Treaties and Conventions

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1842        Treaty of Nanjing Ends the First Opium War; cedes Hong Kong Island to the United Kingdom.

1842        Webster-Ashburton Treaty Settles boundary disputes between the United States and Canada.

1844        Treaty of Tangiers Ends First Franco-Moroccan War.

1844        Treaty of Tehuacana Creek Establishes peace between the Republic of Texas and various Native American tribes.

1844        Treaty of Wanghia First diplomatic agreement between China and the United States in history.

1844        Treaty of Whampoa China grants privileges to the French Empire.

1846        Mallarino-Bidlack Treaty Agreement of mutual cooperation between New Granada (today Colombia) and the United States.

1846        Oregon Treaty Establishes the border between the British and American sections of the Oregon Country.

1846        Treaty of Amritsar Settles dispute over territory in Kashmir.

1846        Treaty of Lahore Ends the First Sikh War.

1847        Treaty of Cahuenga First treaty to end the Mexican-American War.

1848        Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Second treaty ending the Mexican-American War.

1850        Clayton-Bulwer Treaty The United States and the United Kingdom agree not to colonize Central America.

1850        Punctation of Olmütz Treaty between Prussia and Austria.

1851        Treaty of Fort Laramie United States negotiates safe passage for Oregon Trail settlers with Native Americans.

1851        Treaty of Kulja A treaty that regulated trade between China and Russia.

1851        Treaty of Mendota Between the United States and the Sioux tribes of Minnesota (Mdewakanton and Wahpekute).

1851        Treaty of Traverse Des Sioux Between the United States government and the Sioux Indians of Minnesota.

1852        London Protocol Signed after the First War of Schleswig.

1854        Anglo-Japanese Friendship Treaty Japan is opened to British trade.

1854        Convention of Kanagawa Japan is opened to American trade.

1854        Kalapuya Treaty Between the United States and the tribes of Umpqua and Calapooya in the Oregon Territory.

1855        Bowring Treaty Between Britain and Siam; opened Bangkok to foreign free trade, but guaranteed Siam's independent sovereignty.

1855        Canadian-American Reciprocity Treaty Trade treaty between the colonies of British North America and the United States.

1855        Point Elliott Treaty United States government and various Native American tribes of the Puget Sound region in the newly-formed Washington Territory.

1855        Point No Point Treaty Original inhabitants of the Kitsap Peninsula cede ownership of their land in exchange for small reservations in Hood Canal and a payment of 60,000 dollars from the U.S. federal government.

1855        Treaty of Hellgate The Bitteroot Salish, Pend d'Oreille, and the Kootenai tribes cede territories to the United States government.

1855        Treaty of Neah Bay Between the United States and the Makah Indians.

1855        Treaty of Shimoda Defines the border between Japan and Russia; three Japanese ports opened to international use.

1856        Fifth Treaty of Paris Ends the Crimean War.

1858        Treaty of Aigun Specifies border between Russia and China.

1858        Treaty of Amity and Commerce Japanese treaty ports opened to commerce.

1858        Treaty of Tientsin Ends the first phase of the Second Opium War.

1859        Treaty of Zurich Franco-Austrian armistice formalizing the Peace of Villafranca.

1860        Cobden-Chevalier Treaty Free trade between Britain and France.

1860        Convention of Peking Ends the Second Opium War; cedes Kowloon Peninsula to the United Kingdom.

1861        Franco-Monegasque Treaty Grants sovereignty to Monaco.

1862        First Treaty of Saigon Annam Tu Duc cedes Saigon, the island of Poulo Condor, and three southern provinces (Bien Hoa, Gia Dinh, and Dinh Tuong) to the French Empire.

1863        Treaty of Hué Confirms the First Treaty of Saigon.

1864        First Geneva Convention Establishes rules for the treatment of battlefield casualties.

1864        Treaty of London Britain cedes the Ionian Islands to Greece.

1864        Treaty of Vienna Ends the Second War of Schleswig between Austria and Prussia.

1866        Peace of Prague Ends Austro-Prussian War.

1867        Alaska Purchase The United States buys Alaska from Russia.

1867        Medicine Lodge Treaty Negotiations between the United States and Native Americans.

1867        Treaty of London An international accord in the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War and the Luxembourg Crisis.

1868        Burlingame Treaty Establishes relations between the United States and China.

1868        Treaty of Fort Laramie Ends Red Cloud's War.

1868        Treaty on Naturalization First recognition by a European power of the legal right of its subjects to become American citizens. (US/North German Confederation)

1871        Treaty of Frankfurt Ends the Franco-Prussian War.

1871        Treaty of Washington Conducted in Washington, D.C. to settle grievances between the United States and Great Britain.

1874        Pangkor Treaty Perak becomes the first Malay state to accept British Resident.

1874        Second Treaty of Saigon Reiterates the Treaty of Saigon (1862); the Red River (Song Hong) opens for trade, as well as the ports of Hanoi, Haiphong and Qui Nonh.

1874        Treaty of Berne Universal Postal Union becomes the second oldest international organization.

1875        Convention Du Mètre An international treaty that establishes three organizations to oversee the keeping of metric standards.

1875        Reciprocity Treaty A free trade agreement between the United States and the Hawaiian Kingdom.

1875        Treaty of Kanghwa Ends Korea's status as a Chinese tributary state and opens it to Japanese trade.

1875        Treaty of Saint Petersburg In exchange for the Kuril Islands, Japan relinquishes claims on Sakhalin.

1876        Treaty of Ganghwa Ends Korea's status as tributary state of China; open Korea to Japanese trade.

1877        London Protocol The British agree to remain neutral in any conflict between the Ottoman Empire and Russia.

1878        Cyprus Convention The Ottoman Empire relinquishes Cyprus to the United Kingdom in return for military support against the Russians.

1878        Pact of Zanjón Ends the Cuban Ten Years' War.

1878        Treaty of Berlin Amends the Treaty of San Stefano.

1878        Treaty of San Stefano Ends the war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire.

1879        Treaty of Gandamak Ends the first phase of the Second Anglo-Afghan War.

1881        Treaty of Akhal Iran officially recognizes the Russian Empire's annexation of Khwarazm.

1881        Treaty of Bardo Tunisia becomes a protectorate of the French Empire.

1882        Fourth Triple Alliance Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.

1882        Kilmainham Treaty Between the British government under William Ewart Gladstone and the Irish nationalist leader Charles Stewart Parnell.

1883        Paris Convention Intellectual property systems (including patents) of any contracting state become accessible to the nationals of other states party to the Convention.

1883        Treaty of Ancón Settles territorial disputes between Peru and Chile.

1883        Treaty of Hué Cedes Annam and Tonkin to the French Empire.

1884        Treaty of Hué Confirms the 1883 Treaty of Hué.

1885        Treaty of Simulambuco Between the Portuguese government and officials in the N'Goyo Kingdom.

1886        Berne Convention International agreement about copyright.

1886        Treaty of Bucharest Ends war between Serbia and Bulgaria.

1887        Reinsurance Treaty An attempt by Bismarck to continue to ally with Russia after the League of the Three Emperors broke down.

1889        Treaty of Berlin The United States, Great Britain, and Germany recognize the independence of Samoa.

1889        Treaty of Wuchale Peace treaty between Ethiopia and Italy, subsequently disputed.

1890        Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty Agreement between the United Kingdom and Imperial Germany concerning mainly territorial interests in Africa.

1891        Treaty of Madrid Gives France legal protection of the word champagne.

1895        Treaty of Den Haag Establishes boundaries of British New Guinea.

1895        Treaty of Shimonoseki Ends the First Sino-Japanese War.

1896        Treaty of Addis Ababa Abrogates the Treaty of Wuchale, formally ends the First Italo–Ethiopian War, and recognizes Ethiopia as an independent state.

1898        Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory Cedes the New Territories to the United Kingdom.

1898        Sixth Treaty of Paris Ends the Spanish-American War.

1899        Hague Conventions Attempts to formalize laws of war.

1899        Treaty of Berlin Divides Samoa between the United States and Germany.

1900        Treaty of Paris Ends all conflicting claims over Río Muni (Equatorial Guinea).

1901        Boxer Protocol Peace agreement between the Great Powers and China.

1901        Hay-Pauncefote Treaty Replaces the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty.

1902        Anglo-Japanese Alliance Treaty of alliance between England and Japan; signed by Lord Lansdowne and Hayashi Tadasu.

1902        Treaty of Vereeniging Ends the Second Anglo-Boer War.

1903        Cuban-American Treaty The Republic of Cuba leases to the United States the Guantanamo Bay area.

1903        Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty Establishes the Panama Canal Zone.

1903        Hay-Herbert Treaty Between the United Kingdom and the United States on the location of the border between Alaska and Canada.

1903        Hay-Herran Treaty The United States attempts to acquire a lease on Panama.

1903        Treaty of Petrópolis Ends tensions between Bolivia and Brazil over the territory of Acre.

1905        Eulsa Treaty Between the Korean Empire and the Japanese Empire; influenced by the result of the Russo-Japanese War; void in 1965.

1905        Taft-Katsura Agreement Japan and the United States agree on spheres of influence in Asia.

1905        Treaty of Björkö A secret mutual defense accord between the German Empire and Russia.

1905        Treaty of Portsmouth Ends the Russo-Japanese War.

1906        Second Geneva Convention Specifies the treatment of wounded, sick and shipwrecked members of armed forces at sea.

1909        Anglo-Siamese Treaty Formally divides northern Malay states between Siam and the British Empire.

1910        Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty Begins the de facto period of Japanese occupation of Korea; declared null and void in 1965.

1912        International Opium Convention The first international drug control treaty.

1913        Tibet-Mongolia Treaty Alliance between Mongolia and Tibet.

1913        Treaty of Bucharest Ends the Second Balkan War.

1913        Treaty of London Ends the First Balkan War.

1914        Bryan-Chamorro Treaty The United States acquires the rights to any canal built in Nicaragua, to build a naval base in the Gulf of Fonseca, and to lease the Great and Little Corn Islands in the Caribbean; ratified in 1916.

1915        London Pact Italy enters World War I.

1916        Sykes-Picot Agreement France and the United Kingdom define spheres of influence in the Middle East.

1916        Treaty of Bucharest Alliance between Romania and the Entente.

1917        Corfu Declaration Statement of intention to form a Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

1917        Lansing-Ishii Agreement Trade treaty between the United States and Japan.

1918        Armistice of Mudros Ends the Middle-Eastern part of World War I and forces the Ottomans to renounce most of their imperial holdings.

1918        Treaty of Batum Between the Democratic Republic of Armenia and the Ottoman Empire.

1918        Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Russia pulls out of World War I.

1918        Treaty of Bucharest Between Romania and the Central Powers; never ratified.

1919        Faisal Weizmann Agreement Agreement for Arab-Jewish cooperation in the Middle East.

1919        Treaty of Rawalpindi Between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan during the Third Anglo-Afghan War; United Kingdom recognizes Afghanistan's independence; amended in 1921.

1919        Treaty of Saint-Germain Dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

1919        Treaty of Versailles Formally ends World War I.

1920        Latvian-Soviet Riga Peace Treaty Brings peace between the Republic of Latvia and Russian SFSR.

1920        Seventh Treaty of Paris Union of Bessarabia and Romania.

1920        Svalbard Treaty The Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen (now called Svalbard) becomes part of the Kingdom of Norway.

1920        Treaty of Alexandropol Ends the war between Turkish nationalists and the Armenian Republic.

1920        Treaty of Brno Naturalizes all populaces within the respective language groups of Austria and Czechoslovakia.

1920        Treaty of Rapallo Between Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (subsequently the Kingdom of Yugoslavia).

1920        Treaty of Sèvres Peace between the Allies of World War I and the Ottoman Empire.

1920        Treaty of Tartu Establishes border between Russia and Finland.

1920        Treaty of Trianon Regulates the newly-independent Hungary.

1921        Anglo-Irish Treaty Ends the Anglo-Irish War and created the Irish Free State.

1921        Franco-Polish Military Alliance Military alliance between Poland and France that was active between 1921 and 1940.

1921        Peace of Riga Ends the Polish-Bolshevik War.

1921        Russo-Persian Treaty of Friendship Grants both Iran and the Soviet Union full and equal shipping rights in the Caspian Sea.

1921        Thomson-Urrutia Treaty Colombia recognizes Panama's independence in return for 25 million dollars.

1921        Treaty of Ankara France agrees to evacuate Cilicia in return for economic concessions from Turkey; Turkey acknowledges French imperial sovereignty over Syria.

1921        Treaty of Berlin Separate post-World War I peace agreement between the United States and Germany.

1921        Treaty of Kars Friendship treaty between Turkey and the Soviet governments of the Transcaucasian Republics.

1921        Treaty of Moscow A friendship treaty between the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and the Bolshevik government of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.

1922        Treaty of Rapallo Between the Weimar Republic and Bolshevist Russia.

1922        Washington Naval Treaty Attempts to limit naval expansion.

1923        Halibut Treaty Canadian-American agreement concerning fishing rights in the northern Pacific Ocean.

1923        Treaty of Lausanne Sets the boundaries of modern Turkey.

1924        Treaty of Rome Revokes parts of the 1920 Treaty of Rapallo that created the independent Free State of Fiume; Fiume would be annexed to Italy while the town of Sušak would be assigned to Yugoslavia.

1925        Locarno Treaties Seven treaties between the World War I Western European Allied powers and the new states of central and Eastern Europe.

1926        Treaty of Berlin Germany and the Soviet Union pledge neutrality.

1927        Treaty of Jedda Establishes the independence of present-day Saudi Arabia from the United Kingdom.

1928        Kellogg-Briand Pact Calls "for the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy".

1929        Lateran Treaty The Kingdom of Italy and the Vatican City formally recognize each other.

1929        Third Geneva Convention Establishes rules for the treatment of prisoners of war.

1930        London Naval Treaty Regulates submarine warfare and shipbuilding.

1931        Treaty of Westminster Creates the British Commonwealth.

1932        Soviet-Polish Non-Aggression Pact International treaty of non-aggression signed by representatives of Poland and the USSR.

1934        Balkan Pact Between Greece, Turkey, Romania, and Yugoslavia; signatories agree to suspend all disputed territorial claims against each other.

1934        German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact International treaty between Nazi Germany and the Second Polish Republic; both countries pledged to settle disputes through bilateral negotiations.

1935        Soviet-French Non-Aggression Pact Bilateral pact between France and the USSR with the aim of containing German aggression.

1935        Treaty of Establishment, Commerce and Navigation Reinforces the Russo-Persian Treaty of Friendship.

1936        Anglo-Egyptian Treaty The United Kingdom withdraws its troops from Egypt except those necessary to protect the Suez Canal and its surroundings.

1936        Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence France provides independence to Syria.

1937        International Agreement for the Regulation of Whaling Establishes limitations on whaling practices; protocols signed in 1938 and again in 1945.

1937        Treaty of Saadabad A non-aggression pact signed by Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

1938        Munich Agreement Surrenders the Sudetenland to Germany.

1939        Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact Soviet-German non-aggression pact.

1940        Moscow Peace Treaty Ends the Winter War.

1940        Treaty of Commerce and Navigation Reinforces the Treaty of Establishment, Commerce and Navigation between Iran and the Soviet Union.

1940        Treaty of Craiova Romania cedes territories to Bulgaria.

1942        Anglo-Soviet Treaty Twenty-year mutual assistance agreement between the United Kingdom and the USSR that establishes both a military and political alliance.

1944        Bretton Woods Agreement Establishes rules for commercial and financial relations among the major industrial states.

1944        Convention on International Civil Aviation Establishes the International Civil Aviation Organization; ratified in 1947.

1944        London Protocol Prepares for the division of Germany into three occupation zones.

1944        Tito-Šubašić Agreement Attempts to merge Yugoslavian governments.

1945        Treaty of Varkiza Attempts to officially end the Greek Civil War.

1945        UN Charter Establishes the United Nations.

1945        Wanfried Agreement Transfers three Hessian villages to the Soviet Union and two Eichsfeld villages to the United States.

1946        Bermuda Agreement Bilateral agreement on civil aviation between the United States and United Kingdom.

1946        Gruber-De Gasperi Agreement Allows South Tyrol and Trentino to remain part of Italy, but ensures their autonomy.

1946        International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling Replaces the International Agreement for the Regulation of Whaling; governs the commercial, scientific, and aboriginal subsistence whaling practices of fifty-nine member nations.

1946        Lake Success Protocol Shifts drug control functions previously assigned to the League of Nations to the United Nations.

1946        Treaty of London Great Britain recognizes the independence of Transjordan.

1946        Treaty of Manila United States recognizes independence of the Republic of the Philippines.

1947        General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Establishes international trade rules.

1947        Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance A "hemispheric defense" doctrine signed by many nations in the Americas.

1947        Paris Peace Treaties Formally ends World War II.

1949        Fourth Geneva Convention Establishes rules for the protection of civilians during wartime.

1949        North Atlantic Treaty Establishes NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

1949        Treaty of Den Haag The Netherlands grants independence to Indonesia except for the South Molucca Islands and West Irian.

1949        Treaty of London Creates the Council of Europe.

1950        Liaquat-Nehru Pact Between Pakistani Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

1950        Treaty of Zgorzelec Establishes borders between the Republic of Poland and the German Democratic Republic.

1951        Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide Defines and outlaws genocide.

1951        Mutual Defense Treaty Between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America A mutual defense accord between the Philippines and the United States.

1951        Security Treaty Between the United States and Japan A mutual defense agreement between the United States and Japan; goes into effect on April 28, 1952.

1951        Treaty of San Francisco Formally ends the war between the Allies of World War II and Japan.

1951        U.S. and Japan Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement Permits U.S. armed forces to station troops in Japan while encouraging Japan to rearm for defensive purposes only; goes into effect on May 1, 1954.

1952        ANZUS Treaty Alliance between Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

1952        Deutschlandvertrag Treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Western Allies (France, UK, USA) restoring (limited) German sovereignty.

1952        Treaty of Taipei Peace treaty between Japan and the Republic of China.

1954        Central Treaty Organization Alliance of Middle Eastern countries and the United Kingdom.

1954        Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty Established the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, (SEATO), a defensive alliance between Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, South Vietnam, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

1955        Austrian State Treaty Re-establishes a free, sovereign and democratic Austria.

1955        Simonstown Agreement The Royal Navy surrenders its naval base at Simonstown, South Africa and transfers command of the South African Navy to the government of South Africa.

1955        Warsaw Pact Alliance of Central and Eastern European communist states.

1956        Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration Reestablishes diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Japan following World War II.

1957        Anglo-Malayan Defence Agreement Provides a security umbrella for the independent Malaya.

1957        International Atomic Energy Treaty Establishes the International Atomic Energy Agency.

1957        Treaty of Rome Establishes the European Economic Community.

1958        Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone Provides new universal legal controls for the management of marine natural resources and the control of pollution.

1958        U.K. Mutual Defence Agreement Bilateral treaty between the U.S.A. and the U.K. on nuclear weapons cooperation.

1959        Antarctic Treaty System Sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve, establishes freedom of scientific investigation and bans military activity on the continent; comes into force in 1961.

1960        Indus Waters Treaty Water-sharing treaty between India and Pakistan.

1960        Treaty of Montevideo Establishes the ALA-LC organization or the Latin American Free Trade Association.

1960        Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security (US/Japan) Strengthens Japan's ties to the "West" during the Cold War era.

1961        Alliance for Progress U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower attempts to establish economic cooperation between North America and South America.

1961        Arms Control and Disarmament Agency Strengthens U.S. national security by implementing effective policies of arms control and disarmament.

1961        Columbia River Treaty International agreement between Canada and the United States on the development and operation of the upper Columbia River basin.

1961        Convention on Reduction of Statelessness International treaty against statelessness; goes into effect on December 13, 1975.

1961        Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs International treaty against the illicit manufacture and trafficking of narcotic drugs.

1961        Vienna Convention on Dliplomatic Relations International treaty on diplomatic intercourse and the privileges and immunities of diplomatic missions; came into force in 1964.

1962        Nassau Agreement The United States provides the United Kingdom with nuclear-armed Polaris missiles in return for a nuclear submarine base in the Holy Loch, near Glasgow.

1963        Elysée Treaty Signed by Charles DeGaulle and Konrad Adenauer as a Treaty of Peace between France and Germany.

1963        Merger Treaty Organizes the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Economic Community and Euratom; creates European Commission and the Council of the European Communities; comes into force on July 1, 1967.

1963        Partial Test Ban Treaty Treaty prohibiting all test detonations of nuclear weapons except underground.

1963        Strasbourg Convention Franco-German agreement for joint cooperation in foreign policy, economic and military integration, and exchange of student education.

1963        Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damate Sets rules of liability for any and all forms of nuclear damage.

1963        Vienna Convention on Consular Relations Multilateral treaty that codifies consular practices.

1965        Treaty of Tlatelolco Keeps Latin American and the Caribbean regions free of nuclear weapons.

1965        Treaty on Basic Relations Between Japan and the Republic of Korea Established basic relationship between Japan and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

1967        Bangkok Declaration Founding document of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

1967        Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Limits the spread of nuclear weapons through non-proliferation, disarmament, and the right to utilize nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

1967        Outer Space Treaty Forbids the placing of nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction on celestial bodies and into outer space in general.

1967        WIPO Convention Established the World Intellectual Property Organization.

1968        Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties Codifies the pre-existing international customary law on treaties with some necessary gap-filling and clarifications.

1969        Arusha Agreement Establishes better economic relations between the European Community and the nations of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania; comes into force in 1971.

1969        Patent Cooperation Treaty Provides a unified procedure for filing patent applications to protect inventions internationally; comes into force in 1978; amended in 1979; modified in 1984 and 2001.

1970        Boundary Treaty Settles boundary disputes between the United States and Mexico.

1970        Convention on Psychotropic Substances Attempts to control psychoactive drugs such as amphetamines, barbiturates, and LSD.

1970        Treaty of Warsaw West Germany and the People's Republic of Poland pledge themselves to nonviolence and accept the Oder-Neisse line; ratified in 1972.

1971        Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty Limits the use of anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems in defending areas against missile-delivered nuclear weapons (US PL 92-448).

1971        Five Power Defence Arrangements Security agreement between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

1971        IPC Agreement Establishes a common classification for patents for invention, inventors’ certificates, utility models and utility certificates; goes into effect in 1975; amended in 1979.

1971        Ramsar Convention Focuses on the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands; goes into effect in 1975.

1971        Seabed Arms Control Treaty Bans the placement of nuclear weapons on the ocean floor beyond a 12-mile (22.2 km) coastal zone; comes into force in 1972.

1972        Basic Treaty Establishes relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic; comes into effect in 1973.

1972        Biological Weapons Convention First multilateral disarmament treaty banning the production of an entire category of biological weapons (with exceptions for medical and defensive purposes in small quantities).

1972        Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals Provides protection for Antarctic seals; comes into effect in 1978.

1972        European Patent Convention Multilateral treaty instituting the European Patent Organisation.

1972        London Convention Attempts to control pollution of the sea via deliberate dumping by vessels, aircraft, and platforms.

1972        Simla Treaty Normalised relations between India and Pakistan following the Bangladesh Liberation War.

1972        Sino-Japanese Joint Communiqué Established diplomatic relations between Japan and the People's Republic of China.

1973        Japan Australia Migratory Bird Agreement Treaty between Australia and Japan to minimise harm to the major areas used by birds that migrate between the two countries; comes into force in 1981.

1973        Paris Peace Accords Formalized American withdrawal from Vietnam.

1973        Vientiane Treaty A cease-fire agreement between the monarchial government of Laos and the communist Pathet Lao.

1974        Threshold Test Ban Treaty Establishes a nuclear "threshold" by prohibiting nuclear tests of devices having a yield exceeding 150 kilotons.

1974        Treaty of Osimo Divides the Free Territory of Trieste between Italy and Yugoslavia.

1975        ENMOD Convention Prohibits the military or other hostile use of environmental modification techniques; comes into force in 1978.

1975        Treaty of Lagos Establishes the Economic Community of West African States.

1976        Torrijos-Carter Treaties Abrogates the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty and guarantees Panama its eventual control of the Panama Canal after 1999.

1977        Camp David Accords Agreement between Egypt and Israel.

1978        Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty Israel and Egypt agree to mutually recognize each other; Israel agrees to withdraw its troops from the Sinai Peninsula in return for Israeli ships to gain free passage through the Suez Canal.

1978        Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between Japan and the People's Republic of China Peace agreement between Japan and the People's Republic of China.

1979        Australia New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement A free trade agreement between the governments of New Zealand and Australia.

1979        Moon Treaty The treaty makes a declaration that the moon (which the treaty notes includes all celestial bodies for the purposes of language) should be used for the benefit of all states and all peoples of the international community

1979        Treaty of Montevideo Both Argentina and Chile pledge to a peaceful solution to their border disputes at the Beagle Channel.

1983        Sino-British Joint Declaration The United Kingdom relinquishes Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China.

1984        Arabic-African Union Treaty Morocco and Libya establish the Arabic-African Union.

1984        Argentina-Chile Peace and Friendship Treaty Resolves disputes between Argentina and Chile over the possession of the Picton, Lennox and Nueva islands.

1984        Nkomati Accord Nonagression treaty between Mozambique and the Republic of South Africa.

1984        Plaza Accord The Group of Five agree to devalue the US dollar in relation to the Japanese yen and German Deutsche Mark by intervening in currency markets.

1985        China Australia Migratory Bird Agreement Treaty between Australia and China to minimise harm to major areas used by birds that migrate between the two countries; comes into force in 1988.

1985        Schengen Agreement Establishes for the European Community a border system and a common policy on the temporary entry of persons.

1985        Sulphur Emissions Reduction Protocol Provides for a 30% reduction in sulphur emissions and their transboundary fluxes by 1993; comes into effect in 1987.

1985        Treaty of Rarotonga Formalizes a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the South Pacific.

1986        Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Eliminates nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (300 to 3,400 miles); ratified and comes into force in 1988.

1987        Nitrogen Oxide Protocol Provides for the control or reduction of nitrogen oxides and their transboundary fluxes; comes into effect in 1991.

1988        Montreal Protocol Attempts to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of a number of substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion.

1988        United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Enforcing the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances.

1989        Malaysia-Singapore Points of Agreement Treaty regarding the future of railway land owned by the Malaysian government through Malayan Railways in Singapore.

1989        Timor Gap Treaty Between the governments of Australia and Indonesia; rewritten in 2001.

1989        Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Establishes limits on key categories of conventional military equipment in Europe and mandates the destruction of excess weaponry.

1990        Brioni Agreement Ends ten-day war in Slovenia.

1990        Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany The Four Powers renounce all rights they formerly held in Germany and Germany renounces all claims to territories east of the Oder-Neisse Line.

1991        Abuja Treaty International agreement that creates the African Economic Community.

1991        Asunción Treaty International treaty signed between Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, served as the basis for the establishment of the Mercosur trading block.

1991        Maastricht Treaty Establishes the European Union.

1992        CIS Collective Security Treaty Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan establish framework for the Commonwealth of Independent States.

1992        Oslo Accords Between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

1992        Treaty on Open Skies Establishes an international program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over all participants' territories.

1992        United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Attempts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gas in order to combat global warming.

1993        Chemical Weapons Convention Outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons.

1993        Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty Normalizes relations between Israel and Jordan and resolves territorial disputes between them.

1994        Dayton Agreement Ends Bosnian War.

1994        Kremlin Accords Stops the preprogrammed aiming of nuclear missiles at targets in any nation and provides for the dismantling of Russian nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

1994        North American Free Trade Agreement Free trade agreement between Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico.

1994        United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Provides universal legal controls for the management of marine natural resources and the control of pollution.

1994        United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Agreement to combat desertification and to mitigate the effects of drought; comes into force in 1996.

1995        Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Forbids all nuclear explosions in all environments for military or civilian purposes.

1995        General Agreement on Trade in Services Extends the multilateral trading system to provide services (i.e. tertiary sector of industry).

1996        Amsterdam Treaty Substantially revises the Maastricht Treaty; comes into effect on May 1, 1999.

1996        Khasav-Yurt Accord Ceasefire agreement that ends the First Chechen War.

1996        WIPO Copyright Treaty Provides additional protections for copyright deemed necessary due to advances in information technology.

1996        WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty Establishes rights and privileges for performers and producers of audio-visual works.

1997        Belfast Agreement Major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process.

1997        Chemical Weapons Convention Outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons.

1997        Kyoto Protocol Mandates the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; negotiated in 1997, ratified in 2004, and goes into effect in 2005.

1997        Ottawa Convention on Landmines Bans all anti-personnel landmines (AP-mines).

1998        Adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty Replaces ceilings given to NATO and the Warsaw Pact with territorial ones.

1998        Cotonou Agreement Attempts to reduce poverty and integrate the ACP countries into the world economy; came into force in 2002.

1998        East African Community Treaty Establishes the East African Community between Uganda, Kenya and the Republic of Tanzania; goes into effect on July 7, 2000.

1998        POP Air Pollution Protocol Agreement to provide for the control and reduction of emissions of persistent organic pollutants; has not yet come into effect.

1998        Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Establishes the International Criminal Court.

2000        Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels Attempts to prevent the decline of seabird populations in the southern hemisphere, particularly albatrosses and procellariidae.

2000        Patent Law Treaty Harmonizes formal procedures such as the requirements to obtain a filing date for a patent application, the form and content of a patent application, and representation.

2000        Treaty of Jedda Resolves a border dispute between Saudi Arabia and Yemen that dates backs to Saudi boundary claims made in 1934.

2001        ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution Between ASEAN nations to bring haze pollution under control in Southeast Asia.

2001        Cybercrime Convention Prohibits the use of computers or networks as tools for criminal activity.

2001        Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation Between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation Twenty-year strategic treaty between Russia and the People's Republic of China.

2001        Treaty of Nice Amends two founding treaties of the European Union.

2002        ASEAN Free Trade Area Agreement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of local manufacturing in all ASEAN countries.

2002        Gbadolite Agreement Attempts to cease hostilities between the warring factions in the Second Congo War; treaty has limited effect.

2002        Pretoria Accord Rwandan troops withdraw from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in exchange for international commitment towards the disarmament of the interahamwe and the ex-FAR fighters.

2002        SORT Limits the nuclear arsenals of Russia and the United States. Strategic Offensive Reductions.

2003        International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Assures farmers' facilitated access to seeds of the world's food security crops; came into force on June 29, 2004.

2003        Treaty of Accession 2003 Integrates ten nations into the European Union; came into force on May 1, 2004.

2003        WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control First public health treaty of the world on February 27, 2005. Its purpose is to "protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke."