The Documents Management Section manages the upstream planning of documents and their downstream processing, once received. It reviews the resolutions adopted and decisions taken by intergovernmental bodies and verifies that all parliamentary documents – those required for the consideration of deliberative bodies pre-session, in session and post session – are prepared and submitted in conformity with the legislative mandates.

It interacts with all author departments within the Secretariat, the conference management teams of intergovernmental bodies and permanent missions to ensure that manuscripts are submitted with a high degree of predictability. Based on the slotting system, it prepares workload forecasts for processing units within the Department to serve as the basis for capacity planning, the goal of which is to ensure the most efficient use of resources and timely issuance of documents to intergovernmental bodies. 

The Section undertakes the downstream document processing using the United Nations document management system called gDoc to track and manage the progress of each manuscript through all links of the chain from submission to issuance as an official document.

The Instructions for the Planning, Submission and Processing of Documentation and the DMS Information Notes, presented herein, are intended to ease and clarify the process of documents submission for Member States and for authors and offices of the United Nations Secretariat. The two texts are linked so that users can obtain both general information, in the Instructions, and more precise guidance, from the Information Notes, and to relevant reference sites. A DMS Contacts list, giving the names of the staff of the DMS, is also provided so that users may address specific questions or matters of concern directly to the individuals assigned to the management of their particular body of documentation.