A peace treaty is a formal (official) agreement which ends a conflict. The conflict is usually between countries or governments, but may be between any other kind of group. The conflict is usually armed conflict, such as war, or serious disputes which might lead to war.

A peace treaty is different from an armistice, which is an agreement to cease hostilities, or a surrender, in which one side agrees to give up its arms.

Peace treaties are made in stages:

1. Negotiation (this may take a long time).
2. Agreeing a form of words.
3. Signing the document.