About us
The United Nations Group of Periodical Editors: A potted history
The Group was formed in the mid-1960s by senior editors at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), among others, to establish a mechanism for regular consultation and contact with colleagues.
An initial focus was placed on “flagship” magazines, defined as those produced largely by public information offices and broadly disseminated to general audiences. The Group gradually expanded its scope to include other types of periodicals, including official bulletins, statistical publications, technical/professional journals, and newsletters. Additionally, in the late 1980s, the Group’s participation was broadened to encompass invited editors from agencies outside the UN system, including inter-governmental organizations and institutes. Since the mid-1990s, the Group further has expanded to engage editors using the Internet and Web as prime communication channels.
Communicating today
Each year since 1965, the Group has met informally to discuss matters of common professional concern and to exchange views on editorial, production, translation, distribution, and other publishing topics. The meetings, traditionally held in early October though recently in early summer, are hosted by different organizations and normally bring together some 20 to 30 editors or editorial staff involved in publishing periodicals and other information products. In the 1990s, technological developments in the publishing arena – ranging from desktop publishing systems to electronic publications and Web publishing on the Internet – and staffing and budgetary matters have influenced the Group’s discussions and contacts.
To facilitate contacts and the exchange of information, an electronic mailing list for Group participants was established in the mid-1990s and is maintained by the FAO, and the IAEA has produced a periodicals’ catalogue first prepared by UNESCO for the Group in 1977 and last updated by the IAEA in 1994.
Over the years, meetings have been hosted by various organizations in and outside the UN system. Chairpersons are selected by the host organization; they often are Chief Editors or Senior Public Information Officers with responsibilities for periodical publications.
Here is a list of meetings since 1981.
1981: IAEA, Vienna, Chair Tom Wilkie; 1982: UNESCO, Paris, Chair Peter Lengyel; 1983: WHO,, Geneva, Chair John Bland; 1984: FAO, Rome, Chair Keith Richmond; 1985: IMO, London, Chair Roger Kohn; 1986: IAEA, Vienna, Chair Lothar Wedekind; 1987: WMO, Geneva, Chair Robin Perry; 1988: UNESCO, Paris, Chair Ali Kazancigil; 1989: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) , Laxenburg, Austria, Chair Sebouh Baghdoyan; 1990: FAO, Rome, Chair Keith Richmond; 1991: International Bureau of Education (IBE) , Geneva, Chair John Fox; 1992: European Space Agency (ESA) , Noordwijk, Netherlands, Chair Bruce Battrick; 1993: IAEA, Vienna, Chair Lothar Wedekind; 1994: WHO, Geneva, Chair David Thompson; 1995: Institute for Education-UNESCO, Hamburg, Co-Chairs Christopher MacIntosh and Paul Stapleton, IPGRI; 1996: ITC, Geneva, Chair Janice Goertz; 1997: IMO, London, Chair Roger Kohn; 1998: ITU, Geneva, Chair Patricia Lusweti; 1999: IAEA, Vienna, Chair Lothar Wedekind; 2000: CERN, Geneva, Chair Gordon Fraser; 2001: IMF/World Bank, Ian McDonald/Andrew Kircher; 2002: IBE-UNESCO, Geneva, John Fox; 2003: UN New York, Ramu Damodaran, UN Chronicle; 2004: OECD Paris, Rory Clarke/OECD Observer.