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Treaty Sources: Treaty Sources by Subject

Last Updated: Sep 11, 2023 3:50 PM

    Treaty Sources by Subject

Treaty compilations or collections by subject can be a useful way to identify relevant treaties or conventions in a particular area and get a lay of the land. Be sure to update using online treaty sources to check status, parties, and to discover any new instruments.

General Research/Multi-subject

Not sure where to start? Check out one of these resources below. They contain information on various subjects and can lead you to other, subject-specific sources.

Weston, International Law & World Order: Basic Documents KZ 64 I58 (Ref)

  • Vol. 1 Constitutive/Organic
  • Vol. 2 War/Peace
  • Vol. 3 Human Rights/Social justice
  • Vol. 4 Trade/Development
  • Vol. 5 Earth/Space/Environment

United Nations Rule of Law Portal Includes Multilateral Conventions (Disarmament; Freedom of Information; Human Rights; Humanitarian Law; International Criminal Law; Law of the Sea; Law of Treaties; Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances; Pacific Settlement of International Disputes; Refugees & Stateless Persons; Employment; Traffic in Persons, Slavery, Slavery-Like Practices & Forced Labour)

International Organization and Integration: Annotated Basic Documents and Descriptive Directory of International Organizations and Arrangements KZ4850 .I55 1981 (Ref)

Brownlie, Basic documents in international law, 6th ed. KZ64 .B37 2009 (Ref)

EISIL – Electronic Information System for International Law (ASIL)

International Agreements and Diplomatic Documents (Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy)

Africa

African Union (and OAU) Treaties and Conventions (includes status information)

Air & Space

Air and Aviation Treaties of the World (1984+) K 4093 A35 1984

Archimedes Institute, Space Law & Policy Library (no longer updated?)

Bockstiegel, Space Law: Basic Legal Documents (1990+) KZD 1120 S67 1990

Children

Civil Practice & Procedure

  • Transnational Contracts K 7265 D442
  • Practical Handbook on the Operation of the Hague Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters, 2nd ed. K 7637 A41965 P73 1992
  • American Society of International Law, Private International Law - ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law

Criminal Law

  • Bassiouni, International Criminal Law Conventions and Their Penal Provisions K 5036 B37 1997
  • American Society of International Law, International Criminal Law - ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law

Defence

Economics & Trade

Bilateral Investment Treaties. See: Kluwer Arbitration (UB ONLY) To access, go through our Intelliconnect subscription (located under ‘international securities’ in the menu on the left side of the Intelliconnect database). See tab "Categories" for BITs and other Conventions.

Environment

  • American Society of International Law, International Environmental Law - ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law
  • Hohmann, Basic Documents of International Environmental Law K3583 B37 1992
    • ENTRI- Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators (CIESIN, Columbia University)
  • Environmental Law Reporter (ELI) KF 3775 A6 E5
  • Hoog & Steinmetz, International Conventions on Protection of Humanity and Environment K 3238 I58 1993
  • International Environmental Law: Primary Materials K 3583 I57 1991
  • The Marine Mammal Commission Compendium of Selected Treaties, International Agreements, and Other Relevant Documents on Marine Resources, Wildlife, and the Environment K 3483 M37 1994
  • U.N. Environment Programme
  • IAEA Administered Treaties and Conventions (Nuclear Safety, Science & Technology, and more)
  • International Maritime Organization (IMO) Conventions (includes status info)
  • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Treaties (food, water, agriculture, fisheries, ports) Includes status info.
    • Water Treaties (FAO)
    • Basic Texts of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2011 pdf

Europe

Extradition

  • 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3181 (Fed Core); Online (click on Notes tab);also Westlaw* & Lexis*
    • Historical notes list all treaties with date and country
  • See also, "Criminal Law" above.

Human Rights

Humanitarian Law (Law of War, Armed Conflict)

  • Borene, International humanitarian law (law of armed conflict) sourcebook KZ6462 .I58 2014

Intellectual Property

  • Ilardi and l Blakeney, International encyclopaedia of intellectual property treaties K1401.A35 I428 2004 ( Law Library Reference )
  • Leaffer, International treaties on intellectual property K1401.A35 I57 1997
  • UNESCO, Copyright Laws and Treaties of the World (1956-2000) K 1419 C67
  • UNESCO Conventions (Copyright, Cultural Property, Education, Communication, Natural Sciences & more)
  • World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO Administered Treaties
    • Text of 25 intellectual property treaties plus detailed information & status.
  • Winner & Denberg, International trademark treaties with commentary K1553 .W56 2004
  • WIPO Lex --national laws and treaties on intellectual property

Labor

International Labour Office, International Labour Conventions and Recommendations (1919-1995) K1703 I57 1996

International Labour Organization, Conventions (NORMLEX)

  • Full text ILO conventions.

Maritime

  • International Maritime Organization (IMO) Conventions (includes status info)
  • Minorities & Indigenous People
  • Hannum, Documents on Autonomy and Minority Rights K 3242 A35 D63 1993 (also in Berman Coll.)

Refugees

  • UNHCR Conventions on Refugees, Statelessness, Displaced People

Taxation

Trade

  • See "Economics & Trade" above

Women

  • Alfredsson & Tomaevski, A Thematic Guide to Documents on the Human Rights of Women: Global and Regional Standards Adopted by Intergovernmental Organizations, International Non-Governmental Organizations and Professional Associations K 644 A35 T44 1995
  • Columbia University, Women and Human Rights: The Basic Documents, Center for the Study of Human Rights HQ 1236 W63 1996 (Ref)
  • Lockwood, et al., The International Human Rights of Women: Instruments of Change K 644 A35 I58 1998
  • University of Minnesota Human Rights Library, Women's Human Rights
  • Rehof, Guide to the Travaux Preparatoires of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women K 3243 R44 1993

*Westlaw/Lexis access restricted to law students only