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AGLC4: Australian Guide to Legal Citation 4th edition:  UN Materials and Treaties

UON library guide to AGLC4: Australian Guide to Legal Citation 4th edition

United Nations Materials 

 

See details at AGLC4 9 on page 142.

  • United Nations (UN) materials are cited differently depending on the type of documents, such as constitutive documents (eg the UN Charter), official documents, official records, resolutions or UN yearbooks. See the examples below.
  • A citation of a UN document should include all or some of the elements if available in the order as listed below (AGLC4 9)
  • If the document may be easily located online using the UN document number through an official UN database (eg <https://www.undocs.org>), elements 9.2.4-9.2.9 may be omitted.

 

Element Example Rule
Author H S Amerasinghe, 9.2.1
Title Informal Single Negotiating Text Part IV Presented by the President of the Conference, 9.2.2
Resolution or Decision Number GA Res 3314, 9.2.3
Official Records UN GAOR, 9.2.4
Committee Number 4th Comm, 9.2.5
Session (and Part) Number 34th sess, 9.2.6
28th sess, 1st pt,
Meeting Number 75th mtg, 9.2.7
46th plen mtg,
Agenda Item Agenda Item 2, 9.2.8
Supplement Supp No 3, 9.2.9
UN Document Number UN Doc A/RES/150 9.2.10
Full Date (20 August 2008) 9.2.11
Annex annex 1 9.2.12
Pinpoint Reference [2] 9.2.13

 

 

Footnote: Format and examples

 

Note No. Author, Title, Resolution or Decision Number, Official Records, Committee Number, Session (and Part) Number, Meeting Number, Agenda Item, Supplement, UN Document Number (Full Date) Annex [Pinpoint Reference].

 

Constitutive Document

1 Charter of the United Nations art 51.

 

Annex

2 Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, GA Res 56/83, UN Doc A/RES/56/83 (28 January 2002, adopted 12 December 2001) annex ('Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts') art 4(2).

 
Draft Resolution

3 Draft Resolution - International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, UN Doc A/C.4/62/L.2 (14 November 2007).

 

Economic and Social Committee Decision

4 Basic Program of Work of the Economic and Social Council for 2001, ESC Dec 2001/203, UN ESCOR, 3rd plen mtg, Supp No 1, UN Doc E/2000/99 (4 February 2000).

 

General Assembly Resolution

5 Prevention of Armed Conflict, GA Res 57/337, UN Doc A/RES/57/337 (18 July 2003, adopted 3 July 2003).

6 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, GA Res 61/295, UN Doc A/RES/61/295 (2 October 2007, adopted 13 September 2007).

 

Meeting Record

7 UN GAOR, 63rd sess, 55th plen mtg, UN Doc A/63/PV.55 (19 November 2008).

 

Report of Principal Organ

8 Report of the Economic and Social Council for 2005, UN Doc A/60/3/Rev.1 (11 July 2007).

 
Report of Treaty Committee

9Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review: Central African Republic, UN Doc A/HRC/12/2 (4 June 2009).

 
Secretariat Document

10 Secretary-General's Bulletin — Organization of the Office of Central Support Services, UN Doc ST/SGB/1998/11 (1 June 1998).

 
Secretary-General's Report

11 In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All — Report of the Secretary-General, UN Doc A/59/2005 (21 March 2005).

 

Security Council Resolution

12 SC Res 827, UN Doc S/RES/827 (25 May 1993).

 

UN Official Record

13 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, GA Res 217A (III), UN GAOR, UN Doc A/810 (10 December 1948).

 

UN Yearbooks

14 'Developments and Trends, 2007' (2007) 32(II) United Nations Disarmament Yearbook 3, 4.

 

WHO & ILO Documents

 

Documents of the World Health Organization ('WHO'), the International Labour Organization ('ILO') and other similar bodies may be cited in the same way as for United Nations materials using rule 9.2, replacing the UN document number with the appropriate alternative document number.

Treaties 

 

General Rules: 

  • See details at AGLC4 8 on page 133
  • Treaties are cited differently depending on whether they are multilateral (with three or more parties) or bilateral (with two parties).
  • Treaty Title: should appear in italics and appropriately capitalized
  • Party Names:
    • Do not repeat parties' names if they appear in the treaty title
    • Do not include parties' names for multilateral agreements with more than three signatories

  • Date opened for signature:

    • If the treaty is adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, this date of adoption is the date of conclusion(8.3)

  • Treaty Series information: this includes the treaty series volume number, title abbreviation, and commencing page number (8.4)

  • Date of entry into force: as recorded in the treaty registry or United Nations Treaty Series Online (8.3)

  • Pinpoint is generally to a treaty article, paragraphs or sections

 

Footnote: Format and example

Note Number. Treaty Title, Parties' Names, opened for signature or signed Full Date, Treaty Series (entered into force Full Date) Pinpoint.

  1. International Agreement on the Scheldt, Belguim—France—Netherlands, signed 3 December 2002, 2351 UNTS 13 (entered into force 1 December 2005) art 3(1)(a).
  2. Convention on Cybercrime, opened for signature 23 November 2001, ETS No 185 (entered into force 1 July 2003) art 4(1).
  3. Agreement Relating to Co-operation on Antitrust Matters, Australia—United States of America, 1369 UNTS 43 (signed and entered into force 29 June 1982).
  4. Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of Nauru and the Commonwealth of Australia, Relating to the Transfer to and Assessment of Persons in Nauru, and Related Issues, signed 29 August 2012.
  5. Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, opened for signature 31 December 2016, [2017] ATNIF 23 (not yet in force).

 

Bibliography: Format and example

Treaty Title, Parties' Names, opened for signature or signed Full Date, Treaty Series (entered into force Full Date)

Agreement Relating to Co-operation on Antitrust Matters, Australia—United States of America, 1369 UNTS 43 (signed and entered into force 29 June 1982.

Convention on Cybercrime, opened for signature 23 November 2001, ETS No 185 (entered into force 1 July 2003)

International Agreement on the Scheldt, Belguim—France—Netherlands, signed 3 December 2002, 2351 UNTS 13 (entered into force 1 December 2005)

Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of Nauru and the Commonwealth of Australia, Relating to the Transfer to and Assessment of Persons in Nauru, and Related Issues, signed 29 August 2012

Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, opened for signature 31 December 2016, [2017] ATNIF 23 (not yet in force).