ABSTRACT
States make treaties about every conceivable topic.1 By and large, all treat ies, regardless of their subject matter, are governed by the same rules, and the law of treaties therefore tends to have a rather abstract and technical character; it is a means to an end, not an end in itself. For the same reasons, the greater part of the law of treaties is not affected by conflicts of interests between states; every state is a party to hundreds of treaties and has an interest in ensuring that treaties work effectively, just as all states have a common interest in preserving the rules of diplomatic immunity in order to facilitate diplomatic relations.
