FIT for purpose!

What is it?

The Flare Index to Treaties is a searchable database of basic information on over 1,500 of the most significant multilateral treaties from 1856 to the present, with details of where the full text of each treaty may be obtained in paper and, if available, electronic form on the Internet.

What does it contain?

The Index includes only those treaties where there are three or more parties to the instrument. The selection has been based on entries in Multilateral Treaties: index and current status, compiled and annotated within the University of Nottingham Treaty Centre by M.J. Bowman and D.J. Harris (London: Butterworths, 1984, ninth supplement, 1992) - hereafter referred to as Bowman & Harris - and International Legal Materials (Washington, D.C., American Society of International Law, 1962-).

Whilst it would be desirable to create an index to all types of treaty the magnitude of the task may be illustrated by the fact that the World Treaty Index, compiled by Peter H. Rohn (Santa Barbara, California, 1984), covered all treaties signed between 1900 and 1980, yet comprises over 44,000 entries.

Clearly, it is beyond the resources of the present project to bring that work up to date, so the Flare Index to Treaties includes only the most significant treaties, conventions and agreements with at least three parties. Bilateral treaties are not included.

How do I search the database?

It is searchable by any one or a combination of the following:

The entry for each treaty in the database includes the following basic information:

Information on amendments and protocols has been included either as additions to the entry for the main treaty, where Internet versions incorporate this information with the main treaty or, as additional entries in the database, where internet versions keep the text of the amendments and protocols separate from the main treaty.

Where has the information come from?

Information was harvested initially from Bowman & Harris and has been supplemented from the following:

International Legal Materials (Washington: American Society of International Law, 1962-)

Index of British Treaties, 1101-1988, various compilers (London, HMSO, 1971-1992)

British Yearbook of International Law (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1921-)

Bulletin of International Legal Developments/Bulletin of Legal Developments
(London: British Institute of International and Comparative Law, 1966-)

United Nations Treaty Series Index (New York: United Nations, 1946-)

TSO/HMSO Catalogue (London: TSO, searched from c.1990-)

The web sites of international organisations including:

EISIL (Electronic Information System for International Law created by the American Society for International Law) http://www.eisil.org/

AUSTLII Australian Treaties Library http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK)
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/publications/treaty-command-papers-ems/

United Nations Treaty Collection (now free access via UN generic log in - username "treaties" and password "12345")
http://untreaty.un.org/English/access.asp

UN Treaty Reference Guide
http://untreaty.un.org/English/guide.asp#treaties

International Labour Organization
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/convdisp1.htm

Council of Europe (Treaty Office)
http://conventions.coe.int/

European Union (EUROPA - EUR-lex web site)
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/treaties/index.htm

Organization of American States
http://www.oas.org/DIL/treaties_and_agreements.htm

How often is it updated?

It is hoped to update the Index at annual intervals.

Who is behind it?

The Index was conceived and compiled by Dr Peter Clinch, Cardiff University.

Both the MS Access database into which data have been keyboarded and the web-based search interface were devised by Steven Whittle, Information Systems Manager, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London.

Funding for the project was made available through a successful bid to the University of London Vice Chancellor's Development Fund.

From the start, the Index has received the firm support and warm encouragement of the FLARE Group of major UK law libraries (Cambridge, IALS, Oxford, SOAS and the British Library) with significant international law collections.

How to contact us

Your reactions to and comments on the Index and suggestions for multilateral treaties which should be included are welcomed and should be sent to Steven Whittle at Steven.Whittle@sas.ac.uk

Further information on the development of the Flare Index to Treaties is available in an article published by LLRX.com

Compiled by Dr Peter Clinch: Winter 2008