UNGEGN Divisions
The Group of Experts is composed of experts from various linguistic/geographical divisions that have been established by the UN Conferences on the Standardization of Geographical Names. Countries decide for themselves the division(s) to which they wish to belong; some belong to more than one division. A division chair is selected within a division and he/she is encouraged to stimulate activities in the standardization of geographical names within the division, through technical meetings, correspondence, etc.
Currently, there are 24 divisions that guide the work of UNGEGN during and between its sessions. Individuals interested in initiating activities are encouraged to consult the UNGEGN Secretariat to find points of contact within their divisions.
Link to Meetings of the Bureau / Divisions
Linguistic/Geographical Divisions
The Group of Experts shall be composed of experts from linguistic/geographical divisions designated by Governments. The Group of Experts shall be supported in its activities by the following linguistic/geographical divisions:
Contact: UNGEGN Secretariat
Africa Central Division
- Angola
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Congo
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
Marlise Sandrine Kouna Binele, Cameroon
Pax Mbuyi Mucici, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Africa East Division
- Botswana
- Burundi
- Djibouti
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Seychelles
- Sudan
- Uganda
- United Republic of Tanzania
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Sophia Muhuri, Kenya
Vacant
Vacant
Africa South Division
- Botswana
- Eswatini
- Lesotho
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- South Africa
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Vacant
Vacant
Africa West Division
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cape Verde
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Liberia
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
Claude Obin Tapsoba, Burkina Faso
Ebrima L. Ceesay, Gambia
Mohamed Hassimiou Fofana, Guinea
Arabic Division
- Algeria
- Bahrain
- Comoros
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Morocco
- Mauritania
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Sudan
- Syrian Arab Republic
- Somalia
- State of Palestine
- Tunisia
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
These countries can be connected through the League of Arab Countries
Muammar Kamel Haddadin, Jordan
Yousef Al Nabhani, Oman
Eman Ahmed Oriby, Egypt
Nabila Licer, Morocco
Ibrahim Al-Zoqrti, Jordan
Website
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Resolutions of the Ninth Arab Conference of Arab Experts on Geographical Names
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List of participants
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Report
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Agenda
Asia East Division (other than China)
- Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
Chair
Akihiko Takagi, Japan
Asia South-East Division
- Bhutan
- Brunei Darussalam
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Vietnam
Chair
Nor Zetty Akhtar Haji Abdul Hamid, Brunei DarussalamAsia South-West Division (other than Arabic)
- Afghanistan
- Azerbaijan
- Cyprus
- Iran (Islamic Republic of)
- Pakistan
- Tajikistan
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
Masoud Shafiei, Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Baltic Division
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Poland
- Russian Federation
Mr. Saulius Urbanas, Lithuania
Ms. Margit Mitt, Estonia
http://www.eki.ee/knn/ungegn/index.htm
Celtic Division
- France
- Ireland
Vacant
Vacant
China Division
Dutch- and German-speaking Division
- Austria
- Belgium
- Germany
- Netherlands
- South Africa
- Suriname
- Switzerland
Peter Jordan, Austria
Website
https://www.stagn.de/DE/3_DGSD/Aufgaben_DGSD_ENG/aufgaben_node.html
East Central and South-East Europe Division
- Albania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Georgia
- Greece
- Hungary
- Montenegro
- Poland
- Romania
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- North Macedonia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia Division
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Bulgaria
- Georgia
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Russian Federation
- Tajikistan
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
Diana Ismailova, Russian Federation
East Mediterranean Division (other than Arabic)
- Cyprus
- Israel
Naftali Kadmon, Israel
French-speaking Division
- Algeria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroun
- Canada
- Chad
- Congo
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- France
- Guinea
- Lebanon
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Morocco
- Niger
- Romania
- Senegal
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Togo
- Tunisia
Pierre Jaillard, France
Hervé Bohbot, France
Jeanne Henrion, Belgium
Marie-Ève Bisson, Canada
India Division
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- India
- Nepal
- Pakistan
Hitesh Kumar S. Makwana, India
Latin America Division
- Argentina
- Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Spain
- Suriname
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Bolivarian Republic of
Roberto López García, Mexico
Samuel Joaquín Cortés Quíroz
Norden Division
- Denmark (including Greenland and Faroe Islands)
- Finland
- Iceland
- Norway
- Sweden
Ingvil Nordland, Norway
Peder Gammeltoft, Norway
http://nordendivision.nfi.ku.dk/
Pacific South-West Division
- Australia
- Fiji
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Timor-Leste (East Timor)
- Tonga
- Vanuatu
Rafe Benli, Australia
Wendy Shaw, New Zealand
Portuguese-Speaking Division
- Angola
- Brazil
- Cabo Verde
- Equatorial Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Mozambique
- Portugal
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Timor-Leste
Ana Cristina da Rocha Bérenger Resende, Brazil
Alex Jailton Andrade, Cabo Verde
José Jorgé Mahumane, Mozambique
https://dplpng.ibge.gov.br/
Romano-Hellenic Division
- Andorra
- Belgium
- Cyprus
- France
- Greece
- Holy See
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Republic of Moldova
- Monaco
- Portugal
- Romania
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Turkey
Gianluca Casagrande, Italy
Monica Dumitrascu, Romania
https://www.igmi.org/en/toponomastica?set_language=en
United Kingdom Division
- Guyana
- Jamaica
- South Africa
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- New Zealand
Catherine Cheetham, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
USA/Canada Division
- Canada
- United States
Shellie Zahniser, United States of America
Steve Westley, Canada
RULES1
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The number of linguistic/geographical divisions and their composition may be revised, if necessary.
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A country shall decide for itself the division to which it wishes to belong. A country may be a member of another division provided the nature of its participation does not change the linguistic/geographical character of the division(s) concerned. An experts may be invited to attend meetings of other divisions in the capacity of observer or consultant.
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Each division, if composed of more than one sovereign State, shall select, by methods of its own choosing, an experts to represent the division (Division Chairman) as a whole at the meetings of the Group of Experts.
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In order to guarantee the continuity of work, each division having more than one sovereign State shall select an alternative representative; the divisional representative shall act in close contact with his alternate.
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The divisional representative shall stimulate activities in the standardization of geographical names within his division by all appropriate means (correspondence with national bodies on the standardization of geographical names and national surveying and mapping agencies; organization of meetings of the divisional experts)
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The divisional representative shall be responsible for ensuring that the work of the Group of Experts and its potential for technical assistance are brought to the attention of the individual countries in his division and for reporting to the United Nations any special problems in his division.
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To discuss technical and procedural matters, a division may organize regional meetings during United Nations conferences on the standardization of geographical names and meetings of the Group of Experts, or at any other appropriate time.
1 Excerpt from the Statute and Rules of Procedure of the UN Group of Experts on Geographical Names.
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