E/CONF.98/136 United Nations Ninth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names New York, 21-30 August 2007 Department of Economic and Social Affairs (E/CONF.98/136) Ninth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names New York, 21-30 August 2007 United Nations • New York, 2007 E/CONF.98/136 Note Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. E/CONF.98/136 United Nations publication Sales No. E.08.1.4 ISBN 978-92-1-101158-6 Contents Chapter Paragraphs Page I. Organization of the work of the Conference ............................... 1–14 1 A. Terms of reference ............................................... 11 B. Opening of the Conference......................................... 21 C. Attendance...................................................... 31 D. Election of the President........................................... 4–6 1 E. Organizational matters ............................................ 7–13 1 1. Adoption of the rules of procedure .............................. 71 2. Adoption of the agenda ....................................... 82 3. Election of officers other than the President ...................... 93 4. Organization of work ......................................... 10–11 4 5. Credentials of representatives to the Conference ................... 12–13 5 F. Documentation .................................................. 14 5 II. Summary of the work of the Conference.................................. 15–207 6 A. Plenary meetings ................................................. 15–57 6 B. Technical Committee I (National standardization)...................... 58–106 13 C. Technical Committee II (Technical programmes) ...................... 107–147 18 D. Technical Committee III (Exonyms, romanization, country names)........ 148–179 24 E. Technical Committee IV (International programmes and exchanges) ...... 180–207 28 III. Resolutions adopted by the Conference............................................. 33 IX/1. Tenth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names and the twenty-fifth session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names.................................................... 33 IX/2. Organization of the twenty-fifth session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names on the African continent............................... 33 IX/3. Creation of a Portuguese-speaking Division ................................ 34 IX/4. Geographical names as intangible cultural heritage........................... 34 IX/5. Promotion of the recording and use of indigenous, minority and regional language group geographical names ............................................... 35 IX/6. Geographical names database of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names.................................................... 35 iii IX/7. Dissemination of information concerning the origin and meaning of geographical names................................................................ 36 IX/8. Implementation of romanization systems by sponsoring countries .............. 36 IX/9. Romanization of Hebrew ................................................ 37 IX/10. Support for training and publications ...................................... 37 IX/11. Vote of thanks ......................................................... 38 Annex Provisional agenda for the Tenth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names ............................................................ 39 iv E/CONF.98/136 Chapter I Organization of the work of the Conference A. Terms of reference 1. The Ninth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names was held at United Nations Headquarters, New York, from 21 to 30 August 2007, in accordance with Economic and Social Council decision 2003/294 of 24 July 2003. B. Opening of the Conference 2. The Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat opened the Conference and made a statement. C. Attendance 3. The Conference was attended by representatives of 90 States Members, 1 non-Member State of the United Nations and 1 entity represented by an observer, 2 specialized agencies, 1 regional commission, 4 international scientific organizations and 5 observers.1 D. Election of the President 4. At its 1st plenary meeting, on 21 August 2007, the Conference elected, by acclamation, as President of the Conference, Mrs. Helen Kerfoot (Canada), who gave a welcoming address. 5. At the same meeting, a statement was made by the Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. 6. Also at the 1st plenary meeting, statements were made by the representatives of Norway, Latvia and France. E. Organizational matters 1. Adoption of the rules of procedure 7. At its 1st plenary meeting, on 21 August 2007, the Conference adopted the provisional rules of procedure.2 __________________ 1 The list of participants, as contained in document E/CONF.98/INF/4, is available on the website of the Ninth Conference at: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/uncsgn.htm. 2 The rules of procedure, as contained in document E/CONF.98/135, are available on the website of the Ninth Conference at: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/uncsgn.htm. 07-50902 1 E/CONF.98/136 2. Adoption of the agenda 8. At its 1st plenary meeting, on 21 August, the Conference adopted the provisional agenda (E/CONF.98/1). The Conference also had before it the annotations to the provisional agenda (E/CONF.98/INF/2, in English only). The agenda as adopted was as follows: 1. Opening of the Conference. 2. Election of the President of the Conference. 3. Organizational matters: (a) Adoption of the rules of procedure; (b) Adoption of the agenda; (c) Election of officers other than the President; (d) Organization of work; (e) Credentials of representatives to the Conference. 4. Reports by Governments on the situation in their countries and on the progress made in the standardization of geographical names since the Eighth Conference. 5. Reports by divisions of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names on the situation in their divisions and on the progress made in the standardization of geographical names since the Eighth Conference. 6. Meetings and conferences: (a) United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names; (b) Divisional and interdivisional meetings and programmes; (c) National names meetings, conferences and symposiums; (d) International names meetings, conferences and symposiums. 7. Measures taken and proposed to implement United Nations resolutions on the standardization of geographical names. 8. Economic and social benefits of the national and international standardization of geographical names. 9. National standardization: (a) Field collection of names; (b) Office treatment of names; (c) Treatment of names in multilingual areas; (d) Administrative structure of national names authorities; (e) Toponymic guidelines for map editors and other editors. 10. Exonyms. 11. Reports on programmes to assist with pronunciation of names. 2 07-50902 E/CONF.98/136 12. Toponymic data files: (a) Data-collection procedures; (b) Data elements required; (c) Toponymic data transfer standards and formats; (d) Automated data-processing systems; (e) Compatibility and structure of systems; (f) National gazetteers; (g) Other publications. 13. Toponymic websites. 14. Terminology in the standardization of geographical names. 15. Features beyond a single sovereignty: (a) Policies, procedures and cooperative arrangements; (b) Features common to two or more nations. 16. Writing systems: (a) Romanization; (b) Conversion into non-Roman writing systems; (c) Writing of names in unwritten languages. 17. Toponymic education and practice and international cooperation: (a) Existing education and practice; (b) Training courses in toponymy; (c) Exchange of advice and information; (d) Exchange of personnel; (e) Technical assistance; (f) Cooperation with national organizations; (g) Cooperation with international organizations; (h) Cooperation with public information media. 18. Country names. 19. Arrangements for the Tenth Conference. 20. Adoption of the report of the Conference. 21. Adoption of resolutions drafted during the Conference. 22. Closing of the Conference. 3. Election of officers other than the President 9. At its 1st plenary meeting, on 21 August, the Conference elected the following officers: 07-50902 3 E/CONF.98/136 Vice-Presidents: Mr. Brian Goodchild (Australia) Mr. Luís Abrahamo (Mozambique) Rapporteur: Ms. Caroline Burgess (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), assisted by Mr. Leif Nilsson (Sweden) Editor-in-Chief: Mr. Paul Woodman, (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), assisted by Mr. Brahim Atoui (Algeria), Mr. Dónall Mac Giolla Easpaig (Ireland), Mr. Vladimir Boginski (Russian Federation) and Ms. Susana Rodríguez-Ramos (Mexico) 4. Organization of work 10. At its 1st plenary meeting, on 21 August, the Conference approved its proposed organization of work (E/CONF.98/INF/3, in English only) and established