Office at the United Nations, New York

9 December, 2008

RECONSTITUTING KOREAN SECURITY: plus ça change, moins ça change

UNU-ONY organized a panel discussion of a UNU Press publication Reconstructing Korean Security: A Policy Primer with the live participation of the book's editor Hazel Smith and former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Donald P. Gregg

Dr. Hazel Smith talked on the reconstruction of Korean security as a success for George W. Bush and "the case for no change".

This talk (and the UN University book upon which it is based) had the aim to identify traditional and non-traditional threats to security arising out of the transformations in the northern half of the Korean peninsula over the last two decades. It identifies the different interests at stake with the very large numbers of players in Korean security issues - focusing especially on the policies and priorities of the two major protagonists, the United States and the DPRK.

Perhaps unusually, the talk featured some discussion on the success of the Bush administration foreign policy and somewhat of an unsung success for American diplomacy.

4 December, 2008

The Politics of Hydrogen: Panel Discussion and Book Launch

The United Nations University will organize a book launch panel discussion on The Politics of Hydrogen. This event will launch the book "Making Choices about Hydrogen: Transport Issues for Developing Countries", published by UNU Press, Tokyo, Japan. The speakers for the event were; Dr. Lynn K. Mytelka, co-editor of the book ; and Dr. Boni Mehlomakulu, the Group Executive, Research, Development and Innovation, in the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Government of South Africa.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE EVENT WAS BE ORGANIZED AT 2 SEPARATE LOCATIONS ON SUCCESSIVE DAYS

VENUE I: NEW YORK

Thursday, December 4, 2008: New York

WHERE: Conference Room 8, UN Headquarters, New York

WHEN: 01:15pm to 2:45pm

VENUE II: WASHINGTON DC

Friday, December 5, 2008: Washington DC

WHERE: Global Environment Facility (GEF) Secreteriat,1818 H Street, NW, MSN G6-602, Washington, DC 20433

WHEN: 12:30pm to 2:00pm

25 November, 2008

UNU Panel Discussion: Protracted Refugee Situations

Gary Troeller, one of the co-editors of the book, and Brian Gorlick, a Senior Policy Advisor with UNHCR, discussed the findings of this insightful study into the plight of the two-thirds of the world's refugees who are trapped in protracted refugee situations, struggling to survive in camps and urban communities in remote and insecure parts of the world.

When: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 1.15pm - 2.30pm Where: Conference Room 7, United Nations Headquarters, New York

Published by UNU Press, the book examines the growing policy challenges that protracted refugee situations present for the international refugee protection regime and conventional security studies.

5 November, 2008

Global Citizenship in Action? Civil Society and Accountable Global Governance

The United Nations University organized a panel discussion on Global governance and the accountability factor of global institutions like the UN in it. The discussion focussed on the topic of global citizenship while discussing aspects of the Civil Society and Accountable Global Governance (CS-AGG) project of the University of Warwick, UK.

Six expert speakers from around the world made presentations on the topic.

WHEN: November 5, 2008; 10:30am to 12:30pm

WHERE: The Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium (DHLA), UN Headquarters, New York

30 October, 2008

UNU Introduction and Briefing: An Interactive Dialogue on UNU New York Programmes: Present and Future

30 October 2008 | 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Conference Room 9

28 October, 2008

UNU Panel: For the Rule of Law - Criminal Justice Teaching and Training Across the World

UNU Office at the UN in New York organised a panel discussion about the possibilities of integrating the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice standards and norms into the mainstream international criminal justice education.

OCTOBER 28, 2008 | 2:00pm - 4:30pm

Permanent Mission of Germany
871 UN Plaza (1st Avenue between E48th & E49th Streets)

24 September, 2008

Launch of UNU-IAS Report - MDG 7 Target to Reduce the Rate of Loss of Biodiversity

22 September, 2008

The Governance Challenge in Africa

Venue: UN Headquarters, Conference Room 8

The United Nations University (UNU) and the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), will organize a panel discussion on "The Governance Challenge in Africa." This is one of the side events of the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on "Africa's Development Needs: State of Implementation of Various Commitments, Challenges and the Way Forward."

4 September, 2008

Political Parties in Conflict-Prone Societies (Book Launch)

Political Parties in Conflict- Prone Societies

Time: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, Thursday, September 04, 2008

Venue: UN Headquarters, Conference room 5.

Well-functioning political parties are essential components of democracy. They organize voters, aggregate and articulate interests, craft policy alternatives, recruit and socialize new candidates for office, set policy-making agendas, integrate disparate groups and individuals into the democratic process, and provide the basis for coordinated electoral and legislative activity. But political parties in many developing democracies remain weak and underdeveloped, often being based around personal, ethnic or regional ties rather than national interests.

Agenda and Speaker's Bios:

12 June, 2008

CAN GENOCIDE BE PREVENTED? Potential of the UN

Time: 12 June 2008 - 3pm - 5pm

Location: Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium, United Nations Headquarters, New York.

Join Dr. David Hamburg, DeWitt Wallace Distinguished Scholar at Weill Cornell Medical College, as he explores the root causes of genocide, how it can be prevented and an overview of what the UN has done and can do to prevent genocide.

5 June, 2008

UNU-WIDER Book Launch - The Poverty-Growth-Inequality Triangle in China

Location: UN Headquarters, Conference Room 7

Poverty can be reduced through growth and/or improved distribution. However, growth can lead to a decrease or increase in inequality. Meanwhile, poverty and growth depend on the current level and dynamics of inequality. This complex inter-relationship, a so called poverty-growth-inequality (PGI) triangle, poses a challenge and dilemma to development strategists and policymakers: should growth or inequality be prioritized in the design and execution of development policies?

8 May, 2008

Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 16)

22 April, 2008

Globalization and Environmental Challenges: Reconceptualizing Security in the 21st Century

Location: UN Headquarters, Conference Room 5

Globalization and Environmental Challenges pose new security dangers and concerns. In this reference book on global security thinking, 92 authors from five continents and many disciplines, from science and practice, access the global reconceptualization of security triggered by the end of the Cold War, globalization and manifold impacts of global environmental change in the early 21st century. In 10 parts, 75 chapters address the theoretical, philosophical, ethical, and religious and spatial context of security; discuss the relationship between security, peace development and environment; review the reconceptualization of security in philosophy, international law, economics and political science and for the political, military, economic, social and environmental security dimension and the adaptation of the institutional security concepts of the UN, EU and NATO; analyze the reconceptualization of regional security and alternative security features and draw conclusions for future research and action.

22 April, 2008

Globalization and Environmental Challenges: Reconceptualizing Security in the 21st Century

Location, UN Headquarters Conference Room 5

Globalization and Environmental Challenges pose new security dangers and concerns. In this reference book on global security thinking, 92 authors from five continents and many disciplines, from science and practice, access the global reconceptualization of security triggered by the end of the Cold War, globalization and manifold impacts of global environmental change in the early 21st century. In 10 parts, 75 chapters address the theoretical, philosophical, ethical, and religious and spatial context of security; discuss the relationship between security, peace development and environment; review the reconceptualization of security in philosophy, international law, economics and political science and for the political, military, economic, social and environmental security dimension and the adaptation of the institutional security concepts of the UN, EU and NATO; analyze the reconceptualization of regional security and alternative security features and draw conclusions for future research and action.

15 April, 2008

The International Mobility of Talent Types: Causes and Development Impact

Time: 3:00 to 3:45 pm, 15 April 2008

Location: United Nations Headquarters, S- 226, the UN Secretariat Press Briefing Room.

A new study on The International Mobility of Talent Types, Causes, and Development Impact directed by Andrés Solimano at the World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations University (UNU-WIDER) will be introduced in a press conference. The Director of the WIDER study Andrés Solimano and one of the contributors, Jean-Marc Coicaud, will be available for advance phone interviews; please use the contacts below to schedule a time.

15 April, 2008

The International Mobility of Talent Types: Causes and Development Impact

A new study on The International Mobility of Talent Types, Causes, and Development Impact directed by Andrés Solimano at the World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations University (UNU-WIDER) will be introduced in a press conference.

9 April, 2008

World Report on Regional Integration, Volume I

Location: UN Headquarters, New York

The initiative to launch a World Report on Regional Integration, by UNU-CRIS, can be viewed as a response to the booming phenomenon which is regional integration. Not only is the national governance level unable to adequately address the many challenges of today's world, a multilateral system also needs some form of regional organization to build on in order to work.

20 March, 2008

Prize or Patent? Innovative Ideas for Funding Medical Drug Development and Access

20 March 2008, 3:00 - 5:30 pm

Can we use new incentive mechanisms for stimulating medical research and development that do not rely upon monopolies? What are the benefits of doing so? Love will argue that well designed systems of prizes can better focus the financial rewards for drug development, and ensure that investments target products that truly improve health care outcomes. By separating the markets for innovation from the market for the products themselves, policy makers can promote innovation and access at the same time. Generic competition can drive prices down, improving access, while prizes can reward investors in innovation. Prizes are being considered to address a number of medical innovation problems, including the need for more medically important drugs for developed economies, investments in "neglected" and "most neglected" diseases in developing countries, and to address special problems, such as the development of new antibiotics and vaccines, or a low-cost rapid point-of-delivery diagnostic test for tuberculosis.

23 February, 2008

Book Launch Event: "Towards the International Rule of Law: