Treaties & Other International Agreements
Updated Oct. 28, 2009.
Prepared by Cheryl Nyberg.
Agreements between countries are called agreements, conventions, protocols, and treaties. Treaties may be bilateral (between two countries) or multilateral (between more than two countries). Many sources describe the nature of treaties and the treaty-making process, including:
United Nations, Office of Legal Affairs, Treaty Section,
Treaty
Handbook.
KZ1302.T73 2001 at Classified Stacks
Describes the process of treaty-making, including depositing a
multilateral treaty with the Secretary-General, key events in the treaty
process, registering and filing a treaty. Includes a glossary.
Here are some questions to consider before you begin treaty research.
- Is the U.S. a party to the treaty? If the answer is yes, begin research with the sources like Treaties in Force. If the answer is no, use other sources like the United Nations Treaty Collection or the Multilateral Treaty Calendar.
- Do you know if the treaty is bilateral or multilateral?
- Do you know the name of the treaty?
- Do you know the approximate date the treaty was open for ratification or adoption? Consult the Multilateral Treaty Calendar.
- Are you looking for a citation to a published source or for the latest status information?
Remember that law reviews are an excellent source of information. Conduct a full-text search in LexisNexis or Westlaw using the information and keywords associated with the treaty. Many times that search will quickly reveal citations to the official publications that contain the text of the treaty.
Research Guides
ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law: Treaties provides an overview of significant online treaty resources and research strategies. Includes a list of other countries and international organizations online treaty materials.
Duke University School of Law Library, Treaties
LLRX, Researching U.S. Treaties and Agreements and Researching Non-U.S. Treaties and Agreements
New York University, Hauser Global Law School Program, GlobaLex, An Introduction to Sources for Treaty Research
New York University School of Law Library, International Treaties is a collection of links to treaty sources on the Internet.
Treaty Research Basics, 89 L. Libr. J. 407 (1997). Hein Online (UW Restricted)
Status & Signatories
Treaties in Force is the State Dep't list of U.S. treaties and other international acts.
U.S. State Dep't, Office of the Legal Adviser, Treaty Actions covers bilateral and multilateral treaties to which the U.S. is a party. Covers from 1999.
U.S. Congress, Senate, Committee on Foreign Relations, Pending Treaties provides information on the status of treaties submitted to the Senate for advice and consent (the oldest dating back to 1949).
Thomas, Treaties provides status information on treaties submitted to the U.S. Senate for advice and consent. Covers from 90th Congress, 1967 (earlier dates incomplete).
Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary General,
KZ171.M86 current at Reference Area & Reference Office
U.N.
list of signatures, ratifications, accessions, reservations, and
objections.
United Nations Diplomatic Conferences
Documents and proceedings relating to twelve conferences during which
treaties were negotiated. Covers from 1958 (Law of the Sea) to 1998
(Conference on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court.
Acronyms & Abbreviations
Many treaty collections are known by their acronyms. The following list identifies the most commonly encountered acronyms and abbreviations.
Bevans = C. Bevans, Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America 1776-1949.
ILM = International Legal Materials
LNTS = League of Nations Treaty Series
TIAS = Treaties and Other International Acts Series
UNTS = United Nations Treaty Series
UST = United States Treaties and Other International Agreements
Frequently-Cited Treaties and Other International Instruments, from the University of Minnesota Law Library, may be used as a quick source for finding some treaty citations.