Various issues regarding the drafting of instruments The general rule for capitalization in Conventions and Recommendations should be to follow the rules of English grammar, and to avoid over-use of capital letters. In short, this means capital letters for what is a defined and specific, and small letters for what is generic. The ILO house style manual recommends the use of capital letters in English in the following examples: for proper nouns and the names of state territories and organs, as well as for political, administrative and legal institutions; for cardinal points (compass references) where they form part of the official name of a territory; the definite article where it forms part of the official name of a territory, city or person (e.g. The Hague. This is however more common in French usage); for the names of companies and firms; for adjectives where they form part of the official title of oceans, seas, lakes etc.; for the initial letter of titles of periodicals, publications and books and for major subdivisions of a book or publication; and; initial capitals for short titles of legislative texts and international instruments, as well as for commissions, committees and working groups.
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