Penn State University Libraries - UN Speeches and Debates

The text of debate at the United Nations or a speech by a country's representative at a plenary session or committee meeting is invaluable for defining a country position. Use either the print or electronic indexes listed here.

Online Resources

• UN Index to Speeches (UNBISNET)
  Citations to speeches made in the General Assembly beginning with its 38th session (1983), the Security Council beginning with its 38th year (1983), the Economic and Social Council beginning in 1983, and the Trusteeship Council beginning with its 15th special session (1982). Links to the full text of speeches are provided.

• AccessUN [Penn State Libraries] (available to researchers with a Penn State Access Account)
  An index to the plenary and committee documents from the principle UN bodies, such as the General Assembly or the Security Council.

Search Hints:

• To find speeches by persons from a specific country:

  Search by Author using either or the country name or the representative's name.
  Searching by country name is usually preferable, since the ambassador or another representative may speak for the country. However, this will also pull up letters that have been submitted by the various country officials.
  You can also add an additional keyword or two on the subject to narrow your search if necessary.

• To find speeches on a topic:

  • try a few key words searching in all fields
  • limit your search to masthead documents and official records
  • examine a few of the citations you retrieve and look at the subjects listed in the record
  • go back and revise your search based on the subject headings found