Treaty Research Guide

Introduction

Treaties can be referred to by a number of different names: international conventions, international agreements, covenants, final acts, charters, protocols, pacts, accords, and constitutions for international organizations. Usually these different names have no legal significance in international law. Treaties may be bilateral (two parties) or multilateral (between several parties) and a treaty is usually only binding on the parties to the agreement. An agreement "enters into force" when the terms for entry into force as specified in the agreement are met. Bilateral treaties usually enter into force when both parties agree to be bound as of a certain date.

For more information on treaties, see Public International Law in a Nutshell INTL KZ3110.B84 A3 2002 or Encyclopedia of Public International Law INTL REF KZ1160 .E53 1992, vol. 7 pps. 459-514.

Quick Treaty Finder

Need to find a treaty fast? Here are some top online and select print resources for finding treaties by party, organization or subject. Other sources mentioned throughout this guide may also help.

By Party

U.S. is a Party	Treaties in Force INTL REF KZ235.U58 Also available online. TIARA: U.S. Treaties and International Agreements - GULC only. Treaties on Thomas. Current Treaty Index INTL REF KZ235.K3925
U.S. is NOT a Party	Multilateral Treaties : Index and Current Status INTL REF KZ118.M8 1984 Title ceased in 1995. Multilateral Treaty Calendar INTL REF KZ118 .W55 1998 (for multilateral and bilateral treaties) Covers 1648-1995; organized chronologically. Bilateral treaty collections by country.

By Organization

United Nations	United Nations Treaty Collection - GULC only
European Union	Treaties in EUR-Lex
Council of Europe	Council of EuropeHague Conference on Private Organization of American States International Law Treaties
Organization of American States	Treaties and Agreements
Hague Conference on Private International Law	Conventions

By Subject (these are only a few examples)

Environment	Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators (ENTRI) ECOLEX: A Gateway to Environmental Law Conservation in Sustainable Development [updated regularly] INTL K3585.4.I58 1995 Additional information in our research guide, International Environmental Law
Bilateral Investment Treaties	UNCTAD Investment Instruments Online ICSID Bilateral Investment Treaties Investment Promotion and Protection Treaties [updated regularly] INTL K1112.A49 I58
Human Rights	Bayefsky.com University of Minnesota Human Rights Library Additional information in our research guide, Human Rights Law

General Sources for Treaties

There are many sources for locating treaties and agreements. Listed below are some general sources where treaties are published (for both bilateral and multilateral treaties).

• Official country treaty series (e.g. Canada Treaty Series INTL KZ355.3 .A3 Micro). These treaty series can be identified by using the U.N. List of Treaty Collections INTL REF KZ171 .U5 1981r or Sources of State Practice in International Law INTL REF KZ64 .S67 2001. Also check a legal research guide for that country -- many country guides are available at GlobaLex and LLRX. Official treaty series are usually slower in publication than other treaty sources and not all countries have treaty series. These series are especially important for locating bilateral treaties.
• IGO treaty series, such as the United Nations Treaty Series or the League of Nations Treaty Series INTL KZ170.5 .T74. These sets are usually slow in publication -- the U.N. is about 10 or more years behind. Series such as the U.N. Treaty Series are important sources for multilateral treaties.
• Official gazettes -- often the first official source (e.g. Bundesgesetzblatt INTL KK10 1949, Part II for Germany). For help locating gazettes, check a country-specific research guide, such as from GlobaLex or LLRX or consult A Guide to Official Gazettes and their Contents INTL REF Z7164.G7 G84 1985.
• Statutory compilations (chronological) such as Statutes at Large of the United States Williams K562.2 .L44. Search under the country's name or check a legal research guide.
• Looseleaf services. Examples of these include Tax Treaties Williams KF6306 .C6 or International Environmental Law : Multilateral Treaties INTL K3583.A1 I575 1974. Find one on the subject matter of the treaty by searching the library catalog or by consulting Legal Looseleafs in Print INTL REF KF1 .S7. The frequency of updating for looseleafs vary from every week to every year to every 2-3 years. Looseleafs are a good source for recent treaties and agreements. For more help using looseleafs, see our guide Using Looseleaf Services.
• Databases -- the library subscribes to a number of databases that contain treaties. TIARA: U.S. Treaties and International Agreements and United Nations Treaty Collection are two examples. See Our Online Collection for a complete list of databases.
• The Internet -- probably the easiest way to locate the unofficial text of recent treaties. Examples of free online treaty collections include the Avalon Project (historical treaties), the Multilaterals Project (covering many subject areas) or ENTRI (environmental treaties). Consult at topical research guide for help locating these online treaty sources.
• Periodical literature (e.g. Beijing Review or ILM). Some periodicals regularly reprint major treaties and others articles to which the text of a treaty being discussed might be appended. See the library's Journal Indexes page for a list of electronic journal indexes.
• Other sources of treaty texts include proceedings of international conferences (sometimes the treaty is the "final act" of the conference); documents of international organizations and national government bodies such as the U.S. Congress, monographic subject compilations, newspapers, governmental bodies and press releases.

U.S. Treaties & Agreements

• Ratification and Implementation
• Forms of Publication
• Indexes
• Full-Text Sources
• Status Information
• Legislative History and Interpretation
• U.S. Treaties on the Internet

Ratification and Implementation

When conducting U.S. treaty research, it is important to understand the ratification and implementation process. Negotiation of treaties and international agreements is the responsibility of the Executive Branch. The U.S. Department of State provides the Foreign Service with detailed instructions for the negotiation and conclusion of treaties and international agreements. These instructions are part of the Foreign Affairs Manual, Circular 175. Circular 175 summarizes the constitutional requirements for determining whether an international agreement should be considered a treaty or an agreement. It outlines the general procedures for negotiation, signature, publication, and registration of treaties and international agreements.

Outline of treaty making process:

• Secretary of State authorizes negotiation
• U.S. representatives negotiate
• Agree on terms and, upon authorization of Secretary of State, sign treaty
• President submits treaty to Senate
• Senate Foreign Relations Committee considers treaty and reports to Senate
• Senate considers and approves by 2/3 majority
• President proclaims entry into force

Outline of agreement making process:

• Secretary of State authorizes negotiation
• U.S. representatives negotiate
• Agree on terms and, upon authorization of Secretary of State, sign agreement
• There are three types of agreements: agreements based on the President's Constitutional authority (executive agreements), agreements pursuant to legislation or Congressional-Executive agreement, and agreements pursuant to treaty (authorization is based on a treaty ratified by U.S.).
• Agreement enters into force
• President transmits agreement to Congress (pursuant to Case-Zablocki Act [1 U.S.C. § 112b]).

For more information on the ratification and implementation process, see Treaties and Other International Agreements: The Role of the United States Senate: A Study [pdf], or National Treaty Law and Practice: United States by Robert E. Dalton.

Forms of Publication

Until 1950, U.S. treaties appeared regularly after proclamation in Statutes at Large Williams KF50.U6. Pre-1950 treaties can also be found in Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America, 1776-1949 INTL KZ236.A3. This 13 volume set is commonly cited by the compiler's name, Bevans. In 1950, United States Treaties and Other International Agreements (UST) INTL KZ235.3.U5 became the official source for all U.S. treaties and agreements. Several volumes are published annually, each with a non-cumulative subject index. Note that there is currently an 8-10 year lag time between ratification and official publication in UST.

U.S. treaties first appear in slip form in Treaties and Other International Acts Series (TIAS) INTL KZ235.32.U55, a set of individually paginated pamphlets, consecutively numbered. This series has a lag time of 6-5 years. Before ratification, you can check on the status of a treaty in CCH Congressional Index INTL REF & Williams KF49.C6

After ratification, but still well before treaties appear in slip form, selected treaties (after they are cleared for publication by the Senate) are published in the Senate Treaty Document Series (CIS) (formerly the Senate Executive Document Series).

Indexes and Finding Tools

These tools are useful for locating citations for bilateral and multilateral treaties and agreements.

• Treaties in Force (TIF) INTL REF & INTL KZ235.U58 and online (U.S. State Department)
  This annual publication lists and very briefly summarizes all U.S. treaties and agreements still in force, arranged by country and subject. Includes both bilateral and multilateral treaties and gives references to UST cites and TIAS numbers (if one exists). The primary use of TIF is verification of the existence of a treaty. TIF is also available on the Web, but the electronic version is no more current than the print. Since TIF is only published once a year, use Treaty Actions to update TIF. Archived Treaty Actions are also available on that site. TIF is also available on Lexis [Legal > Area of Law - by Topic > International Law > Treaties & International Agreements] and on Westlaw [USTIF database]. Where possible, TIF on Lexis and Westlaw links to the text of the treaty. Extensive archives of TIF are available on HeinOnline (1929 - 2006).
• A Guide to the United States Treaties in Force INTL REF KZ235.G84 and online (HeinOnline) (1982 - 2005) - GULC only. This annual publication should be used in conjunction with TIF. Access is by a combined subject index for both bilateral and multilateral treaties, as well as by numerical and country index. Supplemented by Guide to the United States Treaties in Force: Current Treaty Action Supplement.
• United States Treaty Index (15 vols.) INTL REF KZ235.K3925 1991
  This is one of the most comprehensive sources for U.S. treaty information. There are subject, chronological, and country indexes. This set is supplemented by Current Treaty Index, see next. The treaties are available on microfiche in Hein's United States Treaties and Other International Agreements (see below).
• Current Treaty Index INTL REF KZ235.K3925 1999
  This looseleaf index [what's a looseleaf?] lists current treaties and agreements published in slip form in TIAS as well as those treaties without TIAS numbers. It supplements the United States Treaty Index, see above. Also available online (HeinOnline) (1982 - 1999).
• TIARA: U.S. Treaties and International Agreements - online GULC only
  Available on the Web from Oceana publications. Access to treaties and agreements from 1783 to present. Be sure to log off when you are done searching.
• CCH Congressional Index INTL REF KF49.C6
  Two volume looseleaf [what's a looseleaf?] set issued for each Congressional session. The Senate volume of this set contains a section on treaties pending before the Senate. It provides information on the status of treaties. Use this if you are searching for pre-ratification treaty information.
• Congressional Record Index Williams KF35.A26
  Provides a listing of treaty actions and discussion appearing in the Congressional Record under the heading "Treaties" and occasionally under the name of a particular treaty or its subject matter. May provide the text of a treaty or reservation to a treaty and it is often a good source for legislative history of a treaty. Available online through Proquest Congressional, Thomas and GPO Access.
• Journal articles can be a very good source for citations to and information about treaties. Search the full-text files on either Lexis or Westlaw or use of one our journal indexes.
  

Full-Text Sources

• Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States of America INTL KZ236.A8 Also available online (HeinOnline) - GULC only. Contains the text of treaties from 1776-1863. Commonly referred to as Miller.
• Treaties, Conventions, International Acts, Protocols, and Agreements between the United States of America and Other Powers INTL KZ236.A6 Also available online (HeinOnline) - GULC only. Contains text of treaties from 1776-1937; vol. 4 has cumulative index and chronological list of treaties. Commonly referred to as Malloy.
• Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States 1776-1949
  INTL KZ236 .A3Also available online (HeinOnline) - GULC only. This source is commonly referred to as Bevans. Supersedes Miller and Malloy; vol. 1-4 have the text of multilateral treaties and agreements in chronological order by date of signature; vol. 5-12 includes bilateral treaties and agreements in alphabetical order by country; vol. 13 has a cumulative country and subject index.
• Treaty Series (cited to as TS) (October 1929-1945) Provides the text of treaties only. Merged with Executive Agreement Series to form Treaties and Other International Acts Series (TIAS).
• Executive Agreement Series (cited to as EAS) (October 1929 - 1945) Contains international executive agreements only. Merged with Treaty Series.
• Statutes at Large (cited to as Stat.) Williams KF50.U5 From 1776-1950, treaties and international agreements were published in Statutes at Large. Volume 8 contains all treaties between the U.S. and other countries from 1778-1845. Volume 64, part 3 contains a cumulative list of all treaties and agreements included in volumes 1-64. The first 18 volumes of Statutes at Large are available on the Web from the Library of Congress.
• United States Treaties and Other International Agreements KZ235.3 .U5 Electronic (cited to as U.S.T.) INTL KZ235.3.U5 This is the cumulative collection of TIAS (slip copies of treaties) and is the current official collection of U.S. treaties and agreements. There is a considerable lag time with this publications, about 12 years. Volumes 1 - 35 available online (HeinOnline) - GULC only.
• Treaties and Other International Acts Series (cited to as TIAS) INTL KZ235.32.U55 This series is the first official publication of new treaties and agreements -- slip treaties -- and is later bound in U.S.T. There is a lag time of about 5 years. TIAS 11060 - 12734 is available online (HeinOnline) - GULC only.
• Hein's United States Treaties and Other International Agreements Current Service [microfiche] INTL Media KZ235.5.H45 Use the United States Treaty Index and the Current Treaty Index to locate the correct microfiche. THis set is a good source for recent treaties.
• Consolidated Treaties & International Agreements (cited to as CTIA) INTL KZ235.5.U5 This set is a continuation of the 231 volume set Consolidated Treaty Series INTL KZ120.P35 which covers 1648-1918. The continuation set covers from January 1990 to present (about a 6 month lag). Available in electronic format as part of Treaties and International Agreements Online (see next).
• TIARA: U.S. Treaties and International Agreements Subscription database service from Oceana Publications - GULC only. This database contains U.S. treaties and international agreements in force since 1783. It contains specific fielded data and the full text of over 10,000 bilateral and multilateral treaties signed by the United States. Be sure to log off when you are done searching.
• CIS Index to Publications of the United States Congress [and microfiche] Williams KF49.C62 Treaties appearing in the Senate Treaty Document Series are indexed by CIS. Access is through subject matter of the treaty, title of the treaty, as well as through the heading "Treaties and Agreements," and the treaty document number (assigned by the Senate). This index gives a cite to the CIS microfiche set where the full text of the treaty is located. See also CIS Senate Executive Documents and Reports [and microfiche], a microfiche collection of the treaty documents and reports from 1817-1969. There is a two-volume index for accessing the relevant microfiche numbers. See also ProQuest Congressional.
• International Legal Materials (cited to as I.L.M.) INTL REF & INTL KZ64.I58 Selected treaties appear in full-text, often the first and only place they are published until the treaties come out officially. ILM is also available on Lexis (1962 - current) [Legal > Area of Law - By Topic > International Law > Treaties & International Agreements], Westlaw (1980 - current) [ILM database] and HeinOnline (1962 - 2005).
• Senate Treaty Documents Senate, House & Treaty Documents are available on the Web from the 104th Congress on. These documents include the text of treaties submitted by the executive branch to the Senate for its advice and consent, together with supporting documentation .Senate Treaty Documents are also available through the Serial Set, ProQuest Congressional (formerly Congressional Universe) - GULC only, Lexis [Legal > Area of Law - By Topic > International Law > Treaties & International Agreements > U.S. Treaties on Lexis] and Westlaw [USTREATIES database]. Prior to 1979, these documents were called Senate Executive Documents.
• Senate Executive Reports Senate Executive Reports are available on the Web from the 104th Congress on. These reports are issued by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and include the Committee's analysis and recommendations concerning proposed treaties. They also include the text of proposed treaties, together with any conditions (i.e. amendments or reservations) recommended by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. These documents are also available in the Serial Set, CIS Senate to US Senate Documents and Reports and other CIS publications, such as ProQuest Congressional - GULC only.
• Both Lexis and Westlaw contain U.S. treaties and agreements. Treaties can be located on Westlaw in the USTREATIES database and in Lexis [Legal > Area of Law - By Topic > International Law > Treaties & International Agreements > U.S. Treaties on Lexis]. Both of these systems have many topical agreements and treaties: major trade agreements (GATT and NAFTA), International Economic Law Documents, International Environmental Law Documents, and tax treaties.
• Unperfected Treaties of the United States of America, 1776-1976 INTL KZ236.A5 Six volume set includes treaties and agreements concluded by the U.S. which, for whatever reason, never entered into force between 1776 and 1976.
• There are many collections of treaties and agreements, such as Tax Treaties and Extradition Laws and Treaties. Some of these sets are regularly updated in looseleaf format [what's a looseleaf?] or available by subscription on the Web.
• There are many treaties available on the Web. See the section below, "U.S. Treaties and Agreements on the Internet" for some of the major collections.
• For more information on U.S. treaty indexes and sources, see the chapter on the United States in Sources of State Practice in International Law INTL REF KZ64.S67 2001.

Status, Updating and Ratification Information

Once a researcher has located the text of an agreement, the status of the document must be determined. This includes determining the parties of a multilateral agreement, entry into force date, and locating any amendments to the original agreement. Since status information is ever changing, locating current status of treaties and agreements has always been a challenging task for the researcher. Keep in mind that unratified treaties do not die at the end of the Congressional session, therefore, it is often important to determine where a treaty is in the ratification process.

• Treaties in Force KZ235 .U58 Electronic (see above)
• A Guide to the United States Treaties in Force INTL REF KZ235 .G84(see above)
• CCH Congressional Index INTL REF KF49 .C6 (see above)
• Current Treaty Index INTL REF KZ235 .K3925 1999 (see above)
• U.S. Senate Web site, Legislative Activities: Treaties, provides the following information: a list of treaties received from the President, treaties on the Executive Calendar, treaties approved by the Senate, and listings of other recent treaty status actions, including treaties that were rejected by the Senate or withdrawn by the President during the current Congress.
• The State Department used to issue a weekly newsletter called Dispatch. It contained a section called "Treaty Actions" which included current information on bilateral and multilateral treaties. This publication ceased in print in 1999 and the monthly Current Treaty Actions information is now available on the Web. Older editions of the Dispatch are available on the archived State Dept. website or on Lexis (1984 - 1999) [Legal > Federal Legal - U.S. > Executive Branch Materials > Department of State Dispatch] and Westlaw [USDPTSTDIS database].
• If looking for status and ratification information for multilateral treaties, many treaty secretariats and collections are available on the Web. See the section in this guide on Multilateral Treaties for more information.
• If all else fails, call the U.S. Department of State's Office of Treaty Affairs.

Background Information (Legislative Histories and Treaty Interpretation)

There are many U.S. government documents that are useful for doing background research. Most of the U.S. government documents mentioned below can be located with the same tools used for researching federal legislative histories, such as the CIS Index to Publications and ProQuest Congressional - GULC only. One especially useful publication is Treaties and Other International Agreements: The Role of the United States Senate (available online from HeinOnline). For further assistance with legislative histories, see the library's research guide on this topic.

• Senate Treaty Documents (see above)
• Senate Executive Reports (see above)
• Congressional Committee hearings, especially the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. See the U.S. Senate website, Legislative Activities: Treaties for current information about treaties received from the President, treaties on the calendar, approved treaties, and other recent treaty status actions. See also ProQuest Congressional - GULC only.
• State Department documents, including Dispatch (1990-1999) Williams K25.S4, international law digests, and Foreign Relations of the United States INTL KZ233.A3.
• Presidential documents, including Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States.
• Some legislative history research can be done on Lexis and Westlaw. See Lexis [Legal > Federal Legal - U.S. > Legislative Histories & Materials > US - CIS Legislative Histories] and Westlaw [LH database].
• Look for "travaux preparatoires" or other commentaries in library catalogs or through journal indexes.
• Shepard's United States Citations Williams KF153.2.S5 Pre-1950 treaties are listed by Statutes at Large number and after 1950 they are listed by UST or TIAS number. Provides citations to cases and statutes that cite or affect treaties.
• United States Code Service Williams KF62 1972 .U5 See unnumbered volume "Notes to Uncodified Laws and Treaties." This volume contains interpretive notes and decisions involving multilateral and bilateral treaties.

U.S. Treaties and Agreements on the Internet

Listed below are selected treaty collections available on the Internet. These sites focus on U.S. treaties and agreements only.

• Agreements Negotiated by the United States Trade Representative
• Avalon Project (Yale Law School) Good collection of older treaties.
• Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN) (U.S. Dept. of State)
• DOSFAN Electronic Research Collection (U.S. Dept. of State, Foreign Affairs Network) This is the electronic archive for the State Department.
• Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties Electronic version of the treatise compiled and edited by Charles J. Kappler.
• International Judicial Assistance (U.S. Dept. of State)
• Income Tax Treaties (IntlTaxLaw.com)
• Bilateral Investment Treaties (OAS, Foreign Trade Information System)
• Trade Agreements (OAS, Foreign Trade Information System)
• Private International Law Database (U.S. Dept. of State)
• TIARA: US Treaties and International Agreements (Oceana) - GULC only
• Treaties and International Agreements (WorldLII)
• U.S. Bureau of Arms Control Treaties & Agreements (U.S. Dept. of State)
• U.S. Bilateral Investment Treaties (U.S. Dept. of State)
• U.S. Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (U.S. Dept. of State)

Multilateral Treaties & Treaties Where the U.S. is Not a Party

Like researching U.S. treaties and agreements, the researcher is usually interested in:

• Locating the text of the treaty.
• Obtaining status and ratification information for specific countries.
• Finding reservations and declarations.
• Researching the intent through background documents.

For a thorough review of researching treaties and agreements where the U.S. is not a party, see Researching Non-U.S. Treaties [LLRX]. Another useful resource is Sources of State Practice in International Law INTL REF KZ64.S67 2001.

Bilateral Treaties

Finding bilateral treaties to which the U.S. is not a party can sometimes be challenging. Below are some resources and research techniques that may be helpful. Note that bilateral treaties between non-English-speaking countries are often not available in translation.

• Check the official treaty series, statutory compilation, or official gazette of one of the country parties. Some examples include United Kingdom Treaty Series or Australian Treaty Series. Some governments are starting to make their treaties available on the web, such as the Australian Treaties Library. The Foreign Law Guide can help you identify official treaty series, legislation compilations, or official gazettes for individual countries. Look under the "Major Publications" section for each country.
• International Legal Materials INTL REF KZ64.I58 Usually only reprints important treaties. Also available in Lexis and Westlaw and HeinOnline - GULC only.
• Use World Treaty Index INTL REF KZ173.R63 1983 or the United Nations Treaty Series Index INTL KZ172.T74 (about ten years behind) for a citation to bilateral treaties. The full text might be available in UNTS.
• Compilations of documents from an international organization may provide information.
• International yearbooks (e.g. African Yearbook of International Law INTL KZ21 .A37) or other international law periodicals. Use keyword searching in the library catalog to locate additional yearbooks and other periodicals.
• Phone calls to organizations, embassies, the Department of State, Office of Treaty Affairs, or the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, Treaty Section, can sometimes be helpful.

Multilateral Treaties

• Indexes
• Full-Text Sources
• Signatories, Status, Ratification, Reservation
• Background Information ("Travaux Preparatoires", Commentary and Treaty Interpretation)

Indexes

• Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General INTL REF KZ171.M85
  Also available online (called United Nations Treaty Collection - GULC only) This is a good source for citations and a list of the parties to an agreement. Limited to those treaties deposited with the U.N. For more information about treaties registered with the U.N. Secretariat, see Statement of Treaties and International Agreements Registered or Filed and Recorded with the Secretariat During ... INTL KZ5010.A2 ST/LEG/Ser.A This is also available on the United Nations Treaty Collection database.
• World Treaty Index INTL REF KZ173.R63 1983 Covers bilateral and multilateral treaties from 1900-1980.
• Multilateral Treaties : Index and Current Status (Bowman and Harris) INTL REF KZ118.M8 1984 (title ceased in 1994) This is a good source for citations and status information for multilateral treaties. It has a vague subject and keyword index and all of the entries are arranged in chronological order. This is a good source for all multilateral treaties, even if the U.S. is not a party.
• Multilateral treaty calendar 1648-1995 INTL REF KZ118.W55 1998 Very complete, but only covers until 1995.
• Index to the United Nations Treaty Series INTL KZ172.T74 Some of these indexes are available in the United Nations Treaty Collection - GULC only.
• United Nations Cumulative Treaty Index INTL REF KZ171.U512 1999 A 15-volume index in the same format as United States Treaty Index and is also supplemented periodically. This is much more useful than the UNTS Index.

Full-Text Sources

• Consolidated Treaty Series (cited to as C.T.S.) INTL KZ120.P35 Covers 1648-1918.
• League of Nations Treaty Series (cited to as L.N.T.S.) INTL KZ170.5.T74 Covers 1920-1944.
• United Nations Treaty Series (cited to as U.N.T.S.) INTL KZ172.T74 Covers 1944 - current. Many of the treaties contained in this source are also available online in the United Nations Treaty Collection - GULC only.
• International Legal Materials (cited to as I.L.M.) INTL REF KZ64.I58 Covers 1962 - current.
• Since not all treaties are deposited with the U.N., there are many regional organizations that publish the treaties done under the auspices of the organization. For example, the Council of Europe publishes the European Treaty Series INTL KJE123.A3 E97 and European Conventions and Agreements INTL KZ626 1971. Other European IGO treaties can be found in the European Yearbook INTL JN3 .A5. The Organization of American States (OAS) publishes a Treaty Series as well. Many IGOs have web sites that contain the text of these regional treaties, see the section on Treaty Collections on the Internet below.
• Periodicals, looseleaf services or subject compilations, such as Basic Documents in International Law and World Order Williams KZ1242.5.I497 1990 or Basic Documents of International Economic Law INTL REF K3820.A35 B37 1990.
• Country treaty series or official gazettes. See A Guide to Official Gazettes and their Contents INTL REF Z7164.G7 G84 1985 for more information.
• Lexis and Westlaw have selected treaties on various topics (trade, taxation environment, etc.)
• The Internet is a great source for multilateral treaties, see Treaty Collections on the Internet below and the research guides mentioned at the end of this guide.

Signatories, Status, Ratification, Reservations

This can be the most difficult information to locate for many treaties.

• One place to start is with the treaty indexes such as Treaties in Force INTL REF KZ235.G84 or Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary General INTL REF KZ171.M85 (available online through the United Nations Treaty Collection - GULC only).
• Depending on the topic of the treaty or agreement, consult relevant looseleafs, periodicals, or series on the topic.
• For the most up-to-date information, call the U.S. State Department's Treaty Affairs Office or the United Nations treaty information office. Phone numbers are available on the Web.
• The Internet is one of the most important sources for status and ratification information from treaty secretariats and depositories. Some of the useful sites are listed below. Again, this is only a sampling of what is available.
  • United Nations Treaty Collection - GULC only
  • ECOLEX (environmental)
  • Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators
  • Council of Europe, European Treaties
  • Hague Conventions on Private International Law
  • International Humanitarian Law (ICRC)
  • NORMLEX (labor)
  • WIPO Treaties

Background Information ("Travaux Preparatoires", Commentary and Treaty Interpretation)

• Researching the background or history of non-U.S. treaties is challenging, especially bilateral treaties. For the most part, you will not have access to the same kinds of materials for a legislative history for other countries. If you are researching the background of a multilateral treaty, there are many more resources available.
• Look for "travaux preparatoires" or other commentaries in library catalogs or use a journal index.
• If the treaty or agreement was concluded pursuant to an international conference, look for conference documents using the name of the conference as an author or subject in a library catalog. If it is a recent conference, try searching for the conference on the internet.
• If the treaty or conference was done under the auspices of an international organization, such as the U.N., look for documents using tools for locating such documents. See our research guides on the United Nations and on IGOs and NGOs.
• If you want to research how treaties are implemented or interpreted in domestic legal systems, the most useful tools include international law yearbooks and International Law Reports INTL KZ199.I58 (a compilation of selected international and domestic court decisions). Domestic court cases from constitutional courts may also be available online.

Treaty Collections on the Internet

Listed below are some (not all) of the treaty collections available on the Internet.

• Avalon Project (Yale Law School) Good collection of older treaties.
• Australian Treaties Library
• Council of Europe, European Treaties
• Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators (ENTRI)
• European Union Treaties
• Hague Conventions on Private International Law
• International Humanitarian Law Database
• International Treaties (NYU)
• Juris International
• Latin American Tax Treaties
• Lex Mercatoria (international trade)
• Multilaterals Project
• Organization of American States (OAS) Treaties
• Private International Law Database (U.S. Dept. of State)
• United Nations Treaty Collection - GULC only
• University of Minnesota Human Rights Library
• WashLaw - Treaties
• WIPO Treaties

Treaty Citations

A treaty citation should include the name of the agreement, date of signing, parties, the subdivision if applicable, and the source(s) for the text of the treaty (see The Bluebook - rule 21.4). The treaty sources will vary depending on the parties. See The Bluebook KF245 .U5 2005 for guidance on appropriate sources. An example of a multilateral treaty citation based on The Bluebook is:

North Atlantic Treaty art. 5, Apr. 4, 1949, 63 Stat. 2241, 34 U.N.T.S. 243.

If you found the text of treaty online and need help with the appropriate print source citation, EISIL may help. Look up the name of your treaty, then click on the "More Information" link. The record will include legal citation information (see an example). Note: you still need to consult The Bluebook for proper citation form, but EISIL's More Information link will help you identify the print source. Another aid for law review citation checking is Frequently-Cited Treaties and Other International Instruments (University of Minnesota)

Other Research Guides

Want more information on treaty research? These other research guides may help.

• ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law: Treaties (American Society of International Law)
• Researching U.S. Treaties and Agreements (LLRX)
• Researching Non-U.S. Treaties (LLRX)
• Treaties Research Guide (Duke University)
• Treaty Research (Boston University)
• International Treaties (NYU)
• How to Find the Law (9th edition) Williams KF240.C5383 1989 See chapter 15 "International Law" for a detailed discussion of treaty research including treaty interpretation.
• Fundamentals of Legal Research (8th edition) See chapter 20 "International Law" for a good discussion of treaty research sources.
• Guide to International Legal Research INTL REF KZ1234.G85 2005
• "Finding Treaties and Other International Agreements" in Accidental Tourist on the New Frontier : An Introductory Guide to Global Legal Research INTL REF K85.A27 1998