Using the UN Website to Find United Nations Documents

1. Using the UN Websiteto Find UnitedNations Documents Dan Baker, O’Quinn Law Library SWALL Annual Meeting March 29, 2012

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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

8. 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

21. Official Document System

22. “Previous” ODS

23. Old ODS – Simple Search

24. Old ODS – Advanced Search

25. Old ODS – Basic Search

26. New ODS

27. New ODS – Advanced Search

28. “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.

29. UNBISnet

30. UNBISnet - Browse

42. Questions? Dan Baker djbaker2@central.uh.edu

43. 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)