There are 514 multilateral treaties deposited with the Secretary-General, as of 15 May 2000, which cover the whole spectrum of human interaction. The majority of these treaties have been adopted by the General Assembly, concluded at plenipotentiary conferences convened by the organs of the United Nations, or have been drawn up within the framework of the United Nations regional commissions and are open for participation to their membership and to non-Member States. The purpose of this publication is to provide a quick guide to these international instruments.

         In preparation for the Millennium Summit, the Secretary-General has identified a core group of 25 multilateral treaties which reflect the key policy goals of the United Nations and the spirit of the United Nations Charter.  The United Nations Charter calls for the establishment of conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained. Included among the core conventions are a range of human rights treaties as well as conventions on refugees and stateless persons, penal matters, disarmament and the environment.  They will be the object of a sustained effort to encourage signature and ratification.  Some of these international legal instruments have been open for signature for a number of years but have not yet succeeded in attracting universal participation.

         As noted by the Secretary-General in his Millennium Report to the General Assembly (A/54/2000), creating and sustaining global rules is crucial for the effective operation of international society.  Multilateralism underpins modern international society. In this context, the Secretary-General has invited every Member State to carry out a general review of all multilateral treaties deposited with him in order to assess their participation in this impressive and complex legal framework developed by the international community since the end of the Second World War.
 
         Governments alone cannot meet all the challenges confronting them.  The role of civil society is vital in encouraging universal participation in the international treaty framework and advancing the rule of law, and contributing to the goals of peace, human rights and human security envisioned in the United Nations Charter.

         For those Member States who have not ratified these multilateral treaties due to the lack of resources, the Secretary-General has requested all relevant United Nations entities to provide them with the necessary technical assistance in order to enable them to become full participants of the international legal framework.  This represents a major challenge to the United Nations, to each Member State and to civil society determined to facilitate progress for humankind in the new Millennium.

         For the full status of the conventions deposited with the Secretary-General, please consult the “United Nations Treaty Collection” on the Internet (http://untreaty.un.org) in addition to the publication Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General (ST/LEG/SER.E/18).

         For information, contact the Office of Legal Affairs, Treaty Section (212-963-5048).