Each UN document has a unique symbol at the top corner of the document, on the front or back cover, or on a title page.
All language versions of a document have the same symbol.
image of UN document showing the symbol in the right corner
Symbols include both letters and numbers. Some elements of the symbol have meaning, while other elements do not.
In general, the symbol does not indicate the topic of the document.
The first component indicates the organ to which the document is submitted or the organ that is issuing the document.
Some bodies have a special series symbol that does not reflect the parent organ. For example:
United Nations Environment Programme
Secondary and tertiary components indicate subsidiary bodies:
Special components reflect the nature of the document:
Working papers
The final component reflects modifications to the original text:
Meeting of the principal organs sometimes may be suspended and resumed, sometimes a separate document is issued for the resumed meeting with the symbol element:
Many document symbols include sessional or year components following the body elements.
In 1976 the General Assembly began the practice of including the session information in all document symbols.
Before 1976, this information was not included in most document symbols. Session information appeared in Roman numerals in parentheses after the symbol for resolutions only. After 1976, other organs adopted similar practices.
Subsidiary bodies generally follow the practice of the parent organ.
A more exhaustive list of symbols can be found in ST/LIB/SER.B/5/Rev.5, United Nations Document Series Symbols, 1946-1996.
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