Treaty Database Topics Thesaurus

(rev. April 1999)

TOPIC GROUPS

Administration 9

Aid 4

Communications 6

Culture 7

Diplomacy 1

Economics 3

Resources 8

Transport 5

Welfare 2

TOPICS

DETAILED, ANNOTATED LISTING

1. Diplomacy

Matters with long-range policy implications, normally decided at the chief-of-government level.

1ALLY Alliance

Description Military alliances, possibly including non-military matters.

See Also 1AMITY for friendship treaties

4MILIT for military aid

Examples

Mutual defense

1AMITY Amity

Description Friendship, general relations, and matters concerning more than one topic in the Topic Group.

See Also 1ALLY

Examples

Basic cooperation between two countries

Cooperation in culture, science, and technology

Friendship and cooperation

Science, technology and economic cooperation

1ARMCO Arms Control

Description Arms control and disarmament, including safeguards for operation of nuclear reactors.

See Also 1PEACE for termination of hostilities.

Examples

Application of nuclear safeguards

Application of safeguards to nuclear materials

Atomic energy standards

Limitation of strategic arms

1CHART UN Membership

Description Acceptance of obligations of UN charter.

See Also

Examples

Acceptance of UN charter

Adherence to UN charter

1DISPU Dispute Settlements

Description Formal procedural and substantive resolutions of legal and political controversies.

See Also

Examples

Establishment of arbitration board

Frontier dispute

Judicial settlements

Methods for negotiation/arbitration

Submission of dispute to ICJ

Negotiation guidelines

1ESTAB IGO Establishment

Description Establishment of an international government organization (IGO).

See Also 1HEAD for the establishment of a regional office of an already existing IGO.

Examples

Establishment of an agency/service/fund/group

1HEAD IGO Headquarters

Description Establishment of an IGO headquarters, and relations between it and the host country.

See Also

Examples

Establish a regional office/headquarters/field office

Legal status of office in host country

1OCCUP Military Occupation

Description Belligerent occupation.

See Also 1STATU for peacetime military forces in foreign countries.

Examples

Occupation conclusion

Occupation costs

Withdrawal of troops

1OPTC International Court of Justice Clause

Description Acceptance of compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice(ICJ).

Treaties entered under this topic are all Unilateral.

See Also

Examples

Acceptance of ICJ jurisdiction

1PEACE Peace/Armistice

Description Termination of war or hostilities.

See Also 1ARMCO

Examples

Amendment of peace treaty

Cessation of hostilities

Disengagement of forces

General armistice

1RECOG Diplomacy/Recognition

Description Diplomatic relations and recognition, independence of new states, acceptance of treaty

obligations.

See Also

Examples

Establish diplomatic relations

Foreign policy cooperation

Inheritance of treaty rights and obligations

Recognition

Upgrade missions to embassies

1REPAR Reparations

Description Post-war reparation settlements. These are on a global or country-to-country level, and would often involve one country giving another country some lump sum of money to pay for damages.

See Also 3CLAIM for reparations to individuals within a country.

Examples

Compensation for property loss

Compensation of war victims

Settlement of war claims

1STATU Status of Forces

Description Peacetime status of foreign military forces.

See Also 1OCUP for military occupation

9MILMI for military missions

9PRIVI for military privileges

Examples

Stationing of military units

Transitional authority of the UN

UN Peacekeeping forces

1TERRI Territorial Limits

Description National land and water boundaries determined by political decisions.

See Also 9BOUND for boundary maintenance, for routine administrative matters.

Examples

Delimitation of continental shelf

Demarcation or delimitation of boundaries

Frontier agreement

1TRUST UN Trusteeship

Description Establishment or operation of a UN trusteeship. Does not involve money in trust.

See Also

Examples

Establishment of operation of UN trusteeship

2. Welfare

Matters falling broadly within the scope of government agencies in charge of labor, health, and welfare.

2HEW General Welfare

Description Matters concerning more than one topic in this group.

See Also

Examples

Social cooperation

2HUMAN Relief/Rescue

Description Humanitarian relief and rescue relating to shipwrecks, floods, earthquakes and other disasters. These involve short-term assistance for particular disasters that have occurred.

See Also 9ADMIN for disaster preparation in general

Examples

Coordination of disaster relief

Emergency food relief program

Relief supplies

Search and rescue cooperation

2LABOR Labor

Description Includes migratory labor, trade unions, and internships.

See Also 7EDUC for culture

4EDUC for educational aid

Examples

Exchange of student employees of workers

Migrant workers' regulations

Recruitment of workers

Temporary employment of workers

Trainee exchange

Workers' health of safety

Maternity leave

2NARK Narcotics Control

Description Control of illegal drug production and traffic.

See Also

Examples

Curbing of illicit drug production and traffic

Narcotics traffic

2REFUG Refugees

Description Refugees and repatriation.

See Also 9CITIZ

Examples

Housing of refugees

Movement of refugees

Protection of refugees

Repatriation of refugees

2SANIT Human Health

Description Disease control, public health, projects or techniques to aid public health and sanitation.

See Also 4MEDIC for medical aid.

Examples

Blood banks

Cooperation in health and medicine

Corpses

Project on food processing effects

Public health and medical research

Sanitation of meat exports

Sanitation of shellfish

2SECUR Social Security

Description Social security, retirements, old age benefits, disability, unemployment compensation.

See Also

Examples

Insurance of migrant workers

Old age insurance

Pension plan

Transfer of pension rights

2WOMEN Status of Women

Description Legal status of women and issues of women's equality.

See Also

Examples

White slave traffic

Women's legal rights

Women's voting rights

3. Economics

Matters that are primarily economic in the sense of traditional international trade and payments. But for aid-supported transactions, see 4. Aid.

3CLAIM Claims, Debts, Assets

Description Claims regarding particular debts and assets, mainly concerning retrospective settlement. Claims for damages are analogous to a US suit for damages.)

See Also 4AID

Examples

Claims for damages

Commercial debts

Consolidation of debts

Disposal of excess property

Release of assets

Repayment of loans

Transfer of assets

Unblocking of funds

3COMMO Raw Materials Trade

Description Trade in specific commodities, e. g. aluminum, cotton, rubber, fish, meat, phosphates, wool.

See Also 3PROD for finished goods trade

3TRADE for treaties about general trade

Examples

Cereals production and trade

Cheese

Long-term wheat agreement

Meat imports

Sale of vegetable oil

Sugar

3CUSTO Customs Duties

Description Custom rates and tariffs.

See Also

Examples

Customs concessions

Duty free quotas

Free ports and free zones

Goods in border traffic

Restriction and control of imports

Interim GATT (when it deals mostly with customs)

Mutual cooperation

3ECON Economic Cooperation

Description General economic cooperation and matters not covered elsewhere, or concerning more than one topic in Topic Group 3.

See Also

Examples

Economic relations

Financial cooperation

GATT

Joint stock transfers

Non-commercial payments

Economic, industrial, and/or technical cooperation

3INDUS Industry

Description Factories or entire industrial sectors.

See Also 8METAL for processing of metals as natural resources

Examples

Construction of factory

Cooperation in industrial sectors

Industrial development

Industrial property

Light/heavy industries

Mining industries

3INVES Investment Guarantee

Description General guarantees for protection of investments.

See Also 4LOAN for financial aid.

Examples

Encouragement and protection of investments

Foreign investment insurance

Guarantees

Investment promotion

3MOSTF Most Favored Nation Status

Description Traditional most-favored nation treatment as the main function of a treaty, rather than as an incidental clause.

See Also

Examples

Free trade and preferential treatment

Most favored nation treatments for ships/workers

Waiver of MFN clause

3PATEN Patents and Copyrights

Description Patents, copyrights, trademarks, intellectual property.

See Also

Examples

Inventions and trademarks

Marks of origin

Mutual copyright protection

Trademark registration

3PAYMT Payments and Currency

Description Routine commercial payments and exchange rates.

See Also 3TRAPA for Trade and Payments

3CLAIM for commercial debts

Examples

Amortization

Banking

Currency movements and exchange rates

Deferred payments

Long-term payments

Minimum Sterling proportion

Settlement of financial questions/matters

3PROD Products and Equipment

Description Finished goods, industrial products, equipment, facilities, installations, commercial as well as

military.

See Also 3TRADE for General Trade

4MILIT for military aid

8METAL for metallurgy as resources

Examples

Delivery of machinery/equipment

Import quotas for products

Mining equipment

Textiles trade

3TAXAT Taxation

Description Double taxation, tax exemptions, fiscal evasion

See Also

Examples

Avoidance of double taxation and fiscal evasion

Tax refund

Tax relief

Waiver of taxes

3TECH Technical Cooperation

Description Technical and scientific-technological cooperation and exchange between equally developed nations.

See Also 4TECA for Aid

7SCIEN under Culture

Examples

Cooperation in ice breaking technology

Data processing and teleprocessing

Industrial engineering and design

Scientific and technical cooperation

Textile engineering

3TOUR Tourism

Description Promotion of tourism.

See Also 9VISAS under Administration

Examples

Cooperation in tourism

Excursion traffic

Tourist exchanges

Tourist traffic

3TRADE General Trade

Description Trade not limited to any particular commodity.

See Also 3PROD for products or equipment

3COMMO for raw materials trade

3TRAPA for Trade and Payments

9CONSU for trade representation

Examples

Commerce

Commercial agreement

Exchange of goods

Import licenses

Long-term trade

Trade agreement

Trade fairs

Trade obstacles removed

3TRAPA Trade and Payments

Description Equal or similar emphasis on both.

See Also 3PAYMT for emphasis on payment

3TRADE for emphasis on trade

Examples

Barter and payments

Commerce and finance

Commodities exchange and payments

Exchange of goods and payments

Long-term trade and payments

4. Aid

Non-commercial transfers of goods, capital, or services.

4AGRIC Food or Agricultural Aid

Description Aid for foodstuffs, fertilizers, and agricultural products, equipment, and techniques. These projects are typically short-term: they have a limited lifespan.

See Also 4RESOU for long-term projects, such as irrigation.

8AGRIC for non-aid resource situations.

Examples

Agricultural development

Agricultural sector projects

Assistance from World Food program

Cattle-fattening

Cereals improvement

Crop projects

Fertilizer projects

Livestock projects

Sale of agricultural commodities (between developed and developing countries)

Seed project

Small farmer training

Tree crops

4AID Unspecified Aid

Description Aid concerning more than one topic in topic group, or which does not fall into other topics.

See Also 4LOAN for financial cooperation between developed and developing countries, or if the treaty explicitly specifies a loan.

Examples

Aid for imports

Aid from A.I.D.

Cold storage

Contributions to UNIDO

Economic stability

Financial assistance

Grant for economic development

Grassroots development initiative

Maintenance grant

Multisector project

Public enterprise

Solidarity aid

Standard basic assistance

UNDP assistance

4ATOM Atomic Energy Aid

Description Aid for peaceful use of nuclear energy.

See Also 8ENERG for energy topics in general.

1ARMCO for control of nuclear reactors

Examples

Assistance in atomic reactor project

Assistance in supply of materials

Atomic power plant construction

Grant for nuclear research training equipment

Technical assistance in atomic energy

4EDUC Educational Aid

Description Aid for academic and vocational training.

See Also 7EDUC for exchange programs and cooperative projects

Examples

Adult literacy

Establish college/university/school/technical institute

School feeding program

School uniforms

Teacher training

Training of skilled labor

4LOAN Financial Aid

Description Loans and other repayable financial aid, including World Bank projects; financial cooperation between developed and developing nations. Loans for purposes represented by other topics are classified under those topics, e.g. 4MILIT for loans for military equipment.

See Also 3INVES, 3CLAIM

Examples

Loans or credit for economic cooperation, economic development, structural adjustment, or

specifically described projects.

Earthquake reconstruction

Financial management

Industrial finance

Private enterprise project

Rural credit

Small/medium enterprise project

Urban project

4MEDIC Medical Aid

Description Aid for hospital construction and equipment, as well as organization of public health services.

See Also 2HUMAN is cases of disasters.

Examples

Basic health services

Disease control

Family planning/contraception program

Health education/research

Health sector loan

Insect control

Medical center construction

Nursing project

Population control

4MILIT Military Aid

Description Aid for military supplies, equipment, training.

See Also 9MILMI, 1ALLY

Examples

Airbase construction

Aircraft/vessel loan

Military assistance

Production of defense equipment

Technical military cooperation

Training of forces in a developed country

4PCOR Peace Corps or other Volunteers

Description American Peace Corps and similar volunteer services of donor countries, e.g. European volunteers, Japanese volunteers.

See Also

Examples

Development volunteers

Peace corps

Country X volunteers

4RESOU Resources Aid

Description Aid for the build-up of infrastructures to develop national resources.

See Also Topics under 8. Resources, for analogs in non-aid contexts.

Examples

Dam project

Environmental protection

Fisheries project

Flood control and drainage project

Highway project

Irrigation project

Low income housing

Petroleum exploration

Port project

Power project

Regional railways

River transport

Social forestry

Telecommunications project

Urban transport project

Water supply project

4TECA Technical Assistance

Description Non-financial aid through advisory services for modernization, chiefly short-term assistance projects. Do not use this topic for development credits. Between

IGO/developed nation and developing nation.

See Also 3TECH for economic projects

7SCIEN

9ADMIN for programs between UK and former colonies

Examples

Associate experts to IGOs or UN

Operation and executive personnel

Scientific and technical cooperation (between a developed and developing nation)

Technical advisory assistance

Technical assistance

4UNICE UNICEF Aid

Description Aid involving UN Children's Fund.

5. Transport

All forms of transportation by air, land, or water, including related infrastructures, e.g. ports, bridges, tunnels, navigation control facilities..

5AIR Air Transport

Description Air services, airlines, airports, landing rights.

See Also

Examples

Air route/schedule changes

Air traffic rights

Air transport

Airworthiness certificates

Civil air transport

Establish air services

Flight inspections

5LAND Land Transport

Description Road and rail transport including passengers, freight, bridges, tunnels.

See Also

Examples

Border railways

Channel tunnel negotiations

Continued railroad construction

International road transport

Recognition of driving permits/licenses

Road traffic

5TRANS General Transport

Description Matters concerning more than one topic in this topic group.

See Also

Examples

Transport company stock

Transport cooperation

Transport of goods

Transportation of goods and passengers

Water and air transport

5WATER Water Transport

Description Ocean, lake, river transport including passengers, freight, ports.

See Also

Examples

Canal maintenance

Dredging

Ferry service

Ice breaking

Joint shipping service

Lighthouses

Maritime navigation

Maritime rights

Maritime transport

Measuring tonnage

Merchant marines

Omega navigation monitoring factory

Pilotage

Recognition of tonnage certificates of ships

Use of ports and waters

6. Communications

Transmission of mail and other information by traditional as well as electronic means.

6COMMU Communications

Description General communications; matters concerning more than one topic in topic group.

See Also

Examples

Communication facilities

Communications cooperation

Post and telegraph

Teleinformatics

6MEDIA Mass Media

Description Newspapers, radio, television, exchange of newsreels.

See Also 6TELCO for amateur radio operations

Examples

Assignment of TV channels

Cooperation between news agencies

Exchange of newsreels

Financial cooperation for radio stations

Journalist associations

Mass media cooperation

Radio and TV broadcasting cooperation

6POST Postal Services

Description Rates and handling procedures for letters, parcels, and postal money orders.

See Also

Examples

Exchange of money orders

Exchange of postal parcels

Express mail service

Military air mail

Parcel post

Postal rates

Subscriptions to newspapers/magazines

6TELCO Telecommunications

Description Telephone and telegraph services, construction and operation of radar stations, allocation of frequencies.

See Also

Examples

Amateur radio operations

Embassy telecommunications

Exchange of radio specialists

High capacity microwave links

Radio channels in XMHz band

Telegraph rates

Undersea cable

7. Culture

Exchanges and joint programs in cultural fields, broadly defined.

7CULT Culture

Description Theater, opera, ballet, films, books, sports; as well as matters concerning more than one topic in this topic group.

See Also

Examples

Archives transfer

Artist exchange

Exhibition of art treasures

Fairs and exhibitions

Film relations

Import of books and films

Libraries

Museum cooperation

Temple preservation

Writers/artists associations

Youth and sports matters

7EDUC Education

Description Student and teacher exchange, joint schools and programs, equivalence of degrees and diplomas, cooperation in educational projects. Primary emphasis on teachers/students from kindergarten to Ph.D.

See Also 4EDUC for educational aid.

Examples

Academies of science

Cooperation between universities

Cooperation in higher education

Education abroad

Educational exchanges

Status of schools

Student placement

Teacher training

7RELIG Religion

Description Not limited to any particular religion, but with religion as the primary focus of the treaty.

See Also

Examples

Appointment of bishops

Church jurisdiction

Concordat

Separation of diocese

Status of church property

7SCIEN Science and Technology

Description Research programs and exchanges in science and technology, weather stations, earth and ocean observations, cooperation between academies of science.

See Also 3TECH for economic aspects of scientific and technical cooperation

4TECA for technical assistance

7SPACE for space exploration

8ENERG for nuclear research or information

Examples

Antarctic cooperation

Balloon launching

Bird research

Global weather experiments

Oceanic research

Remote sensing

Scientific and technical cooperation (between academies of science)

Seismic research facility

7SEMIN Seminars and Conferences

Description UN sponsored and other seminars and conferences on specific issues. Typically treaties between the UN group and a host country.

See Also

Examples

Arrangements for meetings

Interregional symposia

Preparatory meetings

UN Conference

UN Study tour

Workshops/consultations

7SPACE Space Exploration and Research

Description Peaceful uses of outer space and related space technology, including satellites and orbital stations.

See Also 7SCIEN

Examples

Cooperation in outer space activities

Relations between space agencies

Satellite launches

Space vehicle tracking

Tracking and telemetry network

Tracking stations

8. Resources

Various programs that concern mainly the development and use of natural resources. But see also 4RESOU.

8AGRIC Agriculture

Description Fertilizer, experimental programs, pest and disease control, quarantine.

See Also 4AGRIC

Examples

Agricultural cooperation

Agricultural machinery

Agricultural research

Insect eradication

Phytosanitation

Plant diseases

Plant protection and quarantine

8CATTL Cattle or Fowl

Description Veterinary matters, vaccination, health certificates, crossboundary grazing, migratory birds.

See Also

Examples

Animal health

Border grazing

Cattle vaccines

Cattle-breeding project

Epizootics

Migratory birds

Reindeer pastures

Veterinary sanitation

Zoo sanitation

8ENERG Energy

Description All forms of energy.

See Also 4ATOM for atomic energy aid

4RESOU for resources aid

Examples

Deep sea drilling

Energy research and development

Fast breeder reactors

Geothermal/hydroelectric projects

Information on nuclear installations

Natural gas

Notification of nuclear accidents

Nuclear research and information

Oil pipeline

Peaceful uses of nuclear energy

Radioactive waste storage/management

Transfer of enriched uranium

8ENVIR Environment or Ecology

Description Pollution control, wildlife protection by species or region, water quality, environmental

improvement.

See Also

Examples

Combat desertifcation

Experimental animals

Fund for pollution damage

Hazardous waste materials

Lake water quality

Park creation

Pet protection

Protect ozone layer

Sewage sludge processing

8FISH Fisheries

Description Fish and all other living marine animals as resources. Conditions and zones of conservation and harvesting.

See Also 3COMMO for fish as a traded commodity rather than a living resource.

Examples

Fisheries

Fisheries inspection

Fishing industries

Fishing regulations

Fishing relations

Fishing zones

Long-line fishing

Marine environment cooperation

Shrimp fishing

8METAL Metallurgy

Description Mining and processing of metals as natural resources.

See Also 3INDUS or 3PROD for mining equipment or mining industries.

4RESOU under Aid.

Examples

Cooperation in metallurgy

Deep seabed mining

Metals exploration

Mineral resources research

8WATER Water

Description Multiple use of water, e.g. irrigation, power, drinking.

See Also

Examples

Dam construction

Flood control

River management

Sharing of river water

Waste disposal

Water quality monitoring

Water supply

8WOOD Wood or Forestry

Description Forestry management, reforestation, logging, fire protection.

See Also 4RESOU for Aid.

Examples

Forest fire protection

Reforestation and forest regulation

Silviculture

9. Administration

Routine administrative matters incidental to, or independent of non-routine political treaties. But see also 1. Diplomacy.

9ADMIN Administration

Description Routine matters that don't fit into any other Topic or that concern more than one Topic in this Topic Group. Arrangements between IGOs to handle projects.

See Also

Examples

Basic cooperation involving an IGO

Employment of dependents of government officials

Employment of official government employees

Exchange of official publications

Memorandum of understanding

Mutual assistance in case of disasters

Programs between UK and former colonies

Public affairs

UK officers in former colonies

9BOUND Boundary Maintenance

Description Physical maintenance and marking of borders, e.g. bridges, tunnels, checkpoints, mapping.

See Also 1TERR as well as Topics in Topic Group 5: Transport.

Examples

Cooperation in frontier areas

9CITIZ Nationality or Aliens

Description Immigration, citizenship, nationality, minorities, military service requirements.

See Also 2REFUG for repatriation.

Examples

Assisted migration

Dual nationality

Military obligations of dual citizen

Residence requirements

9CONSU Consulates

Description Consular matters including functions, buildings. Also includes business being transacted at

the diplomat/consul level.

See Also

Examples

Consular convention

Consular relations

Diplomatic pouches

Trade representation

9LEGAL Legal Procedures

Description Judicial assistance, enforcement of civil and criminal judgements.

See Also 9XTRAD

Examples

Alimony

Child support

Civil liability for nuclear damage

Enforcement of maintenance order (alimony)

Execution of sentences

Hijacking

International access to justice

Legal procedures

Letters rogatory

Marriage requirements

Torture and other punishments

Transfer of inmates

9MILIT Military Procedures

Description Routine military cooperation between equivalent countries

See Also 9MILMI

1STATU

Examples

Atomic energy for mutual defense

Defense cooperation

Exchange of military information and personnel

Loan or lease of vessels and equipment

Military development and research

Military hospitals

Military industrial cooperation

Military-unit exchange

Naval visits

Pilot training

Prefinancing of NATO projects

Protection of classified information

Security of military information

Storage of defense materials

War graves

9MILMI Military Missions

Description Permanent military missions.

See Also 9MILIT, 9PRIVI, 4MILIT, 1STATU

Examples

Air force mission

Establishment of permanent operation location

Naval mission

Renew/extend mission

Status of mission

9PRIVI Privileges and Immunities

Description Diplomatic immunities of governments and international organizations.

See Also 9MILIT, 9MILMI, 9CONSU, 1STATU

Examples

Consular privileges

Customs immunity for diplomats

Diplomatic baggage

Legal status of IGO

Status of a delegation

9VISAS Visas and Passports

Description Visas and visa fees, regulation of movement of persons and goods across borders.

See Also 3TOUR

Examples

Abolition of visas

Border controls

Diplomatic service passports

Frontier traffic

Movement of persons

Movement/acceptance/admission of persons at borders

Road and rail checkpoints

UN laisser - passer

9XTRAD Extradition

Description Extradition and deportation.

See Also 9LEGAL for other judicial enforcement measures.

Examples

Deportation

Extradition of criminals

Fugitives from justice

Removal of undesirable persons