Editing Treaty (section)

===Consequences of terminology===
One significant part of treaty-making is that signing a treaty implies a recognition that the other side is a sovereign state and that the agreement being considered is enforceable under international law. Hence, nations can be very careful about terming an agreement to be a treaty. For example, within the United States, agreements between states are [[interstate compact|compacts]] and agreements between states and the federal government or between agencies of the government are [[memoranda of understanding]].
<!--Conversely, perhaps the most significant thing about the [[Anglo-Irish Treaty]] was that it was explicitly a treaty and hence implied British recognition of Irish sovereignty. Is this true?? The Treaty acknowledged the Irish Free State/dominion status, it seems, no more.-->

Another situation can occur when one party wishes to create an obligation under international law, but the other party does not. This factor has been at work with respect to discussions between [[North Korea]] and the United States over security guarantees and [[nuclear proliferation]].

The definition of the English word "treaty" varies depending on the legal and political context; in some jurisdictions, such as the United States, a treaty is specifically an international agreement that has been ratified, and thus made binding, per the procedures established under domestic law.<ref name=":6" />