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![[UN SYMBOL]](/cu/lweb/img/assets/4818/un.gif) United Nations Resources
This is a selective guide to resources at Columbia University Libraries and on the Internet, for conducting research on the United Nations. Publications by and about the UN and its agencies can be found in several libraries, primarily Lehman, Business, and Butler. Check CLIO by title, subject, or issuing UN agency to locate them.
The Law Library is a full United Nations depository, receiving copies of all official UN publications and documents, but not those of the specialized agencies. Check Pegasus for items in the Law Library.
 Access Restrictions: available to current Columbia faculty, staff and students only.
- United Nations Documentation: Research Guide, Dag Hammarskjöld Library
- This guide is designed for researchers and information professionals new to United Nations documentation. It provides an overview of the various types of documents and publications issued by the Organization (e.g, reports, resolutions, meeting records, sales publications, press releases) and gives guidance as to where to find them in either electronic or paper format and how to work with them.
- Research Guide: the United Nations
- A detailed guide to conducting research on the UN, including descriptions of the UN structure and its publishing system, research strategies, and how to locate UN documents. It is directed to the researcher working at the Columbia Law Library and on the internet.
- Reference Sources: League of Nations
- A research guide, timeline, and bibliography for the predecessor to the United Nations.
Background Information
- Annual Review of United Nations Affairs.
- Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. : Oceana Publications, 1949-
- JX 1977 .A1 A5 - Lehman
- Baratta, Joseph Preston.
- United Nations System.
- New Brunswick <N.J.> : Transaction Publishers, c1995.
- JX 1977 .B284 1995 - Lehman
- A bibliography of works about the UN in its entirety. Lengthy annotations make it especially useful.
- Basic Facts About the United Nations.
- New York : United Nations, 2004.
- JZ 4970 .B37 2004g - Lehman
- The Blue Helmets : a Review of United Nations Peace-keeping. 3rd ed.
- New York, NY : United Nations Dept. of Public Information, c1996.
- JX 1981 .P7 B595 1996g - Lehman
- Chronology and Fact Book of the United Nations. 8th ed.
- Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana, 1992.
- JX 1977 .A1 A51 - Lehman
- Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements. 3rd ed. 4 vol.
- New York: Routledge, 2003.
- KZ 4968 .O84 2003 - Lehman
- A Global Agenda: Issues Before the ... General Assembly of the United Nations. Annual.
- Lanham, Md. : University Press of America, c1991-
- JX 1977 .A4251 - Lehman
- Online, see: Global Issues on the UN Agenda
- Continues: Issues Before the ... General Assembly of the United Nations, below
- Global Policy Forum
- GPF monitors the global policy making process at the United Nations. It has addressed issues primarily in three areas: the UN Security Council and Council reform, the UN financial crisis, and social and economic policy at the global level.
- Gorman, Robert F.
- Great Debates at the United Nations : an Encyclopedia of Fifty Key Issues 1945-2000.
- Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2001.
- KZ 4968 .G67 2001 - Lehman Reference
- Hajnal, Peter.
- Directory of United Nations Documentary and Archival Sources.
- Millwood, NY: Kraus International, 1991.
- JX 1977.8 D6 H34 1991 - Offsite
- Issues Before the ... General Assembly of the United Nations. Annual.
- New York : United Nations Association of the United States of America, 1976-1991.
- JX 1977 .A425 - Lehman
- Continued by: A Global Agenda, above.
- Journal of the United Nations (Current issue only)
- Published daily, it provides dates and agendas for scheduled official meetings of the UN organs.
- Profile of the United Nations: Beginnings, Purpose, and Structure
- A basic fact sheet, published by the U.S. Department of State, August 2005.
- Trilingual Compendium of United Nations Terminology : English, French, German.
- New York : United Nations, 1986-
- JX 1977 .D73 1986 - Lehman
- UN Chronicle.
- New York, NY : United Nations Dept. of Public Information, 1964-
- JX 1977 .A12 Un331 - Lehman
- UN Wire: E-mail News Covering the United Nations and the World
- United Nations Foundation
- The United Nations Foundation seeks to support the goals and objectives of the United Nations and its Charter in order to promote a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world - with special emphasis on the UN's work, especially on behalf of economic, social, environmental and humanitarian causes.
- United Nations Observances
- This site contains information on United Nations days, weeks, years, decades and other observances, resolutions declaring them and links to events websites.
- The United Nations System and Its Predecessors. 2 vols.
- Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1997.
- JZ 5566 .S9613 1997 - Lehman
- A compilation of documents of the UN and its specialized agencies (v.1) and its 19th century predecessors, culminating in the League of Nations (v.2). It includes the major documents, instruments, rules of procedure, conventions and agreements, and resolutions.
- Who's Who in the United Nations and Related Agencies. 2nd ed.
- Detroit, MI : Omnigraphics, Inc., c1992.
- JX 1977 .W467 1992 - Lehman
- Yearbook of the United Nations. Annual.
- New York : United Nations, 1946/47-
- JX 1977. A37 Un33 - Lehman
Find Books & Articles
- CLIO: Columbia Libraries Online Catalog
- CLIO is the online catalog for the Columbia and Barnard libraries. It includes over 4 million records for books, journal or newspaper titles (not articles), online resources, government documents, microforms, sound or video recordings, archival collections, etc.
- WorldCat
- An online catalog of the collections of 24,000 member libraries of the OCLC consortium, comprising more than 36 million records for books, serials, manuscript collections, audiovisual materials, computer files, and other media.
- BorrowDirect
- A borrowing service offered by the university libraries of Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale. It is designed to allow students, faculty and staff to request (and receive in four days) books directly from each other's collections.
- AccessUN
- AccessUN is an index to current and retrospective UN documents and publications, from the six principal organs of the UN. Full-text resolutions from the General Assembly, Security Council and Economic and Security Council are linked to their records.
- International Bibliography of Political Science. Annual.
- Paris: Unesco, 1952-
- Z 7163 .I64 - Lehman (1952-1998)
- Electronic access to this title, from 1952 to the present, is available as part of the
International Bibliography of the Social Sciences database.
- International Political Science Abstracts. Bimonthly.
- Paris: International Political Science Association, 1951-
- JA 36 .I5 - Lehman
- UNBISnet
- Catalogue of UN publications and documentation indexed by the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library and the Library of the UN Office at Geneva. Also included are non-UN publications held in the collection of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, so it is particularly useful for this reason.
- United Nations Treaty Collection
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This collection includes five categories of treaty-related data:
- Status of Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General
- The United Nations Treaty Series
- Texts of Recently Deposited Multilateral Treaties
- Photographs of Treaty Signature Ceremonies
- Titles of the Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General in the UN official languages
- Web Bibliographies from the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library:
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- Worldwide Political Science Abstracts. 1976- . Updated quarterly.
Statistical Sources
This section includes only statistical sources published by the United Nations. For other sources which provide statistics on a global basis, please consult:
Sources for International Statistics guide at:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/lehman/guides/stats/int.html
- United Nations Common Database (UNCDB)
- More than 300 statistical time series for countries from around the world covering a wide range of economic and socio-demographic topics. Descriptions of the international sources and definitions used in compiling the data are included. Sources: UN, FAO, ILO,IMF, ITU, OECD, UNESCO, WHO, WIPO, World Bank (WB) and World Tourism Organization, plus other international agencies.
- International Statistics
- This page provides links to all of the statistical programs of the UN System: the UN Statistics Division, the statistical divisions of the regional economic and social commissions of the United Nations Secretariat, and the United Nations specialized agency statistics programmes.
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The various programs produce a wide variety of statistical products. Some of the more useful are:
- Demographic Yearbook. Annual.
New York : United Nations, 1948-
HA 17 .D39 - Business, Butler, Lehman (Latest in Reference in all locations)
- InfoNation
A simple application which allows you to create a table with basic data for up to seven countries.
- Monthly Bulletin of Statistics (UN).
New York: United Nations Statistical Office, 1947-
Serials M - Business
- The State of Food and Agriculture. Annual.
Rome : FAO, 1947-
S 401 .F73 - Business(Latest in Reference), Offsite
- Statistical Yearbook (United Nations). Annual.
New York : United Nations, 1948-
HA 42 .Un35 - Lehman, Latest in Reference
HA 12.5 .U3 - Butler, Latest in Reference
HA 12.5 .Un29 - Business, Latest in Reference
- Statistical Yearbook (UNESCO). Annual.
Paris, Unesco, 1963-
HA 40 .C8 Un43 - Lehman, Latest in Reference
HA 40 .C8 Un43 - Butler, Latest in Reference
370 Un44 - Annex (1963-1984)
- Yearbook of Labour Statistics. Annual.
Geneva : ILO, 1936-
HD 4826 .In8 - Business, Lehman (Latest in Reference)
Other UN statistical titles are listed at:
IGO Publications Ready Reference guide at:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/usgd/igorref/index.html
- LexisNexis Statistical Monthly.
Washington, D.C. Congressional Information Service, 1973-
The LexisNexis Statistical database provides comprehensive access to statistical data. None of the UN sources are linked to the full text of the data, but the cited sources are often available in one of the Columbia libraries, either in print or as part of the microfiche IIS service which accompanies the printed index.
Print version: Index to International Statistics (IIS): Z 7552 .I53 - Lehman Index Table
The Dag Hammarskjöld Library
The Dag Hammarskjöld Library in New York is open only to UN staff members. However, they have made much information available on their web site, including:
- UNBISnet
UNBISnet is the catalog of UN publications and documentation indexed by the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library and the Library of the UN Office at Geneva. Also included are non-UN publications held in the collection of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library
- Index to Speeches made in the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, and the Trusteeship Council
- United Nations Documentation: Research Guide
This guide is designed for researchers and information professionals new to United Nations documentation. It provides an overview of the various types of documents and publications issued by the Organization (e.g, reports, resolutions, meeting records, sales publications, press releases) and gives guidance as to where to find them in either electronic or paper format and how to work with them.
- Voting Records for the General Assembly and the Security Council
The United Nations & Its Principal Organs
- United Nations WWW Site
- A complete UN site, including sections for Conferences & Events, General Information, UN Documents (fulltext), Publications & Sales, Databases, UN News (including the UN Journal, Daily Highlights & Press Releases), UN Around the World, and What's New. There are also sections covering the UN's main areas of concern: Peace & Security, International Law, Economic & Social Development, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Affairs.
The entire site is searchable.
- Conferences and Events
- Official Web Site Locator for the United Nations System of Organizations
Alphabetical and classified lists of all the United Nations Organizations (UNOs), with searching capabilities and links.
- Permanent Missions to the United Nations
- JX 1977 .A23 - Lehman
- UN Documentation Centre
Provides links to all of the online documents of the Principal Organs of the UN.
- United Nations System Pathfinder
The Pathfinder identifies major publications of the UN system by numerous subject categories.
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The UN System (Weblinked chart)
- General Assembly
- The General Assembly is the main deliberative organ of the United Nations. It is composed of representatives of all Member States, each of which has one vote. Decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new Members and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority. Decisions on other questions are reached by a simple majority. These decisions may be adopted without a vote, or with a vote, which may be recorded, non-recorded or by roll-call.
- Landmark General Assembly Documents
- Research Guide: General Assembly: Parliamentary Documents, from the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library
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Publications about the General Assembly:
- Finley, Blanche.
- The Structure of the United Nations General Assembly : an Organizational Approach to Its Work, 1974-1980s. 2 vols.
- White Plains, N.Y. : UNIPUB/Kraus International Publications, 1988.
- JX 1977 .A495 1988 - Lehman
- Key Resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, 1946-1996.
- New York : Cambridge University Press, 1997.
- KZ 5006.2 .U55 1997 - Lehman
- Economic and Social Council
- The Economic and Social Council was established by the Charter as the principal organ, under the authority of the General Assembly, to promote: (a) higher standards of living, full employment, and conditions of economic and social progress and development; (b) solutions of international economic, social, health, and related problems; and international cultural and educational cooperation; and (c) universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. The council has 54 members who serve three-year terms. Voting in the Council is by simple majority; each member has one vote.
- Research Guide: Economic and Social Council: Parliamentary Documents, from the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library
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Most of the work of the Council is carried out by its various commissions:
- International Court of Justice
- The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). The Court has a dual role: to settle in accordance with international law the legal disputes submitted to it by States, and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized international organs and agencies. The Court is composed of 15 judges elected to nine-year terms of office by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council sitting independently of each other. It may not include more than one judge of any nationality. Elections are held every three years for one-third of the seats, and retiring judges may be re-elected. The Members of the Court do not represent their governments but are independent magistrates.
- Basic Documents, including the Statute and Rules of the Court.
- Decisions, including links to all contentious cases and advisory opinions referred to the Court since 1946.
- Docket, cases currently being heard/under deliberation.
- Secretariat
- The Secretariat, an international staff working at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and all over the world, carries out the diverse day-to-day work of the Organization. It services the other principal organs of the United Nations and administers the programmes and policies laid down by them. At its head is the Secretary-General, who is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a five- year, renewable term.
- Millennium Report of the Secretary General of the United Nations, April 3, 2000
- UN Secretary-General : a Bibliography, from the Dag Hammarskjöld Library
- Security Council
- The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is so organized as to be able to function continuously, and a representative of each of its members must be present at all times at United Nations Headquarters. The Council has 15 members-- five permanent members (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States) and 10 elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.
- Peacekeeping Operations
- Very detailed information on one of the most prominent UN activities; includes maps of world operations and individual UN missions.
- Research Guide: Security Council: Parliamentary Documents, from the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library
- Security Council: a Bibliography, from the Dag Hammarskjöld Library
- Trusteeship Council
- The Trusteeship Council suspended operation on 1 November 1994, with the independence of Palau, the last remaining United Nations trust territory, on 1 October 1994.
Specialized Agencies of the United Nations
The specialized agencies are separate, autonomous organizations related to the UN by special agreements. They all report annually to the Economic and Social Council. A good introduction to their activities is:
- Peace By Pieces : United Nations Agencies and Their Roles : a Reader and Selective Bibliography.
- Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow, 1991.
- JX 1995 .P38 1991 - Lehman
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
- The FAO has a mandate to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, to improve agricultural productivity, and to better the condition of rural populations.
- FAO Statistical Databases provide data in a number of areas.
- Talbot, Ross B.
- Historical Dictionary of the International Food Agencies : FAO, WFP, WFC, IFAD.
- Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1994.
- HD 9000.1 .T34 1994 - Lehman
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- The IAEA serves as the world's central inter-governmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the nuclear field.
- Publications include:
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- ICAO Journal
- International Labour Organization (ILO)
- The International Labour Organization is the UN specialized agency which seeks the promotion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights.
- Publications include:
- International Labour Review.
Geneva, International Labour Office, 1921-
Current Periodicals - Business
- World Employment Report. Annual.
Geneva : ILO, 1995-
HD 5701 .W571 - Lehman
2004/2005
- World Labour Report. Annual.
Geneva : ILO, 1984-
HD 4802 .W65 - Business
- Yearbook of Labour Statistics. Annual.
Geneva : ILO, 1936-
HD 4826 .In8 - Business, Lehman (Latest in Reference)
- International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- The International Maritime Organization is the United Nations' specialized agency responsible for improving maritime safety and preventing pollution from ships.
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- The IMF is an international organization of 183 member countries, established to promote international monetary cooperation, exchange stability, and orderly exchange arrangements; to foster economic growth and high levels of employment; and to provide temporary financial assistance to countries to help ease balance of payments adjustment.
- Humphreys, Norman K.
- Historical Dictionary of the International Monetary Fund.
- Lanham, MD : Scarecrow Press, 1999.
- HG 3881 .I58 H86 1999 - Business Reference
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- The main objective of UNESCO is to contribute to peace and security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science, culture and communication.
- UNESBIB
- Searchable catalog of UNESCO documents and publications.
- UNESDOC
- Access to UNESCO full text documents.
- Spaulding, Seth.
- Historical Dictionary of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 1997.
- AS 4 .U83 S69 1997 - Lehman
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
- UNIDO's vision: To improve the living conditions of people and promote global prosperity through offering tailor-made solutions for the sustainable industrial development of developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
- International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics. Annual.
Vienna : UNIDO, 1995-
HC 10 .I673 - Business
- The World Bank Group
- The World Bank Group consists of five closely associated institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD or World Bank), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The World Bank Group is the world's largest source of development assistance.
- Salda, Anne C. M.
- Historical Dictionary of the World Bank.
- Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 1997.
- HG 3881.5 .W57 S25 1997 - Business Reference
- World Health Organization
- The objective of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health, as defined in the WHO Constitution, is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
- Publications include:
- Lee, Kelley.
- Historical Dictionary of the World Health Organization.
- Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 1998.
- RA 8 .L44 1998 - Lehman
Other United Nations Bodies
- Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
- United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
- United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- Corruption & Integrity Improvement Initiatives in Developing Countries
- Human Development Reports
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- Global Environment Outlook
- United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
- United Nations Peacekeeping
- Operations
- Special Reports
The United States and the United Nations
For books which deal with the relationship between the United States and the United Nations, check CLIO under the subject heading: United Nations --United States
- U.S. Department of State: Bureau of International Organization Affairs
- The Bureau of International Organization Affairs develops and implements U.S. policy in the United Nations, the U.N.'s specialized agencies, and other international agencies.
- The Bureau produces several Annual Reports to Congress:
- U.S. General Accounting Office.
- U.N. Peacekeeping: Estimated U.S. Contributions, Fiscal Years 1996-2001
- United States Mission to the U.N.
- Created in 1947 by the United Nations Participation Act, the Mission's purpose is to assist the President and the Department of State in conducting United States policy at the United Nations. An important function of this Mission is to keep the Department of State informed of events at the United Nations. Mission officers report on meetings and make recommendations to the State Department as to what course of action the United States should pursue in the world organization.
- U.S. House. Committee on International Relations
- U.S. Institute of Peace.
- Report of the Task Force on the United Nations: American Interests and UN Reform, June 15, 2005
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