Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1950- (Creation)
Level of description
Collection
Extent and medium
About 30.000 sound records
Context area
Repository
Archival history
The systematic production and archiving of sound records started in the 1950s when a special audio section of the Bureau of Public Information was established. Before, conferences and speeches had been recorded as well and were integrated in the new sound collection.
Since 1966/68 the sound recording is under two different responsibilities: the Bureau of Public Information kept the responsibility for the production and custody of all material used for the UNESCO radio transmissions; meanwhile the new founded sounds archives took over the recording of conferences, speeches and all meetings of the General Conference and the Executive Board.
The UNESCO radio program stopped in 1999 when UNESCO decided to give priority to information spreading via internet, but the recordings from the period 1950 to 1999 are still kept by the Bureau of Public Information.
In recent times, a significant decrease in demands of sound recording can be noticed and thus, much less audio material is produced by UNESCO.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The sound records contain mostly sound recordings of conferences and other events, speeches of the Director General and other important persons, but also music recordings, interviews and the UNESCO radio programs.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
Continuous accruals, especially in the collection of sound recordings of the General Conference and the Executive Board meetings.
System of arrangement
Chronological arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
The sound material is not easily accessible for outside researchers. Especially for the recordings of the General Conference and Executive Board meetings access is gained - as a general rule - only to member of the Secretariat, Member States or member of the Executive Board. All other sound records might be accessible upon request.
A growing number of sound records of particular interest will be made available on the UNESCO Archives Multimedia website.
Conditions governing reproduction
Reproduction upon request within the access restrictions mentioned above.
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Sound records on tapes, partly digitized.
Recent recordings are entirely digital.
Finding aids
AG 12/2: Catalogue of sound archives issued in connection with the 25th anniversary of UNESCO, 1946-1971
AG 12/2: Catalogue des principaux programmes radiophoniques réalisés en langue française par la Division de la radio de l'UNESCO, 1954
AG 12/2: English language radio recordings on East/West themes
AG 12/2: English language radio recordings; catalogue as at November, 1965
AG 12/2: UNESCO Radio: English language radio recordings; catalogue as at November 1972 (hard copy only), 1972
AG 12/2: A Selection of English language programmes: recordings and scripts available free of charge to broadcasting organizations, 1994
AG 12/2: General Conference: list of speakers on tape recordings, 1968-
AG 12/2: Executive Board: list of speakers on tape recordings, 1968-
12/2: UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music (IMC)
12/2: Bureau of Public Information (BPI): register and indexes on cards to radio programmes, 1949-
Generated finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Draft