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I've been wondering about the term "drafting body" for bodies that prepare different matters in an organisation; I understand the use of "drafting" when there's actually a draft for something being drawn up, but as I understand it, this term ("drafting body") is used also for bodies that just prepare cases, without actually drafting any documents as such.

So, I'm wondering whether "draft" also has a wider meaning of 'prepare' besides the more concrete meaning of writing a first version of a document? I've checked some dictionaries, but haven't been able to find an answer to this...

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    I'm not sure I've ever encountered the term "drafting body" before anyway, but its meaning would have to be at least somewhat "context-specific". Possibly in a large organisation it turns out to be useful to have a more "general-purpose" department look into new projects before they get so far as needing to produce any "draft" documents (because the people who will eventually be assigned to produce the relevant drafts might be too bound up in the specific project to assess things properly from a company-wide perspective, perhaps). There's no special sense of "draft" involved here.
    – FumbleFingers
    Jun 23, 2022 at 16:06
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    drafting means writing. No doubt about it. to draft a document is to write it.
    – Lambie
    Jun 23, 2022 at 16:15
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    MW: : to draw the preliminary sketch, version, or plan of draft legislation b: COMPOSE, PREPARE draft a memo//In other words, to write.
    – Lambie
    Jun 23, 2022 at 16:18
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    There are all types of bodies: scientific, legislative, administrative, etc. etc. etc. I just wonder where you saw this...
    – Lambie
    Jun 23, 2022 at 17:21
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    Ok, I see. Well, that's the meaning. drafting can refer to laws, rules, guidelines, policies etc. But it is not a special term. It is just two words used together.
    – Lambie
    Jun 23, 2022 at 18:15

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A drafting body at a UN organization undertakes the drafting or formulation of guidelines, decisions, resolutions. These drafts are debated, amended and voted on. I understand that the meaning of “to draft” is loose and depends on context. I don’t believe the verb draft always means to compose a first text. For example, a drafting committee writes and issues the final approved text.

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  • Thank you! Would you say, then, that this term ("drafting body") is only used in a UN context? Seeing as @FumbleFingers has never heard of drafting bodies, I'm beginning to think I may have misunderstood... I thought "drafting body" was used for any body that prepares cases, in any kind of organisation or authority?
    – Lillatanten
    Jun 23, 2022 at 17:01
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    I understand body as an inexact term that refers to any entity or collection of elements. It sounds important: this august body is entrusted with bla bla bla!
    – user157499
    Jun 23, 2022 at 18:22
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    You have a body of water and doesn’t do anything in terms of writing or preparation. If you were to use committee instead of body it would become clearer I suppose.
    – user157499
    Jun 23, 2022 at 18:25

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