UN Secretariat Documentation

The Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations have evolved over time. 

The current Staff regulations and staff rules of the United Nations are found in ST/SGB/2024/1. 

• The latest version indicates the version it supersedes. Use this information to work back in time to identify the earlier versions
• The Policy Portal provides access to the current administrative documents of the United Nations
• The Secretary-General reports to the General Assembly any changes to the Staff Rules.
• Research on the Staff Regulations and Rules can be quite complex and time-intensive. Consult with a librarian for additional guidance.

The publication the Index to Administrative Issuances, issued most years from 1972-2019, provides a snapshot of the administrative issuances, including the Staff Regulations and Rules, in force at the time of publication. This can be useful to track what rules or regulations were in effect at a given time in the past. 

To find relevant documentation, consult the UN Yearbook and the Indexes to the Proceedings of the General Assembly for citation to resolutions, meeting records and reports of the bodies concerned. 

In general, administrative aspects of the Organization are considered in the General Assembly, usually in:

• 5th Committee
• Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ)
• Related legal matters may be considered in the 6th Committee

Inter-agency coordination on rules and regulations may be considered by the International Civil Service Commission and the UN System Chief Executives Board (previously the Administrative Committee on Coordination). 

International Court of Justice Advisory Opinions on administrative topics include: 

• 1948: Reparation for Injuries Suffered in the Service of the United Nations
• 1954: Effect of Awards of Compensation Made by the United Nations Administrative Tribunal
• 1955: Judgments of the Administrative Tribunal of the ILO upon Complaints Made against Unesco
• 1972: Application for Review of Judgment No. 158 of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal
• 1981: Application for Review of Judgment No. 273 of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal
• 1984: Application for Review of Judgment No. 333 of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal
• 2010: Judgment No.2867 of the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organization upon a Complaint Filed against the International Fund for Agricultural Development (Request for Advisory Opinion)

The Office of Administration of Justice provides access to current and past jurisprudence. 

Selected legal opinions are published in the UN Juridical Yearbook, chapter VI. 

Secondary sources such as books and articles on administrative law and the law of international institutions may provide historical context and citation to relevant documentation. Article 101 of the Charter concerns staff regulations. Commentaries on the Charter and the Repertory of Practice are useful in research on this topic. Some titles include:

• The Law of the International Civil Service, by C. F. Amerasinghe 
• International institutional law: unity within diversity, by Henry G. Schermers & Niels M. Blokker
• Commentary on the Charter of the United Nations, Bruno Simma et al., 4th ed, 2024