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Public International Law: Key Documents

This guide covers researching public international law, which governs relationships between national governments and between national governments and intergovernmental organizations.

Key Documents for International Law

Frequently cited instruments for selected areas of international law:

Charter of the United Nations (1945)
Statute of the International Court of Justice (1945)
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (1886)
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961)
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969)
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982)
Geneva Conventions (Laws of War) (1949)
Hague Conventions on Private International Law (1954 to present)
(New York) Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (1958)
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (1973)
International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (1997)
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1996)
World Trade Organization Agreement (1994)

A useful resource for locating citations to many important treaties and agreements is Frequently-Cited Treaties and Other International Agreements.