United Nations - UN

Translation servicesOrganisational structure

Resources

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 the United Nations Secretariat, Department for General Assembly and Conference Management – Translation Service (6 langs)– Editorial, Terrminology and Reference Service– Contractual Translation Unit– German Translation Service

Activities of Document 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

Workloads

• 2002 A/57/289: self-assessment and report on Documentation Division:– 1,650 words for translation to be

revised– 1,815 words for self-revised translation– 3,960 words for revision

Employment: translator/precis writer

Competition: written exam1. Translation of general text in one SL (2.5 hrs,

eliminatory)2. Translation of text chosen from 4 texts in other

SL (1.5 hrs)3. Summary (1 hr)4. Translation of text chosen from four specialised

texts (economic, legal, social and political) (1.5 hrs)

• No dictionaries, no computers

Employment: verbatim reporter

• Competition: written exam1. Translation (2hrs, eliminatory)2. Translation of text in another SL

(1.5 hrs)3. Editing of text (1.5 hrs)• No dictionaries, no computers

Employment: proofreader

• Competition: exam1. Proofreading2. Desktop publishing3. Knowledge of printing4. Language aptitude

UN Office Geneva

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

languages and support sections (reference and terminology; text-processing)

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

– Provides translation for 50 bodies at UNOG

UNOG recruitment

• Exam details and sample texts

UN organisations and useful documentation

sites• Chart of UN organisations• UN System of Organisations website index• Official Document System (ODS)

– UN documentation database– searchable

• Document Centre• UN System libraries• UNTerm termbase

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:http://www.un.org/Depts/DGACM/functions.html

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?

Task 3

Examine speeches of the Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, in English and in your other language if applicable.

(www.un.org/sg/)Study the structure, and recurring phrases in the speeches.