Provided are a method, system and program for translating a source character string in a first character encoding into a target character string in a second character encoding. A plurality of specifications are maintained. Each specification has one of a plurality of scopes identifying at least one code page providing a mapping for source character strings in the first character encoding. The scopes specify different portions of the program to which the code page identified by the specification applies. The source character string for which translation is requested in the program is processed and a determination is made of one specification having one scope that is applicable to the processed source character string. The code page identified by the determined specification is used to translate the processed source character string in the first character encoding into the target character string in the second character encoding.