Secret treaty
Treaties between sovereign states hidden from public knowledge / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A secret treaty is a treaty (international agreement) in which the contracting state parties have agreed to conceal the treaty's existence or substance from other states and the public.[1] Such a commitment to keep the agreement secret may be contained in the instrument itself or in a separate agreement.[1]
According to one compilation of secret treaties published in 2004, there have been 593 secret treaties negotiated by 110 countries and independent political entities since the year 1521.[2] Secret treaties were highly important in the balance of power diplomacy of 18th and 19th century Europe, but are rare today.[3]
Secret treaties have been prevalent in authoritarian states where rulers use the treaties to suppress domestic opposition and unrest.[4]