UNITED NATIONS GROUP OF EXPERTS ON GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES (UNGEGN)

Working Group on Romanization Systems

[main page] [status report] [resolutions] [other documents] [working group]

NB! Since May 2023 this web site is an archive of WGRS documents, reports, etc. which will remain accessible but will not be updated. For an up-to-date information please visit the UNGEGN WGRS web site.

Consistent use of accurate place names is an essential element of effective communication worldwide and supports socio-economic development, conservation and national infrastructure. That is why the United Nations established a Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN). UNGEGN promotes consistent use of accurate place names and prepares documents for the United Nations Conferences on the Standardization of Geographical Names that are held every five years. For more information on the activities of UNGEGN see the links below or refer to the UNGEGN brochure.

Working groups are established by UNGEGN to deal with specific tasks, such as training courses in toponymy, toponymic data files and gazetteers, toponymic terminology, country names, publicity and funding, and romanization systems.

Terms of reference

The basic mandate of the Working Group consists of considering and reaching agreement on a romanization system for geographic names proposed by a (donor) country. The process of adoption of such a system by the United Nations involves the following prerequisites:

There needs to be sufficient time for appropriate consultations and an expression of all views on technical matters between the sponsoring country and the working group members. Thus active participation and input of the potential users of the new romanization systems are assured.

Specifically, the group considers whether the romanization system is based on sound scientific principles, the system's degree of reversibility, and the extent of its implementation on cartographic products (maps and charts) by the proposing country.

Finally, the new system is referred to the next U.N. Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names in form of a resolution which, in turn, is voted by the Conference. When the resolution is adopted, the subject romanization system becomes the United Nations standard.

(G. Quinting, UNGEGN Newsletter No. 17, May 1996)

Report on the Current Status of United Nations Romanization Systems for Geographical Names

See also an important note on links and report versions.

Romanization systems

Language/script Version Date PDF HTML Notes

Languages/scripts covered by systems recommended by the United Nations (30):

Amharic 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Arabic 5.0 2018-06-09 pdf html

Assamese 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Belarusian 4.0 2013-02-26 pdf html

Bengali 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Bulgarian 4.0 2013-02-26 pdf html

Chinese 4.0 2013-09-24 pdf html

Greek 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Gujarati 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Hebrew 4.0 2013-02-26 pdf html

Hindi 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Kannada 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Khmer 4.0 2013-09-24 pdf html

Macedonian Cyrillic 4.0 2013-02-26 pdf html

Malayalam 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Marathi 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Mongolian (in China) 4.0 2013-09-24 pdf html

Nepali 4.0 2013-02-26 pdf html

Oriya 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Persian 4.0 2013-02-26 pdf html

Punjabi 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Russian 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Serbian 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Tamil 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Telugu 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Thai 4.0 2013-09-24 pdf html

Tibetan 4.0 2013-09-24 pdf html

Uighur 4.0 2013-09-24 pdf html

Ukrainian 4.0 2013-02-26 pdf html

Urdu 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Other languages/scripts (15):

Armenian 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Burmese 4.0 2013-09-24 pdf html

Dzongkha 4.0 2013-09-24 pdf html

Georgian 4.1 2018-12-17 pdf html 2018: added a note on the Presidential decree of 2011

Japanese 4.0 2013-09-24 pdf html

Kazakh 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Kirghiz 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Korean 4.0 2013-09-24 pdf html

Lao 4.0 2013-09-24 pdf html

Maldivian 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Mongolian (Cyrillic) 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Pashto 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Sinhala 5.0 2021-10-21 pdf html

Tajik 4.0 2016-03-30 pdf html

Tigrinya 4.0 2013-02-26 pdf html

For a more complete listing see a special subpage.

Resolutions

See a special subpage.

Links to other UNGEGN sites

UNGEGN website (Statistics Division, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs)
UNGEGN Working Group on Exonyms (Peter Jordan, Austria; Milan Orožen Adamič, Slovenia)
UNGEGN Working Group on Toponymic Data Files and Gazetteers (Pier-Giorgio Zaccheddu, Germany)

Composition of the working group