International Organization Information / Research: 1992

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Prepared for Union of International Associations (General Assembly, 8th October 1992)
See also searchable PDF version (original titles, sub-headings, order and typography); also reports 1959-2006

Organization profiles / networks

Yearbook of International Organizations: Series composed of the following 3 volumes.

Organization descriptions and index (Volume 1): As indicated in the report to the previous General Assembly, the principal issue in connection with this volume continues to be the manner in which the constantly increasing number of organizations, and the amount of information provided on them, is to be contained within a volume which cannot exceed 1700-1800 pages (and which cannot be divided into two volumes for marketing reasons). This issue is subject to continuing discussion with the publishers.

Each edition has brought new compromises on both sides.

A second, but related, issue has been the complexity of the volume and the need to render access simpler for marketing reasons. In response to this issue, a radical change has finally been made in the presentation of the 1992 edition of this volume (see Annex 2). It now appears in alphabetic order (with an inbuilt index) rather than in numeric order (with a separate index).

This provided further opportunities for compromises in response to the space issue. Items originally in the separate index have been reallocated to an extended index in Volume 3 (Global Action Networks).

Some implications:

(a) Language: The original structure could be said to be linguistically neutral, since all access was via the multi-lingual index. The new structure permits direct access to organization entries via the English title. Access via other languages is indirect through the inbuilt index, as is access via title abbreviations (including English abbrevations).

(b) Permanent number: Users relying on the "permanent number" allocated to each organization, which formerly did not vary between editions, are no longer fully catered for. Entries now carry a "temporary number" which is reallocated for every edition according to the alphabetic sequence. The permanent number is indicated as a footnote to each entry since it remains the basis for all computer work. In effect occasional users have been privileged at the expense of the limited number of dedicated users in an effort to widen access to the information.

(c) Section organization: The classification of organizations into sections continues, but from 1992 the entries are no longer organized by section. The section code has now become a "type" code which is indicated for those to whom it may be useful. Again the distinctions made through this coding are less relevant to occasional users despite the conceptual significance for statistical and other purposes.

(d) Production: Organizing entries alphabetically involved additional (onetime) computer programming and more complex computer sorts. The costs of both are charged to Saur.

Standard editorial changes and improvements were also made:

(a) Number of organizations (and treaties), including inactive, is now 32,068 (see Annex 4). This increase on the number in recent editions is partly due to inclusion of some previously omitted past but confirmed organizations. The number of bodies of types A through F has decreased slightly (from 10,459 to 10,300). This is through a continued policy of reallocation to "inactive" types of bodies from which there has been no news and, more significantly, through reallocation to the new type K (subsidiary and internal bodies). Of the 10,300 A though F bodies, 48.4% are of types A through D.

(b) Entry quality: The quality of the entries on the existing organizations continues to be improved to the point where a significant number of organizations now take the trouble to congratulate the editors.

(c) Section modifications: as referred to above, Volume 1 descriptions are no longer printed by section but in alphabetical order of title. The section - or "type" as it is now called -is printed as part of the footnote to each entry. Modifications to the layout allowed space for all type R - religious orders - to be printed; but it remains impossible to print the previous Section G (internationally-oriented national organizations. Names and addresses of bodies in this section, now divided into types G and N (the latter a new type for more national bodies), continue to be included in Volume 2 and Volume 3. Type K, introduced in 1990, allows commissions and other subsidiary or internal bodies to be quoted in the parent-body description, to appear in Volumes 2 and 3 and to appear in indexes; but organizations of this type are not given separate descriptions in Volume 1.

In the 1992 edition there are 1,100 organizations of this type, many having appeared previously in sections E and F.

(d) Introduction and appendices: These continue to be produced entirely inhouse using the UIA laser printer. This has proved much more convenient for all concerned, permitting much greater control over the final output. It avoids costs and is much more convenient in the event of errors.

(e) Proof procedures: about 20,000 proofs are mailed annually with an average direct response rate of about 55%. Indirect information from periodicals and other sources results in an average of 65% of entries being corrected for each edition. This figure of course varies according to organization type.

(f) "Mini-directory" proofs continue to be produced for organizations whose structure or activities involve many other bodies, or who have many international bodies as members. About 240 proofs are being mailed in October-November 1992 for the forthcoming edition. The proofs consist of a title page, index, description of the organization, and descriptions of all bodies cited in the "Structure", "Activities", or "Members" paragraphs.

Bodies cited in the "IGO Relations" and "NGO Relations" paragraphs are listed in Appendices.

(g) Cross-reference numbers: The total number of citations between organizations is now over 82,500 for 32,068 bodies.

International Organization Participation (Volume 2): This volume is now produced very rapidly once Volume 1 is completed. The 1992 edition appeared in July 1992. It does not pose any special problems except in the production of the many tables of statistics.

As part of the restructuring of the Yearbook series, the 1992 edition of this volume now appears in alphabetic order of country with an embedded index for French and other variants of country names (see Annex 3). The use of the number code, which also served to group countries by "continent", has been abandoned (except for computer purposes).

The new ordering now permits inclusion of a variety of patterns of crossreferences including cross-references to all countries under: Europe, Pacific, Arab, French-speaking, etc. This increases the richness of the volume.

Entries in Volume 2 cross-reference entries in Volume 1 via the "temporary reference number". Volume 2 now covers 220,044 country-to-organization links (31,816 IGO; 188,228 NGO).

Classified subjects and index (Volume 3): This volume is now produced very rapidly once Volume 2 is completed. Much more of the editorial (coding) work is done in parallel with the editorial work on Volume 1. In 1992 Volume 3 appeared in August 1992.

As part of the restructuring of the Yearbook series, Volume 3 now appears in alphabetic order, abandoning the subject code system which the UIA designed in order to highlight the interdisciplinary linkages between international organization concerns (see Annex 4). The subject code system is however still essential for computer purposes. In order not to lose the grouping of subjects, entries may for example be allocated to "Medicine / Digestive System" rather than to "Digestive System" (where only a cross-reference now appears).

Whereas Volume 3 previously had four main sections (W, X, Y and Z), these have been reduced to a single alphabetic sequence of subjects (in English).

The regional groupings of Section Y (eg Africa / Health) and the specialized groupings of Section Z (eg Foundations) have been absorbed into what was Section W. Also included are the checklists of intergovernmental organizations and of international federations previously appeaing as appendices to Volume 1. Section X (Subject combinations) has been abandoned to allow space for an expanded index which, as well as keywords of entries in Volume 1, includes items previously published in the index to Volume 1 such as former and alternative organization titles and names of their chief executive officers.

Entries in Volume 3 cross-reference entries in Volume 1 via the "temporary reference number".

Restructuring the Yearbook: Plans for further restructuring will await assessment of the current changes and developments in relation to compact disk.

Annuaire des Organisations Internationales: Within the context of a CD/ROM environment, the "publication" of a French edition of the Yearbook becomes a credible and economically viable possibility. This proposal has been presented to Saur, but is dependent on the evolution of the CD/ROM situation. With the active commitment by Saur to distribute the Yearbook in compact disk format, this opens up a very real possibility for this "publication". In other words a French edition could be produced on compact disk only, provided means are found to fund the editorial/translation work without interfering with other tasks.

The possibility of re-issuing such a French-language version of the Yearbook was mentioned to Monsieur Surbiguet (Chargé des ONGs, Quai d'Orsay) late in 1990 and early in 1991. This led to an invitation to the UIA to make a presentation to representatives of various French government departments in September 1991. This resulted in complex discussions with M. Surbiguet and Mme Gauthier -- rendered further complex by the financial relationship to the French Government's subsidy to the UIA.

The outcome on SAUR's side is that it is indeed possible to put the French version onto CD-ROM with the English. On the French side, the argument it is the UIA's responsibility to find financing to complement the third promised by the French government. Sources indicated are the French-speaking Western countries and the relevant intergovernmental bodies.

The complication for the UIA is that completing the translation of the French (based on the 1980 French version) will take time and will not necessarily mesh with the phasing of the production of the English-material CD-ROM. It is recognized that it would involve a major upheaval in personnel and procedures (especially at the computer level).

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