United Nations Information

General Assembly committees

Background information on UN n Secondary sources Max Planck, law review articles, etc.Max Planck, law review articles, etc. n United Nations Yearbooks HeinOnline: “United Nations Law Collection” libraryHeinOnline: “United Nations Law Collection” library n Encyclopedia of the United Nations Reference KZ4968.O Reference KZ4968.O

Charter of the United Nations n Available online: n Simma’s Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary KZ4991.C48KZ4991.C48 n Charter of the United Nations: Commentary and Documents KZ4991.G KZ4991.G

Exercise #1 n Find the authentic, full text version of the UN Charter and provide its proper citation Hint: Because it authorized the creation of the UN, it couldn’t be registered at the UN…so, which country do you think might keep the official copy?Hint: Because it authorized the creation of the UN, it couldn’t be registered at the UN…so, which country do you think might keep the official copy?

Symbols of the Main Bodies n A/- : General Assembly n S/- : Security Council n E/- : Economic & Social Council n T/- : Trusteeship Council n ST/- : Secretariat

UN Documents

Types of UN Documents n Resolutions and Drafts n Agendas n Reports and Letters n Meeting Records

Locating documents on the UN site

How to locate UN documents generally n Step 1 If you are not sure what exactly you are looking for, start by looking for a press release or news article that gives you context for what you should be searching forIf you are not sure what exactly you are looking for, start by looking for a press release or news article that gives you context for what you should be searching for –i.e., if you are researching the rights of women in armed conflict, you might have taken notice of this excerpt from a recent Economist article: “In 2008 the UN Security Council officially acknowledged that rape has been used as a tool of war.”

n Step 2 Figure out what you know before you start searchingFigure out what you know before you start searching –In our example, we know the following search parameters: Date: 2008Date: 2008 Body: Security Council (S)Body: Security Council (S) Topic: rapeTopic: rape –What we don’t know: What type of document it is (resolution, etc.)What type of document it is (resolution, etc.) What it’s official title isWhat it’s official title is How to locate UN documents generally

n Step 3 Search the UN’s ODS using the keywords you have, then limit the results using the facets on the right-hand side of the results screenSearch the UN’s ODS using the keywords you have, then limit the results using the facets on the right-hand side of the results screen How to locate UN documents generally

Search by exact phrase only if you are SURE you know the correct wording

Use facets on the side bar to limit results to only those you want— remember, we know that it was a SECURITY COUNCIL document issued in 2008

By using facets, we reduced the results from 53 to a more manageable 8 Now use your judgment to select the most relevant document

Read document to locate other relevant, related document citations

How to locate UN docs by citation n If you already have a citation (e.g. S/2008/364), use the “Search by symbol” feature of the UN Documentation system:

You must select the language you want the document retrieved in before you get the result

Example #2 n Locate this UN document: E/CN.17/1997/5. What date was it issued? What date was it issued?

Locating General Assembly resolutions n From the main “Documents” page, scroll down under “General Assembly” and select “Resolutions”

n Then select the GA session the document was issued in Locating General Assembly resolutions

Since resolutions are listed in chronological order, use CTRL+F to find your keyword on the page Voting records are also linked

Example #3 n “..the two deals follow a UN resolution in 2008 on creating a legal regime for aquifers” Locate this resolution and provide it’s official citationLocate this resolution and provide it’s official citation

Locating voting records and speeches n If you want to locate a voting record or speech by a certain individual, use UNBISnet

Again, you must select the language you want the document retrieved in before you get the result

Example #4 n Who gave more speeches at the UN during their presidency—Clinton or Bush?

Example #5 n What two countries voted against A/RES/63/162?

UNTS n n Click on “United Nations Treaty Series” n Do not be fooled by the presence of a search box…this database is awful n Try doing an Advanced Search and limiting to as many set fields as possible

UNTS n Example: Locate the agreement between Hungary and Iraq on cooperation in radio, television, cinema, theater, and news, of October 11, 1961

Example #6 n Locate the Air transport Agreement between Luxemburg and Iceland, October 23, 1952