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Questions

What is the difference between membership and participation in the UN?
Last Updated: Oct 28, 2025 |
Subjects
- Member States
- Permanent Observers
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Views: 5459
Who represents Member States in the UN?
Last Updated: Oct 28, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 13784
What datasets are available from the UN Digital Library?
Last Updated: Oct 28, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 18
When has the General Assembly held meetings away from UN Headquarters?
Last Updated: Oct 27, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 78
When has the Security Council met outside of New York?
Last Updated: Oct 27, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 68
Where can I find information about the UN Staff Regulations and Rules?
Last Updated: Oct 27, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 6
Where can I find information about Security Council representatives?
Last Updated: Oct 27, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 6
Where can I find current or past editions of the Permanent Missions Blue Book?
Last Updated: Oct 27, 2025 |
Subjects
- Member States
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Views: 9150
How is the Secretary-General of the United Nations appointed?
Last Updated: Oct 23, 2025 |
Subjects
- Appointments
- Secretary-General
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Views: 33405
How are UN Member States seated in the General Assembly?
Last Updated: Oct 16, 2025 |
Subjects
- General Assembly
- Member States
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Views: 41568

Who are the current members of the UN?
Last Updated: Dec 12, 2024 |
Subjects
- General Assembly
- Member States
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Views: 194416
What are the opening dates of forthcoming regular sessions of the UN General Assembly and of the General Debate?
Last Updated: Aug 22, 2025 |
Subjects
- General Assembly
- General Debate
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Views: 146421
What is the longest speech given at the United Nations?
Last Updated: Apr 22, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 117643
Are UN resolutions binding?
Last Updated: Aug 27, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 111281
How many African countries are members of the United Nations?
Last Updated: Feb 18, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 87691
What is the Uniting for peace resolution?
Last Updated: Sep 26, 2025 |
Subjects
- General Assembly
- Security Council
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Views: 84500
What is the difference between a resolution and a decision?
Last Updated: Nov 14, 2024 |
Subjects
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Views: 49274
How are UN Member States seated in the General Assembly?
Last Updated: Oct 16, 2025 |
Subjects
- General Assembly
- Member States
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Views: 41568
What does it mean when a decision is taken “by consensus”?
Last Updated: Sep 03, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 39747
How do organizations and non-member states get observer status in the General Assembly?
Last Updated: Sep 11, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 27169
Where can I find the co-sponsors of draft resolutions or decisions?
Last Updated: May 21, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 23940
Who is the first speaker in the annual general debate of the General Assembly?
Last Updated: Dec 05, 2023 |
Subjects
- General Assembly
- General Debate
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Views: 19603
Who are the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly?
Last Updated: May 06, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 18223
Can the public attend and observe the UN General Assembly general debates?
Last Updated: Aug 22, 2025 |
Subjects
- General Assembly
- General Debate
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Views: 17871
How are judges of the International Court of Justice elected?
Last Updated: Feb 05, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 17558

Are UN resolutions binding?
Last Updated: Aug 27, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 111281
What is the Uniting for peace resolution?
Last Updated: Sep 26, 2025 |
Subjects
- General Assembly
- Security Council
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Views: 84500
What is the International Criminal Court (ICC) and what is its relationship with the UN?
Last Updated: Feb 18, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 80938
What does it mean when a decision is taken “by consensus”?
Last Updated: Sep 03, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 39747
Where can I find the co-sponsors of draft resolutions or decisions?
Last Updated: May 21, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 23940
Where can I find the names of the countries that have never been elected non-permanent members of the Security Council?
Last Updated: Oct 25, 2024 |
Subjects
- Member States
- Security Council
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Views: 21610
How are judges of the International Court of Justice elected?
Last Updated: Feb 05, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 17558
Where can I find a list of vetoes? How does the Security Council vote on draft resolutions?
Last Updated: Apr 22, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 9818
Where can I find a chart of the UN System?
Last Updated: Sep 03, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 9405
How are countries elected to membership in UN bodies?
Last Updated: May 30, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 5398
What is the Index to Proceedings?
Last Updated: Jul 18, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 3447
How are members of the Security Council elected? How are non-permanent members of the Security Council selected? Why are there permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council?
Last Updated: Jul 22, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 2831
Where can I find the letters of 24 December 1991 regarding the continuation of the membership of the USSR by the Russian Federation?
Last Updated: May 08, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 1918
Where can I find speeches made during General Assembly, Security Council, and Economic and Social Council meetings?
Last Updated: Feb 12, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 557
How can I research the topic of UN Security Council reform?
Last Updated: May 13, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 496

How do I file a human rights violation complaint with the United Nations?
Last Updated: Oct 30, 2024 |
Subjects
- Human rights
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Views: 171602
What is the UN doing to combat racism and racial discrimination?
Last Updated: Mar 17, 2025 |
Subjects
- Human rights
- International law
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Views: 19903
Where can I find UN information on the “Cylinder of Cyrus” a.k.a. "Edict of Cyrus"?
Last Updated: Oct 21, 2024 |
Subjects
- Human rights
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Views: 10237
Where can I find this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt at the UN?
Last Updated: Apr 22, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 5813
What countries have been members of the Human Rights Council?
Last Updated: Sep 03, 2025 |
Subjects
- Human rights
- Member States
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Views: 5433
Where can I find a procedural history of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women?
Last Updated: Dec 04, 2024 |
Subjects
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Views: 3622
Where can I find UN documents related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) issues at the United Nations?
Last Updated: Jun 12, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 2495
How can I find how a country has voted in the Human Rights Council?
Last Updated: Nov 08, 2024 |
Subjects
- Human rights
- Voting records
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Views: 2427
What is the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and how was it established?
Last Updated: Nov 07, 2024 |
Subjects
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Views: 1865
Where can I find information about the Human Rights Council?
Last Updated: Jan 22, 2025 |
Subjects
- General Assembly
- Human rights
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Views: 1175

How can I access the Library's online subscriptions?
Last Updated: Sep 19, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 17383
How can I access the New York Times online?
Last Updated: Oct 06, 2025 |
Subjects
- Electronic resources
- Using the Library
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Views: 17209
How do I start research on UN topics?
Last Updated: Dec 06, 2024 |
Subjects
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Views: 8443
What is the United Nations System Electronic Information Acquisitions Consortium (UNSEIAC)?
Last Updated: Sep 03, 2025 |
Subjects
- Electronic resources
- Using the Library
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Views: 5969
Who may use the Dag Hammarskjöld Library?
Last Updated: Jul 24, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 5883
How can I access the Economist or the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) online?
Last Updated: Sep 10, 2025 |
Subjects
- Electronic resources
- Using the Library
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Views: 2723
Does the Library scan or digitize UN documents?
Last Updated: Mar 20, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 1909
What is a Factiva Reader ID?
Last Updated: Sep 10, 2025 |
Subjects
- Electronic resources
- Using the Library
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Views: 1575
Have a symbol?
Last Updated: Feb 05, 2025 |
Subjects
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Views: 341

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Disclaimer: answers are prepared by library staff using resources available at the time of writing. This site may include links and references to third-party databases, websites, books and articles, this does not imply endorsement by the United Nations.