Part VII Treaty Clauses and Instruments, Amendments

A defining feature of the treaty is its stability; treaties are serious commitments meant to last over time. Nevertheless, treaties may require adjustment for various reasons. The primary, although not exclusive,79 means of doing so is through an amendment. Amendments formally make changes to a treaty’s text, whether its main provisions or any annexes. Today, a treaty usually specifies its own procedures for amendment.80 This is not, however, universally true, and the VCLT provides a default framework where treaties are silent on the subject.81 Sometimes, a treaty...