UN Document Citation Generator
Cite a United Nations resolution or report by its document symbol — A/RES/70/1, S/RES/2334 (2016) — in APA 7, MLA 9 and Chicago 18. Choose the issuing body, enter the number, title, symbol and date, and get the reference, in-text citation and footnote. Free, no sign-up.
Document details
As the resolution names itself: 70/1 for the General Assembly, 2334 for the Security Council.
Printed at the top right of the first page. Security Council symbols include the year: S/RES/2334 (2016).
Copy it as the document prints it. MLA and Chicago get title case automatically.
The official copy is at docs.un.org/en/ followed by the symbol.
Your citations
Enter the resolution number or document symbol and the date to see your citations.
How to Use the UN Document Citation Generator
- 1. Find the document symbol. It is printed at the top right of the first page — A/RES/70/1 — and every UN document has one. docs.un.org and the UN Digital Library find a document by its symbol.
- 2. Choose the body and type. Pick the General Assembly, the Security Council or another organ, and say whether you cite a resolution or a report or other document.
- 3. Enter the number, title and date. Use the resolution number as the document gives it (70/1, 2334), the title if it has one, and the date it was adopted — or, for a report, the date it was issued.
- 4. Copy your citations. Add the URL of the copy you read, then copy the reference, in-text citation or footnote.
How to Read a UN Document Symbol
A document symbol is the UN's identifier for a document, the same in all six official languages. Its first part names the organ; later parts name a subsidiary body or the kind of document; the last part gives a session and a number.
| Symbol part | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A/ | General Assembly |
| S/ | Security Council |
| E/ | Economic and Social Council |
| ST/ | Secretariat |
| /RES/ | A resolution |
| /PV. | The verbatim record of a meeting |
| /L. | Limited distribution — usually a draft |
| 70/1 | Resolution 1 of the 70th session (General Assembly symbols carry the session since 1976) |
| 2334 (2016) | Security Council resolution 2334, adopted in 2016 |
APA 7 has no UN template, so the generator uses APA's report form for a group author: the organ as author, the year, the title in italics, the symbol in parentheses where a report number would go, and the United Nations as publisher. Chicago 18 (§14.207) gives the organ, the resolution, the title, the symbol and the date in a note, as in the Chicago Manual's own answer on citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; if your sentence names the resolution, the note may begin G.A. Res. MLA 9 gives the United Nations and the organ as author, the resolution's title in roman type — it is a political document, like a law — the resolution number and date, and the website.
UN Document Citation Examples
A General Assembly resolution
Resolution 70/1, which adopted the Sustainable Development Goals on September 25, 2015:
APA 7th edition — General Assembly
Reference list:
United Nations General Assembly. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (A/RES/70/1). United Nations. https://docs.un.org/en/A/RES/70/1
In-text (parenthetical):
(United Nations General Assembly, 2015)
In-text (narrative):
United Nations General Assembly (2015)
MLA 9th edition — General Assembly
Works Cited:
United Nations, General Assembly. Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution 70/1, 25 Sept. 2015. United Nations, docs.un.org/en/A/RES/70/1.
In-text citation:
(United Nations, Transforming Our World)
Chicago 18th edition (notes) — General Assembly
Footnote:
UN General Assembly, Resolution 70/1, Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, A/RES/70/1 (September 25, 2015), https://docs.un.org/en/A/RES/70/1.
A Security Council resolution
Security Council resolutions usually have no title; the number and year identify them. Resolution 2334, adopted on December 23, 2016:
APA 7th edition — Security Council
Reference list:
United Nations Security Council. (2016). Resolution 2334 (2016). United Nations. https://docs.un.org/en/S/RES/2334(2016)
MLA 9th edition — Security Council
Works Cited:
United Nations, Security Council. Resolution 2334 (2016), 23 Dec. 2016. United Nations, docs.un.org/en/S/RES/2334(2016).
Chicago 18th edition (notes) — Security Council
Footnote:
UN Security Council, Resolution 2334, S/RES/2334 (2016) (December 23, 2016), https://docs.un.org/en/S/RES/2334(2016).
Common Mistakes
- Leaving out the document symbol. It finds the document in any language; a URL alone can break.
- Dating a resolution by its issue date. A resolution is dated by its adoption: A/RES/70/1 was adopted on September 25, 2015, though the document itself is dated October 21, 2015.
- Dropping the year from a Security Council symbol. It is S/RES/2334 (2016).
- Citing a press release as the resolution. UN press releases summarize meetings; cite the resolution itself.
- Italicizing a resolution's title in MLA. MLA sets it in roman type; a report's title is italic.
- A bibliography entry in Chicago. Chicago cites UN documents in notes only.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do you cite a UN resolution in APA?
- APA 7 has no UN template, so use its group-author report form: United Nations General Assembly. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (A/RES/70/1). United Nations, followed by the URL. In text: (United Nations General Assembly, 2015). Some instructors prefer the legal form, G.A. Res. 70/1 (Sept. 25, 2015) — check which yours wants.
- How do you cite a UN resolution in MLA?
- Start with the United Nations and the organ, then the title in roman type, the resolution number and adoption date, and the website and URL: United Nations, General Assembly. Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution 70/1, 25 Sept. 2015. United Nations, docs.un.org/en/A/RES/70/1.
- How do you cite a UN document in Chicago?
- In a note: UN General Assembly, Resolution 70/1, Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, A/RES/70/1 (September 25, 2015), followed by the URL. The pattern follows the Chicago Manual's own answer on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (CMOS 18 §14.207). UN documents are not listed in the bibliography.
- What is a UN document symbol?
- A unique code the UN gives every document, the same in all six official languages. It starts with the organ — A/ for the General Assembly, S/ for the Security Council — may name a subsidiary body or the document type (/RES/ for resolutions), and ends with a session and number.
- Where can I find UN resolutions?
- docs.un.org opens any document from its symbol — docs.un.org/en/A/RES/70/1 — and the UN Digital Library and the Dag Hammarskjöld Library's resolution tables list resolutions by session, with their dates and votes.
- How do you cite a UN report?
- Choose the issuing body — often the Secretary-General — and Report or other document, then enter the title, symbol and date issued. APA and MLA italicize a report's title; Chicago gives the body, the italic title, the symbol and the date in a note.