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United Nations Information United Nations Research Guide

The University of Iowa Libraries Government Publications Department has been a depository library for official documents of the United Nations since 1968. Most United Nations documents available at the University of Iowa are located in the Government Publications Department. Many of the print titles can be located through the library catalog.

Introduction

This guide is designed to assist researchers and students in gaining access to United Nations materials at the UI Libraries. It includes information emanating from five of the six principal UN organs—the General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, Security Council, Secretariat, and Trusteeship Council. Some publications of the sixth principal organ—the International Court of Justice or World Court—are collected by the Law Library. Also covered by this guide are publications of related UN programs and organs that report directly to the General Assembly or Economic and Social Council (e.g., the UN Development Programme, UN Conference on Trade and Development, UN Environment Programme).

The United Nations documents collection consists of a large print collection of documents arranged by UN Document Number, Official Records of the major organs, a microfiche collection (1994– ), and various catalogued publications and documents. Researchers may also wish to consult the University of Iowa Law Library's Carver United Nations Documents Collection on microfiche

UN Organizational Structure

Organization Chart

Principal UN Organs and Their Functions

General Assembly. New York. Includes representatives of all member states. Annual sessions of the plenary meetings are held from September until December. Special and emergency sessions may also be convened. There are six main committees of the General Assembly. These are:

In addition, there are the standing and procedural committees and other subsidiary organs of the General Assembly.

Security Council. New York. Composed of five permanent (U.S., U.K., Russia, China and France) and ten non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. Primary responsibility is maintenance of international peace and security. Functions continuously and meets whenever called.

Economic and Social Council. New York and Geneva. Composed of 54 members elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms. It is responsible for the economic and social activities of the United Nations. It conducts two regular sessions and an organizational session each year.

Trusteeship Council. Composed of the permanent Security Council members. In November 1994 the last of the original eleven Trust Territories was removed from its administrative authority. Having completed its original mandate, the Council will meet in the future only as need arises.

International Court of Justice. The Hague. All members are automatically parties to the Court's statute and non-members may become parties. The court has 15 independent judges of different nationalities, elected for nine-year terms by the Security Council and the General Assembly. (Most ICJ publications are found in the Law Library)

Secretariat. The Secretariat services the other organs of the United Nations and administers the programs and policies laid down by them. It is headed by the Secretary-General who is appointed by the General Assembly. It functions continually and has many units.

Subsidiary UN Bodies and Their Functions

As a general rule, publications from these organizations are not part of the United Nations depository program. However, the University of Iowa Libraries does selectively purchase titles from these organizations based on cost, availability and meeting the goals of the Government Publications Collection plan.

The Official Web Site Locator for the United Nations System of Organizations can be used to locate information on all of the UN organizations.

United Nations Development Programme. (UNDP) New York. Assists developing countries in accelerating their economic and social development. Administers and coordinates the majority of technical assistance provided through the UN. Reports to the General Assembly. Established in 1966.

United Nations Environment Programme. (UNEP) Nairobi. Works to preserve and enhance the human environment. Includes a governing council, secretariat, fund and coordinating board. Reports to ECOSOC. Established in 1973. See also its Environment Network, a portal for environmental information.

United Nations Population Fund. (UNFPA) New York. Provides assistance in population programs. Reports to the ECOSOC through UNDP. Established in 1967.

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (UNHCR) Geneva. Protects refugees and promotes durable solutions to their problems. Reports to ECOSOC. Established in 1950.

United Nations Children's Fund. (UNICEF) New York. Provides emergency assistance to children. Provides assistance, particularly in developing countries, in the development of permanent child health and welfare services. Reports to ECOSOC. Established in 1946.

United Nations Industrial Development Organization. (UNIDO) Vienna. Promotes industrial development in development countries with a view to facilitating the establishiment of a new international economic order. Reports to the General Assembly. Established in 1965.

United Nations Institute for Training and Research. (UNITAR) New York. Conducts training programs and initiates research studies focused on UN objectives and programs. Reports to the General Assembly. Established in 1966.

United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. (UNRISD) Geneva. Undertakes research into the inter-relationship of economic and social factors in development and methods of social planning. Reports to the Commission on Social Development.

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. (UNWRA) Vienna. Carries out relief programs and considers measures to be taken when relief is no longer available.

United Nations University. (UNU) Tokyo. Engages in research, postgraduate training and the dissemination of knowledge on pressing global problems of survival, development and welfare. Reports to the General Assembly. Established in 1973.

World Food Programme.(WFP) Rome. Promotes and coordinates the political action necessary to carry out General Assembly resolutions concerning food.

Background Information

  1. Basic Facts about the United Nations. New York: UN Dept. of Public Information, 1947–
    JZ4970 .U5 (Latest in Main Reference)
    General introduction to the role and function of the UN and its related agencies.
  2. Chronology and Fact Book of the United Nations. Kumiko Matsuura (ed.). 8th ed. Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana, 1992.
    JX1977 .C525 (Latest in  Main Reference)
    An irregular supplement to the Oceana Annual Review of United Nations Affairs (guide item 8), this publication includes a chronological survey of UN-related events, reproduces the UN Charter, rules of procedure for each organ, and membership tables for each of the UN bodies.
  3. Directory of United Nations Documentary and Archival Sources. Peter Hajnal. Hanover, N.H.: Academic Council on the United Nations System / Millwood, NY: Kraus International / New York: United Nations. 1991.
    JX1977.8 .D6 H34 1991
    Good introduction to the documentation system of the United Nations and basic bibliographic tools. Extensive annotated bibliography of major publications within the United Nations system of organizations.
  4. Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements. Edmund Jan Osmanczyk. 3rd ed. New York: Facts on File, 2002.
    KZ4968 .M66 2002  (Latest in Main Reference)
    Extremely useful encyclopedia of International Governmental Organization (IGO)-related information, including definitions of key terms, biographies, and the descriptions and selected texts of major international treaties, conventions and agreements.
  5. Everyone's United Nations. New York: UN, 1948–
    JX1977 .A37 E9 (Latest in Main Reference )
    Good source for brief histories of topics under consideration by the UN. Latest edition published in 1986 (10th).
  6. A Guide to Information at the United Nations. New York: UN, 1995.
    JX1977 .G784 1995
    Guide to the activities and publications of each of the principal organizations and bodies within the United Nations system. Each organizational entry describes the following: mandates; major programs; recent expenditures; publications; and information contacts.
  7. Stanley Foundation Reports . On-line reports from the Stanley Foundation examine issues facing the United Nations.
  8. United Nations Handbook. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of External Relations and Trade. 1976–
    JZ4970 .U6 (Latest Main Reference)
    Annual list of UN organs, agencies, Specialized Agencies, regional development banks. Descriptions include functions, structure, current membership and activities.

Current Awareness

Newspapers and periodicals report on United Nations activities in New York and abroad. The New York Times, the Times (London), Le Monde (Paris), the Economist, and Le Monde Diplomatique include significant coverage of the United Nations.

  1. Annual Review of United Nations Affairs. Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana, 1949–
    JX1977 .A1 A5
    Reprints key UN documents reflecting the work of the organization on an annual basis.
  2. Daily Highlights: United Nations Brief Press Summaries. UN Dept. of Public Information—Central News Service, 1987–
    Daily press summary listing key events at UN Headquarters in New York with reference to key documents. Issues 1995 and later are available on the UN web site.
  3. A Global Agenda: Issues before the...General Assembly of the United Nations. New York: United Nations Association—USA, 1974–
    JX1977 .A1 I8 (Latest Main Reference)
  4. Press Releases.
    A press release series is published by every UN organ and body with varying frequency. They contain the very latest information on activities within the organization. Series are also issued on various current topics (for example, the HI series covers issues related to Haiti and the IK series covers the Iraq-Kuwait crisis). Another series—the BI series—contains biographical notes about UN personnel. UN Press Releases published since 1995 are available in full text and searchable on the UN web site.
  5. UN Chronicle. New York: UN, 1950– (title varies)
    JX1977 .A1 U564 (1964– ), JX1977 .C51 (1958–1961)
    Quarterly magazine containing a summary of latest activities at the UN.
  6. Yearbook of the United Nations Restricted Resource . New York: UN Dept. of Public Information (co-published by Martinus Nijhoff since 1989), 1949–
    JX1977 .A37 Y4 (Latest Main Reference)
    Annual authoritative publication on the activities of the organization during its most recent year. Includes extensive surveys of the activities of the principal organs with reference to resolutions, decisions, and major reports. Includes full text of the Secretary-General's "Report on the Activities of the Organization" and key resolutions. Extensive subject index. Includes summaries of activities of the major IGOs.

Directories

  1. Europa World Year Book. London: Europa, 1978–
    fD2 .E83 (Latest Main Ref)
    Extensive descriptions of the United Nations principal organs, related and autonomous agencies, and a large number of regional and functional IGOs. Descriptions include addresses, phone and fax numbers, organizational histories and goals, and major publications.
  2. Permanent Missions to the United Nations. New York: United Nations, 1946–1995
    Government Pulications, JX1977 .A37 P4
    Semiannual publication listing members of permanent missions to UN Headquarters, including member countries, countries with observer status, and other international governmental organizations. Also includes listing of current membership of the Security Council, Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice, and the Trusteeship Council. On the Web, see Permanent Missions to the UN—New York, and Permanent Missions to the UN— Geneva.

Statistics

Most United Nations statistics are published by the Secretariat. They are well-indexed by the Index to International Statistics (IIS). Published since 1983, IIS indexes the publications of international organizations and reproduces them in microfiche. The index is available in print (fAI1 .I49 [Main Reference]). IIS is also available electronically through Statistical LexisNexis Restricted Resource. The corresponding microfiche collection is located in the Main Library Reference area.

In 1982 the UN published the first volume of a projected two-volume set called the Directory of International Statistics (fHA36 .U5 1982), providing a detailed guide to the data, frequency and time series tables available in the various UN statistical publications.

Many annual statistical titles are made available to the University of Iowa through its depository relationship with the United Nations. These are accessible via InfoHawk, the library catalog.

The UN Statistics Division provides a variety of information via its web site.

Indexes and Bibliographies

  1. AccessUN Restricted Resource. New Canaan, CT: Newsbank, 1950–
    Electronic index to UN masthead documents, official records and selected sales publications including journal articles published since 1950. Permits searching across multiple years on various subjects. Includes full-text resolutions, selected meeting records, and links to UN documents on the Web. Allows searching by document numbers and for speeches by representatives of various countries. Serves also as guide to the corresponding microfiche collection (1994– ). Restricted Resource
  2. Directory of United Nations Databases and Information Services. New York: Advisory Committee for the Co-ordination of Information Services, 1978–
    JX1977.8 .D6 D57
    Subject guide to the information gathering, storage, and dissemination activities of UN organizations. Includes information about the organization, special databases maintained by the organization, services provided, and the names and addresses of contacts.
  3. Index to the Proceedings of...
    There are indexes to the "proceedings" of each of four principal organs. These are detailed indexes to the Official Records for each organ (see separate section covering the Official Records below), including subject, speaker, and country/corporate name indexes. Most recent years of the GA and ECOSOC indexes also include voting tables:
    • Index to the Proceedings of the Economic and Social Council. (1952– ) HC59 .A1957
    • Index to the Proceedings of the General Assembly. (1950/51– ) JX1977 .A445
    • Index to the Proceedings of the Security Council. (1964– ) JX1977 .A5152
    • Index to the Proceedings of the Trusteeship Council. (1952– ) JX4021 .U3853
  4. UNBISnet. From the UN's Dag Hammarskjöld Library. Comprehensive official index to UN documents and publications for 1979 forward, and earlier for selected major documents. Includes full text of UN resolutions, voting records, and agendas, plus speech citations for the main UN organs. Includes the library's online catalog with records for non-UN books and journal articles on various topics in international relations.
  5. UNDEX. 1970–1978
    This index served as the general index to UN publishing between the Documents Index (guide item 24) and UNDOC (guide item 23). Issued in three series:
    • Series A: Subject Index. (1970–1978) Z6481 .U4
    • Series B: Country Index. (1970–1978) Z6481 .U42
    • Series C: List of Documents Issued. (1974–1979) Z6481 .U43
  6. UNDOC: Current Index. 1979–1997
    Z6481 .U44
    The most comprehensive official "printed" index available for publications of the UN published between 1979–1997, including masthead documents, sales publications, and official records.
  7. United Nations Documents Index. 1950–
    JX1977 .A2
    First general index to UN masthead documents, sales publications, and official records.
  8. International Bibliography. Millwood, NY: Kraus International, 1973–1991.
    Z6481 .I5
    Until it ceased publication in 1991 this was an extremely useful index to publications of the major IGOs, including monographs and journal articles. Includes acquisition information.
  9. PAIS International Restricted Resource. New York: Public Affairs Information Service, 1915–
    Web and print-based ((Main Reference Z7163 .P9)index to English and foreign language books, pamphlets, journal articles, and government publications in the area of public affairs and public policy.

Official Records

The Official Records of the United Nations contain a wide range of documents, including final versions of meeting records, resolutions, decisions, agendas, and key documents presented to meeting participants. They also include—in the case of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council—regular reports on the activities of subsidiary organs or agencies whose activities they are responsible for coordinating. They are a tremendous source of information. They are indexed in depth in the various Indexes to the Proceedings... (guide item 20), but references are also found in UNBISnet (guide item 21) and its predecessors, as well as in AccessUN (guide item 18). Citations to the Official Records bear distinctive symbol numbers:

Two useful UN publications provide a guide to organization of the Official Records:

  1. United Nations Official Records, 1948–1962.
    Z6485 .U448
  2. United Nations Official Records, 1962–1981.
    Z6485 .U448 1982

Masthead Documents

Known as "mimeograph documents" after their original form of publication, these documents are by far the largest category of United Nations publication. They include materials designed to serve as a basis for discussion at UN meetings and include: reports, memoranda, studies, working papers, agendas, draft and final resolutions, decisions, meeting records, etc. Many masthead documents are reprinted in a variety of other sources such as the Official Records, Yearbook of the United Nations (guide item 14), and the Annual Review of United Nations Affairs (guide item 8). Most masthead documents are shelved by UN document number in the 3rd floor Government Publications Collection.Many of these are now incorporated in to UN's Official Documentation System (ODS).

Microfiche

In addition to the print collection of UN documents, the Government Publications Department has a collection of UN microfiche from 1994 to the present. This collection is arranged by year, and within each year by UN document series symbol. From 1946–1968 there is a comparable collection of microprint UN materials. The Law Library has a complete collection of UN microfiche from 1946 to the present.

Regional Commission Documents

The Economic and Social Commission oversees five regional commissions headquartered throughout the world.  These commissions include:

Each of the Commissions maintains separate publishing operations out of their headquarters. Regional Commissions provide selected sales and masthead documents to all depositories. However, full documentation is provided only to depositories located within the area covered by the appropriate Commission. The University of Iowa therefore receives all publications of the Economic Commission for Europe. Regional Commission documents are selectively indexed in the major UN indexes. However, several Commissions publish separate indexes to their own publications

  1. Cepalindex. Santiago, Chile: ECLAC, 1980–
    Z7165 .L3 C6 (incomplete holdings)
  2. ESCAP Meeting Documents. Santiago, Bangkok: ESCAP, 1979–
    (continues ESCAP Documents and Publications.)
    ESCAP/LIB/SER.F
  3. Devindex Africa. Nairobi: ECA, 1980–
    HC800 .U5 (Main Ref)
  4. List of ECA Documents Issued from... Addis Ababa: ECA, April 1964–
    E/ECA/DOC/ (1990– )

Understanding UN Document Numbers

Symbols of United Nations documents are made up of four primary elements:

  1. Element denoting the body or organ that issued the document
  2. Element denoting the organizational session or year during which the document was issued.
  3. Element denoting the nature of the document.
  4. Element denoting the unique number of the document.

    Organizational Element
    Leading series elements of the five principal United Nations organs are:

    A/- General Assembly
    E/- Economic and Social Council
    S/- Security Council
    T/- Trusteeship Council
    ST/- Secretariat

Special series symbols have been established for a number of other United Nations bodies:

Subsidiary organs of these main bodies are frequently denoted by a standard sub-element:

Sessional element:

United Nations documents generally include an element that identifies the particular organizational meeting during which the document was distributed. For example:

Document Type


The nature of the document is indicated by several standard abbreviations within the symbol. For example:

Unique ID


The last element of a UN symbol number is generally a unique number that identifies the particular document. For example:

Understanding UN Sales Numbers

Another important means of identifying UN publications is through UN Sales Numbers.

A List of Links to UN-Related Web sites

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Revised, B. Cloyd
August 2007