CWRU School of Law
Theofrastous
Dorchak
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What is International Law?
◦ Article 38 – ICJ Statute
 . a. international conventions, whether general or particular,
establishing rules expressly recognized by the contesting states;
 b. international custom, as evidence of a general practice accepted as
law;
 c. the general principles of law recognized by civilized nations;
 d. subject to the provisions of Article 59, judicial decisions and the
teachings of the most highly qualified publicists of the various nations,
as subsidiary means for the determination of rules of law.
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Public International Law
Private International / Commercial Law
Foreign Law
Comparative Law
“Soft Law”
International Relations
Realpolitik: politics based on practical and
material factors rather than on theoretical or
ethical objectives
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Laws of War and Peace (armed forces, arms control,
conflict resolution)
Laws of International Organizations (UN, EU,
International Tribunals, Economic Development)
Laws of International Relations (treaties, national
security, state-state relations.
Laws of the Commons (law of the sea, space, air,
environment).
Laws of Human Rights (covenants, accords,
conventions).
Laws Concerning Individuals (immigration,
naturalization, labor laws, extradition).
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Conflict Resolution (conflict of laws, remedies,
arbitration).
Business Law (transactions, taxes, antitrust,
banking, insurance, intellectual property,
finance).
Trade law (trade barriers, import-export
controls).
Development Law (foreign aid, distribution,
investments).
Personal Relations (trusts and estates, child
custody, matrimony, taxes).
Admiralty Law
Aviation Law
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By Country
By Region (Africa, Latin America, European
Union).
By Type ( civil, common, canon, Islamic)
◦ JuriGlobe
 http://www.juriglobe.ca/eng/index.php
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Substantive comparisons
Procedural comparisons
Historical / Jurisprudential comparisons
Methodologies of Reform / Improvement
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Primary
◦ Codified Law
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Constitutions
Treaties
Statutes
Legislative Materials
Administrative and Regulatory Materials
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Decisions of International Tribunals
Decisions of National Courts
Arbitral Decisions
U.S. Case Law
◦ Case Law
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Analytical Tools (Textbooks, Restatements,
Encyclopedias, Dictionaries).
Periodicals and Commentary (and indexes)
Mass Media, Bulletins , Newsletters
Annuals (Annual collections, proceedings,
yearbooks)
Loose-leaf services (general, topical,
regional).
Digests (U.S., UK, European Countries).
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Practice and Research Aids
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Reference Sources
◦ Handbooks, manuals, guides, nutshells
◦ Bibliographies
◦ Government Agencies
◦ Private Organizations, NGO’s
◦ Libraries
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Document Systems
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Online Research (subscription, Internet).
◦ UN, EU, Others (e.g., OAS)
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People (practitioners, professors, scholars,
reference librarians, government and
diplomatic staff).
Organizations (public affairs, libraries,
information centers, organizations,
publishers).
Networks (email lists, professional
associations, NGOs).
Events (conventions, symposia, conferences).
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General Legal Sites
International Sites
Foreign Sites
Domestic US Sites
Special Topics and Interest
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American Society of International Law:
http://www.asil.org
American Bar Association List:
http://www.abanet.org/lawlink/home.html
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Human Rights
International Commercial Arbitration
International Criminal Law
International Economic Law
International Environmental Law
International Intellectual Property Law
International Organizations
Private International Law
Treaties
United Nations
Official Web Site Locator for the United Nations System of Organizations
(http://www.unsystem.org/) The Official Web Site Locator is a good starting point for
determining if a particular UN program or a specialized agency of the UN system has a Web
site. The "Frequently Requested Information" section provides conference schedules, library
and documentation services, publication catalogs, press releases, and other information.
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United Nations Home Page (http://www.un.org/) This site, maintained by the UN
Department of Public Information, is a good starting point if one has not already
identified a more specific relevant information resource. Much of the information is
designed for the general public (e.g., stamp sales), but note particularly the link to UN
Documentation Centre (http://www.un.org/documents/). This page provides access to
the documents of the major bodies, including the General Assembly, Security
Council, Economic and Social Council, and the Secretariat. Texts of resolutions for
many years are available via this route. There are also links to other resources such
as the United Nations Documentation: Research Guide
(http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/index.html), the Documents Alert page and
documents in German. This guide provides information on the types of documents
issued by the UN as well as how to locate the documents in paper or electronic form.
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International Law Page of the UN Home Page (http://www.un.org/law/)
This page is part of the official UN Home Page provided by the Department of
Public Information, but it is listed separately here to draw attention to this
important section. It leads to materials specifically relevant to international law,
such as UNCITRAL materials (http://www.un.or.at/uncitral/index.html), the
International Law Commission (http://www.un.org/law/ilc/index.htm), or Oceans
and Law of the Sea materials (http://www.un.org/Depts/los/). There is also a link to
the International Court of Justice (http://www.icj-cij.org/) which contains basic
documents (statute of the Court), decisions, the Court's docket, and other
information about the Court. A recent addition to this site is the 54th Session of the
Sixth Committee (Legal) of the General Assembly
(http://www.un.org/law/cod/sixth/54/sixth54.htm). See also the United Nations
Documentation: Research Guide on International Law
(http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/specil.htm).
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Bibliography on the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, compiled by the Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt
Institute
(http://www.udhr50.org/history/bibliography.htm). Co
ncise Guide to Human Rights on the Internet by
Derechos Human Rights (September 1998)
(http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/manual.htm).
Women's Human Rights Resources Group, Women's
Human Rights Resources, annotated resources
(http://www.law-lib.utoronto.ca/Diana).
Lyonette Louis Jacques and David Weissbrodt,
Bibliography for Research on International Human
Rights Law, 13 Hamline L. Rev. 673 (1990)
(http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/demo/biblio.htm).
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United Nations Crime and Justice Information Network
(UNCJIN) (http://www.uncjin.org/)
This electronic network was established in 1989 in
response to a resolution of the UN Economic and Social
Council and is the creation of the UN Centre for
International Crime Prevention in Vienna. It encompasses
all criminal law information generated by the United
Nations and its related bodies, including texts of laws,
treaties and conventions, UN documents, statistical
sources, and gateways to affiliated organizations.
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The Countries of the World (http://www.uncjin.org/country/country.html) page includes
general country information, maps of the world, U.S. Department of State Human Rights
Reports, and a complete list of links to countries on which UNCJIN has compiled
information. World Justice Information Network (WJIN) (http://www.wjin.net/) or
(http://www.justinfo.net) WJIN is designed to be an independent global research forum
for information on crime, justice and the rule of law. The system, which is supported
and administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
(http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/), builds upon its predecessor, the United Nations Online
Crime and Justice Clearinghouse (UNOJUST), and works in close cooperation with the
United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network (UNCJIN).
It serves as a central point of access to a global virtual library containing thousands of
professional publications and is a worldwide criminal justice news monitoring tool.
Features include a specialized criminal justice search engine and multilingual
capabilities. Registration is required, however, any individual who is professionally
involved in the area of international crime and justice may qualify for a free
membership.
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Justice Information Center (http://www.ncjrs.org) This information clearinghouse, a
service of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service
(http://www.ncjrs.org/ncjhome.htm), "is one of the most extensive sources of
information on criminal and juvenile justice in the world." It is divided into sections
covering corrections, courts, crime prevention, criminal justice statistics, drugs,
international information, juvenile justice, law enforcement, research and evaluation,
victims, and current highlights. Cecil Greek's Criminal Justice Links: International
Criminal Justice Resources
(http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/world.html) Created and maintained by Dr. Cecil E.
Greek at the School of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Florida State University. This
well-known, comprehensive list links to Web sites for criminal law, law enforcement,
crime prevention & peacemaking, and includes regional source lists for the United
Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Australia, Africa, Asia, and South America. A list, focusing
primarily on American resources, entitled Criminal Justice Links
(http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/cj.html) is also maintained by Dr. Greek. Research
Guide to International Law on the Internet, International Criminal Law
(http://sun1.spfo.unibo.it/spolfo/CRIMLAW.htm) The University of Bologna, Faculty of
Political Science created a series of research guides on topics such as the United Nations,
the European Union, International Organizations, Peace & Security, Human Rights,
International Criminal Law, Environmental Law, Law of the Sea, Air & Space Law and
International Trade Law (http://www.spfo.unibo.it/spolfo/ILMAIN.htm).
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UNCITRAL
The United Nations Commission for International Trade Law
(UNCITRAL) (http://www.uncitral.org) , which was established by
the General Assembly in 1966, is the active catalyst for some of
the most significant work in the progressive harmonization of
private international law. The UNCITRAL site, maintained in
English, French, Spanish, and Chinese, contains primary
documents and status information about established instruments
such as the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the
International Sale of Goods (CISG)
(http://www.uncitral.org/english/texts/sales/salescon.htm#TOP)
along with its related Convention on the Limitation Period in the
International Sale of Goods
(http://www.uncitral.org/english/texts/sales/limitcon.htm#TOP
), and the 1958 "New York" Convention on the Recognition and
Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
(http://www.uncitral.org/english/texts/arbconc/58conv.htm).
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UNIDROIT
UNIDROIT (http://www.unidroit.org/), the International Institute for the
Unification of Private Law, traces its origins to the League of Nations and is
today an autonomous international organization active in the harmonization
of private international law. English and French, the working languages of
UNIDROIT, are both represented on its Internet site. The Internet site
includes full text and status information concerning UNIDROIT Conventions
such as the 1988 Ottawa Conventions on International Financial Leasing
(http://www.unidroit.org/english/conventions/c-leas.htm) and International
Factoring (http://www.unidroit.org/english/conventions/c-fact.htm), and the
1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects
(http://www.unidroit.org/english/conventions/c-cult.htm).
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Hague Conference on Private International Law
The Hague Conference on Private International Law
(http://www.hcch.net/), which traces its origins to
a 1893 conference convened by the Government of
the Netherlands, is active in the development of
conventions in various areas of private law,
addressing topics ranging from traditional topics
such as conflict of laws and judicial assistance to
contemporary issues such as intercountry adoption
and child abduction. Current work of the Hague
Conference includes the protection of incapacitated
adults and the recognition and enforcement of
foreign judgments in civil and commercial matters.
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UN-I-QUE (United Nations Info Quest; "a database created by the
Dag Hammarskjøld Library to provide quick access to document
symbols/sales numbers for UN materials (1946 onwards); it does not
give full bibliographic details nor does it replace existing
bibliographic databases (UNBIS, UNBIS Plus on CD-ROM) produced
by the Library; UN-I-QUE focuses upon documents and publications
of a recurrent nature: annual/sessional reports of
committees/commissions; monographic series; journals; annual
publications; reports periodically/irregularly issued; reports of major
conferences; statements in the General Debate; etc.")
AccessUN (Readex United Nations Index - of UN documents and
publications from 1966 to 1998; subscription service)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP Gopher provides full
texts of General Assembly (GA) Resolutions from the 36th to 49th
Sessions, Security Council (SC) Resolutions from 1974 to 1996,
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Resolutions from 1982 to
1994 under "United Nations Documents", and many other useful
documents and information on the United Nations generally)
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United Nations Global Statistics
Cour Internationale de Justice = International Court of Justice (ICJ official web
site; includes Statute, judgments, advisory opinions, orders, press
communiques/releases (on the "What's New" page))
International Court of Justice 1946-1996 (50th Anniversary guide to the ICJ
online - e-book)
International Court of Justice (ICJ at Cornell University Law School; official
U.S. mirror web site; includes Statute, judgments, advisory opinions, orders;
see also the World Court Project and the NGO Committee on Disarmament's
World Court Excerpts - "Verbatim Excerpts of Oral Statements to the
International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear
Weapons" (1995))
Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA official web site; includes documents
related to the Eritrea-Yemen Arbitration)
Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA at Cornell University Law School)
International Criminal Court (UN's ICC web site; see also resource page with
links to Internet resources and print publications on the ICC)
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR; war crimes; was at
http://www.ictr.org/)
International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY; war crimes)
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Final Report Commission Of Experts Established Pursuant To Security Council
Resolution 780 (1992) (the UN Commission of Experts on Former
Yugoslavia's Final Report is appended to the "Letter dated 24 may 1994 from
the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council", S/1994/674)
International Law Commission (ILC)
United Nations Crime and Justice Information Network (UNCJIN; includes
documents related to the UN Draft Convention Against Transnational
Organized Crime)
United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNCRI)
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
Treaty Bodies Database (United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights; includes General Comments, Reports, etc.)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (includes links official
documents of the UNHCR and national legal information via REFWORLD)
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; includes database and CDROM with full texts of treaties, rules, commentaries on International
Humanitarian Law (IHL); see also the People on War Project campaign page to
commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions and
Humanitarian Web Sites)
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The War-Torn Societies Project (WSP; includes searchable bibliographic
database of policy documents and evaluation reports as well as research
reports and articles from various multilateral and bilateral agencies, research
institutes and academics; "A specialized, annotated listing of literature from
around the world", including materials on women's rights)
Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict = Instituts für
Friedenssicherungsrecht und Humanitäres Völkerrecht (IFHV, Ruhr-University
Bochuml; includes European Master's Degree Programme in Human Rights
and Democratization and list of the Bochumer Schriften zur
Friedenssicherung und zum Humanitären Völkerrecht publication series)
ReliefWeb (information service for the Humanitarian Relief Community;
ReliefWeb is a project of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA))
World Trade Organization (WTO; includes dispute settlement news and
reports; see also the WTO and U.S. Official websites for the Third Ministerial
Conference, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., 30 November-3 December 1999)
World Trade Organization: Panel Decisions
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO treaties are at
http://www.wipo.org/eng/iplex/index.htm; includes link to CLEA database
(Collection of Laws for Electronic Access)
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International Labor Organization (ILO; see also official U.S. mirror web site at
Cornell; includes links to ILO's NATLEX database of national labor legislation
abstracts and bibliographies (also at http://natlex.ilo.org/), Legislative
Information (monthly bulletin summarizing labor and employment laws
worldwide), ILOLEX (database of international labor standards, conventions, etc.),
and other labor databases; see also Washington Branch Office and ILO Watch)
FAO Legal Office (Food and Agriculture Organization; includes links to legal texts,
FAO Legal Papers Online, legislative studies publications, and FAOLEX (database
indexing worldwide legislation on food, agriculture, land tenure, etc.), and FISHLEX
(database of coastal requirements for foreign fishing or national fisheries law)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP; see also the IUCN-World
Conservation Union Environmental Law Programme joint project, the ECOLEX
database of national environmental legislation)
European Patent Office (EPO)
European Union (EU EUROPA page including full texts of EU Treaties, Green Papers
and links to bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, policy instruments, and
other documents)
Task Force for Accession Negotiations (European Commission)
Justice and Home Affairs (includes Cooperation in electronic commerce, asylum,
organized crime, policing, preventing in trafficking in drugs, human beings, etc.)
European Parliament Home Page
Research Newsletter (DG4 papers; European Parliament)
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Legislative Observatory (OEIL, European Parliament)
European Union Law Page (EUR-Lex; EU treaties, legislation, ECJ case-law)
Court of Justice of the European Communities (ECJ cases in EU all languages;
formerly at http://europa.eu.int/cj/index.htm)
Library, Research, and Documentation (Court of Justice of the European
Communities (ECJ) page with full text of the Brussels Convention and the Lugano
Convention and related case-law, Digest of Community Case-Law, Index A-Z
(numerical and alphabetical index of cases before the Court of Justice and the
Court of First Instance since 1953), alphabetical index of subject matter of legal
issues, ECJ case annotations)
CELEX (EU treaties, legislation (regulations, directives, decisions), preparatory acts,
COM documents, parliamentary questions, case-law, etc. database; need
password to access)
Official Journal of the European Communities (OJ Legislation (L) and Information
and Notices (C) series)
Bulletin of the European Union (Bull EC; European Commission)
Directory of Community Preparatory Acts (analytical index, but includes some full
texts of COM Documents, e.g., Commision Proposal - COM(97)0093 final)
COM Documents (list and full text from the OJ C Series)
EUR-OP (Office for Official Publications; includes EUR-OP News)
European Union Policies (citations to national implementing measures - via SCAD
Plus)
Fundamental Rights (Council of the European Union)
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Directorates-General (DGsEuropean Union)
Treaty of Amsterdam (done at Amsterdam on 16-17 June 1997,
signed on 2 October 1997, European Commission Doc.
CONF/4001/97, O.J. Eur. Comm. C 340/1 (1997), 37 I.L.M. 56
(1998)(International Legal Materials), 1997 BDIEL AD LEXIS 15 (Basic
Documents of International Economic Law), pending ratification by
all EU member states, not yet in force as of 13 May 1998)
Amsterdam Treaty `98 (Irish Government, Referendum Commission)
Irish Presidency's Draft Treaty Document (The European Union Today
and Tomorrow)
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
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Council of Europe (CoE news, texts adopted, conventions, and other info,
including a list of ratifications of treaties by state at
http://www.coe.fr/eng/legaltxt/treaties.htm; was at http://www.coe.fr/ which still
works; see also Guide to Researching the Council of Europe).
Committee of Ministers (Council of Europe; includes steering and ad hoc
committees)
Human Rights Web (Council of Europe, Directorate of Human Rights, including the
Human Rights Information Bulletin)
Human Rights Web (Council of Europe's Human Rights Web Site at
http://www.humanrights.coe.int/ - replaces http://www.dhdirhr.coe.fr/?)
Minority Issues (Council of Europe, Directorate General of Human Rights,
Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
and of the DH-MIN)
European Commission of Human Rights (ECommHR; includes reports)
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR/CEDH judgments, press releases, basic
texts, etc., including the HUDOC database containing the full text of judgments of
the Court, decisions and reports of the Commission and resolutions of the Council
of Ministers from 1959 to last month; was at http://www.dhcour.coe.fr/; see also
EchrNet: The Human Rights Directory)
European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT)
European Free Trade Association (EFTA; including EFTA Court)
Central European Free Trade Association (CEFTA)
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
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Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE; see also OSCE
Prague Office, High Commissioner for National Minorities (HCNM); Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR))
Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (OHR; includes
the full text of their Human Rights Reports; see also Patterns of Human
Rights Violations in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina of the
Ombudsmen of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Organization of African Unity (OAU)
Organization of American States (OAS Charter, information about treaties,
resolutions, and other OAS Documents; also Andean Community, NAFTA,
GATT, and WTO decisions via SICE Dispute Settlement page, and Latin
American Intellectual Property Laws and Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITS)
of the Western Hemisphere)
Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR)
NAFTA Secretariat (North American Free Trade Agreement)
International Monetary Fund
World Bank (includes links to Policy Research Working Papers and the
Economic Development Institute (EDI) now World Bank Institute (WBI) Working
Papers; see also their Law Library)
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G7 Information Centre (now G8; University of Toronto)
International Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs links via
Northwestern University Library)
Yahoo "International Organizations" links
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Agencies
Congress
State Law
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U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC;
including full text of the Harmonized Tariff
Schedule of the United States)
Office of the United States Trade
Representative (USTR)
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA,
U.S. Department of Commerce)
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Private International Law Data Base (PILDB,
U.S. Department of State; Hague
Conventions, UNCITRAL, UNIDROIT, OAS)
U.S. Department of State (includes Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices, Treaties
in Force The National Security Archive
(includes full texts of declassified
documents via Electronic Briefing Books on
Chile, China, Guatemala, Cuba, Japan,
NATO, India, etc.)
United States Information Agency
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U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC;
including full text of the Harmonized Tariff
Schedule of the United States)
Office of the United States Trade
Representative (USTR)
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA,
U.S. Department of Commerce)
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U.S. Customs Service (Department of the
Treasury)
Private International Law Data Base (PILDB, U.S.
Department of State; Hague Conventions,
UNCITRAL, UNIDROIT, OAS, etc.; was at
http://www.his.com/~pildb/)
U.S. Department of State (includes Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1999,
Treaties in Force, Current Treaty Actions, the
full text of Foreign Relations of the United
States (FRUS) volumes (see, for instance,
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) "Electronic
Reading Room")
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The National Security Archive (includes full
texts of declassified documents via Electronic
Briefing Books on Chile, China, Guatemala,
Cuba, Japan, NATO, India, etc.)
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Committee on Foreign Relations (United
States Senate)
Committee on International Relations
(United States House)
Congressional Human Rights Caucus
United States Statutes At Large
Commission on Security and Cooperation in
Europe (CSCE, or U.S. Helsinki Commission;
includes the full text of their CSCE Digest, a
newsletter including reports on human
rights in European countries)
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STAT-USA (U.S. Department of Commerce
databases - includes the National Trade Data
Bank and the Economic Bulletin Board)
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
The Bureau of Export Administration (U.S.
Department of Commerce)
Export-Import Bank of the United States
Bureau of Census (international trade statistics)
Committee on Foreign Relations (United States
Senate)
Committee on International Relations (United
States House)
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http://blog.case.edu/andy