A treaty is an official, express written agreement that states use to legally bind themselves. A treaty is the official document which expresses that agreement in words; and it is also the objective outcome of a ceremonial occasion which acknowledges the parties and their defined relationships.
How are the agreements in a treaty expressed? How are states that enter into a treaty bound? What is an official document which expresses an agreement between two states? What is an objective outcome of a ceremonial occasion which acknowledges the defined relationships of its parties? Who is responsible for the legally-bound obligations of the parties to a treaty?