Law

Treaties are often referred to by terms such as convention, covenant, agreement, pact, accord, and protocol.

They may be bilateral (between two countries) or multilateral (among three or more countries). 

Treaties must by ratified by two thirds of the Senate to become effective. They are considered laws and may supersede earlier laws or treaties.

1. Secretary of State authorizes negotiation
2. U.S. representatives negotiate
3. Representatives agree on terms and (with authorization of Secretary of State) sign treaty
4. President submits treaty to Senate
5. Senate Foreign Relations Committee considers treaty and reports to Senate
6. Senate considers and approves by 2/3 majority
7. President proclaims treaty to be in force

Congressional Documents (FDSys)

The Congressional Documents collection consists of House Documents, Senate Documents, and Senate Treaty Documents. Senate Treaty Documents contain the text of a treaty as it is submitted to the U. S. Senate for ratification by the President of the United States.

Treaties and Other International Acts Series (TIAS)
In Government Documents under Call Number S 9.10:

Pre-prints of all treaties ratified by the Senate and signed by the President, issued individually 6–12 months after they are in force.

United States Treaties and Other International Agreements (UST)
In Government Documents under Call Number S 9.12:

Compilation of all U.S. treaties ratified since 1950.

Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America, 1776–1949 (Bevans)
In Government Documents under Call Number S 9.12/2:

Compilation of all pre-1950 U.S. treaties.

United States Statutes at Large
In Government Documents under Call Number GS4.111:vol.
Volumes 1–18 available from Library of Congress

Volume 7 collects all treaties between U.S. and Indian tribes from 1778-1842.
Volume 8 collects all treaties between U.S. and other countries from 1778-1845. 
From 1846 on, treaties were published in the sessional volumes.
Volume 64, Part 3 contains cumulative list of all treaties and agreements included in volumes 1–64.
After 1950, the official publication for U.S. treaties became UST.

Treaties in Force (TIF)

Lists and summarizes all U.S. treaties and agreements currently in effect, arranged by country and by topic. Includes USTIAS and UST numbers.

Search Treaties (THOMAS)

Search for treaties and their status by Congress, by date transmitted to Senate, by treaty number, by type of treaty, or by keyword or phrase. The Word/Phrase option searches all parts of the Treaty record but not the text of the treaty itself. The Search Treaty feature in THOMAS contains information about treaties, not the actual text of the treaty itself. This database covers treaty information from the 94th Congress to the present. Treaty information is also available from the 90th to the 94th. Information is available for just a few treaties from the 81st through the 89th Congresses.

Treaties (U.S. Senate)

Identify treaties received from the President, treaties on the Executive Calendar, treaties approved by the Senate, and listings of other recent treaty status actions, including treaties that were rejected by the Senate or withdrawn by the President, during the current Congress.

Treaties Received identifies treaties received from the President during the current Congress as well as the committee referral actions taken.

Treaties Reported identifies treaties reported out by the Foreign Relations committee, placed on the Executive Calendar with a sequentially assigned calendar number, and that are ready for Senate floor consideration.

Treaties Actions identifies treaties that have had Senate floor status actions during the current Congress. The date and a brief description of each floor action is provided.

Treaties Approved identifies treaties that were approved by the Senate during the current Congress. Includes links to the text of the treaty ratification resolutions.

Congressional Record Index
Available in Government Documents under X/a:

Treaty actions and discussion appearing in the Congressional Record are listed under the heading “Treaties” and sometimes under the name of a specific treaty or its subject matter.

The President has the authority to make agreements with the chief executives of other countries. Although these have the same legal status as treaties, they do not not require the advice and consent of the Senate.

There is no restriction on the President’s authority to make such agreements, as long as they do not violate or alter any existing law or treaty.

The President is required to notify the Senate within 60 days of any executive agreement. Congress then has the option of voting to cancel the executive agreement, or to refuse funding for their implementation. 

Unlike treaties, executive agreements are not mentioned in the Constitution. They are, however, far more common than treaties or legislative actions.

1. Secretary of State authorizes negotiation
2. U.S. representatives negotiate
3. Representatives agree on terms and (with authorization of Secretary of State) sign agreement
4. Agreement enters into force
5. President transmits agreement to Congress

Executive Agreements often take as long as five years to be published, and can be very difficult to locate. Certain categories of executive agreements are exempt from publication.

Treaties and Other International Acts Series (TIAS)
In Government Documents under Call Number S 9.10:

Pre-prints of all treaties ratified by the Senate and signed by the President, issued individually 6–12 months after they are in force.

United States Treaties and Other International Agreements (UST)
In Government Documents under Call Number S 9.12:

Official compilation of all U.S. treaties ratified since 1950.

Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America, 1776–1949 (Bevans)
In Government Documents under Call Number S 9.12/2:

Compilation of all pre-1950 U.S. treaties.

United States Statutes at Large
In Government Documents under Call Number GS 4.111:vol. and AE 2.111:vol.

Volumes 47–64 include executive agreements.
Volume 64, Part 3 contains cumulative list of all treaties and agreements included in volumes 1–64.
After 1950, the official publication for U.S. treaties and agreements became United States Treaties and Other International Agreements.

Letters can be instructions to chiefs of diplomatic missions, or trade agreement letters issued under GATT.

Federal Register
Available online via FDSys (1994–current); select “Presidential Documents”
Microfiche (1936–August 2004) available in Government Documents Microfiche cabinet #43)

Letters are published under the heading of “Presidential Documents” or “President of the U.S.”

Code of Federal Regulations (Title 3)
Available online via FDSys (1996–current); select “Title 3”
Microfiche (1938–1996) available in Government Documents Microfiche cabinet #4

Letters and similar items are listed by type of document following the executive orders section.

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents
Available online through FDSys (1993–current)
Available to UNT community through ProQuest (1992–current)
Available on Third Floor Willis Library AE 2.109 : (1984–current); GS 4.114 : (1965–1983)

Letters are listed under “letters and messages” and under “communications to federal agencies.”

Public Papers of the President of the United States
Available online through FDSys (1992–current)
Available to UNT community through LexisNexis (1979–current)
Available on Third Floor Willis Library AE 2.114 : (1984–current); GS 4.113 : (1929–1983)

Letters are listed under the same headings used for the Weekly Compilation.

Multilaterals Project (Tufts University)

Texts of international multilateral conventions and other instruments, organized by subject. Also includes keyword search engine.

Treaties and Law (Europa)

Overview of the basic documents on which the European Community was founded.

United Nations Treaty Collection (United Nations)

All multilateral treaties deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations and those formerly deposited with the League of Nations—their latest status and a link to the full texts. Also includes bilateral and multilateral treaties registered with and published by the United Nations Secretariat in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations up to a certain date—Detailed treaty references and full texts in all authentic language(s).

Frequently Requested Treaties and Conventions

Berne Convention (Cornell)

Multilateral agreement for protecting literary and artistic works.

Convention on the Law of the Sea (United Nations)

Text of the 1982 United Nations Law of the Sea Convention as well as related texts and information.

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (World Trade Organization)

Multiparty international agreement intended to promote international trade by lowering import duties and by providing participating nations equal access to markets. The countries that signed GATT participated thereafter in a series of updated trade agreements call “rounds.” The last of these, the Uruguay Round, replaced GATT with the World Trade Organization.

Geneva Conventions (International Committee of the Red Cross)

Agreements concerning treatment of prisoners of war, the sick, wounded, and dead in battle, and the status of those responsible for them.

Hague Convention (ICOMOS)

Agreement concerning protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict.

Maastricht Treaty on the European Union (Europa)

Treaty between members of the European Community that established the European Union.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (Organization of American States)

Agreement concerning certain aspects of trade among Canada, United States, and Mexico.

Paris Convention (BitLaw)

Agreement governing the protection of industrial property. Discusses patents, utility models, industrial designs, trademarks, service marks, trade names, indications of source or appellations of origin, and the repression of unfair competition).

Treaty of Rome (Europa)

Treaty that established the European Economic Community (later the European Community), as amended by subsequent treaties.

Uruguay Round Final Act (World Trade Organization)

Trade negotiation that transformed the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) into the World Trade Organization (WTO). This was the largest trade negotiation in history and covered almost all forms of trade.