UN Document Symbols & Series Symbols

In addition to the information from ST/LIB/SER.B//Rev.5, this page of the guide incorporates information about early S/AC. document series symbols from the 1949 UN publication "Series symbols for documents of the Security Council / prepared by the Documents Index Unit" (S/INF/1/Rev.4)

Additional information and references may be found in the authority records of the UN Digital Library.

One challenge with research on these bodies is that they are often named for the number of the resolution establishing them, they do not always have descriptive names. Also note, documents issued by the subsidiaries to the parent organ (in this case, the Security Council) take the symbol of the parent organ. When sanctions committees report to the Security Council, the reports are usually transmitted as a letter from the Chair of the Commitee to the President of the Security Council and have a straight S/YEAR/number document symbol, not an S/AC.-- symbol.

• Symbol not used

• Symbol not used

• Symbol not used

• United Nations Commission of Investigation concerning Greek Frontier Incidents ("Balkan Commission")
• 1947
• S/INF/1/Rev.4 says:
  • "Appointed by resolution (S/339) adopted at the 87th meeting of the Council, 19 December 1946 . RESTRICTED" 
  • S/339 = S/RES/15 (1946) (voting record)
  • "Subsidiary Group Appointed by resolution (S/330/Corr.l) adopted at the 131st meeting of the Council, 18 April 1947. General series symbol: S/AC.4/SG/ . RESTRICTED"
  • S/330/Corr.1 = S/RES/23 (1947) (voting record)
• Subseries include:
  • S/AC.4/INF/-
  • S/AC.4/NC/-
  • S/AC.4/Press
  • S/AC.4/SC.1-9/-
  • S/AC.4/SEC/-
  • S/AC.4/SG/-
  • S/AC.4/W./-

• Symbol not used

• Symbol not used

• Conference of the General Assembly and Security Council Committees on Procedure for the Admission of New Members
• Lake Success, NY
• 1947
• See also A/AC.11/
• S/INF/1/Rev.4 says : 
  • "Appointed by the Chairman of the Committee of Experts on Rules of Procedure as instructed at the 81st meeting of the Council, 29 November 1946, to confer jointly with the Committee on Procedure for the Admission of New Members appointed by the General Assembly at its 67th plenary meeting, 15 December 1946.... RESTRICTED."
  • S/PV.81
  • A/PV.67

• United Nations Security Council Subcommittee on the Greek Question
• 1947
• Established by S/RES/28 (1947) adopted at S/PV.177
• S/INF/1/Rev.4 says,
  • "Appointed at the 177th meeting of the Council, 6 August 1947. No documents series."

• Symbol not used

• United Nations Commission for Indonesia
• 1947-1951
• Previous title: Committee of Good Offices on the Indonesian Question (1947-1949)
• S/INF/1/Rev.4 says, "Appointed, as [United Nations] Committee of Good Offices on the Indonesian Question, under the resolution (S/525 and
  S/525/Corr.1) adopted at the 194th meeting of the Council, 25 August 1947. Name changed and terms of reference further enlarged under the resolution (S/1234) adopted at the 406th meeting of the Council, 28 January 1949. General series symbol; S/AC.10/ . RESTRICTED."
  • S/525 + Corr.1 = three resolutions: S/RES/30(1947) ; S/RES/31(1947) ; S/RES/32(1947) at S/PV.194
  • S/1234 = S/RES/67(1949) adopted at S/PV.406

• Symbol not used
• S/INF/1/Rev.4 says, 
  • "SUB-COMMITTEE, to examine the proposal of the United States of America (S/588) on the Indonesian Question and amendments to it. Appointed at the 217th meeting of the Council, 31 October 1947. No documents series."
  • S/PV.217

• United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan
• 1948-1950
• S/INF/1/Rev.4 says, 
  • "UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION FOR INDIA AND PAKISTAN ("UNCIP") Appointed under the resolution (S/654) adopted at the 230th meeting of the Council, 20 January 1948; composition amended by the resolution (S/726) adopted at the 286th meeting of the Council, 21 April 1948. General series symbol; S/AC.12/ . RESTRICTED."
  • S/654 = S/RES/39(1948) adopted at S/PV.230
  • S/726 = S/RES/47(1948) adopted at S/PV.286

• United Nations Security Council Subcommittee Established by Security Council Resolution 132 (1959) on the Laos Question
• 1959
• No S/AC.13/-  documents available.
• S/RES/132 (1959) adopted at S/PV.848
•  

• United Nations Security Council Expert Committee Established in persuance of Resolution 191 (1964) concerning Polices of Apartheid of the Republic of South Africa
• 1964-1965
• S/AC.14/-
• S/RES/191 (1964) adopted at S/PV.1135 

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established in pursuance of Resolution 253 (1968) concerning the Question of Southern Rhodesia
• 1968-1980
• S/RES/253 (1968) adopted at S/PV.1428

• United Nations Committee of Experts Established by the Security Council at its 1506th Meeting
• 1969
• S/PV.1506 of 29 August 1969
• concerns membership

• United Nations Security Council Ad Hoc Subcommittee Established in pursuance to Resolution 276 (1970) on Namibia Question
• 1970
• S/RES/276 (1970) adopted at S/PV.1529 of 30 January 1970
•  

• United Nations Security Council Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Namibia
• 1970-197?

• United Nations Security Council Committee on Council Meetings Away from Headquarters
• 1972-198?

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established by Resolution 421 (1977) concerning the Question of South Africa
• 1978-1994

• United Nations Security Council Commission Established under Resolution 446 (1979) concerning Israeli Settlements in Occupied Territories
• 1979-1980

• United Nations Security Council Ad Hoc Committee Established under Resolution 455 (1979) on Zambia
• 1979-1980

• United Nations Commission of Inquiry Established under Security Council Resolution 496 (1981) on Seychelles
• 1982

• United Nations Security Council Ad Hoc Committee established under Resolution 507 (1982) concerning the Special Fund for the Republic of Seychelles
• 1982

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established by Resolution 661 (1990) concerning the Situation between Iraq and Kuwait
• 1990

• United Nations Compensation Commission Governing Council
• 1991

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 724 (1991) concerning Yugoslavia
• 1991

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 748 (1992) concerning the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
• 1992

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia
• 1992

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 841 (1993) concerning Haiti
• 1993-1995

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 864 (1993) concerning the Situation in Angola
• 1993

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 918 (1994) concerning Rwanda
• 1994

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 985 (1995) concerning Liberia
• 1995

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 1132 (1997) concerning Sierra Leone
• 1997-

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 1160 (1998) [on the imposition of an arms embargo against Yugoslavia
• 1998-

• Ad Hoc Working Group of the Security Council Established pursuant to Resolution 1170 (1998) on Conflict Prevention and the Promotion of a Durable Peace and Security in Africa
• 1998-

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Afghanistan

• 1999-

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 1298 (2000) concerning the Situation between Eritrea and Ethiopia
• 2000-

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 1343 (2001) concerning Liberia
• 2001-

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 1373 (2001) concerning Counter-Terrorism
• 2001-

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 1521 (2003) concerning Liberia
• 2003-

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 1483 (2003) concerning the freezing of funds or other financial assets or  economic resources removed from Iraq by individuals or entities of the former Iraq regime.
• 2003-

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established persuant to Resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democractic Republic of the Congo
• 2004- 

United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 1540 (2004) concerning the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

• 1540 Committee website
• Established by Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) to promote the resolution’s implementation
  • Resolution 1540 (2004) calls on States to refrain from supporting non-state actors attempting to acquire, transport or use nuclear, chemical and biological weapons; and requires States to adopt laws to this effect.
  • States report the actions they have taken to implement the resolution to the Committee.
• The Committee's mandate was extended to 2032 by Security Council resolution S/RES/2663(2022).
• Document series symbol for working documents
  • S/AC.44/year/- 
  • example: S/AC.44/2015/2
• Summary records issued, closed meetings' records are restricted: 
  • S/AC.44/SR.-
• Country reports on implementation of S/RES/1540 (2004) issued as Notes Verbales
  • S/AC.44/year/-
• Reports to the Security Council as required.
• Search results from the UN Digital Library for document symbol S/AC.44

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established persuant to Resolution 1572 (2004) concerning Cote d'Ivoire
• 2004-

• United Nations Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591(2005) concerning the Sudan

• United Nations Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006), on implementation of resolution 2094 (2013) concerning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 1737 (2006) concerning the Islamic Republic of Iran

•  United Nations Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict

• United Nations Security Council  Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning sanctions against Libya

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 2048 (2012) concerning Guinea-Bissau

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) concerning the Central African Republic

• United Nations Security Council Committee Established pursuant to Resolution 2140 (2014) concerning Yemen

• United Nations Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015) concerning South Sudan