Researching Treaties and International Agreements

Introduction Research Guides General Sources for Treaties U.S. Treaties and Agreements Indexes and Finding Tools Full-text Sources Status, Updating and Ratification Background Information U.S. Treaties and Agreements on the Web Treaties Where the U.S. is Not a Party, and Multilateral Treaties Bilateral Treaties Multilateral Treaties Collections on the Web Treaties By Popular Name Treaty Citations Print entire guide

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Official country treaty series (e.g., Canada Treaty Series). These series can be identified by using the List of Treaty Collections by the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs (New York: United Nations, 1956) [UN Room].  Also check a country legal research guide or search under the subject [country]--foreign relations--treaties. 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 League of Nations Treaty Series (Geneva: League of Nations, 1919-1945) [KJ178 .L434] or United Nations Treaty Series (New York: United Nations, 1946-) [North Reading Room KJ179.U58 TS]. Locate these sets by using the subject treaties--collections or by checking a bibliography or publications catalog for the IGO. These sets are usually slow in publication -- the U.N. is about 10 or more years behind.  An important source for locating multilateral treaties.

Official gazettes -- often the first official source (e.g., Bundesgesetzblatt, Part II for Germany). See Roberts, A Guide to Official Gazettes and Their Contents (Washington, DC: Law Library, Library of Congress, 1985) [K20.A1 R62 1985] or do a subject search using gazettes--[country]. See also Government Gazettes Online.

Statutory compilations (chronological) such as Statutes at Large of the United States.  Search under the country's name or check a legal research guide.

Looseleaf services.  Find a service on the subject matter of the treaty using Legal Looseleafs in Print (New York: InfoSources Pub., 1981-) [Reference Desk KF1 .L45] or a legal research guide.  The frequency of updating for looseleafs vary from every week to every year to every 2-3 years.   A good source for recent treaties and agreements.

Electronic sources (web databases or CD-ROMs). To identify relevant electronic sources use database directories, catalogs, and legal research guides.  Electronic sources are good for locating very recent treaties.

Periodical literature (e.g., Beijing Review and ILM). Some periodicals regularly reprint major treaties and others contain articles in which the text of a treaty being discussed might be appended. 

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 U.S. Congress (Senate Treaty Documents); monographic subject compilations; newspapers (e.g., New York Times); governmental bodies (e.g., U.S. State Dept. or foreign consulates); and press releases.

Some treaties are separately published (not part of a set)--these can be found by doing a title search under the name of the treaty or the subject matter, to find compilations, add the word "treaties" to a subject search as in taxation, double--united states--treaties.  You may also try other subject searches such as commercial treaties or european economic community countries--commercial treaties.