty terms, international bodies and states' responses affect how rules are applied " canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/civics-and-economics/where-international-rules-come-from-mt_prBdcYuLoY source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/civics-and-economics/where-international-rules-come-from-mt_prBdcYuLoY.md retrieved: 2026-11-12 --- > **Agent view.** This is the Markdown twin of the page, for tools and assistants. > When to use this site, and the call that answers each job: https://lightmysky.com/agent-instructions.md > API description (OpenAPI 3.1): https://lightmysky.com/openapi.json · Authentication: https://lightmysky.com/auth.md > Pricing: https://lightmysky.com/pricing.md · Catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms.txt · Full catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms-full.txt > Every machine-readable file on this domain: https://lightmysky.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json > Ask for Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`, a `.md` address, or `?mode=agent`. # Where International Rules Come From International law includes treaties and other legal sources. States have legal duties without a world government. Treaty terms, international bodies and states' responses affect how rules are applied and enforced. Subject: Civics & Economics · Area: Government · Ages 16 to 18 Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/civics-and-economics/where-international-rules-come-from-mt_prBdcYuLoY ## Ready when they can - Explain how a treaty becomes binding on a state and how a state can leave one - Name two international bodies and say what each can and cannot compel - Give one case where international rules changed a state's behaviour and one where they did not ## Lesson: Rules without a world police force You have compared domestic policies. International law includes treaties, customs accepted as law, and general legal principles. Some treaties bind through signature; others require ratification or accession. Full treaty duties apply when the treaty enters into force for that state. Signing subject to ratification can still create a duty not to defeat the treaty's object and purpose. Read the treaty's rules before deciding what a signature means. *(drawing: The treaty sets the consent and entry rules. Signature is not always the final consent step.)* Disliking a treaty does not cancel its duties. Withdrawal must follow the treaty's terms or another applicable legal rule. Some treaties permit departure after notice; others offer no general right to leave. Under a fictional six-month notice clause, duties continue during those six months. Lawful departure does not erase responsibility for earlier breaches. The United Nations is not a world government. Its Security Council can make binding decisions under the UN Charter, including sanctions, and can authorise force. Member states carry out measures and supply forces; the UN has no standing army of its own. Council action depends on its powers and voting rules. Its five permanent members hold veto powers that can block substantive decisions. The International Court of Justice, or ICJ, decides legal disputes between states within its jurisdiction. States can accept that jurisdiction in advance or for a particular dispute. A judgment binds the parties in that case. The ICJ does not try individuals and has no army. If a party does not comply, the other may approach the Security Council, but Council action is not automatic. *(drawing: A judgment creates a legal duty for its parties. The ICJ has no army to carry it out.)* **Example.** A binding duty remains when a state refuses to comply. Responses depend on the institution and the case. The Montreal Protocol helped countries reduce ozone-depleting chemicals. In contrast, the United States did not comply with the ICJ's 1986 Nicaragua judgment and vetoed a Security Council draft calling for compliance. Cooperation can change behaviour, while political barriers can obstruct enforcement. Dumping means exporting below a product's normal value, usually based on a comparable home-market price. It does not require an intention to destroy rivals. An anti-dumping duty is an extra import tax. WTO rules require an investigation establishing dumping, injury to a domestic industry and a causal link before such a duty is imposed. Low import prices alone do not establish these findings. A fleet gains from extra catch, while the cost of a depleted fish stock is shared. If total catches exceed what the stock can replace, it declines. This is a tragedy-of-the-commons risk, not an inevitable outcome. Catch limits, monitoring and cooperation can help protect the stock. Shared rules may be needed when fleets or fish cross borders. *(drawing: Decline depends on catch exceeding renewal. Cooperation can prevent that outcome.)* **Recap.** Check the legal source, treaty terms and each body's powers. Duties can remain binding when enforcement is weak. Compare actual behaviour with what the rule requires. *Lesson, questions and flashcards written for this dataset about international rules and institutions. Notice-period scenarios are fictional.* ## Practice 8 questions on this page, each with its working shown. ## Needs first - [Public policy and public problems](https://lightmysky.com/learn/civics-and-economics/public-policy-and-public-problems-mt_5vYuvjkprY) ## Optional connections - [Global Citizenship](https://lightmysky.com/learn/personal-and-social-development/global-citizenship-mt_5XLhiqmocP) - [Political ideas and what they actually claim](https://lightmysky.com/learn/civics-and-economics/political-ideas-and-what-they-actually-claim-mt_NhqCoZs875) ## Opens up - [Judging a Political Claim](https://lightmysky.com/learn/civics-and-economics/judging-a-political-claim-mt_pGwJVkz8L1)