STATUTE OF THE UNITED NATIONS GROUP OF EXPERTS ON GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES (*)

The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names was established in pursuance of Economic and Social Council resolutions 715 A (XXVII) of 23 April 1959 and 1314 (XLIV) of 31 May 1968 and the decisions taken by the Council at its 1854th meeting on 4 May 1973 to further the standardization of geographical names at both the national and international levels.

1. To emphasize the importance of the standardization of geographical names at the national and international levels and to demonstrate the benefits to be derived from such standardization.

2. To collect the results of the work of national and international bodies dealing with the standardization of geographical names and to facilitate the dissemination of these results to Member States of the United Nations.

3. To study and propose principles, policies and methods suitable for resolving problems of national and international standardization.

4. To play an active role, by facilitating the supply of scientific and technical help, in particular to developing countries, in creating mechanisms for the national and international standardization of geographical names.

5. To provide a vehicle for liaison and coordination among Member States, and between Member States and international organizations, on work associated with the standardization of geographical names.

6. To implement the tasks assigned as a result of the resolutions adopted at the United Nations Conferences on the Standardization of Geographical Names.

1. The Group of Expert shall act as a collegiate, consultative body; accordingly, agreement on non-procedural matters shall be reached by consensus and not by voting.

2. The decisions of the Group of Experts shall be submitted as recommendations to the United Nations Conferences on the Standardization of Geographical Names, if approved, shall be submitted to the Economic and Social Council, in the form of a resolution or resolutions, for endorsment, with the request that member States give them the broadest possible publicity and exposure through appropriate means and channels such as professional organizations, research and scientific institutions of higher learning. The decisions of the Group of Experts shall be of a recommendatory character.(**)

3. Questions involving national sovereignty shall not be discussed by the Group of Experts.

4. The Group of Experts in its activities shall adhere to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and to the following provisions:
   1. The standardization of geographical names must be based on the achievements of science in relation to both language treatment and the technical means of processing and generating toponymic data;

   2. International standardization of geographical names must be carried out on the basis of national standardization.

1. To develop procedures and establish mechanisms for standardization in response to national requirements and particular requests;

2. To undertake preparatory work for the periodic United Nations Conferences on the Standardization of Geographical Names; to provide continuity for activities between Conferences; and to provide leadership in the implementation of resolutions adopted at the Conferences;

3. To encourage the discussion and study of practical and theoretical steps directed towards standardization;

4. To co-ordinate the activities of Linguistic/Geographical Divisions formed to further the work at the national level; to encourage the active participation of countries and Divisions; and to promote a degree of uniformity in the work undertaken;

5. To create any necessary structure to supplement the work of divisions and to deal with issues beyond the scope of a Division;

6. To develop appropriate programmes to assist with training in individual countries and group of countries, to achieve standardization where this is lacking;

7. To make mapping organizations aware of the importance of using standardized geographical names;

8. To maintain liaison with international organizations dealing with related subjects and encourage UNGEGN divisions to participate in the United Nations Regional or other cartographic conferences;

9. To work at the highest possible national, international and United Nations levels to interrelate toponymy and cartography;

10. To make standardization principles and standardized geographical names available as practical information for as wide as user community as possible, through all appropriate media.

1. The Group of Experts shall be composed of experts from Linguistic/Geographical Divisions designated by Governments. The Group of Experts shall be headed by elected officers who shall guide the activities of the Group during and between its sessions.

2. The Group of Experts shall be supported in its activities by the following Linguistic/Geographical Divisions (see Annex).(**)
   

3. The number of Linguistic/Geographical Divisions and their composition may be revised, if necessary.

4. A country shall decide for itself the Division to which it wishes to belong. A country may be a member of another division provided the nature of its participation does not change the linguistic/geographical character of the division(s) concerned. An expert may be invited to attend meetings of other divisions in the capacity of observer or consultant.

5. Each division, if composed of more than one sovereign State, shall select, by methods of its own choosing, an expert to represent the Division (Division Chairman) as a whole at the meetings of the Group of Experts.

6. In order to guarantee the continuity of work, each Division having more than one sovereign State shall select an alternative representative; the divisional representative shall act in close contact with his alternate.

7. The divisional representative shall stimulate activities in the standardization of geographical names within his division by all appropriate means (correspondence with national bodies on the standardization of geographical names and national surveying and mapping agencies; organization of meetings of the divisional experts).

8. The divisional representative shall be responsible for ensuring that the work of the Group of Experts and its potential for technical assistance are brought to the attention of the individual countries in his division and for reporting to the United Nations any special problems in his division.

9. To discuss technical and procedural matters, a division may organize regional meetings during United Nations Conferences on the Standardization of Geographical Names and meetings of the Group of Experts, or at any other appropriate time.

1. The Group of Experts shall elect the following officers from among experts representing divisions: a Chairperson, two Vice-Chairpersons and two Rapporteurs.(***)

2. All provisions regarding the election and functioning of the officers are given in the rules of procedure of the Group.

1. Working groups shall be disbanded upon completion of their appointed tasks. The expediency of extending the term of their activities shall be considered at the sessions of the Group of Experts. If necessary, new working groups may be appointed and their tasks determined.

2. The convenor and the co-convenor of a working group shall be elected at the meetings of the working group by methods of its own choosing.

Africa Central Division;
Africa East Division;
Africa South Division;
Africa West Division;
Arabic Division;
Asia East Division (other than China);
Asia South-East and Pacific South-West Division;
Asia South-West Division (other than Arabic);
Baltic Division;
Celtic Division;
China Division;
Dutch- and German-speaking Division;
East Central and South-East Europe Division;
Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia Division;
East Mediterranean Division (other than Arabic);
French-speaking Division;
India Division;
Latin America Division;
Norden Division;
Portuguese-speaking Division; (****)
Romano-Hellenic Division;
United Kingdom Division;
United States of America-Canada Division.

(*): Adopted by the Group of Experts at its Fifteenth and Sixteenth Sessions, endorsed by the Sixth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, approved by the United Nations Economic and Social Council at its Substantive Session of 1993 (Geneva, 28 June - 30 July 1993) item: International Standardization of Geographical Names.

(**): Suggested modifications adopted by the Group of Experts at its Nineteenth Session.

(***): Adopted by the Group of Experts at its Twenty-first Session, approved by the United Nations Economic and Social Council at its Substantive Session of 2002 (New York, 4-25 October 2002) item: Economic and Environmental questions: Statistics.

(****): Report of the 9th UNSCGN, Resolution IX/3.