Citing treaties
Referencing international materials such as treaties and UN documents is complex. It is very important to reference these resources correctly. Take some time considering the components of your resource. Often a UN document will have a specific document code which will help to identify what type of resource it is. You will need to take some time to browse through all the rules in this Part IV to see which rule is most applicable.
AGLC4 Part IV: International Materials - 8 Treaties
Rule 8 Treaties
| Element | Treaty Title | Parties’ Names | Date Opened for Signature or Signed | Treaty Series | Date of Entry into Force | Pinpoint | Full stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rule | 8.1 | 8.2 | 8.3.1 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 8.7/td> | 1.1.4 |
| Example | International Agreement on the Scheldt, | Belgium-France-Netherlands, | signed 3 December 2002, | 2351 UNTS 13 | (entered into force 1 December 2005) | art 3(1)(a) | . |
| Example | Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, | opened for signature 1 July 1968, | 729 UNTS 161 | (entered into force 5 March 1970) | art 3 | . |
* Only include parties' names if there are less than three signatories and their names do not appear in the treaty title.
Other examples
-
United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, opened for signature 11 April 1980, 1489 UNTS 3 (entered into force 1 January 1988) art 66.
-
International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, opened for signature 16 December 1966, 999 UNTS 171 (entered into force 23 March 1976) art 6.
-
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, opened for signature 16 December 1966, 999 UNTS 3 (entered into force 3 January 1976) preamble.
Melbourne University Law Review Association, Australian Guide to Legal Citation (Melbourne University Law Review Association, 4th ed, 2018) 133.
Note
The United Nations Charter was published before the commencement of the United Nations Treaty Series. The United Nations Charter is published in the Documents of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, San Francisco, 1945, in volume XV starting at page 335.
United Nations Charter, opened for signature 26 June 1945, XV UNCIO 335, amendments in 557 UNTS 143, 638 UNTS 308 and 892 UNTS 119 (entered into force 24 October 1945).
A full consolidated version is available at: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter
AGLC4 rule 8.4 - which Treaty Series to reference?
According to AGLC4 rule 8.4, when a treaty is published in more than one series, the following treaty series should be used in order of preference:
- United Nations Treaty Series ('UNTS') or the League of Nations Treaty Series ('LNTS');
- an official treaty series of a states party;* or
- another international or regional treaty series*.
*for example Australian Treaty Series ('ATS').
Melbourne University Law Review Association, Australian Guide to Legal Citation (Melbourne University Law Review Association, 4th ed, 2018) 137.
Citing a treaty interactive
Move the slider to see an example of the relevant AGLC4 rules for citing a treaty:
Activity overview
This interactivity shows a reference in the AGLC4 style with a vertical slider bar that can be dragged left and right to reveal and hide the names for the different parts of the reference.
Reference
United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, opened for signature 11 April 1980, 1489 UNTS 3 (entered into force 1 January 1988) art 66.
Parts of the reference
Title of Treaty r 8.1
United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods
Date opened for signature or signed r 8.3.1
opened for signature 11 April 1980
Treaty Series r 8.4
1489 UNTS 3
Date of Entry into force r 8.3
(entered into force 1 January 1988)
Pinpoint r 8.7
art 66.