1. 3-1 Role of the UN in the standardization of geographical names
Helen Kerfoot
Natural Resources Canada

2. Background
1950s - need for clear unambiguous names in UN cartography and communication
1960s -first UN technical meetings; first UN conference (1967)
2000s
names at core of communication ... maps, census, search & rescue, postal services, etc.
UN continues to provide focus and forum
8th Conference 2002; 21st UNGEGN session 2002

3. Some major goals/dreams
Every country having some form of authority for geographical names
Standardized (“authorized”) forms of names nationally recognized and used
All authorized names easily available and accessible for international use
All languages/writing systems having a standardized conversion to Roman orthography

4. Some areas of common interest
Field collection of locally used names
resolving questions of recording and writing
Names authorities and standardization processes
Disseminating data - gazetteers, digital files, data transfer standards, world wide web ...
Developing national toponymic guidelines for international cartographic use
Conventional names and exonyms

5. How the system functions
UN Conferences (every 5 years)
UNGEGN (~ every 2 years)
UNGEGN Divisions (22)
geographical and/or linguistic groups of countries
UNGEGN Working Groups
Publicity and funding; Toponymic terminology
Gazetteers and toponymic data files
Country names; Romanization systems
Training courses

6. UNGEGN tools and Berlin Conference
Available references
UNGEGN and Conference reports
individual papers
UNGEGN web site
Glossary of terms
UNGEGN brochure
UNCSGN Conference
Where, time, how it functions

7. UNCSGN resolutions

8. Linguistic/Geographical Divisions
East Central and South-East Europe Division Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine, Yugoslavia (Chair: Milan Adamic, Slovenia) Web site:

9. 16th SESSION OF THE EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH-EAST DIVISION OF THE UNGEGN MEETING OF THE WG ON GAZETTEERS AND TOPONYMIC DATA FILES
April 18-20, 2001, Ljubljana, Slovenia
The aim of the meeting will be focused on establishing national database system on geographical names and giving answers to the following questions:
How to create a national toponymic database?
What are the data elements required in the database?
What are the data formats required?
What are the data transfer standards required?
How to maintain collected data?

10. UNGEGN WORKING GROUPS
Under the umbrella of UNGEGN, several working groups have been created to follow up topics and issues which cut across the divisional structure of UNGEGN.

11. 1. Working Group on Country Names Convenor: Sylvie Lejeune (France) 2. Working Group on Gazetteers and Toponymic Data Files Convenor: Randall Flynn (USA) 3. Working Group on Toponymic Terminology Convenor: Naftali Kadmon (Israel) 4. Working Group on Publicity and Funding Convenor: David Munro 5. Working Group on Romanization Systems Convenor: Peeter Päll (Estonia) 6. Working Group on Training Courses in Toponymy Convenor: Ferjan Ormeling (Netherlands) 7. Working Group on Evaluation and implementation Convenor: Ki-Suk Lee (Republic of Korea)

12. 8. Working Group on Exonyms Convenor: Milan Orozen Adamic (Slovenia) 9. Working Group on Pronunciation Convenor: Donall Mac Giolla Easpaig (Ireland) Other UNGEGN Working Groups that have been created, fulfilled their functions, and have been disbanded, include: Names of undersea and maritime features Extraterrestrial topographic names