Digests / Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Research Guides & Bibliographies
Treaties in Force 1941- (Latest paper issue here; also available online). Published annually, this index lists the treaties and international agreements of the United States which the State Department considers to be in force on January 1 of a given year. Part I lists bilateral agreements under the name of the country and is subdivided by subject. Part II lists multilateral agreements arranged by subject followed by a listing of signatories. Treaties in Force between its annual revisions is supplemented by the Treaty Information section of the weekly U.S. Department of State Dispatch.
Multinational Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General. 1968-. (Latest paper issue here; also available online) This annual publication resembles Treaties in Force. It reflects treaty status as of December 31. In addition to multilateral treaties, each volume also includes conventions for which the Secretary-General acts as depository. Each volume, arranged into twenty-four broad subject categories, contains comprehensive lists of signatures, ratifications and accessions, and the full text of any accompanying declaration or reservation. Multinational Treaties, between its annual revisions, is supplemented by the Conventions and Agreements section of the monthly UN Chronicle.
Status of Inter-American Treaties and Conventions. 1973- . Biennial publication. (#5 of OAS Treaty series).
Inter-American Treaties and Conventions; Signatures, Ratifications and Deposits with Explanatory notes. 1954-1980. Published annually. (#9 of OAS Treaty series).
Chart Showing Signatures and Ratifications of Council of Europe Conventions and Agreements. 1976- . Annual publication. Information about treaties to which the U.S. is a party (new ratifications, etc.) can be found in:
For the interpretation of the text of a treaty, you will need its legislative history, its application by the executive and judiciary and its analysis by writers on international law. In researching the legislative history of a treaty, an extensive search of the documentation of the governmental agencies of each participating party is required.
Proceedings of the conference that led to the conclusion of the treaty, as well as documents of international organizations must be consulted, and last, but not least, treatises and periodical articles dealing with the subject matter must be checked.
For legislative history of United States treaties, Senate Executive documents, reports and debates in the Congressional Record are the basic sources.
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