This article explores the ‘practice’ of the International Monetary Fund (‘imf’) by focusing on the organization’s approach to recognition of governments. After analysing this approach in some detail, it surveys the organization’s practice from three perspectives. First, it identifies the different functions of practice within the imf’s legal system, including the imf’s treaty. Second, the article reviews how the practice of the imf relates to key conceptions of practice under international law: (i) as part of international custom; (ii) under articles 31(3)(b) and 32 of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties; and (iii) as a ‘rule of the organization’. Finally, the article compares ‘practice’ under the imf treaty and a national legal system by considering how the United States’ Supreme Court has interpreted the power to recognise governments under the USConstitution.

本文着重探讨国际货币基金组织（IMF）的“实践”，重点是该组织承认政府的方法。在详细分析了此方法之后，它从三个角度对组织的实践进行了调查。首先，它确定了国际货币基金组织法律体系内实践的不同功能，包括国际货币基金组织的条约。其次，本文回顾了国际货币基金组织的实践与国际法规定的关键实践概念之间的关系：（i）作为国际习惯的一部分；（ii）根据1969年《维也纳条约法公约》第31（3）（b）和32条; （iii）作为“组织规则”。最后，本文通过考虑美国最高法院如何解释《美国宪法》承认政府的权力，比较了国际货币基金组织条约和国家法律体系下的“做法” 。