With its comprehensive coverage of political and security matters, human rights issues, economic and social questions, legal issues, and administrative and budgetary matters, the Yearbook of the United Nations stands as the authoritative reference work on the annual activities and concerns of the Organization. Fully indexed, the Yearbook includes all major General Assembly, Security Council and Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions, uniquely placing them in a narrative context of United Nations consideration, deliberation and action. This sixty-eighth volume presents the work of the United Nations in dealing with recurring conflicts with severe humanitarian consequences including in the Syrian Arab Republic, where more than 12 million people were in need of basic food, clothing and shelter. The volume also highlights the Organization's rapid response to an escalatory global health emergency--the Ebola virus disease outbreak across West Africa. It documents the Organization's coordination of policy discussions to finalize a global sustainable development agenda, with the security of future generations as the core concern; and its efforts to rebuild societies emerging from conflict while keeping the fragile peace in other places. It further details the entry into force of the landmark Arms Trade Treaty, the missile downing of a passenger airliner in the midst of a geopolitical crisis in eastern Ukraine, and securing international human rights and humanitarian law and prosecuting abusers.

Fully indexed, the 1991 edition of the "Yearbook" is the single most current, comprehensive and authoritative reference publication about the work of the United Nations, other international organizations and related bodies. The book is designed not just for use by diplomats, officials and scholars but also by other researchers, writers, journalists, teachers and students. The year 1991 was a remarkably eventful one for the United Nations and in the conduct of international relations. This volume of the "Yearbook" details the activities of the United Nations, its many organs, agencies and programmes, working together to rekindle a new form of multilateral cooperation for a better world. It records the diverse and globe-encompassing activities of the United Nations and its enduring efforts to deal with the world's pressing concerns, particularly matters of international peace and security, disarmament, human rights, the settlement of regional conflicts, economic and social development, the preservation of the environment, control of drugs and narcotic substance abuse, crime prevention, adequate shelter, youth and the ageing and humanitarian assistance for refugees as well as disaster relief. The "Yearbook of the United Nations" is now up-to-date. The Yearbooks for the years 1988, 1989 and 1990 will be published simultaneously.

This yearbook contains documentary texts of treaties and other materials concerning the legal status and activities of the United Nations and related inter-governmental organizations. It also presents the judicial decisions on questions related to the Organization. A bibliography on jurisprudence is included.