Summary of AG-021 United Nations Department of Political Affairs (1992-present) Title United Nations Department of Political Affairs (1992-present) Active Dates 1914-2009 Administrative History The Secretary-General, in a February 1992 note (A/46/882) announced a number of changes related to the restructuring of the United Nations Secretariat, with effect from 1 March 1992. He stated that the changes in the departments and top echelon of the Secretariat were intended to consolidate and streamline the Organization's activities into well-defined functional categories. The main aspects of the restructuring included the establishment of the Department of Political Affairs headed by two Under-Secretaries-General (USGs) with clearly defined geographical responsibilities and functions. The new Department of Political Affairs incorporates the activities of the former Office for Political and General Assembly Affairs and Secretariat Services; Office for Research and the Collection of Information; Department of Political and Security Council Affairs; Department for Special Political Questions, Regional Cooperation, Decolonization and Trusteeship; and the Department of Disarmament Affairs. The Under-Secretaries-General for 1992 was James O.C. Jonah and Vladimir F. Petrovsky, and for 1993 was Marrack Goulding and James O. C. Jonah. The Under-Secretary-General for 1994-1996 was Marrack I. Goulding, followed by Kieran Prendergast (1997-2005), Ibrahim Gambari (2005-2006), and B. Lynn Pascoe (2007-present). Disarmament Affairs was under the mandate of DPA for the span of 1992-1997. Office of Disarmament Affairs (1992-1993) - The Office of Disarmament Affairs was a part of the Department of Political Affairs from 1992 until 1993, and then was renamed the Centre for Disarmament Affairs. Centre for Disarmament Affairs (1993-1997) - The Centre for Disarmament Affairs was a part of the Department of Political Affairs from 1993 until 1997, and then reverted back to being the Department for Disarmament Affairs, separate from DPA. Predecessor Organizations: Department of Security Council Affairs (1946-1951) Department of Trusteeship and Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories (1946-1964) Department of Political and Security Council Affairs (1952-1991) Department of Trusteeship and Non-Self-Governing Territories (1965-1971) Office of Political Affairs, Trusteeship, and Decolonization (1972-1986) Department of Political and General Assembly Affairs (1972-1992) Office for Special Political Questions (1979-1986) Department for Special Political Questions, Regional Co-operation, Decolonization and Trusteeship (1987-1990) Office for Special Political Questions, Regional Co-operation, Decolonization and Trusteeship (1991) Department of Political Affairs (1992-present) Field Operations (1998-present) Scope and Content Fonds consists of the following Sub-fonds: AG-021-010 Office for Special Political Questions, Regional Co-operation, Decolonization and Trusteeship (1991) AG-021-009 Department for Special Political Questions, Regional Co-operation, Decolonization and Trusteeship (1987-1990) AG-021-008 Office for Special Political Questions (1979-1986) AG-021-007 Department of Political and General Assembly Affairs [and Secretariat Services] (1972-1992) AG-021-006 Office of Political Affairs, Trusteeship, and Decolonization (1972-1986) AG-021-005 Department of Trusteeship and Non-Self-Governing Territories (1965-1971) AG-021-004 Department of Political and Security Council Affairs (1952-1991) AG-021-003 Department of Trusteeship and Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories (1946-1954) AG-021-002 Department of Security Council Affairs (1946-1951) Collection Inventory AG-021-001 Gaza Board of Inquiries (BOI) 2008-2009 Scope and Content BOI S-1168 Substantive documents and communications submitted to and/or obtained by the Board - paper 2008-2009 S-1169 Substantive documents and communications submitted to and/or obtained by the Board - electronic 2008-2009 AG-021-002 Department of Security Council Affairs (1946-1951) 1936-1997 Scope and Content Sub-fonds consists of the following Series: S-0937 Working Papers and Documents - Disarmament Affairs Group S-0936 Atomic Energy Section S-0681 Subject Files - Good Offices Committee and United Nations Commission for Indonesia S-0562 United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine (UNCCP) S-0503 Subject Files - Department of Political and Security Council Affairs S-0502 Subject Files - Armaments Control and Enforcement Measures Section S-0501 Subject Files - Political Affairs Division (DPSCA) S-0500 Assistant Secretary-General - Correspondence and Italy/Germany Commission S-0020 Spanish Situation Submissions to Security Council Sub-Committee Administrative History The Department of Security Council Affairs "serves the Security Council in the fulfillment of its continuous functions under the Charter. Also serves of General Assembly when it deals with matters relating to the maintenance of peace and security. " (YUN, 1947-1947) The functions that it fulfills for the Security Council include: providing general administrative services, servicing sub-committees and working groups, and preparing reports, working papers and studies for the organs of the Security Council, the Atomic Energy Commission, the Commission for Conventional Armaments, the Committee of Twelve, the Peace Observation Committee, and the First Committee and the Ad Hoc Political Committee of the General Assembly. In addition, it participates in investigations and advises on the security aspects of Trusteeship Agreements for strategic areas, participates in the elaboration and application of military enforcement measures, and provides Political Affairs Officers to serve as Principal Secretaries, Deputy Principal Secretaries, and Assistant Secretaries on committees and commissions. It is also mandated, under Article 99 of the Charter, to bring to the attention of the Security Council matters which in his opinion may threaten international peace and security. From 1946-1948, the Assistant-Secretary-General was Arkady Sobolev, followed by Constantin E. Zinchenko from 1948-1951. S-0020 Spanish Situation Submissions to Security Council Sub-Committee 1936-1997 Scope and Content Series consists of covering letters, correspondence and accounts of meetings (photostats) which are German Foreign Ministry records (evidently International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg exhibits), statements (photostats) of USSR prisoners of war who had been German officers in Spain, English language summaries of German Foreign Office documents on microfilm at the United States' Department of State, and a wide variety of additional material, all relating to providing data, as requested, to the Security Council's subcommittee on Spain established in 1946. The primary German Foreign Office correspondents are Franco and Mussolini. Submissions are by Security Council member countries (France, Britain, the United States, and the USSR), and by anti-fascism Spanish bodies (the Basque government, the exiled Spanish Republic, representatives of labour contingents, etc). Unarranged. Date Date Security Scanned Box Folder Title Created Closed Level Items S- Spanish Situation Submissions to 01/01/1936 14/07/1997 0020- Security Council Sub-Committee 0001 S-0020- French delegation's submission (in 01/01/1946 31/12/1946 No 0001-01 French and English unsigned) S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 01/01/1941 31/12/1941 No 0001-02 Nuremberg documents - 377-PS 2 December Geheime Kommandosache betrifft Reise Spanien-Portugal S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 31/12/1946 14/07/1997 No 0001-03 Nuremberg documents - 791-PS [N.d.] Abschrift betrift Wirtschaftliche Kampfmassnahmen gegen England in Spanien S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 01/01/1939 31/12/1939 No 0001-04 Nuremberg documents - 1828-PS 7-9 August including letter from German Secretary of State [translation attached] S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 01/01/1940 31/12/1940 No 0001-05 Nuremberg documents - 1833-PS 8 March 1940 includes letter from Hitler to Mussolini translation attached S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 01/01/1941 31/12/1941 No 0001-06 Nuremberg documents - 1834-PS 2 March meeting between Germany's Foreign Minister and the Japanese Ambassador S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 01/01/1941 31/12/1941 No 0001-07 Nuremberg documents - 1841-PS 28 February includes letter from Hitler to Mussolini S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 01/01/1940 31/12/1940 No 0001-08 Nuremberg documents - 1842-PS 20 September meeting between Germany's Foreign Minister and Mussolini S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 01/01/1940 31/12/1940 No 0001-09 Nuremberg documents - 1865-PS 22 September S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 01/01/1941 31/12/1941 No 0001-10 Nuremberg documents - 2764-PS 20 January meeting between Hitler and Mussolini translation attached S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 01/01/1940 31/12/1940 No 0001-11 Nuremberg documents - 2766-PS 7 July meeting between Hitler and Count Ciano translation attached S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 01/01/1936 31/12/1936 No 0001-12 Nuremberg documents - Unnumbered 21-22 Oct. meeting between German & Italian external affairs ministers S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 01/01/1941 31/12/1941 No 0001-13 Nuremberg documents - Unnumbered 20 June Geheime Kommandosache betrifft Isabella S-0020- International Military Tribunal at 01/01/1941 31/12/1941 No 0001-14 Nuremberg documents - Unnumbered [n.d.]