United Nations Publications Guide
Table of Contents
How to Find UN Publications on Your Topic
Finding UN Documents and Publications on the Shelf
Finding Special Types of UN Information
- Basic Facts
- Encyclopedias and Glossary
- Issues
- Members
- Resolutions and Decisions
- Speeches
- Statistics
- Treaties
- Voting Records
Collection OverviewAlthough the University of Pittsburgh's University Library System (ULS) became an official United Nations Depository only in 1999, we have a comprehensive collection of UN documents and publications dating back to the UN's inception in 1945.
The library system acquires UN documents in a variety of formats including print, microprint, microfiche, and CD-ROM. We also can access UN resources on the Web and through various Web-based subscription services.
Since we are not a depository for the specialized agencies--such as the International Labour Organization, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Health Organization-- which are affiliated with the UN, you will not find these documents in our government publications collection. However, we still have many publications of these agencies in various libraries of the ULS. They can be found by using PITTCat+, our online catalog.
The ULS also possesses a collection of League of Nations documents that are housed in storage.
How to Find UN Publications on Your Topic
General UN Indexes-- Electronic
PITTCat+. A good first step in locating United Nations publications is to search for them in PITTCat+, the online catalog of the ULS. Try doing a search usingthe term United Nations, and then adding other keywords relevant to your topic. If you are unfamiliar with PITTCat+, ask a librarian for help at the Reference/Information Desk, or see our Pittcat+ Search Tips guide. Many earlier UN publications may not be in PITTCat. If you can't locate an item, ask at the Reference Desk for assistance.
AccessUN. (Pitt users only.) AccessUN includes citations to documents dating back to 1946 from the six main bodies of the United Nations. It also includes the full text, or links to the full text, of resolutions of the General Assembly, Security Council and the Economic and Social Council, and to the full text of some other document series. For tips on using this database, see our User's Guide to AccessUN. Like many of our other Web-based databases, AccessUN can only be used by patrons affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh. However we have a CD-ROM version of this database, the Index to United Nations Documents and Publications, kept at the Hillman Reference Desk, which can be used by anyone who visits Hillman Library. It indexes UN documents and Publications from the period 1948-October 2002.
UNBISnet. The United Nations Bibliographic Information System is the catalog for both the UN's Dag Hammarskjold Library in New York and the Library of the United Nations Office in Geneva. It indexes many of the same documents and publications indexed by AccessUN; provides links to the full text of many UN documents; indexes speeches made in the General Assembly (1983-), the Security Council (1983-), the Economic & Social Council (1983-), and the Trusteeship Council (1982-); and provides access to voting records for all General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.
The United Nations Official Document System (ODS). The ODS provides access to the full text of UN parliamentary documents and official records since 1993, with selected earlier coverage, and includes resolutions and decisions adopted by the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and the Trusteeship Council since 1946.
General UN Indexes--in Print
UNDOC - The United Nations Documents Index (UNDOC/UNDEX) covers publications from 1950-present. We also have a four-volume, cumulative version of this index for the years 1950-1962. UNDOC includes a list of documents and publications, a list of official records, an author index, a title index, and a subject index. It is shelved on Government Publications index carrel #4.
Other indexes - Besides the UNDOC, we have separate indexes for the UN Treaty Series; for the proceedings of the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, and Trusteeship Council; and for documents of the League of Nations. These and other UN indexes can be found on Government Publications index carrel #3.
The Arrangement of the Collection
Printed Volumes
Shelved on the ground floor of Hillman Library, the printed volumes of UN documents and publications begin at aisle #108 of the compact shelves and end in aisle #112. These include:
UN Treaty Series - These are treaties deposited with the Secretary General. The series is shelved by volume number in aisles #108-109 of the compact shelving unit. Indexes to this set are on Government Publications index carrel #3.
UN Official Records - This set includes reports, resolutions, and discussion of the major organs of the UN. It is located in aisle #109 of the compact shelves. Official Records are shelved by UN official record numbers.
UN Sales Publications - These are UN titles which are made available for sale to the public. They are located in aisles #109-110 of the compact shelves, and are shelved by UN sales numbers.
UN Documents - These are items published for the use of the delegations and the UN organization. They are located in aisles #110-112 of the compact shelves and are shelved by UN document symbols.
Masthead (Mimeographed) Documents
Formerly known as "mimeographed documents," the masthead documents are materials which are designed to serve as a basis for discussion at UN meetings. They include reports, memoranda, studies, working papers, agendas, draft and final resolutions, decisions, and meeting records. Masthead documents are not listed in PITTCat. We have paper copies of masthead documents from the early 1960s to 1992. These are located in the black file cabinets opposite the compact shelves in the Government Publications area on the ground floor of Hillman Library, and are arranged by UN document symbols. More recent masthead documents are available on the ODS. Masthead documents from 1946-1975 are available in the UN Microprint collection.
Microprint Collection
This collection includes all documents and official records of the principal organs of the United Nations from 1946-1975, arranged by UN document symbols. Our collection of UN documents on microprint cards is located in the Microforms Departnment on the ground floor of Hillman Library. The Microforms Department has a microprint reader/printer. Another microprint reader is located on a desk in the Government Publications area near the Reserve Desk on the ground floor of Hillman Library. The best index for locating a publication in the microprint collection is AccessUN.
UN Periodicals
Some journals published by the UN are shelved in the Hillman periodicals collection. Journals from 1970-present are shelved with periodicals on the fourth floor. Journals published before 1970 are shelved with the older periodicals on the ground floor of Hillman in the compact shelves, rows #1-70.
Finding UN Documents and Publications on the Shelf
(See also the handout, Finding UN Documents and Publications on the Shelf )
UN Official Record Numbers
Documents with official record numbers are located in aisle #109 of the compact shelves on the ground floor of Hillman Library. There are five main categories of Official Records, which are shelved alphabetically as follows:
ESCOR-Economic and Social Council Official Records
GAOR -General Assembly Official Records
SCOR-Security Council Official Records
TCOR-Trusteeship Council Official Records
TDBOR-Trade and Development Board Official Records
The most commonly used official records in our collection are the General Assembly Official Records. The four numbers below are in order:
UN
GAOR
29th Sess.
Annexes
UN
GAOR
36th Sess.
Plen. Mtgs.
Vol. 1
UN
GAOR
38th Sess.
Supp. 43
Mtg. 41
UN
GAOR
3rd Comm.
38th Sess.
Mtg. 45
The UN in first line indicates that these are documents in the United Nations collection.
The GAOR in the second line indicates that these are General Assembly Official Records
For some General Assembly official records, the next line indicates that this is a document of a committee (“3rd Comm” in the fourth example). Records of the entire General Assembly (examples 1-3) precede records of committees.
After GAOR or the number of a committee, the next line shows the session of the General Assembly for which this is a record. Records of the entire General Assembly and of each committee are arranged by session.
The line below the session shows the type of the document (Annexes, Plen. Mtgs., Supp., Mtg.). Records for each session are arranged alphabetically by document type. This line may also include a document number (Supp. 43; Mtg. 45).
Other Official Records are arranged in alpha-numeric order, as shown below:
UN
ESCOR
1979
Supp. 1
UN
SCOR
41st year
Mtg. 2782
UN
TCOR
33rd Sess.
Annexes
UN
TDBOR
6th Sess.
Supp. 4
The UN in the first line indicates that this is a document in the UN collection.
The second line shows the issuing body, and indicates that this is an Official Record.
The third line shows the year or session.
The fourth line shows the type, or sometimes the number, of the document.
UN Sales Numbers
Items with these numbers are located in aisles #109-110 of the compact shelves on the ground floor of Hillman library. Here is an example of a sales number:
UN/96.II.A.2
Sales numbers consist of the following parts:
- a “UN/” which indicates this is an item within the United Nations collection;
- a two-digit number indicating the year the item was published (in the example, “96” for 1996);
- a 0, or a Roman numeral, or a Roman numeral with a letter, indicating a specific subject group or “category” ( “II.A.” in the example). (For a complete listing of categories, see the UN research guide, Sales Publication Categories.)
- a number (“2” in the example).
To find a sales publication on the shelf, go to the sales publication section of the UN collection in aisles #109-110 of the compact shelves. Then:
Scan the sales numbers, looking first at the middle of the numbers for the Roman numeral/letter combination you want. (To find UN/96.II.A.2, start by looking for publications with sales numbers that contain “II.A.”)
Within that group of publications, look at the beginning of the numbers for the two-digit year you want. (In our example, look within the group of “II.A” publications for sales numbers beginning with “UN/96.”)
Finally, look at the end of that group of sales numbers for the specific number you want. (Look within the group of “UN/96.II.A.” sales numbers for number “2”.)
Here are some sales numbers in the order in which they appear on the shelf:
UN/88.I.4
UN/95.II.A.4
UN/95.III.D.75
UN/00.III.D.61
UN Document Symbols
Our printed volumes of UN documents with document symbols can be found in aisles #110-112 of the compact shelves on the ground floor of Hillman Library. Microprint cards arranged by these symbols are located at the end of aisle #112. Masthead documents with document symbols are located in the black file cabinets opposite the compact shelves.
Document symbols consist of a combination of numbers and letters. Generally, a symbol is not directly related to the subject of a document. Rather, the first component of a symbol after the “UN/” indicates the parent organ of the UN which has issued the document or to which the document has been submitted. For example, a call number beginning with "A/" denotes a General Assembly document, while "S/" denotes a Security Council document. Additional components may indicate secondary bodies and/or document types. Here is an example of a complete UN document symbol:
UN/A/AC.105/720
In this document symbol the "UN" indicates this document is in the UN collection. The "A" shows it is a General Assembly document. "AC" indicates it is a document of the Ad Hoc Committee. The "720" is the specific document number.
Items with United Nations document symbols are arranged strictly in alpha-numeric order with numbers preceding letters. Here are some symbols in the order in which they appear on the shelf:
UN/A/45/373 UN/A/520/Rev.15 UN/A/AC.105/72 UN/E/CEPAL/97
For more discussion of document symbols, see the UN research guide, Document Symbols.
Finding Special Types of UN Information
Basic facts
Basic Facts about the United Nations. Location: Hillman Library Reference Desk UN/DPI/2155.
Everyone's United Nations. Location: Government Publications compact shelves UN/85.I.18.
Encyclopedias and Glossary
Encyclopedia of thFFe United Nations / John Allphin Moore, Jr., Jerry Pubantz. New York : Facts On File, 2008. Location: Hillman Library Reference KZ4968 .M66 2008.
Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements / Edmund Jan Osmacyzk ; edited and revised by Anthony Mango. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge, 2003. Location: Hillman Library Reference KZ4968 .O84 2003 v. 1-4.
United Nations Organization : Multilingual Glossary : English, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, English-Arabic / Angelo Miatello, Roberto Severino; with the collaboration of Mouldi Hadiji, Gabrielle von Roten, Maria Claudia Totta. Location: Hillman Library Reference JX 1977 .M4 1988.
Worldmark encyclopedia of the nations [electronic resource] / Timothy L. Gall, editor in chief. 11th ed. Detroit : Gale Group, c2004.( Access for Pitt and UPMC affiliated users only available from Gale Virtual Reference Library)
Issues
A Global agenda: issues before the ... General Assembly of the United Nations: an annual publication of the United Nations Association of the United States of America. Lanham, Md. : University Press of America, 1991- Location: Hillman Library - General Collection JX1977 .A1 U5244a.
Great Debates at the United Nations: An Encyclopedia of Fifty Key Issues, 1945-2000 / Robert F. Gorman. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2001. Location: Hillman Library - General Collection KZ4968 .G67 2001.
Yearbook of the United Nations. New York: Dept. of Public Information, United Nations, 1947- Hillman Library - Government Publications: UN/(yr.).I.(no.) Latest at Hillman Library Reference Desk
Members
Member States. Names of member states, date of admission to UN, web address of delegation, contact information for delegation, basic data on each state.
UN Member States on the Record. Information available for each Member State includes: the key documents related to its membership in the UN; statements made before the principal organs; draft resolutions sponsored; periodic reports submitted on Human Rights conventions, and more.
Resolutions and Decisions
AccessUN. (Pitt users only.) Indexing of resolutions and decisions and full-text of all resolutions of the General Assembly, Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. When searching AccessUN for resolutions, include "res" in document number.
Index to Proceedings of the: General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, Security Council, Trusteeship Council. Indexing of resolutions and decisions. Search the "Subject index" section for resolutions on a topic, or the "List of Resolutions" section for a chronological list. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications index carrel #3.
The United Nations Documents webpage. Full text of General Assembly resolutions, Security Council resolutions, and Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions. Listed by year and number.
UNBISnet. Indexing and links to full text of resolutions of the General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, Security Council and Trusteeship Council back to 1946. Resolutions and decisions can be found by doing a Keyword Search under Bibliographic Records, entering a limit of "Type of Material: [B01]" for resolutions/decisions or "Type of Material: [B02]" for draft resolutions/decisions and then entering subject, topical subject, author or title keywords.
The United Nations Official Document System (ODS). The ODS provides access to the full text of all resolutions and decisions adopted by the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the Trusteeship Council since 1946.
Speeches
AccessUN (Pitt users only.) Provides citations and some full text of speeches. Search by author, specifying "Official Record" as the document type.
Index to Proceedings of the: General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, Security Council, Trusteeship Council. Each of these print indexes provides citations of speeches. Search the "Index to speeches" section by corporate names/countries, speakers, subjects. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications index carrel #3.
The United Nations Documents webpage.This can be used to access full text of plenary meeting records of the General Assembly, 53rd session (1998- present) and the full text of Security Council meeting records since 1997.
UNBISnet: Index to Speeches: Provides citations to speeches made in the General Assembly from its 38th session (1983-), the Security Council from its 38th year (1983-), the Economic and Social Council from 1983, and the Trusteeship Council from its 15th special session (1982-). Speaker, country, organization, and keyword searching available.
Statistics
Statistical Indexes
LexisNexis Statistical Insight. (Pitt users only.) This database includes the web version of the Index to International Statistics which indexes UN statistical publications produced from 1980 to the present.
Index to International Statistics (IIS) This resource indexes, down to the individual table, UN statistical publications produced from 1980 to the present. Location: Latest 10 years on Hillman Library reference index carrel #8. Earlier volumes are shelved in storage..
After locating a statistical publication in one of these indexes, you can search PITTCat by title to see if we have a paper copy of it. Or, you can note the IIS number in the index record, and then find a microfiche copy of the publication under this number in the Microforms Department on the ground floor of Hillman Library.
General Statistics
Statistical Yearbook. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ST/ESA/ STAT/SER.S/(no.). Latest at the Hillman Library Reference Desk.
UNdata Find international statistics collected by the United Nations and related organizations.
United Nations Statistics Division Web access to a variety of UN data sets.
Economic Statistics
Energy Statistics Yearbook. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ ST/ESA/ STAT/ SER.J/(no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
Handbook of International Trade and Development Statistics. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ TD/STAT.(no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
Industrial Commodity Statistics Yearbook Location. Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ ST/ESA/ STAT/SER.P/(no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
International Trade Statistics Yearbook. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ ST/ESA/ STAT/ SER.G/(no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
National Accounts Statistics. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ ST/ESA/ STAT/SER.X/(no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics Web access to data on world trade, investment and development.
UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ TD/STAT/(no.). .
World Economic and Social Survey. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ ST/ESA/(no). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
World Investment Report. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ UNCTAD/WIR/(yr.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
Population Statistics
Demographic Yearbook. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ ST/ESA/ STAT/SER.R/ (no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
Human Development Report. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ (yr.).III.B.(no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk..
Human Development Reports Global, Regional, and National reports on the web. Location of print editions: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ (yr.).III.B.(no.). The most recent global report is shelved at the Hillman Reference Desk.
PRED Bank: Population, Resources, Environment and Development Databank. CD-ROM. Latest at Hillman Lending Desk.: UN/ POP/DB/PRED/(yr.).
Wistat : Women's Indicators and Statistics Database. CD-ROM. Latest at Hillman Lending Desk: UN/ ST/ESA/STAT/SER.K/CD/15.
World Population Prospects. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ ST/ESA/SER.A/(no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
Regional Statistics
African Statistical Yearbook. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ (yr.).II.K.(no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ ST/ESCAP/ (no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ LC/G.(no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ ST/ESCAP/(no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
Statistical Yearbook for Latin America and the Caribbean. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ LC/G.(no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
Trends in Europe and North America: The Statistical Yearbook of the Economic Commission for Europe. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ (yr.).II.E.(no.). Latest at Hillman Reference Desk.
Treaties
Electronic Treaty Resources
United Nations Treaty Collection.This database contains the full-text of the United Nations Treaty Series, the United Nations Treaty Series Cumulative Index, the League of Nations Treaty Series, the current status of the Multilateral Treaties deposited with the Secretary-General, and texts of recently deposited multilateral treaties.
Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General. This CD-ROM includes the text, and information on the status and signatories, of multilateral treaties deposited with the UN and multilateral treaties transferred to the UN from the League of Nations. Location: Hillman Library Reference Desk UN/ST/LEC/SER.E/21
Treaty Body Database This database contains full-text documents issued since 1992 by the six Treaty Monitoring Committees of the UN.
Treaty Indexes in Print
United Nations Treaty Series Cumulative Index (Treaty Series: Treaties and International Agreements Registered or Filed and Recorded with the Secretariat of the United Nations. Cumulative Index). This resource indexes treaties and agreements, 1946- present. It includes a chronological index and an alphabetical index of parties and subjects. Location: Government Publications index carrel #3.
League of Nations Treaty Series General Index (League of Nations Treaty Series: Treaties and International Engagements Registered with the Secretariat of the League of Nations. General Index). 9 vols. This resource indexes treaties and agreements, 1920-1946, and includes a chronological index and an alphabetical index of countries and subjects. Location: Hillman Library - Government Publications index carrel #3.
Text of Treaties in Print and Microform
United Nations Treaty Series (Treaty Series: Treaties and International Agreements Registered or Filed and Recorded with the Secretariat of the United Nations.) This series includes the text of all treaties registered with the United Nations, 1946- present. Print holdings: vols. 1388 (1985) - present, Government Publications collection, compact shelves, aisles #108-109; vols. 984 (1975) - 1387 (1984), ULS Storage. Microform holdings: vols. 1 (1947) -1061 (1977), Hillman Microforms; vols. 1 (1947) – present, Law Library Microform Collection.
Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General. This series includes the text, and information on the status and signatories, of multilateral treaties deposited with the UN and multilateral treaties transferred to the UN from the League of Nations. Location of print holdings: Hillman Library - Government Publications UN/ ST/LEG/SER.E/ (no.).
League of Nations Treaty Series (Publications of Treaties and International Engagements Registered with the Secretariat of the League). This series contains treaties and international engagements entered into by any member of the League of Nations from 1920-1946. Location of print holdings: ULS Storage. (See the government publications storage printout in the Government Publications office, G-7 Hillman.) Location of microform holdings: Law Library Microform Collection.
Voting Records
Web resources
UNBISnet: Voting Records Provides voting records for all resolutions adopted - either without a vote or by roll-call or recorded vote - by the General Assembly and the Security Council. (See also the UN research guides General Assembly: Voting Information, and Security Council: Voting Information as well as Voting Practices in the United Nations, U.S. Department of State, 2000-.)
Print and Microform Resources
Index to Proceedings of the . . . (General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council). Check the list of resolutions section to identify the meeting record number. For the General Assembly, 1975-, and the Security Council, 1976- , check the voting charts at the end of the Index to Proceedings volumes. These print indexes are shelved on Government Publications index carrel #3.
Voting practices in the United Nations: report to Congress . . . / United States Department of State. Washington, D.C. Print: Hillman Library - Government Publications S1.1/8; Law Library JZ5006.2 .R46. Microforms: Hillman Library - Microforms S1.1/8; Law Library - Microform Collection S1.1/8
Additional United Nations Web Pages
United Nations UN home page.
Web site Locator for the United Nations System of Organizations
League of Nations Materials
Index
The ULS also has a substantial collection of materials produced by the League of Nations. To find League of Nations materials, use the Index League of Nations Collections, 1919-1946, shelved on Government Documents index carrel #3.
Documents and Publications
We have a complete collection of League of Nations materials in League of Nations Documents and Publications,1919-1946, a set of 555 microfilm reels housed in the Microforms Department on the ground floor of Hillman Library.
Additionally, we have a large collection of League of Nations materials in print, housed in our storage facility. Print items held in our collection are indicated in pencil in the Index League of Nations Collections, 1919-1946, shelved on Government Documents index carrel #3. Ask at the Reference Desk for assistance in retrieving these items from storage.
For Help with UN or League of Nations Documents Contact:
Tom Twiss, ttwiss@pitt.edu, Phone: 412-648-7730
Mark C Scott, mcs50@pitt.edu, 412-383-5097
Patricia Sharp, pls17@pitt.edu, 412-648-7803
Hillman Library Information/Reference Desk, 412-648-3330
Or send a question to Ask-a-Librarian via email.
