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Using the UN Website to Find United Nations Documents. Dan Baker, O’Quinn Law Library SWALL Annual Meeting March 29, 2012. United Nations Materials. UN Documents
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Using the UN Websiteto Find UnitedNations Documents Dan Baker, O’Quinn Law Library SWALL Annual Meeting March 29, 2012
United Nations Materials • UN Documents • “a text submitted to a principal organ or a subsidiary organ of the United Nations [or major UN conferences] for consideration by it, usually in connection with item(s) on its agenda” • UN Publications • “any written material which is issued by or for the United Nations to the general public” • UN Documents ≠ UN Publications
Two Types of UN Publications • UN Sales Publications • General interest, offered for sale to public • UN Press Releases • Informational announcements • UN Pubs may reprint UN Docs • Compiled in Sales Pubs • Contained in PRs after conclusion of meeting but before publication of official report
How to Tell UN Docs from UN Pubs • Different “Symbols” (Numbers, Citations) • Examples: • UN Doc: E/CN.4/2005/44/Add.1 • Elements before Session or Year are entities • UN Sales Pub: E.09.XVII.8 • Two-digit Year followed by Roman Numerals • Roman numeral is the Sales Publication Category • UN Press Release: GA/DIS/3384 • No Year or Session provided in number
Two Types of UN Documents • Official Records • Serial “publications relating to the proceedings of the principal organs of the UN or certain UN conferences; they include verbatim or summary records of the meetings . . . , annexes and supplements.” • Masthead Documents • Basically, all other documents created for or during any UN-related meetings
Official Records • Resolutions / Decisions • Meeting Agendas • Meeting Records – Verbatim or Summary • Regular Reports of Subsidiary Organs and Agencies (in Supplements) • Additional Important Documents Relied Upon During Meetings (in Annexes)
Masthead Documents • AKA Mimeograph or Parliamentary Docs • Anything produced by/for non-principal organs (committees, commissions, etc.) • Reports from these groups may appear in Annexes, Supplements to Official Records • Will have two symbols: • Masthead Symbol • Official Record Symbol • Required for Bluebook citation if available
UN Databases • Many, varied access points available through UN website: http://www.un.org/en/ • Websites for individual entities may also provide access to some of their documents
“Narrow Your Search” • Results List provides links to further narrow the results • By UN Body • Limited list; mainly principal organs • By Economic Commission • By Language • Six official languages plus “Other” • By Year • Only back to 2000 although older docs are avail.
Questions? Dan Baker djbaker2@central.uh.edu
Sources • United Nations Documentation: Research Guide • http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/symbol.htm • U.N. Secretariat, Regulations for the Control and Limitation of Documentation: Distribution of Documents, Meeting Records, Official Records and Publications, ¶¶ 2-5, U.N. Doc. ST/AI/189/Add.3/Rev.2 (Dec. 17, 1985)