QUICK GUIDE:  TREATY RESEARCH IN A NUTSHELL

Determining if the United States is a Party to a Treaty

I.  How to Determine if the United States is a Party to a Treaty:

The primary index for determining whether the United States is a party to a treaty is Treaties in Force (TIF). [Latest edition on Ready Reference KZ 235 .T74] This index, issued annually by the Department of State lists “treaties and other international agreements which had not expired by their terms or which had not been denounced by the parties, replaced or superseded by other agreements, or otherwise definitely terminated.”

Treaties in Force is divided into two sections: Part 1 includes bilateral treaties and other international agreements listed by country or other international entity with subject headings under each entry. Part 2 lists multilateral treaties and other international agreements to which the United States is a party, arranged by subject with a listing of the parties to that agreement.

The Latest version of TIF can also be found at the State Department's Legal Adviser's website.
Earlier editions can be found on HeinOnline here.

For samples of entries in TIF, click here.

II.  Other Places to Look if a Treaty Does Not Appear In Treaties in Force

If the treaty in question does not appear in Treaties in Force, there are a number of other print and electronic indexes which can verify the existence of a particular treaty and provide a citation to an official or unofficial treaty compilation providing the text of the agreement. Use the following indexes to locate treaties on a particular subject noting that some titles denote coverage of multilateral treaties only.

Print Indexes
	Guide to the United States Treaties in Force
		[Latest edition on Ready Reference KZ 235 .G85]  (Online version available at HeinOnline)
	Multilateral Treaties: Index and Current Status
		[LL2 and Ready Reference: KZ 118 .B68 1984 with Supplement]
	Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary General: Status as at 31 December....
		[Latest edition on Ready Reference KZ 171 .M85] (Also available online here.)
	Multilateral Treaty Calendar = Repertoire des Traites Multilateraux, 1648-1995.
		[Ready Reference KZ118 .W55 1998]
	United States Treaty Index: 1776-1990 Consolidation (Updated to 2006)
		[LL2: KZ 235 .U58 ]
	Current Treaty Index
		[LL2: KZ 235 .U582]
	Congressional Index
		[ Reserve: KF49 .C6]
		Use the Treaties-Nominations section in the Senate volume. This lists all treaties currently awaiting Senate action. It will cite to a Senate Treaty Document generally.
	CIS Index to US Senate Executive Documents & Reports : Covering Documents and Reports not Printed in the US Serial Set, 1817-1969.
		[LL1: Fiche 99 Index]
Electronic Indexes and Online Services
	GPO Access (Government Printing Office)
		Select “Senate Treaty Documents” from list of legislative materials. This database provides access to PDF versions of Senate Treaty Documents from the 104th Congress (1995-96) to the present.
	LexisNexis Congressional
		This database is also available in its print edition as the CIS/Index to Publications of the United States Congress. [ LL1: Fiche 110 Index] This source indexes Senate Executive Reports and Treaty Documents from 1970-present). There is a corresponding fiche set that reprints the documents issued. [LL1: Fiche 110 ] Full text digital treaty documents are gradually being added to the database.
	Lexis/Nexis:  (INTLAW;USTRTY) U.S. Treaties on Lexis
	Lexis/Nexis: (INTLAW;USTIF) Treaties in Force
	Westlaw: USTREATIES -United States Treaties
	Westlaw: USTIF -United States Treaties in Force
	Treaties and International Agreements Online (TIARA):
		TIARA provides access to the full text of over 13,000 treaties and international agreements. It includes all treaties and international agreements ratified by the U.S., major treaties in the process of ratification, and all tax treaties, even those to which the U.S. is not a party. Basic and advanced searching options provide numerous access points to the data. PDF versions of the official texts of many of U.S. treaties are included that have been taken from sources such as Senate Treaty Documents, TIAS and UST.
	Treaties and Agreements Library (Hein Online)
		Provides searchable access to United States Treaties and Other International Agreements (U.S.T) (Vols. 1-35 (1950 to 1984)) and Treaties and Other International Acts Series (T.I.A.S.) (TIAS 11060 to TIAS 12734).  It also provides access to several historical indexes and compilations U.S. treaties.
	Treaty Affairs in the Office of the Legal Adviser. U.S. Dept. of State, Room 5420, 2201 C St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20520. Tel. (202) 647-2044. (Call as last resort).
	Treaties Page on U.S. Senate Website
		This site provides a list of treaties received and approved by the Senate.
	Treaty Actions (U.S. Department of State)
		This site provides updated information about U.S. treaty actions for the current year.
	United Nations Treaty Collection (1946-)
		This site provides access to the Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General index and the United Nations Treaty Series.
	United Nations Master Treaty Index on CD-ROM. (1946-)
		[ Reserve KZ171 .U55]

Last updated: 7/26/07