Under Articles 31.1 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT), the guiding principle is that treaties must be interpreted:
…in good faith in accordance with the ordinary meaning to be given the terms of the treaty in their context and in light of its object and purpose.
The context of a treaty includes the consideration of all provisions of the treaty, including the preamble and annexes. Agreements and instruments made in the context of the conclusion of the treaty are part of the context that is to be considered during interpretation (VCLT Article 31.2). Subsequent practices in the treaty’s application and subsequent agreements on its interpretation between the Parties are also relevant (Article 31.3 of the VCLT). For example, subsequent protocols can offer important support for interpretation. Also other relevant rules of international law applicable between the Parties play a role (Article 31.3 of the VCLT).