Informal Letter

Salutation	Corresponding Closing
Dear Sir (Dear Madam), Dear Sirs (Dear Mesdames), Dear Mr. ... (Dear Mrs...., Dear Miss ..., Dear Ms ...), Dear Mr. (Madam) Ambassador,	Yours truly, Yours sincerely (or Sincerely yours), I remain, dear Mr. (Madam) Ambassador, Yours sincerely, (signature)

Addressee: Director-General of the International Labour Organization:

Geneva, Switzerland.

Sender. Under-Secretary-General for Inter-Agency Affairs.

Date: 17 July 19 .

Reference: ТЕ 326/1 (100-15).

Subject An inter-regional seminar on development planning to be convened

in ... from ... to ... December 19 . Under the auspices of the United

Nations. Topic for discussion: "Policies, and Procedures for the Implementation of Development Plans with Special Reference to Latin America". To be attended by highly qualified experts (consultants and discussion leaders).The ILO is invited to participate in the seminar. Deputy Under-Secretary for Economic and Social Affairs is responsible, for the organization of the seminar.

Enclosed: A note on the organizational procedures of the seminar.

VIII. Speak on the style and composition of UN informal letters.

1.3. Notes verbales

A note verbale (referred to in the text of a communication simply as a «note») is a formal note written in the third person. This form is always used in replying to an incoming note verbale; an incoming letter is answered by a letter. Notes verbales may be addressed to a permanent representative (or an observer) or a permanent mission, a minister for foreign affairs or a ministry of foreign affairs. Where direct correspondence with any other government officer or office has been authorized, it must be in letter form. The note verbale is not normally used for communications with other organizations in the United Nations system, and should never be used for communications with non-governmental organizations or the public.

Typical uses of notes verbales include the exchange of information between the United Nations and Governments or permanent missions, the transmission of decisions or recommendations of United Nations organs, requests for and acknowledgements of information and documents, the transmission of information

regarding the time and place of meetings, acknowledgements of changes in the membership of permanent missions or delegations and other requests or acknowledgements to Governments relating to the substantive work of the United Nations.

A note verbale contains no complimentary closing. Its salutation forms part of the opening sentence of the text and begins with the regular paragraphing. In selecting the form of the salutation, it is important to note the following instructions:

A note verbale may be written in the name of the Secretary-General or of the Secretariat, but not in the name of a department or of an official of the Secretariat. When a note verbale is sent in the name of the Secretary-General, it is addressed to a person, e.g.:

"The Secretary-General of the United Nations presents his compliments to the Permanent Representative of ... to the United Nations and has the honour to ...".

When a note verbale is sent in the name of the Secretariat, it is addressed to an office, not a person, e. g.:

"The Secretariat of the United Nations presents its compliments lo the Permanent Mission of ... to the United Nations and has the honour to ...".

A note verbale in reply to one addressed to the Secretary-General should always be sent in the name of the Secretary-General. Thus, if a note verbale from a permanent mission is addressed to the Secretary-General, the reply will be sent in the name of the Secretary-General to the Permanent Representative, e. g.:

"The Secretary-General of the United Nations presents his compliments to the Permanent Representative of ... to the United Nations and has the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the Permanent Missionls note ...".

A note verbale in reply to a note verbale from a minister for foreign affairs or permanent representative should be sent in the name of the Secretary-General whether the incoming note is

addressed to the Secretary-General, to a subordinate official, to the Secretariat or to a department. A note verbale forwarding a communication at the request of a Member of the United Nations or its permanent mission should be in the following form only:

"The enclosed communication dated ... is transmitted to the permanent missions of the States Members of the United Nations at the request of ...".

On notes verbales the date should appear on the right-hand side of the last page, two to six lines below the last line of the text, depending on the length of the note.

A note verbale contains no signature; instead it should be initialled under the date by the officer responsible for its dispatch. The address does not appear on a note verbale but should be typed on the accompanying envelope. {From " United Nations Correspondence Manual")

EXHIBIT 55 NOTE VERBALE

Secretary-General

to Permanent Representative

United Nations

New York

Reference:

The Secretary-General of the United Nations presents his compliments to the Permanent Representative of ... to the United Nations (Vienna) and has the honour to inform the Government that the eleventh session of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control, which is the preparatory body for the Eighth United

Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, will be held at the Vienna International Centre from 5 to 16 February 19__. This session is of particular importance as it will, inter alia, finalize substantive preparations and organizational arrangements for the Eighth Congress, to be held at Havana, Cuba, from 27 August to 7 September 19__.

The provisional agenda for the meeting is enclosed. Other documents will be sent to interested Governments in due course.

The Secretary-General would appreciate it if the Governments wishing to participate in the meetings as observers would communicate the names and titles of their representatives to the United Nations Office at Vienna, Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, P. O. Box 500, A - 1400 Vienna, Austria.

21 September 19__

(initialled)