When will the Archives reopen?
We do not currently have a reopening date, but it will not be before 2028. Please continue to check our website for updates.
What reference services are available during the closure?
During our closure, we will prioritize internal requests from UN staff members and delegates from Permanent Missions. If you are an external researcher, we will try to respond to your request if we are able to do so.
Can I make a digitization request during the closure?
Currently, we are not accepting digitization requests. Please check back here for updates if this changes.
What can I find in the UN Archives in New York?
We are the Archives of the UN Secretariat, one of the six Principal Organs of the UN System (you can see the chart of the system here.) Our holdings consist of the records of the past UN Secretaries-General; UN Secretariat departments and offices (mostly of those based in New York); peacekeeping and field missions; some commissions; and a number of predecessor organizations to the UN.
I am looking for records from the last 20 years. Where can I find them?
Typically, archives are closed for 20 years after the documents are created (i.e. a document from 2000 would become available for research in 2020), unless they are classified as strictly confidential. However, the archives of two former Secretaries-General, Kofi Annan (1997-2006) and Ban Ki-Moon (2007-2016) were reviewed at the end of their terms for immediate disclosure. All were digitized, and the vast majority are available via our search engine (using title and full-text search). You can start with the research guides for the former Secretaries-General, or access their archives directly from our online catalogue - archives of Secretary-General Kofi Annan and archives of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
How do I search the online catalogue?
You are welcome to search the online catalogue through our Search Engine. We encourage you to refer to our Help Manual. This Manual describes how the collections at the UN Archives are organized, how to perform searches (including advanced methods), how to discern digitized from nondigitized folders, and how to access digitized folders and finding aids. When searching, please keep in mind that the most granular form of description is at the folder title level unless a folder has been digitized and is text searchable (meaning that the search function will only look at the folder title and the contents of already digitized folders).
What are your policies on copyright and citations?
Unless otherwise noted, there is no restriction on the publication of documents, images and/or quotations from archival material held at the United Nations Archives. This includes publication of thesis, books, websites, films, etc.
Precise citations are extremely important. They give credit to the authors of the work you have consulted and provide a way for others to find the same sources that you have used. Incorrect or incomplete citations are seen by some institutions and publishers as plagiarism.
Researchers wishing to reproduce or publish material found in the UN Archives which is held under copyright by a third party are responsible for requesting permission directly from the copyright holder.
The style of citation depends on the preferences of your discipline, instructor, and/or publisher. Information that must be included in any citation of United Nations archival material is:
- Repository: United Nations Archives (can be further abbreviated to UNA after the first mention)
- Reference number: typically, this will look like "S-0123-0456-78"
- Title: can be the title of the document, the title of the folder, or the caption of the photo
- Date: the date (or date range) of the document or file
- Depending on the citation style of your field, you may need to include the title of the folder, series, and fonds
Where can I find the archives of the General Assembly, Security Council and ECOSOC?
We are the Archives of the UN Secretariat, one of the six Principal Organs of the UN System. We do not have the archives of the General Assembly, Security Council, and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Archival records we do have concerning them come from their interactions with past Secretaries-General and other Secretariat offices. Since the General Assembly, Security Council, and ECOSOC are made up of Member States, their work may be documented in the separate archives of those States and in official UN documents.
The UN Library is the repository for official UN documents published by the General Assembly, Security Council, and ECOSOC. Digitized UN documents can be accessed through the UN Digital Library System.
Please note the UN Library is not open to the public for onsite appointments, however, you can contact them with questions about their holdings - Contact Us | United Nations Library. Before contacting them, we recommend reviewing the Library’s - Research Guides and Ask DAG to learn about the UN and Library resources.
You will also find official UN Documents by using the Official Document System.
I am a former UN Staff member looking for proof of employment or related information.
Former UN Staff members, with questions about your personnel file please send inquiries to dos-hrsd-registry-unit@un.org.
I am looking for someone who was in a Displaced Persons (DP) camp?
We have the records of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), which was in charge of the DP camps prior to the establishment of the International Refugee Organization (IRO), however, most of these records are administrative in nature and have little information about specific Displaced Persons.
The International Refugee Organization (IRO), which was established in 1946 and took over the management of Displaced Persons camps. The IRO archives are at the National Archives of France. You might also be interested in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Archives. UNHCR is the direct descendant of IRO and may be able to provide information. Also, if you haven’t already done so, please refer to the Arolsen Archives, they have many files on Displaced Persons.
Do you have the archives of delegations or diplomats that worked at the UN?
Members of national delegations to the United Nations—including diplomats, ambassadors, and their staff—are not employees of the United Nations Secretariat. They are officials appointed and employed by their respective governments to represent their countries’ interests in UN meetings and negotiations.
Records we do have that concern diplomats and members of delegations come from their interactions with past Secretaries-General and other Secretariat offices. These types of records are often found in the archives of past Secretaries-General under country files.
Information about delegates may sometimes be found in official UN Documents available through the UN Digital Library System.
Where can I find photographs and audiovisual materials?
With some exceptions, most photographs are available through the UN Photo Library and moving images and sound recordings are available through the UN Audiovisual Library.
The Archives has some early photo collections, including the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), United Nations Information Organization (UNIO),United Nations Conference on International Organization (UNCIO), and United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency (UNKRA). All photographs that are available on our website can be found here.
Where are the League of Nations Archives located?
The core collection has been digitized and is available with the UN Archives Geneva through their online catalogue.
