United Nations - UN

Translation servicesOrganisational structure

Resources

Languages

• Working languages of Secretariat: English, French

• Official languages for intergovernmental meetings and documents: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese

• Also German Translation Service

Documentation Division, D2

• Part of Department for General Assembly and Conference Management – Translation Service (6 langs)– Editorial, Terrminology and Reference Service– Contractual Translation Unit– German Translation Service– New York

Activities (1)

• Translates all official UN documents, meeting records, publications and correspondence at Headquarters

• Prepares summary records of bodies entitled to such records.

• Arranges for contractual translation and text-processing

Activities (2)

• Edits official UN documents, meeting records and publications

• Ensures linguistic concordance among the 6 official languages of resolutions, decisions and other legal instruments

• Issues editorial directives for the UN Secretariat

Activities (3)

• Provides reference and terminology services for authors, drafters, editors, interpreters, translators and verbatim reporters

• Develops terminology databases

Workloads

• 2002 A/57/289: self-assessment and report on Documentation Division:– 1,650 words for translation to be

revised– 1,815 words for self-revised translation– 3,960 words for revision

Employment: translator/precis writer

Competition: written exam1. Translation of general text (2.5 hrs, eliminatory)2. Translation of text chosen from 4 texts in other

language (1.5 hrs)3. Summary in other language (1 hr)4. Translation of text chosen from four specialised

texts (economic, legal, social and political) (1.5 hrs)

• No dictionaries, no computers

Employment: verbatim reporter

• Competition: written exam1. Translation (2hrs, eliminatory)2. Translation of text in another SL

(1.5 hrs)3. Editing of text (1.5 hrs)• No dictionaries, no computers

Employment: proofreader

• Competition: exam1. Proofreading2. Desktop publishing3. Knowledge of printing4. Language aptitude

UN Office Geneva

• Languages Services, part of Conference Services Division– One translation section for each of the 6

language and support sections (reference and terminology; text-processing)

– 160 permanent translators, plus freelancers translate 50 million words per year

– Provides translation for 50 bodies at UNOG

UNOG recruitment

• Exam details and sample texts

UN organisations

• Chart of UN organisations• UN System of Organisations website

index

Reading

• Cao, Deborah and Zingmin Zhao (2008) ‘Translation at United Nations as Specialised Translation’, Journal of Specialised Translation, 9.

• Kudryavtsev, Eduard and Louis-Dominique Oedraogo (2003) Implementation of Multilingualism in the United Nations System (JIU/REP/2002/11), Geneva: United Nations.