Librarian
More Sources of UN Documents
Can't find a UN document at GU? Try the Library of Congress, the closest official UN Depository Library.
The United Nations Information Centre in Washington also has copies of official records.
The Dag Hammarskjöld Library in New York has the most extensive collection of UN documents in the nation (and possibly the world). If you're trying to track down an elusive UN document, try their AskDAG service.
Types of UN Documents
- Official Records are resolutions, meeting transcripts, and other "final" or "official" materials of a UN body. They get a document symbol (see above).
- Masthead Documents are generally "draft" or "working" documents written by UN bodies or member states. Masthead Documents also get a document symbol. Some Masthead Documents get republished (eventually) as Official Records.
- Sales Publications are UN publications that have been attractively formatted (photos, cover art) for sale. They may have a Sales Publication number, although this is NOT a UN document symbol.
- Other Publications: the UN also issues a variety of other reports and documents, such as press releases, research guides, and so on. These documents do not have UN document symbols.
UN Document Symbols
UN documents often have a unique document symbol:
A/RES/34/14 (1979)
- A = General Assembly: the first part indicates the issuing UN body. Other common symbols are S (Security Council) or E (Economic and Social Council)
- RES = Resolution: the second part indicates the kind of document. Most "official" UN documents are resolutions.
- 34 = Session Number: the session information for the UN body -- in this case, the 34th session of the General Assembly.
- 14 = Document Number: the document number. This was the 14th resolution passed by the 34th session.
- 1979 = Year: (optionally included)
For more information about interpreting document symbols, see theDag Hammarskjöld Library's Document Symbols Research Guide.
UN Document Databases
- Full-text is generally 1993-present although some databases have selected older materials.
- Citations are 1946-present (AccessUN) or 1979-present (UNBISNET).
- For full text of material not available online, see Finding UN Documents in Print, below.
- UN ODS: Official Documents of the United Nations This link opens in a new windowODS has full text documents and covers all types of official United Nations documentation, beginning in 1993. Includes resolutions of the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council and the Trusteeship Council from 1946 onwards. For best results, use the Advanced Search option and enter a keyword, then click on 'Lexicon' to find the best match.
- UNBISNETUNBISNET is the catalog of the UN's Dag Hammarskjöld Library. Includes links to the full-text of many UN documents. It covers three main areas: Bibliographic Records from 1979 to present, Voting Records from 1946 to present, and an index to speeches.
- UN-I-QUE: United Nations Info QuestKeyword search of UN document titles. No full-text but good for finding a document symbol. From the Dag Hammarskjöld Library.
- HeinOnline United Nations Law Collection This link opens in a new windowThis collection contains exact reproductions of major United Nations legal publications, including the complete collection of the United Nations Treaty Series and others. Finding Aids and additional features make it easy to pull up a UN Treaty by entering a UNTS Citation, search for a UN Treaty, and link to law review articles that cite a UN Treaty.
- Avalon Project - United Nations DocumentsA short collection of major UN documents, arranged by date. From the Avalon Law Project at Yale Law School.
- Journal of the United NationsThe Journal of the United Nations, also called the "Daily Journal," lists upcoming meetings (often with agendas) and other UN business. Past issues from 2003 are available on the Journal's website; for older issues consult ODS.
- UN Flagship PublicationsA handy collection of the major reports put out by UN agencies. Includes basic statistics on the UN.
Finding UN Documents in Print
Many older UN publications are available by searching GEORGE for "United Nations" as an author and looking for individually cataloged titles. If you are looking for a resolution from the GA or Security Council, the following resources may be helpful:
- Resolutions Adopted by the General Assembly – text, voting records, and related materials for GA resolutions, 1946-1986. JX1977.A3155 D57 ser. 1
- Resolutions and Decisions of the Security Council – text, voting records, and supplementary material for Security Council resolutions, 1946-1979. JX1977.A3155 D57 ser. 2
The Library also has a portion of the United Nations Documents set from Readex in microfiche on the Lower Level. This set is indexed in AccessUN.
League of Nations
The UN was preceded by the League of Nations (1920-1946). Information about the League:
- League of Nations Official Journal (from HeinOnline)
- League of Nations News (1925-1931; from HeinOnline)
- League of Nations Photo Archive (from Indiana University)
- League of Nations Statistical and Disarmament Documents (from Northwestern University). 260 digitized League documents.
- League of Nations Treaties (from UN Treaty Collection)
Lauinger also has an extensive set of League documents in microfilm.
