UPDATE: Researching the United Nations: Finding the Organization's Internal Resource Trails
By Linda Tashbook
Linda Tashbook is the Foreign International Comparative Law Librarian at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Law's Barco Law Library, a Fulbright Senior Specialist, and an attorney in private practice.  Prior to becoming the foreign and international librarian, she was the Barco Law Library's Electronic Services Librarian.  Before law school, she worked as a public librarian. Her Juris Doctor and Master of Library Science degrees are from the University of Pittsburgh.  Her Bachelor of Science degree is from Texas Woman's University.
Published June/July 2013(Previously Updated in October 2012)
See the Archive Version!
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Standard Queries
3. Types of Research Tools
3.1 Persons Involved with the U.N.
3.2 Issues that the U.N. Works On
3.3 Works of a Particular U.N. Entity
4. Handbooks, Toolkits, and Other Instructional Sources from U.N. Entities
5. Researching Treaties Deposited with the U.N.
6. Glossaries for U.N. Functions
7. Finding Official Operating Documents of U.N. Entities
8. Topical Research Guides and Resource Collections
9. Guides to U.N. Research from Non-U.N. Entities
10. U.N. Entities’ Compilations of National Laws
11. Databases from Throughout the U.N. System
12. Directories of U.N. Staff and Components 

1. Introduction

The United Nations is such a massive organization that its wide array of processes and products require enough reference sources to warrant a map and compass for navigation. As a map, here are suggested search techniques for several standard types of queries and, as a compass, here are the U.N.'s many diverse search tools organized into resource types.

2. Standard Queries


3. Types of Research Tools


For more information about the search tools and primary sources that are published by the U.N., one can use research guides by non-U.N. entities. 

3.1 Persons Involved with the U.N.


3.2 Issues that the U.N. Works On

  • Use the document research guides for each of the U.N.'s broad categories of UN work:
        General Assembly Resources  
        Security Council Resources 
        Economic & Social Development Reports & Databases
        Human Rights Documents Research Guide 
        International Law Documents Research Guide
        Peacekeeping Documents Research Guide

3.3 Works of a Particular U.N. Entity

  • Look in UNBISnet using the name of the committee, office, organization, council, etc, as a keyword phrase. Using the committee's name, as author does not usually yield thorough results in this particular database.
  • Browse through the alphabetical list of U.N. organizations. The committees are usually components of the organizations in this list. Therefore, you will have to navigate.
  • Use the index to the U.N. Website  to search for the committee by name or else by the main areas of its work.
  • Search the U.N. Official Documents System database and use words from the committee name as search terms.

4. Handbooks, Toolkits, and Other Instructional Sources from U.N. Entities


5. Researching Treaties Deposited with the U.N.

  • Search in the U.N. Treaty Collection, which "contains the texts of over 50,000 bilateral and multilateral treaties and subsequent treaty actions in their authentic language(s), along with a translation into English and French, as appropriate."
  • Find treaty signatories, ratifications, and accessions in the Status of Treaties tool.
  • Find very recent treaties and related writings by browsing through “this month’s documents.”
  • Read the decisions of the International Court of Justice interpreting the treaty that interests you.
  • The International Law Commission has drafts of related conventions and helpful explanations about the work of codifying international law.
  • The U.N. Office of Legal Affairs provides technical assistance and general information about treaties: stages in the treaty-making process, instructions for joining into an agreement and registering it, a treaty reference guide, and U.N. requirements and practices for treaty making.
  • Search for press releases about the treaty. 
  • Check the UN Journal daily news about treaties.

6. Glossaries for U.N. Functions

 



7. Finding Official-Operating Documents of U.N. Entities:


8. Topical Research Guides & Resource Collections

This list is only intended to contain true finding aides that point to assorted information sources in a subject area.  The Dag Hammarskjold Library has a comprehensive alphabetical list of UN entity research and reference materials here. An alternative way to find subject-based resources is to click on the 'Publications' link on the home page of any U.N. body or organization.

General Matters:
  • International Law - reports about and text of the U.N.'s instruments of international law, such as the Vienna Convention on Treaties, obligations to extradite, diplomatic immunities, etc.
  • International Law – from the UN Office in Geneva
  • UN Statistical Research—from the UN Office in Geneva
  • U.N. Public Information - answers to the most commonly asked questions about U.N. programs and services for schools and public visitors.  
Business:
  • Intellectual Property - Digital library of patents, trademarks, etc. (WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization).
  • Labor & Employment- conventions, journals, statistics, studies, etc (ILO International Labor Organization).
  • Labor Databases - child labor, trade union complaints, comparative national laws, Triblex case law, etc (ILO).
  • Investment Disputes  - reports, treaties, cases, and bibliographic references (World Bank).
  • Financial Management - research about investments, banking, currency control, and other fiscal matters (IMF International Monetary Fund).
  • World Trade - digital library of primary and analytical sources (UNCTAD Conference on Trade and Development).

Development:
  • Refugee Law and Protection Policy  - The UNCHR's policy papers and expert meeting proceedings.
  • Food & Agriculture - descriptive alphabetical listing of more than fifty databases about planting, growing, and producing food (From FAO the Food and Agriculture Organization).
  • Economics & Development - research, prospects, and data about education, business, and sociology in individual countries and regions from the World Bank.
  • World Bank Documents & Reports - topical listing includes social & economic issues.
  • Social Development - the vast resources of the UN Research Institute for Social Development.
  • Rural Poverty Knowledgebase - introductory explanations of major poverty issues with links to documents, reports, examples, and more (International Fund for Agricultural Development).

Health:
  • Health Research - WHO statistics and other research publications.
  • Nutrition - country studies, policy papers, news from SCN (the Standing Committee on Nutrition).  
  • Illegal Drugs - trends, country reports, criminal law enforcement data and analysis from UNODC (Office of Drugs and Crime).
People:
  • Women- Women Watch guide to resources on gender equality and empowerment.
  • Children- studies, statistics, and numerous databases about child welfare from UNICEF (the UN Children's Emergency Fund).
  • Population- data reports about population characteristics and behaviors. 

Safety and Security
  • Disarmament – resource guides pointing to books and chapters, articles, databases, UN documents, UN offices, etc…
  • Drugs & Crime- data and analysis
  •  
Science:
  • Climate- national reports, primary documents, "issues quick-finder," technology from UNFCCC (Framework Convention on Climate Change).  
  • Nuclear Science - access to databases, statistics, and information services from IAEA (International Atomic Energy Association).
  • Maritime issues   - resources about shipping, marine safety, piracy, ocean pollution, etc… from the IMO (International Maritime Organization).
  • Flight Safety - national regulations, safety management data, airworthiness information, etc. (International Civil Aviation Organization). 

9. Guides to U.N. Research from Non-U.N. Entities   This list has a small sample of the many UN research guides online:


10. U.N. Entities’ Compilations of National Laws

  • FAOLEX, from the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, links to national agricultural laws.
  • NATLEX, from the International Labor Organization, collects national labor and employment laws.
  • ECOLEX has environmental laws.
  • UNESCO collects national copyright laws.
  • UNESCO also compiles national laws about cultural heritage.
  • WIPO links to patent, trademark, design, and copyright laws.
  • The WTO has summaries of countries' trade policies. 
  • The Security Council compiles national laws about weapons of mass destruction (WMD). 
  • AMLID is the Anti-Money Laundering International Database from UNODC
  • The Division of Ocean Affairs & Law of the Sea collects national maritime laws.
  • UNCHR’s Refworld links to national laws about immigration and asylum.

11. Databases From Throughout the U.N. System

  • UNBISnet - The U.N. Bibliographic Information System serves as a portal as well as the catalog of all U.N. publications and other holdings in the U.N. library. All Web versions of U.N. publications can be accessed from this site.
  • UN-I-QUE - (U.N. Info Quest) searchable index database of regularly published reports. Search results show proper titles, publication dates, U.N. classification numbers and, occasionally, hyperlinks for documents. 
  • UN Statistical Division
  • ODS Official Document System- reports and publications from headquarters and major divisions.
  • Index to Speeches (Library)
  • Press Releases (public information)
  • NGO Database -detailed profiles of NGO’s including funding sources, consultative status, and records of meeting participation. (search box is at the top right corner of the screen)

11.1  Case Databases


12. Directories of U.N. Staff and Components

These directories primarily list national representatives who participate in the named entities. Where possible, staff directories are also linked. Generic "contact us" links are purposely omitted because those are not informational in themselves and they can already be efficiently located. 

UN Libraries:

Units subsidiary to the General Assembly:
  
  • Units under the Security Council:

Units under the Economic and Social Council: (This list only includes the units that have online directories).

International Court of Justice
  • Members of the court (chambers and committees).