United Nations Research
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Introduction to ECOSOC:
According to the U.N.'s website, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue, and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as for implementation of the internationally agreed development goals." In addition, it also coordinates the work of specialized agencies.
Chapter X, Articles 61-72, of the UN Charter concern ECOSOC. ECOSOC consists of 54 members, 18 of which are elected each year by the General Assembly for a three-year term.
The basic format for the symbols of ECOSOC documents is:
- symbol pattern: E/year/sequential number
- example: E/2014/100
From 1946 to 1977, the symbol pattern was E/sequential number:
- example: E/1046
Secondary Sources about the ECOSOC
The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary by 
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Call Number: Reserve (1st floor) KZ4991 .C48 2012The new edition of this title has been completely revised and features a completely new chapter on UN reform, analyzing the effect of reforms which have already been implemented and examining why other proposals for reform have failed. It will assess how these proposals could be improved, with a particular focus on the Security Council. This new edition also includes coverage of the creation of the Human Rights Council and the impact of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine. This is the authoritative, article-by-article account of the legislative history, interpretation, and practical application of each and every Charter provision. Written by a team of distinguished scholars and practitioners, this book combines academic research with the insights of practice, and is an indispensable work of reference for all those interested in the UN. The Commentary will be crucial in providing new directions for the development of international law and the United Nations in the twenty-first century.
The Law and Practice of the United Nations by - This link opens in a new window
Call Number: KZ4986 .C6613 2010Revised and updated,The Law and Practice of the United Nations provides an analysis of the main legal issues surrounding the United Nations' practice, including a thorough discussion of Chapter VII of the Charter and its interpretation.
An Insider's Guide to the UN by - This link opens in a new window
Publication Date: 2021Thoroughly revised and updated, a new edition of the most popular guide to the United Nations for students and interested readers. Prominent NPR journalist Linda Fasulo's guide to the United Nations has established a reputation as the most lively, authoritative, and insightful book on its subject. Thoroughly revised and updated, with many new interviews of diplomats, experts, and officials, this fourth edition remains indispensable for understanding the UN's role and impact on the world today.
Online Sources for Locating ECOSOC Documents, Resolutions, and Debates
- UN Documentation Research Guide
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Dag Hammarskjöld Library guide to UN document symbols as well as other aspects of UN documentation. - UN Digital Library
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The Digital Library includes UN documents, voting data, speeches, maps, and open access publications. The platform provides access to UN-produced materials in digital format and bibliographic records for print UN documents starting in 1979, though older documents are added daily. System features include linked data between related documentation such as resolutions, meeting records and voting, and refining of searches by UN body, agency or type of document. Available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. (Click here for help using the UN Digital Library.) - Official Document System of the UN (ODS)
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The official repository for documents published by the UN. Full-text, PDF versions of masthead documents are available from 1992 -present. Security Council documents are available from 1946-present. - ECOSOC Website
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Provides access to resolutions and decisions, reports, and other documentation of ECOSOC. - UN Digital Library: ECOSOC Speeches
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Provides access to speeches made before the ECOSOC (from 1965-). Some links to full-text speeches provided. - UN Documentation Research Guide: Economic and Social Council
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Guide to locating documentation on ECOSOC.
Reference Resources for Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms
Print Sources:
- Prince's Bieber Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations by
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Call Number: Ready Reference (1st floor) KF246 .B46 2017Prince’s Bieber Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations covers a range of acronyms, abbreviations, and symbols found in reporters, legal treatises, law reviews, law dictionaries, and selected other documents. 
World Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations by - This link opens in a new window
Call Number: K89 .K38This dictionary is divided into different language and/orcountry sections. It is designed to enable the reader offoreign law and legal literature to ascertain the precisemeaning of abbreviations and acronyms as they appear in thematerial which he or she is studying. In addition, theset has been further expanded with the inclusion ofabbreviations by subject.
Web-based Resources:
- Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
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This database allows you to search for the meaning of abbreviations for English language legal publications, from the British Isles, the Commonwealth and the United States, including those covering international and comparative law. - UN iLibrary List of Acronyms
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A two-page list of UN-related acronyms and what they mean.
