Entry into force
Also called: Treaty entry into force · Topic: Making of the Constitution: Constituent Assembly, Sources and Salient Features · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Entry into force is the day a treaty starts to legally bind the countries that have accepted it. Signing a treaty only shows that a country means to join. A country is bound only after ratification or acceptance, which is its formal promise to be bound, usually after approval at home. Many treaties come into force only once a minimum number of countries have ratified them, so this can happen months or years after signing. The threshold makes sure the treaty starts with a real base of members.
Example
UNESCO's Constitution was signed in London on 16 November 1945. It came into force on 4 November 1946, when the 20th country accepted it. Its 80th anniversary in 2026 marks the date it came into force, not the date it was signed.
Don't confuse with
- Signing: Signing shows that a country agrees with the text and means to join, but the treaty is not yet binding on it. Entry into force is the point from which the treaty becomes law.
- Commencement of the Indian Constitution: This is a domestic step, not a treaty step. The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came fully into force on 26 January 1950. A few articles, such as Arts. 5–9 on citizenship and Art. 324 on the Election Commission, applied from 26 November 1949 under Art. 394.