IOM HOUSE STYLE MANUAL

Last updated: June 2019

 CONTENTS
Introduction................................................................................................................................................ii
Part I: Questions of style and other essential elements................................................1
Drafting IOM documents and publications.............................................................................2
Country names....................................................................................................................................5
Sensitive geographical designations.............................................................................................7
Spelling.....................................................................................................................................................9
Abbreviations and acronyms.......................................................................................................11
Capitalization.....................................................................................................................................13
Punctuation........................................................................................................................................15
Quotations.........................................................................................................................................20
Numbers, dates and time.............................................................................................................22
Formatting...........................................................................................................................................26
Footnotes and endnotes...............................................................................................................29
References and bibliographies....................................................................................................31
Figures, tables and boxes..............................................................................................................39

Part II: Governing body documents......................................................................................... 43

Preparation of governing body documents..........................................................................44
Drafting and editing IOM resolutions.....................................................................................46
Translation into a non-official language..................................................................................54

Part III: Report-writing: the basics............................................................................................ 57

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 INTRODUCTION
This manual outlines the editorial practices to be adhered to in IOM documents and publications in English, with
the aim of bringing uniformity to the work of authors and editors.

These editorial rules are defined to establish a standard that is applicable in most cases. As with all rules,
exceptions may occur, in which case the rules are waived on grounds of appropriateness or common sense. The
most important rule to remember is that usage should be consistent throughout a document.

Documents that are clear and consistent not only hold the attention of the reader but also help to maintain and
enhance the reputation of the Organization. Furthermore, consistency in usage and style across all documents,
publications and other output produced by IOM reinforces the image of an organization that has a single voice
and is coherent in its language, presentation and vision.

The manual is not exhaustive; rather, it addresses the editorial questions encountered most frequently in IOM
documents and publications. For guidelines on style specific to publications (e.g. covers, disclaimers), please
refer to the IOM Publications Layout Manual and the IOM Brand Guidelines. For points of style not referred to
specifically in IOM manuals, readers may wish to consult the United Nations Editorial Manual Online.

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 PART I

QUESTIONS OF STYLE
AND OTHER ESSENTIAL
ELEMENTS
Drafting IOM documents and publications
Writing tips

Although this manual does not provide guidelines on how to write in good English, some pointers are given
below to help guide the work of authors of IOM documents and publications.

Document length and structure: A longer document is not necessarily a better document. Avoid long and
complicated sentences, unnecessary words and repetition. There is a tendency to produce lengthy texts that
contain extensive and often unnecessary background information, and to include numerous footnotes that
provide additional material not essential to the text and distract the reader. Documents should be the outcome
of a well-thought-out process and have a clear structure.

Accuracy and clarity: Authors should check the accuracy of the information provided in their documents
(e.g. names and titles, data, references) and aim to put their ideas across clearly. Many readers will not be native
speakers of English, so keep the language clear and concise. For writing to be effective, it must capture and
hold the attention of the reader and be factually correct. Text that is difficult to read or inaccurate – or both –
reflects badly not only on the author, but also on the Organization.

Terminology and accessibility: Keep your target audience in mind and focus on issues that could be of interest
to your readers. Avoid using unnecessary technical jargon. The use of technical terms will exclude readers who
do not have an in-depth knowledge of the topic under discussion. The key to being a good writer is having the
ability to put complex ideas into language that all readers will be able to understand. Remember, you are not
writing for yourself; you are writing for your target audience.

Deadlines and processes: It is very important to stick to deadlines, especially when the text will be edited and
translated. Despite the best efforts of an author to produce a clear and accurate document, the editor may
identify parts of the text that could be improved and often has queries that require feedback from the author.
The translators may also come across elements that require clarification. A document is not finished once it has
been drafted; it is simply ready for the next step in the process.

In addition to issues relating to the above points, the following are often encountered in IOM documents and
publications:

• A previously issued or published text has been reused without it having been updated, or its contents
reviewed or questioned.
• The use of cutting and pasting has created problems of coherence and comprehension.
• Several authors have worked on the document and no one reviewed the final draft before it was submitted
for editing/translation.
• Changes have been made by various colleagues in different parts of the document, without taking into
consideration how these changes affect the rest of the document.
• Illustrations (e.g. tables and figures) and annexes have been added to the document without a clear
indication of how they relate to the text. Illustrations and annexes should add something to the document
(e.g. show trends, summarize statistical information) and should usually be referred to in the text.

By rereading your document from start to finish one last time – and with a critical eye – you will be able to
spot mistakes, inconsistencies and repetition. When rereading the text, ask yourself the following questions: Is
the document easy to read and to understand? Will it be of interest to the target reader? Can the text or any
superfluous words be cut to make the document clearer and more concise? Are the headings and subheadings
pertinent and informative?

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The final read-through is an integral part of the drafting process and should not be overlooked. A document
that has been reviewed by its author, or a single author (if multiple authors have been involved in the drafting
process), will be of a higher standard and quicker to process once it has been sent for editing and translation.

Gender-inclusive language

The English language has evolved greatly in recent years to become more gender inclusive. For example, gender-
inclusive nouns (e.g. chairperson, spokesperson) are now widely used and gender stereotypes appear less often
in written English. It is no longer acceptable to use masculine pronouns (e.g. “he”, “his”) to refer to both men
and women. Using gender-inclusive language means not making assumptions about the roles and responsibilities
taken on by men and women.

Consider the below example and the possible alternatives.

Example: The Director is responsible for supervising his staff.

Alternative: The Director is responsible for supervising his or her staff.

Alternative: The Director is responsible for supervising staff.

Alternative: Directors are responsible for supervising their staff.

Alternative: Staff are supervised by their respective directors.

As shown above, there is more than one way to write a gender-inclusive sentence when the sex of the person
or persons being referred to is unknown. The method you choose depends on the text you are drafting or
editing. For example, using “he or she” and “him or her” too many times in the same paragraph will make the
text cumbersome.

Note: The use of “he/she”, “(s)he” or “s/he” is not recommended.

Using gender-inclusive language also means using nouns that are not gender-specific.

Example: Ambassadors and their wives will be invited to the reception.

Alternative: Ambassadors and their spouses will be invited to the reception.

Alternative: Ambassadors and their partners will be invited to the reception.

Below are some examples of nouns for which gender-neutral alternatives exist and should be preferred:

Avoid Preferred
businessman business executive, business manager
businessmen business executives, business entrepreneurs
fireman firefighter
forefathers ancestors, forebears
founding fathers founders
gentleman’s agreement honourable agreement, unwritten agreement
chairman/chairwoman chairperson
headmaster/headmistress head teacher
husband/wife spouse
landlord/landlady owner/proprietor

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 Avoid Preferred
man (verb) operate, staff, run
man (noun) person, individual, human being
mankind humankind, human race, humanity
man-hour person-hour
man-made human-induced, human-caused, human-made, artificial
manpower staff, labour force, workforce, workers, employees
policeman/policewoman police officer
postman postal worker
salesman salesperson, sales representative
salesmen sales staff, salespeople, sales representatives
spokesman spokesperson
steward/stewardess flight attendant

Sex and gender

It should be noted that there is a difference between “sex” and “gender”. Determining a person’s sex is done
for statistical purposes and relates to a biological concept; for example, it is often used to desegregate data to
determine the number of male and female migrants who have benefited from IOM programmes or services,
or the breakdown of male and female IOM staff members. Gender, on the other hand, refers to socially
constructed roles, behaviours and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women;
it can also relate to the identity of individuals. In some circumstances, an individual’s assigned sex and gender
identity are not the same; some people may also identify themselves as gender-fluid.

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Country names
Countries have a short name for everyday use (e.g. France) and a formal name for official use (e.g. the French
Republic). Both the short and formal names can be found in the United Nations Terminology Database,
UNTERM. The short form of the country name is usually used in IOM documents and publications, with the
formal name being used in legal texts, such as treaties, agreements and memorandums of understanding.

For some countries, however, the short name is the same as the formal name (e.g. United Republic of Tanzania
for both). Although the “short name” may not appear to be short, this is the form that should normally be used.

The United States of America is both the short and the formal name; however, once the full name has been
mentioned, it is usually enough to use the shorter form “United States”. In tables and figures where space is
limited, the shorter form may also be used.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is also both the short and the formal name.
However, the shorter form “United Kingdom” may usually be used in IOM documents and publications.

The country name is normally given after the name of a city, unless the city is the capital. Geneva and New York
are exceptions to this rule.

For countries with names that are preceded by the definite article in running text (e.g. the Philippines, the
Gambia), the article should be omitted from tables, headings and vertical lists (but not from lists in running text).

It is important to check country names (and their corresponding adjectives; e.g. “of North Macedonia” is the
adjective used for North Macedonia in most cases – see UNTERM for more details on usage).

In historical texts, refer to the name of the country as it was at the time, or use “the then (country name)”.

In general, abbreviated forms of country names, such as CAR (for the Central African Republic), DRC (for the
Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Lao PDR (for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic), should not be
used.

Similarly, although US and UK should not be used to refer to the name of the country, they can be used
adjectivally (e.g. US Department of State, UK Visas and Immigration).

Pay particular attention to the following short-form country names, which should appear as shown below
when used in running text (i.e. in a sentence) or in a title (e.g. a project name), adding the definite article “the”
as required:

Plurinational State of Bolivia (alphabetize under B) Not Bolivia

Cabo Verde Not Cape Verde
Côte d’Ivoire (note the circumflex accent) Not Ivory Coast
Czechia Not Czech Republic
(which is officially the formal name)
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Not North Korea, or Korea
Eswatini Not Swaziland
Islamic Republic of Iran Not Iran
Lao People’s Democratic Republic Not Laos, or Lao PDR

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 Federated States of Micronesia Not Micronesia
(alphabetize under M)
North Macedonia Not Macedonia, the Republic of
Macedonia or FYROM
Republic of Korea Not South Korea, or Korea
Republic of Moldova Not Moldova
Russian Federation Not Russia
Syrian Arab Republic Not Syria
Timor-Leste (note the hyphen) Not East Timor
United Republic of Tanzania Not Tanzania
Viet Nam Not Vietnam
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Not Venezuela
(alphabetize under V)

In vertical lists and tables, some of the above countries appear differently, namely:
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Micronesia (Federated States of)
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

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Sensitive geographical designations
Special care must be taken with the names of certain regions, territories and areas, which should not be
referred to directly or indirectly as countries (i.e. sovereign States). The following table provides guidance on
how to deal with some sensitive designations and can be applied in most cases in official documents. However,
it is necessary to exercise good judgement, taking into account the broader context. If you are uncertain about
the below or any other designations, contact the Office of Legal Affairs ([email protected]).

Designation to be used Issues/comments

Kosovo[FOOTNOTE No.] Do not use “Kosovo” on its own. The first reference should be
footnoted (using the appropriate footnote number) with the following
text: “References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context
______________ of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).” The same
[FOOTNOTE No.]
References to Kosovo shall footnote indicator (i.e. the same number) should then be placed after all
be understood to be in the subsequent references to Kosovo, with no need to repeat the footnote
context of United Nations each time at the bottom of the page. When the footnote appears below
Security Council resolution a table, the footnote indicator used may be an asterisk (*) (when there
1244 (1999).
is only one footnote), or a lower-case letter (a, b, c, etc.) (when there is
more than one footnote).

All references to Kosovo should be status neutral and should not imply
(either directly or indirectly) that Kosovo is a country. For example, it
should not appear in a table under the heading “Countries of return”
or “Non-member States”. This issue can be resolved by amending the
heading (e.g. “Countries or areas/places of return”).

Kosovo should not be listed alphabetically under K (i.e. in tables, lists,

running text, project names). Countries are listed first alphabetically,
followed by Kosovo.

In running text, also ensure that all references to Kosovo are status
neutral. Do not refer to the “Government of Kosovo”, “government
ministers of Kosovo”, “national policies”, and so on. Such issues can
be resolved by referring to the “authorities in Kosovo” or “officials in
Kosovo” or by rewriting the text (e.g. “policies in Kosovo”).
Palestinian Territories Do not use “Palestine” or “State of Palestine”.

All references to the “Palestinian Territories” should be status neutral

(see Kosovo entry on ensuring status-neutral references and language).

Hong Kong Special Administrative Once the full name has been used, or where space is limited, the short
Region, China (short form: Hong form (i.e. Hong Kong SAR, China) may be used.
Kong SAR, China)
Do not use “Hong Kong” or “Hong Kong, China”.
In a list or table, where data for
this area are given separately from References to this region of China should not imply that it is an
China, give them immediately after independent or sovereign entity (e.g. refer to the “authorities in” Hong
China, with the entry “China, Hong Kong SAR, China, and not the “Government of”).
Kong SAR”.

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 Designation to be used Issues/comments
Macao Special Administrative Once the full name has been used, or where space is limited, the short
Region, China (short form: Macao form (i.e. Macao SAR, China) may be used.
SAR, China)
Do not use “Macao” or “Macao, China”.
In a list or table, where data for
this area are given separately from References to this region of China should not imply that it is an
China, give them immediately after independent or sovereign entity (e.g. refer to the “authorities in” Macao
China, with the entry “China, SAR, China, and not the “Government of”).
Macao SAR”.
Taiwan Province of the People’s Do not use “Taiwan” or “Taiwan Province of China”.
Republic of China
Where possible, avoid making reference to this province of China.
In a list or table, where data for Where this is not possible, references should not imply that it is an
this area are given separately from independent or sovereign entity (e.g. refer to the “authorities in” Taiwan
China, give them immediately after Province of the People’s Republic of China, and not the “Government
China, with the entry “Taiwan of”).
Province of the People’s Republic
of China”. Consult the Office of Legal Affairs or the Senior Regional Adviser for
Asia and the Pacific if you have any doubts or questions concerning how
this area should be mentioned.

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Spelling
As a general rule, the IOM spelling list should be followed. This list is largely based on the spelling list contained
in the United Nations Editorial Manual Online and also provides spelling instructions (including on the use of
initial capital letters) for IOM terminology. For words not contained in the list, the United Nations spelling list
and the latest edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary should be used. The online version of the Oxford
Dictionary (set to British and World English) is an acceptable alternative. IOM has a subscription to the premium
version for users at Headquarters. Whenever alternative spellings are given in the dictionary, the first one
should be used.

The IOM spelling list indicates exceptions to the latest edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary using a
single asterisk (*) and indicates a change from previous practice using two asterisks (**). Three asterisks (***)
indicate both a change from previous practice and an exception to the dictionary entry.

Foreign words that appear in the latest edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary are not italicized. Foreign
words not listed in that edition should be italicized.

Non-English names of organizations, institutions and corporations and so on are not italicized.

Fractions expressed in words are not hyphenated (e.g. one third of the total), unless they are used as an
adjective (e.g. one-third share).

The abbreviation “adj.” is used in the IOM spelling list to indicate compound adjectives that take a hyphen when
they precede a noun (e.g. a long-term problem). Otherwise, they are usually not hyphenated (e.g. a problem
in the long term). Compound adjectives in which the first word ends in “-ly” are not hyphenated (e.g. an
internationally agreed framework).

Please note that the UK English spellchecker in Microsoft Word is not always identical to the Concise Oxford
English Dictionary. In that case, spelling should always be in accordance with the Concise Oxford English Dictionary
(e.g. use “organize”, “specialize”, “harmonization”, and not “organise”, “specialise”, “harmonisation”).

Similarly, in line with IOM usage, “cooperation”, “coordination” and similar words do not have a hyphen (note
however: co-opt, co-optation; refer to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary whenever in doubt). This rule does
not apply to proper nouns (e.g. the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), where care
must be taken to use the conventions of the organization in question.

When making global changes to a document to harmonize the spelling with IOM usage, avoid activating the
“replace all” function, as this will also modify the spelling of words that are not meant to be changed, such as
proper nouns (e.g. US Department of Labor).

Examples of commonly misspelled words to be found and replaced are given below.

Find Replace with

% per cent (use the % sign only within parentheses or in tables)
advisor adviser
asylum-seeker asylum seeker
counselor counsellor
decision-maker decision maker
er (e.g. center) re (centre)
isa (e.g. organisation, authorisation) iza (organization, authorization)
ise (e.g. authorise, realise, organise) ize (authorize, realize, organize)
isi (e.g. authorising, realising) izi (authorizing, realizing)
o-o (e.g. co-operation, co-ordinate) oo (cooperation, coordinate)
or (e.g. labor, neighbor, color) our (labour, neighbour, colour)

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 Find Replace with
program (unless related to computing) programme
percent per cent (use the % sign only within parentheses or in tables)
policy-maker/policy maker policymaker
traveler traveller
yze (e.g. analyze) yse (analyse)

Note: While the Secretary-General of the United Nations takes a hyphen, the Director General of IOM is not
hyphenated.

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Abbreviations and acronyms
Abbreviations and acronyms should be used to facilitate communication and help the reader, who may not
be familiar with the specialized topic under discussion. Therefore, abbreviations and acronyms should be used
sparingly and, when used, be easily understood. In certain contexts (e.g. Council resolutions, document titles/
headings) they should not be used at all.

Abbreviations and acronyms are not used for names or titles that occur only once or twice in a text. When the
entity referred to is better known by the abbreviation or acronym, it may however be preferable to include the
abbreviation even if the name occurs only once.

Abbreviations
Abbreviations should be avoided whenever possible. They may be used in illustrations (e.g. figures and tables)
where space is limited; they may also be used in running text between parentheses.

In running text, the following frequently used abbreviations should be written as shown:

Avoid Write
e.g. for instance, for example, such as
etc. and so on, and so forth, and the like (“etc.” can often be omitted and should
not be used at the end of a list that starts with “for example”, or “e.g.”)
i.e. namely, that is

Note: Do not use a comma after e.g. and i.e.

The following abbreviations are accepted in running text: a.m., p.m., Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr, cm, km, kg (and other units
of measurement).

As a general rule, a full stop is not required when an abbreviation ends in the same letter as the full word
(e.g. “Dr” for doctor as opposed to “Dr.” for drive in an address). However, this rule does not apply to plurals
(e.g. No., Nos., para., paras., ed., eds.).

Note: The title “Dr” should be used only to refer to a doctor of medicine, and not to the holders of a doctorate.

Acronyms
Acronyms should be used sparingly within the text. A recurring term should be written in full when it occurs for
the first time, with the appropriate acronym in parentheses. Thereafter, it is usually sufficient to use the acronym
only. However, in a long publication with different sections or chapters, it might be appropriate to write out the
term in full, with the acronym given again in parentheses, if the term is recurring, for each section or chapter.
Alternatively, for lengthy publications, a list of acronyms may be included after the table of contents. Only
acronyms used in the document should appear in the list, which should be updated accordingly if it has been
taken from a previous publication. When a document contains a list of acronyms, there is no need to write out
the term in full the first time it appears; the acronym will suffice. Whichever method is the most appropriate,
be consistent throughout.

Acronyms may also be used in illustrations where space is limited, and a key should be provided.

Acronyms – except IOM – are not used in document titles or headings.

Try to avoid use of the possessive form: use “IOM programmes” rather than “IOM’s programmes”.

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In formal documents, such as IOM resolutions, the names of organs, organizations and offices and so on should
usually be given in full each time (with “IOM” being the only exception).

In keeping with United Nations style, “United Nations” should normally be written out in full each time it is
used, even when it is used as an adjective. The same applies to the African Union and the European Union. In
general, two-letter acronyms should be avoided.

Acronyms are normally used without the definite article; for example, civil society organizations interested in
working with IOM; the policy of UNDP; the programmes of UNHCR (some exceptions: the SCPF, the IASC,
the ICRC, the ILO).

Currency abbreviations
The currency abbreviation appears before the amount, with a non-breaking space (Ctrl + Shift + Space) separating
the two. If the monetary unit is written out, it appears after the amount; for example, EUR 100, but 100 euros.

The following are frequently used in IOM documents:

USD for the United States dollar (not $ or US$)

CHF for the Swiss franc
EUR for the euro

For other currencies, search for the relevant country in the United Nations Terminology Database, UNTERM.

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Capitalization
Initial capital letters should be used sparingly. They are often used unnecessarily in English; for example, consider
the following made-up text:

Through IOM Programmes, members of the African Diaspora, especially those from the Northern
Hemisphere who migrated to European countries, have participated in Return of Qualified Nationals
Projects. In 2018, approximately USD 15 Million in Operational funding was dedicated to IOM
projects that facilitated the return of qualified nationals to the African Continent. Furthermore,
many African Governments, especially Ministries for Diaspora Affairs, have worked closely with
IOM on formulating Diaspora-related development policies.

In the above text, the only words that require initial capitals (apart from those at the start of a sentence) are
“African” and “European”.

The below basic rules should be observed to ensure correct usage of initial capitals.

Initial capitals should be used for:

• The first word of a sentence;

• The first word of a subparagraph in a vertical list;
• The first word of each item in a vertical list;
• Proper nouns and adjectives and recognized geographical names;
• All words in the titles of books, periodicals and IOM publications, except articles, conjunctions and
prepositions;
• Only the first word, proper nouns and other words that are normally capitalized:
– In titles of IOM documents (e.g. governing body documents, position papers);
– In headings of chapters, sections, subsections, annexes, tables, figures and articles;
– In legends on figures and maps;
– In titles of journal articles or unpublished papers;

• The first element of hyphenated words in titles (e.g. the Capacity-building for Third-country Nationals
Initiative); capitalize the second element only if it is a proper noun or adjective or a word that is normally
capitalized (e.g. Programme for the Integration of Non-English Speaking Migrants);
• The titles of specific posts.

Please note that initial capital letters are not required when writing out an acronym in full (unless the words in
question would ordinarily take initial caps, i.e. proper nouns). The examples given below are often incorrectly
attributed initial capitals.

assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR)

camp coordination and camp management (CCCM) (unless reference is being made to the
Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster)
civil society organizations (CSOs)
internally displaced persons (IDPs)
least developed countries (LDCs)
non-governmental organization (NGO)
small island developing State (SIDS)

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The following words are frequently found in IOM documents and publications and should take initial capitals or
lower-case letters as shown (the IOM spelling list also indicates usage for IOM terminology).

annex (general reference, e.g. “the annexes to the report”)

Annex (specific reference, with a number, e.g. “Annex 1”)
country office*
diaspora (plural: diasporas)
field (in the sense of “on the ground”, or as opposed to IOM Headquarters)
field office*
government (general reference, e.g. “many governments agreed”; or adjectivally,
e.g. “government measures”)
Government (of a specific country, e.g. “the Government of India”)
Headquarters (of IOM)
humanitarian and development nexus
organization (general reference, e.g. “international organizations”)
Organization (specific reference, e.g. when referring to IOM)
Office (when referring to a specific office, e.g. IOM Office in London)
regional office(s) (for generic references)*
Regional Office (when referring to a specific office, e.g. Regional Office in Bangkok)
State (when referring to a country, even in general references, e.g. “a State-led initiative”)
universal health coverage
working group (unless referring to a specific group with an official title, e.g. “the Working Group
on Budget Reform”)

* This is a change from previous practice.

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Punctuation
This section provides an overview of the punctuation rules and conventions applied at IOM and does not offer
a comprehensive guide to punctuation in English. Punctuation marks are used to clarify meaning. If a text is well
written, it will not require a large amount of punctuation.

Ampersand (&)

Ampersands should usually be avoided, with “and” being used instead. However, when the ampersand is used in
a publisher’s name (e.g. Wiley & Sons), either “and” or “&” can be used. In brand names, the ampersand can be
retained (e.g. Abercrombie & Fitch).

Colon

Colons can be used as follows:

• To introduce a list or series of elements:

Document production involves the following processes: formatting, editing, translation, printing
and distribution.

• To indicate that the second clause is an explanation of the first:

The message conveyed by the Government was clear: it will not tolerate migrant smuggling.

• Before a quotation:
The headline read: “Migrants removed from Calais camp”.

When the colon is used within a sentence and when it appears in a heading, subheading or a title that uses
sentence case (e.g. titles of governing body documents), the first word following the colon should usually be in
lower case.

Several Member States indicated that they wished to see more staff positions in the following
areas: oversight, fraud detection, evaluation and internal audit.

Migration and development: the way forward

Migration, the environment and climate change at IOM: taking stock of progress

The first word after the colon should be capitalized when the colon introduces two or more sentences, when
the introductory phrase is very short and the clause after the colon is the main message, and when the colon
is used to introduce a quotation.

The negotiations had failed for three reasons: First, all relevant stakeholders had not been invited
to take part in the consultation phase. Second, some issues of major concern to Member States
had not been addressed. Third, the process had been rushed.

Climate change: How the Organization plans to help governments address the issue of climate
migrants

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Comma

The final comma before “and” (referred to as the serial or Oxford comma) is not normally used in
IOM documents. Standard practice is to write “governments, non-governmental organizations and civil society”,
not “governments, non-governmental organizations, and civil society”.

However, the final comma is sometimes necessary to bring clarity to a list of elements or long and complex
sentences that might otherwise be ambiguous.

The Ministries of Labour, Education, and Health and Social Affairs

The report also highlighted the need for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, and
security sector reform.

Ellipsis

An ellipsis indicates an omission in quoted text. The ellipsis points (three dots) are used for omissions within a
sentence or between sentences and paragraphs. They are not usually used to indicate omissions at the beginning
or end of a quoted text, and they are not enclosed in square brackets. Ellipses are preceded and followed by one
space. To indicate the omission of one or more paragraphs within a block quotation, insert the ellipsis points
on a separate line and align them with the other paragraph indents.

The Administration reminded Member States of the provisions of Council Resolution No. 1266 of
26 November 2013, in particular:

The Council,

2. Requests the Director General to engage with all Member States, observer States and
other States where the Organization has activities which do not grant the Organization
privileges and immunities substantively similar to those that the United Nations specialized
agencies are entitled to … with a view to concluding agreements that provide for the granting
of such privileges and immunities to the Organization and calls on States to cooperate fully
with the Director General in this regard;

3. Further requests the Director General to evaluate the long-term possibility of developing
a multilateral agreement consistent with the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of
the Specialized Agencies (1947).

Where the omission follows a full stop, the full stop should be retained, followed by a space and an ellipsis.

As one representative pointed out: “IOM is the lead agency on migration matters. … It follows that
the Organization should take the lead on this global initiative.”

En dash

The en dash (–) is slightly longer than a hyphen (-). When using Microsoft Word, the shortcut for the en dash
symbol is Ctrl + Num - (“Num -” is the minus symbol on the number pad of the keyboard). The en dash should
be used as follows:

• When a text is broken to introduce an aside or thought, with a space both before and after:
The other factor – and arguably the most influential one – is the high level of unemployment
among unskilled workers.

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 • To connect numbers:
pp. 5–8
paras. 30–35
the 2009–2010 biennium

• To connect coordinating or contrasting pairs:

government–private sector cooperation
Mexico–United States border

Forward slash

Do not use a space before and after a forward slash when it connects words, letters, symbols or numbers.

Staff are increasingly working on public transport and/or at home in the evening.

If/when an accident occurs in the workplace, it must be reported immediately.

2018/2019 winter season

Full stop

A full stop marks the end of a sentence. Only one space, not two spaces, should be placed after a full stop and
before the next sentence.

Full stops are not used at the end of a heading or the title of a chapter.

All footnotes end with a full stop, including those ending with a URL.

Hyphen

In general, avoid hyphens in a word unless otherwise specified in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary or the
IOM spelling list.

Use a hyphen when a compound adjective is followed by a noun. Otherwise, they are not usually hyphenated.

up-to-date information; 21-year-old woman; long-term solution; low-skilled workers; high-quality

services

the information is up to date; she is 21 years old; a solution for the long term; many of the workers
are low skilled; services that are of a high quality

A hyphen is not required if the first word of a compound adjective is an adverb ending in the letters “ly”
(e.g. highly skilled workers, internationally agreed compact).

Latin words are not hyphenated, even when used adjectivally (e.g. ad hoc meeting).

To avoid repeating the second element in hyphenated compounds, they can be written as follows:

short-, medium- and long-term benefits of the programme; heat- and water-resistant materials

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However, this is possible only with words that would ordinarily take a hyphen. When one of the compounds in
the series is not hyphenated, the words should be written out in full.

Policymaking and decision-making requires consultation

not
Policy- and decision-making requires consultation

A hyphen is used to join a prefix to the main word.

pre-departure, re-create, ex-member, non-governmental

but
cooperate, coordinate, ongoing, online, subregional, intergovernmental, proactive, interactive,
reintegrate

Exceptions: Proper nouns and titles, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Parentheses

Parentheses (or round brackets) are mainly used in running text to provide additional information that is not
essential to the meaning of the sentence. They should be used sparingly, given that they interrupt the flow of
the sentence. If the information contained between parentheses is a sentence, punctuate it as such.

(This finding is surprising and contradicts public perception.)

This finding is surprising (and contradicts public perception).

… as demonstrated by the data on assistance provided to internally displaced persons

(see Chapter 5).

… as demonstrated by the data on assistance provided to internally displaced persons.

(See Chapter 5 for further details.)

Quotation marks

Quotations are put within double quotation marks (“–”). Smart (also called “curly”) quotation marks, and not
straight quotation marks ("–"), should be used (the same applies to single quotation marks and apostrophes).
For further details on usage and examples, see Quotations.

Quotation marks are used around specialized terms when they are introduced and defined for the first time. In
any subsequent references, these words should be written without quotation marks.

The term “psychosocial” denotes the interconnection between the psychological and social
processes and the fact that each process constantly interacts with and influences the other.

Square brackets

Square brackets should be used in a quotation when inserting text that is not part of the original text. This
might relate to adding a noun that has been replaced by a pronoun in the quoted text, changing an initial capital
for a lower-case letter (or vice versa) to maintain the flow of the text, indicating an error in the quoted material
by inserting the word “sic” (from the Latin word meaning “so, thus”) or providing the translation of a foreign
word or phrase.

“They [the rescued migrants] were in desperate need of medical attention.”

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 Regarding the lack of support from her cabinet, the Prime Minister said that “[t]his will not be
forgotten in a hurry.”

The report indicated that “the biggest risk factor faced by returning migrants were [sic] the lack of
employment opportunities”.

The Chairperson opened the meeting by saying the following: “I am delighted to be chairing the
conference in this beautiful city, and would love to conduct the proceedings in Spanish, pero, por
desgracia, no hablo español [however, unfortunately I do not speak Spanish].”

However, short translations in unquoted text should be placed in parentheses.

The President was severely criticized for having referred to those opposed to his labour reforms
as “fainéants” (layabouts).

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Quotations
All quotations from written material should be exactly the same as the source text (e.g. wording, spelling, use
of initial capitals, abbreviations). Quotation marks should not be used around text that paraphrases the original
text or has been altered in any way.

Quotations should be in standard (roman) font and put within double quotation marks (“–”); a quotation within
a quotation is put within single inverted commas.

The representative’s exact words were as follows: “The paragraph referring to the definition of
‘irregular migration’ must be rewritten to take into account discussions with the Member States.”

Omissions

An ellipsis (three dots) is used to indicate omissions in quoted text. See Punctuation for further details.

Long quotations

If a quotation extends beyond four lines it may be presented in the form of a single indented block that is not
set within quotation marks. A smaller point size should also be used. See the example below.

The Director General of IOM, Mr António Vitorino, opened the 2018 Global Migration Film
Festival on 28 November. During his opening remarks, the Director General drew attention to the
far-reaching nature of the Festival:

It is astonishing also to reflect that, around the globe over the coming two weeks – and culminating
on International Migrants Day, on 18 December – some 40 films will be screened in the most
extraordinary locales. In Niger, for example, a mobile cinema caravan will criss-cross the country
showing films – romantically – under the stars. Elsewhere, films will be shown in film theatres and
indeed lecture theatres like this one. Wherever they are shown, there will be discussion and debate
with the film-makers, civil society and government officials about the most pressing issue of our
era: migration.

However, for the sake of clarity, quotation marks may be used where the quoted material exceeds a page
and it is difficult to see that the material is indented, or where the quoted material contains a separate set of
paragraph numbers.

Introducing a quotation

A colon is used before a whole quoted sentence.

The Deputy Director General asked the following: “How much time is left for my presentation?”

But not before a quotation that begins in mid-sentence.

The Chairperson replied, “all the time you need”.

Position of quotation marks

Regarding the position of quotation marks, the following general rule applies. If an extract ends with a full stop,
or any other punctuation mark, then the punctuation mark is placed inside the quotation marks.

The first speaker said, “The topic of migration is high on the international agenda.”

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If a quotation is interrupted at a point where a comma (or another punctuation mark) would have naturally
occurred, a comma (or another punctuation mark) should be put inside the quotation marks.

“Have you read the project proposal?” asked the Director.

“If you send me a copy of the report,” he said, “I will give you my comments before tomorrow’s
meeting.”

The comma after the word “report” in the example given above is part of the quotation and therefore belongs
within the inverted commas, as does the final full stop. However, if the quoted words are continuous and there
would have been no punctuation mark, then the comma is placed after the quotation mark.

“All our efforts”, she assured him, “are aimed at achieving that goal.”

What did he mean by, “This is neither a top-priority nor a low-priority issue”?

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Numbers, dates and time
Numbers under 10 are usually expressed in words. Numbers between 10 and 999,999 are usually written in
figures (e.g. one, two, 10, 11, 15, 189).

However, numbers used at the beginning of a sentence are spelled out. If spelling out the number appears
awkward, reword the text such that the number appears in the middle of the sentence.

When two or more numbers to which a different rule applies occur in a series in the same sentence, the rule
for the highest number should be applied to all.

Since the beginning of the year, 30 migration-related projects have been initiated (15 in Africa,
10 in Europe and 5 in Latin America and the Caribbean).

Only 9 of the 150 migrants questioned in the survey wished to remain anonymous.

Note: This rule does not necessarily apply if the series includes disparate items.

During the last two years, only 30 cases of trafficking in persons have been officially reported in
the city.

In isolated references to approximate periods of time or measurements, numbers may be expressed in words.

The migrant resource centre is about five kilometres from the border.

For over sixty years, the Organization has endeavoured to improve the lot of migrants.

Millions, billions and trillions

In running text, numbers in the millions, billions and trillions are written as follows:

1 million, 4.5 million, 7 billion, 10.2 trillion

The term “billion” (French: milliard; Spanish: mil millón) is used in IOM documents to mean a thousand million.
The term “trillion” (French: billion; Spanish: billón) is used to mean a million million.

Ordinal numbers

Ordinal numbers from first to ninety-ninth are usually expressed in words (e.g. twenty-first, eightieth, rather
than 21st or 80th).

This also applies to centuries: twentieth century (not 20th century or XX century).

Ordinal numbers should be expressed in figures for:

• Numbers higher than 99 (109th Session of the Council)

• Floors (2nd floor, 21st floor)

Note: The ordinal indicator (e.g. “th”, “st”) is not typed in superscript. In Word, the autocorrect function formats
ordinal indicators in superscript. This can be deactivated in the AutoCorrect Options.

IOM HOUSE STYLE MANUAL

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Punctuation of figures

In English, figures consisting of four or more digits take a comma in running text (e.g. 6,500; 1,366,968). In tables,
however, for formatting reasons, a space should be used instead of a comma (e.g. 6 500; 1 366 968).

Decimal fractions

For decimal fractions of numbers less than one, insert a zero before the decimal point (e.g. 0.5 m). All numbers
in a series or in a table should be carried to the same decimal place.

Fractions

In running text, fractions should be spelled out in full (e.g. two thirds, one hundredth, three quarters, and not
2/3, 1/100, 3/4). Unless used adjectivally, fractions expressed in words are not hyphenated.

Two thirds of the population were affected by the earthquake.

A two-thirds majority was required for the amendment to be adopted.

Units of measurement

Use figures with units of measurement such as cm, m, km (except for isolated references to approximate
measurements; see example on previous page). Insert a non-breaking space between the number and the unit
of measurement.

The refugee camp is 6 km from the military base.

It is recommended that women drink 2 l of water per day.

Percentages

Figures are used for percentages; for example, “5 per cent”, and not “five per cent”. Also, “per cent” (two words)
is spelled out. However, between parentheses and in tables, the % sign can be used instead. Leave no space
between the figure and the % sign.

In 2010, GDP grew at an average rate of 6.6 per cent (4.7% in 2009).

Other numbers expressed in figures

Also use figures for units of money, page references, paragraph numbers, age and ratios (e.g. USD 10, page 7,
paragraph 9, 3 million, 25-year-old man, 9-to-1 ratio).

Arabic and roman numerals

Arabic numerals are normally used for chapters, annexes, appendices, resolutions, figures, tables and boxes
(exception: when using a double enumeration system; see Figures, tables and boxes).

Chapter 3, Figure 7

Roman numerals are normally used for parts, sections and volumes of a publication.

Part IV, Volume II

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Voting results

Voting results are always expressed in figures; exception: the word “none” is used instead of the figure “0”.

Dates and periods of time

Dates are presented in the following order: day number, month and year (in full) (e.g. 17 May 2018).

In running text, the following forms should be used to indicate a range of dates:

For two consecutive days:

The Twenty-third Session of the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance was held on
30 and 31 October 2018.

For more than two consecutive days:

The 109th Session of the Council was held from 27 to 30 November 2018.

When not in running text (e.g. title/cover pages), usage is as follows:

Geneva, 30 and 31 October 2018

Geneva, 27–30 November 2018

Decades are written as follows: the 1990s (not the 90s, the 1990’s, or the nineties).

References to time periods can be given as follows:

• 1999–2000 (e.g. the period 1999–2000)

• From 1999 to 2000
• Between 1999 and 2000

It is incorrect to use “from 1999–2000” or “between 1999–2000”.

A period of less than 24 months that overlaps two years is written as follows: 1999/2000.

Seasons

Given that seasons relate to different times of the year in the northern and southern hemispheres, references to
them should be avoided. Phrases such as “the meeting will take place in the autumn” are therefore ambiguous; if
possible, a precise date (or month) should be given. Wording such as “the meeting will take place in September
2019” or “in the second half of the year” are preferred.

Time of day

The 12-hour system is used for most purposes. The time of day is expressed as follows:

10 a.m. (not 10:00 a.m.), noon, 2.30 p.m., 10.05 p.m. (not 10.5 p.m.), midnight

However, in timetables, schedules and programmes of work, the 24-hour system can be used:

10.00 or 18.00

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Telephone numbers

Telephone numbers should be written without parentheses, dots or hyphens.

Tel.: 022 717 91 11

Note: When abbreviated, telephone is written as “Tel.” and not “Tel”.

Should it be appropriate to include the country and the city code, leave a space between the two codes and
between the codes and the telephone number. In the below example, 41 is the country code for Switzerland
and 22 is the city code for Geneva. The number given in parentheses is considered part of the number only
when dialling within the country.

Tel.: +41 (0)22 717 91 11

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Formatting
Italics

Generally, italics are used in the following cases:

• Titles of books, publications, journals, newspapers and films;

• Foreign words that do not appear in the latest edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary;
• The names of ships, trains, aircraft and spacecraft:
HMS Ocean
The Flying Scotsman
space shuttle Discovery

Do not use italics in the following cases:

• Publications not yet published if there is a likelihood that the title will change. However, if the title is final,
italics can be used provided that there is an indication that the publication is forthcoming.
• Foreign words listed in the latest edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, such as:
ad hoc, coup d’état, de facto, en route, et al., ibid., idem, inter alia, laissez-passer, per diem, per se, raison
d’être, vis-à-vis

• Non-English names of organizations, institutions and corporations; however, project names appearing in
a foreign language can be italicized.
• To add emphasis to certain words or for quotations.

Bold print

With the exception of headings, subheadings and run-in subheadings, bold print should not generally be used
to emphasize a word or phrases.

Subparagraphs (levels) and punctuation

Subparagraphs should be identified in the following way:

First degree: (a), (b), (c), etc.

Second degree: (i), (ii), (iii), etc.
Third degree: a., b., c., etc.
Fourth degree: i., ii., iii., etc.

A semicolon is normally used at the end of subparagraphs, unless they are long and contain complete sentences.
In this case, a full stop should be used. In vertical lists, the first word of a subparagraph takes initial capitals.

Example

10. The main objectives of the programme are as follows:

(a) To assist voluntary returns by providing:

(i) Legal advice;
(ii) Psychosocial support;
(iii) Return assistance:
a. Assistance for obtaining travel documents;
b. Transit/arrival assistance:

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 i. Increased baggage allowance;
ii. Medical escorts;
iii. Assistance with immigration formalities upon arrival;
c. Financial support to cover travel expenses;
(iv) Information on opportunities available in the home country;

(b) To offer reintegration assistance:

(i) Support for setting up small businesses;
(ii) Financial assistance to pay for vocational training courses;

(c) To disseminate information on the programme using various means.

Do not add “and” or “or” after the semicolon of the penultimate entry.

The same breakdown should be used in running text; however, initial capitals are not used to introduce each
new item and the word “and” is used to link the last item in a subheading level. For more than two levels, use a
list as shown in the previous example.

Example

10. The main objectives of the programme are: (a) to assist voluntary returns by providing:
(i) legal advice; (ii) psychosocial support; (iii) return assistance; and (iv) information on opportunities
available in the home country; (b) to offer reintegration assistance: (i) support for setting up small
businesses; and (ii) financial assistance to pay for vocational training courses; and (c) to disseminate
information on the programme using various means.

Bullet points (punctuation)

A semicolon is normally used at the end of text introduced with a bullet point, unless the items are long and
contain complete sentences. In this case, a full stop should be used. The first word of each item introduced
takes initial capitals.

Example 1

Effective risk management helps organizations to perform well in environments of uncertainty and
adds value by:

• Providing better information that supports risk-aware decision-making and leads to enhanced
performance;
• Anticipating risks earlier or more clearly, thus making a wider range of options available to
manage them;
• Responding to deviations in performance in a quick and consistent manner;
• Enhancing trust, collaboration and information-sharing.

Example 2

The Audit Oversight and Advisory Committee continued its activities throughout the year. During
the reporting period:

• Three Committee members convened for the Committee’s ninth meeting, at the Panama
Administrative Centre, on 16 and 17 October 2017. The Committee members were given a
warm welcome by all IOM staff in Panama.

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 • On 1 November 2017, the Chairperson attended the Twenty-first Session of the Standing
Committee on Programmes and Finance and reported on the Committee’s activities from
September 2016 to August 2017.
• The Chairperson visited IOM Headquarters in August 2018 and met with both the outgoing
and incoming Directors General.
• Committee members had various phone calls and video meetings with IOM staff.

For lists, punctuation is not required after each item.

Example

The immediate needs of migrants caught up in crisis situations include the following:

• Psychosocial support
• Shelter
• Sanitation facilities
• Health care
• Non-food items

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Footnotes and endnotes
Footnotes (placed at the foot of the page on which the footnote indicator appears) and endnotes (placed at
the end of a chapter or section, or at the end of a publication) are used to provide additional information that
is not appropriate in the body of the text, such as references or explanations of unfamiliar terms or concepts.
Keep the number and length of footnotes and endnotes to a minimum. Only sources that are strictly relevant
and necessary should be indicated. Facts that are commonly known or can easily be checked do not require
a source note. Similarly, there is no need to refer readers to a website (either in a footnote or in the text) to
access sources that can be easily found using a search engine. (For more information on electronic sources, see
References and bibliographies.) Short notes (e.g. cross-references to other sections or pages of the same work)
should be given in the text in parentheses (i.e. as text notes).

In running text, superscript arabic numerals are used as footnote indicators. Footnotes and endnotes are
numbered consecutively, starting with 1 from the beginning of the document. In long publications, the numbering
may start again for each chapter or section. If the same footnote applies to more than one passage on the same
page, provide the footnote only once and repeat the footnote indicator(s) in the relevant part of the text. If the
reference is repeated on a subsequent page, a shortened reference may be used in the footnote. A separate
series of footnotes should be used for each annex and appendix. See the appropriate section below for details
on footnote usage in figures, tables and boxes.

Footnotes contained in quotations should not be reproduced unless they are essential to the meaning or
purpose of the quoted text. If the footnote must be retained, keep the original footnote number and place the
footnote directly below the quotation. The footnote must appear within the quotation marks.

Refer to the examples in References and bibliographies to see how footnotes should be presented.

Placement of footnote indicators

When appearing at the end of a sentence, the footnote or endnote indicators should be placed after the
punctuation mark (including parentheses).

This policy has been implemented rigorously by the Organization.1

The same applies if the indicator appears near a punctuation mark mid-sentence.

In view of recent events,1 this initiative was most welcome.

However, in the case of parentheses within parentheses, the reference mark should be placed before the close
of the second pair of parentheses if the footnote refers only to the phrase enclosed in the parentheses within
the parentheses.

The Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance (at its Twenty-second Session (see S/22/14)1
held in June 2018) approved the IOM assessment scale for 2019.

The Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance (at its Twenty-second Session (see S/22/14)1)
approved the IOM assessment scale for 2019.

Repeated references

When footnote references are repeated in documents and publications, there are two ways to cite the same
source: by using “ibid.” or by using a shortened form of the reference. The following paragraphs provide a brief
explanation of how and when these different methods should be used.

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“Ibid.” (the abbreviation of the Latin ibidem, meaning “in the same place”) is used when referring to the same
work cited in the preceding footnote or to the preceding work in the same footnote. It should be noted that
“ibid.” is not used when the previous footnote refers to more than one source, or merely to repeat the name
of an author. “Ibid.” is capitalized only at the beginning of a sentence.

A shortened form of the reference may be used when the same source is cited again in non-consecutive footnotes.
When using this method, the footnote should contain the author’s last name, followed by a shortened version
of the title of the work. When the work has no author, cite the shortened title alone. When the footnotes are
widely separated, a cross reference to the original footnote may also be included.

Note: Use of the abbreviations “op. cit.” and “loc. cit.” to refer to previous citations is not recommended.

See References and bibliographies for examples of repeated references.

Abbreviations in footnotes and endnotes

The first time an abbreviation or acronym appears in a footnote to running text, it should be written out in full
(even if it has already been written out in full in the text). This is not necessary, however, if the document or
publication contains a list of acronyms.

Footnotes to figures, tables and boxes

Footnotes to figures and tables appear directly under the figure or table. Footnotes to boxed text would
normally be placed in the box. Lower-case letters are usually used as footnote indicators in figures, tables and
boxes. The letters are placed in the appropriate order and run from left to right and top to bottom.

The author–date system (see relevant section under References and bibliographies) can be used to cite a source
if the publication has a list of references. Alternatively, the full reference can be given as the source directly under
the figure or table or at the bottom of the box.

For the different kinds of notes that can be used, see Figures, tables and boxes.

Footnotes indicated by asterisks and other symbols

In some circumstances, it may be necessary to depart from the normal system of numbering or lettering, in
which case asterisks and other symbols can be used.

For example, asterisks and other symbols are used as footnote indicators in the following cases:

• In the masthead of a governing body document, after the document symbol to indicate that the document
is a reissue;
• After the title of a document to give information relating to the whole document;
• In a publication, after the name of the author of a chapter or article to indicate the author’s title and
professional affiliation;
• To indicate that a document or publication has not been formally edited or translated;
• In a figure, table or box that has only one or two footnotes.

Footnotes indicated by asterisks and other symbols are placed above footnotes indicated by lower-case letters
and numbers when they appear at the bottom of the same page or under the same figure/table.

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References and bibliographies
Authors are responsible for ensuring that they give due acknowledgement to the sources of the information and
viewpoints they present. They must also make sure that all references are accurate, complete and presented in
the appropriate manner.

The appropriate way for authors to cite their sources is to compile a list of references – or a bibliography –
which is placed at the end of the document (after any annexes). In publications containing articles or chapters
by different authors, a separate list can be placed after each section. The author–date system is then used
(see below). For short texts, for example governing body documents or position papers, which do not have a
reference list, the full reference should be indicated in a footnote (see Examples of footnotes below).

A list of references contains only the works cited in the text, whereas a bibliography lists works relevant to the
subject matter addressed and recommended for further reading. All sources cited in the text must be included
in the reference list.

Author–date system

When using the author–date system (also known as the Harvard referencing system), a source is cited by
giving the last name of the author and the year of publication in parentheses in the appropriate place in the
text, preferably at the end of a sentence (the full reference is given in the list of references). For institutional
authorship, the name of the organization can be abbreviated in the parentheses, with the full name being given
in the corresponding entry in the reference list.

A recent study revealed that of the 149 doctors trained, only 62 remained in the country (WHO,
2018).

Note: “United Nations” should not be abbreviated in the in-text reference.

If the author’s name is mentioned in the text, only the year of publication is required.

As Wilson (2005) was able to demonstrate, migration …

For works produced by two authors, the last names of both authors should be given. For more than two
authors, the term “et al.” (note the full stop and the use of roman font) is placed after the name of the first
author. The names of all authors are given in the list of references.

If there are several publications by the same author in the same year, they should be distinguished by placing
lower-case letters after the year (e.g. 2000a, 2000b, 2000c) in the text and in the list of references. The letter
used is determined by the order in which the publications are referred to in the text. For example, if two works
are cited produced by the same author in 2000, the first one referred to in the text will be attributed 2000a,
the second 2000b.

Multiple references concerning the same author should be separated by commas.

(Wilson, 2005, 2008, 2012)

Semicolons should be used to separate references to works by several authors on the same topic, listed within
the same parentheses.

(Wilson, 2005; Smith, 2009)

Note: When using the author–date system, the author–date information should be provided in the body of the
text, and not in a footnote.

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How to present a reference list or bibliography

The following elements should be presented as follows when providing the full reference in the list of references,
or when compiling a bibliography, in the following order:

• The author’s last name followed by a comma and his or her initials (e.g. Smith, A.). For more
than one author, the names of subsequent authors are not inverted (e.g. Beck, J., P. Wilson
and K.E. Smith). The names are listed in the same order as on the title page.
Note: Do not insert spaces between initials.
• The year of publication appears on the next line and is indented (in Word, tabs should be used – instead
of spaces – before and after the year of publication). If there are several publications by the same
author, they are listed in chronological order, with lower-case letters placed after the date to differentiate
between publications by the same author in the same year (see above, Author–date system). When the
year of publication is not known, the abbreviation “n.d.” (no date) can be used.
• The title of an article in a journal, or chapter in a book, takes roman font (i.e. not italics), with initial
capitals used only for the first word of the title, proper nouns and words that would usually take initial
capitals (i.e. sentence case is used).
• The title of a book or journal is written in italics and the first letter of each is word capitalized, except
articles, prepositions and conjunctions (i.e. title case is used).
• Number of the edition (include only if not the first edition), or volume number (where applicable).
• An indication of the series, if any, of which the work forms a part, together with the serial number
(optional).
• Name of the publisher and place of publication. The abbreviation “n.p.” can be used to
indicate when the place of publication or the publisher is not known. If the author is also the
publisher (e.g. an institutional publication), there is no need to repeat the name of the publisher.
Note: The city of publication appears with the publisher’s name on the copyright page of the book or
publication. When more than one city is listed for a publisher, only the first one should usually be given.
When the city is not widely known (or could be confused with another place of the same name), the
state or province should be given, unless it is part of the publisher’s name. In some cases, it may be
helpful to specify the country (e.g. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, United Kingdom). Place names should not be abbreviated. For joint publications, both cities
should be indicated.
• Where applicable, page numbers.
• The main elements in the reference (e.g. title of an article, title of a book, series) are usually
separated by a full stop. The various components of publishing data are usually separated by commas.
Note: “Available at [URL]” should not be included if the reference can be found easily through a web
search.

Entries are listed alphabetically by the last name of the (first) author or editor. For institutional authors, the
work is listed according the first word (excluding articles) of the organization’s full official name. Successive
entries by two or more authors in which the first author’s name is the same are alphabetized according to the
last name of the second co-author or co-editor.

Reference lists and bibliographies divided into sections

When a list of references or bibliography contains different types of material that cannot be presented easily in
a continuous alphabetical list, or when it would be helpful to the reader for a distinction to be made between
different kinds of sources, the list can be divided into sections. For example, a list that includes a number of
IOM documents, journal articles, government publications and international instruments can be divided into
sections with appropriate headings. The entries under each section can be listed alphabetically by author or title,
chronologically or in another form that is logical and useful to readers.

IOM HOUSE STYLE MANUAL

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Electronic sources

If it is necessary to provide an electronic address, the URL is written in roman font; it should also appear in
blue and not be underlined. URLs are usually introduced by “available at” or “see”. Unless the URL appears in
parentheses, a full stop is placed at the end of the address. The prefix “http://” should be deleted when the
URL contains “www” (e.g. www.iom.int, but https://developmentfund.iom.int). Authors should check that all
the URLs work just before submitting their work to the editor, who will also check and, if necessary, update the
sources. Outdated URLs should be deleted.

Only when citing information that is likely to be updated (e.g. information taken from a database) should authors
provide the date on which it was accessed. The date should be given in parentheses at the end of the footnote
or reference entry (e.g. (accessed 7 July 2018)).

Avoid the use of lengthy URLs (especially in footnotes). If necessary, add a hyperlink to the title of the work
being cited. The hyperlinked text should be presented in the same way as a URL (i.e. roman font, blue, not
underlined). The hyperlink should take you directly to the work being referenced and not to a website where
it is available.

Examples of entries in a list of references or bibliography

Article in journal
Vearey, J.
2008 Migration, access to ART, and survivalist livelihood strategies in Johannesburg. African
Journal of AIDS Research, 7(3):361–374.

Note: In the above example, 7 refers to the volume, 3 to the issue and 361–374 to the page
numbers where the article appears in the journal.

Article in a newspaper (print)

Berengaut, A.A. and A.J. Blinken
2018 Restricting refugees is hurting U.S. New York Times, 14 September.

Article in a newspaper (online)

Milman, O., E. Holden and D. Agren
2018 The unseen driver behind the migrant caravan: climate change. The Guardian,
30 October. Available at www.theguardian.com.

Article in a newspaper (online), no author

Tehran Times
2017 Human trafficking is both source and aftermath of conflict, Iran says. 22 November.
Available at www.tehrantimes.com.

Article on a website
European Commission
2018 Migration: Commission steps up assistance to Spain and Greece. 2 July. Available at
https://ec.europa.eu.

Note: See footnote 4 under Examples of footnotes to see how this reference would be presented
as a footnote.

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Blog post
Plaza, S.
2016 Remittances market in Latin America: Will mobile money facilitate financial inclusion?
People move: A blog about migration, remittances and development. World Bank,
21 April.

Note: If it is not clear that the citation is a blog post, this should be indicated in square brackets
after the title of the article.

Book with one author or editor

Carr, M.
2012 Fortress Europe: Dispatches from a Gated Continent. The New Press, New York.

DeChaine, D.R. (ed.)

2012 Border Rhetorics: Citizenship and Identity on the US-Mexico Frontier. The University of
Alabama Press, Alabama.

Book with two authors or editors (names are listed in same order as on title page)
Brettell C.B. and J.F. Hollifield (eds.)
2015 Migration Theory: Talking Across Disciplines. Third edition. Routledge, New York.

Book with more than two authors or editors

Castles, S., H. de Hass and M.J. Miller
2014 The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World. Fifth
edition. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, United Kingdom.

Note: The in-text reference to the above book would read as follows: (Castles et al., 2014).

E-book
Livi-Bacci, M.
2012 A Concise History of World Population. Fifth edition [e-book]. Wiley-Blackwell.

Chapter in an edited book

Grant, S.
2007 The legal protection of stranded migrants. In: International Migration Law: Developing
Paradigms and Key Challenges (R. Cholewinski, R. Perruchoud and E. MacDonald, eds.).
T.M.C. Asser Press, The Hague.

Dissertation or thesis
Rahman, M.M.
2003 Bangladeshi workers in Singapore: A sociological study of temporary labor migration
[PhD thesis]. National University of Singapore, Singapore.

Same author or editor with various works (listed in chronological order)

Koser, K.
2013 Refugees and migration. In: International Organizations and Global Governance (T. Weiss
and R. Wilkinson, eds.). Routledge, New York, pp. 668–679.
2014 Transition and displacement. Forced Migration Review, 46:44–45.
2016 International Migration: A Very Short Introduction. Second edition. Oxford University
Press, Oxford.

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Government publication
United Kingdom, Home Office
2006 A Points-Based System: Making Migration Work for Britain. The Stationery Office, London.

Material not yet published

Geddes, A., M. Vera Espinoza, L. Hadj-Abdou and L. Brumat (eds.)
The Dynamics of Regional Migration Governance. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, United
Kingdom (forthcoming).

Online database
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Human Trafficking Knowledge Portal, Case Law Database (accessed 24 January 2019).

Slide presentation
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
2016 Protecting the human rights of migrants in vulnerable situations [slide presentation].
Presented by P. Oberoi at the Multi-stakeholder Meeting on the Protection of the
Human Rights of Migrants in Large Movements, Geneva, 1 June.

Papers
European Commission
2011 Green paper on the right to family reunification of third-country nationals living in the
European Union (Directive 2003/86/EC).

Portier, C.
2016 The need for mental health and psychosocial support for migrants and refugees in
Europe. Position paper. Mental Health Europe. Brussels, October.

Soeprobo, T.B.
2006 Country report: Indonesia. Paper presented at the Workshop on International
Migration and Labour Market in Asia, Tokyo, 17 February.

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

2017 Global development trends at the turn of the century. UN-DESA Policy Brief No. 54,
July.

Publications and other material produced by IOM

International Organization for Migration (IOM)
2014 A New Global Partnership for Development: Factoring in the Contribution of Migration. IOM
Migration Research Series, No. 50. Geneva.
2015 World Migration Report 2015: Migrants and Cities – New Partnerships to Manage Mobility.
Geneva.
2016 Remittances: socioeconomic opportunities and challenges (S/19/6). Geneva.
2018a Inclusive and Innovative Partnerships for Effective Global Governance. International Dialogue
on Migration Series, No. 28. Geneva.
2018b Migrant Smuggling Data and Research: A global review of the emerging evidence. Volume 2
(A. Triandafyllidou and M.L. McAuliffe, eds.). Geneva.
n.d. Extreme heat and migration. Infosheet. Geneva.

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 n.d. Facilitation of safe, orderly and regular migration. Global Compact thematic paper.
Geneva.

Note: If a book, article or publication is produced (or edited) by an IOM staff member as part of
his or her official functions, IOM owns the copyright and the work should therefore be cited as an
IOM publication.

Publications, documents and reports produced by other international organizations

United Nations
2015 Human Rights Council, Role of local government in the promotion and protection
of human rights – Final report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee
(A/HRC/30/49), paras. 8 and 9.

Note: See footnote 7 in Examples of footnotes below to see how this report would be presented
as a footnote.

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

2017 International Migration Report 2017: Highlights. United Nations, New York.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

2016 Human Development Report 2016: Human Development for Everyone. New York.

Joint publication
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the International Organization
for Migration (IOM)
2010 Training Modules on Labour Migration Management: Trainer’s Manual. Vienna and Geneva.

Works not translated

Tabar, P.
2013 Al-Jaliyaat al-Arabiyya fi Ustralia [The Arab Communities in Australia]. Centre for Arab
Unity Studies, Beirut (in Arabic).

Resolutions and international instruments

International Labour Organization (ILO)
2011 Recommendation concerning decent work for domestic workers (Domestic Workers
Recommendation (No. 201)), adopted on 16 June.

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

2015 Resolution No. 1309 on IOM–UN relations, adopted on 24 November
(C/106/RES/1309).

United Nations
2016 United Nations Security Council resolution 2295 on the situation in Mali, adopted on
29 June (S/RES/2295).

United Nations
2016 United Nations General Assembly resolution 71/7 on the New York Declaration for
Refugees and Migrants, adopted on 19 September (A/RES/71/1).

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 World Health Organization (WHO)
2017 World Health Assembly resolution WHA70.15 on promoting the health of refugees
and migrants, adopted on 31 May.

Note: See footnote 23 in Examples of footnotes below to see how this resolution would be
presented as a footnote.

Interviews
Vitorino, A.
2019 IOM Director General. World Economic Forum: Davos looks to address migration
and refugees. Interview by CNN. Davos, Switzerland, 24 January. Available at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7vVUaY7tUA.

Note: Unless the information is available to readers, unpublished interviews and personal
communications are not included in reference lists; they can, however, be referred to in the text
or in footnotes (see examples below).

Examples of footnotes

As mentioned previously, in shorter texts, or to provide the reader with additional information, footnotes
can also be used (see Footnotes and endnotes). The style used for footnotes differs slightly from that used for
reference lists and bibliographies. Below are some examples of how footnotes should be presented.

1
IOM, Migration and the 2030 Agenda: A Guide for Practitioners (Geneva, 2018).

2
Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “Supporting the future of Syria and
the region”, statement to the Brussels II Conference, Brussels, 25 April 2018.

3
Canada, Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Statutes of Canada, chapter 27 (2001).

4
European Commission, Migration: Commission steps up assistance to Spain and Greece. 2 July 2018.
Available at https://ec.europa.eu.

5
Elizabeth Collett, Outlook on migration in Europe in 2015, Migration Policy Practice, 4(5):21–25
(December 2014–January 2015).

6
IOM, Migration and the 2030 Agenda.

7
United Nations, Human Rights Council, Role of local government in the promotion and protection
of human rights – Final report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee (A/HRC/30/49 of
7 August 2015), paras. 8 and 9.

8
Ibid., para. 15.

9
John Smith, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “Refugee statistics since
Libya crisis”, email to author, 12 November 2018.

23
World Health Assembly resolution WHA70.15 on promoting the health of refugees and migrants
(31 May 2017).

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 24
Interview with Jennifer Cudjoe, Specialist in Refugee and Migrant Health for the African Region,
World Health Organization, Geneva, 11 December 2018.

25
Collett, Outlook on migration (see footnote 5).

Citing IOM governing body documents in running text

In-text references to IOM governing body documents should be presented as follows:

The Administration, introducing the document entitled Gender mainstreaming at IOM: concrete
achievements and identified gaps (S/22/8), said that …

In some contexts, it might be necessary to indicate the date of the document (i.e. the date indicated in the
masthead).

The Standing Committee last addressed the issue of gender mainstreaming within the Organization
during its Twenty-second Session, when it discussed document S/22/8 of 25 April 2018.

In-text references to resolutions adopted by the Council or the Standing Committee on Programmes and
Finance should be presented as follows:

The Administration reassured Member States that it was committed to ensuring that the essential
characteristics of the Organization, as described in Council Resolution No. 1309 of 24 November
2015 on IOM–UN relations, would be preserved.

One delegate, referring to Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance Resolution No. 18 of
27 June 2018 on budget regulations and practices, pointed out that …

Note: Once the title of the resolution has been given, in subsequent mentions it is usually sufficient to refer to
the resolution using only its number (e.g. Council Resolution No. 1309).

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Figures, tables and boxes
Illustrations, such as figures and tables, should be used to present data that would be complicated to explain or
compare in the text. The illustrations should be referred to in the text before they appear, and should be placed
as close as possible to where they are first mentioned. The text should highlight a specific feature or explain the
overall meaning of the data; it should not simply repeat the same information. Make sure the text is consistent
with the illustration.

Titles should be clear and concise and include place and date if relevant. Initial capitals are used only for the
first word, proper nouns and other words that normally take initial capitals. A full stop is not required at the
end of the title, which should be centred, set in bold type and appear above the illustration (or above the text
within a box). A dot separates the number and the title. Different types of illustrations (e.g. figures and boxes)
should be numbered separately and consecutively (e.g. Figure 1, Figure 2, Box 1, Box 2). A double enumeration
system (e.g. Table I.1, Table I.2, Table II.1, Table II.2) may be preferable when the illustrations must be linked to
numbered chapters or sections.

Abbreviations should be kept to a minimum. When they are used, provide a key to explain their meaning.

Authors are responsible for providing layout artists and editors with editable files of illustrations when they
submit their documents for processing.

Instructions on the use of maps are contained in the IOM Publications Layout Manual. For instructions on
photographs, refer to the IOM Brand Guidelines.

Figures

The colours used in figures, charts and infographics produced by the Organization should be aligned with the
instructions given in the IOM Brand Guidelines.

Since governing body documents are not printed in colour, ensure that any illustrations used in these documents
are clear when printed in black and white.

Tables

Text alignment and punctuation:

• Column headings are centred and take sentence case.
• Text appearing in the columns is aligned to the left.
• Minimum punctuation should be used, with only complete sentences ending in a full stop.

Numbers:
• Whole numbers are aligned to the right.
• Figures consisting of four or more digits are separated by a space, not a comma (e.g. 6 500; 1 366 968).
• All decimal fractions should be carried to the same number of places. If the same unit of measurement
applies to all the figures, the numbers are aligned on the decimal point. For amounts less than one, a zero
should be inserted before the decimal point (e.g. 0.5).
• In financial tables, negative amounts are placed between parentheses.

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Notes to tables:
Notes on specific parts of a table should usually be indicated using lower-case letters (a, b, c, etc.), with the
letters reading across the columns, from left to right and top to bottom.

Boxes

Boxes can be used to provide additional information that supports the main points addressed in the main text.
The title, sources and footnotes are placed inside the box. For general rules, see Figures, tables and boxes above.

Order of footnotes

Different types of footnotes can be placed under an illustration. Abbreviations (if a key is required), sources and
notes, in that order, should be given directly below the table or figure, or below the text in a box. The words
“Source(s)” and “Note(s)” are in italics, whereas the sources and notes themselves take roman typeface, unless
italics are required (e.g. for the title of a publication). The text is indented if it exceeds one line. A colon (which
is not italicized) is used between the words “Source(s)” and “Note(s)” and the text, after which there should
be a full stop, including after a URL. The footnotes should be in a smaller font than the rest of the publication.

Examples

Table 5. Trends in core structure funding, 2010–2019

Administrative Part Increase in Operational Total core Operational Part Core structure
Year of the Budgeta administrative Support Income structure of the Budgeta as percentage of
(in CHF) budget (in USD) (in USD) (in USD) operational budget
2010 39 388 000 1.5% 33 000 000 68 485 000 1 322 076 000 5.2%
2011 39 388 000 ZNG 35 400 000 72 559 000 1 265 416 000 5.7%
2012 39 398 792 b
ZNG 39 228 000 79 013 700 1 187 400 000 6.7%
2013 39 404 908 b
ZNG 44 751 000 83 002 000 1 192 200 000 7.0%
2014 41 005 929 4.0% 50 619 000 91 057 000 1 420 900 000 6.4%
2015 42 586 949 4.0% 56 857 000 99 605 000 1 548 300 000 6.6%
2016 44 167 200 4.0% 67 582 000 112 650 000 1 555 978 700 7.2%
2017 50 690 324 14.8% 72 800 000 124 002 000 1 551 772 580 7.9%
2018 50 728 318 b
ZNG 80 200 000 131 924 800 1 800 000 000 7.3%
2019 52 229 662 c
2.9% 89 300 000 142 596 000 1 850 000 000 7.7%

ZNG: Zero nominal growth.

a
These amounts are either the final figure for the year, or the latest available revision or estimate.
b
The addition of contributions from new Member States, in line with budget regulations, resulted in an increase compared
with the previous year.
c
This figure includes an increase of CHF 1,500,000 relating solely to the cost-sharing arrangement of the United Nations
Sustainable Development Group, in line with General Assembly resolution 72/279 of 31 May 2018.

Notes:
1. Operational Support Income includes a percentage designated for staff security.
2. The Programme and Budget for 2019 (C/109/6/Rev.1) provides more details (e.g. information on prior years and staff
numbers).

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 Figure 4. Number of economic migrants moving within
and outside the sub-Saharan African region, 1990 and 2013 (millions)

Source: Gonzalez-Garcia et al., 2016.

Box II.1. Definitions of key terminology used in Chapter 2

Brain circulation: The effect of the movement of skilled migrants among their countries of origin and other
countries, bearing their knowledge and skills which can benefit countries of origin as well as countries of
permanent or temporary destination. The exchange of knowledge and skills of migrants with communities
and institutions in their country of origin and destination that allow migrants to apply the benefits of the
knowledge and skills they have gained while living and working abroad.

Brain drain: Depletion of human capital in a specific occupation or economic sector resulting from the
emigration of skilled workers engaged in this occupation or sector from the country of origin to another
country (or from one region of a country to another – internal migration).

Brain gain: From the perspective of a country of destination, immigration of skilled workers into the
country resulting in the acquisition of human capital. From the perspective of a country of origin, the positive
spill-over effects of the emigration of highly skilled workers such as brain circulation, or the motivational
effects of migration that spur aspiring migrants to acquire further skills. Brain gain also occurs when migrants
return back to their country or communities of origin and bring back with them new skills and knowledge
acquired in migration.

Brain waste: In the migration context, the under-employment or unemployment of migrant workers
who are unable to find jobs matching their skill level, owing to, for example, the lack of skills recognition,
informality of employment relations or discrimination.

Source: IOM, Glossary on Migration, third edition, Geneva (2019).

Note: For additional definitions see the glossary in Appendix 3.

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 PART II

GOVERNING BODY
DOCUMENTS
Preparation of governing body documents
Document production schedule

Twice a year, the Meetings Secretariat (MGS) circulates a document production schedule that lists the
documents planned for upcoming meetings and proposes deadlines for their submission to MGS. At this stage,
the Administration and author departments should review the document production schedule and confirm
(or suggest changes to) the proposed deadlines. The deadlines are staggered to enable all documents to be
processed in a timely manner. At this planning stage, it is also important to indicate any additional documents
that need to be added to the schedule, bearing in mind that the resources available for processing documents
are limited.

Deadlines for the submission of documents

Since MGS deals with many different documents – all of which must be processed and distributed in time for
the relevant meeting – it is necessary to establish deadlines for their submission to MGS for processing. The
deadlines proposed by MGS in the document production schedule take into account the time required for a
document to be formatted, edited and translated; they also take into account the volume of documents to be
processed.

If you encounter difficulties in meeting the deadline established for your document, please notify MGS as soon as
possible of any delays. Depending on the status of other documents, there may be a certain degree of flexibility;
however, MGS cannot guarantee the timely distribution of a document received after its given deadline.

General requirements

All documents are drafted in English and should usually be no longer than 4 pages (Calibri, font size 11), with
annexes containing tables and charts being kept to a minimum. MGS can provide a template for standard
governing body documents or the previous, final (i.e. edited) version of recurring documents (e.g. annual reports).

If a document contains input submitted by various divisions or departments, the main author is responsible for
checking the accuracy and coherence of the document as a whole, including any annexes.

Only final and coordinated documents should be sent to MGS for processing (see section below on coordination).

The author is also responsible for checking figures and diagrams before submitting them to MGS and must also
provide the original files (e.g. Excel files) so that any necessary formatting or editorial changes can be made;
these files are also required for the translators.

Coordination

The author must ensure that the entire document has been coordinated with the relevant staff (e.g. head of the
division, departmental director) before it is submitted to MGS. Once the final and coordinated version of the
document has been sent to MGS, further changes should not be made. The version submitted for processing is
considered the master copy. If further changes are unavoidable, they should be provided in a way that will allow
them to be easily inserted in the master copy, which may have been formatted already and be in the process
of being edited.

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Footnotes

Footnotes should be avoided and used only when necessary. It is often possible to integrate the relevant
information into the body of the document. Footnotes should not be used to provide additional information
that is not essential and might distract the reader from the information that IOM wishes to convey. Long
footnotes will greatly reduce the readability of the document, whose target audience is IOM Member States.
The aim of a governing body document is to provide Member States with information on the Organization’s
activities, policies and internal matters; it should not read like a research paper.

MGS processing (layout, formatting, editing)

Before document processing begins, MGS reviews the submitted documents to check that the general
requirements outlined above have been followed. Any problems (e.g. a document that is too long or incomplete,
excessive referencing, lengthy footnotes, missing Excel files) are identified and brought to the attention of the
editor and/or author, so that they can be resolved as soon as possible. Once the document has been reviewed,
work can begin on the layout and formatting. For long documents, especially ones with tables and various
annexes, this can be a time-consuming step. Once the layout and formatting has been done, the document can
be passed on to the editor.

Role of the editor

The editor will review the document to ensure that it is accurate, consistent and coherent. The work of the
editor is intended to complement that of the author, who is responsible for the content of the document. The
editor will check references, correct factual, spelling and grammatical errors, and apply established editorial
standards and guidelines (e.g. IOM spelling list).

The editor will need to consult the author if clarifications or additional elements are required. For this reason,
it is important that the author be available to address any queries that may arise after the text has been
submitted to MGS for processing. All editorial changes are made using the tracking function in Word, so as to
facilitate the approval process. The editor may also include comment boxes to bring certain proposed changes
or outstanding queries to the attention of the author.

Approval of edited documents

The editor sends the edited document to the author so that he or she can review the edits and coordinate with
other colleagues, if necessary. It should be noted that this is not an opportunity for authors to make additions
or widely recirculate the document, which is now in its last stage before finalization.

If necessary, the author can discuss the proposed edits with the editor. Any subsequent changes made by the
author should also be indicated in the document using the tracking function, so that the editor can easily find
and review them. At this stage, all changes should be kept in tracking, including the approved edits. Once the
final document has been approved by the author, it is finalized by MGS and sent to the French and Spanish
translators.

Translation

The deadlines established in the document production schedule also take into account the time required for the
translation and distribution of the documents in French and Spanish, which are the other two official languages
of the Organization. The translators work only on the final and approved document and must therefore wait
for the English version to be finalized before they can start their work. It should be noted that not all annexes
in governing body documents are translated; when this is the case, the annex will appear in English in the French
and Spanish versions of the document.

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Drafting and editing IOM resolutions
The following instructions offer guidance to persons drafting or editing IOM resolutions. Although the examples
provided refer to IOM Council resolutions, the same standards apply to resolutions adopted by the Standing
Committee on Programmes and Finance. A sample resolution is provided at the end of the section to show
how a draft resolution should be presented, with the accompanying notes summarizing some of the main points.
A sample draft resolution, which can serve as a template, can be obtained in Word format from the Meetings
Secretariat ([email protected]).

Components of a resolution

Title
In the title of a resolution, the names of organs, offices and instruments should always be given in full.

Although there may be punctuation within the title, there should be no final punctuation mark. Within a title, a
colon is generally preferred to a dash.

Example

DRAFT RESOLUTION ON
BUDGET REFORM FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES: COST-EFFICIENCY MEASURES AND
ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES

Name of the organ

The resolution begins with the name of the organ, which is italicized. When a resolution has a preamble, there
is a comma after the name of the organ; if the resolution has no preamble, there is no punctuation mark after
the name of the organ.

Preamble
If the resolution contains a preamble, each preambular paragraph begins with a present, past or perfect participle
or participial phrase.

Italics should be used for the word or words used at the beginning of each paragraph of the preamble to express
the mood or the action, past or present, of the organ.

Examples
The Council,
Welcoming…
Welcoming further…
Convinced of…
Expressing confidence…
Noting with satisfaction…
Taking note of…
Having considered…

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Preambular paragraphs are not numbered and each paragraph ends with a comma.

The word “and” should not be used to link any of the paragraphs or subparagraphs of a resolution.

A new idea should be expressed in a separate paragraph, with the following example being preferable to a single
preambular paragraph divided into subparagraphs (a), (b) and (c).

Example
The Council,
Taking note of the report of the Office of the Inspector General,
Taking note also of the recommendations of the IOM External Auditor,
Taking note further of the comments made by Member States at the Twenty-third
Session of the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance…

Operative part
Each operative paragraph begins with an operative verb (or phrase) in the present indicative tense.

Italics should be used for the operative verb or phrase at the beginning of each paragraph of the operative part;
if a second operative verb or phrase appears in a paragraph, it should not be italicized.

Examples
The Council
Decides to…
Recommends that…
Expresses its appreciation to…
Affirms its conviction of…
Requests the Director General to…
Also requests the Director General to…
Expresses the hope that…
Takes note with satisfaction of the…
Calls upon Member States…
Expresses the hope that …, and requests the Director General to report on the
progress made in this regard at the next regular session of the Council.

Operative paragraphs are numbered with arabic numerals; however, a single operative paragraph is not numbered.

There is a semicolon after each paragraph or subparagraph in the operative part.

If a paragraph of the operative part is subdivided, the first degree of subparagraphs should be identified by
lower-case letters between parentheses: (a), (b), etc.; the second degree by lower-case roman numerals between
parentheses: (i), (ii), etc. A colon is placed after the words that introduce the first subparagraph.

The word “and” should not be used to link any of the paragraphs or subparagraphs of a resolution.

Note that an operative paragraph begins with an operative verb. An operative paragraph that is subdivided after
the operative verb is a single paragraph and the subdivisions are subparagraphs.

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Avoid using the verb “resolve”, especially if subdividing the paragraph as shown in Example 1, which is not
recommended.

Example 1
The Council
Decides:
(a) To refer the matter to…
(b) To invite…

Instead, each new idea should be expressed in a separate paragraph. The example given above would therefore
be better expressed as follows:

Example 2
The Council
1. Refers the matter to…
2. Invites…

Furthermore, avoid including two operative verbs in the same paragraph. The form shown in the following
example is not recommended, unless the verbs are closely interlinked.

Example
Takes note of the paper presented by the Administration, and agrees with the
recommendation that…

End of the text of the resolution

The last operative paragraph ends with a full stop, which should be the only full stop in the resolution. A centred
line should be used to indicate the end of the text.

Example
…

2. Expresses its confidence that this positive development will enhance the
capacity of the Organization to discharge its global responsibilities.

__________

Wording and content of a resolution

General
Special care must be taken to ensure accuracy in terminology, particularly in the designation of persons, offices,
bodies, organizations, titles of legal instruments, and so on. Titles or names and elements of text that occur in
the preamble and in the operative part must agree.

When two or more consecutive paragraphs begin with the same preambular/operative verb, “also” is added in
the second and “further” in the third paragraph; the additional word should be italicized.

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 Example
The Council,
Recalling its Resolution No. 997 of 24 November 1998, by which it adopted
amendments to the IOM Constitution,
Recalling also Article 25, paragraph 2, of the IOM Constitution subjecting the coming
into force of amendments involving new obligations for Member States to acceptance by
two thirds of the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional
processes,
Recalling further that the main purpose of the…
Recalling finally the…

However, when the paragraphs contain a form of request or appeal, “also” and “further” should be added only
if the request or appeal is directed to the same entity.

Example
1. Requests the Director General to continue his efforts…
2. Also requests the Director General to take into consideration…
3. Further requests the Director General to submit a report to the Council…
4. Requests Member States to…

In general, the Council (or the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance) “takes note” of reports,
statements or decisions taken by other bodies and brought to its attention for the first time, whereas it “notes”
facts or events.

Examples
Takes note with satisfaction of the report of the Chairperson…

Taking note of the statements made by Member States…

Taking note of United Nations General Assembly resolution 68/4 of 3 October 2013…

Noting with satisfaction the support provided by Member States to the

Chairperson…

Noting the importance of this initiative in order to…

Abbreviations and acronyms

Names of organs, organizations, offices and so on must be given in full when mentioned in a resolution (with
IOM being the only exception). Those responsible for drafting a resolution should ensure that any names in the
text are given in full and in the correct form. However, to avoid excessive repetition, long titles, though they
should be given in full the first time they occur in the preamble and the first time in the operative part of a
resolution, may thereafter be shortened, provided that there is no potential for ambiguity.

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 Example
The Council,
Recalling the Declaration of the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and
Development, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 3 October 2013,
…
1. Requests Member States to give due consideration to the Declaration of the High-level
Dialogue on International Migration and Development, adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly on 3 October 2013, in discussions relating to the United Nations post-2015
development agenda;
2. Encourages Member States to draw from the experience of the High-level Dialogue;
3. Also encourages Member States to consider the present resolution in the lead-up to
the discussions in the Sixty-ninth Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.
__________

Internal references to the resolution

To avoid ambiguity, a reference in a resolution to the text of the same resolution should be to “the present
resolution”, not to “this resolution”.

References to other resolutions

When a resolution refers to an earlier resolution, the date of the resolution should be given the first time it is
mentioned.

Example
The Council,
Recalling its Resolution No. 1015 of 1 December 1999…
Recalling also its Resolution No. 1033 of 28 November 2000…
…
1. Renews its request to the Director General that, in pursuance of Council Resolution
No. 1033, he…

Numbers

The general editorial rule that numbers under 10 should be expressed in words and numbers from 10 onwards
expressed in figures also applies to the texts of resolutions.

References to the Director General

When reference is made to the Director General, it is not normally necessary to add the words “of IOM”. An
exception would be made in a resolution in which there is also a reference to the Director General of another
organization.

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References to money

References to sums of money should be given in figures with the type and unit of currency expressed in words.
The type of currency must be made absolutely clear at the first mention; thereafter, the unit alone may be used.
Where the sums mentioned are in millions or billions and can be conveniently expressed in decimal form to not
more than one decimal point, the word “million” or “billion” is spelled out.

Example
The Council,
…
1. Notes that the operating balance of the Migration Emergency Funding
Mechanism was intended to be 30 million United States dollars…
2. Notes also that a further 10.5 million dollars in voluntary contributions will be
required to…

Names of newly established bodies

Whenever a body is established by a resolution, the name used to designate it should be the official name and
not a provisional or descriptive name subject to later change.

Example
The Council,
Bearing in mind the terms of reference of the Working Group on…,
Considering the interest expressed by Member States to have further in-depth
discussions on the topic of … and the need to reach a consensus on this particular topic,
Recognizing the importance of consultations and the need for appropriate
coordination and communication channels,
1. Expresses its gratitude to the Chairperson of the Working Group on … for her
proposal to establish and oversee the work of the Task Team on…;
2. Accepts this proposal with pleasure;
3. Approves the establishment of the Task Team on … with the terms of
reference as set out in document S/… submitted to the Standing Committee on
Programmes and Finance at its … Session.
__________

More examples
Example 1
The Council
1. Notes the observations made by the Chairperson of the Standing Committee
on Programmes and Finance in his report to Member States (S/…);
2. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its 106th Session the item
entitled “…”.
__________

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 Example 2
The Council,
Recalling its Resolution No. 1270 of 29 November 2013, which outlines the role of
IOM in the United Nations post-2015 development agenda,
Recalling also that IOM acts with its partners in the international community:
(a) To encourage social and economic development through migration,
(b) To advance understanding of migration issues,
…
_________

Example 3
The Council,
Recalling its previous discussions on the agenda items of the Standing Committee on
Programmes and Finance,
1. Endorses the recommendation of Member States that the Standing
Committee on Programmes and Finance at its Twelfth Session:
(a) Hold an exchange of views on the items proposed by the membership,
namely:
(i) Privileges and immunities;
(ii) Diasporas;
(b) Consider the following regular agenda items:
…
2. Invites Members States to…
__________

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 Sample resolution

C/109/L/XX

XX November 2018

COUNCIL

109th Session
Begin with the name
of the organ (in italics),
followed by a comma. DRAFT RESOLUTION ON
Note: Omit the comma if [TITLE OF RESOLUTION]
the operative paragraph
immediately follows the (Submitted by the Secretariat to the Council for consideration
name of the organ.
under item xx of the revised provisional agenda)

The Council, Use commas

at the end of
Bearing in mind previous discussions on the issue of … and the need to take action in this preambular
regard, paragraphs.
Start each paragraph
in the preamble with Considering the observations and recommendations made by the Standing Committee on
a present participle Programmes and Finance in document S/23/xx,
(Recognizing...), perfect
participle (Having been Considering also the interest expressed by Member States to take this matter forward and their
informed...) or participial desire to assist the Organization in the fulfilment of its mandate,
phrase (Bearing in mind...); When a body is
these should be italicized. established by a
Reaffirming the purposes and functions of the Organization as set out in Article 1 of the IOM resolution, the
Constitution, name used should
be the official name
Number the operative Recognizing the commitment of IOM to assist its Member States in implementing the Goals and and should not be
paragraphs, which targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, subject to change.
begin with an operative
verb or phrase in the 1. Approves the establishment of the Working Group on … ;
present indicative
tense. The operative 2. Welcomes the lead taken by the Chairperson of the Council to guide the work of the
verb or phrase should Working Group;
be italicized. A single
operative paragraph is 3. Decides that the Working Group will meet in the first half of 2019 to establish:
not numbered.
(a) Its terms of reference; Place a colon
after the words
Use semicolons at the end (b) Its first annual workplan, which will take into account: introducing the first
of each operative paragraph. subparagraph.

(i) The priorities and concerns expressed by Member States;

(ii) The strategic vision of the Organization;
First-degree (iii) The Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; Names of organs,
subparagraphs take organizations,
lower-case letters (iv) The strategic priorities and approaches of the United Nations Sustainable offices, etc.,
in parentheses. Development Group; should be given
in full and in the
4. Requests the Chairperson to provide a report to the next regular session of the Council to correct form;
give an update on the activities of the Working Group; IOM is the only
Second-degree exception.
subparagraphs 5. Urges Member States to lend their full support to the Chairperson and to participate fully
take lower-case Last operative
in this important initiative.
roman numerals in paragraph ends
parentheses. with a full stop,
__________
which should be
the only one in
the resolution.

Centred line indicates

end of text.

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Translation into a non-official language
The Organization has three official languages, namely English, French and Spanish. Documents submitted to the
IOM Council and the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance – referred to as the IOM governing
bodies – are usually produced in the three official languages.

IOM is sometimes requested to produce governing body documents in a language other than one of its three
official languages. These documents, translated into a non-official language, are usually produced after the
relevant meeting has taken place and are processed and distributed by the IOM department or unit that
received the request for the document to be translated.

This section gives instructions on how the cover page of such documents, which were not formally submitted
to the meeting in question and are therefore not official governing body documents, should be presented.

The cover page of the translated document should not look like that of a governing body document (i.e. do not
insert a masthead with the date of the document, the document symbol and the IOM governing body logo).

The official IOM logo produced in the relevant language (or an official bilingual logo) should be used. This logo
should be centred and placed at the top of the page. (See the IOM Brand Guidelines for more information on
official IOM logos.)

The translation of the document title, appearing approximately half-way down the page, should be centred.
An asterisk (*) should be placed after the title. The corresponding footnote should be a translation of the text
shown below, with the missing information inserted as appropriate.

Text to be translated for the footnote

__________
* This document is a translation of [insert document symbol] of [insert document date: day number, month and year in full], submitted
to the Council [or the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance] at its [insert session number] Session.

The next page shows how the cover page of a translation produced in a non-official language would look
compared with the corresponding Council document produced in English (shown on the following page).

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Cover page of translation into a non-official language

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Corresponding Council document cover page (with masthead)

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 PART III

REPORT-WRITING:
THE BASICS
Report-writing: the basics
Style

When writing the report of a meeting, the following basic principles should be kept in mind:

• The language used should be clear, simple and easy to understand (bear in mind that many reports are
translated and/or read by non-native speakers of English).
• In-house jargon should not be used. Acronyms should be used sparingly, as described in Part I of this
manual.
• Reports in English are written in reported speech. This means that:

o The present tense is not used. The verb tense changes when moving from direct to indirect
(reported) speech. For more information on verb tenses, see the next section.
o An introductory verb of saying is necessary at the beginning of the summary of a statement.
(e.g. The representative of Switzerland said that her Government was prepared to host the
meeting.) Introductory verbs do not need repeating at the beginning of each sentence relating
to the same speaker. However, it may be useful to imagine that such a verb is there to help
ensure the correct tenses are used.
o Verbs of saying include: add, agree, emphasize, explain, highlight, note, observe, propose, recall,
reiterate, remark, say, state, stress, suggest and underscore.
o Verbs of feeling, such as hope, feel and regret can be used, but should be used sparingly.
o There is no need to repeat the title/function/name of the speaker within the summary of his or
her statement unless this is necessary to avoid ambiguity.
o In addition to the changing verb tenses detailed in the next section, the following changes
should be made:

Direct speech Indirect/reported speech

this, these that, those, the

here there
now then, at that time, currently
present current, existing
yesterday the previous day, the day before
tomorrow the following day, the day after
this year that year (or put the year, e.g. in 2019)
last year the previous year (or put the year, e.g. in 2018)

• The IOM spelling list and Part I of this manual should be consulted where necessary. If a word does not
appear in the spelling list, then the first spelling in the latest edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary
should be used.

Verb tenses

When converting direct speech to indirect (reported) speech, verb tenses change. Where direct speech uses
the present tense (he goes), indirect speech uses the simple past (he went). Along the same lines, the simple
past (he went) becomes the pluperfect (he had gone) and the past continuous form of the verb (he was going)
becomes the past perfect continuous (he had been going). Future tenses (shall/will go) become should/would
go. The tense changes are also applied for questions. For example, “Are you going?” would become “She asked
if you were going.” Example sentences can be found in the following tables.

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Examples

Present → past

Direct speech Reported/indirect speech

All regions are represented in the working group. (She explained that) all regions were represented in
the working group.

The figures show that climate-induced migration is (The Administration said that) the figures showed that
increasing. climate-induced migration was increasing.

Past → pluperfect

Direct speech Reported/indirect speech

IOM was established at a time of upheaval and mass (He observed that) IOM had been established at a
displacement of people in the aftermath of the Second time of upheaval and mass displacement of people in
World War. the aftermath of the Second World War.
My visits to IOM field locations gave me the (The outgoing Chairperson said that) his visits to
opportunity to meet with the Organization’s highly IOM field locations had given him the opportunity to
committed and talented field staff. meet with the Organization’s highly committed and
talented field staff.

Past continuous→ past perfect continuous

Direct speech Reported/indirect speech

The Standing Committee has been following the (She said that) the Standing Committee had been
question closely. following the question closely.
We have been collaborating with UNHCR and other (The Director General said that) IOM had been
agencies in Cox’s Bazar. collaborating with UNHCR and other agencies in
Cox’s Bazar.

Future→ secondary future

Direct speech Reported/indirect speech

I also hope that the panel discussion will contribute to He also hoped that the panel discussion would
preparations for the upcoming World Humanitarian contribute to preparations for the upcoming World
Summit. Humanitarian Summit.
Migration will play a decisive role in economic growth (One Member State said that) migration would play
and demographic change over the course of the next a decisive role in economic growth and demographic
15 years. change over the course of the next 15 years.

Direct→ indirect questions

Direct speech Reported/indirect speech

What steps will be taken to ensure the credibility and Another delegate asked what steps would be taken to
accuracy of data? ensure the credibility and accuracy of data.

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Content

In terms of the content of the report, the following principles should be followed:

• A report should contain the main points of the discussion and omit detail lacking in substance, particularly
that related to procedural matters or issues beyond the defined scope of the meeting.
• The report must be an accurate reflection of what was actually said. If written statements are provided,
material not read out during the meeting should not be included.
• Multiple delegates will often make the same point. These should be grouped together: “several/many/a
number of/most representatives said that…”.
• Slide presentations should be summarized briefly, highlighting the key points.
• Keynote speakers should be given fuller coverage.

Below is a (non-exhaustive) list of the type of material that is normally included in a report. Some of the items
listed apply mainly to reports of governing body meetings.

• Policy statements.
• Substantive proposals under specific agenda items.
• Substantive questions and answers. In a question-and-answer exchange, only the answer need be given if
it is clear what the question was, for example:
“Responding to a question from the floor, the Director General explained that…”.
• Statements by members of the Administration at the start and/or end of the discussion of an item.
• Announcements of both financial and in-kind pledges.
• Adoption of decisions, political declarations, instruments.
• Points which a speaker asks to have put on the record, if agreed by the Administration.
• Announcements of consensus following informal discussions.
• Substantive additions or modifications, updates or corrections to reports.
• Examples of actions at national level, where relevant to the scope of the meeting.

The following are examples of the type of material that is usually omitted:

• Statements of welcome, congratulations or farewell to new or departing officers.

• Digressions from the topic at hand.
• Recapitulation of information already provided in the session documents.
• Statements made as a result of misunderstandings.
• Statements of support for a document or report if the Standing Committee or Council are merely
supposed to take note of it.
• “Housekeeping” and procedural announcements – related to the organization and running of the meeting,
including announcements about side events and receptions.

There is no rigid rule regarding length. It is often useful to consult the report of the previous meeting of the
body to see the level of coverage given to items that are considered during every session.

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References

When writing a report, authors should make every effort to check all references, including:

• Country names
• Titles of conventions, treaties and agreements
• Names of organizations
• Official titles of projects, strategies, workplans, resolutions and documents

The United Nations Terminology Database (UNTERM) is an excellent resource. In general, caution and common
sense should be demonstrated with internet sites, which are not always reliable.

On first use, references to resolutions adopted by the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance or the
Council should appear as shown in the following example: “Council Resolution No. 1358 of 30 November 2017
on the first anniversary of IOM within the United Nations system.” After first appearance, the format “Council
Resolution No. 1358” can be used.

The full official titles of bodies, meetings and instruments must always be used on first appearance; after first
use, the standard short form, if one exists, should be used (e.g. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
subsequent references: 2030 Agenda).

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IOM HOUSE STYLE MANUAL

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IOM HOUSE STYLE MANUAL
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