One of the most significant international agreements is the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, concluded in 1886. The Berne Convention has since been revised and amended on several occasions. WIPO serves as administrator of the treaty and its revisions and amendments, and is the depository for official instruments of accession and ratification. Today, more than 179 countries (as of June 2, 2020) have signed the Berne Convention. This treaty (as amended and revised) lays out several fundamental principles upon which all participating countries have agreed. One of those principles is national treatment, as described above. That is, all countries must give foreign works the same protection they give works created within their borders, assuming the other country is a signatory. Below is a map showing (in blue) the signatories to the Berne Convention as of 2019.