United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names

After discussions in the 1950s and ECOSOC resolution 715A (XXVII) of 1959, the first meeting of a group of experts was convened in New York City in 1960.

Being one of the seven expert groups of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, UNGEGN is mandated to follow up on the implementation of resolutions and to continue activities between the United Nations Conferences on the Standardization of Geographical Names held every five years.

These so-called Divisions are groups of countries with common interests based on geography and/or language.

In addition, UNGEGN has a Task Team for Africa and coordinates the work of countries in developing their toponymic guidelines.

The aim of these documents is to compile information on toponymic issues of a certain country, especially from the perspective of standardization of geographical names.

[3] At the Third United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names held in August/September 1977 at Athens, gathering and dissemination of toponymic information was discussed.

11 recommends that a clear typographical distinction should be made on national maps between toponyms and text items for other purposes.

14 of this Conference recommends that countries should be strongly encouraged to publish and keep up to date Toponymic Guidelines, and that the United Nations Secretariat should provide appropriate assistance for their publication and dissemination.

Whereas Breu in his sample used the title Toponymic Guidelines for International Cartography, the above-mentioned resolution nr.

4 of the 4th UN Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names used the title Toponymic guidelines for map and other editors.

4, passed at the 4th UN Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names in 1982, presented a checklist of items which toponymic guidelines should contain: