Relevant Primary Sources - United Nations Treaty Collection
United Nations treaties databases include three main databases.
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Certified True Copies (CTCs) of Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the SecretaryThe Certified True Copies Database contains PDF version of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of each of the multilateral treaties for which the Secretary-General is a depositary (so-called ex-officio multilateral treaties). Click on one of the small tabs above the introductory blurb to search the database in different ways.
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United Nations Treaty Series (UNTS)A "collection of treaties and international agreements registered or filed and recorded with and published by the Secretariat since 1946. . . The collection currently contains over 158,000 treaties and related subsequent actions." You may search in the database by popular name, browse the index (for more ways to search, click on one of the other tabs running across the database menu), and you can also search a database for the League of Nations treaties.
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Monthly Statement of Treaties and International Agreements (MS)Database "contains detailed record of treaties and related subsequent treaty actions which were registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat on a given month."
Relevant Primary Sources - More Sources for Treaties
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United States Treaties in ForceIndex of bilateral and multilateral treaties in force for the United States.
Major sources of international law include treaties and decisions of international tribunals, documents from international and regional organizations, and material on selected topics. A treaty (sometimes called a convention, covenant, protocol, charter, pact, etc.) is an agreement between two or more nations or international organizations. It may be bilateral (between two countries), or multilateral (between three or more countries). The treaty text may provide for the manner by which it takes effect. Often, the agreement will enter into force when it has been signed and ratified by a certain number of parties.
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World Legal Information InstituteThe World Legal Information Institute (WorldLII) is a free, independent and non-profit global legal research facility developed collaboratively by the following Legal Information Institutes and other organizations.
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EISIL - Electronic Information System for International LawAn online index to treaties, organized by subject; offering links to the full text of treaties, along with citations and background information.
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Multilaterals Project by Fletcher Law School Tufts UniversityLinks to various primary text multilateral treaties on various subjects.
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Frequently-Cited Treaties and Other International InstrumentsA great resource for cite checkers, from the University of Minnesota Law Library.
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Guide to International Treaties by Library of CongressSearch to find primary text of treaties.
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ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International LawResearch guides on a variety of topics in international law from the American Society of International Law.
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Organization of American States TreatiesDepository for all Inter-American treaties.
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UN Human Rights TreatiesProvides ratification information by treaty and by state.
Relevant Primary Sources - More Sources on Human Rights
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Human Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. Includes summaries of conditions in each country as compiled by the staff of Human Rights Watch.
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Project Diana: An Online Human Rights Case ArchiveFrom Yale Law School
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Human Rights Reports from the U.S. State DepartmentSubmitted annually by the U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Congress.
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Human Rights by CountryUseful page from the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights with links to the status of every member of the UN vis-a-vis human rights.
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African Human Rights Law Reports [PRINT BOOK]In Law Library 4th Floor. Call number: KQC572.A53 A37
Contains decisions from: The United Nations human rights treaty bodies, The African Commission on Human and People's Rights, and domestic courts across Africa. -
Search Engine on International Human Rights and Humanitarian LawAccess to 856 multilateral conventions on Environmental Law, Human Rights, Humanitarian Law and Law of the Sea.
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Human Rights Library (Univ. of Minn.)Links to many of the most important human rights treaties. When possible links to authoritative ratification information.
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Human Rights Web ArchiveThe Human Rights Web Archive is an initiative by Columbia University Libraries to select, preserve, and provide access to freely available internet resources, specifically addressing at-risk websites in the area of human rights.
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Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million supporters, members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights.
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Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) was founded in 1986 by a prominent group of jurists and human rights activists in Asia. The AHRC is an independent, non-governmental body, which seeks to promote greater awareness and realisation of human rights in the Asian region.
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Inter-American Commission on Human RightsThe IACHR is a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (“OAS”) whose mission is to promote and protect human rights in the American hemisphere.
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African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS)The African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) is independent, non-profit regional human rights NGO based in Banjul, The Gambia.
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American Civil Liberties UnionNon-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States."
Relevant Primary Sources - International Courts and Tribunals
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International Court of JusticeOfficial site containing decisions of the ICJ, the principal judicial body of the United Nations. The ICJ hears cases between nation states. The site includes a list of pending cases, the basic documents governing its operation and other information about the Court.
Major sources of international law include treaties and decisions of international tribunals, documents from international and regional organizations, and material on selected topics.
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International Criminal CourtICC is an official organ of the United Nations. The ICC is charged to "try persons charged with genocide or other crimes of similar gravity."
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International Tribunal for the Law of the SeaThe International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an independent judicial body established by the Convention to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Convention.
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European Court of Human Rights.This court was created in 1950 under the European Convention of Human Rights. Its website contains administrative texts, case law, annual reports, and pending cases.
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European Court of JusticeThis is the judicial arm of the EU, and it resolves conflicts between EU members that involve EU treaties and legislation. Its website contains basic information about the Court and its parent, the EU; annual reports; a digest of case law; case annotations; and links to national and international legal sites.
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Inter-American Court of Human RightsThis court, part of the Organization of American States (OAS), considers cases involving human rights abuses in the Americas. Its website includes the Court's rules of procedure, decisions and advisory opinions, annual reports and other publications.
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African Commission on Human and Peoples' RightsEstablished by the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights is charged withthree major functions: the protection of human and peoples' rights; the promotion of human and peoples' rights; and the interpretation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
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International CourtsAlphabetical, Australia - United Kingdom
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French, German, Austrian and Israeli CourtsThis site is a resource for French, German, Austrian and Israeli legal materials in the fields of constitutional, administrative, contract and tort law. The English translations of decisions from Germany and France include cases from the Reichsgericht, the Bundesverfassungsgericht, the Bundesgerichtshof, the Conseil Constitutionnel, the Conseil d’Etat and the Cour de Cassation.
Relevant Primary Sources - International Organizations
Major sources of international law include treaties and decisions of international tribunals, documents from international and regional organizations, and material on selected topics.
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United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)Contains information on the human rights activities of the UN.
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Universal Human Rights IndexProvides easy access to country-specific human rights information emanating from international human rights mechanisms in the United Nations system: the Treaty Bodies, the Special Procedures and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
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Human Rights by CountryUseful page from the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights with links to the status of every member of the UN vis-a-vis human rights.
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United Nations Official Document System (ODS)Full text of many UN documents, extending back as older documents are added. UN Resolutions, including those of the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Concil, and Trusteeship Council, are also included.
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UN Documentation Center This link opens in a new windowBrowse links to key full-text documents, such as resolutions and the Secretary-General's reports. Also includes links to UN databases and web sites of special importance.
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United Nations Audiovisual Library of International LawEach page of the Historic Archives is devoted to a particular legal instrument. It contains a brief introduction to the instrument prepared by an eminent international law scholar or practitioner with special expertise on the subject, information on its procedural history and related documents, as well as the text and status of the instrument. Each legal instrument is accompanied by audiovisual materials, as available, including film footage, audio recordings and photos, relating to the negotiation and adoption of the instrument at meetings or diplomatic conferences.
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Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)The IACHR is a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (“OAS”) whose mission is to promote and protect human rights in the American hemisphere.
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African UnionThe African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states.
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Organization of American States (OAS)The OAS brings together all 35 independent states of the Americas and constitutes the main political, juridical, and social governmental forum in the Hemisphere.
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Council of Europe – Human RightsWebsite of the Council of Europe’s Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law.
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World BankThe World Bank serves as a source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. Their mission is to fight poverty and to help people help themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing knowledge, building capacity and forging partnerships in the public and private sectors.
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World Health OrganizationWHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.
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World Intellectual Property OrganizationThe World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the United Nations agency dedicated to the use of intellectual property (patents, copyright, trademarks, designs, etc.) as a means of stimulating innovation and creativity.
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World Trade OrganizationAdministers WTO trade agreements. Provides technical assistance and training for developing countries
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International Labour OrganizationThe International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that labour peace is essential to prosperity.
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International Monetary Fund (IMF)The IMF monitors the world's economies, lends to members in economic difficulty, and provides technical assistance.
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United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO)UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.
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