- Official Record
- UNBIS Thesaurus
- Document / Official Document
- Publication
- More Information (United Nations)
- More Information (Leagal of Nations)
Types of Documents
The UN has published very various and numerous documents.
- General
- United Nations Digital library
You can search documents, votes, speeches, public domain publications and more by using this tool. - United Nations Archives Search Engine
Online catalog for searching the archives of the United Nations.
- United Nations Digital library
- Press Release
A press release is an important information before publication of the official documents.
The press releases published from 1995 to current are available on Meetings Coverage and Press Releases. - Document
A document is minutes or references distributed to government representatives on the UN conferences / meetings.
You can search for the documents by using the following tools / resources.- Official Document System (ODS)
The ODS is a database that can search for official documents and official records and it provides their full texts. - United Nations Digital library
You can search for UN documents, voting data, speeches, maps, publications, and more in the United Nations Digital Library. - “Index to microfilm of United Nations documents in English 1946-1961” [Printed]
“United Nations documents index” [Printed]
You can search for past documents and publications that can not be searched for by using the above databases.
- Official Document System (ODS)
- Official Record
Important documents of main organizations (e.g., the General Assembly, ECOSOC, Security Council) are edited and published as official records.
Official records can also be searched by United Nations Digital Library. - Publication
A publication is a document for sale (e.g., research paper, statistics and leaflet). It has sales number.
Publications can be searched by United Nations Publications.
To search for past publications, “The complete reference guide to United Nations sales publications, 1946-1978” [Printed] can also be used.
You can search for the publications held in the library of the United Nations via United Nations Digital Library.
Document Symbols
The UN documents except journals have their own document symbols.
When you want a document that cannot get online, you should note these symbols.
○ Structure of the Symbols
Parent Organization/Subsidiary Body/Nature of Document/Modification
e.g.,
1) A/55/1 = General Assembly/55th/Document no.1
2) A/AC.109/PV.1412 = General Assembly/109th ad hoc committee/Verbatim record no.1412
The detail of the document symbols can be learned via the following webpages.
- UN Document Symbols
UN Documentation Research Guide - Press Releases
The explanation of symbols / kinds of press release
Sales Number
Publications for sale have each sales number. The Kobe University United Nations Depository Library manages UN publications by using this number.
Other libraries such as the Library for Social Sciences provide books with other symbols (call no.) and manages them.
○ Structure of the Sale Number
Language. Year. Subject (or organ). Serial number
e.g.) E. 80. II.C. 1 = English. 1980. World economy. 1st publication
Annual Report
An annual report is a report submitted to the upper organization by their branches. These reports are published as the supplements of the official records.
○ Document Symbol of Annual Report
Organization/Session number/Document number
e.g.) A/55/15(SUPP) = General Assembly/55th/Document no.15 (Supplement)
Official Record
Official Records have the following 3 kinds.
- Minutes
Shorthand / summary records of proceedings. Minutes are indicated by “/PV.” and “/SR.”.
e.g.) A/56/PV.1= General Assembly/56th meeting/Shorthand record no.1 - Annexe
An annexe is what put together documents as references of proceedings managed by agenda. Annexes of the General Assembly (~1992) / the Economic and Social Council (~1972) / the Trusteeship Council (~1969) have ended publication. - Supplement
A supplement is such as resolutions of the General Assembly, annual reports and report of the main organizations.
「A / Session number / Number 1 to 49」 (e.g., A/52/12) means the supplements of the official records of the General Assembly.
UNBIS Thesaurus
A thesaurus is a kind of dictionary that groups synonyms and hierarchises them.
The library of the United Nations Office that creates UNBISNET gives thesaurus terms to Documents, Official Records and Publications by using UNBIS thesaurus.
UNBIS THESAURUS provides thesaurus list by alphabetical order and by field. You can also search for thesaurus words by using this database.
Document / Official Document
Only a few libraries have these document because they are not sold to public.
Many of documents published in recent years have been exposed on the web and older documents are also being digitised.
- Searching Official Document System (ODS) for online editions
- Inquiring of the United Nations Depository Library and check its holdings
- Applying Photocopy Request
Publication
Some publications are digitized and exposed on the web.
When you search for UN publications held in Japan, you should search OPAC of each library or “CiNii Books“.
- Searching for online editions by using United Nations Digital Library
- Searching for by Kobe University Library OPAC
- Applying InterLibrary LoanService
More Information (United Nations)
Name・Link | Description | Note |
---|---|---|
UNITED NATIONS | The official website of the UN. This website provides various information and documents about the UN, and links to websites of the lower organizations. | – |
Department of Global Communications | The Department of Global Communications (DGC) provide information on actions by the UN. | – |
United Nations Information Centre, Tokyo[JPN] | One of the United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) is in Japan. You can access information and news about the United Nations in Japanese. | – |
The United Nations today[printed] | The document about the outline of the UN published in 2008. | – |
Basic facts about the United Nations[printed] | The documents written about basic information about the UN. New editions are published every several years. | – |
国際連合の基礎知識[printed] | This book is a Japanese translation of the 2014 edition of the above document. | – |
Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements[printed] | The encyclopedia about the UN. | – |
Yearbook of the United Nations[printed] | A detailed annual activities of the UN are provided. | – |
UN Chronicle[printed] | A quarterly PR magazine abou activities of the United Nations. | – |
国連ジャーナル : 国際情報誌[printed] | This is a quarterly journal published in Japanese on the activities of the United Nations and other topics. | – |
国際機関資料検索ガイド[printed] | This book provides detailed information in Japanese on how to locate materials issued by international organizations, including the United Nations. | – |
Kobe University United Nations Depository Library | The United Nations Depository Library is located in the Library of Research Institute for Economics and Business Administrations. | – |
国連寄託図書館 | This is a list of United Nations depositary libraries in Japan. It is posted on the United Nations Information Centre, Tokyo website. | – |
国際連合(United Nations / UN) (Research Navi / NDL) | This is provided by the National Diet Library. It offers detailed information on how to find information based on different targets and purposes. | – |
国連文書リサーチガイド | It is provided by the United Nations Information Centre, Tokyo. It offers basic knowledge and search tools useful for document research, as well as guides on how to search by subject and major organizations. | – |
United Nations Research Guides & Resources | The website of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library. | – |
国連決議・報告(2007-2018年) | You can see UNIC Tokyo’s “provisional translations”(2007-2018) for UN resolutions and major reports in this webpage. | – |
More Information (League of Nations)
Name・Link | Description | Note |
---|---|---|
Monthly summary of the League of Nations[printed] | A PR magazine that was published by the League of Nations. | – |
Official journal[printed] | This journal provides such as minutes of assemblies, official documents, budgets, and staff lists. | – |
Official journal. Special supplement[printed] | This journal provides minutes and results of the general assemblies and minutes of 6 main committees. | – |
Annuaire de la Société des Nations[printed] | An annual report that was published by the League of Nations. | – |
Monthly bulletin of statistics[printed] | The statistical information of countries is published. | – |
Statistical year-book of the League of Nations[printed] | An annual report for statistical information of countries. | – |
International trade statistics[printed] | The statistical documents about international trade. | – |