The most effective tool used for searching for UN information is the UN Digital Library (UNDL). For more information about using the UN Digital Library, have a look at the following resources.
Or, for an overview of some of the interesting features, watch the What's New in the UN Digital Library? video below.
If you do not know the document symbol of a UN document or you want to look for documents based on a topic or a type of document, the UN Digital Library is the best place to search. The video below explains how to find documents such as Security Council meeting records or Secretariat documents using the simple search of the UN Digital Library. The same strategies can be used to find resolutions, draft resolutions or reports in the various bodies of the UN.
The advanced search of the UN Digital Library allows you to do a more precise search for particular types of documents. The video below shows you how you can use the advanced search to find letters by member states or reports of the Secretary-General. You can also use the advanced search to look for sponsors of draft resolutions, search the full text of a particular document series and other types of precise searching.
This video will show you a few examples of how you can find Speeches in the UN Digital Library by an individual's name or speeches by a person representing a particular country or organization. You can also search by keyword for speeches related to a particular topic.
The United Nations Digital Library also allows you to search for voting information on adopted resolutions of the Security Council and General Assembly. To find out how member states voted on particular resolutions, you can search by resolution number (for example, A/RES/64/292) or keyword (for example, non-proliferation). For an example on how to do this, watch the video below.
If you are interested in doing analysis of UN documents, voting patterns, or speeches, this webinar explains how you can use export data containing in the UN Digital Library in order to do that analysis. For further information about exporting data, including a table of key MARC fields, see our research guide. Recorded March 2021.