This section focuses specifically on locating U.N. documents using print and online resources available through the Legal Research Center.
A note on document symbols: Document symbols (e.g., U.N. Doc. A/56/PV.1 and U.N. Doc. A/RES/47/1) serve as unique identifiers for individual U.N. documents. Composed of capital letters and numbers, the first letter(s) indicates the main body of the UN (A/ is the General Assembly, E/ is ECOSOC, etc.). Secondary and tertiary symbols after the first slash indicate the sub-body within the main body (e.g. /CN is a commission, /WP is working party, etc.).
Use the U.N. Doc. Symbol to locate your document. If you do not have a U.N. Doc. Symbol, use AccessUN (available on the LRC Databases page) to determine the appropriate identifier (e.g. U.N. Doc. A/56/PV.1).
The Official Records contain verbatim / summary meeting records, Resolutions, and Reports of major organs. A complete set of the Official Records can be found in the U.N. microfiche collection (LRC Lower Level Microforms JZ5010 .R43).
For official documents online try the Official Document System of the United Nations or the United Nations Documentation Centre.
Every international agreement entered into by a Member State of the United Nations must be registered with the U. N. Secretariat in accordance with Article 102 of the U. N. Charter.
The United Nations Treaty Series (U.N.T.S.), and its predecessor the League of Nations Treaty Series, reproduce the text of treaties and international agreements registered or filed and recorded with the Secretariat.
U.N.T.S. - United Nations Treaty Series (1946 - ) Available in print in the LRC Reading Room & Microforms KZ172 .U54 or online through the United Nations Treaty Collection or HeinOnline's United Nations Law Collection.
League of Nations Treaty Series (1920 - 46) Available in print in the LRC Lower Level Microforms KZ170.5 .L43 or online through the United Nations Treaty Collection or HeinOnline's United Nations Law Collection.
Many treaties are also available online through EISIL, the Electronic Information System for International Law.
Press Releases are issued by the Press Section of the U.N. Office of Public Information. Often they are the first pieces of available information about new developments.
For press releases and memoranda online try the UN News Centre or the United Nations Documentation Centre.
The Legal Research Center subscribes to a limited number of U.N. Yearbooks and Periodicals. Records for these publications can be found in SALLY.
Some U.N. Yearbooks and Periodicals can also be found online in the Foreign & Int’l Law Resources Database in HeinOnline.
