Handbook on the Politics of International Agreements

This Handbook presents a nuanced exploration of international agreements, proposing that they are fundamentally political endeavors. It argues that agreements are born from mixed-motive situations, the crucial space where parties have both overlapping goals and conflicting interests.Drawing on practical insights and evidence-based analysis, expert contributors assess how international agreements can create a durable framework to advance shared objectives while managing the divergent values that could otherwise sabotage cooperation. They evaluate formal treaties, informal understandings and global and intra-state deals from various sectors, including environmental, ceasefire, security, business and commercial agreements. Featuring a diverse range of perspectives, the Handbook integrates multiple cultural and disciplinary paradigms to better understand how agreements function in our complex global order.The Handbook on the Politics of International Agreements is a crucial resource for scholars and students of international relations, international law, politics and public policy and conflict resolution. Diplomats, policymakers and practitioners in international law will also benefit from its deep understanding of the dynamics behind international agreements.