The politicization of international treaties: an obstacle to global cooperation?

Abstract

This study examines the impact of the politicization of global issues on the ratification of international human rights treaties. It argues that as public awareness and polarization increase regarding globalization and international institutions, governments face growing pressure to consider public opinion when ratifying treaties. This phenomenon is particularly relevant in the realm of human rights, where public scrutiny and advocacy efforts are on the rise. The research employs a quantitative approach, using survival analysis with the Cox Proportional Hazards Model to analyze the time it takes for states to ratify human rights treaties. The study focuses on a diverse sample of countries and a selection of core human rights treaties. The findings reveal a significant negative relationship between the level of politicization, measured by protest activity, and the hazard of ratification. This suggests that heightened public contestation and debate surrounding global issues hinder the ratification process. The study also controls for other factors, such as the level of democracy, economic development, and population size, but finds that these variables do not have a significant independent impact on ratification. The results underscore the importance of considering domestic political dynamics and public opinion in international cooperation efforts, particularly ratification of human rights treaties.