---
title: "Plurilateral Definition and Meaning | Model Diplomat"
description: "A plurilateral agreement is a treaty among a subset of an organization's members, binding only its signatories. Key for WTO negotiations."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/plurilateral"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- A plurilateral agreement is a treaty among a limited subset of a wider organisation's members, binding only its signatories rather than the entire membership.
- How does a plurilateral agreement differ from a multilateral one in the WTO?
- Which plurilateral agreements remain in force in the WTO?
- What is the difference between an open and a closed plurilateral?
- Why have plurilateral approaches gained prominence recently?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

A plurilateral agreement is a treaty among a limited subset of a wider organisation's members, binding only its signatories rather than the entire membership.

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In 2015, members concluded the WTO Information Technology Agreement expansion, a plurilateral covering 201 additional products, with participants applying the tariff eliminations on an MFN basis to all WTO members.

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