Ana Vozone Jul 23, 2015:

If only we could know for sure... I stand by my "agree" to njweatherdon's suggestion, and here are many more "official" links to the term. Of course one could always argue that they are all written or were "minted" by non native translators. The asker will decide. This is only a joint effort to help a colleague decide!

https://www.google.pt/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&es...

B D Finch Jul 23, 2015:

@Ana While your references certainly do show the use of the term "focal points" applied to individual people in official UN documents, they are written in quite dreadful English, especially http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/gmfpdrafttors.htm. Unfortunately, the use of poor quality translation, frequently by translators translating into a language that is not their mother tongue, has resulted in some very dubious terminology becoming widely used.

philgoddard Jul 23, 2015:

I think this whole text is so badly written that the question is almost impossible to answer. I agree with BD - flipping a coin would be one way to decide between the two alternatives.

Ana Vozone Jul 23, 2015:

@ B D Finch I have to disagree (slightly) with you on this. This is quite standard terminology as I said, please see for instance this link, Focal Points are indeed people. It is possible that it means an Office too, but in many years of translating this type of texts, this is my experience.

This is an example in English, UN material:
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/gmfpdrafttors.htm

Another one
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/fp.htm

Another one:
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Mic...

You can confirm this doing a Google search for: "focal point" job description.

https://www.google.pt/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&es...

Another one, this time for an international organization (in Portuguese).

http://www.cplp.org/id-2738.aspx

B D Finch Jul 23, 2015:

@Ana The "focal points" in your useful references are not individual people, but offices of the agencies concerned. The Asker will need to decide whether the ST means that these are individuals or offices.

Ana Vozone Jul 23, 2015:

Focal Points Standard term in Cooperation and Development programmes, including UN, European Union, etc.

http://eeagrants.org/Who-we-are/Contact/Focal-Points

http://ec.europa.eu/geninfo/query/action?query_source=RESEAR...

https://www.cbd.int/kb/Results?q=focal points

http://www.unccd.int/en/about-the-convention/Official-contac...

kashew Jul 23, 2015:

Focaux = personnes ciblées

Tony M Jul 23, 2015:

'focal figures' This is clearly talking about people (cf. 'coordonnateur accompagné de...'