I’ve been looking* at this page on the Protocol for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
Former Soviet satellites sign up by succesion - that’s easy enough to understand. But what is the difference between accession and ratification? A UNICEF page is singularly unhelpful"
Well, sure, but now I want to know.
*[sub]Because someone I know went to a do to celebrate its 50th birthday and because I’ve heard a rumour that someone’s about to be charged.[/sub]
Exactly what is it that you want to ‘know?’
The difference between accession and ratification.
ac·ces·sion ( P ) Pronunciation Key (k-sshn)
n. 4. Agreement or assent.
rat·i·fy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (rt-f)
tr.v. rat·i·fied, rat·i·fy·ing, rat·i·fies
To approve and give formal sanction to; confirm. See Synonyms at approve.
ap·prove ( P ) Pronunciation Key (-prv)
v. ap·proved, ap·prov·ing, ap·proves
v. tr.
2. To consent to officially or formally; confirm or sanction: The Senate approved the treaty.
Synonyms: approve, endorse, sanction, certify, accredit, ratify
These verbs mean to express a favorable opinion or to signify satisfaction or acceptance. Approve means to consider right or good, but it can also denote official consent: “The colonel or commanding officer approves the sentence of a regimental court-martial” (Charles James). Endorse implies the public expression of support: The senator endorsed the candidate by issuing a press release. Sanction usually implies official authorization: The privilege of voting is a right sanctioned by law. Certify and accredit imply official approval based on compliance with requirements or standards: “The proper officers, comparing every article with its voucher, certified them to be right” (Benjamin Franklin). The board of education will accredit only institutions that have a sufficiently rigorous curriculum. To ratify is to invest officially with legal authority: “Amendments… shall be valid… when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States” (U.S. Constitution, Article V).
Is that sufficient information to confirn your ‘quote’ in OP?
Ratification is a more general term to describe how a government deposits official documents with a country or international agency to formally bind the country to the terms of a treaty. Treaties contain a provision about “entry into force,” which usually say that the treaty becomes effective once a certain number of instruments of ratifications have been deposited with the country or agency that is the caretaker of the treaty.
Accession is generally used once a treaty has already entered into force, and a country wants to join it despite not being an original state party to the agreement.
A country’s representative may express its intent to abide by a treaty by signing the treaty – as Presidents have signed treaties – before taking the legal steps necessary for the treaty to have the force of law in that country. The country may also dispense with the signature, and just make it official right off the bat.
At the UN, ratification means you signed it first, accession means you didn’t.
That’s just what I was looking for, thanks. It was one of those things that being told the difference didn’t matter just made me want to know even more.