Editorial Manual
Abbreviations
General guidelines
Exceptions
Short titles
Dates, time, academic degrees, titles, etc.
Weights and measures
Parts of a book or document
Principal officially recognized abbreviations
General guidelines
Abbreviations, including acronyms (e.g. UNESCO), should be used sparingly. In certain formal contexts, such as General Assembly resolutions, they should not be used at all.
When they are used, abbreviations should always be explained. The name or title should be written out in full the first time it occurs in the main body of a document, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Thereafter, the abbreviation may be used in footnotes, figures, tables and boxes. If an abbreviation first appears in a footnote, figure, table or box, it should be written out in full again the first time it is used in the main body of the document.
Alternatively, if a document contains numerous abbreviations, a list may be included after the table of contents or at the end of the document if there is no table of contents. A list of abbreviations applies to the main document and to any annexes or attachments to it.
In United Nations publications, a list of abbreviations, if required, is normally included in the explanatory notes.
Abbreviations are not used for names or titles that occur only once or twice in a text. When the entity referred to is better known by the abbreviation (e.g. Habitat III, UN-Habitat and UN-Women), it may however be preferable to include the abbreviation even if the name occurs only once.
The most common units of weight and measure, such as cm2, kg and km, need not be written out.
Abbreviations are not used in document titles or headings.
"United Nations" should not be abbreviated in English. The form "ONU" is acceptable in French.
In United Nations style, abbreviations are written without full stops: UNDP, not U.N.D.P.
Abbreviations must not be used with the definite article: the members of UNESCO, the programmes of WHO, except when they are used adjectivally: the IMF report, the NGO coalition.
Abbreviations should not be used in the possessive form: the Commander of UNMIL or the UNMIL Commander, not UNMIL's Commander.
Forms of address such as ¡°H.E.¡± or ¡°His Excellency¡± and ¡°H.R.H¡± or ¡°Her Royal Highness¡± should not be used in United Nations documents. The title ¡°Dr.¡± may be used for doctors of medicine acting in a medical capacity.
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Abbreviations should not be used for the following (although short titles may be used where appropriate): |
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- Principal organs and major offices of the United Nations:
- General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council
- United Nations Office at Geneva/Vienna/Nairobi
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- Titles of senior officials:
- Secretary-General, Under-Secretary-General, Special Representative of the Secretary-General
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- Offices, departments, divisions, sections etc. of the Secretariat (the abbreviations listed in the telephone directory are not used in formal documents, but they may be used where space is limited, e.g. in tables)
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- Most commissions and committees, boards, panels and the like
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- Conventions, treaties, plans/programmes of action
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- Non-technical terms and concepts in widespread use, such as "the rule of law", "human rights", "human resources" and "sustainable development"
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- Funds, programmes and the like that are not established as organizations
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- General Service (Principal level, Other level, Local level)
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- The International Criminal Court (to avoid confusion with organizations such as the International Chamber of Commerce)
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- The African Union, the European Union
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- The International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and other courts and tribunals
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- Military or police forces
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- Military terms, such as:
- ASZ (air safety zone), GSZ (ground safety zone)
- EAF (Entity Armed Forces), JSF (Joint Security Forces)
- COMKFOR (Commander of KFOR or KFOR Commander)
- DDR (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration) and variations thereon
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- Obscure titles or names mentioned only once or twice in a document.
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Exceptions
Exceptions to the general rules set out above include the following:
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
(both to be used in reference to the Office only, not the High Commissioner)
United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS)
United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB)
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Short titles
A short title may be used to replace a name or title that occurs many times in a document, provided that the full name is used the first time it occurs and that there is no risk of ambiguity: the Assembly, the Council, the Committee, the United Kingdom, the United States.
The names of some Member States may also be shortened in tables (for additional information see Format/Tables).
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Dates, time, academic degrees, titles, etc.
Dates |
B.C. (before Christ)
B.C.E. (before the Common Era)
A.D. (anno Domini)
A.H. (anno Hegirae)
Note: A.D. and A.H. precede the year. |
Time |
a.m. (ante meridiem)
p.m. (post meridiem) |
Titles |
KG (Knight of the Order of the Garter)
QC (Queen's Counsel)
KC (King's Counsel) |
Degrees |
BA (Bachelor of Arts)
BS, BSc (Bachelor of Science)
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
LLD (Doctor of Laws) |
Other |
c.i.f. (cost, insurance, freight)
f.o.b. (free on board) |
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Weights and measures
Length |
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Area |
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mm
cm
m
km |
millimetre
centimetre
metre
kilometre |
cm?
m?
km?
ha |
square centimetre
square metre
square kilometre
hectare |
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Volume |
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Weight |
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cm?
m? |
cubic centimetre
cubic metre |
mg
g
kg
oz
lb
cwt |
milligram
gram
kilogram
ounce
pound
hundredweight |
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Capacity |
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Electricity |
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ml
cl
pt
qt
gal
bbl
bpd |
millilitre
centilitre
pint
quart
gallon
barrels
barrels per day |
A
kA
V
kV
kVA
MVA
W
kW
MW
GW
Hz
kHz
MHz |
ampere
kiloampere
volt
kilovolt
kilovolt-ampere
megavolt-ampere
watt
kilowatt
megawatt
gigawatt
hertz
kilohertz
megahertz |
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Energy |
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Velocity |
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Btu
kWh
MWh
GWh
TWh
hp
cal
kcal
J
MJ
EJ
K
N
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British thermal unit
kilowatt-hour
megawatt-hour
gigawatt-hour
terawatt-hour
horsepower
calorie
kilocalorie
joule
megajoules
exajoules
Kelvin
Newton
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mph
m/s
rpm |
miles per hour
metres per second
revolutions per minute |
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Data |
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B
KB
MB
GB
TB
PB |
byte
kilobyte
megabyte
gigabyte
terabyte
petabyte |
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Note: an upper-case B stands for byte, while a lower-case b stands for bit (1/8 of a byte). |
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Parts of a book or document
The following abbreviations may be used in footnotes and other references (see also Footnotes and other references, chap. II).
article, articles |
art., arts. |
but Article of the Charter of the United Nations (never abbreviated) |
chapter, chapters |
chap., chaps. |
number, numbers |
No., Nos. |
page, pages |
p., pp. |
paragraph, paragraphs |
para., paras. |
section, sections |
sect., sects. |
volume, volumes |
vol., vols. |
The following should never be abbreviated:
annex
Article (of the Charter of the United Nations)
document
figure
part
preamble
resolution
supplement
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Principal officially recognized abbreviations
The list that follows, which is not exhaustive, contains the principal officially recognized abbreviations used in United Nations documents in English, including the currently active or recently terminated peacekeeping missions. The abbreviations for other terminated missions may be found in .
Caveat: UNTERM entries contain numerous abbreviations which are not used in formal documents. The fact that an abbreviation appears in UNTERM does not constitute official editorial sanction for its use.
Note: It may sometimes be expedient to use abbreviations not included in this list. Such abbreviations should be used sparingly, however, and not for names or titles that occur infrequently in a text.
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
ADB |
Asian Development Bank |
AfDB |
African Development Bank |
AFISMA |
African-led International Support Mission in Mali [replaced by MINUSMA] |
a.i. |
ad interim; not usually written out |
AIDS |
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; not usually written out |
AMIB |
African Mission in Burundi |
AMIS |
African Union Mission in the Sudan |
AMISOM |
African Union Mission in Somalia [replaced by ATMIS] |
APEC |
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation |
ASEAN |
Association of Southeast Asian Nations |
ATMIS |
African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [replaced by AUSSOM] |
AUSSOM |
African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
BCG |
bacillus Calmette-Gu¨¦rin [tuberculosis vaccine]; never written out |
BINUB |
United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi [replaced by BNUB] |
BINUCA |
United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic |
BINUH |
United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti |
BNUB |
United Nations Office in Burundi |
BONUCA |
United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in the Central African Republic [replaced by BINUCA] |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
CARICOM |
Caribbean Community |
CCISUA |
Coordinating Committee for International Staff Unions and Associations of the United Nations System |
CEB |
United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination |
CELAC |
Community of Latin American and Caribbean States |
CELADE |
Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Centre [Centro Latinoamericano y Caribe?o de Demograf¨ªa] |
CEMAC |
Central African Economic and Monetary Community [Communaut¨¦ ¨¦conomique et mon¨¦taire de l¡¯Afrique centrale] |
CEN-SAD |
Community of Sahelo-Saharan States |
CEPGL |
Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries [Communaut¨¦ ¨¦conomique des pays des Grands Lacs] |
CFA |
Communaut¨¦ financi¨¨re africaine; not usually written out: CFA franc (CFAF) |
CFC(s) |
chlorofluorocarbon(s) |
CILSS |
Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel [Comit¨¦ permanent inter-?tats de lutte contre la s¨¦cheresse dans le Sahel] |
CIS |
Commonwealth of Independent States |
CNDD-FDD |
Conseil national pour la d¨¦fense de la d¨¦mocratie-Forces pour la d¨¦fense de la d¨¦mocratie [Burundi] |
COMESA |
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa |
COVID-19 |
coronavirus disease |
CPI |
consumer price index |
CSTO |
Collective Security Treaty Organization |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
DDT |
dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane; never written out
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DNA |
deoxyribonucleic acid; never written out |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
EBRD |
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
ECA |
Economic Commission for Africa |
ECCAS |
Economic Community of Central African States |
ECE |
Economic Commission for Europe |
ECLAC |
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean |
ECOMOG |
Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group |
ECOWAS |
Economic Community of West African States |
EEZ |
exclusive economic zone |
EFTA |
European Free Trade Association |
ESCAP |
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific |
ESCWA |
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
EUFOR |
European Union military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Europol |
European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation |
Eurostat |
European Union statistical office; never written out |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
FANCI |
Forces arm¨¦es nationales de C?te d'Ivoire |
FAO |
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |
FDI |
foreign direct investment |
FICSA |
Federation of International Civil Servants¡¯ Associations |
FNL |
Forces nationales de lib¨¦ration [Burundi] |
Frente POLISARIO |
Frente Popular para la Liberaci¨®n de Sagu¨ªa el-Hamra y de R¨ªo de Oro [Western Sahara] |
ftp |
file transfer protocol; not usually written out |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
GDP |
gross domestic product |
GEF |
Global Environment Facility |
GIF |
graphic interchange format, not usually written out |
GIS |
geographic information system |
GNP |
gross national product |
GNSS |
global navigation satellite system |
GSP |
Generalized System of Preferences |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
Habitat I and Habitat II |
United Nations Conference on Human Settlements |
Habitat III |
United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development |
HCFC(s) |
hydrochlorofluorocarbon(s) |
HIV |
human immunodeficiency virus; not usually written out |
http |
hypertext transfer protocol; not usually written out |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
IAEA |
International Atomic Energy Agency |
IBRD |
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
ICAO |
International Civil Aviation Organization |
ICFTU |
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions |
ICRC |
International Committee of the Red Cross |
ICSC |
International Civil Service Commission |
ICSU |
International Council for Science [formerly International Council of Scientific Unions] |
ICT |
information and communications technology |
IDA |
International Development Association |
IDB |
Inter-American Development Bank |
IsDB |
Islamic Development Bank |
IFAD |
International Fund for Agricultural Development |
IFC |
International Finance Corporation |
IGAD |
Intergovernmental Authority on Development |
ILO |
International Labour Organization |
IMF |
International Monetary Fund |
IMIS |
Integrated Management Information System |
IMO |
International Maritime Organization |
Infoterra |
Global Environmental Information Exchange Network [UNEP]; not usually written out |
INSTRAW |
International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women [transferred to UN-Women] |
INTERPOL |
International Criminal Police Organization |
IOM |
International Organization for Migration |
IP |
Internet Protocol; not usually written out |
IPSAS |
International Public Sector Accounting Standards |
IPU |
Inter-Parliamentary Union |
IRMCT |
International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals |
ISAF |
International Security Assistance Force [Afghanistan] |
ITC |
International Trade Centre |
ITU |
International Telecommunication Union |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
JEM |
Justice and Equality Movement [Sudan] |
JVA |
Juba Valley Alliance [Somalia] |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
LAS |
League of Arab States |
LRA |
Lord¡¯s Resistance Army [Uganda] |
LURD |
Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
MENUB |
United Nations Electoral Observer Mission in Burundi |
MERCOSUR |
Southern Common Market [Mercado Com¨²n del Sur] |
MINUJUSTH |
United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti [replaced by BINUH] |
MINURCAT |
United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad |
MINURSO |
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara |
MINUSCA |
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic |
MINUSMA |
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali |
MINUSTAH |
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti [replaced by MINUJUSTH] |
MISAB |
Inter-African Mission to Monitor the Implementation of the Bangui Agreements [Central African Republic] |
MODEL |
Movement for Democracy in Liberia |
MONUC |
United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [replaced by MONUSCO] |
MONUSCO |
United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
NATO |
North Atlantic Treaty Organization |
NEPAD |
New Partnership for Africa's Development |
NGO |
non-governmental organization |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
OAS |
Organization of American States |
OAU |
Organization of African Unity [now African Union] |
ODA |
official development assistance |
ODS |
Official Document System |
OECD |
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |
OECS |
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States |
OHCHR |
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |
OIC |
Organization of Islamic Cooperation [formerly Organization of the Islamic Conference] |
OIF |
International Organization of la Francophonie |
OIOS |
Office of Internal Oversight Services |
ONUB |
United Nations Operation in Burundi |
OPCW |
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons |
OPEC |
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries |
OSCE |
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
PAHO |
Pan American Health Organization |
Palipehutu |
Parti pour la lib¨¦ration du peuple hutu [Burundi] |
PDF |
portable document format |
PKK |
Kurdistan Workers' Party [always include the abbreviation] |
PLO |
Palestine Liberation Organization |
Polisario |
see Frente POLISARIO |
ppp |
purchasing power parity |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
RNA |
ribonucleic acid; never written out |
RRA |
Rahanwein Resistance Army [Somalia] |
RUF |
Revolutionary United Front [Sierra Leone] |
RUFP |
Revolutionary United Front Party [Sierra Leone] |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
SAARC |
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation |
SADC |
Southern African Development Community |
SAR |
Special Administrative Region of China (Hong Kong SAR; Macao SAR) |
SARS |
severe acute respiratory syndrome |
SDR(s) |
special drawing right(s) [IMF]; SDR 12 million |
SELA |
Latin American and Caribbean Economic System [Sistema Econ¨®mico Latinoamericano y del Caribe] |
SFOR |
Stabilization Force [Bosnia and Herzegovina]; replaced by EUFOR from December 2004 |
SIM |
subscriber identity module; not usually written out: SIM card |
SLM/A |
Sudan Liberation Movement/Army [Darfur] |
SPLM/A |
Sudan People¡¯s Liberation Movement/Army |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
TNT |
trinitrotoluene; not usually written out |
TRIPS |
trade-related intellectual property rights |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
UHF |
ultra-high frequency; not usually written out |
UNAIDS |
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS |
UNAMA |
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan |
UNAMI |
United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq |
UNAMID |
African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur |
UNCITRAL |
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law |
UNCTAD |
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development |
UNDOF |
United Nations Disengagement Observer Force [Golan] |
UNDP |
United Nations Development Programme |
UNEP |
United Nations Environment Programme |
UNESCO |
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
UNFICYP |
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus |
UNFIP |
United Nations Fund for International Partnerships |
UNFPA |
United Nations Population Fund |
UN-Habitat |
United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
UNHCR |
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
UNICEF |
United Nations Children¡¯s Fund |
UNICRI |
United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute |
UNIDIR |
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research |
UNIDO |
United Nations Industrial Development Organization |
UNIFEM |
United Nations Development Fund for Women [transferred to UN-Women] |
UNIFIL |
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon |
UNIKOM |
United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission |
UNIOGBIS |
United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau |
UNIPSIL |
United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone |
UNISFA |
United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei |
UNITA |
Uni?o Nacional para a Independ¨ºncia Total de Angola |
UNITAD |
United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da¡®esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant |
UNITAMS |
United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan |
UNITAR |
United Nations Institute for Training and Research |
UNMEE |
United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea |
UNMEER |
United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response |
UNMHA |
United Nations Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement |
UNMIBH |
United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
UNMIK |
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo |
UNMIL |
United Nations Mission in Liberia |
UNMIN |
United Nations Mission in Nepal |
UNMIS |
United Nations Mission in the Sudan |
UNMISS |
United Nations Mission in South Sudan |
UNMIT |
United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste |
UNMOGIP |
United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan |
UNMOVIC |
United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission [Iraq] |
UNOCA |
United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa |
UNOCI |
United Nations Operation in C?te d'Ivoire |
UNODC |
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime |
UNOGBIS |
United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in Guinea-Bissau [replaced by UNIOGBIS] |
UNOL |
United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in Liberia |
UNOMIG |
United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia |
UNOPS |
United Nations Office for Project Services |
UNOWA |
United Nations Office for West Africa [replaced by UNOWAS] |
UNOWAS |
United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel |
UNPOS |
United Nations Political Office for Somalia [replaced by UNSOM] |
UNRISD |
United Nations Research Institute for Social Development |
UNRWA |
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East |
UNSMIL |
United Nations Support Mission in Libya |
UNSMIS |
United Nations Supervision Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic |
UNSOA |
United Nations Support Office for the African Union Mission in Somalia [replaced by UNSOS] |
UNSOM |
United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia |
UNSOS |
United Nations Support Office in Somalia |
UNTOP |
United Nations Tajikistan Office of Peacebuilding |
UNTSO |
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization [Middle East] |
Ãå±±½ûµØTourism |
World Tourism Organization |
UNU |
United Nations University |
UNU-WIDER |
World Institute for Development Economics Research |
UNV |
United Nations Volunteers programme |
UN-Women |
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women |
UPU |
Universal Postal Union |
UT, UTC |
Universal Time, Universal Time Coordinated; not usually written out |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
VAT |
value added tax |
VHF |
very high frequency; not usually written out |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-UNI UNM-UT V W X Y Z
WAEMU |
West African Economic and Monetary Union |
WCO |
World Customs Organization |
WFP |
World Food Programme |
WHO |
World Health Organization |
WIPO |
World Intellectual Property Organization |
WMO |
World Meteorological Organization |
WTO |
World Trade Organization |
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