UN Documentation: Overview

The UN Documentation Research Guide presents an overview of selected UN documents, publications, databases and websites.

United Nations documentation reflects the complexity of the UN as an organization. The Regulations for the Control and Limitation of Documentation, ST/AI/189/Add.3/Rev.2, define documents and publications:

"A document is a text submitted to a principal organ or a subsidiary organ of the United Nations for consideration by it, usually in connection with item(s) on its agenda."

"The term 'United Nations publication' refers to any written material which is issued by the United Nations to the general public."

• All UN documents from 1993
• All resolutions of the Principal Organs from 1946
• Security Council plenary documents from 1946
• General Assembly Official Records (GAOR) from 1946, including
  • Meeting records of Plenary and Main Committees
  • Supplements 
  • Annexes
• Economic and Social Council Official Records (ESCOR) from 1946, including
  • Plenary meeting records
  • Supplements
  • Annexes
• Trusteeship Council Official Records (TCOR) from 1946, including
  • Plenary meeting records
  • Supplements
  • Annexes

Special series that have been digitized include:

• Charter of the United Nations (39 languages)
• Report of World Social Situation (1952-1993)
• United Nations Blue Book Series (1994-1996)
• United Nations Conference on International Organization documents (San Francisco Conference, 22 volumes)
• UN Statistical Yearbooks  (1948-2017)
• Yearbook on Human Rights (1946-1988)

UN documents are available online through:

• the United Nations Digital Library, the online catalogue of UN documents and publications
• the Official Document System (ODS), which includes documents not collected by the Library

Security Council

General Assembly

Economic & Social Council