The UN holds conferences on many topics and has done so throughout its history.
This part of the research guide describes the types of documents, publications and information resources that may be issued before, during and after a UN conference, with examples and links to additional research guides.
Types of documents issued for UN conferences
- Agenda
- Background papers, Conference Room Papers or Working papers
- symbol elements that may used for this type of document: BP, CRP, WP
- Journal, daily programme
- List of participants/delegates
- National reports
- NGO statements
- Official Records
- may have symbol and/or UN Sales Number, ISBN, ISSN, other identifiers
- proceedings or selected statements as well as outcome documents adopted by the conference
- Outcome documents may include
- Final act, if any, may be issued separately or as part of a report
- Declaration/ treaty text/ statute : any legal text that may have been adopted by the conference
- Press releases, audiovisual recordings and archival material and other non-official documentation, generally not held by the UN Library
- Proceedings
- Meeting records, transcripts, summaries or summary records, verbatim records, audiovisual recordings
- Proposals, draft resolutions, negotiating texts
- symbol element that may used for this type of document: L.-
- Report of conference
- includes summaries of background and convening; facts such as dates, places, meetings, participants, officers elected, documents issued and resolutions and decisions, including the text, if any, of final agreed outcome(s)
- Reports of subsidiaries
- Preparatory Committee
- Credentials Committee
- Other subsidiaries established to carry out certain aspects of the work of the conference, such as
- Drafting committee, legal committee, regional committees, etc.
- Expert groups, working groups, round tables, etc.
- Subsidiaries of some conferences have extensive documentation
- Rules of Procedure
- Websites
- Many UN conferences have or had websites with extensive information resources
NOTE: The terminology used to describe types of documents may vary. For example: these or other terms may be used for documents that contain record of what was said during formal meetings of the conference: statements, speeches, transcripts, meeting records, verbatim, interventions...
Conference outcomes documentation
Conference outcomes vary widely, depending on the purpose of the conference and the topic. Most UN conferences issue reports upon conclusion. Some examples of outcome documents are:
- Report
- example: World Population Conference (2nd)
- Belgrade, 30 Aug.-10 Sept. 1965
- Report:
- Vol. I: E/CONF.41/2 (66.XIII.5) Summary Report
- Vol. II: E/CONF.41/3 (66.XIII.6) Fertility, Family Planning, Mortality
- Vol. III: E/CONF.41/4 (66.XIII.7) Projections, Measurement of Population Trends
- Vol. IV: E/CONF.41/5 (66.XIII.8) Migration, Urbanization, Economic Development
- Political declaration
- example: World Conference of the International Women's Year (1st World Conference on Women)
- Mexico City, 19 June-2 July 1975
- Report: E/CONF.66/34 (76.IV.1)
- Declaration of Mexico on the Equality of Women and their Contribution to Development and Peace (1975), pages 2-7 of the report in English
- Treaty text
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- Conferences of Parties (COP) or Meetings of State Parties (MSP) of UN treaty bodies
- Pledging Conferences
- example: United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities (2002)-- A/CONF.200/
- generally very little documentation
What makes UN conference documentation unique?
In the context of this guide, UN conferences are:
- Distinct from meetings or sessions of the UN principal organs, or standing subsidiaries
- example: UN conferences are different from sessions of the UN General Assembly
- Often held in major cities around the world, away from UN headquarters
- related types of documentation: Host Country Agreements, resolutions thanking host country
- Sometimes UN conferences become known by the city in which they were held
- Sometimes the outcomes of UN conferences are known by the city in which they were adopted; for example:
- Often convened by resolutions of the General Assembly or Economic and Social Council
- See UN Document Symbols guide for additional information:
- Participants may include:
- States (Countries or Nations)
- Heads of state or government, if considered a Summit
- States may be represented by diplomats and/or experts in the topic of the conference
- UN System organizations
- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or civil society representatives, and others
- related documentation: statements/proceedings/meeting records; list of participants/delegates; Credentials Committee report
