Common UN abbreviations

AC.x series: The numbering symbol used for working groups of the Sub-Commission. For example, the documents of the Working Group on Minorities use the AC.5 symbol

CAT: Committee against Torture

CCPR: Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

CEDAW: Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

CERD: Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

CHR: Commission on Human Rights (parent body to the Sub-Commission)

CMW: Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families

CN.4 series: The numbering symbol used for documents of the Commission on Human Rights

CRC: Convention on the Rights of the Child

ECOSOC: The Economic and Social Council (parent body to the Commission on Human Rights)

ESC: Economic, social and cultural rights

HRC: Human Rights Committee (a treaty body which monitors compliance under the CCPR)

ILO: International Labour Organisation

NGO: Non-governmental organization

OHCHR: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

OP: Operative paragraph (the concluding paragraphs of a resolution, oftened referred to as "OP1, OP2, etc" in negotiations over text changes to a draft resolution)

PP: Preambular paragraph (the opening paragraphs of a resolution, oftened referred to as "PP1, PP2, etc" in negotiations over text changes to a draft resolution)

SF: Social Forum

Sub.2: The numbering symbol used for documents of the Sub-Commission on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights

TNC: Transnational corporation

Traditional practices: Practices or customs imposed on women in some cultures which are considered demeaning, discriminatory or physically mutilating under international human rights standards, such as female genital mutilation

UDHR: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

UNHCR: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

WG: working group

WP: working paper

Return to background materials

Back to home page