Precision, speed and accuracy are the hallmark of the astounding mechanism developed by the United Nations to record its multilingual proceedings. These behind-the-scene pictures show the life story of an official record, from the spoken word to the printed document.
At the same time, skilled fingers race silently over the keys of stenotype machines or the stenographers' pads. Every word is taken down on paper, both the original speech and its interpretation. The men and women who do it are members of the most highly qualified corps of verbatim reporters, with many years of experience of international conferences, often with a League of Nations background.
c. 1948
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Precision, speed and accuracy are the hallmark of the astounding mechanism developed by the United Nations to record its multilingual proceedings. These behind-the-scene pictures show the life story of an official record, from the spoken word to the printed document.
The great majority of mankind, through the representatives of 58 Member nations, makes itself heard before the international forum. The words fly, but there is a machinery that gives them permanence and turns the representative's speech into a document of historic, as well as of immediate political and diplomatic value.
UN Photo
c. 1947
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Precision, speed and accuracy are the hallmark of the astounding mechanism developed by the United Nations to record its multilingual proceedings. These behind-the-scene pictures show the life story of an official record, from the spoken word to the printed document.
The final manuscript goes to the printing shop, and the typesetter gets busy.
c. 1948
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Precision, speed and accuracy are the hallmark of the astounding mechanism developed by the United Nations to record its multilingual proceedings. These behind-the-scene pictures show the life story of an official record, from the spoken word to the printed document.
Official Records of the Security Council in Russian (open) and translations into other official languages:
English, French, Chinese and Spanish.
c. 1948
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Precision, speed and accuracy are the hallmark of the astounding mechanism developed by the United Nations to record its multilingual proceedings. These behind-the-scene pictures show the life story of an official record, from the spoken word to the printed document.
The representatives have 48 hours to check their speeches and send in their corrections to the editors who incorporate them in the revised edition, which is most painstakingly prepared for publication. Correct spelling of names is written out on a blackboard to ensure uniformity throughout the document. All the above operations are carried out by the Official Records Division.
c. 1948
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