An introduction to treaties for international social workers

International disputes may emanate from any number of issues, including concerns involving territory, finance, trade, ethnicity, natural resources, or religion. International treaties serve as a mechanism to address these concerns. Throughout history, treaties and conventions have played an important role in international relations. Of course, the full contours of the numerous international treaties in force cannot be documented. In this brief article, and with the caveat that we can only speak in generalities, we 1) offer some fundamental principles of treaties, 2) identify some major treaties and conventions of interest to the international social work community, and 3) make some comments regarding how those treaties affect international social work professionals. Space constraints naturally preclude us from commenting more in depth.