Library & Archives

Tracing specific individuals among the Russian refugees who received the Nansen passport can be quite challenging due to the complexity and volume of documents in the League of Nations Refugees Mixed Archival Group (Nansen Fonds).

There is no central repository containing the names of all refugees. Instead, lists of names and correspondence between refugees and the Nansen Office are dispersed across various record groups. These records are often incomplete and may require significant time to review. Consequently, our staff cannot conduct thorough searches for specific individuals or families.

However, the Nansen Fonds has been digitized and is accessible on the UN Archives Geneva platform: https://archives.ungeneva.org/refugees-mixed-archival-group-nansen-fonds.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology has been applied to the digitized files, enabling full-text keyword searches within the documents. This advancement allows researchers to find relevant information more easily than before.

We also recommend consulting the tutorial on the Refugees Mixed Archival Group, The Nansen Fonds, for additional guidance.

You can access the debates of the Assembly here on the UN Archives Geneva platform:

Assembly - UN Archives Geneva (ungeneva.org)

Digitization of the Minutes of the Council is not yet completed. Only sessions 1 to 15 are available for the moment. You will find them here:

Minutes - UN Archives Geneva (ungeneva.org)

For the time being, you can find the minutes of the Council in The League of Nations Official Journal, which is available through the database HeinOnline (Ask your library for access):

http://home.heinonline.org/

The archives do not provide scans of the documents. However, researchers are allowed to photograph them in the archives reading room.

Yes, the official documents of the League of Nations, including those from its committees, have been digitized and are accessible through the UN Archives Geneva platform.

For those seeking a deeper understanding of the structure and classification of these documents, the Ghebali Guide serves as a key reference. It inventories all series of official League of Nations documents and provides a detailed introduction to the classification system used.

Understanding what the UN Archives Geneva holds can be challenging, as its fonds and collections cover different periods, institutions, and individuals. To make it easier, the archives are grouped into five broad categories:

• League of Nations Archives (1919-1946)

These archives contain the original files of the League of Nations Secretariat, including correspondence, draft reports, and internal communications. They also hold official League documents and publications, records of external League offices and commissions, and a wide range of photographs,

• UN Geneva Archives (1945-present)

These records document the activities of the United Nations in Geneva. They include the records of the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG) itself, as well as the records of select UN related individuals and UN-related agencies based in Geneva; most notably the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs (ODA).

• Private Papers (1870–2004)

This category preserves personal papers of individuals connected to the League of Nations and the United Nations. They include documents prepared or used by senior officials in the course of their duties; papers later transferred into private hands; personal archives of officials, journalists, and members of civil society organizations operating in the League or UN environment

• International Peace Movements

These fonds hold records from pacifist organizations and individuals active in international peace efforts. Materials were acquired through purchase, donation, or deposit.

• Additional Collections

The additional collections combine various assembled groups of documents, artefacts, and audiovisual materials. They cover the League of Nations as well as the UN Geneva collections.

A wide range of archival materials is available online through the UN Archives Geneva platform:

• League of Nations Archives: All archival material from the League of Nations has been fully digitized and is accessible on the platform.
• UN Geneva Archives: Only a portion of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) archives has been digitized. You can find an overview of the digitized collections here.
• Private Papers Collection: This collection has been partially digitized. Explore the available materials here.
• International Peace Movements Collection: Selected materials from this collection are also available online. You can access them here.

Getting to the Palais des Nations:
Enter the Palais des Nations through the Visitor's entrance at Pregny Gate, on 14 Avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross building and next to the Geneva Hotel School.

Public transport:
Transports Publics Genevois
Palais des Nations transit stop are Appia and Nations.

Access from Cornavin railway station:

• Bus lines 8, 20, 60 ("Appia" stop)
• Bus line 5 or tram line 15 (“Nations” stop), then a 5 minutes' walk to Pregny Gate

Access from Cointrin airport:

• Bus line 5 (“Nations” stop), then a 5 minutes' walk to Pregny Gate
• Other bus lines with stop at “Nations”: 11 and 22, then a 5 minutes' walk to Pregny Gate

To organize an event with the Cultural Activities Programme: All proposals need to come from either a Permanent Mission or an International Organization. The Cultural Activities Committee (CAC) reviews and approves all new proposals at least three months prior to the actual event to allow enough time for the organization. Events in the frameworks of Cultural Activities have to be artistic in nature (e.g. paintings, concerts, artistic photography, etc.).

All proposals have to be in line with UN values, shall not single out any Member States and shall not be too graphic. Venues can be pre-reserved on a first-come, first-served basis and will be confirmed once the CAC has approved the project. In case a project does not fit into the frameworks of Cultural Activities, it could be organized as a Side Event to a meeting or conference at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG).

The Library is located inside the United Nations compound in Geneva, in Building B of the Palais des Nations.

Getting to the Palais des Nations:

Entry for visitors is possible at Peace Gate and the Pregny Pavilion bis from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. after passing through security screening. 

Public transport: Transports Publics Genevois
Palais des Nations transit stops are Appia and Nations.
Access from Cornavin railway station:

• Bus lines : 8, 20, 60 (“Appia” stop), then a 5 minutes' walk to the Pregny Gate (Pass & ID accreditation services), or directly to the Peace Gate
• Bus 5 or tramway 15 (“Nations” stop)

Access from Cointrin airport:

• Bus lines: 5 (“Nations” stop) 

Other bus lines with stop at “Nations”:

• Bus lines 11 and 22.

Reminder for all external attendees: If you are not in possession of a UN badge, you should register to the event of your choice on indico.un.org, and bring a valid ID on the day of the event to the UN visitors entrance, the Peace Gate.

To visit an ongoing exhibition, please follow the normal procedures either registering through the e-mail address or the link provided on the flyer for the event. You can also visit our website for an overview of upcoming events and register directly there.