Library & Cultural Services: Human Rights: Treaties

Treaties: Key Resources

The Core International Human Rights Instruments and their monitoring bodies (OHCHR)
Universal Human Rights Instruments (OHCHR)
Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights. Contains the text and status information for all UN human rights related international instruments.
International Committee of the Red Cross: Geneva Conventions
Site includes the text of the treaties plus commentary.

HeinOnline : the modern link to legal history
Access to LNTS and UNTS
Shibboleth login
Oxford historical treaties
Oxford Historical Treaties (OHT) is the premier resource for historical treaty research and home to the full text of The Consolidated Treaty Series, the only comprehensive collection of treaties of all nations concluded from 1648 through 1919. Available via the Oxford Public International Law platform, OHT is cross-searchable with Oxfords leading public international law resources and benefits from a modern, intuitive interface and sophisticated functionality.

OHCHR: Instruments and mechanism
UN Treaty Collection
Electronic database for the official UN texts.
Treaty Bodies Database
Contains the texts of the treaties governing the treaty bodies plus status information.
Bayefsky.com
Its aim is to enhance the implementation of the human rights legal standards of the United Nations and to increase access to these documents by making materials associated with the treaty system available in electronic and user-friendly form.
International Law Commission
Established in 1948, the International Law Commission's mandate is the progressive development and codification of international law, in accordance with article 13(1)(a) of the Charter of the United Nations.. The site contains texts, instruments and reports, documentation such as yearbooks, annual reports and summaries. The site also includes ananalytical guide to the work of the Commission including the broad headings of: sources of international law; subjects of international law; succession of states; state jurisdiction/immunity from jurisdictions; law of international organizations; position of the individual in international law; international criminal law; law of international spaces; law of international relations; and settlement of disputes.

Council of Europe Conventions
Council of Europe website containing the complete listing of Council of Europe treaties, including the full text and explanatory reports.

European conventions and agreements by Council of Europe
Call Number: J 273
Publication Date: 1971-
Print collection located in the Library on Floor 4.

Organisation of American States: Treaties
Treaty page from the OAS, Dept. of Legal Affairs. The site contains the text of the treaties and signatories & ratifications by year, subject and alphabetically.
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Basic Texts
This site contains all the basic texts of treaties, declarations and protocols pertaining to human rights in the Inter-American system, plus signatures and ratification information.
University of Minnesota Human Rights Library: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Contains the text of the Charter of the Organization of American States; the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man; and the American Convention on Human Rights.

African Union (formerly the OAU)
Contains the text of all AU treaties plus status of ratification
African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights
Contains the text of the African [Banjul] Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, plus the Constitutive Act of the African Union.
African Human Rights Instruments
From the African Resource Centre, Human Rights Library, University of Minnesota the site contains the text of treaties and status information.

International Committee of the Red Cross: Geneva Conventions
Site includes the text of the treaties plus commentary.
International Committee of the Red Cross: National Implementation Database
A site from the ICRC providing documentation and commentaries concerning the implementation of international humanitarian law at national level. The number of States included will steadily increase over time.

Key Terms in the UN Treaty Collection
Definitions of terms used in relation to treaties, provided as part of the UN Treaty Collection Database (see above)
Globalex Research Guide
Written by Jonathan Pratter this is an excellent research guide for those interested in tracing Travaux Préparatoires.
À la Recherche des Travaux Préparatoires: An Approach to Researching the Drafting History of International Agreements
Written by Jonathan Pratter this is an excellent research guide for those interested in tracing Travaux Préparatoires.