Written by Hermine Diebolt, Chief, Archives Management Unit, Institutional Memory Section.
----
Explore the History of Multilateralism at the UN Library & Archives Geneva
The UN Library & Archives Geneva houses a diverse collection of resources on the study of multilateralism, spanning more than a century of knowledge. If you’re interested in learning about the history of modern multilateralism, you’ll find a wealth of information in our unique collections at the Archives. Read on to find out how to get started!
UN Archives Geneva platform
The best way to begin understanding our vast collection is to visit the UN Archives Geneva platform, where you can learn about and access many of the fonds and collections managed by the UN Library & Archives Geneva, including the archives of the United Nations in Geneva, the League of Nations (1919-1946), international peace movements (from 1870) and private papers. Some collections have been digitized and are fully available online, like the League of Nations archives, which consists of 14.2 million pages of materials. Other collections are available in-person, with researchers visiting our Reading Room to consult the documents.
Curated Research Guides
We also have specific Archives Research Guides, where you can find information and links to resources on a specific topic. For example, you can browse our research guide on multilateralism, which features a specific section on the history of multilateralism where you will find information on the origins of contemporary multilateralism from the League of Nations to the United Nations. Other guides explore disarmament issues at the League of Nations, the work of the First High Commissioner for Refugees Fridtjof Nansen, our map collection, and more.
Online Tutorials & Presentations
To understand how to navigate the League of Nations collection specifically, you can explore our various tutorials, which include print aids and videos.
In addition, the Library & Archives offers online presentations and trainings for researchers and students on the range of archival documents available in the UN Archives Geneva platform. These presentations can be provided for faculty meetings, seminars and courses, and tailored to the needs and questions of participants. The presentations can be given English, French and Spanish. For more information and to request a presentation, contact us at Ask an Archivist.
Events, Publications and More
The UN Library & Archives Geneva also contributes to the work of the research community on the history of multilateralism, by producing a range of resources and publications on the history of the League of Nations and the United Nations.
HiStories is an online video series which aims to explore the different facets of the history of multilateralism through conversations with experts and historians, as well as through exploring some of the incredible archival documents held by the Library & Archives. You can view the full playlist of episodes on our YouTube channel.
We also publish books under our UN Historical Series, where we contribute as editor to the literature on the history of multilateralism and international organizations. The publications are freely available online.
To find out more about our role in supporting research, you can watch our online video Facilitating and supporting research on the history of multilateralism, available on the Library & Archives YouTube channel.
Stay Connected!
Eager to learn more? You can subscribe to the UN Archives Geneva newsletter to stay informed on the evolution of historical research, the progress of archives digitization projects, issues related to digital and physical archives, and much more.
---
