Online Access To Documents
In 2001 the United Nations transferred its platform for electronic storage and distribution of documents, in operation since 1991, from optical to magnetic disc storage and from internal accessibility to Web-based access through a Microsoft Internet Information Server. The revised system, to enable unrestricted public access over the Internet, was called the Official Document System (ODS). Parallel development of an Integrated Library Management System, to facilitate indexing of documents with links to ODS, was delayed until 2002 by budget cuts and the cost of upgrading library computers to Windows 2000, needed to run the software.
In 2004 the project to digitize older archived documents and upload them in electronic form was under way and ready to be made available once the system was opened up to the public at large. However, presently direct links to the official documents are not possible due to an implementation of session-based pages using temporary URLs.
The need for direct links can be overcome for the purpose citing sources with the use of Template:UN document which currently decodes into a reference to the document hosted on undemocracy.com.
In 2007 the need for a proper content management system was recognized as a long-term solution for the difficulties maintaining the web site, with consideration given to an open source system as a short term solution.
Since 2007, the global Making Commitments Matter Initiative is concerned with the creation of a searchable database of UN resolutions and conventions (UN-informed.org).
Read more about this topic: United Nations Document Codes
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