United Nations Correspondence Manual - UNU

II. Responsibility for correspondence
2
A. Departments and offices originating correspondence
3. The originating department or office has the principal responsibility for outgoing
communications. It is responsible for:
(a) Ensuring the appropriate substance and style and factual accuracy of the
communication;
(b) Obtaining all necessary clearances;
(c) Obtaining the signature of the responsible official;
(d) Obtaining the necessary number of any enclosures or attachments, in the
appropriate languages and, except for multiple correspondence,
(e) Preparing communications in final form, addressing them and assembling
them for dispatch;
(f) Providing copies to others as appropriate.
4. Departments or offices are also responsible for establishing and maintaining
appropriate reference files of incoming and outgoing correspondence.
5. The head of each department or office is responsible for designating a staff
member at the level of P-3 or above to serve as correspondence officer; alternate
correspondence officers may be designated if needed. Correspondence officers are
authorized to sign requests for the services of the Correspondence Unit (form
EOR.2, see exhibit 19) and are responsible for ensuring that notes verbales and formal
letters are prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the Correspondence
Manual. The name(s) of the person(s) so designated should be submitted to the Correspondence
Unit (Delegation of authority, see exhibit 20) to ensure that submissions
to that unit have proper authorization.
B. Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services
1. Correspondence Unit
6. The Correspondence Unit, Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference
Services, is responsible for:
(a) Processing all multiple correspondence (25 or more addressees);
(b) Processing, in cooperation with the Executive Office of the Secretary-
General, correspondence to be signed by the Secretary-General;
(c) Ensuring observance of the rules set down in this Manual concerning
form, presentation, choice of language to be used and routing with respect to all
communications referred to it for processing;