For research purposes, treaties can be classified in various ways, perhaps most usefully into three groups: multilateral treaties (treaties with three or more parties); bilateral treaties (two party treaties) involving the U.S. as a party; bilateral treaties not involving the U.S. as a party.
The purpose of this guide is to introduce non-U.S. treaty sources, i.e., those sources that provide access to bilateral treaties not involving the U.S. as a party and multilateral treaties that may or may not involve the U.S. as a party. Any time you are researching any of these types of treaties, you will have to cite one of these sources. If the treaty is a multilateral treaty involving the U.S. as a party, you will have to cite a U.S. source as well (and in fact will not have to cite an international source, unless the treaty has more than three signatories). (Bluebook, 18th ed., Rule 21.4.5) U.S. treatyl sources are discussed in another research guide, U.S. Treaties.
