Research Guides: League of Nations Documents: Numbering

Document Numbering by Subject Category

The following Roman numerals indicate the particular section of the League from which these documents have emanated.

Document Class

Document Type

I. A.

Administrative Commissions

I. B.

Protection of Minorities

II.

Economic and Financial Section

III.

Health

IV.

Social Questions

Legal Section

VI.A.

Mandates

VI.B.

Slavery

VII.

Political Section

VIII.

Communications and Transit

IX.

Disarmament

Financial Administration of the League

XI.

Traffic in Opium and Other Dangerous Drugs

XII.A.

Intellectual Cooperation

XII.B.

International Bureaus

XIII.

Refugees

League of Nations Numbers

Official Numbers:

Numbers in upper right of title page refer to Council and/or Assembly document.

For example:    C.340.M.28.1928.II
     C- Council
     1928 - year in which document is distributed
     340 - designates the 340th document distributed to Council members in 1928
     M.28 - means 28th document distributed to members of League who are NOT members of Council
     II - class mark for Economic and Financial Section of Secretariat

Another example: A.3.1931 signifies the third document distributed to Assembly in 1931.
(Some "A" documents which cover the same subject, appeared under the same number each year, except for date)

From 1920-21 the League used a different system for official numbers e.g. 20/29/1
     20 - year
     29 - arbitrary symbol for council
     1 - first document distributed to Council in 1920

Assembly followed the same pattern using "48" as the symbol for the Assembly

Publication Numbers:

Beginning in 1926 a Publications Sales Number was added to the lower right corner of all documents. e.g. 1929.II.47
Meaning the 47th document issued for sale from the Economic and Financial Section in 1929.