Translating for International OrganisationsFocus on the United

Nations

Definition & Significance

• What is an international organisation?• Governance as the objective (no

commercial product)• Foundational multilingualism• NGOs and IGOs• The significance of international

organisations today

Websites of EU & UN

• http://europa.eu

• http://www.un.org

The United Nations

• Foundation

• Purpose

UN Main Bodies

• General Assembly (192 member states)• Security Council• Economic and Social Council• International Court of Justice• Secretariat• Specialized Agencies

UN Languages

• Working languages of Secretariat: English, French

• Official languages for intergovernmental meetings and documents: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese

• Also German Translation Service

Documentation Division

• Part of Department for General Assembly and Conference Management – Translation Service (6 langs)– Editorial, Terrminology and Reference Service– Contractual Translation Unit– German Translation Section

Activities of Documentation Division

(1)• Translates all official UN documents,

meeting records, publications and correspondence

• Prepares summary records of bodies entitled to such records.

• Arranges for contractual translation and text-processing

Activities (2)

• Edits official UN documents, meeting records and publications

• Ensures linguistic concordance among the 6 official languages of resolutions, decisions and other legal instruments

• Issues editorial directives for the UN Secretariat

Activities (3)

• Provides reference and terminology services for authors, drafters, editors, interpreters, translators and verbatim reporters

• Develops terminology databases • Documents:• http://www.un.org/en/documents/

Workloads

• 2002 A/57/289: daily workload standards Documentation Division:– 1,650 words for translation subject to revision– 1,815 words for self-revised translation– 3,960 words for revision

UN Office Geneva

• Languages Services, part of Conference Services Division– One translation section for each of the 6 language and

support sections (reference and terminology; text-processing)

– 160 permanent translators, plus freelancers translate 50 million words per year

– Provides translation for some 50 UN bodies – Employment: competitive exam

Reading

Cao, Deborah and Zingmin Zhao (2008) ‘Translation at United Nations as Specialised Translation’, Journal of Specialised Translation, 9.

Kudryavtsev, Eduard and Louis-Dominique Oedraogo (2003) Implementation of Multilingualism in the United Nations System (JIU/REP/2002/11), Geneva: United Nations.

Task 1

• Go to the UN website: www.un.org• Find out about the functions and size of the main

bodies of the UN: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic & Social Council, International Court of Justice, Secretariat.

• Explore the various functions of the Documentation division and the Meetings and publishing division. They are part of the Department for General Assembly & Conference Management of the UN Secretariat.

Task 2

• Go to the UN site Document Centre. Study meeting records of the Security Council. What topics are discussed? What is the structure of meetings? What are recurring phrases in English and your other language if applicable?