5. Working Group on Romanization Systems
Co-Convenors
Mr. Peeter Päll ( Estonia), E-mail: peeter.pall@eki.ee
Ms. Catherine Cheetham (United Kingdom), E-mail: ccheetham@pcgn.org.uk
Mandate
The basic mandate of the Working Group is to consider and reach agreement on a single romanization system for each non-Roman writing system; the systems are for application to geographical names and should be proposed by a (donor) country. The process requires time for full consultations on technical matters between the Working Group, the proposers and potential users. Romanization systems should be based on sound scientific principles and be implemented by the proposing country. New systems are referred to the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names for endorsement and are then passed to ECOSOC for resolution and vote before becoming a United Nations standard.
The Working Group contributed Part one, “Romanization systems for geographical names” to UNGEGN’s Technical reference manual for the standardization of geographical names, published by the United Nations in 2007.
In 2009, the Working Group contributed expertise to assist the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to develop documentation needed for the submission of proposals for new top-level domain names in non-Roman scripts.
Latest reports of the Working Group to UNGEGN
- Eleventh Conference, New York, 2017, E/CONF.105/54/CRP.54
- Report by the Convenor, 30th UNGEGN 2017, W.P.2
- Report by the Convenor, 29th UNGEGN 2016, W.P. 50/11
- Report by the Convenor, 28th UNGEGN 2014, W.P. 8/11
- Tenth Conference, New York, 2012, E/CONF.101/48
- Report by the Convenor, 27th UNGEGN 2012, W.P. 8
- UNGEGN Information Bulletin 42, March 2012
- Report by the Convenor, 26th UNGEGN 2011, W.P. 2
- UNGEGN Information Bulletin 38, March 2010
- Report by the Convenor, 25th UNGEGN 2009, W.P.22
- Ninth Conference, New York, 2007, E/CONF.98/CRP.3
- Ninth Conference, New York, 2007, E/CONF.98/2.Add.1
- UNGEGN Information Bulletin 33, March 2007
- Report by the Convenor, 24th UNGEGN 2007, W.P.8
- UNGEGN Information Bulletin 32, September 2006
- Report by the Convenor, 23rd UNGEGN 2006, W.P.98
- Report by the Convenor, 22nd UNGEGN 2004, W.P.46
- Report by the Convenor, 21st UNGEGN 2002, W.P.3
- United Nations Romanization Systems for Geographical Names- Report on their current status (8th UNCSGN 2002), E/CONF.94/CRP.81. Updates in W.P.48 of the 22nd UNGEGN Session, 2004
- Report of the Working Group on Romanization Systems: activities from January 1998 to May 2002 (8th UNCSGN 2002), E/CONF.94/CRP.80
- Report of the Working Group on Romanization Systems in UNGEGN Newsletter 24, July 2001
- Report of the Working Group on Romanization Systems in UNGEGN Newsletter 23, July 2000
Resolutions on Romanization from recent Conferences
- XI/3. Romanization of Arabic geographical names
- X/6. Romanization of Belarusian geographical names
- X/7. Romanization of Bulgarian geographical names
- X/8. Romanization of Iranian geographical names
- X/9. Romanization of Ukrainian geographical names
- IX/8. Implementation of romanization systems by sponsoring countries
- IX/9. Romanization of Hebrew
Recent meetings of the Working Group
The Working Group has met in conjunction with the Working Group on Country Names in Paris, March 2018; during the 11th United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, New York, August 2017; during the 30th session of UNGEGN, New York, August 2017; in conjunction with the Working Group on Exonyms, Prague, April 2017 and during the 29th Session of UNGEGN, Bangkok, April 2016. More information, including the working papers presented at these and previous meetings, and the meeting reports, can be seen on the Working Group’s website (see below).
Website
The Working Group has its own website at http://www.eki.ee/wgrs/:
- The website contains updated versions of romanization systems (currently 30 approved by the UN with 15 further systems included for information) as presented to the Conferences and in Working Group documents;
- Romanization systems are available for download as pdf and html files.
