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UN Document Symbols & Series Symbols

E/C.1/

  • United Nations Committee on Negotiations with Intergovernmental Agencies
  • 1947-198?
  • Previous symbol E/CT.1/ (1946)
  • Previous title: Committee on Negotiations with Specialized Agencies (1947-1951)

E/C.2/

  • United Nations Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations
  • 1946-
  • Previous title: Committee on the Arrangements for Consultation with Non-Governmental Organizations. Established by E/RES/3(II) of 21 June 1946.
  • Name changed to Council Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations in 1949 and to Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations in 1973.

Documentation pattern:

  • Working documents issued with series symbol: E/C.2/year/--
  • Sessional reports
    • Supplement 32 of the Economic and Social Council Official Records (ESCOR)
    • E/year/32
    • Search results in the UN Digital Library for the reports of the Committee on NGOs

E/C.3/

  • United Nations Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations
  • 1946-
  • Previous symbol E/CT.2/ (1946)
  • Previous titles: Committee for Consultation with Non-Governmental Organizations (1946-1949) and Council Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (1949-1973)

E/C.4/

  • United Nations Economic and Social Council Agenda Committee
  • 1947-1951

E/C.5/

  • United Nations Committee for Industrial Development
  • 1961-1966

E/C.6/

  • United Nations Economic and Social Council Committee on Housing, Building and Planning
  • 1962-1978
  • Symbol changed in 1978 to E/C.11/
  • Title changed to Commission on Human Settlements

E/C.7/

  • United Nations Committee on Natural Resources
  • 1971-
  • Reconstituted under the same name in 1993

E/C.8/

  • United Nations Committee on Science and Technology for Development
  • 1972-1980

E/C.9/

  • United Nations Committee on Review and Appraisal
  • 1972-198?

E/C.10/

  • United Nations Commission on Transnational Corporations
  • 1974-1994
  • Continued by TD/B/INTC/ (1994-)

E/C.11/

  • United Nations Commission on Human Settlements
  • Previous symbol E/C.6/ (1962-1978)
  • Previous name: Committee on Housing, Building and Planning 
  • Symbol changed in 1979 HS/C/ but the decisions and resolutions adopted by the 5th session in 1982 were issued under this symbol

E/C.12/--

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) oversees the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and its Optional Protocol. The text of the Covenant was adopted by A/RES/2200A (XXI); the text of the Optional Protocol was adopted by A/RES/63/117.

  • CESCR website
  • Established by Economic and Social Council resolution 1985/17 of 28 May 1985, to supervise the implementation of the Covenant and functions like a treaty body
  • Meets in two sessions each year in Geneva
  • First session held in 1987

Main types of documents considered or issued by the Committee

The main types of matters considered by the Committee: State party reports and general comments on thematic matters related to the Covenant. The Committee also devotes one day of each session to general discussion. In addition, in accordance with the Optional Protocol, the Committee has the authority to review and consider communications from individuals and communications from State Parties regarding other State Parties.

  • State parties reports
    • Economic and Social Council resolution 1988/4 of 24 May 1988 establishes the pattern for State parties reports
    • Initial report is submitted within two years of the Covenant’s entry into force for the State party concerned
    • Subsequent periodic reports should be submitted every five years
    • Committee discusses the State's report and issues concluding observations and comments
  • General comments
    • Provide the Committee's interpretation of the content of human rights provisions on thematic issues
    • Issued as individual documents and included in sessional report
  • General discussions
    • General discussions focus on a particular right or a particular aspect of the Covenant
    • Meeting records may be issued
    • Meeting summary and outcome may be provided in the sessional report

Document symbol patterns 

Available translations:

E/C.12/

  • United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  • ​​​​​​​1987-

E/C.13/

  • United Nations Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and on Energy for Development
  • 1993-
  • Previous symbol A/AC/218/ (1983-1992)

E/C.14/

  • United Nations Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for Development

E/C.15/

E/C.16/

  • Committee of Experts on Public Administration
  • 2001-
  • Established by E/RES/2001/45 of 20 December 2001. 
  • Previously designated the Meeting of Experts on the United Nations Programme in Public Administration and Finance, and the Meeting of the Group of Experts on the United Nations Programme in Public Administration and Finance.
  • Working documents of the Committee are issued under series symbol E/C.16/- (formerly ST/SG/AC.6/-).

Search results from the UN Digital Library for the reports of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration.

E/C.17/

E/C.18/

  • United Nations Economic and Social Council. Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters

E/C.19/

History of the indigenous peoples at the UN from the DESA website.

Pattern of documentation:

  • Forum documents are currently published under series symbol E/C.19/-. Documents of the 1st session were issued under E/CN.19/-.
  • Press releases pertaining to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues are issued under series symbol HR/-.
  • Sessional reports