1. International Legal Research FSU College of Law Library Margaret Clark January 2006

2. Review of Sources & Strategies United Nations Documents Multilateral Treaties Case law

3. United Nations Four types of documents Periodicals -- U.N. Chronicle Sales Publications -- Yearbooks, annuals, reports or studies Masthead Documents -- Provisional records Official Records – meeting records, resolutions, reports

4. Document Symbols Documents are identified by a symbol Identified by issuing body To locate document, important to know different parts of symbol Use handout as guide

5. U.N. Databases Official Document System ODS 1993 + AccessUN 1948 + UNBISnet 1979 + UN-I-QUE 1946 +

6. Official Document SystemOfficial Document System (ODS) Official repository of UN documents Full-text images in pdf format Official documents from 1993 Resolutions from 1946 Does not contain: –Press releases –Sales publications –Treaties ODS Training Guide

7. On this screen, accessible at http://documents.un.org, you may choose a search interface from the six official languages. In this example we select “English.” http://documents.un.org

8. This screen prompts you to choose between the “Simple,” “Advanced” and “Global” search screens. To begin, we choose “Simple Search.”

11. Date Column

14. Search for older resolution

23. Access UN Access UN 1948 to date Comprehensive, easy to search Unofficial; generally not full text Use ODS for full-text after 1992 Use it to search your library’s (FSU) holdings Provides access to ALL four types of UN documents. Individual articles are indexed. Treaties are indexed Documents from the six UN bodies are indexed

24. What is UNBISnet ? 1979 to present Online catalog of the UN Library in NY and Geneva. Bibliographic database with links to recent full-text documents Includes all UN documents as well as non-UN holdings, Allows for highly advanced searches –Subject searching –Title searching: Use title and notes keyword option, since many titles are generic –Can limit by type of material –Speeches –Voting Records: by keyword or resolution symbol

25. In order to access UNBISnet, type http://unbisnet.un.org into the address bar of any Internet browser and press “enter.”http://unbisnet.un.org

26. What type of information is included in UNBISnet? Bibliographic Records Catalogue of United Nations documents and publications indexed by the UN Library in New York and Geneva. Also included are commercial publications and other non-UN sources held in the collection of the Library in NY. Voting Records The voting records for resolutions which were adopted - either without a vote or by roll-call or recorded vote - by the General Assembly and the Security Council. Index to Speeches Citations to speeches made in the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the Trusteeship Council.

30. UN-I-QUE Electronic tool for identifying the symbols of UN documents Good for locating certain human rights documents –Declarations adopted by the General Assembly Decl AND child –Periodic reports submitted by countries in compliance with intl human rights treaties to which they are a party Name of country AND periodic AND keyword (e.g. child) –Rapporteurs’ Reports in the areas of human rights and int’l law rapporteur* AND report AND child*

31. U.N. Internet Sites UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has a searchable databaseUN High Commissioner for Human Rights UN Human Rights Bodies links to all other UN entities involved in human rights promotion and protectionUN Human Rights Bodies UN Treaty Body Database includes documents by the committees set up to monitor treaty implementationUN Treaty Body Database UN Documentation Centre Includes documents primarily from major UN bodies & press releasesUN Documentation Centre UN Documentation Research Guide Quick Links

32. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

33. UN Human Rights Bodies

34. UN Treaty Body Database

35. UN Documentation Centre

37. U.N. Current Awareness U.N. News Center UN Press Briefings Archive Researching Press Releases UN Treaty Body Recommendations email serviceemail

41. Treaties Two elements to treaty research 1.Finding text Authoritative? Most recent? 2. Determining Status who has signed and ratified? entered into force? changed by subsequent protocols or amendments?

42. Finding Treaties and Text Treaty Collections –General online collections –Human Rights collections –Treaties of regional organizations –Non-governmental organizations

43. General Collections UN Treaty Collection –Access via FSU Databases page –Use Treaty Handbook for overview of depository practiceTreaty Handbook –Use Treaty Reference Guide for definitions of key termsTreaty Reference Guide –Status of Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General Status of Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General

44. General Collections EISIL Electronic Information System for International LawEISIL –Extensive database of quality resources –Three types of resources Primary documents Web sites Research Guides –Arranged by 13 categories of International Law

45. Human Rights Collection International Human Rights Treaties from OHCHRInternational Human Rights Treaties from OHCHR –Text of treaties in subject listing –New instruments under consideration –Status of ratificationStatus of ratification Office of the UNHCR U. of Minn. Human Rights Library

46. Regional Collections European Union – EUR-Lex databaseEUR-Lex database Council of Europe OAS treatiesOAS –Basic documents pertaining to human rightsBasic documents pertaining to human rights African States Asia Collection of Web sites

47. Non-governmental Sources Amnesty International (Treaty page)Amnesty International ICRC

48. Recent Treaties International Legal Materials ILM –Lexis INTLAW lib; ILM file –Westlaw ILM Law Reviews Newspaper sources UN publications “Statement of Treaties and International Agreements Registered or Filed and Recorded with the Secretariat during the Month of…” Access through UN-I-QUE; then search UNBISNET

49. Commentary and analysis ASIL –web site search engineweb site search engine –ASILEX databaseASILEX International Law Reports Westlaw & Lexis CIAO database Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals PAIS Public Affairs Information ServicePAIS Lexis and Westlaw journals

50. Current Awareness ASIL –International Law in Brief Bi-monthly email service Great analytical abstracts on int’l law documents –ASIL Insights Monthly email service International Law Update –LexisNexis INTLAW; ILAWUP file Group of IL newsletters –LexisNexis INTLAW; INTLTR –Area of law > by topic > Int’l law > news & info > newsletters Keeping Current guide – excellent toolguide

51. International Courts Databases Updating cases Locating Judicial Decisions handouthandout

52. International Courts - Databases World Legal Information Institute –Human Rights Courts & Tribunals PageHuman Rights Courts & Tribunals Page –International Courts & Tribunals ProjectInternational Courts & Tribunals Project HUDOC –Portal for European Convention of Human Rights –Case-law collection Court > Judgments Commission > Decisions (Admissablity) Committee of Ministers > Resolutions

53. International Courts - Databases European Union –Human Rights & Democratisation PolicyHuman Rights & Democratisation Policy –EUR-Lex databaseEUR-Lex

54. International Courts - Databases Inter-American Human Rights –Cases –Inter-American Commission on Human RightsInter-American Commission on Human Rights –Inter-American Court on Human RightsInter-American Court on Human Rights –Databases Official Web sites cases through Nov 2005 U of Minnesota Human Rights through 2004U of Minnesota Human Rights Westlaw IACHR-OAS through 2005 WorldLII selected cases through 2003

55. Updating cases Research in Secondary literature Westlaw: JLR, TP-ALL, Lexis: Secondary Legal>Law Reviews & Journals>Law Reviews by Area of Law Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals Index to Legal periodicals

56. The End