UNITED NATIONS
CORRIGENDUM
Ref.: Sales No. E.93.I.23
(E/CONF.85/3)
17 December 1993
NEW YORK
ADVANCE TO LINE 2.59 SIXTH UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE STANDARDIZATION
OF GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES
New York, 25 August-3 September 1992
Vol. I. Report of the Conference
Chapter III, resolution 12
The operative paragraph should read
Recommends that the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names:
(a) Recognize the working procedures on Antarctic place-names being established by the Working Group on Geodesy and Geographic Information of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research;
(b) Establish liaison with the Committee for the purpose of promoting communication between the two bodies and providing the Group of Experts periodically with a written report on relevant activities of the Committee.
1 CONTENTS
Chapter Paragraphs Page
I. ORGANIZATION OF THE CONFERENCE ......................... 1 - 12 1
A. Terms of reference ................................. 1 1
B. Opening of the Conference .......................... 2 - 4 1
C. Attendance ......................................... 5 1
D. Election of the President .......................... 6 1
E. Adoption of the rules of procedure ................. 7 2
F. Adoption of the agenda ............................. 8 2
G. Election of officers other than the President ...... 9 2
H. Organization of work ............................... 10 - 11 2
I. Credentials of representatives to the Conference ... 12 3
II. SUMMARY OF THE WORK OF THE CONFERENCE .................. 13 - 191 4
A. Plenary meetings ................................... 13 - 71 4
B. Committee I: national programmes .................. 72 - 107 11
C. Committee II: technical programmes ................ 108 - 148 16
D. Committee III: international programmes ........... 149 - 191 21
III. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE .............................. 28
1. Creation of an Africa South Division, a Baltic Division and an
Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia Division ............. 28
2. Reactivation of the Latin America Division ..................... 28
3. Statement of the aims and functions of the United Nations Group
of Experts on Geographical Names ............................... 28
4. Working Group on Evaluation .................................... 29
5. Working Group on Publicity and Funding ......................... 30
6. Seventh United Nations Conference on the Standardization of
Geographical Names ............................................. 30
7. Toponymic guidelines for map and other editors ................. 30
8. Information from countries regarding changes in geographical
names .......................................................... 31
9. Recognition of national standardization ........................ 31
10. List of country names .......................................... 31
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Page
11. Glossary of toponymic terminology ............................. 32
12. Liaison with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research ... 33
13. Training courses .............................................. 33
14. Vote of thanks ................................................ 34
Annexes
I. LIST OF PARTICIPANTS ............................................... 35
II. RULES OF PROCEDURE ................................................. 52
III. AGENDA ............................................................. 60
Chapter I
ORGANIZATION OF THE CONFERENCE
A. Terms of reference
1. The Sixth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, from 25 August to 3 September 1992, in accordance with Economic and Social Council decision 1988/116 of 25 May 1988.
B. Opening of the Conference
2. On behalf of the Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Economic and Social Development, the Director of the Science, Technology, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Division opened the Conference.
3. In her opening address, the Director referred to the foresight of the United Nations 25 years earlier in convening the first conference on the standardization of geographical names. She referred to the current information age and the importance of communication and information technologies, which increasingly affected all aspects of contemporary society. She stressed the importance of the new role of cartography in the service of economic and social development. Current world realities and the requirements posed by sustainable development placed new challenges before the Conference. The world relied on the collective wisdom and expertise of Conference members to find the most effective ways to transliterate and standardize geographical names in order to avoid misunderstanding and facilitate world-wide communication. The Director referred to successful cooperation between countries in the standardization of geographical names, and the benefits that accrued from training courses in toponymy and various other national activities.
4. The Director also referred to the Department of Economic and Social Development of the United Nations Secretariat, which was created in March 1992 to increase the effectiveness of the Secretariat in addressing the social and economic priorities of Member States. The new Department, she explained, expanded and enhanced technical cooperation in a wide range of activities, including the standardization of geographical names. In conclusion, the Director stated that increased public awareness of the activities of the Conference would help to strengthen the effectiveness of the United Nations system at international and national levels.
C. Attendance
5. The Conference was attended by 158 representatives and 11 observers from 69 countries, six specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations, and three international scientific organizations. The list of participants is contained in annex I below.
D. Election of the President
6. The Conference elected Abdelhadi Tazi (Morocco) President. Mr. Tazi expressed his sincerest gratitude for the honour and the trust given him by the Conference. He briefly outlined Muslim contributions to geographical knowledge of the world throughout most of recorded history, including those of Yaqut Al-Hamawi, who had compiled a unique volume on geographical names, and Al Idrisi and Ibn Battuta, both pioneers of geography.
E. Adoption of the rules of procedure
7. The Conference adopted the provisional rules of procedure contained in document E/CONF.85/2 (see annex II below).
F. Adoption of the agenda
8. The Conference adopted the provisional agenda contained in document E/CONF.85/1/Rev.1 (see annex III below).
G. Election of officers other than the President
9. The Conference elected the following officers:
First Vice-President: Richard R. RANDALL (United States of America)
Second Vice-President: Hamid MALMIRIAN (Islamic Republic of Iran)
Third Vice-President: WANG Jitong (China)
Rapporteur: Art O'MAOLFABHAIL (Ireland)
Editor-in-Chief: Helen KERFOOT (Canada)
H. Organization of work
10. Officers for the three Committees of the Conference were also elected, as follows:
Committee I: national programmes
Chairman: William A. ROBERTSON (New Zealand)
Vice-Chairman: Ernst SPIESS (Switzerland)
Rapporteur: Pengiran Haji Matusin MATASAN (Brunei Darussalam)
National standardization (item 5)
Exonyms (item 9)
Committee II: technical programmes
Chairman: Ann-Christin MATTISSON (Sweden)
Vice-Chairman: Sylvie LEJEUNE (France)
Rapporteur: Roger L. PAYNE (United States of America)
Toponymic data files (item 6)
Terminology in the standardization of geographical names (item 7)
Committee III: international programmes
Chairman: Peter E. RAPER (South Africa)
Vice-Chairman: Naftali KADMON (Israel)
Rapporteur: Pamela M. OPIE-SMITH (United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland)
Features beyond a single sovereignty (item 10)
Writing systems and guides to pronunciation (item 11)
Toponymic education and practice, and international cooperation (item 12)
11. Items 1-4, 8 and 13-16 were considered in plenary meetings.
I. Credentials of representatives to the Conference
12. The Credentials Committee, composed of the President, the three Vice-Presidents, the Rapporteur, the Editor-in-Chief and the Executive Secretary (ex officio), reported that the credentials of all representatives had been found to be in order.
Chapter II
SUMMARY OF THE WORK OF THE CONFERENCE
A. Plenary meetings
Reports by divisions and Governments on the situation
in their regions and countries and on the progress made
in the standardization of geographical names since the
Fifth Conference (item 4)
13. The report of the Eastern Mediterranean Division (other than Arabic) (E/CONF.85/L.3) pointed out that the official romanization system for Hebrew was used by all government agencies in Israel, but that some agencies within the private sector still employed different conversion methods. The widespread occurrence and treatment of exonyms derived from the Bible was also addressed, as well as cooperation with other linguistic/geographical divisions.
14. Austria reported (E/CONF.85/L.8) that a working group had been established on the spelling of geographical names in Austrian teaching materials. In response to a query, the representative of Austria said that in a commission of toponymic experts, formed by the Government of South Tyrol to deal with geographical names in the area, no agreement could be reached between the German-speaking language experts from Austria and Switzerland, on the one hand, and the expert from Italy on the other.
15. The report of Romania (E/CONF.85/L.19) stated that toponymic activity had increased since the Fifth Conference, and in recent years work on standardization had been undertaken in close conjunction with mapping activities.
16. The report of South Africa (E/CONF.85/L.22) covered meetings and activities of the National Place Names Committee, efforts to ensure the implementation of United Nations resolutions on the standardization of geographical names and toponymic publications which had been produced. The report also indicated that contact had been made with the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), since concern had been expressed by ECA over the non-participation of some African countries in the activities of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names. Efforts were being made by South Africa to assist neighbouring countries in organizing national toponymic programmes.
17. The report of Sweden (E/CONF.85/L.24) stated that the use of exonyms in cartography had been reduced, but that educators and the media had differing views on the matter. The report also addressed the treatment of Saami and Finnish names in multilingual areas.
18. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland reported (E/CONF.85/L.31) that geographical names in the country had long been established in a standard form and were disseminated by the national map series which comprised scales of 1:1,250 and smaller. The establishment of a national geographical information system (GIS), in which toponymy would be uniform for all applications, was in the final stages. A gazetteer based on 1:50,000-scale maps existed for Great Britain. The Permanent Committee on Geographical Names, in conjunction with the government authorities in the Maldives, had developed a romanization system for the Maldivian language. Gazetteers for use by official bodies had long been produced by the use of computer technology.
19. The Romano-Hellenic Division reported (E/CONF.85/L.33) on a meeting held in Paris in 1990. Most of the work concentrated on the subject of exonyms, including the preparation of a document showing exonyms used for the names of countries, capitals, and administrative regions in each language of the division.
20. France reported (E/CONF.85/L.34) that the standardization of geographical names was continuing in several areas: the updating of the basic map on the scale 1:25,000 and the publication of general maps; the refinement and development of various toponymic and cartographic databases; and general research and the preparation of lists of geographical names. In response to an inquiry, it was stated that there were occasional name differences on maps produced by different mapping bodies, but, because of different ways of treating dialectal toponymy, it seemed impossible to guarantee absolute consistency in orthography.
21. The Dutch- and German-speaking Division reported (E/CONF.85/L.36) on meetings held in 1989, 1990 and 1991. Much attention had been devoted to the United Nations glossary of terms used in the standardization of geographical names. On another matter, it was stated that the Government of the Netherlands would be willing to provide half the cost of a two-week training course in toponymy for African participants, if the United Nations would provide the other half.
22. The report of the East, Central and South-East Europe Division (E/CONF.85/L.39) made the point that the problem of exonyms had always been the subject most discussed at meetings. Most countries of the Division supported the donor principle. The representative of the United Kingdom remarked that romanization that did not consider the interests of the receiver language was not to be recommended. The representative of Czechoslovakia, who presented the division report, agreed. He also stated that for some languages of countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (formerly the Soviet Union) a romanization system did not exist. This situation should be noted and those countries involved needed to be presented with relevant resolutions of the Conference.
23. The report of Canada (E/CONF.85/L.41) referred to a wide variety of subjects, among them the goals of its national names authority: dissemination of toponymic information, the field recording of geographical names, the automation of toponymic databases and data availability, and the development of national policies and procedures for geographical naming in the official and aboriginal languages of Canada.
24. The report of New Zealand (E/CONF.85/L.58) stated that Maori names predominated in the North Island, whereas English names predominated in the South Island. In general, Maori names referred to physical features, such as rivers and mountains, and English names applied to settlements. The policy of New Zealand was to reflect its history and culture and preserve original Maori place-names.
25. The Islamic Republic of Iran reported (E/CONF.85/L.60) on progress made since the Fifth Conference. The Central National Geographical Names Authority had been reorganized within the National Geographical Organization. A new village identification booklet had been published and about 6,500 names had been collected in the field, in connection with the production of map sheets on the scale 1:250,000. These had been added to the names database, bringing the total number of computerized records to 44,000. A list of name changes and new names within the country, as well as a revised list of country names in the Farsi language, were presented.
26. Switzerland reported (E/CONF.85/L.37) that although a federal decree had placed the authority and responsibility for geographical names with each of the 26 cantons, attempts were being made to establish a national names authority. Such an authority would coordinate canton names commissions, function as an advisory body to the federal Government and represent the country at international meetings. Other items mentioned were the collection and treatment of names (complicated by the existence of four national languages in the country), and the initial development of a geographical names database based on the National Topographic Map Series.
27. The report of the Asia South-East and Pacific South-West Division (E/CONF.85/L.59) noted that the next meeting of the Division was planned for late 1992 and that non-member nations would be invited. It was reported that New Zealand was preparing a place-names map of the division area that would show official names as recommended by each country. Malaysia remarked that further attempts would be made to encourage member countries that have not been active to participate at the next divisional meeting.
28. A videotape illustrating toponymic field work was presented by Finland. (Copies of the videotape are obtainable from the Finnish Research Centre for Domestic Languages.) The representative of Finland stated that the videotape was intended for training courses and to provide information on the state of progress in standardization, but it had had only limited distribution abroad so far.
29. The report of Finland (E/CONF.85/L.68) described progress in the field collection of toponyms and announced the development of several toponymic data files. Because of the lack of reliable information about name changes, the use of foreign names in the Finnish media was often at variance with the recommendations made at United Nations conferences on the standardization of geographical names. The Seventeenth International Congress of Onomastic Sciences had been held in Helsinki in 1990. A gazetteer of inhabited places in Finland, containing about 25,000 entries, had been published in 1990.
30. The report of the Russian Federation (E/CONF.85/L.18) listed the principal activities of the Permanent Joint Committee on Geographical Names during the years 1987-1991. The Joint Committee was prepared to cooperate with names authorities in countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States as well as other countries.
31. The report of Hungary (E/CONF.85/L.69) stated that the Committee on Geographical Names was a decision-making and advisory body set up by government order in 1989. The introduction of large collective farms had tended to obliterate the names of small features, such as farmsteads, but this trend was reversing. The changing of street names had become an important issue. Recent activities included the development of a toponymic database.
32. Japan reported (E/CONF.85/L.71) that it had no single central agency for officially dealing with names. Many newly discovered undersea features, and Antarctic features had been named. No progress was reported on romanization.
33. Estonia submitted a report (E/CONF.85/L.75) for the first time. Most Estonian names, which for some time had been used outside Estonia via Cyrillic transliteration, had been restored to their primary forms. In 1992, Estonia had hosted the first ever regional meeting of the Baltic States on the standardization of geographical names.
34. In the report of Thailand (E/CONF.85/L.79) it was stated that a national names authority was being established in the Royal Thai Survey Department. Two romanization systems for the Thai language had been produced by the Royal Institute: one was a transliteration system, a two-way conversion system which ignored pronunciation; the other was a transcription system which provided the correct pronunciation of Thai words. The National Gazetteer, based on the 1:50,000-scale topographic maps, would form the base for a Geographical Names Information System. Thailand had convened the fourth meeting of the Asia South-East and Pacific South-West Division in Krung Thep in 1988.
35. Czechoslovakia reported (E/CONF.85/L.82) that a standardizing authority had not yet been established, although both the Czechs and the Slovaks had advisory boards. As for the romanization of names from the nations of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the romanized Russian forms would probably be used. The GOST 83 system was being only partially applied in the present Russian Federation, which had led to a reluctance to use the system. Czechoslovakia planned to issue a domestic version of the technical terminology glossary.
36. The report of Norway (E/CONF.85/L.83) described a large number of activities on names standardization and mentioned in particular a new law relating to geographical names. It also mentioned a documentation project at the University of Oslo, by which material on names was being transferred from archive cards to electronic data files. A three-volume computer-based
gazetteer of the 1:50,000-scale maps, containing 340,000 entries, had been published. The report also referred to a list of some 5,000 foreign names, in which the number of exonyms had been reduced.
37. The report of the Netherlands (E/CONF.85/L.89) mentioned the official status of the Frisian minority language in the province of Friesland. It further stated that no official national geographical names authority existed in the Netherlands. Since the Fifth Conference, map-based gazetteers had been revised. Experts from the Netherlands had taken part in a number of training courses in toponymy. The Governments of Belgium and the Netherlands had established a new body, the Nederlandse Taalunie (Dutch Language Union), to produce a list of country names.
38. The report of Ukraine (E/CONF.85/L.91) stressed the importance of geographical names to the new State, established in 1991. A lack of standardization of orthography in the Ukrainian language still existed. The representative of Ukraine said that Ukraine wished to join the East, Central and South-East Europe Division of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names.
39. Germany reported (E/CONF.85/L.92) that as a result of the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, a supplementary volume to the Gazetteer of the Federal Republic of Germany (1981) was in preparation. This would lead to a unified gazetteer based on a map on the scale 1:500,000. A new edition of toponymic guidelines for map and other editors, which had been necessitated by unification, had been submitted to the Conference (E/CONF.85/L.93). It was reported that work on German place-names in the Antarctic area was being maintained.
40. The United States of America/Canada Division reported (E/CONF.85/L.95) that cooperation was continuing between the two member countries. They had reached a consensus concerning the treatment of names of geographical features common to both, with a view to reducing possible confusion in feature identification. A document of understanding, which identified suitable principles and procedures, had been signed in 1988. Close contact had also been maintained in such matters as automated processing, treatment of aboriginal/native American/native Canadian geographical names, and various projects of the Group of Experts.
41. The report of Jordan (W.P. 1) stated that until the establishment of the Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre (RJGC) in 1975, the majority of maps of Jordan had been of British and American provenance. These maps had since been edited in Arabic and mistakes had arisen in place-names, due to double transliteration. A listing of villages in both Arabic and English scripts had been produced in 1989. In the early 1980s RJGC had adopted a transliteration system based on the Modified Bayrut System. Concerning future work, stress was laid on the special difficulties attending the collection of names in desert areas, and on the vital need for a unified romanization system throughout the Arabic-speaking countries.
42. The report of Indonesia (E/CONF.85/L.96) stressed the difficulty of producing a gazetteer for such a large multi-ethnic country with a long history of human settlement. A computerized gazetteer for one area had been proposed as a national standard. The field work would be expedited by the use of hand-held instruments using the global-positioning system. The Indonesian Government was in the process of establishing a national names authority.
43. The reports of Venezuela (W.P. 5 and 6) referred to the various phases of activity in a pilot scheme of standardization, including preparation, field work and evaluation, with particular reference to indigenous names and frontier toponymy. A National Commission for Geographical Names had been established by law in 1992. Gazetteers existed based on maps on the scale 1:100,000 and 1:250,000. At present The Dictionary of Venezuelan Geographical Names was being prepared. It would consist of 23 volumes, with additional volumes for names in indigenous languages. In addition, a digital toponymic database was being developed.
44. The report of Ireland (W.P. 29) stated that a concise bilingual gazetteer had been published in 1989 and that a series of more detailed gazetteers was being prepared. Since 1987 full-time research into original Irish-language forms of geographical names had been maintained by the Government of the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland. There had been professional collaboration on this project. Since 1982, urban names had been regarded as geographical names and bilingual guidelines for the standardization of urban names had been issued in 1992.
45. The Celtic Division reported (W.P. 48) that since the Fifth Conference France has joined the Division.
46. The report of Cyprus (W.P. 36) stated that since the Fifth Conference the obligatory use of the ELOT 743 romanization system had been sanctioned. To facilitate the use of the system, software packages that accomplished the conversion automatically were available. It was further stated that in Cyprus a large number of established names had been changed by the Turkish administration and replaced with other names. The representative of Turkey expressed displeasure with this statement and called on the representative of Cyprus to refrain from the discussion of political subjects that did not pertain to the current technical Conference. The representative of Cyprus replied that he was not making a political statement and only wanted to inform the Conference of the renaming process.
47. The report of China (W.P. 35) described progress since the Fifth Conference. In 1988 the China Committee on Geographical Names had decided to carry out supplementary investigation and updating of geographical names all over the country. Principles for the standardization of Chinese place-names had since been drawn up by the Committee. Training courses in toponymy had also been organized and relevant documents were being issued.
48. The report of Sweden (W.P. 37) stated that a new interactive mapping system had been obtained by the National Land Survey of Sweden. This system had efficient text-editing and panning functions, and could be further developed according to requirements. The report described how the new system worked.
49. The report of Morocco (W.P. 40) reaffirmed the importance of the standardization of geographical names in accordance with the recommendations of United Nations conferences. Cartographic activity included the production of new maps on the scale 1:25,000 and 1:100,000, and the production of various general and thematic maps. A national computerized dictionary of geographical names and a dictionary of historic towns were being produced. The National Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, in which research institutions, cartographic agencies and map-users participated, had been very successful and had made many recommendations. The proceedings would be published and widely distributed.
50. The report of Malaysia (W.P. 42) stated that the standardization of geographical names had been undertaken according to guidelines produced by the Permanent Committee. Computer-assisted mapping and cadastral surveying, introduced in 1989 for the production of topographic and cadastral maps, were giving impetus to the computerization of geographical names.
51. The Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities reported (W.P. 45) that geographical names, as part of the environment, were closely linked to the process of development. Close liaison between the UNGEGN and the relevant non-governmental organizations was strongly recommended.
52. The report of Oman (W.P. 47) referred to the partly sedentary, partly nomadic nature of its population, an attitude which had particular implications for the treatment of geographical names. There was no national advisory body for names. Romanization had practical difficulties for mapmakers, and diacritical marks were difficult to use.
53. The report of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (W.P. 49) stated that the updating and arabization of maps inherited from previous administrations had begun 20 years previously. A national committee has begun to collect names and establish a database.
54. The report of Yemen (W.P. 51) stated that, following unification in 1990, much attention was being given to geographical names and their proper treatment.
55. The report of Denmark (E/CONF.85/L.67) stated that a Danish national report had been included in the report of the Norden Division.
56. The report of the United States of America (W.P. 21) stated that one major activity since the Fifth Conference had been a two-day symposium in 1990 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the United States Board on Geographic Names (USBGN). Among the symposium's important conclusions had been a decision to create a Publicity Committee, which had recommended the production of a catalogue (W.P. 20). A brochure about the structure and functions of USBGN was distributed (W.P. 17). A major undertaking of the USBGN Domestic Names Committee was the development of policies for the treatment of native American names.
57. The USBGN Foreign Names Committee had responded to requests for information about new geographical names, particularly in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and two editions of the Foreign Names Information Bulletin were presented (W.P. 23). In cooperative agreements with other countries, the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) provided assistance in methods of dealing with names. DMA was creating the Geographic Names Processing System, in order to transfer some 5 million foreign names from manual to automated files, and was also working on a digital gazetteer.
Measures taken and proposed to implement United Nations resolutions
on the standardization of geographical names (item 8)
58. As Convenor of the Working Group on Evaluation, the representative of the United States of America reported on the response of the Group of Experts to resolution 4 of the Fifth Conference. 1/
59. The Convenor reaffirmed (see W.P. 13) that the major goal was to encourage the establishment of national standardization processes. He noted that more training programmes were needed, as well as an increased awareness on the part of Governments of the benefits of standardization.
60. Regarding the evaluation of United Nations resolutions, the Convenor reported (W.P. 14) that, although a questionnaire had been circulated to help review the resolutions and the measures taken to implement them, the results were difficult to analyse. He noted some reasons why resolutions were problematic to implement, and also the need for a resolutions committee to prevent duplication of existing resolutions. He said that compendiums of resolutions by subject, as well as by their nature and practicality were also needed.
61. Finally, the Convenor commented (W.P. 15) on the need for future work to be clearly directed towards the principal goals of United Nations conferences on the standardization of geographical names and the Group of Experts.
62. The Working Group had revised aims and functions of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (W.P. 50) to make it more proactive. The United Nations Conference having accepted these revisions, it was recommended that the Working Group disbanded.
63. The report of Canada (E/CONF.85/CRP.2) contained a collection of the 138 resolutions adopted at the first five United Nations conferences on the standardization of geographical names, grouped by subject area and cross-referenced by conference number.
Meetings and conferences (item 13)
United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (item 13 (a))
64. This subject was not considered by the Conference.
Divisional and interdivisional meetings and programmes (item 13 (b))
65. A draft resolution to create a Baltic Division was submitted by Estonia (E/CONF.85/L.77).
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1/ Fifth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, Montreal, 18-31 August 1987, vol.I, Report of the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.88.I.7), chap. III.
Economic and social benefits of the national and international
standardization of geographical names (item 14)
66. The United Nations Secretariat submitted a paper on United Nations activities in the field of standardization of geographical names (E/CONF.85/CRP.3). The paper provided an overview of the activities of the United Nations in this field, presenting background information and tracing the origin and development of the toponymic activities of the Group of Experts and the United Nations Conferences. The Conference expressed satisfaction with this very valuable and useful document, and thanked the presenter for his valuable and energetic service in his capacity as a former Secretary of the Group of Experts.
67. At the final plenary meeting, the conference adopted a resolution on the Seventh Conference (see chap. III below, resolution 6).
Closing of the Conference (item 16)
68. The President thanked all participants for a highly successful Conference, which had effectively been a dialogue between civilizations and would do much to promote the standardization of geographical names, a subject of real value to mankind. He also thanked the Secretariat of the Conference for its valuable contribution, as well as all the interpreters and secretaries who had worked so hard during the previous two weeks to make the Conference a success.
69. At the invitation of the President, the Director of the Science, Technology, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Division closed the Conference. She referred to the increasing relevance of geographical names to the modern world, noting that they were an indispensable tool of economic and social development. The Director expressed her pleasure with the manner in which the proceedings had been conducted, indicating that such a model of communication and cooperation augured well for future dialogue around the world.
Action taken by the Conference
70. At the final plenary meeting, the Conference adopted seven resolutions (see chap. III below, resolutions 1-6 and 14).
71. In addition, it was decided to honour the geographical and toponymic heritage of the world and the pioneers in that field. A commemorative event would take place at the Seventh United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, in 1997, the thirtieth anniversary of the first Conference.
B. Committee I: national programmes
National standardization (item 5)
Field collection of names (item 5 (a))
72. The report of Japan (E/CONF.85/L.72) stated that in 1960 the National Hydrographic Department and the Geographical Survey Institute had formed a joint committee to standardize geographical names. The names of administrative divisions and populated places (their orthography and pronunciation) were standardized by laws and regulations announced in official reports.
73. The report of Norway (E/CONF.85/L.84) detailed the phases of field collection and compilation of the Norwegian Place-name Database, established since the Fifth Conference, in 1987. This database aimed at including all names associated with settlements, farms, and natural features, and was not to be confused with the Central Place-name Register of the Norwegian Mapping Authority.
74. Canada submitted a small-scale reference map (W.P. 27) that showed fieldwork accomplished since 1987. Three categories of completeness and reliability had been used, based on how the work had been undertaken. The information, plotted according to 1:50,000-scale National Topographic Series map sheet areas, and updated on a regular basis, could be useful to individual jurisdictions in planning their toponymic activities.
75. Canada submitted the table of contents of a recently completed technical guide for the field collection of aboriginal geographical names (W.P. 28). The guide provided a possible approach to authorizing, organizing and undertaking a field survey and also contained sample survey forms. Its methodology had been developed through private-sector work with the Inuit of Northern Canada.
76. The representative of Venezuela commented on a programme to collect and standardize the geographical names in the sector of Sierra Parima of the Territorio Federal Amazonas, based on methodology developed by the Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH). The representative of Mexico commented on research by field scientists in Mexico, which was associated with training courses and cartographic updates on the scale of 1:50,000.
Office treatment of names (item 5 (b))
77. Austria submitted three reports, on an Austrian standard of country codes (E/CONF.85/L.9), a published list of 17,400 Ortschaften according to communes (E/CONF.85/L.10) and an index of the 2,300 communes (E/CONF.85/L.11).
78. Canada submitted three reports on the management of toponyms in Quebec (E/CONF.85/L.43, L.44 and L.45), including the programme of commemorative naming, the 1990 expanded edition of the Guide toponymique du Québec and the modified policy governing the use of names of living persons in toponymic designations.
79. The representative of Canada reported that Principles and Procedures for Geographical Naming, developed by the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names, had been updated in 1990. These guidelines, already published in English and French, had currently been made available in Spanish.
80. The representative of the United States of America commented that the software developed in the late 1980s for the collection of geographical names from maps and other publications for the Geographical Names Information System (GNIS) contained quality control programmes which had proven beneficial.
Treatment of names in multilingual areas (item 5 (c))
81. The report of Austria (E/CONF.85/L.12) stated that 91 Ortschaften in Carinthia, which had a considerable Slovenian-speaking population, had been designated bilingual by decree of the Austrian Government. This dual naming appeared on road signs and would be indicated in the Gazetteer of Austria.
82. In the report of Canada on the revision by the Commission de toponymie du Québec of its policy on aboriginal names (E/CONF.85/L.46) it was pointed out that even if these names were not designated as official, they could be widely disseminated as variant names.
83. The report of Canada on aspects of the work of the Federal Translation Bureau on the treatment of non-French-language toponyms for the translation of texts into French (E/CONF.85/L.74) indicated that guidelines had been developed to provide linguistic consistency, and reference lists would be prepared.
84. The representatives of several countries referred to the treatment of toponyms in multilingual areas, and a need was expressed for further cooperative action on this subject. The representative of Hungary referred to the difficulty of handling geographical names in neighbouring countries with substantial Hungarian populations. Hungarian names in those countries were exonyms by definition, because the Hungarian language had no official status there. One solution would be to follow the Austrian example (see para. 81 above) and officially declare those settlements bilingual. In that way these Hungarian names would no longer be exonyms.
Administrative structure of national names authorities (item 5 (d))
85. The report of Israel (E/CONF.85/L.4) stated that the national geographical names authority, the Government Names Commission, had been established in 1951. The Commission provided official status to names, which were then legally binding on all institutions of the Government, as were the official rules of romanization. Provision was made for appeal against a ratified name through a court of justice. There was some variation from official name usage, especially in romanization by private and even public bodies, such as in tourist literature produced in different languages.
86. The representative of Austria referred to a brochure that had been prepared to provide information on the Board on Geographical Names of the Austrian Cartography Commission and the institutions represented on it (see E/CONF.85/L.13). It was hoped that the Board, currently an unofficial body, would in the future achieve official status.
87. The representative of Brazil stated that its Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) had established its first geographical names sector in 1948. A current project was the inventory and organization of geographical names (see E/CONF.85/L.78), which involved the systematic collection, organization and consolidation of names for physical and cultural features. The information collected would be stored in the geographical names database, which was being planned.
88. The representatives of several countries commented on various ways of integrating geographical names, census data and mapping activities to avoid duplication of efforts.
89. The representative of Norway addressed the Norwegian Place-name Act legislated in 1990 (see E/CONF.85/L.85). The standardized names were to be based on local pronunciation and current spelling rules in one of the two main Norwegian languages. Spelling rules for Saami and Finnish names had also been established. An Appeals Committee had been set up to deal with complaints about standardized forms of names.
90. It was reported that the administrative structure of Canada's geographical names standardization, included an advisory committee on names for undersea and maritime features, the scope and functions of which were described in a brochure available to the public (see W.P. 33).
Toponymic guidelines for map and other editors (item 5 (e))
91. China submitted a report (E/CONF.85/L.1) which stated that the use of the Chinese phonetic alphabet (Pinyin) since 1977 had resolved confusion in the spelling of Chinese names. Of the 56 nationalities in China, Han constituted 92 per cent of the population. Representatives requested clarification of the romanization guidelines of Han, particularly with respect to the apostrophe before the letters a, o or e (for example, when not in the first syllable). In Inner Mongolia, `Xinjiang, Tibet and other national autonomous areas, minority scripts (rather than Han) were used to write place-names. China was commended for the effort to use the Tibetan, Mongolian and Uygur languages.
92. Toponymic guidelines for the Netherlands were submitted (E/CONF.85/L.2). Material included names in Frisian, which had official status only in the province of Friesland; these names were standardized by the Toponymic Working Group of the Frisian Academy.
93. Austria referred to its original guidelines 2/ as a sample of format and content, and submitted a revision of those guidelines (E/CONF.85/L.14 and W.P. 41), referring in particular to the adjustment of the linguistic maps to the census of 1991 and the inclusion of Slovenian minority names in the Gazetteer of Austria.
94. South Africa submitted the third edition of its toponymic guidelines (E/CONF.85/L.23) necessitated by a revision of the orthographic rules of both Afrikaans and Zulu.
95. The Coordinator for toponymic guidelines expressed gratification at the increase in the number of toponymic guidelines prepared for the Conference. In view of the importance of such guidelines, the Coordinator urged countries which had not yet prepared guidelines to do so as soon as possible, and encouraged the publication of a compendium of these guidelines through the United Nations Secretariat.
96. Canada submitted updated guidelines (E/CONF.85/L.47), noting the addition of abbreviations of generic terms for use on topographic maps, and a list of geographical names made official in both English and French.
97. Guidelines for Estonia (E/CONF.85/L.76) were summarized, and spelling rules and pronunciation of geographical names in Estonian, the official language were noted. In some areas, names might be standardized in the minority languages of Russian and Swedish.
98. Germany submitted full toponymic guidelines (E/CONF.85/L.93), revised and enlarged since unification in 1990. A list of addresses was included for the user seeking further information.
2/ Fourth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, Geneva, 24 August-14 September 1982, vol. II, Technical Papers (United Nations publication, Sales No. E/F/S.86.I.21), pp. 86-101.
99. Ireland's guidelines (W.P. 3) contained information on names in both official languages (Irish and English), including writing conventions and pronunciation.
100. The representative of the United States of America informed the Conference that the 1989 guidelines continued to be in effect.
Exonyms (item 9)
Categories and degree of use of exonyms (item 9 (a))
101. Although no paper had been submitted specifically on categories and degree of use of exonyms, the Conference heard numerous comments on the subject (see, for example, para. 106).
Principles in reducing the use of exonyms (item 9 (b))
102. The representative of Israel, aware that exonyms could not be entirely eliminated, proposed (see E/CONF.85/L.7) the reduction of their number by the use of a "donor system", whereby a country would recommend a particular list of traditional names for which other countries could use exonyms (preferably as subsidiary forms), endonyms being used for all other names.
Provisional list of exonyms (item 9 (c))
103. The Dutch- and German-speaking Division presented "Guidelines for the preparation of lists of exonyms" (W.P. 4). A clear distinction was made between cartographic publications for national use and those for international use. Although exonyms might not appear on products for national use, they should be avoided in international cartography.
104. The United States of America submitted a list (W.P. 22) of English-language exonyms deleted, changed or added to the foreign place-names files of the United States Board on Geographic Names since 1988. This information complemented the Gazetteer of Conventional Names, the third edition of which had been published in 1988. Exonyms (or conventional names) would be monitored with a view to reducing their number, where appropriate.
105. A "List of Exonyms for Countries, Capitals and Administrative Divisions of Europe", (W.P. 26) was prepared by the Romano-Hellenic Division and submitted by France. At the time of the conference, the Baltic countries, Yugoslavia and the countries of the former USSR had not been included in the list. The initial emphasis was on names of administrative divisions. Other names were considered to be the responsibility of individual European countries. This document was highly commended.
106. The Conference agreed on the usefulness of reducing exonyms, as had been discussed at previous conferences and seminars. However, exonyms might sometimes be used in local communication. Increasingly, endonyms were being accepted, particularly where they were easily understandable.
Action taken by the Conference
107. The Conference adopted a resolution on toponymic guidelines for map and other editors (see chap. III below, resolution 7).
C. Committee II: technical programmes
Toponymic data files (item 6)
Data collection procedures (item 6 (a))
108. The representative of Canada presented the report of the Working Group on Toponymic Data Files (E/CONF.85/L.40). The primary tasks of the Group were:
(a) To collect information on toponymic databases (whether automated or manual) by means of a questionnaire (E/CONF.85/INF/7);
(b) To recommend that guidelines on toponymic databases be made more widely available, and that software free of copyright restrictions be disseminated;
(c) To recommend the inclusion in training courses of a basic workshop on automated databases.
109. The representative of Sweden elaborated on the results of the above-mentioned questionnaire, to which paragraphs 110 through 121 below refer. So far there had been 33 replies from 27 countries, and there was therefore too little information available from which to draw any meaningful conclusions.
110. The following countries or areas had responded before 17 August 1992 to the questionnaire: Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Burundi, Canada, Czechoslovakia, the Congo, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, the Gambia, Hong Kong, Hungary, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America.
111. The questionnaire did not concentrate solely on national toponymic databases, and the responses therefore dealt with databases covering special categories of names in several countries.
112. Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Hungary, Malaysia, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America had established digital national databases, in which the coverage was uniform and names were treated by a national names standardizing committee/authority.
113. Israel mentioned that its national digital database was the first to be both multilingual and multiscriptual.
114. The United Kingdom had a complete national toponymic database derived from very large-scale mapping which was currently in GIS format. The database of Switzerland was based on that country's topographic map series. There were advanced plans for digital toponymic databases in Ethiopia, the Philippines and Thailand.
115. All countries that had toponymic databases were collecting their names from official maps and/or from field work. Historical material, including historical gazetteers, were other sources used by several countries.
116. The most common map scale was 1:50,000, used by 15 countries. However, several databases were based on different scales. The list of data elements or fields of information showed 14 major elements. The main fields in existing databases seemed to be type of feature, map sheet, coordinates, administrative units, source of name, status of name and variant names.
117. Most of the responses indicated continuous updating, the most common sources of which were decisions made by national names authorities, published maps and field work.
118. The most common reasons given for producing toponymic databases were mapping applications and the creation of a national gazetteer. The questions regarding the Roman alphabet, diacritics and other languages would be dealt with more thoroughly in the future.
119. Almost every country that had a toponymic database also had documentation available. The documentation was mostly user manuals in hardcopy format, but in a few cases it was digital.
120. Several countries asked for technical and financial support. Specifically, there were questions about the role of the United Nations and the role of the linguistic divisions of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names. Decisions on appropriate international data-elements and data-exchange standards had been requested.
Data elements required (item 6 (b))
121. The United States of America submitted a paper (E/CONF.85/L.26) on behalf of the Place-Name Survey of the United States (PLANSUS). The Format and Attribution Committee of PLANSUS had determined a specific set of required data elements that must be utilized in carrying out toponymic research to be sanctioned by PLANSUS. Additionally, the Committee had identified a need for optional data elements which would be maintained by a particular organization.
122. Answers were provided to questions from various delegations on aspects of pronunciation, location, format, the naming of extensive linear features, and source materials. It was explained that PLANSUS was a private organization, and that its goal were to encourage those doing toponymic research, in accordance with the formatting procedures established by the National Geographic Names Database of the United States Government.
123. Canada introduced a paper (E/CONF.85/L.48) which set out "core" data fields required for that country's federally maintained database. Names were recorded for physical features and populated places, but not for buildings or streets. Some two thirds of the entries had been approved by the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names (CPCGN); the remaining names were unofficial or cross-reference entries. The history of the development of names records in Canada was outlined. It was noted that in recent years, with the introduction of automation, there had sometimes been a divergence between the federal Government and the provincial/territorial authorities in the way they approached the aims of toponymic data storage. The need had therefore arisen to clearly define such core data fields.
Automated data-processing (ADP) systems (item 6 (c))
124. Austria reported (see E/CONF.85/L.15) that a data file containing entries for settlements had been developed by the Austrian Institute of East and South-East European Studies, in collaboration with the Austrian National Library. The data file made use of both Roman and Cyrillic script, and included variant names.
125. The United States of America submitted a paper (E/CONF.85/L.25) which described the United States Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). It was explained that all entries and their geographical coordinates were based on 1:24,000- or 1:25,000-scale mapping, and that each name entry in the database was official.
126. A paper prepared by the Commission de toponymie du Québec and submitted by Canada (E/CONF/85/L.51) described the new, updated, toponymic data-processing system (TOPOS), which contained more than 30 data elements. The principal users of TOPOS were government departments and agencies.
127. A paper submitted by Japan (E/CONF.85/L.73) outlined on the status of automated data processing in that country and drew attention to the geographical names data file, which would be completed by the end of 1992 by the Geographical Survey Institute. The file would contain 120,000 geographical names, based on the 1:200,000-scale regional maps.
128. An overview of the national Canadian Geographical Names Data Base (CGNDB) (E/CONF.85/L.49) was submitted by Canada. The hardware and software capabilities of the system were described, as well as the ensuing studies of its compatibility with provincial databases. The CGNDB had been developed primarily for cartographic application and gazetteer production, but it was not scale-dependent.
129. Venezuela described the design and development of its national toponymic database (see W.P. 7) which included procedures for formatting gazetteers and geographical names dictionaries.
130. The United States of America described the Geographic Names Processing System (GNPS), which was designed for foreign names application in the United States of America (see W.P. 8). It would contain 4.5-5 million entries, generally based on a map scale of 1:250,000, and was intended to be operational in early 1993. The hardware and software requirements were described and it was indicated that the system would make full use of diacritical marks. The system was designed to support map and gazetteer production, and future development would include the ability to handle non-Roman writing systems. It was stated that the database would contain exonyms, mainly names of countries, and that the geographical coordinates for each data entry would represent the location of the feature, rather than the name placement on the map.
Compatibility and structure of systems (item 6 (d))
131. A paper (E/CONF.85/L.50) describing the long-term vision and development plan for a Canadian digital toponymic service was submitted by Canada. The aim of the plan was to reflect the mandates of provincial, territorial and federal names authorities, and allow the broadest possible dissemination and use of geographical names information. It was indicated that there could be opportunities in the future to link government and academic databases for research purposes.
132. Austria reported (see E/CONF.85/L.16) that in the Central Statistical Office two national digital files were available: a gazetteer of inhabited places and a register of buildings and street names. Another file had been developed by the Federal Office of Meteorology and Geodesy containing the geographical names of the official Austrian maps on the scale of 1:50,000. It was reported that approximately 60,000 names had been collected, and a further 60,000 were estimated to be collected by 1995.
133. The United States of America presented a paper (E/CONF.85/L.29) outlining general procedures for developing an automated toponymic database. Specific topics to be addressed were the determination of products and applications, as well as database content and requirements. Further attention was given to hardware and software requirements, together with methodology for data collection, data entry, quality control and maintenance.
134. Canada presented a paper (E/CONF.85/L.52) dealing with the recording of aboriginal names in syllabics and modified Roman alphabet characters. It was stated that Canada had subscribed to the standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) but that no standard existed for encoding such writing systems. Canada did not wish to invent such standards, but stressed an immediate need for an interim solution. The representative of the United Kingdom recommended patience in dealing with modified alphabets and other scripts, and pointed out that various bodies, including ISO, were dealing with those topics.
National gazetteers (item 6 (e))
135. An update was provided on the data-compilation and gazetteer programme of the United States of America (see E/CONF.85/L.30). It was indicated that approximately 75 per cent of the 25-year project had been completed, and it was estimated that the project would take a further 10 years. The period of compilation was about three to four years per state, and a map showing the status of compilation of each state gazetteer was provided. States in active compilation could add thousands of records to the database on a monthly basis. The publication of conventional gazetteers was a slow process and generally required about 10 months of editing and processing.
136. Germany reported (E/CONF.85/L.94) that the gazetteer of the Federal Republic of Germany had been published in 1981. A supplementary volume to cover the former German Democratic Republic was in preparation and would be published in 1993. A corresponding data file was being prepared simultaneously. The completed data file of Germany would allow the derivation of a concise gazetteer.
137. The United States of America submitted a paper (W.P. 9) to describe its publication of foreign gazetteers since the Fifth Conference. These gazetteers were generally based on 1:250,000-scale mapping and the categories of information were mainly locative. There were two approaches to gazetteer revision: either a total or a limited revision, based on a survey of source materials. Participants were informed of the increase in revision of gazetteers covering some Latin American countries, in response to the need for information in the anti-drug field. A revised gazetteer of undersea feature names had also been published. It was stated that the inclusion in foreign gazetteers of pronunciation guides was not practical, but that spelling was of paramount importance.
138. In congratulating the United States of America for the production of the Gazetteer of South Africa, South Africa offered to collaborate on future volumes of such a gazetteer, particularly in dealing with orthographical problems related to the country.
Other publications (item 6 (f))
139. Austria presented a paper (E/CONF.85/L.17), containing the introduction to the Comparative Multilingual Gazetteer of the Geographical Names of the Danubian Countries, which was itself the index to the Atlas of the Danubian Countries and formed the basis for the data file described in document E/CONF.85/L.15 (see para. 124 above). In response to an inquiry from Czechoslovakia, it was stated that because the atlas had been published many years ago, the transliteration systems were those of ISO 1967 for the Cyrillic script alphabets and ISO 1963 for the Greek alphabet. Therefore, these transliteration systems differed from the newer romanization systems, GOST 1983 and ELOT 793, which were sanctioned by the United Nations.
140. Romania introduced a paper (E/CONF.85/L.20) describing the national gazetteer of geographical names, which was based on a map scale of 1:500,000 and published in accordance with resolutions of United Nations conferences. The gazetteer was divided into four sections. The first contained the names of departments with their short forms and principal towns; the second and the third contained municipality names with their geographical coordinates; and the fourth contained physical feature names with geographical coordinates. The procedures followed in the drafting of the gazetteer were to be found in the toponymic guidelines of Romania.
141. Canada presented a paper (E/CONF.85/L.53) prepared by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, and provided an illustrated page from the forthcoming dictionary of geographical names in Quebec. The dictionary detailed cultural and historical information for some 6,000 names, and was to be published in 1993 with maps and illustrations.
142. Thailand presented a paper entitled "A list of country names and their capitals" (W.P. 32). The delegation of China requested that "Taiwan", which was included in the list of country names of both Thailand (W.P. 32) and Greece (W.P. 30) be deleted. The representative of the United Kingdom suggested that the country name "Republic of Macedonia" should also be deleted from Thailand's list. Speaking on behalf of the European Community, he said that the European Council supported the view of the European Community that such recognition would be conferred only if the boundaries of the new Republic remained the same as those of the former province within Yugoslavia, as they were currently, and if the name did not include the term "Macedonia". The representative of Greece spoke in support of the statement made by the representative of the United Kingdom.
Terminology in the standardization of geographical names (item 7)
143. Israel submitted the report of the Working Group on Terminology of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, which outlined the history of the Working Group and presented the new version (1.2) of the Glossary of toponymic terminology (E/CONF.85/CRP.1), stressing the importance of adhering to the time-frame. It was indicated that comments received before the 31 January 1992 deadline had been evaluated and processed accordingly. It was proposed that the Conference accept the Glossary and present it to the United Nations for translation into the other official languages of the United Nations. Appropriate members of the Working Group should be appointed by the Group of Experts to coordinate the translation into those languages.
144. The representative of the United States of America inquired about the extent of collaboration by United Nations terminology services in the preparation of the document, and whether there had been any duplication of effort by the two bodies. He was informed that the Working Group was autonomous, but that the United Nations would be involved in the production of the glossary.
145. It was reported on behalf of the Terminology Committee of the Place-Name Survey of the United States (PLANSUS) (see E/CONF.85/L.27) that PLANSUS would await publication of the United Nations Glossary, in order to avoid any duplication of effort or discrepancies in the production of its own dictionary of toponymic terms. The United States and Canada were of the opinion that any glossary prepared by PLANSUS should be specialized and aimed at the research community.
146. Hungary presented a paper (E/CONF.85/L.70), containing remarks on definitions. As these were based on the previous version of the glossary, published in May 1991, several terms had already been corrected. Czechoslovakia supported the corrections of some terms, as mentioned in the paper. The representative of Israel thought it necessary to add the term "minority name". The new glossary had been used for both lectures and exercises at the recent training course held in Pretoria, South Africa.
147. The United States of America presented a paper (W.P. 19) on linguistic terminology in toponymy, and emphasized that approximately one third of the terms in the glossary were derived from the science of linguistics. It was felt that terminology was needed for the purposes of communication, and it was recommended that definitions be explicit, objective and succinct. The representative of the United States elaborated on the high level of interrelationship of terms, and highlighted the consequent danger of arbitrary additions, deletions and modifications by providing several examples.
Action taken by the Conference
148. The Conference adopted four resolutions (see chap. III below, resolutions 8-11).
D. Committee III: international programmes
Features beyond a single sovereignty (item 10)
Policies, procedures and cooperative arrangements (item 10 (a))
149. Canada presented a Document of Understanding between the United States of America and Canada (E/CONF.85/L.54) on the treatment of names of cross-border features. The Document, which had taken several years to formulate, emphasized the cooperation between the two national names boards and recognized the important role played by the International Boundary Commission of the United States of America and Canada, particularly in the updating of border maps. Appendix A to the Document provided guidance to staff on the treatment of transboundary names.
150. The representative of El Salvador requested details of the procedures followed by the United States of America and Canada, which might provide helpful guidelines for the second edition of his country's geographical dictionary.
Features common to two or more nations (item 10 (b))
151. The representative of the Republic of Korea made a statement concerning the history of the naming of the sea to the east of his country. It was known in Korea as Tong-Hae (East Sea), but was often referred to by others as the Sea of Japan. He requested that a name or names acceptable to the parties concerned be determined through consultation, in accordance with relevant resolutions of the Conferences. The representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea expressed his country's willingness to consult and negotiate on this matter with other parties concerned. The representative of Japan said that the name "Sea of Japan" had already been accepted world wide and that the introduction of other names would cause confusion and would not be in line with the aim of standardization. It was suggested that the relevant parties consult each other.
Maritime features (item 10 (c))
152. This subject was not considered by the Conference.
Undersea features (item 10 (d))
153. The representative of Norway informed the Conference of the trend in procedures of companies naming oil fields in Norwegian waters. The names used were often not ordinary undersea feature names, and Norway was of the opinion that that trend should be discouraged. The representative of the United Kingdom agreed with the Norwegian representative in principle, but stated that, generally speaking, by the time the name of an oil field was published it was already too late to change it.
Antarctic place-names (item 10 (e))
154. Germany presented a paper (W.P. 38) which drew attention to the existence of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and outlined the programmes of its Working Group on Geodesy and Geographic Information. Details were provided on the terms of reference of the Antarctic Place-Names Programme. Member countries advocated cooperation between SCAR and the Group of Experts.
155. The representative of Norway referred to the problem of naming places in the Norwegian dependencies in Antarctica and outlined three possible solutions in dealing with foreign names in that area: (a) complete translation of the name; (b) translation of the generic element only or (c) leaving the specific and generic elements as found, provided they were in Roman script. The guidelines followed by Norway in naming Antarctic features were explained.
156. The United States of America presented a paper (W.P. 10) which detailed United States Board on Geographic Names programmes on names in Antarctica. Examples of close cooperation with other organizations were cited, such as the United States National Science Foundation and the British Antarctic Place-Names Committee. Attention was drawn to the publication in 1988 of a gazetteer of approximately 15,000 names (approved and variant), and to the detailed procedures followed when dealing with foreign names in the area.
Writing systems and guides to pronunciation (item 11)
Romanization (item 11 (a))
157. Thailand presented a paper on the transliteration of Thai (E/CONF.85/L.80) and another on the revised transcription of Thai (E/CONF.85/L.81). A paper on the proposed transliteration of Thai had been presented for information to the Fifth United Nations Conference and to the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names at its fifteenth session, and had been adopted in 1992 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as a Draft International Standard. The system was a two-way conversion which ignored the problem of pronunciation, and its objective was to provide a means of electronic communication. The aim of the revised transcription system was to facilitate the pronunciation of Thai names by foreigners. The existing system had been applied to all geographical names throughout Thailand since 1967.
158. The Convenor of the Working Group on Romanization Systems of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names introduced his report (W.P. 11). He inquired which of the two Thai systems was to be considered for adoption, and reminded the Conference that evidence of implementation of a romanization system by the donor country was necessary.
159. The Convenor asked for information on the use of the ELOT 743 system in Greek products, of the GOST 1983 system in Russian products, and on the status of the system for Korean being jointly devised by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea. The newly independent States of the former Soviet Union were invited to participate in the work of the Group of Experts and to comment on the status of their national languages and scripts.
160. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea presented a paper on the romanization of Korean (W.P. 46) as a basis for joint discussion by his country and the Republic of Korea. At its fourteenth session in 1989, the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names had recommended that such guidelines be drawn up, and it was unfortunate that no meeting between the two countries had taken place. The representative of the Republic of Korea recalled that his country had already submitted guidelines for the romanization of Korean to the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, in 1987, and he expressed the hope that some conclusion could be reached through consultations based on both his country's guidelines and those of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Conversion into non-Roman writing systems, and writing
of names in unwritten languages (items 11 (b) and (c))
161. This subject was not considered by the Conference.
Research and experiments in assisting
in name pronunciation (item 11 (d))
162. France presented a paper (E/CONF.85/L.35) which described the work undertaken by the Institut géographique national and the local Topographic Service in the revision of 1:50,000-scale maps of New Caledonia. The revision showed that old maps, dating from 1955 and 1956, contained toponymic errors as well as large expanses devoid of names. Two major difficulties had been encountered in the work of the Topographic Service: the great diversity of languages and dialects, and the lack of a single standardized writing system. A writing system had been devised, but not all phonetic variants in the field had been taken into account, as it had often been difficult to determine their relevance. The revision of the mapping had been important for the local population since it had helped to safeguard the oral tradition and heritage.
Toponymic education and practice and
international cooperation (item 12)
Existing education and practice (item 12 (a))
163. The United States of America presented a syllabus for automated data-processing (ADP) technology (E/CONF.85/L.28). Its representative outlined an ADP training module in courses sponsored by PAIGH, and noted that the module was included in three of those four courses. Special training in data collection, office processing and data entry was included. Emphasis was laid on the need to begin the module with the subject of terminology, in order to familiarize students with language that they would encounter during the course. The instructor often benefited as much as the students and, as a result, the course was continually being improved.
164. The representative of El Salvador reported that the courses on geographical names sponsored by PAIGH had contributed to the study of toponymy in El Salvador, and he proposed that the syllabuses and reports of all training courses should be disseminated.
Training courses in toponymy (item 12 (b))
165. Canada reported (see E/CONF.85/L.55), on the toponymic training course held in Quebec in August 1988. The course, designed for qualified technicians who worked in national cartographic or toponymic fields, was organized by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, primarily for representatives of French-speaking countries, and it included a variety of lectures, practical exercises, demonstrations and fieldwork. The course covered all aspects of names treatment, including the standardization and maintenance of names records in a digital environment. Suggestions on the content of future courses were made by participants.
166. Canada also presented a paper (E/CONF.85/L.56), which contained a list of papers gathered by Canada as a suggested "training kit". The papers, written in English but based on material presented in Quebec in 1988, provided material on subjects ranging from the role of national toponymic authorities to place-naming in a bilingual context. In order to reduce publication costs, the papers had been photocopied and spiral-bound, rather than printed.
167. The representative of Ireland expressed concern at the lack of advance notice of such courses and suggested that formal notification be provided, if necessary to individual foreign ministries, in order to heighten national awareness of toponymic training courses. The representative of Israel suggested that the UNGEGN Newsletter was one possible instrument for providing notification of such courses and publicizing them.
168. The representative of Mexico referred to his country's intention to modernize its training system, and said that the material gathered from courses discussed at the present Conference would be helpful in planning national training courses.
169. The representative of the Netherlands presented the report of the Temporary Convenor of the Working Group on Toponymy Courses of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (E/CONF.85/L.87). He mentioned the courses sponsored by the Group Experts and by PAIGH, and thanked Canada for providing training kits. He made a plea, echoed by the Chairman, for more funds from the United Nations to continue and to improve training courses, and expressed his opposition to the idea of standardizing such courses. He said that the courses should be adaptable in order to address the particular needs and problems of the country concerned.
170. The representative of Norway agreed, and stated that courses should be flexible and designed for different levels to suit different purposes.
171. The representative of Ukraine asked that the newly independent countries of the former Soviet Union be notified of and invited to attend future training courses.
172. The Netherlands reported (E/CONF.85/L.86) on the training course held in Pretoria, South Africa, in June and July 1992. Forty participants from Namibia, Botswana and South Africa had attended. The mother tongue of half of the participants was an African language. Two major decisions had resulted from the training course: to establish a southern African geographical names dictionary unit and to begin a southern African place-name survey. Perhaps too little attention had been paid to the question of funding toponymic activities, a subject which should be included as a possible topic in future training courses.
173. Israel introduced a paper (W.P. 31) which outlined the innovations of the Pretoria training course. Attention was drawn to the structure of the course, which had been organized in nine daily modules. These modules provided an overview of the subject of geographical names, both in theory and practice, paying special attention to African languages. The main innovations had been the actual operating of a digital toponymic database and processing of data by participants, as well as research in toponymy and wider treatment of cartography. Israel presented a series of slides on different aspects of the course in Pretoria.
174. There followed a discussion evaluating the content and success of the course held in South Africa. There had been positive feedback from participants, which had led to plans for a fieldwork training course in the region in the near future. An important element of the course in Pretoria had been the successful introduction of automation to the participants.
175. The representative of New Zealand remarked that papers and practical exercises from training courses were extremely valuable, and hoped that the proceedings of the course held in South Africa would be made available. This prompted discussion on the publication and dissemination of the findings and reports of the course.
176. The representative of the Netherlands mentioned difficulties in finding sponsorship for the editing, printing and distribution of the proceedings of the previous training course in Indonesia (1989). The representative of South Africa said that related costs incurred by the Pretoria course had been partially covered by the attendance fee, by the University of Pretoria, and by sponsorships. The documentation would also be offered for purchase to as wide a readership as possible. Israel suggested that a resolution be tabled asking the United Nations to help finance and produce these reports; the Conference agreed.
Exchange of advice and information and exchange
of personnel (items 12 (c) and (d))
177. This subject was not considered by the Conference.
Technical assistance (item 12 (e))
178. The representative of the United Kingdom presented two documents (E/CONF.85/L.32 and W.P. 25) and expressed the opinion that, given the present-day power and availability of microprocessors and personal computers, the transfer of technology to those countries requesting assistance in their toponymic activities posed fewer problems than the transfer of knowledge in dealing with the names themselves. As the quality of the names needed to populate a database depended heavily on the quality and consistency of both the names as given in the writing system used and the romanization system where such a system was employed, experience in a production rather than a classroom environment was vital.
179. Canada presented a paper (E/CONF.85/L.57) as the basis for a discussion on the subject of technical assistance in developing national geographical names standardization programmes. The representative thanked the United States of America for its help in drafting the document, outlined the basic rationale for names standardization procedures and invited input from delegations to develop the document further, in order to elaborate an outline of possible steps to follow in providing technical assistance.
Cooperation with international organizations (item 12 (f))
180. The representative of the Netherlands introduced a paper (E/CONF.85/L.88) on coordination between the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names and other organizations, and a draft brochure on the work of the Group of Experts for distribution to those organizations. The brochure had been written in response to various requests and had been prompted by many misconceptions about the work of the Group which had become apparent during the International Cartographic Association Conference held in Bournemouth, United Kingdom, in 1991. Comments had been invited on the content of the brochure, and publication of a revised edition was expected shortly.
181. The Chairman informed the Conference of coordination between the Group of Experts and the International Committee on Onomastic Sciences (ICOS), the congress of which had been hosted by Finland, and of the new liaison established between the Chairman of the Group and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
182. The liaison officer for the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) introduced a report (W.P. 12) which supplemented a statement made at the fifteenth session of the Group of Experts in 1991. He spoke of the continuing collaboration between IOC and IHO on charts of world oceans that depicted undersea features and their names. The specifications for these charts were decided by Member States. The liaison officer outlined the role of the Subcommittee on Geographical Names and Ocean Bottom Features (SGN) and drew attention to the format of a gazetteer produced by that body.
183. In response to questions, the liaison officer stated that there were principles emerging on the prerogative of maritime nations to name features within their exclusive economic zones.
Cooperation with public information media (item 12 (g))
184. Canada presented three examples of brochures which might be useful to other bodies. One (W.P. 34) consisted of publicity material for the CPCGN, and was aimed at heightening awareness in Canada of the existence of a standardizing mechanism for geographical names. Another (W.P. 44) had initially been formulated in response to the many queries received by the CPCGN on the attribution of new names to features in that country. The third had been dealt with under agenda item 5 (d) (see para. 90 above).
Cooperation with national and international
agencies and other bodies (item 12 (h))
185. The representative of the United States reported (W.P. 18) on the work of PAIGH carried out since the Fifth Conference. Four two-week courses in names standardization had been held in Latin America under the auspices of PAIGH, and a fifth was planned for later in 1992 in Brazil. Attention was drawn to the syllabus of the course and the Conference was informed that an effort had been made to ensure that the course content was appropriate for the country concerned.
186. The representative of Mexico confirmed that the PAIGH course held in Mexico had been a success, and spoke of the regionalization of toponymic activity through the establishment of 10 offices in Mexico.
187. The representative of Venezuela stated that the establishment of his country's Comisión Nacional de Nombres Geográficos in April 1992 had been a positive result of PAIGH courses.
188. The representative of El Salvador informed the Conference that a committee for names standardization was being established in El Salvador. Field classification of names was being updated by automation as a result of knowledge gained from PAIGH courses.
189. The representative of Brazil assured the Conference of his country's intention to contribute to the success of the Fifth PAIGH course, to be held in Brazil in 1992.
190. The representative of Botswana reported on the difficulties met by the Botswana Place Names Commission (PNC) in respect of its authority, permanence and legal status. It was hoped that the international contact initiated by attendance at both the Pretoria course and the present Conference would do much to improve the attitude of the authorities and the public of Botswana to the PNC, and thus enhance its work. The representative of Guinea spoke of similar problems and called for the broadest possible circulation of documentation produced by training courses.
Action taken by the Conference
191. The Conference adopted two resolutions (see chap. III below, resolutions 12 and 13).
Chapter III
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE
1. Creation of an Africa South Division, a Baltic Division and
an Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia Division
The Conference,
Considering that the composition of the linguistic/geographical divisions should enhance the work of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names,
Recommends the creation of the following new linguistic/geographical divisions, to be called:
Africa South Division;
Baltic Division;
Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia Division.
2. Reactivation of the Latin America Division
The Conference,
Considering that the linguistic/geographical division of Latin America was not represented at the Sixth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names,
Recommends that the countries of Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and Venezuela reactivate this division, initially composed of those six countries, but later strengthened by the participation of all the countries of Latin America.
3. Statement of the aims and functions of the United
Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names
The Conference,
Noting that in resolution 4, the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names 1/ recommended that a Working Group be established to evaluate the activities of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names,
1/ Fifth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, Montreal, 18-31 August 1987, vol. I, Report of the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.88.I.7), chap. III.
Recalling the statute of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, 2/ which contained the aims and functions of the Group, 3/
Noting that the Working Group has prepared a revised version 4/ of the aims and functions of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names designed to give the Group of Experts a more active role,
Considering that the revision of the statute of the Group of Experts proposed by the Working Group is an initial step towards improving the functioning of the Group of Experts,
Recommends the adoption of the aims and functions of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, as revised by the Working Group.
4. Working Group on Evaluation
The Conference,
Noting that the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names established a Working Group to evaluate the activities of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, including a review of resolutions adopted at the five United Nations conferences on the standardization of geographical names,
1. Compliments the Working Group on Evaluation on the completion of its task and acknowledges its disbandment;
2. Endorses the recommendations of the Working Group on Evaluation regarding:
(a) The actions covered by the revised aims and functions of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (resolution 3);
(b) The classification of conference resolutions according to their relevance to the work of the Group of Experts;
(c) The need for the Secretariat to maintain a list of national geographical names authorities;
(d) The need to request oral presentation of only the summaries of written reports of countries and divisions, at United Nations conferences on the standardization of geographical names;
(e) The need to promote national and divisional activities.
2/ Ibid., annex V.
3/ Ibid., sects. I and III.
4/ Working Paper No. 50.
5. Working Group on Publicity and Funding
The Conference,
Noting the need to increase the interest of the international community in the standardization of geographical names,
Noting also that there is a lack of dissemination of information, of both a popular and a professional nature, on current work, past achievements and benefits derived from standardization,
Noting further that this lack of publicity material stems from, among other reasons, a lack of funds,
Noting the need for funding for the activities of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names,
1. Recommends the establishment of a Working Group on Publicity and Funding within the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, to work in close cooperation with the United Nations Secretariat;
2. Also recommends that the Working Group investigate methods and means of ensuring that adequate funds be allocated to the activities of the Group of Experts.
6. Seventh United Nations Conference on the
Standardization of Geographical Names
The Conference,
Noting the positive results of the work accomplished on the standardization of geographical names at both the national and international levels by States Members of the United Nations,
Noting also the essential role played by the present Conference in the coordination of those efforts,
Recognizing the necessity of continuing this important work,
1. Expresses its appreciation to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for its offer to act as host for the Seventh United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names;
2. Recommends to the Economic and Social Council that the Seventh United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names be convened in the Islamic Republic of Iran in the second half of 1997.
7. Toponymic guidelines for map and other editors
The Conference,
Noting with appreciation the increasing number of countries preparing toponymic guidelines for map and other editors,
Considering that wider dissemination of these toponymic guidelines is essential to maximize their usefulness,
Recommends:
(a) That toponymic guidelines be issued in combined volumes, in at least one of the working languages of the United Nations,
(b) that provision be made to issue the guidelines, in the World Cartography bulletin.
8. Information from countries regarding
changes in geographical names
The Conference,
Bearing in mind the political changes which have occurred in the world during recent years and which have a direct bearing on geographical names,
Recommends that wherever possible, every six months countries transmit information regarding changes in geographical names to the Secretary of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names in order to enable the Secretariat to disseminate that information through the UNGEGN Newsletter or any other relevant publication, at its convenience.
9. Recognition of national standardization
The Conference,
Recognizing the cultural and historical significance of geographical names,
Aware of the sensitivity to deliberate changing of geographical names, which could lead to the loss of cultural and historical heritage,
1. Discourages the unauthorized changing of geographical names that have already been established by a legally constituted entity and are nationally recognized,
2. Endorses and reaffirms resolution 16 of the Third United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, 5/ in which it was emphasized that geographical names given and/or standardized by a body other than that nationally authorized, should not be recognized by the United Nations.
10. List of country names
The Conference,
Recalling that the Working Group on Country Names of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names submitted to the Group of Experts at its twelfth session, in implementation of resolution 6 of the Third United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names 5/ and resolution 10 of
5/ Third United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, Athens, 17 August-7 September 1977, vol. I, Report of the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.79.I.4), chap. III.
the Fourth Conference, 6/ a list of country names in the official language(s) of each country.
Noting that, in the case of languages not written in the Roman alphabet, names should be accompanied by their romanized version through a romanization system recognized by the United Nations, or, in the absence of such a recognized system, through any other romanization system,
Noting also that the names of the countries in the six official languages of the United nations were compiled with the assistance of the United Nations Documentation Reference and Terminology Section,
Noting further that the Documentation, Reference and Terminology Section issues and regularly updates a list of country names in the six official languages of the United Nations, but that the list of country names in the official language(s) of each country that is recognized by the United Nations is not disseminated or updated,
Recalling resolution 11 of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, 6/
Recommends that a list of country names in their official language(s) be established and regularly updated.
11. Glossary of Toponymic Terminology
The Conference,
Noting that a new glossary has been prepared by the Working Group on Toponymic Terminology, as recommended by the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names at its fifteenth session,
Noting further that, in accordance with the same recommendation, the glossary was compiled, in the first stage, in English only,
Recognizing that, to achieve maximum effect in the standardization of geographical names at national and international levels, the glossary should be available to as wide a readership as possible,
1. Recommends:
(a) That the Working Group on Toponymic Terminology be asked to continue to function, with the aim of producing a multilingual dictionary of toponymic terminology to include the remaining five official languages of the United Nations;
(b) That the United Nations Secretariat be asked to supply, within an agreed time-frame and within existing resources, a translation of the new Glossary from English into each of the other five official languages of the United Nations;
6/ Fourth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, Geneva, 24 August-14 September 1982, vol. I, Report of the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.83.I.7), chap. III.
2. Recommends further that the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, at its sixteenth session, appoint one or more experts to the Working Group to coordinate and be responsible for the translation into each of these languages;
3. Recommends also that the Working Group on Toponymic Terminology be asked to review the glossary periodically and update it as necessary.
12. Liaison with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
The Conference,
Recalling the existing statute (1987, revised 1992) parts I (b), and III (h), of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, by which information on the work of national and international bodies on the standardization of geographical names is to be collected, and by which liaison with other international organizations dealing with related subjects is to be maintained,
Aware that the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, as a scientific advisory body to the Antarctic Treaty System, has a Working Group on Geodesy and Geographic Information, which is responsible for collating geographical names in the Antarctic,
Noting that the Group of Experts needs to be adequately informed of the naming activity taking place in the Antarctic,
Recommends that the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names:
(a) Recognize the working procedures on Antarctic place-names being established by the Working Group on Geodesy and Geographic Information of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research;
(b) Establish liaison with the Committee with a view to establishing communication between the two bodies, the Committee to submit periodically to the Group of Experts a written report on relevant Committee activities;
13. Training courses
The Conference,
Considering that there is still a major lack of experience in developing countries in the field of toponymy,
Noting the great interest those countries have expressed in receiving technical assistance,
Recalling resolution 21 on education and training, adopted by the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, 7/
7/ Fifth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, Montreal, 18-31 August 1987, vol. I, Report of the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.88.I.7), chap. III.
Recognizing the positive impact of the training courses held between 1987 and 1992 in Canada, four Latin American countries, Indonesia and South Africa,
Bearing in mind the substantial financial help offered by various Governments,
Recommends that seminars and training courses on applied toponymy for participants from developing countries be financially assisted by the United Nations and be organized by the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names or other qualified experts.
14. Vote of thanks
The Conference
1. Expresses its thanks to the United Nations Secretariat for its support and its excellent services, without which the Conference could not have completed its business on time;
2. Expresses its appreciation to the Government of the United States of America for the generous hospitality extended to participants through the United States Board on Geographic Names;
3. Expresses its gratitude to the President of the Conference for his leadership and the excellent manner in which he looked after the welfare of participants;
4. Expresses its thanks to the officers of the Conference and to the officers and staff of the United Nations, including the interpreters and translators, for their hard and dedicated work.
Annex I
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
A. States Members of the United Nations
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Representative
Mr. John W. ASHE, Counsellor
ARGENTINA
Representatives
Mr. Ernesto Martinez GONDRA, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Argentina to the United Nations
Mr. Alehandro NIETO, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Argentina to the United Nations
AUSTRALIA
Representatives
Mr. Edwin HYDE, Chief Surveyor, Land Information Office, Department of the Environment, Land and Planning, Australian Capital Territory Government
Col. Simon LEMON, Director, Australian Army Survey Corps, Australian Defence Force
AUSTRIA
Representative
Mr. Helmut DESOYE, Head, Board on Geographical Names of the Austrian Cartographic Commission, Austrian Geographic Society
AZERBAIJAN
Representative
Mr. Adyl SULTANOV, Head, State Committee on Geodesy and Cartography
BAHRAIN
Representative
Mr. Muhammad Ahmed ABDULLA, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of Bahrain
BOTSWANA
Representatives
Mr. B. B. H. MOREBODI, Director, Department of Surveys and Lands and Chairman, Botswana Place Names Commission
Mr. Oscar MOTSWAGAE, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Botswana to the United Nations
BRAZIL
Representative
Mr. Edgar Telles RIBEIRO, Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations
Alternates
Mr. Ronaldo COSTA FILHO, Secretary of Embassy, Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations
Ms. Sonia Luiza TERRON, Head, Division of Territorial Registry, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
Representatives
Mr. Pengiran Haji Matusin bin Pengiran Haji MATASAN, Deputy Surveyor-General, Survey Department, Ministry of Development
Mr. Zainuddin bin Haji Mohd NOOR, Chief Technical Assistant, Survey Department, Ministry of Development
CAMEROON
Représantants
M. Lazare MPOUEL BALA, Chargé de Mission, Présidence de la République du Cameroun
M. M. ALIOU MOUSSA, Deuxième Conseiller, Mission Permanente de la République du Cameroun auprès des Nations Unies
CANADA
Representatives
Ms. Helen KERFOOT, Executive Secretary, Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names
Mr. M. André LAPIERRE, Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics, University of Ottawa and member, Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names
Mme. Jocelyne REVIE, Senior Toponymist, Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names Secretariat
CHINA
Head of delegation
Mr. WANG Jitong, Deputy Director, Department of Administrative Division and Geographical Names Management, Ministry of Civil Affairs
Representatives
Mrs. ZHUO Wen, First Secretary, Department of Treaty and Law, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mr. DU Xiangming, Director, Research Institute of Toponymy, National Bureau of Surveying and Mapping
Mr. ZHUO, Dingguo, Division Chief of Foreign Names, Department of Administrative Division and Geographical Names Management, Ministry of Civil Affairs
Expert
Ms. LI Yanduan, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations
CYPRUS
Representatives
Mr. Patroklos STAVROU, President, Cyprus Permanent Committee for the Standardization of Geographical Names
Mr. Andreas KOTSONIS, Director, Department of Lands and Surveys
Mr. Menelaos CHRISTODOULOU, Cyprus Research Centre, Ministry of Education
Advisers
Mr. Petros EFTYCHIOU, Counsellor, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Cyprus to the United Nations
Mr. Michalis STAVRINOS, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Cyprus to the United Nations
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Representative
Mr. Imrich HORNANSKY, President, Slovak Office of Geodesy and Cartography
DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Representative
Mr. HO Jong, Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the United Nations
Alternates
Mr. LIM Jong Gag, Expert, Geodesic Department, National Bureau of Surveying and Cartography
Mr. KIM Jae Song, Expert, National Group on the Standardization of Geographical Names
Mr. KIM Mun Dok, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the United Nations
DENMARK
Representative
Ms. Birte Laulund Hjorth PEDERSEN, Assistant Professor, Institute of Onomastics, University of Copenhagen
EGYPT
Representative
Ms. Dawlat MASSAN, Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations
EL SALVADOR
Representantes
Sr. Reynaldo Antonio MEDINA GUZMAN, Organizar y Evaluar en Relación a los nombres Geográficos
Sr. Enrique DE LA O LEMUS, Organizar y Evaluar en Relación a los nombres Geográficos
ESTONIA
Representative
Mr. Mart RANNUT, Director General, National Language Board
Alternates
Mr. Peeter PALL, Institute of Language and Literature
Mr. Heino AINSO, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Estonia to the United Nations
Mr. Aarand ROSS, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Estonia to the United Nations
FINLAND
Representative
Ms. Eeva-Maria NARHI, Head, Onomastic Division, Finnish Research Centre for Domestic Languages
FRANCE
Représentants
Mr. Philippe BOIN, Attaché financier, Mission Permanente de la France auprès des Nations Unies
Mme. Sylvie LEJEUNE, Secrétaire, Commission de toponymie, Institut géographique national
M. Michel BACCHUS, Ingénieur en chef géographe, Institut géographique national
GERMANY
Representatives
Mr. Michael BIONTINO, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations
Mr. Jorn SIEVERS, Institut für Angewandte Geodäsie, Frankfurt am Main
Lt. Col. Dr. Karl-August SEEL, Amt für Militarisches Geowesen, Euskirchen
GREECE
Head of delegation
Mr. Ioannis THEOPHANOPOULOS, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Representative
Mr. Emmanouil GOUNARIS, Counsellor and Expert, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Alternates
Mr. Titos GIOCHALAS, Athens Academy
Lt. Col. Antonios ZISOU, Geographic Department, Ministry of Defence
Cmdr. Athanasios PALLIKARIS, Hydrographic Service, Greek Navy, Ministry of Defence
GUINEA
Représentants
M. Abdoul Goudoussi DIALLO, Doyen, Faculté des lettres et des sciences humaines, Université de Conakry
Mme. Aminatou DIALLO, Directrice, Institut géographique national
HOLY SEE
Observers
H.E. Archbishop Renato R. MARTINO, observer
Fr. Frank DEWANE, observer
Mr. Stephen NORRIS, observer
HUNGARY
Representatives
Mr. Bela POKOLY, Senior Official, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Lands and Mapping
Mr. Zoltan SZEDLACSKO, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Hungary to the United Nations
INDONESIA
Representative
Mrs. Saodah B. A. SYAHRUDDIN, Chargé d'Affaires, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations
Alternates
Mr. Makarim WIBISONO, Minister Counsellor, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations
Mr. Resi G. PRASODJO, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations
Mr. Budi BOWOLEKSONO, Third Secretary, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations
IRAN (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF)
Representative
Mr. Hamid MALMIRIAN, Director General, National Geographical Organization
Alternate
Mr. Mohammad Esmaeil NOURIAN, Director, Department of Frontiers' Affairs and Acquisition, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Advisers
Mr. Mehdi Modiri KHALILABADI, Deputy Director, National Geographic Association
Mr. Javad SHAHMIRI, Counsellor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Mehrdad Mohammad MOHSENEIN, First Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Nasser MOHAMMADI, Director, Geographic Information Department, National Geographic Organization
Mr. Soleyman ROSHANGHIAS, National Geographic Organization
IRELAND
Representative
Mr. Art O'MAOLFABHAIL, Chief Placenames Officer, Ordnance Survey Office
ISRAEL
Representatives
Mr. Naftali KADMON, Professor of Cartography, Geography Department, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Mr. Bahij MANSOUR, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations
Ms. Dalia SIGAN, Adviser, Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations
ITALY
Representative
Mr. Guido LENZI, Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations
Alternate
Lt. Col. Marcello BLASI, Ministry of Defence
Expert
Mr. Alessandro TONIOLO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
JAMAICA
Representative
Mr. Lee Roy BULGIN, Director of Surveys, Survey Department
Alternate
Mr. Stennett MCLEAN, Chief Cartographer, Survey Department
JAPAN
Representatives
Mr. Jun'ichi KANEKO, Head, Map Source Material Division, Map Management Department, Geographical Survey Institute
Mr. Hiroharu KOIKE, Minister, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
Mr. Kazuo MINAGAWA, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
JORDAN
Representative
Mr. Hussam MADANAT, Engineer
LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA
Head of delegation
Mr. Ahmed Fawzi Hilall BEN FAID
Representatives
Mr. Abdurrahman M. BEN OMRAN
Mr. Mohamed Saleh Mohamed WAFA, Chief, Cartographic Section, Survey Department
Mr. Nagi A. IBRAHIM
Mr. Sassi GRENAT
LITHUANIA
Representative
Mr. Algimantas GURECKAS, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Lithuania to the United Nations
LUXEMBOURG
Representatives
Mr. S. E. M. Jean FEYDER, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Ms. Anne BASTIAN, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Luxembourg to the United Nations
MALAYSIA
Representative
Mr. Abdul Majid MOHAMAD, Director-General of Survey and Mapping
MALDIVES
Representative
Mr. Ahmed RASHEED, Chargé d'Affaires a.i., Permanent Mission of Maldives to the United Nations
MARSHALL ISLANDS
Representatives
Mr. Carl L. HEINE, Ambassador, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to the United Nations
Mr. Lance LAACK, Adviser, Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to the United Nations
MEXICO
Representante
Sr. Cristobal Morales BEJAR, Jefe Departamento de Clasificación de Campo, Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática
MOROCCO
Représentant
S.E. M. Ahmed SNOUSSI, Ambassadeur, Représentant Permanent, Mission Permanente du Maroc auprès des Nations Unies
Suppléants
M. Abdelhadi TAZI, Directeur, Institut Universitaire de Recherche Scientifique, et Membre, Académie du Royaume du Maroc
M. Abdellatif BELBACHIR, Directeur, Direction de la Conservation Foncière et des Travaux Topographiques
M. Hamid OUZZINE, Chef, Service de Topographie Générale, Direction de la Conservation Foncière et des Travaux Topographiques
M. Mohamed ALAHIAN, Chef, Service de la Documentation Technique, Direction de la Conservation Foncière et des Travaux Topographiques
NAMIBIA
Representative
Mr. George LISWANISO, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Namibia to the United Nations
NETHERLANDS
Representatives
Mr. F. J. ORMELING Sr., former Professor of Cartography at the International Institute for Aerospace, Survey and Earth Sciences
Mr. Peter R. POST, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of the Netherlands to the United Nations
NEW ZEALAND
Representative
Mr. William A. ROBERTSON, Director-General/Surveyor-General, New Zealand Department of Survey and Land Information
NORWAY
Representative
Mr. Botolv HELLELAND, Senior Scientific Officer, University of Oslo
OMAN
Representatives
Mr. Taymour bin Khaliba BIN SAID, Director, National Survey Authority
Mr. Khalid bin Khalifa bin Salim AL-NASRY, Staff Assistant, National Survey Authority
PAKISTAN
Representatives
Mr. Jamsheed K. A. MARKER, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations
Mr. Sher Afgan KHAN, Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations
Mr. Muhammad Haroon SHAUKAT, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations
Ms. Tehmina JANJUA, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations
PORTUGAL
Representative
Ms. Maria de Graca Varela de Sena Magalhaes CALDEIRA, Geographic and Cadastral Institute
QATAR
Representative
Mr. Yousuf EBRAHIM, Civil Engineer, Ministry of Municipal Affairs
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Representative
Mr. Byung Yong SOH, Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations
Alternates
Mr. Gwang Won KANG, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations
Mr. Kie Cheon LEE, Deputy Director, United Nations Division II, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Jae Hong YUH, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations
ROMANIA
Chef de délégation
Gen. Maj. Marian ROTARU, Chef, Direction Topographique Militaire, Ministère de la Défense Nationale
Représentants
M. Gheorghe GHIRILA, Conseiller, Mission Permanente de la Roumanie auprès des Nations Unies
M. Serban DRAGOMIRESCU, Secrétaire Scientifique, Académie Roumaine
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Representative
Mr. S. B. SHESTAKOV, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations
Alternate
Mr. I. I. ROGACHEV, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations
SAUDI ARABIA
Representative
Mr. Assad Soliman ABDO, Professor, Department of Geography, King Saud University, Riyadh
SLOVENIA
Representatives
Mr. Matjaz KOVACIC, Chargé d'Affaires, Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations
Mr. Igor KERSTEIN, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations
SOUTH AFRICA
Representative
Mr. Peter E. RAPER, Onomastic Research Centre, Pretoria
SPAIN
Representante
Sr. José CRUZ ALMEIDA, Jefe, Servicio de Documentación y Comercialización, Madrid
Suplente
Sr. Cesareo SANZ ALONSO, Jefe de Sección, Formación de Cartografía, Madrid
SRI LANKA
Representatives
Mr. T. SOMASEKARAM, Surveyor-General
Mr. K. DAYANADA, Superintendent of Surveys
SWEDEN
Representative
Ms. Ann-Christin MATTISSON, Head, Toponymic Section, National Land Survey
SWITZERLAND
Représentant
M. Ernst SPIESS, Professeur de cartographie, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Zurich
THAILAND
Head of delegation
Maj. Gen. Sanoh KHOOMSANIT, Supreme Command Headquarters, Ministry of Defence
Alternates
Col. Prasong CHINGCHAI, Royal Thai Survey Department, Supreme Command Headquarters, Ministry of Defence
Commander Atcharapan YUTDHARAK, Royal Thai Navy, Academic and Training Section, Plans and Projects Division, Royal Thai Survey Department, Supreme Command Headquarters, Ministry of Defence
TURKEY
Representative
Mr. Metin TUNCEL, Professor of Geography, University of Istanbul
Alternate
Eng. Lt. Cdr. Ali KAPLAN, Department of Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography of the Navy
Mr. Aydin Sefa AKAY, Legal Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations
TURKMENISTAN
Representative
Mr. Amangeldy RAKHMANOV, Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the United Nations
UKRAINE
Head of delegation
Mr. Anatoly L. BONDAR, Head, Department of Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre, Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
Representative
Mr. Olexandr F. MOTSYK, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
Representative
Mr. H. A. G. LEWIS, Chairman, United Kingdom Permanent Committee on Geographical Names
Alternates
Mr. P. G. WOODMAN, Secretary, United Kingdom Permanent Committee on Geographical Names
Ms. Pamela M. OPIE-SMITH, Research Assistant, United Kingdom Permanent Committee on Geographical Names
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Representative
Mr. Richard R. RANDALL, Executive Secretary, United States Board on Geographic Names and Geographer, Defense Mapping Agency
Alternate
Mr. Bradford THOMAS, Chief, Cartography Division, Office of the Geographer, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State
Experts
Mr. Gerd QUINTING, Scientific Linguist, Defense Mapping Agency
Mr. Charles HEYDA, Scientific Linguist, Defense Mapping Agency
Mr. Roger L. PAYNE, Chief, Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey
Mr. David WERT, Office of the Geographer, Department of State
VENEZUELA
Representante
Sra. Rosa GARCIA, Servicio Autónomo de Geografía y Cartografía Nacional, Caracas
YEMEN
Representatives
Mr. Ali HAZAM, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Yemen to the United Nations, and Director of Boundaries
Mr. Ahmed MUTHANA, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Yemen to the United Nations
ZIMBABWE
Representative
Mr. D. S. TEVERA, Chairman, Department of Geography, University of Zimbabwe
B. Observers to the United Nations
PERMANENT OBSERVER MISSION OF PALESTINE TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Mr. Muin SHREIM, Counsellor
C. Specialized agencies
UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION
Mr. Gustavo Lopez OSPINA
Ms. Carmen ZUBA
D. Intergovernmental organizations
DELEGATION OF THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Mr. Dieter KONIG, Deputy Head, Delegation of the Commission of the European Communities to the United Nations
INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION
Mr. Richard R. RANDALL, Executive Secretary, United States Board on Geographic Names
PAN AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
Mr. Richard R. RANDALL, Executive Secretary, United States Board on Geographic Names
INTERNATIONAL HYDROGRAPHIC ORGANIZATION
Mr. Richard R. RANDALL, Executive Secretary, United States Board on Geographic Names
E. Non-governmental organizations
INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR SURVEYS AND MAPPING
Ms. Helen KERFOOT, Executive Secretary, Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names
INTERNATIONAL CARTOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATION
Mr. Joel MORRISON, Past President of the International Cartographic Association, United States Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia
ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CAPITALS AND CITIES
Mr. Ayad HUSSAIN
F. United Nations Secretariat
Department of Conference Services
Mr. Federico RIESCO, Director, Translation Division
Mr. Miklos PINTHER, Chief, Cartographic Unit
Ms. Mora HENSKENS, Liaison Officer
G. Secretariat of the Conference
Representative of the Secretary-General
Mrs. Dunja PASTIZZI-FERENCIC, Director, Science, Technology, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Department of Economic and Social Development
Executive Secretary
Mr. Ousmane GUEYE, Acting Chief, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Branch, Science, Technology, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Department of Economic and Social Development
Deputy Executive Secretaries
Mr. Hans-Knut STABE, Surveying and Mapping Unit, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Branch, Science, Technology, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Department of Economic and Social Development
Mr. Valeri MOSKALENKO, Cartography Unit, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Branch, Science, Technology, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Department of Economic and Social Development
Mr. Goran FEJIC, Office of the Director, Science, Technology, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Department of Economic and Social Development
Advisers to the Secretariat
Mr. Kadri EL-ARABY, Adviser to the Executive Secretary
Mr. Max DE HENSELER, Consultant
Annex II
RULES OF PROCEDURE
Chapter I
REPRESENTATION AND CREDENTIALS
Rule 1
Each State participating in the Conference shall be represented by an accredited representative. If more than one representative is appointed, one of them shall be designated as head of the delegation. Each delegation may also include such alternate representatives, advisers and experts as may be required.
Rule 2
The credentials of representatives, and the names of alternate representatives, advisers and experts shall be submitted to the Executive Secretary, if possible not later than 24 hours after the opening of the Conference. The credentials shall be issued either by the Head of the State or Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Rule 3
A Credentials Committee shall be appointed at the beginning of the Conference. It shall consist of five members who shall be appointed by the Conference on the proposal of the President. It shall examine the credentials of representatives and report without delay.
Rule 4
Pending a decision of the Conference regarding an objection to the participation of a delegation, the latter shall be entitled to participate provisionally in the Conference.
Chapter II
AGENDA
Rule 5
The provisional agenda drawn up by the Secretariat and communicated to the Governments invited to the Conference by the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall form the provisional agenda for the Conference. Any representative of a State participating in the Conference may propose any item for inclusion in the provisional agenda.
Chapter III
OFFICERS
Rule 6
The Conference shall elect a President, three Vice-Presidents, a Rapporteur and an Editor-in-Chief from among the representatives of the States participating in the Conference.
Rule 7
The President shall preside over the plenary meetings of the Conference. He shall not vote but may designate another member of his delegation to vote in his place.
Rule 8
If the President is absent from a meeting or any part thereof, a Vice-President designated by him shall preside. A Vice-President acting as President shall have the same powers and duties as the President.
Chapter IV
SECRETARIAT
Rule 9
The Executive Secretary of the Conference appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall act in that capacity in all meetings of the Conference. He may appoint a deputy to take his place at any meeting.
Rule 10
The Executive Secretary or his representative may at any meeting make either oral or written statements concerning any questions under consideration.
Rule 11
The Executive Secretary shall provide and direct such staff as is required by the Conference. He shall be responsible for making all necessary arrangements for meetings and generally shall perform all other work which the Conference may require.
Chapter V
CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
Rule 12
A majority of the representatives participating in the Conference shall constitute a quorum.
Rule 13
In addition to exercising the powers conferred upon him elsewhere by these rules, the President shall declare the opening and closing of each plenary meeting of the Conference, shall direct the discussion at such meetings, accord the right to speak, put questions to the vote and announce decisions. He shall rule on points of order and, subject to these rules of procedure, shall have complete control over the proceedings.
Rule 14
The President may, in the course of the discussions, propose to the Conference the closure of the list of speakers or the closure of the debate. He may also propose the suspension of or the adjournment of the meeting or the adjournment of the debate on the item under discussion. He may also call a speaker to order if his remarks are not relevant to the matter under discussion.
Rule 15
The President, in the exercise of his functions, remains under the authority of the Conference.
Rule 16
During the discussion on any matter, a representative may at any time raise a point of order, and the point of order shall be immediately decided by the President in accordance with these rules of procedure. A representative may appeal against the ruling of the President. The appeal shall be immediately put to the vote and the President's ruling shall stand unless overruled by a majority of representatives present and voting. A representative may not, in raising a point of order, speak on the substance of the matter under discussion.
Rule 17
During the discussion of any matter, a representative may move the adjournment of the debate on the item under discussion. Any such motion shall have priority. In addition to the proposer of the motion, one representative shall be allowed to speak in favour of, and one representative against, the motion.
Rule 18
During the course of the debate, the President may announce the list of speakers and with the consent of the Conference declare the list closed. The President may, however, accord the right of reply to any representative if, in his opinion, a speech delivered after he has declared the list closed makes this desirable. When the debate on an item is concluded because there are no other speakers, the President shall declare the debate closed. Such closure shall have the same effect as closure by the consent of the Conference.
Rule 19
A representative may at any time move the closure of the debate on the item under discussion, whether or not any other representative has signified his wish to speak. Permission to speak on the closure of debate shall be accorded only to two speakers opposing the closure, after which the motion shall be immediately put to the vote.
Rule 20
The Conference may limit the time allowed for each speaker.
Rule 21
Proposals and amendments shall normally be introduced in writing and handed to the Executive Secretary of the Conference, who shall circulate copies to the delegations. As a general rule, no proposal shall be discussed or put to the vote at any meeting of the Conference unless copies of it have been circulated to all delegations not later that the day preceding the meeting. The President may, however, permit the discussion and consideration of amendments or motions as to procedure even though those amendments or motions have not been circulated or have only been circulated the same day.
Rule 22
A proposal or a motion may be withdrawn by its proposer at any time before voting on it has commenced, provided that the motion has not been amended. A motion which has thus been withdrawn may be reintroduced by any representative.
Rule 23
When a proposal has been adopted or rejected, it may not be considered unless the Conference, by a two thirds majority of the representatives present and voting, so decides. Permission to speak on the motion to reconsider shall be accorded only to two speakers opposing the motion, after which it shall be immediately put to the vote.
Chapter VI
VOTING
Rule 24
Each State represented at the Conference shall have one vote, and the decisions of the Conference shall be made by a majority of the representatives of States participating in the Conference present and voting.
Rule 25
For the purpose of these rules, the phrase "representatives present and voting" means representatives present and casting an affirmative or negative vote. Representatives who abstain from voting shall be considered as not voting.
Rule 26
The Conference shall normally vote by show of hands, but any representative may request a roll-call. A roll-call shall be taken in the English alphabetical order of the names of the delegations at the Conference, beginning with the delegation whose name is drawn by lot by the President.
Rule 27
After the President has announced the beginning of the vote, no representative shall interrupt the vote except on a point of order in connection with the actual conduct of the voting. Explanations of their votes by representatives may, however, be permitted by the President either before or after the voting. The President may limit the time to be allowed for such explanation.
Rule 28
Parts of a proposal shall be voted on separately if a representative requests that the proposal be divided. Those parts of the proposal which have been approved shall then be put to the vote as a whole; if all the operative parts of a proposal have been rejected the proposal shall be considered rejected as a whole.
Rule 29
When an amendment is moved to a proposal, the amendment shall be voted on first. When two or more amendments are moved to a proposal, the Conference shall first vote on the amendment furthest removed in substance from the original proposal and then on the amendment next furthest removed therefrom, and so on, until all the amendments have been put to the vote. When, however, the adoption of one amendment necessarily implies the rejection of another amendment, the latter amendment shall not be put to the vote. If one or more amendments are adopted, the proposal shall then be voted upon. A motion is considered an amendment to a proposal if it merely adds to, deletes from or revises part of that proposal.
Rule 30
If two or more proposals relate to the same question, the Conference shall, unless it decides otherwise, vote on the proposals in the order in which they have been submitted. The Conference may, after each vote on a proposal, decide whether to vote on the next proposal.
Rule 31
All elections shall be decided by secret ballot unless otherwise decided by the Conference.
Rule 32
1. If, when one person or one delegation is to be elected, no candidate obtains the required majority in the first ballot, a second ballot shall be taken, which shall be restricted to the two candidates obtaining the largest number of votes. If, in the second ballot, the votes are equally divided, the President shall decide between the candidates by drawing lots.
2. In the case of a tie in the first ballot among the candidates obtaining the second largest number of votes, a special ballot shall be held for the purpose of reducing the number of candidates to two. In the case of a tie among three or more candidates obtaining the largest number of votes, a second ballot shall be held; if a tie results among more than two candidates, the number shall be reduced to two by lot.
Rule 33
If a vote is equally divided upon matters other than elections, a second vote shall be taken after an adjournment of the meeting for 15 minutes. If this vote also results in equality, the proposal shall be regarded as rejected.
Chapter VII
OFFICIAL AND WORKING LANGUAGES
Rule 34
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish shall be the official languages and English, French and Spanish shall be the working languages of the Conference.
Rule 35
Speeches made in an official language shall be interpreted into the other official languages of the Conference.
Rule 36
Any representative may make a speech in a language other than an official language of the Conference. In this case, he shall himself provide for interpretation into one of the official languages of the Conference.
Chapter VIII
RECORDS
Rule 37
1. There shall be neither verbatim nor summary records of meetings.
2. Sound recording of meetings of the Conference and of any committees shall be made and kept in accordance with the practice of the United Nations.
Chapter IX
PUBLICITY OF MEETINGS
Rule 38
The plenary meetings of the Conference and the meetings of its committees shall be held in public unless the body concerned decides that exceptional circumstances require that a particular meeting be held in private.
Chapter X
COMMITTEES
Rule 39
The Conference may establish such committees as may be necessary for the performance of its functions. Items relating to the same category of subjects shall be referred to the committee dealing with that category of subjects. Committees shall not introduce any item on their own initiative.
Rule 40
Each committee shall elect its own Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Rapporteur.
Rule 41
So far as they are applicable, the rules of procedure of the Conference shall apply to the proceedings of the committees. A committee may dispense with certain language interpretations.
Chapter XI
OTHER PARTICIPANTS AND OBSERVERS
Rule 42
Representatives designated by organizations that have received a standing invitation from the General Assembly to participate in the sessions and work of all international conferences convened under its auspices have the right to participate as observers, without the right to vote, in the deliberations of the Conference and its committees.
Rule 43
Representatives designated by national liberation movements invited to the Conference may participate as observers, without the right to vote, in the deliberations of the Conference and its committees on any matter of particular concern to those movements.
Rule 44
Representatives designated by the specialized agencies a/ may participate, without the right to vote, in the deliberations of the Conference and its committees on questions within the scope of their activities.
Rule 45
Representatives designated by other intergovernmental organizations invited to the Conference may participate as observers, without the right to vote, in the deliberations of the Conference and its committees on questions within the scope of their activities.
Rule 46
1. Non-governmental organizations invited to the Conference may designate representatives to sit as observers at public meetings of the Conference and its committees.
2. Upon the invitation of the presiding officer of the Conference body concerned, and subject to the approval of that body, such observers may make oral statements on questions in which they have special competence.
Rule 47
Written statements submitted by the designated representatives referred to in rules 42 to 46 shall be distributed by the Secretariat to all delegations in the quantities and in the languages in which the statements are made available to the Secretariat for distribution, provided that a statement submitted on behalf of a non-governmental organization is on a subject in which it has a special competence and is related to the work of the Conference.
Chapter XII
AMENDMENTS
Rule 48
These rules of procedures may be amended by a decision of the Conference.
__________
a/ For the purpose of these rules, the term "specialized" includes the International Atomic Energy Agency and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
Annex III
AGENDA
1. Opening of the Conference.
2. Election of the President of the Conference.
3. Organizational matters:
(a) Adoption of the rules of procedure;
(b) Adoption of the agenda;
(c) Election of officers other than the President;
(d) Organization of work;
(e) Credentials of representatives to the Conference.
4. Reports by divisions and Governments on the situation in their regions and countries and on the progress made in the standardization of geographical names since the Fifth Conference.
5. National standardization:
(a) Field collection of names;
(b) Office treatment of names;
(c) Treatment of names in multilingual areas;
(d) Administrative structure of national names authorities;
(e) Toponymic guidelines for map and other editors.
6. Toponymic data files:
(a) Data collection procedures;
(b) Data elements required;
(c) Automated data-processing (ADP) systems;
(d) Compatibility and structure of systems;
(e) National gazetteers;
(f) Other publications.
7. Terminology in the standardization of geographical names.
8. Measures taken and proposed to implement United Nations resolutions on the standardization of geographical names.
9. Exonyms:
(a) Categories and degree of use of exonyms;
(b) Principles in reducing the use of exonyms;
(c) Provisional list of exonyms.
10. Features beyond a single sovereignty:
(a) Policies, procedure and cooperative arrangements;
(b) Features common to two or more nations;
(c) Maritime features;
(d) Undersea features;
(e) Antarctic features.
11. Writing systems and guides to pronunciation:
(a) Romanization;
(b) Conversion into non-Roman writing systems;
(c) Writing of names in unwritten languages.
12. Toponymic education and practice, and international cooperation:
(a) Existing education and practice;
(b) Training courses in toponymy;
(c) Exchange of advice and information;
(d) Exchange of personnel;
(e) Technical assistance;
(f) Cooperation with international organizations;
(g) Cooperation with public information media;
(h) Cooperation with national and international agencies and other bodies.
13. Meetings and conferences:
(a) United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names;
(b) Divisional and interdivisional meetings and programmes;
(c) National names meetings, conferences and symposia;
(d) International names meetings, conferences and symposia.
14. Economic and social benefits of the national and international standardization of geographical names.
15. Adoption of the report of the Conference.
16. Closing of the Conference.
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