ABSTRACT

The participation of 192 United Nations member states in 20 multilateral environmental treaties, five major arms control agreements, and 31 human rights conventions have been analyzed. Additionally, an in-depth examination of a democratic and non-democratic country the United States and China reveals those domestic political processes and institutional arrangements impact the dynamics of resistance and participation. If states do not formally participate in multilateral treaties, international cooperation cannot progress. Norm variation between non-democracies and treaty regimes seem to be particularly pronounced. Democracies have demonstrated a greater proclivity to join global regimes compared to non-democracies. The purpose of the human rights regimes is to introduce universal norms and encourage noncompliant states to accept universal norms. Numerous African and Asian states and several smaller countries do not participate effectively in the international treaty regimes; their participation is often characterized by in cohesiveness, contumacy, and poor compliance.