Six Principal organs:
Directory of UN System Organizations
Background sources on the United Nations:
UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library Research Guides
UN Handbook: An Annual Guide for those Working With and Within the United Nations. Produced by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
CRS and Law Library of Congress Reports:
Books and Treatises:
United Nations Law, Politics, and Practice by
The main purpose of this book is to provide readers with sufficient information on the UN's evolution, institutional structure, functioning, and activities in order to enable them to form their own views about the strengths, weaknesses, successes, and failures of the UN. This book examines how the organization strives to achieve its primary goal "to maintain international peace and security" and its secondary goal "to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights; to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained; and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom."
The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations by
An authoritative, one-volume treatment of sixty years of history of the United Nations written by distinguished scholars, analysts, and practitioners. Citations and suggested readings contain a wealth of primary and secondary references to the history, politics, and law of the worldorganization. Between two covers, there is a clear and penetrating examination of the UN's development since 1945 and the challenges that it faces in the twenty-first century. This key reference work also contains appendices of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and theStature of the International Court of Justice.This volume is intended to shape the discipline of UN studies, and to establish itself as the essential point of reference for all those working on, in, or around the world organization. It is substantial in scope, containing contributions from over 40 leading scholars and practitioners - writingsometimes controversially, but always authoritatively - on the key topics and debates that define the institution.
A Concise Encyclopedia of the United Nations by
How can we approach the complex United Nations system, a family of principal organs, subsidiary organs and specialized agencies? Where do we get summarizing information on the large number of reform concepts developed and implemented since the late 1990s, in particular in connection with the UN World Summit 2005? The present book provides orientation and information: It is the second updated English edition of the German Lexikon der Vereinten Nationen". The book provides in addition to concise and comprehensive information on the UN system insight into recent UN developments and reform efforts in the face of global opportunities and challenges, such as the Millennium Summit 2000 and World Summit 2005, and the establishment of important new UN organs, the Human Rights Council and the Peacebuilding Commission, in 2006.The contributing authors are academic scholars of international law, economics and political sciences; active and former diplomats and UN officials; journalists and members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and offer a variety of interesting perspectives.The entries are provided with bibliographies and with Internet addresses for further information and are supplemented in the annex by an informative text on the UN document numbering system and by a list of information facilities concerning the UN.
UN Reform: 75 Years of Challenge and Change by
Over three-quarters of a century, the UN has been impacted by major changes in the balance of powers among its member states. This unique and insightful book offers detailed commentary on its historic effectiveness and reviews the capacity of the UN to reform and adapt to global challenges. This book constitutes a judgement on the overwhelming importance as well as the vulnerability of multilateralism at a time when the UN has never been more indispensable This book describes: How autocracy in the US, China and Russia constrains the UN Why North-South politics has been a constant feature of intergovernmental debate How the UN development system became an extended patronage system What the UN learnt from its peacekeeping failures, and how it continues to adapt Four areas of needed and feasible reform to restore UN credibility.
UN Documents include:
Bluebook Rule 21.7 covers UN sources, including 21.7.4 on citing to Masthead Documents
UN Library Research Guide on UN Document Symbols
Finding UN Documents:
UN Digital Library: Search all UN documents, votes, speeches, and publications. Search by resource type or UN body. Use advanced search for date, phrase, fields; filter options include relevance, year, title, document symbol.
ODS (Official Document System): Documents of the primary UN bodies. Search by document symbol, title words, date, or full-text.
In the UN Digital Library, ODS, or a Google search, you can use document symbols to search, such as
General Assembly:
Economic and Social Council Documents
Human Rights Council Documents and Resolutions
Member States on the Record: Debate statements and speeches made by member states
Find other documents and resolutions on the UN agency website that works in your subject area.
The UN Security Council has "the primary responsibility for international peace and security." Under Article 25 of the UN Charter, member states agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council.
There are 15 member states, including 5 permanent members. Find current and previous members of the Security Council on the Security Council website.
Finding resolutions, decisions, and information on the Security Council:
Tables of Resolutions by year, with subject headings
Published volumes of resolutions
Security Council Repertoire of Practice: An analytical study of decisions and resolutions of the Security Council by Charter topics and articles
Security Council Report: An independent publication on the work of the Security Council, with monthly forecasts, reports by country and region, reports by issue and theme, and chronologies and key UN documents.
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