The research library contains links to other web-based resources providing international law-related materials of interest to the researcher and practitioner alike. The library is divided into four components: resources relating to treaties and treaty status information; materials concerning the jurisprudence of international courts and tribunals; access to selected United Nations publications and to repositories of official documentation; and selected scholarly writings in international law, including publications and journal articles as well as information on research guides presently available on the Internet.

Particular emphasis has been placed on the selection of authoritative sites, typically including those providing unrestricted access to primary materials (where possible), or to key secondary sources of information on international law and on the activities of international organizations.

Collections maintained by the United Nations and other international organizations

Collections maintained by States

Collections maintained by
other entities

Under Article 38, paragraph 1(a), of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, “international conventions whether general or particular, establishing rules expressly recognized by the contesting states” are identified as one of the primary sources of international law.

Several thousand such conventions and treaties have been adopted by States, a significant proportion of which are presently in force.  Many of these instruments are reproduced in a number of treaty collections, including the United Nations Treaty Series which contains the various treaties registered with the United Nations in conformity with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.

The following are links to online collections of treaties and other relevant international law instruments maintained by the United Nations and other international organizations, States and private entities. Some collections are dedicated to particular subjects of international law. In addition, links are provided to information on the status of treaties, including those deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

United Nations Treaty Collection (including the United Nations Treaty Series, the League of Nations Treaty Series and information on the status of Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General)

International Human Rights Instruments (maintained by OHCHR)

Instruments relating to Refugees (maintained by UNHCR)

Disarmament instruments (maintained by UNODA)

Drugs and Crime-related treaties (maintained by UNODC)

Anti-terrorism treaties

Outer Space related instruments (maintained by OOSA)

Instruments adopted under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

Conventions and agreements adopted under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Standard setting instruments adopted under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Instruments relating to civil aviation (maintained by ICAO)

Instruments relating to intellectual property (maintained by WIPO)

International labour standards (maintained by ILO)

International trade law instruments (maintained by WTO)

United Nations & related entities

Regional entities

International Arbitral Tribunals

National Jurisprudence

The jurisprudence of courts and tribunals is a further source of international law. The modern era has seen the establishment of a significant number of international courts, tribunals and other quasi-judicial international mechanisms, most of which maintain extensive websites providing a broad range of information on their activities, as well as full-text electronic versions of judgments, advisory opinions etc.

The United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT) (2009 – present)
The United Nations Dispute Tribunal was established by the UN General Assembly and became operational on 1 July 2009 (and replace the former United Nations Administrative Tribunal (UNAT) (1949 – 2009)). It is the first instance court in the new system of administration of justice. The Dispute Tribunal hears and decides cases filed by or on behalf of current and former staff members appealing administrative decisions alleged to be in non-compliance with their terms of appointment or contract of employment. The Tribunal conducts hearings, issues orders, and renders binding judgments. Both staff members and the Administration have a right to appeal the judgments of the Dispute Tribunal to the United Nations Appeals Tribunal.

The United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT) (2010 – present)
The United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT) is an appellate court established by the General Assembly to review appeals against judgments rendered by the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT). It also hears and passes judgment on appeals from decisions taken by the Standing Committee acting on behalf of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board (UNJSPB) and by those agencies and entities that have accepted jurisdiction of the UNAT (for names of the agencies and entities see Jurisdiction). UNAT is composed of seven judges, who normally review appeals in three-member panels. Their judgments are final and binding on the parties.

United Nations Treaty Bodies
A number of international human rights treaties, adopted under the auspices of the United Nations, establish treaty bodies to monitor the implementation of the obligations established by those treaties. The exception to this is the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which was established by the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Other than reviewing the periodic reports submitted by States parties, all the bodies perform a quasi-judicial function by periodically issuing general comments providing guidance on the implementation of the obligations existing under their respective constitutive treaties. Several such bodies are also authorised to entertain complaints submitted directly by individuals and to issue non-binding views in the cases brought to them through such procedures. The following treaty bodies are in operation:

• Human Rights Committee
• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
• Committee Against Torture and Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) - Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture
• Committee on the Rights of the Child
• Committee on Migrant Workers
• Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  

Court of Justice of the Andean Community (1979 – present)
The Court was established in 1979 as the Court of Justice of the Cartagena Agreement. The Trujillo Act of 10 March 1996 transformed it into the Court of Justice of the Andean Community, and its statute was later modified by the Cochabamba Protocol signed on May 28, 1996. The Court, which is located in Quito, Ecuador, has jurisdiction to consider the decisions of the Andean Council of Foreign Ministers and the Andean Community Commission, and resolutions of the General Secretariat. In addition, the Court can, on the request of the General Secretariat or another member State, consider  the compliance of a member State with the legal system of the Andean Community. It may also render binding interpretations of Community law at the request of national judges litis pendente (preliminary rulings).

Common Court of Justice and Arbitration of the Organization for the Harmonization of Corporate Law in Africa (1993 - present)
The Common Court of Justice and Arbitration is an organ of the Organization for the Harmonization of Corporate Law in Africa established in 1993. Its seat is located in Port Louis, Mauritius. The function of the Court is to provide advice to the Council of Justice and Financial Ministers on proposed uniform laws before they are adopted by it, and to act as court of cassation, in place of national courts of cassation, on all issues concerning uniform laws. The Court also monitors and facilitates arbitrations.

International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) (1966 – present)
The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes is an autonomous international institution established under the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States of 1965. It was created by the Convention as an impartial international forum providing facilities for the resolution of legal disputes relating to investment treaties and laws, through conciliation or arbitration procedures. The Centre's headquarters are located in Washington, D.C.

• International Court of Arbitration (International Chamber of Commerce)
• London Court of International Arbitration
• International Council for Commercial Arbitration

• United Nations Reports of International Arbitral Awards (RIAA)
• Case Law on UNCITRAL Texts (CLOUT)
• International Judicial Monitor

• i.Lex (online database of United States court cases and related materials featuring international law, established by the American Society of International Law)
• ECOLEX (online database maintained by FAO, IUCN and UNEP, including national judicial decision relating to environmental law)

United Nations Publications

United Nations Documentation

Other International Organizations

Related Sites

The official records and documentation of the United Nations, its Specialized Agencies and other international organizations, constitute a key source of information on, inter alia, the development of legal norms. A large number of such records and documentation are available on the Internet for free.

Scholarly writings by Faculty

International Law Journals

International Law Yearbooks

Research Guides & Documentation

Intergovernmental Entities

Professional Associations

Other Resources

Article 38, paragraph 1(d), of the Statute of the International Court of Justice lists the "teachings of the most highly qualified publicists" as a subsidiary source for the determination of rules of international law. A significant number of such publications, as well as other research materials, have been, or are being, made available through the Internet on a non-fee basis. In addition, several electronic research guides in international law are available over the Internet.

First platform of international law - Creasy, Edward Shepherd, Sir, 1812-1878

• Customary International Humanitarian Law Database (ICRC)