Managing External Relations - Disaster Management Center ...

Formal Written Communications
Chapter 1
At times UNHCR staff in country offices will need to use formal written communications. All written
forms of communication should be presented on UNHCR letterhead stationary. The following are
descriptions of the formal written communications that may be required.
1. Formal letters are used for communications on important matters to ministers, ambassadors,
and senior officials, such as directors of government departments. They are normally opened
with the salutation ‘Sir,’ ‘Madam,’ or ‘Your Excellency.’ The acceptable salutation may differ for
each country and should be verified with the UNDP office. The expression ‘I have the honour’ is
usually only required in the opening sentence.
The usage of ‘you’ is acceptable in the text although it may be appropriate to occasionally
interject a more formal address such as ‘Your Excellency.’ Formal letters end with ‘Accept Sir/
Madam/Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.’
2. Note verbales are typically used to exchange information between UNHCR and governments,
embassies, or permanent missions. The note verbale is not normally used to communicate
with other UN agencies and is never used to address NGOs or the public. They are always used
to respond to an incoming note verbale, are written from office to office, and are unsigned.
Some guidelines for writing note verbales are as follows:
♦ The note begins ‘The Special Envoy/Representative (or ‘The Branch Office’) of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in (country) presents his/her/its
compliments to ______ and has the honour to _______.’
♦ Titles of the correspondents must be given in full, at least in the opening and
closing paragraphs.
♦ Ensure that the designation of the country is correct, such as ‘Republic of ________’,
Democratic Republic of ______________’, etc.
♦ The closing is always the same: ‘The Special Envoy/Representative (or ‘The Branch
Office’) of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in (country) avails
himself/herself/itself of this opportunity to express (or renew) to ___________ the
assurances of his/her/its highest consideration.’
♦ The note should bear no signature. The stamp of the office should be placed above
the typewritten date and the officer responsible for its dispatch should initial within
the stamp. (The initials or signatures of the officer in charge may need to be
registered with government foreign ministries.)
♦ The address does not appear on a note verbale but rather the place and date should
appear on the bottom right-hand side of the last page.
3. The Aide-Memoire is used to communicate UNHCR’s position on policies, action taken,
intentions, etc. to a government ministry or department, an embassy or diplomatic corps.
There is no addressee but rather ‘Aide-Memoire’ is the heading with the title below.
4. A ‘Note by’ or a ‘Note by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’
serves the same purpose as an aide-memoire but can be less formal and is suitable for wider
distribution. The title appears first followed by ‘Note by ______________.’
When UNHCR initiates a communication, there are no clear-cut rules as to whether to use note
verbales or formal letters. However, note verbales are always answered by notes verbales and formal
letters by formal letters. When deciding between note verbales and formal letters, the note is best
used to convey brief information and routine exchanges, for example, when seeking customs
clearance or advising on arrival of international staff. A formal letter is preferred for references to
important meetings and major issues and may be acted upon more quickly than a note verbale.
EP
04
13