Researching Treaties

Singapore Treaties and Agreements

“The Singapore Treaties Database, maintained by the Attorney-General´s Chambers, contains records of treaties to which Singapore is a party, including exchanges of letters, memoranda of understanding, and other agreements regarded as treaties under international law. Key treaties are available in full-text format.” This database is accessible via LawNet

Launch LawNet Click on the Legal Research menu tabClick on the Treaties menu tabSearch for bilateral or multilateral treaties. PDF copies of the full text are available for selected treaties.

Bilateral Treaties“Bilateral, obscure, or historic treaties can be more

difficult to find. These treaties are generally published only in the treaty series or gazettes of the signatories, or in commercially-produced, topical compilations. In these cases the researcher needs to have as much information

as possible on the treaty before beginning research.” (Source: An Introduction to Public International Law Research By Vicenç Feliú (May/June 2008) NYU Globalex)

Multilateral Treaties

•UN Treaty Handbook

• UN DocumentationResearch Guide provides a useful introduction to the UN Treaty Collection and how to search it.

UN Treaty Collection

Click on Databases to view Treaty

database options

To view the Texts of Recently Deposited Multilateral Treaties

,

click on Databases and Titles and

Recent Texts to view recently

deposited treaties.

Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General

(limited to those treaties deposited with the UN)

 Click on Databases and Status of Treaties

Information provided in respect of each treaty

(a) United Nations treaties

The following information is typically provided for each treaty in the header of each chapter:

- The full title, place and date of adoption or conclusion;

- Entry into force;

- Registration date and number, pursuant to Article 102 of the Charter (where appropriate);

- The number of signatories and parties;

- References to the text of the treaty as published in the United Nations, Treaty Series (UNTS) or, if it has not yet been published in the Treaty Series, the reference to the United Nations documentation where its text may be found; and

- A brief note on the adoption of the treaty.

Indexes and Finding Tools

Includes League of Nations Treaties

The information provided is essentially based on the official records of the League of Nations. This accounts for the difference in format as compared with treaties deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The list of signatures, ratifications, acceptances, approvals, accessions, and successions in respect of each of the League of Nations multilateral treaties covered by this publication is divided into two sections. The first section reflects the status as at the time of the transfer of those treaties to the custody of the United Nations, without implying a judgment by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the current legal effect of those actions. The second section provides the status following the assumption of the depositary functions by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in relation to these treaties.

How do I know whether a treaty has been registered?

Cummulative Index

“In order to facilitate reference to the United Nations Treaty Series, the Secretariat considers it desirable to publish a Cumulative Index (in English and French languages). This continues the practice of the League of Nations, which published a similar index to its Treaty Series. A volume of the United Nations Treaty Series Cumulative Index is issued for every fifty volumes of the United Nations Treaty Series (UNTS).” (Source: UN website)

Signatories, Status,

Ratification, Reservations

Status of Treaties http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ParticipationStatus.aspx

Information provided in respect of each treaty(a) United Nations treaties The following information is typically provided for each treaty in the header of each chapter: - The full title, place and date of adoption or conclusion;- Entry into force; - Registration date and number, pursuant to Article 102 of the Charter (where appropriate); - The number of signatories and parties; - References to the text of the treaty as published in the United Nations, Treaty Series (UNTS) or, if it has not yet been published in the Treaty Series, the reference to the United Nations documentation where its text may be found; and- A brief note on the adoption of the treaty.

Status TablesParticipants are listed in the status tables in alphabetical order. Against each participant's name, the relevant treaty action is entered, i.e., the date of signature, the date of deposit of the instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, accession, or succession.4 The names of participants that have denounced the treaty appear between brackets, and the date of deposit of the notification of denunciation is indicated in a footnote. Additional information on denunciation of treaties appears in footnotes.

Declarations, reservations, objections

The texts of declarations and reservations generally appear in full immediately following the status tables. Objections, territorial applications and communications of a special nature, for example, declarations recognizing the competence of committees such as the Human Rights Committee, also appear in full. Related communications, for example, communications with regard to objections, and other information appear in footnotes.

Depositary Notifications (CNs) by the Secretary-General

The depositary is required to provide certain information to all interested parties on the treaties deposited with him. The Secretary-General, as depositary of multilateral

treaties, provides this information by issuing depositary notifications. Depositary notifications, which are made available to interested parties in hard copy and by e-

mail, deal with, inter alia, the following:• Opening of treaties for signature; • Signatures affixed to treaties; • Deposit of binding instruments, such as, instruments of ratification, acceptance,

approval or accession; • Deposit of notifications of succession; • Reservations, declarations and territorial applications; • Communications, objections to reservations, withdrawal of reservations and

withdrawal of objections; • Denunciations and terminations; • Any other information that, in the opinion of the Secretary-General, should be

made known to the interested parties.