OCHA Style Guide

8/9/2019 OCHA Style Guide

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United Nations

Ofce for the Coordination of Humanitarian AffairsEdition No. 2 / July 2010

CONTENTS

Introduction 1

General writing guidelines 2

Section 1: Grammar 3

Section 2: Punctuation 6

Section 3: Style 12

Section 4: Numbers 22

Section 5: Temperatures and Measurements 25

Section 6: Commonly Misused Words and Phrases 26

Section 7: Avoiding Unnecessary Words 31

Section 8: Spelling List 33

Section 9: Glossary 38

ANNEXES

I. Frequently Used Humanitarian Acronyms 40

II. Footnotes and Bibliographies 44

III. Useful resources 48

For questions or feedback on the OCHA Style Guide,please e-mail the OCHA Reporting Unit at: [email protected]


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Style Guide | 1

INTRODUCTION

As a global organization, the United Nations Ofce for the Coordinationof Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) faces many challenges in presenting auniform identity in its information products. Some inconsistencies aredue to the diverse personnel and practices within OCHA around theworld. Projecting a consistent message demands a consistent style.This second edition of the OCHA Style Guide is designed to help andencourage OCHA staff members to develop that consistency.

Every organization has its individual stylistic differences, from TheEconomist , to the BBC to The New York Times. This guide is a quick

reference for preferred United Nations style, as well as a reference forEnglish usage. The guide is not intended to impose limits on writers, butto help them produce work that meets professional standards, with afocus on needs for humanitarian reporting.

In a working environment where the demand for information is constant,it is each staff member’s responsibility to ensure the quality of his/herwork. The quality and consistency of every communication reectsdirectly on the reputation of OCHA as a whole.

This is not a comprehensive manual. The denitive authority onlanguage, style, usage and rules is the United Nations Editorial Manual(http://69.94.137.26/editorialcontrol/index.htm ), in conjunction with theConcise Oxford Dictionary , eleventh edition. Any issue not resolved inthe OCHA Style Guide should be researched in those sources.

This second edition is divided into new chapters and includes updatedguidance on grammatical and stylistic issues that often cause confusion.It includes rules on grammar, punctuation, spelling, terminology andusage, as well as advice on how to shorten certain phrases often usedin reporting.

To complement the Style Guide, the OCHA Reporting Unit has produceda series of relevant training modules that are now available on OCHAnet(see Annex III on page 48 for more details). The French version of theOCHA Style Guide is also now available on OCHAnet.

For more comments, suggestions or enquiries on specic issues, or foreditorial support, contact the OCHA Reporting Unit at: [email protected].


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2 | United Nations Ofce for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Style Guide | 3

GENERAL WRITING GUIDELINES

Written communications can take many forms in the work of OCHA, fromhigh-level reports to ofcial announcements. Some basic considerationswill help make your writing more engaging and effective.

Think before drafting

Why am I writing?What is the subject?Who is the audience?

Being able to answer these questions is critical. If any are unclear, trybrainstorming on your own or with colleagues to dene an approach.When you have identied your objectives, it may help to sketch an outline,especially if you have a complex subject or extensive material. If thereis a template and/or a good prior example to follow, use it. Check thetemplates on OCHAnet under the Reporting Resources section.

Aim for clarity

Keep sentences short and simple.Use coherent paragraphs to provide structure.Give each paragraph a topic sentence.

Consider various methods for structuring your paragraphs, such as bytheme, chronology, comparing and contrasting, or by cause and effect.

Seven rules for simplicity

1. State a fact or an idea directly.2. Use concrete rather than abstract words.3. Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs.

4. Use the active voice rather than the passive voice (see page 4).5. Avoid wordy sentences.6. Use appropriate language.7. Use verbs that are dynamic and action oriented.

Proofread

Before you submit your work, read it again carefully for any errors inlanguage or logic. Do not rely on the computer’s spell check to catch everymistake. For example, it will not notice Untied Nations.

Practice makes perfect

The OCHA Reporting Unit has developed online training modules to helpOCHA staff members improve their written communications. The UnitedNations Editorial Manual Online also contains a series of online writingcourses. See Annex III on page 48 for the links.

SECTION 1

GRAMMAR

Collective/Group Nouns

When using none or percentages, use a plural verb if the noun is acollective/group noun, such as beneciaries or households.

Examples:None• of the beneciaries have received information.Twenty per cent of• households have been affected by

oods.

Karang is one of the few villages in the region that are•

(not is)accessible.

See also: Singular nouns

Dangling/Hanging Participle

If the rst part of a sentence does not refer to the noun that is thesubject in the main part of the sentence, it is a dangling or hangingparticiple. For example:

After being trapped in the rubble for nine days, the USG met theearthquake survivors.

After being trapped in the rubble for nine days refers to theearthquake survivors. However, the subject of the main part of the

sentence is the USG. To avoid confusion, this can be rewordedas:

After being trapped in the rubble for nine days, the earthquakesurvivors met the USG.or

The USG met the earthquake survivors who had been trapped inthe rubble for nine days.


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Passive vs. Active

Be direct and concise. Wherever possible, use the active voice (Aapproached B). This is more direct and concise than the passive voice(B was approached by A).

Examples: Active: WFP delivered food to 800 refugees.•Passive: Food was delivered to 800 refugees by WFP.•

Use the passive voice to emphasize or prioritize. The example below iswritten in the passive so that the emphasis is on the staff members wholost their lives:

Example: Five staff members were killed by members of the Taliban.•

Reported Speech

Use indirect speech to report something that was said or written, ratherthan the exact words. Quotation marks are not required. When usingindirect speech, use a verb in the past tense to indicate who deliveredthe information (He said/She stated/They conrmed). A correspondingchange must then be made in verb tense in the statement beingreported.

Examples:Direct:• The OCHA annual report is being launched today.Indirect:• He announced that the OCHA annual report was being launched that day.

Direct:• IDPs are in desperate need of clean water.Indirect:• The Secretary-General stated that IDPs were indesperate need of clean water.

When reporting on statements that are universally true, keep thestatement in its original tense:

The speaker noted that, under the Universal Declaration of HumanRights, everyone has [not had] the right to life, liberty and securityof person.

Point to Note: Reported speech is used for documents includingsummary records, reports at the Secretary-General level, and theOCHA “Note for the File”.

Singular Nouns

When referring to a team, a Government, an organization or a country,

use the singular verb.

Examples:

The team is arriving next week.•

The Government has issued a statement.•

The United Nations is an international organization.•

The Philippines has asked for international assistance.•

The noun number is singular if it follows the denite article the.

Example:The number of those attending is• estimated at 400.

Split Innitives

This is a common example of a split innitive: To boldly go whereno man has gone before. The innitive is to go. It has been split bythe adverb boldly . Use split innitives only if needed for emphasis orreadability. For example: They were advised to regularly check theire-mail reads clearer than They were advised to check regularly their

e-mail .


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SECTION 2

PUNCTUATION

Apostrophe

For possessives: Add• ’s for singular possessive nouns (the organization’s policy ) Add• ’s for plural possessives not ending in s (children’srights)

Add• ’ for plural possessive nouns ending in s (aid workers’security; farmers’ concerns; refugees’ rations)

For singular possessive words and names ending in• s, use-s’s (John Holmes’s speech was prepared using informationfrom Charles’s report. The IRIN story included one witness’saccount of the conict.)

Remember: ‘s never indicates plural:Correct: Several NGOs attended the meeting.Incorrect: Several NGO’s attended the meeting.

If something belongs to more than one NGO (plural possessive):The NGOs’ decision was explained in the report.

If something belongs to one NGO (singular possessive):The NGO’s decision was explained in the report.

For timelines, where the time period modies a noun:

One month’s supply (singular)• Two weeks’ leave (plural)•Six months’ imprisonment•

For contractions: Avoid contractions unless in quoted material. If you must use them,remember:

it’s = it is (it’s a natural disaster)•its = belongs to it (the organization changed its policy)•

See also: Section 3 - United Nations

Brackets/Parentheses

Use parentheses (round brackets) for explanatory or side remarks inunquoted text. Place the punctuation outside the parentheses. If theentire sentence is inside the parentheses, then place the punctuationinside.

Examples:The city’s evacuation centres are currently hosting 216,941•people (45,129 families).Clashes between tribal groups have created new•displacement. (See the map on page 6 for details of theaffected areas.)

Use square brackets in quoted material, usually to explain or specifyunclear or implied information.

Example:“We are hopeful that [the village leaders] will join the•discussions,” said the Minister.

Colon

The colon indicates that what follows is an elaboration orexplanation. It can be used to introduce a list, an example or a texttable. Never place a dash after a colon.

Example:Do not wait for the perfect expertise: create assessment•teams with staff available on the ground.

The word following the colon only starts with a capital letter if it isdirect speech, a proper noun or an acronym.

When using a colon, do not separate the verb from the object.Correct: Three organizations attended the meeting: Oxfam, WFPand OCHA.Incorrect: The three organizations at the meeting were: Oxfam,WFP and OCHA.


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Comma

When writing a list, do not place a comma before the nal and unlessone of the items includes another and .

Examples:Governments, donors and aid agencies.•But• : Governments, donors, aid agencies, and water andsanitation experts.

Use a comma to separate explanatory information.

Example:Security in Gardez, the provincial capital, has deteriorated.•

(In this example, the provincial capital is explanatoryinformation.)

Use a comma after the name of a location and its respective country.

Example:The Humanitarian Affairs Ofcer was deployed to Abéché,•Chad, for six months.

Use a comma between two independent parts of a sentence (clauses)that are linked by a conjunction (for, nor, but, or, yet, so).

Example:Security has improved, but access remains limited.•

Use a comma to set off an introductory phrase.

Example: According to WHO, three mobile clinics were damaged.•

Do not link two complete sentences with a comma (comma splice). Inthis case, use a semicolon.

Example:There is little food available; starvation threatens thousands.•

See also: Section 3 - Semicolons; Names

Dash

Use the em dash (long dash) to set off a phrase or interjection — likethis — within a sentence. Use sparingly and never more than one pairper sentence.

The en dash (short dash) is only used in the following cases:

In a table of contents to indicate a range of paragraph numbers,e.g. 1-12To replace hyphens in a sub-list of a bulleted list. For example:

• Clusters - Education

- Logistics

In cases where the en dash would normally be indicated, such “a UnitedNations/European Union initiative”, use the slash.

Use the en dash if it is part of an ofcial title, such as “African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur”.

To nd the em dash and en dash in Microsoft Word, go to Insert , clickSymbol then click Special Characters.

Ellipsis

If words are omitted within a quotation, replace with ellipsis (…).

Example: “This is a major emergency … and the people affectedneed immediate help,” he said.

Full stop (Period)

Use full stops to help shorten sentences. Do not use full stops inacronyms, or at the end of headings and subheadings.

See also: Section 3 - Acronyms; Bullet Points


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Hyphen

Hyphens bind words. Use hyphens when a compound (two or morewords in a phrase) is used as an adjective before a noun. Hyphenatea compound modier if one part of the compound is an adjective orgerund (ending in ing).

Examples:Food-insecure population (but: the population is food•insecure)Income-generating activities (but: the activities are income•generating)

Hyphenate compound adjectives to avoid ambiguity. Compare these

sentences:

He bought a little used car.(Meaning: the car was small and had been used before.)

He bought a little-used car.(Meaning: the car has rarely been used.)

A cross section of the IDP camp(Meaning: A particular section of the IDP camp that is unhappy.)

A cross-section of the IDP camp(Meaning: A representative group of the IDP camp.)

Never use a hyphen after an adverb ending in -ly . (An adverbexplains how, when or where.)

Examples:This is a rmly established• rule.They crossed an internationally recognized State border.•UNDP rebuilt badly damaged roads.•

Common words and phrases that are hyphenated:

Best-case scenarioCapacity-buildingChild-headed householdChild-friendly programmeConict-affected region/peopleCyclone-affected region/peopleDecision-makingDrought-affected areas

Five-year planFood-insecure populationFund-raisingGender-based violenceIncome-generating programmeLong-standing agreementLong-term planMid-year; mid-October Short-term planSudden-onset disaster Worst-case scenario

See also: Section 4 – Numbers; Section 8 - Spelling List

Semicolon

Use the semicolon where there is no conjunction, such as and orbut , and where a comma would be ungrammatical. It can be used toseparate two related sentences:

Example:Roads in the north-east are ooded; delivery convoys cannot•pass.

To avoid confusion in a list that contains several commas, use asemicolon in place of commas.

Examples:The Flash Appeal was launched by the Secretary-General,•Ban Ki-moon; the UN Special Envoy for Haiti, Bill Clinton; theEmergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes; and AmbassadorLeo Mérorès of Haiti.

Earthquakes could hit Karachi, Pakistan; Kathmandu, Nepal;•and Lima, Peru.


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SECTION 3

STYLE

Armed Forces

Use upper-case for the full ofcial name of a specic force. Uselower-case when used generically.

Examples:The Rwandan army, the Rwandan Patriotic Army; the Air•Force of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwean air force.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Always explain*. In running text, use the full name on rst mentionand then follow it with the acronym, abbreviation or short name inparentheses. However, if the name is not repeated in the text, do notfollow it with the acronym. In a table or limited space, abbreviation orshortened form is acceptable.

Do not use full stops/periods within acronyms (• UNDP notU.N.D.P ).Do not use abbreviations in titles or headings.•Do not use• the as part of an organization’s name inacronyms (WFP not the WFP ). (Annex I of this guidecontains a list of common acronyms and abbreviations.)When deciding whether to use• a or an with abbreviations, beguided by pronunciation (an MSF programme).

*Always explain acronyms in formal documents. For internal reporting and informaldocuments, explain acronyms if there is a lack of clarity around the acronym or if it is notwidely used.

Accents

Always respect the use of accents and special characters in thenames of people and organizations.

Example:Médecins Sans Frontières is conducting assessments in•Petit-Goâve, Haiti.

Tip: To nd accents and special characters in Microsoft Word, go toInsert then click Symbol .

Ban Ki-moon

Always hyphenate the nal two words and use a lower-case m.

See also: Job Titles

Bullet Points

When items introduced by bullet points are short (equivalent to alist), no punctuation follows the items. If the items consist of wholesentences, use a full stop after each item. Do not use semicolonswith bullet points.

See also: Formatting

Capitalization

In running text, only use initial capitals for proper names; ofcial titlesof people; organizations and institutions; names of states; and forspecic terms such as Member States.

For titles of books, periodicals and United Nations publications,capitalize all words except articles, conjunctions and prepositions,such as and , of , the, with, to.

For titles of United Nations documents, capitalize only the rst word,proper nouns and other words normally capitalized for headings ofchapters, sections, subsections, gures, map legends, and titles ofarticles and unpublished papers.

Capitalization guidelines can be found in the United Nations EditorialManual Online at: http://69.94.137.26/editorialcontrol/ed-guidelines/style/capitalization.htm

See also: Armed Forces; Geographic References; Headings; JobTitles.


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Country Names

In ofcial correspondence, use the full country name on rstreference (e.g. the United Republic of Tanzania). Use the short formthereafter (Tanzania).

Use short form or abbreviation in informal correspondenceor if space is limited, e.g. DPRK, DRC, oPt. Always spell outabbreviations on rst mention.

UK and US may be used as adjectives (e.g. a UK agreement ).

If citing several countries in running text, list them in alphabeticalorder.

Country names are listed in the United Nations MultilingualTerminology Database at: http://unterm.un.org.

Currency

The US dollar is the currency of reference. On rst mention of thecurrency, write US$ . Thereafter use $ . Do not insert a space betweenthe symbol and the number.

In headlines, use $ (not US$ ). For keyboards without the $ symbol,write USD.

When referring to another currency, give the US-dollar equivalent inparentheses.

Example: An appeal for US$33 million was launched on 1 November.•To date, $10 million has been donated to the appeal. The

Australian Government donated A$1 million ($925,000).

When writing the name of a currency in full, do not capitalize (e.g.Colombian peso, Egyptian pound, Swiss franc).

Dollar amounts take the singular verb:More than US$50,000• has been pledged.

Dollars as a noun take the plural verb:Not enough dollars• are being allocated to help victims.

Dates

Dates are written as the day followed by the month and year. Nocommas are needed. Do not use ordinal sufxes, e.g. 1st, 15th, 22nd.

Example: Stevie Wonder became a United Nations Messenger of•Peace on 3 December 2009.

In tables or limited spaces, use the numeric form: 03.12.09.

When expressing a range of dates, choose from the following:From... to...•Between... and...•

On... and...• A hyphen (only in a table)•

Do not mix the above, e.g. do not use from with and , or between witha hyphen.

Give specic dates where possible. Avoid vague expressions suchas last week or next Tuesday .

Avoid using weekend , as certain countries have different weekends

Font

Times New Roman 12 point and Arial 11 point are the preferred fontsfor OCHA correspondence. For additional guidelines, refer to therelevant document template.

Foreign Words

Use italics for foreign words that do not appear in the eleventhedition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary . Do not use italicsfor organizations with non-English names, e.g., Médecins SansFrontières.


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Formatting

In running text, justify paragraphs, use Normal style with singlespacing, separated by one line. Use one space between the full stopand the following sentence. Never use double spacing. Avoid widows(very short lines at the end of a paragraph) and orphans (very shortlines at the top of a page or column).

See also: Bullet Points

Geographic References

Capitalize when referring to an ofcial place name or a majorgeographical region. Use lower-case for geographical direction

or as a general reference to an area within a country. Hyphenatecompound words.

Examples:The Government of Southern Sudan; the north-west of the•country; south-eastern Afghanistan; North-South dialogue;the Middle East; The Hague; Somalia; South-East Asia;Western Europe; East Africa; southern Lebanon.

Government

Use upper-case when referring to the ruling entity of a country. Uselower-case for the general concept of government, or when referringto more than one government.

Examples:The group leaders have agreed to talks with the•Government.The governments of Fiji and Tonga opposed the resolution.•

Headings

In document headings, only use initial capitals for the rst wordand proper nouns, such as the names of places, organizations andspecic people.Exception: All words in OCHA press release headings are in capitals.

For specic formatting guidelines, refer to the relevant documenttemplate.

See also: Capitalization.

Italics

Use italics for the following:Foreign words that do not appear in• Oxford .Titles of books, periodicals, newspapers, lms, television and•radio programmes.Titles of ofcial United Nations publications.•Titles of court cases and foreign-language laws and decrees.•

Do not use italics for emphasis.Do not use italics for non-English organization names.The titles of articles or documents are given between quotation marks.

–ize, –ization, –yseUse –ize and –ization, not –ise and –isation, as indicated in theConcise Oxford English Dictionary. Examples: organize; memorize.

Exceptions: advertise, advise, apprise, chastise, circumcise, comprise,compromise, demise, despise, devise, enterprise, excise, exercise,franchise, improvise, incise, premise, revise, supervise, surmise,surprise, televise

Use –yse, not –yze. Examples: analyse; catalyse; paralyse.

See also: Spelling .

Job Titles

Use initial capitals for the titles of specic posts. Use lower-case fornon-specic posts.

Examples:The OCHA Public Information Ofcer organized the workshop•in Juba. She invited the public information ofcers from severalhumanitarian organizations.The Minister of Finance of Japan chaired the meeting of•nance ministers.

Remember:

Secretary-General and Under-Secretary-General (always•hyphenate)

Assistant Secretary-General (only hyphenate the last two•words)Special Representative of the Secretary-General (only•hyphenate the last two words)


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Multi–

Compound forms are closed (no hyphen). Exceptions: multi-access;multi-bilateral; multi-cause; multi-centred; multi-client; multi-country;multi-donor; multi-ethnic; multi-faith; multi-hazard; multi-purpose;multi-skilled; multi-stakeholder; multi-storey; multi-user; multi-utility;multi-year.

See also: Prexes

Names

Use rst and last name on rst reference, without honoric. Forsubsequent mentions of the name, use the honoric Mr., Mrs. or

Ms. and the last name. For children, use rst name alone after fullmention. Use Dr. for medical doctor only.

See also: Ban Ki-moon

Names of locations

When referencing ofcial place names, always ensure accurate andconsistent spelling throughout the document. Ensure the namesconform to United Nations standards. Check the United NationsMultilingual Terminology Database (UNTERM) or ofcial maps.

Ofcial Correspondence

For ofcial OCHA correspondence, please refer to the OCHACorrespondence Manual . It is the ofcial guide for drafting,processing and dispatching ofcial OCHA communications inEnglish. The manual is located on OCHAnet under the CommunityContent section.

Prexes

Certain prexes may or may not be hyphenated, e.g. coexist; co- payment; multilingual ; multi-access; subcommittee; sub-group. Referto the spelling section of the United Nations Editorial Manual Online.

Per cent

See: Section 4 – Numbers

Quotations

Use double quotation marks for quoted (verbatim) words, phrases,sentences and paragraphs. For a quotation within a quotation, usesingle marks. Place the punctuation outside the quotation marks.If the punctuation pertains to the quoted words, as in a completesentence or question, place the punctuation inside the quotationmarks.

Examples:The Government has accused the NGO of “espionage and•subterfuge”.The President said: “We will not countenance this•behaviour.”

Use double quotation marks for a word or phrase used in referenceto its own meaning.

Example:The use of the term “genocide” remains contentious.•

Note: United Nations style for quotations combines UK and USstandards, using double quotation marks rst (US), but with UKpunctuation style.

Spelling

United Nations spelling generally follows the UK standard of spellingas given in the Concise Oxford Dictionary , eleventh edition.Ending forms follow UK (rather than US) convention:

–re (centre, theatre); –our (colour, neighbour, favour ); double l (travelled, cancelled ).

Spell organization names exactly as ofcial name.Example: Center for Disaster Recovery

Tip: Set your computer to English UK spelling. Click: Tools/Languag e/Set Language: English U.K .

See also: –ize


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Seasons

Use with care, as seasons relate to different months of the yearin the northern and southern hemispheres. Write the name of themonth(s) to clarify. Winter, spring, summer and autumn are generallynot capitalized.

Provide a time context where appropriate for regional or localseasonal designations (e.g. dry season, monsoon season, deyr ).

See also: Weather

Time

Do not use o’clock. Use a.m. or p.m. (lower-case). Insert a spacebetween the numeral(s) and a.m./ p.m.

Example: They met at 8.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day.•

Do not use 12 a.m. or 12 p.m., as they are easily misunderstood.Use midnight or noon.

Where appropriate, the 24-hour system may be used. Use fourgures, no punctuation, with hours following (e.g. 1330 hours is 1.30p.m.).

When referring to time in a document such as a situation report,always clarify if the time is local time.

Time zone details can be found at: http://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/

United Nations

Do not use an apostrophe when referring to the United Nations in thepossessive.

Example: United Nations Headquarters; United Nations policy;United Nations statement.

See also: Apostrophe

Weather

When referring to typhoons and hurricanes, only use upper-case Tand H when referring to the name of a specic typhoon or hurricane.

Example:Typhoon Joe is the strongest typhoon to hit the region so far•this year.

The correct terminology for weather patterns depends on thelocation:

Hurricane: North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacic Ocean

Typhoon: North-West Pacic Ocean through the Philippines, China,Vietnam and Japan

Cyclone: Indian Ocean and South Pacic Ocean (southernhemisphere)

Use italics for the name of seasonal designations in a foreignlanguage, such as deyr .

Working groups

If referring to a specic working group, use upper-case W and G.Otherwise use lower-case.

Example:The Climate Change Working Group was the most heavily•attended working group.


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SECTION 4

NUMBERS*

Spell out one to nine in running text. Use numerals for 10 and•above, up to 999,999. Exception: if a sentence lists two or morenumbers to which different rules apply, the rule applying to thehigher number applies to all. Example: Representatives from 12

African, 8 Asian and 5 Latin American countries attended themeeting.

Use numerals for ages, dates, decimals, degrees, page•

references, percentages and measurements(8kg; 7 per cent; 6 years old; 0.5° C).

Write the number as a numeral for millions, billions and trillions•(16 billion; 1.2 million).

Use a comma, not a full stop, to denote thousands and millions•(1,234; 3,430,500).

Do not start a sentence with a gure: spell it out. Hyphenate the•number if it consists of two words. Exception: a sentence canstart with a year written as a gure.

Express ranges of numbers in full, i.e.• $2million to $3million not$2 to $3 million, as this could be taken literally.

If the unit of measure is written out or abbreviated, only use it•

after the second gure. Example: Current supplies will last 12-16months (not 12 months-16 months).

Do not abbreviate• number with the # symbol. Use No.(e.g. in tables and sitreps).

Do not insert numerals in parentheses after numbers written in•words, e.g. two (2).

See also: Section 6 – Among/Between

* For more guidance and training on numbers, see the OCHANumbers training module at: http://ochanet.unocha.org/AS/Reporting/Pages/TrainingModules.aspx

Ages

Use numerals for ages. Only hyphenate the age when it modies anoun.

Examples: A 98-year-old man was rescued from the rubble.•The man rescued from the rubble is 98 years old.•

Tetanus vaccines are available for 7-year-old children.•Tetanus vaccines are available for children who are 7 years•old.

Exception: When referring to the under-ve mortality rate, the age is

expressed as a hyphenated word when used as a modier. In othercases, it is expressed as under age 5 .

Example:The under-ve mortality rate has declined.•But• : Mortality rates have declined for children under age 5.

Fractions

Spell out simple fractions. Use percentage (or decimal) for complexgures. Do not use gures with a slash or stroke (2/3 of the

population). Instead, write out the fraction in words ( two thirds of the population).

Fractions expressed in words are only hyphenated when used as anadjective.

Example:One third of the total•

But: A one-third share•

Numbers as compound words

Hyphenate compound words that involve a number.

Examples: A two-week ration; a three-week mission; a 35-passenger•plane.


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Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers from rst to ninety-ninth are expressed in words formost ordinary purposes. Write ordinals in gures to indicate:

Meeting numbers (• 2nd meeting; 3rd meeting )Floors: (• 4th oor; 38th oor )

Per cent

Write as two words. Write the numbers as gures before per cent .This includes one to nine.

Example: More than 5 per cent of the population was affected.

Only use the % symbol in tables or limited spaces, not in runningtext. In tables, use a gure with no space between the gure and the% symbol.

See also: Section 6 – Among/Between

SECTION 5

TEMPERATURES AND MEASUREMENTS

Kilometre

Spell the word kilometres in full when a specic number is not used,i.e. The water supply is several kilometres away.

As a specic unit of measure, abbreviate the word to km when usedwith gures (including one to nine). Insert a space between the gureand km.

Example:The camp is 12 km from the border. The fence is 3 m tall.•

Metre

A metre is a length of measure. A meter is an instrument formeasuring.

Temperature

Use Celsius, always with numerals (including one to nine). Use thedegree symbol with the C , with a space between (38° C ).

The Fahrenheit to Celsius conversion formula is: C = (F minus 32) /1.8

An online temperature conversion is at: http://www.onlineconversion.

com/temperature.htm

Ton

Not tonne. In standard United Nations terminology, ton denotesmetric tons (MT = 1,000kg, 2,204lbs), not short tons (2,000lbs) orlong tons (2,240lbs). Spell out ton.


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SECTION 6

COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS

AND PHRASES

Acute/Chronic

Acute means short but severe.Chronic means ongoing or constantly recurring.

Advocate

Advocate means to support, recommend, or speak in favour of aperson or an action.

A person or organization advocates something. The words for oragainst are not used after advocate in this sense.

Examples:OCHA advocates humanitarian reform.The Economist advocated a surge of troops to Afghanistan.

A person or organization can advocate for someone, meaning onbehalf of .

Examples:The Secretary-General advocated for people trapped in closedcamps.UNICEF advocates for children.

A person or organization can be an advocate of something, meaningin favour of .

Examples:Dr. Martin Luther King was an advocate of human rights.President Obama is an advocate of change.

A lot

Always written as two words, not one.

Among/Amongst

Both are grammatically correct and have the same meaning. It ismore common to use among in everyday writing.

Affect/Effect

affect (verb): to inuence, often with negative implication. Theghting will affect civilians’ safety.

effect (verb): to cause. The new coordination procedures weredesigned to effect positive change.effect (noun): the result or outcome of an action or event. Theconict’s damaging effects were evident.

Among/Between

Use between in reference to two items, among for three or more.

Example:

The war between the Government and the insurgents hasintensied.The group members decided among themselves how to addressthe situation.

When using between with numbers, do not use it with to.

Example:The landslide displaced between 400 and 600 people.Not: The landslide displaced between 400 to 600 people.

Biannual

Bimonthly , biweekly and biyearly are ambiguous: they mean eitheroccurring twice a month/week/year, or occurring every other month/week/year. Try to avoid these words entirely. Write twice a month/ week/year and every other month/week/year (or every two months/ weeks/years), as appropriate.

Compare to/Compare with

A is compared with B when highlighting the difference.

Example:Funding levels were lower compared with funding contributionsfollowing previous disasters.

A is compared to B when highlighting similarities.

Example:The international response to the earthquake in Haiti has been


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While/Whilst

Both are grammatically correct and have the same meaning. It ismore common to use while in everyday writing.

Who’s/Whose

Who’s is an abbreviation of who is. Whose means of whom.

SECTION 7

AVOIDING UNNECESSARY WORDS

Below are suggestions on how to shorten phrases often used in OCHAdocuments.

LONG SHORT

a large proportion of many

amongst among

areas that are affected by drought drought-affected areas

as to whether whether

cut back cut/reducedue to the fact that because

during the duration of during/throughout

during the month of May during May

for a period of x months for x months

he carried out a visit to he visited

in addition to besides/as well as

in an emergency situation in an emergency

in bad weather conditions in bad weather

in collaboration with with

in order to to

in spite of the fact that although

in the event of if

in the majority of instances mostly

in two weeks’ time in two weeks

is of the opinion believesit is a situation that is the situation is

joint cooperation cooperation

meet with meet

on a monthly basis monthlyoutside of the humanitarianresponse plan

outside the humanitarianresponse plan

owing to the fact that because

put an end to stop

reported to be reportedly

still continues to be ongoing continues

still ongoing ongoing

the aim of the programme is the programme aims to


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the generous support of donors donors’ generous supportthe workshop was facilitatedby OCHA

OCHA facilitated the workshop

they are able to/will be able to they canthey reached a total of 3 millionpeople

they reached 3 million people

they treated a total of 85 patients they treated 85 patients

together with with

very urgent critical

whilst while

with regards to regarding

worked together with worked with

SECTION 8

SPELLING LIST (adapted from the United Nations Editorial Manual)

adj. = adjective•adv. = adverb•* indicates a change from the rst edition of the• OCHA Style Guide

A

above-mentionedadviser airlift

airdrop Al-Qaidaantenatal

antimalarialanti-povertyasylum-seeker

B

Ban Ki-moon

bednet

birth ratebreak down (verb) breakdown (noun)build up (verb) build-up (noun)

C

cash for workcash-for-work programmecancelled, cancellingcapacity-building (noun and adj.)caseloadceaserecheckpointchildbearingchildbirthcivilian policecooperatecoordinatecost plancountrywidecoup d’état


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D

decision maker decision-making (noun and adj.)defence (but: US Dept. of Defense; Israel Defense Forces)diarrhoea*discreet (prudent)discrete* (separate)disinterested (impartial)

E

early warning systemEid al-Adha Eid al-Fitr

e-mailenquire, enquiry (request for information)every day (adv.) everyday (adj.)eyewitness

F

eldwork, eldworker ash oodfocused, focusingfollow-up (noun and adjective)foodgrainsfoodstuff

rst-hand (adj. and adv.)ash oodfreshwater (noun and adj.) fund-raising (noun and adj.)

G

gender-based violencegender-specicgram(s)groundwater (noun and adj.)

H

hand grenadehealth care (noun)health-care (adj.)high-mortality-risk groups

I

income generation (noun) income-generation (adj.)in depth (adv.) in-depth (adj.) in kind (adj. and adv.)inter-agencyinter-ethnicintergovernmentalInternet

K

kilogram(s) (kg)

kilometre(s) (km)

L

labour landmine

liaison

licence (noun)license (verb)life-saving (adj.)long-standing (adj.) long-term (adj.)loose (not bound or tight) (adj.)lose (cease to have) (verb)

M

Member Statemetre(s) (unit of length)meter (instrument that measures)mid-1990s, mid-2004 midterm/midway/midweek/midyear mine clearance (noun, preferable to demining)mine-clearance (adj.)mosquito/mosquitoesmuch-needed (adj.)multi-countrymulti-donor multi-ethnicmultinational

N

nationwide neighbour


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non-governmentalno one

non-refoulement

O

old age (noun) old-age (adj.)ongoingonline

occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)over age 5

P

peacebuildingpeacekeeper, peacekeepingper cent*practice (noun)practise (verb)preschoolpre-position (verb)principal (rst in rank) (noun and adj.)principle (fundamental truth) (noun)program (computing only)programmeProvince (in named references)psychosocialpublic-health (adj.)

R

rainwater re-electre-emphasizerefoulementregion-wide Richter scalerisk reduction (noun and adj.)roadblockroad map

S

self- (compound forms are hyphenated)set-up (noun)school-age (adjective)Secretary-General

shanty townshortlist (noun and verb)slum-dweller socio-economicstandby (noun and adjective)staff member subgroupsub-ofcesub-Saharansudden-onset disaster

T

trafcs, trafcked, trafcking

time frametimeline

timescaleton

towardstravelled, travelling

U

Under-Secretary-Generalunder age 5under-ve mortalityunderfundedunder wayUnited Nations Country Team*user-friendly

V

value addedvis-à-vis

W

wastewater waterborneWeb (World Wide Web)webcastwebsiteweekdaywell-beingworldwideworkplan


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SECTION 9

GLOSSARY

Affected

People forced to cope with the consequences of a disaster, crisis orconict (not including fatalities). When possible, disaggregate data onaffected populations by gender and age groups.

Beneciaries

People affected by a situation (i.e. conict or disaster) who havereceived humanitarian assistance, services or protection. The term can

be applied in a general sense (all those who have received assistancein a particular emergency) or sector specic (those who have receivedassistance of a stated type).

Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC)

The ERC is the head of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, involvingkey United Nations and non-United Nations humanitarian partners.ERC is the appropriate title when referring to the head of OCHA inthe broader context of his/her role in the international humanitariancommunity. See also: Under-Secretary-General

Famine

Use food shortage (chronic or acute, as appropriate).

Gender

Gender-specic terminology is acceptable, i.e. chairman/chairwoman,

spokesman/spokeswoman. Use –person if the individual prefers it orif it is part of the ofcial title.

Humanitarian Coordinator (HC)

The senior United Nations humanitarian ofcial at the country level.The HC is designated by the ERC, in consultation with the Inter-

Agency Standing Committee, when a situation demands intensivemanagement and/or massive humanitarian assistance. This issometimes the duty of the in-country Resident Coordinator. See also:Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator

United Nations Country Team (UNCT)/

Humanitarian Country Team (HCT)

The UNCT comprises all representatives of United Nations agenciesand IOM. The HCT includes only relevant representatives of UnitedNations agencies, as well as non-United Nations humanitarian actors.

The UNCT focuses on United Nations concerns, whereas the HCTaddresses strategic issues of the wider humanitarian community. TheHCT and the UNCT may coexist and do not replace each other. Toavoid confusion, always use whichever name is locally used.

HIV/AIDS

Use the acronym HIV/AIDS in reference to a pandemic. HIV (humanimmunodeciency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunedeciency syndrome). There are serious sensitivities to the languageused in discussion of HIV/AIDS. OCHA reporting should respect thesesensitivities where applicable. The UNAIDS Knowledge Centre hasuseful information at: http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Default.asp

Households

Typical household sizes vary by society and are therefore not a reliablemeasure to indicate the number of people. Use number of individualswhenever possible. It is appropriate to use when referring to specicitems distributed per household, e.g. clean water kits, reconstructionkits.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

People or groups of people who have been forced or obliged to leavetheir homes or habitual residence, in particular as a result of, or in orderto avoid, the effects of armed conict, situations of generalized violence,violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and whohave not crossed an internationally recognized State border.

Ofce for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

OCHA is preferred to UNOCHA, UN-OCHA or UN OCHA. It is pronouncedas a word, not as letters. OCHA was previously titled the Department ofHumanitarian Affairs, created in 1991 after General Assembly resolution46/182.

Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC)

The functional title designed for an RC who also functions as the HC.The RC functions under the aegis of UNDP and leads the United NationsCountry Team. Do not use HC/RC . Always use RC/HC .

Under-Secretary-General (USG)

The USG for Humanitarian Affairs is the head of OCHA and leader of theExecutive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs. USG is the appropriatetitle for the head of OCHA when referring to matters within the speciccontext of the United Nations Secretariat. Always hyphenate the title.See also: Emergency Relief Coordinator


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3W Who does What Where

ACE Assessment and Classication of Emergencies (OCHA) AGEE Advisory Group on Environmental Emergencies ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations AU African Union

BCPR Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (UNDP)BCRF Budgetary Cash Reserve Fund (OCHA)

CADRI Capacity for Disaster Risk Reduction InitiativeCAP Consolidated Appeals ProcessCCCM Camp Coordination and Camp ManagementCERF Central Emergency Response FundCHF Common Humanitarian FundCISB Communications and Information Services Branch

(OCHA)CMCS Civil-Military Coordination Section (OCHA)CMCOORD Civil-Military CoordinationCRD Coordination and Response Division (OCHA)CSS Communications Services Section (OCHA)CWGER Cluster Working Group on Early Recovery

DERS Donor and External Relations Section (OCHA)

DOCO Development Operations Coordination OfceDPA Department of Political Affairs (United Nations)DPKO Department of Peacekeeping Operations (United

Nations)DPSS Displacement and Protection Support Section (OCHA)DSRSG Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-GeneralDVPS Disaster and Vulnerability Policy Section (OCHA)

ECHA Executive Committee on Humanitarian AffairsECOSOC Economic and Social Council (United Nations)EES Environmental Emergencies Section (OCHA)EMERCOM Emergency Control MinistryEPR Emergency Preparedness Response UnitEPS Emergency Preparedness Section (OCHA)ERCC Emergency Relief Coordination Centre (OCHA)

ANNEX I

Frequently used humanitarian acronyms

ERF Emergency Response FundERR Emergency Response Roster ERRF Emergency Relief Response Fund (OCHA)ERSMB External Relations and Support Mobilization Branch

(OCHA)ESB Emergency Services Branch (OCHA)ESS Evaluation and Studies Section (OCHA)ETC Emergency Telecommunications ClusterEU European UnionEWCPS Early Warning and Contingency Planning Section (OCHA)

FCSS Field Coordination Support Section (OCHA)FSS Financing Support Section

FTS Financial Tracking Service

GAT Gender Advisory Team (OCHA)GCMS Geographical Coordination and Monitoring Section (OCHA)GDACS Global Disaster Alert and Coordination SystemGenCap Gender Standby Capacity ProjectGHP Global Humanitarian PlatformGHDIG Good Humanitarian Donorship Implementation GroupGIS Geographic Information SystemGIST Geographic Information Support TeamGMP Guidance Management Project (OCHA)

HAP Humanitarian Action PlanHC Humanitarian CoordinatorHCPT Humanitarian Community Partnership TeamHCT Humanitarian Country TeamHCSS Humanitarian Coordination Support Section (OCHA)HFA Hyogo Framework for ActionHIC Humanitarian Information CentreHIV/AIDS Human Immunodeciency Virus/Acquired Immune

Deciency SyndromeHoO Head of OfceHRF Humanitarian Response Fund

IASC Inter-Agency Standing CommitteeIA-RTE Inter-Agency Real Time EvaluationICRC International Committee of the Red CrossICT information and communications technologyIDP internally displaced personIFRC International Federation of Red Cross and

Red Crescent SocietiesIGO inter-governmental organization


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IGSS Intergovernmental Support Section (OCHA)IHL International Humanitarian LawIM information managementINSARAG International Search and Rescue Advisory GroupIPC Integrated Food Security and Humanitarian Phase

ClassicationIRA Initial Rapid AssessmentIRIN Integrated Regional Information NetworksISDR International Strategy for Disaster ReductionISS Information Services Section (OCHA)ITS Information Technology Section (OCHA)

JOTC Joint Operations Tasking Centre

LSU Logistics Support Unit (OCHA)

MCDA Military and Civil Defence Assets

NAF Needs Analysis FrameworkNATO North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationNDRA National Disaster Response AdviserNFI non-food items

NGO non-governmental organization

ODSG OCHA Donor Support GroupOECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and

DevelopmentOSCE Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

PAHO Pan American Health OrganizationPDNA Post-Disaster Needs AssessmentPDSB Policy Development and Studies Branch (OCHA)PFRG Programme Funding Review Group (OCHA)PIC Pandemic Inuenza Contingency (United Nations)POC Protection of Civilians Section (OCHA)PPAS Policy Planning and Analysis Section (OCHA)ProCap Protection Standby Capacity ProjectPRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy PaperPSNP Productive Safety Net Programme

RC/HC Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian CoordinatorRC Resident CoordinatorRDRA Regional Disaster Response AdviserREDLAC Regional Risk, Emergency and Disaster Task Force

RHPT Regional Humanitarian Partnership TeamROAP Regional Ofce for Asia and the Pacic (OCHA)ROCEA Regional Ofce for Central and East Africa (OCHA)ROLAC Regional Ofce for Latin America and the Caribbean

(OCHA)ROSEA Regional Ofce for Southern and Eastern Africa (OCHA)ROWCA Regional Ofce for West and Central Africa (OCHA)

SG Secretary-GeneralSCS Surge Capacity Section (OCHA)

UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDSUNDAC United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination

UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance FrameworkUNDMT United Nations Disaster Management TeamUNDP United Nations Development ProgrammeUNETT United Nations Emergency Technical TeamUNF United Nations Foundation

UNGIWG United Nations Geographic Information Working GroupUNHAS United Nations Humanitarian Air ServiceUNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesUNHRD United Nations Humanitarian Response DepotUNICEF United Nations Children’s FundUNJLC United Nations Joint Logistics CentreUXO unexploded ordnance

VOSOCC Virtual On-Site Operations Coordination Centre

WASH water, sanitation and hygieneWFP World Food ProgrammeWGET Working Group on Emergency TelecommunicationsWHO World Health OrganizationWMO World Meteorological Organization


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Footnotes

Footnotes give supplementary details, such as references,explanations and the author’s notes. They are set apart from themain body of text, appearing either at the bottom of the relevantpage or grouped at the end of the text (in which case they are moreaccurately called Endnotes).

Numbering footnotesFootnotes are usually marked by superscript numerals. Theyshould be numbered consecutively throughout a document,not for each page or chapter separately. (To place a numeralin superscript in MS Word, highlight the numeral, go to Format ,click Font , then tick Superscript .)

If any punctuation immediately follows the word, phrase orsentence to which a footnote refers, place the footnote numberafter the punctuation.

Place the footnote number after the nal round bracket if itrefers to a text in round brackets. Otherwise it should be placedimmediately after the word or phrase to which it refers.

If a footnote refers to a quotation, place the footnote numberafter the nal quotation mark.

Bibliographies

A bibliography is a list of books and other works, such as journalarticles. Place the bibliography at the end of the document andarrange alphabetically.

Layout for footnotes and bibliographies

The layout for footnotes and bibliographies varies depending onthe nature of the publication and the format it was sourced from(e.g. online or print). All ofcial layout guidance is fully explained inthe Footnotes and other references section of the United NationsEditorial Manual Online. A selection of this guidance is outlinedbelow.

ANNEX II

Footnotes and Bibliographies

Newspaper article

Footnote form (rst footnote):E. Goode, “Friction Inltrates Sunni Patrol on Safer Iraqi Streets”,The New York Times, 22 September 2008.

Bibliographic form:E. Goode (2008). Friction Inltrates Sunni Patrol on Safer IraqiStreets. The New York Times, 22 September.

Published document/report (with organization as the author)

Footnote form (rst footnote):Inter-Agency Standing Committee, Women, Girls, Boys and Men

– Equal Opportunities: Gender Handbook in Humanitarian Action

(Geneva 2006).

Bibliographic form:Inter-Agency Standing Committee (2006). Women, Girls, Boys andMen – Equal Opportunities: Gender Handbook in Humanitarian

Action. Geneva.

Internet sources

Internet sources are displayed with the URL in standard font (notitalics) and without angle brackets (< >). In hard copy, do notunderline the URL.

Prexes

URL prexes such as http are always followed by a colon andtwo forward slashes. Omit the http from a reference when theURL contains www (e.g. www.unhcr.org). In all other cases, the

prex must be included to ensure that the URL works (e.g. http://ochanet.unocha.org)

References to material posted on a website

The URL should enable readers to nd the source materialeasily. When the source cannot easily be located from awebsite’s home page, provide a complete URL that directsreaders to the specic page or document on the website.

References to an entire website

When readers are referred to an entire website, or when awebsite is specically mentioned in a document or publication,the URL can be given either directly in the text or in parenthesesafter the name of the website.


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Examples: Additional information on the impact of AIDS on older people andtheir families is available from www.helpage.org.or

Efforts have been made to develop an effective networkfor volunteers through the World Volunteer Web (www.worldvolunteerweb.org).

Personal communications

References to personal communications (e.g. letters, e-mail,telephone conversations and discussions) may be given in the text orin a footnote and should include the following:

Sender or person providing the information.•Title or afliation of sender, if relevant (normally included in a•footnote).Subject of the communication•Personal communication or type of communication (e.g.•discussion, e-mail).Recipient of information, if relevant.•Date of communication.•Do• not include the sender’s e-mail address in references topersonal e-mail messages.

ExamplesIn text:The World Health Organization has found an extremely highincidence of tuberculosis in all age groups throughout the region(Jason Doucette, personal communication, 29 May 2009).

As a footnote:1 Jason Doucette, World Health Organization, “Incidence of

tuberculosis in southern Africa”, e-mail to author, 29 May 2009.

Interviews

References to interviews may be given directly in the text or in afootnote. They should include the following information:

Person interviewed, if appropriate•Interviewer, if not apparent from context•Place and date of interview, if known•When the person interviewed cannot be named, a•descriptive term should be used instead. When the identityof the interviewer is apparent from the context (e.g. the

interview is cited in a report by a panel of experts whoconducted the interviews), the interviewer need not bespecied.

If the people interviewed are not named, write the sentence as: According to several international observers interviewed by thePanel in Nairobi on 18 September and 26 October 2002,….

If the name of the interviewer is omitted, the footnote is writtenas:

1 Interview with Osman Ahmed Hassan, Head of SomalilandRepresentation to the United Kingdom, London, 4 January 2003.


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ANNEX III

Useful resources

Ofcial United Nations references

United Nations Editorial Manual Onlinehttp://69.94.137.26/editorialcontrol/index.htm

The Oxford English Dictionary , Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2008.http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/BOOK_SEARCH.html?book=t23

OCHA references and training modules

The OCHA Style Guide Module complements this guide. It offers advice,

tips and quizzes to test your knowledge. The online module is onOCHAnet at:http://ochanet.unocha.org/AS/Reporting/Pages/TrainingModules.aspx

The OCHA Numbers Module gives simple and practical guidance on howto improve written communication involving numbers. The online moduleis on OCHAnet at:http://ochanet.unocha.org/AS/Reporting/Pages/TrainingModules.aspx

The OCHA Keep It Simple Module offers easy-to-follow guidance on howto write in a concise, simple but effective way. The online module is onOCHAnet at:http://ochanet.unocha.org/AS/Reporting/Pages/TrainingModules.aspx

Also visit the Reporting Resources section of OCHAnet for templates andcurrent guidance on core OCHA information products, such as situation

reports, weekly reports and key messages.http://ochanet.unocha.org/AS/REPORTING/Pages/default.aspx

References on writing, editing, publishing and usage

The Chicago Manual of Style, University of Chicago Presshttp://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/contents.htmlThe Economist Style Guidehttp://www.economist.com/research/styleguide/The Elements of Style, W. Strunk, Bartleby.comhttp://www.bartleby.com/141/The Times (UK), Online Style Guidehttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tools_and_services/specials/style_guide/article986718.ece

United Nations references on terminology and data

The United Nations Multilingual Terminology Databasehttp://unterm.un.org/dgaacs/unterm.nsf/Welcome?OpenPageHumanitarian Reform – the Cluster Approachhttp://ocha.unog.ch/humanitarianreform/Default.aspx?tabid=70UNAIDS Knowledge Centrehttp://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Default.asp

Online tools

Currency converterhttp://www.xe.com/ucc/full/

Conversion of weight, measure and temperature

http://www.onlineconversion.com/

Time zone and date informationhttp://www.timeanddate.com/library/abbreviations/timezones/


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United Nations

Ofce for the Coordinationof Humanitarian Affairs

OCHA Style Guide

Documents

Transcript of OCHA Style Guide