Armistice
Agreement to stop fighting, without ending the legal state of war. The 1918 Armistice preceded the 1919 settlements. Example: Compiègne, 11 Nov 1918.
Glossary
Cease-fire
Suspension of hostilities, often fragile and local; Res. 55/282 invokes it globally for 21 Sept as a norm, not an enforced truce.
Treaty
Written agreement between states governed by international law (Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1969).
ideaInternational Law ideaDiplomacy
Convention
Multilateral treaty on a shared subject (e.g. Geneva Conventions, 1949).
Resolution
Formal decision of a UN organ. General Assembly resolutions are generally non-binding; Security Council Chapter VII decisions can bind.
Declaration
Solemn statement of principles, often non-binding (e.g. UDHR, 1948) but normatively weighty.
ideaHuman Rights
Diplomacy
Negotiation and representation between political actors to manage conflict without force.
Mediation
Third-party facilitation without binding authority; distinct from arbitration (binding) and adjudication.
ideaMediation
Arbitration
Binding third-party decision consented to in advance (e.g. Alabama claims, 1872; PCA cases).
Reconciliation
Rebuilding relationships after violence through truth, acknowledgment, repair, and shared institutions.
ideaReconciliation ideaRestorative Justice
Disarmament
Elimination of weapon categories; arms control regulates them. Both need verification.
ideaDisarmament
Deterrence
Preventing attack by threatening unacceptable retaliation (by punishment or denial).
ideaDeterrence
Sovereignty
Supreme authority within territory plus independence externally; 'Westphalian' shorthand postdates 1648.
Self-determination
Peoples' right to determine political status; Charter principle (Art. 1) with contested scope.
ideaJustice ideaHuman Rights
Sanctions
Coercive non-force measures (arts. 41 UN Charter): embargoes, asset freezes, travel bans.
Peacekeeping
UN practice (not Charter text): consent-based interposition with impartiality and minimum force; peace enforcement differs.
ideaCollective Security ideaMediation
Transitional justice
Responses to mass abuse in transition: trials, truth commissions, reparations, reform — often in tension.
ideaJustice ideaReconciliation
Track-two diplomacy
Unofficial dialogue among influential non-officials complementing official (track-one) talks.