Michigan State University Libraries

International Governmental Organizations (IGOs): Guide by Organization

• Guides to UN Documentation
  
  

  United Nations Documentation: Research Guide [from the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library]

  Fetzer, Mary. United Nations Documents and Publications: A Research Guide. (Int'l Docs 3 West JX1977.8.D6 F47)

  United Nations Documentation: A Brief Guide. (Int'l Docs 3 West, JX1977.8. D6 U56 1981
  

• Indexes and Databases to UN Documents
  
  
• • UNBISnet
    
    UNBISnet is the primary index to United Nations documentation published since 1979, or earlier for selected major documents. It also includes the catalogue of the collections of the Dag Hammarskjold Library. A special area of UNBISnet may be accessed to view detailed voting records of resolutions adopted by the General Assembly (thirty-eighth session, 1983 -) and Security Council (1946 -). Links to the full text of resolutions are provided. Another special file contains speeches for the main United Nations organs, the General Assembly (thirty-eighth session, 1983 -), the Security Council (thirty-eighth year, 1983 -), the Economic and Social Council (1983 -) and the Trusteeship Council (1982 -).
  • AccessUN: Index to United Nations Documents and Publications
    
    Indexes documents and sales publications of the United Nations. This includes publications and records of the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice and Secretariat. Materials since 1993 are largely available online with links in the database. Older materials are available on microfiche in the International Documents Collection, 3 West. Does NOT include documents of the specialized agencies, i.e. UNESCO, FAO, WHO, ILO, etc.)
  • United Nations Documents Index.
    
    JX1977 .A1 U558; included in the UNBISnet database)
    The main print index to the documents and publications of the UN and its subsidiary bodies. Indexing to UN materials has undergone numerous changes over the years:
    
    From 1979-1996, the main index to UN materials was UNDOC: Current Index. For the period 1974 - 1978, the analogous index was UNDEX: United Nations Documents Index. From 1950 - 1973, indexing was provided by the United Nations Documents Index (UNDI). A cumulated index for 1950-1962 is shelved following UNDI. The specialized agencies are indexed in this series only until 1962. There are substantial differences in the coverage of these indexes; be sure to read the explanatory material provided in the volumes.

    Index to Proceedings of the General Assembly JZ5006.I64
    Index to Proceedings of the Security Council JX1977.A5
    Index to the Proceedings of the Trusteeship Council (-1994) ST/LIB/Ser.B/
    Index to the Proceedings of the Economic and Social Council ST/LIB/Ser.B/
    (All in Int'l Docs, 3 West, some years also included in the UNBISnet database) A set of annual indexes to the proceedings of each of the main UN bodies.

• General Sources
  
  
• • Wellens, Karel C., ed. Resolutions and Statements of the United Nations Security Council (1946-2001): A Thematic Guide.
    
    (Int'l Docs 3 West, JZ5006.5.I65 R47 2001)
  • Annual Review of United Nations Affairs.
    
    Reference 1 East, JX1977 .A1 A5 (1949- )
  • United Nations Treaty Collection [On-Campus Access Only]
    
    Includes:
    
    --All multilateral treaties deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations and those formerly deposited with the League of Nations - their latest status and a link to the full texts.
    
    --Bilateral and multilateral treaties registered and published by the United Nations Secretariat in accordance with Article 102 up to a certain date - Detailed treaty references and full texts in all authentic language(s).
    
    --Recently Deposited Multilateral Treaties that have been deposited but not yet published - available for viewing and downloading in some or all of their authentic languages.
  • Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General.
    
    KZ171 .M86 International Documents, 3 West. CD-Rom from 2003-, Gov. Docs CDs, 3 West
    
    Provides a comprehensive list of signatures and ratification dates for all treaties deposited with the Secretary-General. Citations to the United Nations Treaty Series and other official sources are also provided. Most valuable is the inclusion of the texts of various countries' declarations, reservations and objections to sections of the treaties.
  • Summaries of Judgments, Advisory Opinions and Orders of the International Court of Justice 1948-1991.
    
    Int'l Documents, 3 West, JX1991 .A26 1992
    Summarizes, obviously, the Reports of Judgments, Advisory Opinions and Orders (Gov. Docs. KZ214.I 584). The full texts are available in print in International Documents, 3 West. Summaries, press releases and related information is available on the ICJ website.
  • Pleadings, Oral Arguments, Documents [of the International Court of Justice].
    
    Int'l Documents, 3 West
    These are cataloged by case title in the Library catalog, but you can search this series title in the catalog to get a listing of what is available. Most are in the call number range KZ218.2.
  • UN Chronicle.
    
    Int'l Documents, 3 West JX1977.A1 U564. Also available via Proquest.
    The UN's quarterly magazine.

• Selected UNICEF materials are indexed in UNBISnet, UN Documents Index, and AccessUN. Many UNICEF publications are now available online as pdf documents through the UNICEF website.

  UNICEF Executive Board documents can be found in the UN microfiche collection (Int'l docs, 3 West, E/ICEF/year/#).

• Selected UNDP materials are indexed in UNBISnet, UN Documents Index, and AccessUN. Many UNDP reports and documents are available in pdf format at the UNDP website.

  UNDP Executive Board documents can be found in the UN microfiche collection (Int'l Docs, 3 West) (DP/year/#). Selected Executive Board materials are also available online.

  UNDP Project Reports are also available on microfiche. See AccessUNDP.

• AccessUNDP: Readex's Index to United Nations Development Programme Project Reports
  
  Index to the evaluative, technical and terminal reports of projects funded by the United Nations Development Programme and executed through a variety of agencies and organizations. Full texts of most reports are available on microfiche in the International Documents Collection, Basement, Main Library.

• Selected UNEP materials are indexed in UNBISnet, UN Documents Index, and AccessUN. Some UNEP publications are available in pdf format at its website.

  UNEP Governing Council documents can be found in the UN microfiche collection (Int'l Docs. 3W (UNEP/GC.session/#). The Decisions of the Governing Council can also be found on the UNEP website.

• FAO Corporate Document Repository
  
  An enormous database of FAO documents on the Internet. Most of the documents are available in either pdf or html format. Since the database started in 1998, over 6000 documents have been added, allowing users to download valuable agricultural formation from anywhere in the world, free of charge.
• WAICENT
  
  The WAICENT Information Finder permits users to search across the FAO's databases for online documents, citations to print sources, and statistical information.
• FAOSTAT (MSU only)
  
  FAOSTAT is an on-line and multilingual database currently containing over 1 million time-series records covering international statistics in the following areas: Production, Trade, Food Balance Sheets, Food Aid Shipments, Fertilizer and Pesticides, Land Use and Irrigation, Forest Products, Fishery Products, Population, Agricultural Machinery. The service provides extended on-line query and download limits (10,000 records per query) and unlimited access to FTP bulk download files.
• AGRIS
  
  Database produced by the FAO that covers all aspects of agriculture, including forestry, animal husbandry, the aquatic sciences and fisheries, and human nutrition. Information on using AGRIS to locate FAO reports is available.
• Basic Texts of the Food and Agriculture Organization. (Int'l Docs. 3 West S401.F64 2000; also online.)
  Contains the FAO's Constitution, Rules of Procedure and operating agreements.

  Report of the Council of FAO. (Int'l. Docs 3 West. S401.U6 A29) Most Council reports are now available online as well (2003 is most recent); search the WAICENT Information finder to see other years.
  Report of the body which oversees the work of the FAO.

  Report of the Conference of FAO. (Int'l Docs. 3 West S401.U6 A3 ) Most reports are now freely available via online by searching the WAICENT Informaion Finder.
  Report of the policy-making body of the FAO. It meets biennially.

  Index: FAO Conference and Council Decisions 1945-1972 (Int'l. Docs. 3 West, S401.U6 I52). An index covering decisions rendered between November 1977 and October 1996 is available in the FAO microfiche collection (FAO microfiche 373281). 1973

• The IAEA now has its Publications Catalog and many of its publications available online in pdf format. Factsheets provide general information on a wide range of related issues, from food irradiation to managing nuclear waste.

  Agreements Registered with the International Atomic Energy Agency. (Main HD9698.5 I5) See also Treaties, Conventions & Agreements under IAEA Auspices available online.

  IAEA Bulletin. (Main HD9698.5 I52; most recent issues available online.)

• Labordoc is the ILO library's catalog, and contains over 350,000 references to books and journal articles on labor and employment from all over the world. An ever increasing number of these citations now contain links to online publications as well.

  International Labour Documentation. (Main Library HD4811 .I5) Monthly index to new ILO publications, journal articles, reports, and documents.

  Official Bulletin. (Main HD4811 .I57 Ser. A)

  Governing Body materials are available online, going back to 1996.

  Reports of the Director-General. (Main HD7804 .I68; also online back to 1999)

  Record of Proceedings. (Main HD4813 .I465)

  ILOLEX: ILO database containing ILO Conventions and Recommendations, ratification information, comments of the Committee of Experts and the Committee on Freedom of Association, representations, complaints, interpretations, General Surveys, and numerous related documents.

  Legislative Series: General Subject Index 1919-88. (Main HD7809 .I7 Index 1919-88)

  International Labour Conventions and Recommendations, 1919-1991 (Business K1703 .I57 1992; full texts and ratification information are also available online)

  International Labour Review. (HD4811 .I65, 1921-present, also available online)

  World of Work: The Magazine of the ILO. (Older issues in Main HD7801 .W6; also available online)

• Publications Catalog. (Gov. Docs. Ref, 1 East, IMF P976; also available online)

  IMF Survey. (Int'l Docs 3 West HG3881 .I6197; also available online back to 1996)
  Biweekly that reports on the IMF's activities, including all press releases, communiques and major speeches. It is indexed annually.

  Annual Report of the Executive Board. 1978- (Int'l Docs 3 West HG3881 .I634; earlier at IMF A615y; 1996 and later are also online)
  Reviews the activities and policies of the IMF, as well as providing an overview of the world's economy. The overview emphasizes balance of payments, exchange rates, world trade, and developments in the international monetary system. The appendices include press communiques issued by the Interim Committee and the Development Committee and the texts of principal policy decisions made by the Executive Board.

  Summary Proceedings. 1947-(Int'l. Docs 3 West HG3881 .I55)
  A record of the IMF's Annual Meeting including statements relating to the Fund's work, resolutions, reports, recommendations, communiques and other documents relating to the meetings. Some are available on the IMF's website.

• Catalogue of ITU Publications. (Gov. Docs. Ref, 1 East,; also available via the ITU website)

  ITU News. (Main Library HE7601 .T4; latest in Current Periodicals, 2 West; also online back to 1999.)
  
  Report on the Activities of the International Telecommunication Union in . . .. (Int'l Docs. 3 West HE7700 .I474)
  
  Minutes of the Plenipotentiary Conference. (Int'l. Docs. 3 West HE7700 .I4793)

• Hajnal, Peter I. Guide to UNESCO. New York: Oceana, 1983. (Int'l. Docs. 3West, AS4. U83 H33 1983)

  Publications Catalogue. (Gov. Docs. Index/Ref, 1st floor East, UNESCO C357; also online) UNESDOC/UNESBIB, is the UNESCO combined bibliographic database that contains citations to UNESCO publications as well as full text technical reports (1995-present), speeches of the Director-General, resolutions of the General Conference and decisions of the Executive Council (1946-present), and many out-of-print UNESCO publications.

  UNESCO List of Documents and Publications. (Int'l Docs., AS4 .U842)
  The comprehensive listing of UNESCO materials. Issued quarterly, cumulated annually.
  
  Records of the General Conference. (Int'l. Docs. AS4.U8 G28; also in UNESCO microfiche; from 1989-present General Conference materials are available online.)
  The official documents of the main UNESCO policy-making body, the Records consist of resolutions, reports, and the proceedings of meetings.

  Executive Board Documents. (Int'l. Docs. AS4.U8 A34; later sessions in UNESCO microfiche; Executive Board materials are available online back to 1988.
  The documents of this body, responsible for implementing GC programmes, consist of resolutions, decisions, reports, and records of meetings.

  Basic Texts: Manual of the General Conference and the Executive Board. (Int'l. Docs. AS4.U82 G46; also available online)

  Reports of the Director-General. (Int'l. Docs. UNESCO C748rdg; some are also available online by searching UNESDOC/UNESBIB)

• UNIDO at a Glance is available via UNIDO's home page. Also available are press releases and speeches.
  
  Materials from the most recent General Conferences (back to 1997) are available online.
  
  Selected UNIDO Industrial Development Board documents (through 1985s 19th session) can be found in the UN microfiche collection (ID/B/#). Board documents back to 1998 are available online.

  Industrial Development Abstracts "contains over 11,000 fully indexed abstracts of UNIDO documentation and includes descriptions of major studies and reports, reports resulting from UNIDO's technical cooperation activities, reports and proceedings of expert working groups, workshops and seminars, and publications in series. The time frame is from 1981 to today. New entries are added each month."

• Wilson, Carol R. The World Bank Group: A Guide to Information Sources. New York: Garland, 1991. (Int'l Docs 3 West HG3881.5 .W57 W55 1991)
  
  Index of Publications. (Int'l. Docs. HG3881.5.W57 I534; a searchable version of current publications is available online)
  
  Annual Report. (Int'l. Docs. HG3881 .I5; 1996-present are also online.
  
  Summary Proceedings. (Int'l. Docs. HG3881 .I492)
  
  World Bank News. (Int'l Docs 3 West HG3881.W57 W68. 1993-1998. Current news is available online only)
  This weekly publication provides information on recent World Bank loans, policy decisions, and selected new publications.

• The WHO has links to a number of free electronic publications on health and nutrition on its website.
  
  WHOLIS, the World Health Organization Library Information System, is a database of citations to WHO publications, articles, technical and policy documents, and joint publications with other publishers and international organizations. WHOLIS indexes all WHO publications from 1948 onwards and articles from WHO-produced journals and technical documents from 1985. It also provides links to full text that is available online.
  
  Publications Catalogue: New Books. (Main Library Reference Z6660 .W552; also online)
  
  Basic Documents (Main RA8 .A17; also online)
  Contains the Constitution of the WHO, Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies, agreements with other IGOs, Financial and Staff Regulations, Regulations for Expert Advisory Panels and Committees and for Study and Scientific Groups, and the Rules of Procedure of the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board.
  
  Selected Executive Board documents and World Health Assembly documents are available at the WHO website.
  
  Official Records of the World Health Organization. (Main RA8 .A2 1947-1981)
  
  Handbook of Resolutions and Decisions of the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board. (Main RA8 .A175) Searchable full text online back to 1948.
  
  Work of WHO: Annual Report of the Director-General to the World Health Assembly and to the United Nations (Main RA8 .A23 1976-1993)
  
  World Health Report: Report of the Director-General. (Main RA8 .W66 1995-present; also available online back to 1995.)

• A very large amount of information is available on the WIPO website.

  Catalogue of Products(Int'l. Docs. 3 West, K1403 .W67; also online, including links to free electronic publications.)

  World Intellectual Property Organization: General Information. (Int'l. Docs. 3 West, K1401 .W57 1990. Also see "About WIPO".)

  Records of Assemblies of Member States back to 1997 are online. Annual Reports are also online back to 1998.

  First Twenty five Years of the World Intellectual Property Organization, from 1967 to 1992. Geneva: International Bureau of Intellectual Property, 1992. (Gov. Docs. Oversize WIPO W927ipo H673)

  WIPO Magazine (available online back to 1998.)

• The WTO has many of their publications online: the current year's publication catalog is available, along with links to many free electronic versions of their publications.

  WTO Focus. (Int'l. Docs. 3 West HF1371 .W78 1995-2001. Became electronic only in 2001.)
  This newsletter, published 10 times/year, provides an overview of WTO activities and discussions. Preceded by GATT Focus.

  Documents Online contains selected documents distributed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 1994. Has a search engine and browse by topic capability. Includes both WTO documents and Uruguay Round (GATT) documents 1985-1997.

  WTO Annual Report (Int'l Docs. 3 West HF1371 .A56 1996-present) Also available online back to 1998.

  International Trade Statistics (Int'l Docs 3 West HF1371 .I584, CD Rom for each year in Gov. Docs CDs)
  The online version goes back to 1998 and also has a statistical database for the most current information available. Annual report that focusses on trends within the framework of multilateral trade.

  Trading into the Future: WTO, the World Trade Organization. (Int'l Docs HF1371.W683 1995); Understanding the WTO is the updated online version.