United Nations Correspondence Manual - UNU

General
guidelines
10
graph 37.) Consult that Office as appropriate, with respect to other such correspondence
if new developments or new factors are involved.
44. Correspondence directed to Governments may be addressed to any of the
States shown on the Correspondence Unit worksheet or the List of Permanent Missions
to the United Nations. In cases of doubt regarding the propriety of sending
communications to addressees other than those listed, the organizational unit initiating
the correspondence should obtain clearance from the Office of Legal Affairs,
where legal issues are involved and, for matters of a political nature, from the office
competent in the particular area concerned.
6. Signature of correspondence
45. Letters to heads of State, heads of Government and ministers for foreign affairs
are normally signed by the Secretary-General. Letters to permanent representatives
are normally signed by the Secretary-General, an under-secretary-general or
an assistant secretary-general. When specifically authorized by an under-secretarygeneral
or assistant secretary-general to do so, however, other officers may communicate
directly with permanent representatives. Correspondence on technical or routine
subjects or on matters on which the Secretary-General’s policy has been clearly
established may be signed by officials of lower rank on the general authorization of
the head of the department or office.
46. In the absence of the head of an organizational unit, the officer in charge of the
unit should normally sign correspondence in his or her own name and should not
sign the name and title of the absent supervisor in the signature block. He or she
may however, if appropriate, refer in the text to the absence of the supervisor.
B. Processing correspondence
1. Individual correspondence
47. The term “individual correspondence” is used to designate letters, notes verbales,
facsimiles or telegrams addressed to one or more, but fewer than 25, recipients,
with copies, if appropriate, to other interested parties for their information. In
general, the preparation and dispatch of individual correspondence is the responsibility
of the initiating department or office. However, letters to heads of State or
Government, which in all cases are signed by the Secretary-General, are prepared
and dispatched by the Office of the Secretary-General and the Correspondence Unit.
48. Place the completed communication, with any attachments and enclosures, in
an outgoing or interoffice envelope for collection and dispatch. Forward any copies
made for the information of other interested parties to the recipients in a similar
manner. The originating department or office should retain at least one copy of all
outgoing correspondence for its own files.
2. Multiple correspondence
49. The term “multiple correspondence” is used to designate a single, identical
text, whether a letter, note verbale, facsimile or telegram, sent as an individual
communication to each of 25 or more recipients.
50. The Correspondence Unit is responsible for the final typing, assembling and
dispatch of multiple letters or notes verbales addressed to heads of State or Govern-