Public International Law refers to the body of legal rules and principles which determine the international rights and obligations of nation-states and regulate the operations of international organizations. Also non-governmental entities and individuals have become part of Public International Law. The scope of activities covered by Public International Law has grown over the years to include additional topics, e.g., human rights, international environmental law, international criminal law, and international economic law. The normative system of Public International Law is derived from the four sources, listed in Article 38.1 of the International Court of Justice Statute, i.e., treaties, customary international law, general principles of law, and ‘judicial decisions and the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists of the various nations, as a subsidiary means for the determination of rules of law’. Various international courts and arbitration tribunals provide for the settlement of disputes in the field of Public International Law. For detailed guidance on individual topics of Public International Law, see the individual research guides on the various special topics.
This Research Guide is intended as a starting point for research on Public International Law. It provides the basic legal materials available in the Peace Palace Library, both in print and electronic format. Handbooks, leading articles, bibliographies, periodicals, serial publications and documents of interest are presented in the Selective Bibliography section. Links to the PPL Catalogue are inserted. The Library's subject heading (keyword) Public International Law is instrumental for searching through the Catalogue. Special attention is given to our subscriptions on databases, e-journals, e-books and other electronic resources. Finally, this Research Guide features links to relevant websites and other online resources of particular interest.
Sources of international law
- Besson, S. and J. D'Aspremont (eds.), The Oxford Handbook on the Sources of International Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017.
- Boyle, A. and C. Chinkin, The Making of International Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007.
- D'Amato, A., International Law Sources, Leiden, Nijhoff, 2004.
- D'Aspremont, J., Formalism and the Sources of International Law: A Theory of the Ascertainment of Legal Rules, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2011.
- Degan, V.D., Sources of International Law, The Hague, Nijhoff, 1997.
- Dekker, I.F. and H. Meijers (eds.), On the Foundations and Sources of International Law, The Hague, T.M.C. Asser Press, 2003.
- Hoof, G.J.H. van, Rethinking the Sources of International Law, Deventer, Kluwer, 1983.
- Kolasa, Jan, et al. The Nature of Source in International Legal Order. E-Wydawnictwo. Prawnicza i Ekonomiczna Biblioteka Cyfrowa. Wydział Prawa, Administracji i Ekonomii Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, 2017.
- Koskenniemi, M. Sources of International Law, Aldershot, Ashgate/Dartmouth, 2000.
- Les sources, Grandes pages du droit international, Volume II, Paris, Editions A. Pedone, 2016.
- Lippold, Matthias. The Interrelationship of the Sources of Public International Law. 1st edition, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2024.
- Müller, J.P. und L. Wildhaber, Praxis des Völkerrechts, 3. Auflage, Bern, Stämpfli, 2000.
- Pellet, A. and D. Muller, "Article 38", in: The Statute of the International Court of Justice: A Commentary, Oxford; New York, Oxford University Press, 2012.
- Roberts, A. and S. Sivakumaran, "The Theory and Reality of the Sources of International Law", in M.D. Evans (ed.), International Law, Fifth Edition, Oxford, Oxford University, 2018, pp. 89-118.
- Shelton, D., Jus Cogens, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2021.
- "Sources of International Law", Thesaurus Acroasium, 19 (1992).
- Thirlway, H., The Sources of International Law, Second Edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2019.
- Tladi, D., Peremptory Norms of General International Law (Jus Cogens): Disquisitions and Disputations, Leiden; Boston, Brill Nijhoff, 2021.
Treaties
The online League of Nations treaty collection includes treaties registered with the Secretariat of the League of Nations and published in the print League of Nations Treaty Series. Coverage is from 1920 through 1944.
This treaty database may be searched by popular name, title, and party. Coverage is from 1946 –present and includes treaties that have entered into force and are registered with the UN Treaty Office. Unavailability of more recent documents may be due to delays in producing the required translated treaty texts. In the event the researcher experiences inconsistent or absent search results, searching alternative government or commercial resources may be necessary to locate the treaty document.
The United Nations Treaty Series (UNTS) is a publication produced by the Secretariat of the United Nations containing all treaties and international agreements registered or filed and recorded by the Secretariat since 1945, pursuant to Article 102 of the Charter. Previously only available in printed format, the UNTS is now available as a fully-searchable on-line database. To search for a specific treaty or group of treaties please use the Advanced Search tool.
Mandated by Article 102 of the UN Charter and the General Assembly Regulations to give effect to Article 102, the UNTS includes the texts of treaties in their authentic language(s) along with translations into English and French, as appropriate. All integral elements of treaties, such as various types of maps, charts, sketches of boundary delimitation, annexes, protocols, exchanges of letters, etc. are also published.
Registration numbers for instruments included in the UNTS consist of a Roman numeral and an Arabic numeral, joined by a colon (i.e., I:54321;II:965). The Roman numeral indicates treaties and international agreements registered with the Secretariat; Roman numeral II indicates treaties and international agreements filed and recorded by the Secretariat. The Arabic numeral indicates the serial number assigned to the instrument within categories I and II.
The texts of treaties are published in the following formats: full publication, partial publication and limited publication. For more information on the publication policy under the UNTS please see the Limited Publication Policy page.
Collections and compilations of treaties and other documents of international law
- Beham, M.P., M. Fink und R. Janik (bearb.), KODEX Völkerrecht 2020, 4. Auflage, Stand 1.10.2019, Wien, LexisNexis, 2019.
- Brownlie, I. (ed.), Basic Documents in International Law, Sixth Edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Código Derecho Internacional, Las Rozas (Madrid), Wolters Kluwer, 2019.
- David, E. et C. Van Assche, Code de droit international public: textes en vigueur au 1er janvier 2016, 6e édition, Bruxelles, Bruylant, 2016.
- Dupuy, P.-M. et Y. Kerbrat, Les grands textes de droit international public, 11e édition, Paris, Dalloz, 2022.
- Eriksson, M.K. and O. Mårsäter, Documents in Public International Law, Third Edition, Stockholm, Norstedts Juridik, 2015.
- Evans, M.D. (ed.), Blackstone's International Law Documents, 15th Edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2021.
- Gouveia, J. Bacelar (comp.), Textos fundamentais de direito internacional público, 5.a edição, revista e atualizada, Coimbra, Almedina, 2021.
- Pabel (hg.), Völkerrecht: Fassung vom 1.9.2022, 2. Auflage, Wien, Facultas/FlexLex, 2022.
- Parry, C. and B.H.W. Hill (eds.), The Consolidated Treaty Series, Dobbs Ferry, Oceana Publications, 1961-1986.
- Pereira, Maria de Assunção do Vale, Textos de direito internacional, 2a edição, Coimbra, Almedina, 2022.
- Tomuschat, Christian, and Christian Walter. Völkerrecht. 10. Auflage, Nomos, 2024.
- Torres Ugena, N., Derecho internacional público: instrumentos normativos, 2a edición, Valencia, Tirant lo Blanch, 2017.
- Ziegler, A.R. et S. Besson [éd.], Traités internationaux (et droit des relations extérieures de la Suisse): Recueil de textes 2012, 2e éd., Berne, Stämpfli, 2012.
General principles of law
There is no treaty or other instrument that clearly spells out what is meant by 'general principles of law', so the parameters of this source have been explored primarily through international jurisprudence and scholarly writings.
- Andenas, M. (et al.) (eds.), General Principles and the Coherence of International Law, Leiden, Boston, Brill Nijhoff, 2019.
- Cheng, B., General Principles of Law as Applied by International Courts and Tribunals, London, Stevens, 1953.
- Degan, V.D., "General Principles of Law (A Source of General International Law)", The Finnish Yearbook of International Law, 3 (1992), pp. 1-102.
- Ellis, J., "General principles and Comparative Law", European Journal of International Law, 22 (2011), No. 4, pp. 949-971.
- Jain, N., "Comparative International Law at the ICTY: The General Principles Experiment", American Journal of International Law, 109 (2015), No. 3, pp. 486-497.
- Jain, N., "Judicial Lawmaking and General Principles of Law in International Criminal Law", Harvard International Law Journal, 57 (2016), No. 1, pp. 111-150.
- Kotuby, C.T. and L.A. Sobota, General Principles of Law and International Due Process: Principles and Norms Applicable in Transnational Disputes, New York, Oxford University Press, 2017.
- McNair, A., "The General Principles of Law Recognized by Civilized Nations", British Year Book of International Law, 33 (1957), pp. 1-19.
- Raimondo, F., General Principles of Law in the Decisions of International Criminal Courts and Tribunals, Leiden, Nijhoff, 2008.
- Sulyok, G., "General Principles of Law as a Source of International Law", in: Kovacs, P. (ed.), International Law: a Quiet Strength: Miscellanea in memoriam Géza Herczegh, Budapest, Pazmany Press, 2011, pp. 151-186.
- Vázquez-Bermúdez, M. and Crosato, A., "General Principles of Law: The First Debate within the International Law Commission and the Sixth Committee", Chinese Journal of International Law, 19 (2020), No. 1, pp. 157-172.
Case-law
- Abass, A., International Law: Text, Cases, and Materials, Second Edition, 2014.
- Alland, Denis, editor. Décisions Du Droit International Public. Presses universitaires de France (PUF), 2024.
- Annual Digest of Public International Law Cases, (1919-1949)
- Bjørge, E. and C. Miles (eds.), Landmark Cases in Public International Law, Oxford, Portland, Hart Publishing, Reprinted, 2017.
- Damrosch, L.F. and S.D. Murphy, International Law: Cases and Materials, Seventh Edition, St Paul, West Academic Publishing, 2019.
- Damrosch, L.F. and S.D. Murphy, Basic Documents Supplement to International Law: Cases and Materials, Sixth Edition, St Paul, West Academic Publishing, 2014.
- Harris, D., and S. Sivakumaran, Cases and Materials on International Law, Eight Edition, London, Sweet & Maxwell, Thomson Reuters, 2015.
- Heinze, E. and M. Fitzmaurice (eds.), Landmark Cases in Public International Law, London, The Hague, Boston, Kluwer Law International, 1998.
- International Law Reports, (1950-..) [More info]
- International Legal Materials [More info]
- Janis, M.W., J.E. Noyes and L.N. Sadat, International Law: Cases and Commentary, Sixth Edition, St. Paul, MN, West Academic Publishing, 2020.
UN Declarations and Resolutions
Although resolutions and decisions of international organizations cannot themselves constitute international law or serve as conclusive evidence of a rule of customary law, such resolutions do have value in providing evidence of existing or emerging law. Focus your research on the actions of the United Nations and its various organs.
'United Nations - Uphold International Law'
The UN Charter, in its Preamble, set an objective: "to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained". Ever since, the development of, and respect for international law has been a key part of the work of the United Nations Organization. This work is carried out in many ways - by courts, tribunals, multilateral treaties - and by the Security Council, which can approve peacekeeping missions, impose sanctions, or authorize the use of force when there is a threat to international peace and security, if it deems this necessary. These powers are given to it by the UN Charter, which is considered an international treaty. As such, it is an instrument of international law, and UN Member States are bound by it. The UN Charter codifies the major principles of international relations, from sovereign equality of States to the prohibition of the use of force in international relations.
- Official Document System Search. ODS is the UN's Official Document System. You can search for UN declarations, resolutions and other documents by keywords, then narrow your search.
The Official Document System (ODS) is an online database of UN documents that was first launched in 1993 and updated in 2016. ODS has full-text, born-digital UN documents published from 1993 onward, including documents of the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and their subsidiaries, as well as administrative issuances and other documents. The database also includes scanned documents published between 1946 and 1993, including all resolutions of the principal organs, all documents of the Security Council and the General Assembly Official Records. Documents are available in the official languages of the UN; some documents are also available in German. ODS does not have the following types of materials: documents issued before 1993 that have not yet been digitized, press releases, sales publications, such as the Yearbook and the Treaty Series, and documents that do not have a UN symbol. ODS is maintained by the Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT). New documents are added by the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM). Scanned documents and metadata are contributed by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library and the UN Office at Geneva Library.
More information can be found on the website of the United Nations. The following pages are of special interest:
- UN Charter
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- General Assembly Resolutions
- Security Council Resolutions
- Secretary-General's Annual Reports
Soft law
- Abbott, K. and D. Snidal, "Hard and Soft Law in International Governance", in International Law: Classic and Contemporary Readings, Boulder; London, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2009, pp. 21-48.
- Boyle, A.E., "Soft Law in International Law-Making", in M.D. Evans (ed.), International Law, Fifth Edition, Oxford, Oxford University, 2018, pp. 119-137.
- Boyle, A.E., "The Choice of a Treaty: Hard Law versus Soft Law", in The Oxford Handbook of United Nations Treaties, New York, Oxford University Press, 2019, pp. 101-117.
- Bradlow, D.D. and D. Hunter (eds.), Advocating Social Change through International Law: Exploring the Choice between Hard and Soft International Law, Leiden; Boston, Brill, 2020.
- Klabbers, J., "The Redundancy of Soft Law", Nordic Journal of International Law, 65 (1996), No. 2, pp. 167-182.
- Kolb, R., "To what Extent may Hard Law Content be Incorporated into Soft Instruments?", Schweizerische Zeitschrift für internationales und europäisches Recht = Revue suisse de droit international et de droit européen, 29 (2019), No. 3, pp. 335-344.
- Le Floch, G., "L'évolution de la soft law vers la hard law est-elle comparable en droit interne et international?", in Regards croisés sur la soft law en droit interne, européen et international, Issy-les-Moulineaux, LGDJ, 2018, pp. 335-345.
- Pronto, A.N., "Understanding the Hard/Soft Distinction in International Law", Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, 48 (2015), No. 4, pp. 941-956.
- Nasser, S.H., Sources and Norms of International Law: a Study on Soft Law, Berlin, Galda & Wilch, 2008.
Reference works
- Arnauld, A. von, Völkerrecht, 5., neu bearbeitete Auflage, Heidelberg, C.F. Müller, 2023.
- Beham, M., M. Fink und R. Janik, Völkerrecht verstehen: Lehrbuch, 2. überarbeitete Auflage, Wien, Facultas, 2019.
- Besson, Samantha. Droit International Public : Précis de Droit et Résumés de Jurisprudence. 2e édition, Stämpfli editions, 2024.
- Carreau, D., P. Lagarde, H. Synvet (dir.), Répertoire de droit international, Paris, Dalloz, (2004-..)
- Corten, Olivier, et al. A Critical Introduction to International Law. Updated second edition, Editions de l’Université de Bruxelles, 2024.
- Crawford, J., Brownlie's Principles of Public International Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, Ninth Edition, 2019.
- Evans, M.D., (ed.), International Law, Sixth Edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2024.
- Gaeta, P., J.E. Viñuales and S. Zappalà, Cassese's International Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, Third Edition, 2020.
- Herdegen, M., Völkerrecht, 22., überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage, München, C.H. Beck, 2023.
- Klabbers, J., International Law, Fourth Edition, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2024.
- López Martín, A.G., Derecho internacional público, 5a edición, Madrid, Dilex, 2019.
- Proelss, Alexander, editor. Völkerrecht. 9. Auflage, De Gruyter, 2024.
- Shaw, M.N., International Law, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, Eight Edition, 2017.
- Slagter, T.H., J.D. van Doorn and W.R. Slomanson, Fundamental Perspectives on International Law, Seventh Edition, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2023.
- Graf Vitzthum, W. und A. Proelß (Hrsg.), Völkerrecht, 8., neu bearbeitete Auflage, Berlin, De Gruyter, 2019.
- Wolfrum, R. (ed.), Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 10 Vols, 2012.
We have selected these reference works for you based on relevance, author and imprint. Of course there are many more and it is almost impossible to show them all here. More reference works can be found in the following overviews classified by language: English, French, Spanish, German.
Recent books and peer-reviewed articles
- Abi-Saab, G., K. Keith, G. Marceau and C. Marquet (eds.), Evolutionary Interpretation and International Law, Oxford; London, Hart, 2020.
- Casella, Paulo B. International Law, History, and Culture. Brill/Nijhoff, 2024.
- David, E., Le droit international public selon Jean Salmon, Bruxelles, Bruylant, 2024.
- Johns, L., Politics and International Law: Making, Breaking, and Upholding Global Rules, Cambridge; New York, Cambridge University Press, 2022.
- Khan, D.-E., E. Lagrange, S. Oeter and C. Walter (eds), Democracy and Sovereignty: Rethinking the Legitimacy of Public International Law, Leiden; Boston, Brill Nijhoff, 2023.
- Mik, Cezary. Theory of Obligations in International Law. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2024.
- Ollino, A., Due Diligence Obligations in International Law, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2022.
- Scicluna, N., The Politics of International Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2021.
For all peer-reviewed articles in the PPL Catalogue, click here.
Periodicals, serial publications
- African Journal of International and Comparative Law
- African Yearbook of International Law
- Air and Space Law
- American Journal of Comparative Law
- American Journal of International Law
- American University International Law Review
- Amsterdam Law Forum
- Anuario colombiano de direito internacional
- Anuario Iberamericano de derecho internacional penal
- Annuaire français de droit international
- Arbitration International
- Arab Law Quarterly
- Archiv des Völkerrechts
- Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law
- Asian International Arbitration Law Journal
- Asian Journal of International Law
- Asian Yearbook of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
- Asian Yearbook of International Law
- Asia-Pacific Journal of Ocean Law and Policy
- Australian Yearbook of International Law
- Baltic yearbook of international law
- Berkeley Journal of International Law
- Boston University International Law Journal
- British Yearbook of International Law
- Brooklyn Journal of International Law
- Canadian Yearbook of International Law
- California Western International Law Journal
- Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law
- Chicago Journal of International Law
- Chinese Journal of International Law
- Climate Law: a Journal on Climate Change and the Law
- Columbia Journal of Transnational Law
- Common Market Law Review
- Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa
- Connecticut Journal of International Law
- Cornell International Law Journal
- Creighton International and Comparative Law Journal
- Cuadernos de Derecho Transnacional
- Czech Yearbook of Public and Private International Law
- Denver Journal of International Law and Policy
- Diritti Umani e Diritto Internazionale
- Dispute Resolution International
- Duke Journal of Comparative and International Law
- Emory International Law Review
- ERA Forum: Journal of the Academy of European Law
- Erasmus Law Review
- Ethics and International Affairs
- Ethiopean Yearbook of International Law
- Europäische Grundrechte Zeitschrift
- European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice
- European Journal on Migration and Law
- European Human Rights Law Review
- European Intellectual Property Review
- European International Arbitration Review
- European Journal of International Law
- European Journal of International Security
- European Law Review
- European Review of Private Law
- Eyes on the ICC
- Florida Journal of International Law
- Fordham International Law Journal
- Foreign Affairs
- Friedens-Warte: Journal of International Peace and Organization
- George Washington International Law Review
- Georgetown Journal of International Law
- Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law
- German Law Journal
- German Yearbook of International Law
- Global Journal of Comparative Law
- Global Responsibility to Protect - GR2P
- Global Trade and Customs Journal
- Göttingen Journal of International Law
- Gonzaga Journal of International Law
- GRUR-Prax: Praxis im Immaterialgüter- und Wettbewerbsrecht
- Hague Journal of Diplomacy
- Hague Journal on the Rule of Law
- Hague Yearbook of International Law
- Harvard International Law Journal
- Hastings International and Comparative Law Review
- Houston Journal of International Law
- Humanitares Volkerrecht: Informationsschriften
- Human Rights and International Legal Discourse
- Human Rights Law Review
- Human Rights Review
- ICSID Review: Foreign Investment Law Journal
- ILSA Journal of International and Comparative Law
- Indian Journal of International Law: a Quarterly
- Indiana International and Comparative Law Review
- Indonesian Journal of International and Comparative Law
- International Affairs
- International and Comparative Law Quarterly
- International Arbitration Law Review
- International Community Law Review
- International Criminal Law Review
- International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics
- International Human Rights Law Review
- International Journal of Constitutional Law
- International Journal of Cultural Property
- International Journal of Human Rights
- International Journal of Law in Context
- International Journal of Legal Information
- International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law
- International Journal of Procedural Law
- International Journal of Refugee Law
- International Journal of Transitional Justice
- International Legal Materials
- International Organization
- International Organizations Law Review
- International Peacekeeping
- International Review of the Red Cross
- International Sports Law Journal
- Israel Law Review
- Italian Yearbook of International Law
- Journal du droit international
- Journal européen des droits de l’homme
- Journal of African Law
- Journal of Air Law and Commerce
- Journal of Comparative Law
- Journal of Conflict and Security Law
- Journal of East Asia and International Law
- Journal of Immigration, Asylum and National Law
- Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice
- Journal of International Arbitration
- Journal of International Criminal Justice
- Journal of International Dispute Settlement
- Journal of International Economic Law
- Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies
- Journal of International Law and International Relations
- Journal of International Maritime Law
- Journal of International Peacekeeping
- Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy
- Journal of Modern African Studies
- Journal of Private International Law
- Journal of the History of International Law
- Journal of World Intellectual Property
- Journal of World Investment and Trade
- Journal on the Use of Force and International Law
- Juridica International
- Korean Journal of International and Comparative Law
- Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals
- Legal Issues of Economic Integration
- Leiden Journal of International Law
- London Review of International Law
- Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review
- Manchester Journal of International Economic Law
- Maryland Journal of International Law
- Max Planck Yearbook of United Nations Law
- Melbourne Journal of International Law
- Michigan Journal of International Law
- Michigan State International Law Review
- Minnesota Journal of International Law
- Natur und Recht
- Netherlands International Law Review
- Netherlands Yearbook of International Law
- New Journal of European Criminal Law
- New York University Journal of International Law and Politics
- New Zealand Journal of Public and International Law
- New Zealand Yearbook of International Law
- Nordic Journal of Human Rights
- Nordic Journal of International Law
- North Carolina Journal of International Law
- Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business
- Notre Dame Journal of International and Comparative Law
- L’observateur des Nations Unies
- Ocean and Coastal Law Journal
- Ocean Development and International Law
- Ocean Yearbook online
- Pace International Law Review
- Penant: Revue de droit des pays d'Afrique
- Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal
- Polish Yearbook of International Law
- Praxis des internationalen Privat- und Verfahrensrecht: IPRAX
- Proceedings of the ASIL Annual Meeting
- Questions of International Law
- Rabels Zeitschrift für ausländisches und internationales Privatrecht
- Recht der internationalen Wirtschaft
- Reports of International Arbitral Awards
- Review of European, Comparative and International Environmental Law
- Review of International Studies
- Revista de Direito Internacional
- Revista EJIL
- Revista Electronica de Estudios Internacionales
- Revista Espanola de Derecho Internacional
- Revista derecho PUCP = Agenda internacional
- Revista Tribuna Internacional
- Revue belge de droit international
- Revue critique de droit international privé
- Revue de droit des affaires internationales
- Revue de droit international et de droit comparé
- Revue de l’arbitrage
- Revue du droit de l‘Union Européenne
- Revue française de droit aérien et spatial
- Revue générale de droit international public
- Revue hellenique de droit international
- Revue québécoise de droit international
- Revue trimestrielle des droits de l’homme
- Revue trimestrielle de droit Européen
- Rivista di diritto internazionale
- Rivista ordine internazionale e diritti umani
- Romanian Journal of International Law
- San Diego International Law Journal
- Santa Clara Journal of International Law
- Schweizerische Zeitschrift für internationales und europäisches Recht
- Sicherheit und Frieden: Vierteljahreszeitschrift für Sicherheit und Frieden
- South African Yearbook of International Law
- Southwestern Journal of International law
- Spanish Yearbook of International Law
- Sri Lanka Journal of International Law
- Stanford Journal of International Law
- Studies in Conflict and Terrorism
- Suffolk Transnational Law Review
- Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce
- Temple International and Comparative Law Journal
- Texas International Law Journal
- Transnational Dispute Management
- Transnational Environmental Law
- Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems
- Trinity College Law Review
- Tulane Journal of International and Comparative Law
- Tydskrif vir hedendaagse Romeins-Hollandse reg
- Uniform Law Review
- UC Davis Journal of International Law and Policy
- UCLA Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs
- United Nations Disarmament Yearbook
- University of Miami Inter-American Law Review
- University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review
- University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law
- Utrecht Journal of International and European Law: Merkourios
- Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational La
- Vereinte Nationen: Zeitschrift fur die Vereinten Nationen
- Virginia Journal of International Law
- Washington International Law Journal
- Willamette Journal of International Law and Dispute Resolution
- Wisconsin International Law Journal
- World Trade Review
- Yale Journal of International Law
- Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law
- Yearbook of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law
- Yearbook of Polar Law online
- Yearbook of Private International Law
- Zeitschrift für Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik
- Zeitschrift für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht
- Zeitschrift fur europaisches Privatrecht
- Zeitschrift für internationale Strafrechtsdogmatik
- Zeitschrift fur Japanisches Recht
- Zeitschrift fur Luft- und Weltraumrecht
- Zeitschrift fur Vergleichende Rechtswissenschaft
Bibliographies
- Oxford Bibliographies in International Law is designed to provide authoritative guidance. The field is rife with debate and controversy, as with most anything that deals with such a complex system of rules and principles meant to govern the relations between states and other institutional subjects, such as the United Nations or the European Union. Because scholarship in this field is so bound up with diplomacy, the vast array of potentially relevant material that appears on the free web can overwhelm even the savviest scholars. With advances in online searching and database technologies, researchers can easily access library catalogs, bibliographic indexes, records of court decisions, and other lists that show thousands of resources that might also be useful to them. In this situation what is most needed is expert guidance. Researchers at all levels need tools that help them filter through the proliferation of information sources to material that is reliable and directly relevant to their inquiries. Oxford Bibliographies in International Law will offer a trustworthy pathway through the thicket of information overload.
- Public International Law: a Current Bibliography of Articles, (1975-2016) This bibliography has, since 1975, made available to scholars and practitioners information on articles published on all aspects of public international law which are contained in journals, yearbooks, and commemorative compilations, e.g. festschriften. Starting with Vol. 16 (1990), Public International Law, subtitled A Current Bibliography of Books and Articles, has also listed published monographs and collections of essays in addition to commemorative compilations. This bibliography in print has been discontinued as of 2016.
Nowadays, comprehensive bibliographies of public international law are no longer published, simply because library catalogs are more exhaustive. The bibliographies below are some of the latest attempts in print available at the Peace Palace Library.
- Beyerly, E., Public International Law: A Guide to Information Sources, London, Mansell, 1991.
- Delupis, I., Bibliography of International Law, London; New York, Bowker, 1975.
- Merrills, J.G., A Current Bibliography of International Law, London, Butterworths, 1978.
- Wiktor, C.L., Canadian Bibliography of International Law, Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1984.
Dictionaries
- Bemba, J., Dictionnaire de la justice internationale, de la paix et du développement durable: principaux termes et expressions, 3ième édition, Paris, L'Harmattan, 2018.
- Boczek. B.A., The A to Z of International Law, Lanham, Scarecrow Press, 2010.
- Doebbler, C.F.J., Dictionary of Public International Law, Lanham, Rowman & Littlefield, 2018.
- Gärtner, H., Internationale Sicherheit und Frieden: Definitionen von A - Z, 3th expanded and updated edition, Baden-Baden, Nomos, 2018.
- Gómez-Robledo Verduzco, A. y J. Witker (coord.), Diccionario de Derecho Internacional, México, Ed. Porrúa, 2001.
- Parry, C., J.P. Grant and J.C. Barker, Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law, 3rd ed., New York, Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Salmon, J., Dictionnaire de droit international public, Bruxelles, Bruylant, 2001.
HeinOnline (HOL) is a premier online database launched in 2000 by William S. Hein & Co., Inc. (WSH Co), a Buffalo, New York publisher specializing in legal materials. It contains more than 178 million pages and 270,000 titles of historical and government documents in a fully searchable, image-based format. HeinOnline bridges an important research gap by providing comprehensive coverage from inception of more than 2,700 law-related periodicals. In addition to its vast collection of academic journals, HeinOnline contains the entire Congressional Record, Federal Register, and Code of Federal Regulations, complete coverage of the U.S. Reports back to 1754, and entire databases dedicated to treaties, constitutions, case law, world trials, classic treatises, international trade, foreign relations, U.S. Presidents, and much more.
HeinOnline’s powerful search engine and user-friendly interface combine to provide both new and experienced users with an excellent research experience. Locating documents is quick, and searching includes facets to guarantee relevant search results. The Peace Palace Library has subscriptions to various HeinOnline databases. Please, make sure you are logged in to PPL.
HeinOnline Databases (general overview)
European Centre for Minority Issues
Foreign & International Law Resources Database
Foreign Relations of the United States
Hague Academy Collected Courses Online
Harvard Research in International Law
History of International Law
Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals
International & Non-U.S. Law Journals
International Commission of Jurists Library
International Law Association Reports
Israel Law Reports
Kluwer Law International Journal Library
Law in Eastern Europe
Legal Classics
United Nations Law Collection
U.S. Treaties and Agreements Library
World Constitutions Illustrated: Contemporary & Historical Documents and Resources
World Treaty Library
World Trials Library
A trusted reference work in international law, the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, as well as the newly-launched Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law. The two Encyclopedias can be searched and browsed together, or separately by using appropriate filters. Please, make sure you are logged in to PPL.
The Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law (MPEPIL) was first published as an online database by Oxford University Press in 2008. It has since become one of the most widely read and quoted reference works in international law. A ten-volume print edition, complemented by an index volume, appeared in 2012.
MPEPIL articles are hybrids in character insofar as they combine elements of a reference work with a law journal approach. Authors are requested to cover their topic comprehensively and impartially but also to add a personal assessment. All articles are peer-reviewed. As a contemporary restatement of international law the publication is designed to assist both practitioners and scholars. So far, more than 900 academics and practitioners from across the world have contributed to the Encyclopedia, which contains over 1,700 entries. In 2013, the MPEPIL was cross-linked with the OPIL platform, allowing research across a number of OUP databases and full text sources.
In September 2019, the Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law (MPEiPro), edited by the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg, began being published online by Oxford University Press. This Encyclopedia is conceived of as a resource for practitioners, scholars, legal advisers, policy-makers and observers of international relations and global governance. It will be enriched each month with new in-depth manuscripts, eventually reaching over 1,000 articles.
The scope of the Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law takes a broad notion of procedure that embraces decision-making by international organs in general, including political and administrative bodies whose purpose is not that of adjudicating or otherwise settling a dispute or a legal issue. However, the life cycle of the Encyclopedia has started with a focus on dispute settlement and adjudication, encompassing non-contentious and non-binding forms of international adjudication performed by public international law institutions, but also domestic and transnational ones, that is, all those institutions whose essential purpose is to lay down and/or apply rules of obvious international relevance. Later, the Encyclopedia will extend to non-adjudicatory modes of dispute settlement before tackling non-adjudicatory institutional decision-making processes.
The courses of The Hague Academy of International Law are published in the series Recueil des cours de l'Académie de Droit International de la Haye = Collected courses of The Hague Academy of International Law (or in short Recueil des cours), which now spans over more than 400 volumes and is undoubtedly the most important encyclopedic publication on public and private international law. Since 2008 the Recueil des cours are also available in this fully searchable online edition.
The Codification Division of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs created the Audiovisual Library of International Law under the Programme of Assistance to give the United Nations the capacity to provide high quality international law training and research materials to an unlimited number of recipients around the world. The Audiovisual Library is a virtual training and research centre which aims to enhance the dissemination and wider appreciation of international law. It also performs a unique and invaluable function by preserving in a vivid and informative manner the audiovisual heritage of legal developments within the United Nations system and promoting a greater awareness of the unparalleled legacy of the United Nations in the codification and progressive development of international law.