Office at the United Nations, New York

27 June, 2011

What has changed since Brundtland? Issues arising from the work of the Global Sustainability Panel

In 1983, the United Nations convened the Brundtland Commission to address the serious deterioration of the environment and natural resources. 28 years later, what has the international community been able to achieve and what are the issues today? The UN Secretary-General's High Level Panel on Global Sustainability final report is due at the end of 2011 and this seminar will look at some of the issues that have arisen from their work up to now.

13 June, 2011

Legitimacy and Development

This seminar will consider the legitimacy of the UN in the development field by addressing the following questions: What is its legitimacy compared to the Bretton Woods institutions? Is the development model promoted by the UN more legitimate than the one promoted by the BW institutions or the private sector? What is the legitimacy of the UN in the field of development compared the G8 and G20? There will also be discussions on whether the 2008 financial crisis gave more or less legitimacy to the UN development paradigm.

8 June, 2011

Legitimacy and Peace Operations

Operations in defense of international peace and security are highly prominent representations of the United Nations, prompting frequent questions about the legitimacy of their presence. Do UN peace and security operations reinforce or undermine the legitimacy of the organization as a whole?

6 June, 2011

The Case for the International Criminal Court

The seminar will focus on assessing the meaning of the institution and functioning of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the evolution of the system of international relations in aspects of humanitarian law, human rights, conflict prevention and globalization.

31 May, 2011

Legitimacy and the Security Council

Changes in international politics since 1945 have forced the United Nations Security Council to adapt its operations, structure and procedures, trying to maintain its legitimacy in the eyes of Member States, while remaining loyal to the UN Charter. Does the Security Council need to reform to ensure its legitimacy, and what effect would reforms have on its status and influence?

27 May, 2011

Poverty Reduction Using ICT Education: The Case of Lao

There is increasing recognition that local ownership is critical to the success and sustainability of poverty reduction initiatives. While large numbers of agricultural extension workers in many countries have valuable knowledge of local conditions, they often lack the breadth of knowledge and skills that would make them creative problem solvers in their local communities and enable them to draw upon available funding. Under a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR, UNU-IIST, in collaboration with the University of Bremen, has begun to design the software that will tap the potential of ICT infrastructure to support capacity building at grassroots level in the country. This seminar highlights the novel challenges presented by the construction of such a system, from the perspectives of computing and cognition.

26 May, 2011

Europe, the UN and the International Order in Transition

Where do Europeans stand in the globalization era? Do they form a new unified, cohesive social group, or do they remain nationalists at heart? Are they ready to play a bigger role in international affairs, or will they continue to rely on the US government? The seminar will offer some insights into these questions, and also engage the audience in a dialogue on these issues.

26 May, 2011

Legitimacy and Civil Society

This seminar examines the challenges of legitimacy, focusing on key questions of the processes and politics of accountability, from the perspective of the UN's relations with various non-state actors.

23 May, 2011

The UN and the Legitimacy Challenge

How is legitimacy defined? To what ends can international organizations use their legitimacy to carry out their functions and duties? How does legitimacy translate into an organization's recognition by its peers and the people it serves? This seminar examines ideas about how legitimacy can be made and how it can be used in the context of the United Nations and its operations.

6 May, 2011

Vision for RIO+20: System Change for Green Economy and Poverty Reduction

This seminar will show how changes in price structure and sustainable infrastructure can lead to poverty reduction in a green economy. The speaker argues that the transition towards a low carbon green growth cannot be realized without a fundamental restructuring of the price structure, by internalizing ecological prices through environmental taxes and environmental fiscal reform. The two core features of environmental fiscal reforms, revenue neutrality and double dividend, are powerful tools for changing the price structure while stimulating economic growth.

4 May, 2011

Sustainable Consumption and Production: Educating, Engaging and Empowering Stakeholders for Low Carbon, Inclusive Growth

This side event of the 19th UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD19) aims to highlight the role of education in promoting consumption and production systems that lead to low carbon, inclusive growth. Members of the Interagency Committee for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) will present and assess ESD actions that have the potential to reorient modern consumption and production patterns.

29 April, 2011

Global Trends as a Challenge for Global Governance

The recent developments in the Arab world have altered the global political landscape, with inevitable consequences for global governance. In this seminar, speakers Álvaro de Vasconcelos and Luis Peral from the European Union Institute for Security Studies explore how multilateral institutions are dealing with the economic, social, political and security challenges of the democratic transformation in the Arab World.

13 April, 2011

Realizing the Developmental Potential of Diasporas

This seminar will cover a range of issues concerning diaspora communities, including diaspora investment and entrepreneurship, the financial and non-financial channels of diaspora contribution, and areas where policies can effectively leverage diaspora capital to facilitate development. The speakers will emphasize the importance of public policies to widen the role of diaspora in contributing to development. They will also suggest a categorization of diaspora activities and a framework for understanding diaspora diversity and its impact on development.The seminar is part of the UNU Midday Forum Series, which offers an intimate and informal platform of discussion to the UN permanent missions, the UN Secretariat, UN agencies, academia, NGOs and the private sector to exchange ideas on important topics related to the UN.

23 March, 2011

Coping with Global Environmental Change, Disasters and Security

This policy-focused Global Environmental and Human Security Handbook for the Anthropocene (GEHSHA) addresses new security threats, challenges, vulnerabilities and risks posed by global environmental change and disasters. The major focus is on coping with global environmental change: climate change, desertification, water, food and health and with hazards and strategies on social vulnerability and resilience building and scientific, international, regional and national political strategies, policies and measures including early warning of conflicts and hazards. The book proposes a political geo-ecology and discusses a 'Fourth Green Revolution'.

21 March, 2011

Chorus pour les langues: le multilinguisme, des principes aux actes

French: L'Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, l'Université des Nations Unies et le Département de l'Information des Nations Unies organisent dans le cadre de la célébration de la Journée de la Langue française aux Nations Unies, un Séminaire sur le thème : «Chorus pour les langues: le multilinguisme, des principes aux actes». Le Séminaire a pour but de susciter un débat interactif sur la problématique de la diversité culturelle et linguistique au sein des organisations internationales. *** English: The International Organization of La Francophonie, the United Nations University Office at the United Nations and the United Nations Department of Public Information is organizing, as part of the celebration of the French Language Day at the UN, a seminar on "A Chorus of Languages: multilingualism, principles to actions".The seminar aims to create an interactive high-level panel discussion on the principles of cultural diversity and the actual practice of multilingualism in international organizations, despite the political, legal, and administrative issues.

8 March, 2011

Planetary Boundaries and the Urgent Need for Societal Transformations

Humanity has reached a point in history where continued development is jeopardized because the basis of development--the natural functioning of the Earth's systems --is at risk. Substantial societal transformation is urgently required to achieve a sustainable future.

3 March, 2011

Citizenship and Immigration in a Globalized World

This event aims to bring to the fore issues of citizenship and nationality. The speaker will show how old debates over the differences in the content of various states' nationality laws have become irrelevant. Nationality laws have their own history that developed independently of conceptions of national identity. The presentation will also focus on the debates surrounding the issue of citizenship; citizenship has recently reached a new stage of its development as an element of an unalienable sovereignty. Therefore, in the context of globalization, a new strategic collaboration between the individual and the state has emerged as their interests have converged.

24 February, 2011

The Future of Global Development: Is It In Entrepreneurship?

This event aims to bring to the fore the most contemporary and pressing issues surrounding development and entrepreneurship. Although much is expected of entrepreneurship, it remains however a misunderstood terrain. The event, The Future of Global Development: Is it in Entrepreneurship?, will draw on a new publication entitled Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (edited by Wim Naudé and published by Palgrave Macmillan, December 2010) and the two year project at UNU-WIDER which led to it. Contributing to this richly dynamic area of research, and emphasizing the importance of institutions for understanding how entrepreneurs can play an innovative role to the greatest benefit of society, the book has been described as "...the single most informative work on the topic of entrepreneurship and economic development in print...a must read", (Prof. Roger R. Stough, George Mason University).

22 February, 2011

Where is Global Health Heading?

Threats to sustainable global health include poverty and inequality, rising vulnerability diseases and natural hazards, water and sanitation issues, uncontrolled urbanization, marginalization of rural populations, unsafe living conditions, and lack of health infrastructure. Most importantly, there is a severe lack of human capacity building programs for the health sector critical to achieving reasonable health indicators in developing countries. This can be attributed to policy restrictions, migration of healthcare workers, and constraints in finance, infrastructure and expertise. Case-mix or DRGs is a disease classification system with the objective of creating mutually exclusive, clinically meaningful categories of cases with similar resource utilization. The system has been used as a tool to enhance the quality and efficiency of healthcare services in many developed countries. Case-mix has the reputation as an effective and efficient tool for providing payment for health financing schemes.

17 February, 2011

Should Africa Industrialize?

Africa's post-independence leaders - like many developing country policy makers in the 1960s and 1970s - looked to industrialization as the key to rapid economic growth. But, the state-led, import substituting industries they created were frequently unsustainable, and efforts to spur industrial development in Africa largely vanished in the 1980's. While the last two decades of the 20th Century were boom times for industry in low and middle income countries; industry was moving out of Africa. This presentation addresses two questions: why Africa should industrialize and how. Recent research indicates that economies with more diverse and sophisticated industrial sectors tend to grow faster. Africa, however, is moving in the opposite direction. New evidence on changes in industrial structure and sophistication for 18 African economies between 1975 and 2005 shows that industry in most African economies has declined in relative importance, diversity, and sophistication. Lack of industry limits growth: this is why Africa should industrialize.

8 February, 2011

2011 AARP-UN Briefing Series on Global Aging:Live Webcast

AARP, in cooperation with the United Nations Programme on Ageing, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), and United Nations University (UNU) will organize a series of luncheon briefings on key global aging issues from February 8-9, 2011. The fifth annual AARP UN Briefing Series will commemorate the UN Commission for Social Development 49th session (February 8-19, 2011), which will devote its priority theme to "Poverty Eradication". To inform the discussions of the commission, innovative ideas in combating poverty along with the opportunities and challenges of global aging will be discussed. AARP will work with UNDESA and UNU to convene two luncheon briefings to bring together government delegates, NGOs, foundations, and academics.

3 February, 2011

Truth, Errors, and Lies: Politics and Economics in a Volatile World

Grzegorz W. Kolodko is a professor of political economy and Director of Transformation, Integration and Globalization Economic Research at Kozminski University in Warsaw. Professor Kolodko is considered a key architect of Polish economic reforms. While he served as the Polish Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance (1994-97, 2002-03), he played a leading role in achieving the entry of Poland into the OECD and the European Union. Professor Kolodko is also the author of numerous academic books, research papers and articles. In this talk, Professor Kolodko will draw on research from his latest book, Truth, Errors, and Lies: Politics and Economics in a Volatile World (Columbia University Press, 2011). The book presents a critical analysis of the neoliberalism that dominated policymaking in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Professor Kolodko will discuss alternative approaches to economic policy, and how they could change the rules of the economic game.

1 February, 2011

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Where Do We Stand? What's Next?

Disarmament has been very slow--over 20,000 nuclear weapons remain, modernization programmes are underway, and nuclear deterrence is still practiced. Some proliferation concerns remain in three regions. Many non-nuclear-weapon States still face obstacles to peaceful uses of nuclear energy, while some non-NPT States have received special benefits. The world is now exploring how to close the final chapter in the nuclear weapons story--their elimination through a universal, transparent, verifiable, and irreversible treaty, or a framework of binding legal instruments. The NPT Review Conference last May adopted a 64-point Action Plan to achieve the treaty's key goals, and to promote the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. What role will the UN play in all of these areas over the years ahead?

18 January, 2011

2010 The Global Go-To Think Tanks Index

The United Nations University Office at the UN, New York is organizing a discussion as a part of the Current Affairs Series entitled "2010 The Global Go-To Think Tanks Index" with Dr. James G. McGann, Director of Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program and Assistant Director of the International Relations Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. McGann is also a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and his latest book, Global Think Tanks, Policy Networks and Governance, was published in December 2010 (Routledge, Global Institutions Series).

9 December, 2010

Reforming the International Monetary and Financial Architecture

Professor José Antonio Ocampo will deliver the UNU-WIDER 14th Annual Lecture on 9 December 2010 at the UN headquarters in New York. The lecture addresses Reforming the International Monetary and Financial Architecture. Amidst still unsettled financial times, international monetary and financial system reforms are at the center of global debates. Professor Ocampo looks at the reform agenda from the perspective of developing countries. He elaborates that global governance must design a system that not only provides the global public goods necessary to guarantee global macroeconomic financial stability and balanced growth, but also corrects asymmetries that developing countries face under the current architecture.

9 December, 2010

The New Dynamics Of Multilateralism

During this event the speakers will discuss the role of multilateralism in the transformation of the international system of governance and the transition to an emerging new global order. Emphasizing practical applications over theoretical considerations, this event aims to help us understand how the practice of multilateral diplomacy has been influenced by the changes in the processes and procedures of international organizations.

15 November, 2010

The Role of Entrepreneurship in the Attainment and Sustainability of MDGs

In this talk, the speaker will discuss the central role of entrepreneurship in the attainment and sustainability of the MDGs in Sub-Saharan Africa, paying attention particularly to the case of Tanzania. He will focus on MDG 1 (the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger) and MDG 8 (the development of a global partnership for development). Drawing on the experience of Tanzania, he will argue that entrepreneurship can provide a new impetus and orientation for initiatives in pursuit of these development goals.

12 November, 2010

Food Systems and Health in Sub-Saharan Africa

The most important interactions between food systems and human health will be presented along with suggestions about policy priorities for African food systems that would improve human health. The presentation will provide evidence of the potential health and nutrition gains from collaborative action by researchers, policy-makers and program implementers in the health and food sectors. It will be argued that existing firewalls between the two sectors are harmful to health and nutrition. Breaking them down would strengthen both sectors and make research, policies and programs more effective in solving both food and health-related problems. The presentation will be based on a newly published book edited by Professor Per Pinstrup-Andersen.

9 November, 2010

Sexual Violence in Conflict

Margot Wallström was appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict in February 2010. As part of the UNU Midday Forum Series, Margot Wallström will be presenting the mandate and priorities of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. She will also be speaking about her recent visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

29 October, 2010

Spreading the Cure: Making Combination Vaccines More Accessible to Low-Income Countries

Rubén Proaño's research focuses on how to price vaccines optimally to satisfy countries' vaccine demand, while providing a reasonable profit for producers. In this talk Dr Proaño will suggest how major vaccine purchasers such as UNICEF or PAHO can influence the vaccine market by their purchases so that vaccine manufacturers increase their profits, and developing countries gain access to affordable complex combination vaccines. The event is part of the UNU Midday Forum Programme, which offers an intimate and informal platform of discussion to the UN Permanent Missions, the UN Secretariat, UN agencies, academia, NGOs and the private sector to discuss and exchange ideas and experiences on important topics related to the UN.

21 October, 2010

Can Citizen Action Save the World?

As part of the UNU Midday Forum Programme, the United Nations University Office at the UN, New York (UNU-ONY) is holding an event entitled Can Citizen Action Save the World? in association with the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation.This event, in the form of a talk and a discussion, will address the question Can Citizen Action Save the World? Engaging with the issue of the role of citizen action in global politics (in the form of formal and informal institutions, practices and initiatives), it will analyse the incorporation of non-state actors into international relations.

20 October, 2010

Ranking is not Enough: Measuring University Performance

Alliance for Measuring University Performance (AMUP) has been formed as an initiative of the global academic community to provide data and analyses that will support benchmarking of university performance internationally. The Alliance is a partnership between United Nations University International Institute for Software Technology and The Center for Measuring University Performance

18 October, 2010

Climate Change and Low Income Countries

As part of UNU Worldwide Series, the United Nations University Office at the UN, New York (UNU-ONY) is organizing an event entitled "Climate Change and Low Income Countries" with the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER).

14 October, 2010

Reforming Aid Allocation Criteria Taking Into Account Vulnerability

As part of the UNU Midday Forum Programme, the United Nations University Office at the UN, New York (UNU-ONY) will host a presentation by Professor Patrick Guillaumont entitled "Reforming Aid Allocation Criteria Taking Into Account Vulnerability". Patrick Guillaumont is one of the world's experts on development economics, with a special interest in foreign aid allocation. The event is an opportunity to hear Professor Guillaumont discuss why a country's environment is important in assessing aid worthiness, and how aid criteria should be reformed to reflect vulnerability to external shocks.

12 October, 2010

International Migration in the Age of Crisis and Globalization

As part of the UNU Midday Forum Programme, the United Nations University Office at the UN, New York (UNU-ONY) is showcasing the launch of Dr Andrés Solimano's recent book, International Migration in the Age of Globalization, published by Cambridge University Press.

5 October, 2010

Sustainability Science Workshop

The goal of this workshop is to foster collaboration between industry and academia worldwide by involving relevant industries of three continents, Europe, America and Asia, in the process of structuring Sustainablilty Science, and in the analysis of development indicators' strategic role.

14 September, 2010

Southern Engines of Global Growth

Event Report for the event "Southern Engines of Global Growth". Presented by Amelia U. Santos-Paulino.

28 June, 2010

Creating an intellectual and policy community around the notion of global policy

Date: Monday, June 28, 2010
Time: 1.15 pm - 2.30 pm
Venue: Conference Room E, Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB) UN Headquarters, New York
Panelist: David Held, Graham Wallas Professor of Political Science, London School of Economics.

25 June, 2010

Legal Empowerment: Practitioners' Perspectives

Date: Friday, June 25, 2010
Time: 1.15 pm - 2.30 pm
Venue: Conference Room D, Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB) UN Headquarters, New York Panelists: Mr. Thomas F. McInerney, Director of Research, Policy, and Strategic Initiatives for the International Development Law Organization in Rome; Mr. Stephen Golub, Consultant and Editor of the International Development Law Organization's Legal Empowerment Working Paper Series; Nina Berg, the Rule of Law and Justice Policy Adviser in the United Nations Development Programme

24 June, 2010

Global Crises and Entrepreneurial Incentives

Date: Thursday, June 24, 2010
Time: 10.30 am - 12.00 pm
Venue: Conference Room C, Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB) UN Headquarters, New York
Panelist: Wim Naudé, Senior Research Fellow at UNU-WIDER, Helsinki, Finland.

18 June, 2010

United Nations Justice: Legal and Judicial Reform in Governance Operations (Book Launch)

Date: Friday, June 18, 2010
Time: 1.15 pm - 2.30 pm
Venue: Conference Room D, Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB) UN Headquarters, New York
Panelists: Calin Trenkov-Wermuth,Adjunct Professor at New York University's Department of Politics in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; Caitlin Reiger, Deputy Director of the Prosecutions Program at the International Center (ICTJ) for Transitional Justice; Edward C. Luck, Senior Vice President for Research and Programs at the International Peace Institute and Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General

16 June, 2010

Controlling International Organisations: A Dead-end Street?

Date: Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Time: 1.15 pm - 2.30 pm
Venue: Conference Room D, Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB) UN Headquarters, New York
Panelist: Jan Klabbers, Professor and Director of the Academy of Finland Center of Excellence in Global Governance Research

10 June, 2010

UNU Emerging Thinking on Global Issues Lecture Series with Professor Charles A. Kupchan

Date: Thursday, June 10, 2010
Time: 1.15 pm - 2.30 pm
Venue: Conference Room E, Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB), UN Headquarters, New York
Panelist: Charles Kupchan, Professor of International Affairs in the School of Foreign Service and Government Department at Georgetown University.

2 June, 2010

The (Evolving) Role of Agriculture in Poverty Reduction: An Empirical Perspective

Date: Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Time: 1.15 pm - 2.30 pm
Venue: Conference Room 8, General Assembly Building (GA), UN Headquarters, New York
Panelist: Luc Christiaensen, Senior Research Fellow at UNU-WIDER, Helsinki, Finland.

1 June, 2010

The Future of Financial Regulation - Book Launch

Date: Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Time: 1.15 pm - 2.30 pm
Venue: Conference Room 8, General Assembly Building (GA), UN Headquarters, New York
Panelists: Justin O'Brien, specialist in the dynamics of financial regulation; Melvin J. Dubnick, Professor of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire; Charles Sampford, Director of the Institute for Ethics, Governance and Law in Australia.

25 May, 2010

Environment and Migration in the Caribbean

Date: Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Time: 1.15 pm - 2.30 pm
Venue: Conference Room 7, Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB), UN Headquarters, New York
Panelist: H.E. Ambassador Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations in New York.

17 May, 2010

Human Rights in the Americas - Book Launch

Date: Monday, May 17, 2010
Time: 1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room 7, Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB), UN Headquarters
Panelists: Mónica Serrano, Executive Director of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect; Ekkehard Strauss, Human Rights Officer at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

11 May, 2010

[UNU at CSD 18] UN Actions on Education for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Consumption and Production: Activities of Interagency Committee for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

Date: Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Time: 1:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room ECOSOC

10 May, 2010

[UNU at CSD 18] Education and Learning for Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP): Supporting Business and Community Development (Learning Center)

Date: Monday, 10 May 2010
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room D, Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB), UN Headquarters

28 April, 2010

Bankers and the Next Financial Meltdown

Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Venue: General Assembly Hall, UN Headquarters
Speaker: Simon Johnson, Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

19 April, 2010

For or Against Official Development Assistance?

Date: Monday, April 19, 2010
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Venue: Conference room 6, Temporary North Lawn Building, UN Headquarters
Speaker: Finn Tarp, Director of the United Nations University's World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER)

15 April, 2010

The Place of Chinese Marxism in Domestic and Foreign Policy

Date: Thursday, April 15, 2010
Time: 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.
Speaker: Professor Wei Zhengxiang, School of Marxism, Tsinghua University, Beijing
Moderator: Zhang Jin, Program Manager, United Nations University Office at the United Nations, New York

14 April, 2010

Safe Water Provisioning as the Key to Global Health

Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Time: 1:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room 7, Temporary North Lawn Building, UN Headquarters
Speakers: Susan Elliott, George Yap, Syed Mohamed Aljunid and Corinne Schuster-Wallace

30 March, 2010

Obama and the World: One Year Later

Date: Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Time: 1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room B, Temporary North Lawn Building, UN Headquarters
Speaker: Tom Farer, Dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver

26 March, 2010

Social Agenda in Latin America

Date: Friday, March 26, 2010
Time: 9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Venue: Conference Room C, Temporary North Lawn Building, UN Headquarters, New York
Speaker: Alejandro Toledo, Former President of Peru

25 March, 2010

Global Governance: The G-20 and the UN

Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010
Time: 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room 1, Temporary North Lawn Building, UN Headquarters, New York
Speaker: Vanu Gopala Menon, Permanent Representative of Singapore Mission to the United Nations

10 March, 2010

Crisis of Character: Building Corporate Reputation in the Age of Skepticism - Book launch

Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST (New York Time)
Venue: Conference Room E, Temporary North Lawn Building, UN Headquarters

8 March, 2010

Partnerships for Women's Health: Striving for Best Practice within the UN Global Compact

On the occasion of International Women's Day, the United Nations University Office at the UN, New York (UNU-ONY) is organizing a panel discussion related to the book entitled Partnerships for Women's Health: Striving for Best Practices within the UN...

25 February, 2010

Fault Lines of International Legitimacy

Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room D, Temporary North Lawn Building, UN Headquarters

23 February, 2010

Climate Change: Between Trust and Trade with Dr. William J. Antholis

Date: Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Conference Room E, Temporary North Lawn Building, UN Headquarters

17 February, 2010

Iraq & the UN: Past, Present and Future

Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Time: 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room 7, Temporary North Lawn Building, UN Headquarters

16 February, 2010

Rethinking Poverty

Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room C, Temporary North Lawn Building, UN Headquarters

12 February, 2010

Strategies of Conflict Management: Learning from Past Mistakes

Date: Friday, February 12, 2010
Time: 1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (New York Time)
Venue: Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters TNLB

11 February, 2010

United Nations University as a Global University

Date: Thursday, February 11, 2010
Time: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room D, Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB), UN Headquarters

28 January, 2010

Global Crisis, More Than Just Economics

Date: Thursday, January 28, 2010
Time: 1:15 pm to 2:30 pm EST/GMT -5
Venue: Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB)

21 January, 2010

World Rankings of Think-Tanks with Dr. James G. McGann

Date: Thursday, January 21 , 2010
Time: 1.15 p.m to 2.30 p.m
Venue: Conference room 7, UN Headquarters, Temporary North Lawn Building (TNLB)

16 December, 2009

Unmasking Ratings: The Politics of Sovereign Debt

Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters

19 November, 2009

A Place to Call Our Own: Land Disputes and the Rights of the Poor

Date: Thursday, 19 November 2009
Time: 1:15 pm to 2:30 pm
Venue: Conference Room 6, UN Headquarters

18 November, 2009

Global Public Policy Working Group II "Public Policy: From National to Global"

Date: Wednesday, November 18 , 2009
Time: 9:45 a.m to 12.15. p.m
Venue: Conference room E, UN Headquarters

12 November, 2009

Sexed Pistols: The Gendered Impact of Small Arms and Light Weapons

Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009
Time: 1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters

10 November, 2009

"Too Big to Fail or Too Big to Bail?" with Dr. Robert Johnson

Date: Tuesday, November 10 , 2009
Time: 1.15 p.m to 2.30 p.m
Venue: Conference room 7, UN Headquarters

29 October, 2009

From Open to Global: Preparing a New Policymaking Generation for China

Date: Thursday, October 29, 2009
Time: 10:00 am to 11:30 am EDT
Venue: Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters, NY, New York

26 October, 2009

Security Council Reform

Date: Monday, October 26, 2009
Time: 1:15pm to 2:30pm EDT
Venue: Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters, NY, New York

23 October, 2009

Adam Smith's Lost Legacy: Ethics in Financial Regulation

Date: Friday, October 23, 2009
Time: 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m EDT
Venue: Conference Room 9, UN Headquarters

21 October, 2009

Conflict and International Mediation: A Turkish Perspective

Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Time: 1:15pm to 2:30pm EDT
Venue: Conference Room 9, UN Headquarters, NY, New York

19 October, 2009

Decentralized Governments and the New Multilateralism

Date: 19 October 2009
Time: 10 am to 1 pm EDT (2 panels)
Venue: The Dag Hammarskjöld Library Penthouse, UN Headquarters

15 October, 2009

Watchdog or Lapdog? Maximizing the Value of Internal Oversight for a Better United Nations

Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Venue: Conference Room 8, UN Headquarters

7 October, 2009

Dying for Action: Why We Need An Arms Trade Treaty Now

Date: Wednesday 7 October 2009
Time: 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. EDT (New York Time)
Venue: United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room 4

24 September, 2009

Insure Me: Climate Change, Human Migration and Risk

Date: Thursday, September 24, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (2 panels)
Venue: Simon Wiesenthal Center - New York Tolerance Center, Screening Room

18 September, 2009

Current Affairs Lecture Series: "Europe's Role in the World" with Prof. Franck Debié

Date: Friday, September 18, 2009
Time: 3.30 pm to 5 p.m
Venue: Conference room 5, UN Headquarters

10 September, 2009

Current Affairs Lecture Series: "The Crisis: Changing Prospects for Development?" with Dr. François Bourguignon

Date: Thursday, September 10, 2009
Time: 10 a.m. to 12.00 p.m
Venue: ECOSOC Chamber, UN Headquarters

30 June, 2009

Intellectual Property: The Costs and Benefits to Innovation

Date: Tuesday, June 30th
Time: 1:15pm to 2:45pm
Venue: Conference Room 6, UN Headquarters
More »

25 June, 2009

Recovering from the Global Crisis: Towards an Action Plan for Africa and the Least Developed Countries

Please note that this event has been rescheduled from its original date of 2 June 2009, to a new date of 25 June 2009.

Date: 25 June 2009
Time: 3:00p.m. - 6:00p.m.
Venue: ECOSOC Chamber, UN Headquarters
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16 June, 2009

Panel Discussion and Launch of the African Economic Outlook 2009

Date: 16 June 2009
Time:10:00am - 12:00pm
Venue: ECOSOC Chamber, UN Headquarters
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9 June, 2009

Youth Committee Pre-Conference: Disarm the World with Knowledge

Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Time: 10:00am - 6:00pm
Venue: Conference Room 9, UN Headquarters
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4 June, 2009

UNU Midday Forum: On the Frontlines of International Justice: The International Criminal Court After 6 Years

Date: 4 June 2009
Time: 1:15pm - 2:45pm
Venue: Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters

11 May, 2009

UNU at CSD-17: Facing Global Environmental Change -- Environmental, Human, Energy, Food, Health and Water Security Concepts (Book Launch)

Date: Monday, May 11, 2009
Time: 1:15pm - 2:45pm
Venue: Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters
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8 May, 2009

UNU at CSD-17: Regional Centres of Expertise for Sustainable Development in Africa

Date: Friday, May 8, 2009
Time: 1:15pm - 2:45pm
Venue: Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters
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20 April, 2009

Indigenous Peoples' Global Summit on Climate Change (Anchorage, Alaska, USA)

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14 April, 2009

UNU Midday Forum: Academics Under Threat: Scholar Rescue in the Modern World

Date: Thursday, April 14th
Time: 1:15pm - 2:45pm
Venue: Conference Room 5, UN Headquarters

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10 March, 2009

International Women's Day 2009 Public Forum Held at UNU

On Friday, 6 March, the United Nations University joined with 15 other UN agencies in Japan to commemorate International Women's Day by holding a joint public forum on the theme "Women and Men: United to End Violence against Women".

9 March, 2009

UNU Midday Forum: Blue 'Helmettes': The Role of Women in UN Peacekeeping

Time: 1:15pm - 2:45pm

Date: Monday, March 9, 2009

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24 February, 2009

UNU Emerging Thinking on Global Issues Lecture Series, Prof. Joseph E. Stiglitz

"Explaining the Financial Crisis and What it Means for the Future of Global Development"

WHEN: Tuesday, February 24th | 3:00pm - 4:30pm

WHERE: Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, UN Headquarters, New York, NY

Professor Stiglitz examined the current financial crisis and analyzed its impact on the future of global development. The lecture is supported by the Office of the President of the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Joseph E. Stiglitz is the 2001 Nobel Prize Laureate in economics for his analysis of markets with asymmetric information. More >>

23 February, 2009

UNU Midday Forum: After the War on Drugs

WHEN: Monday, February 23rd | 1:15pm to 2:45pm

WHERE: Conference Room 8, UN Headquarters, NY, New York

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19 February, 2009

UNU Midday Forum: Outsourcing Security, as a New International Norm

Will today's "Blue Helmets" become tomorrow's mercenaries? What is the likelihood that the United Nations would one day contract with private military companies instead of depending on governments who are not always willing to engage their armed forces in conflicts zones? Yesterday unimaginable, these questions deserve to be asked.

WHEN: Thursday, February 19, 2009 | 1:15pm to 2:45pm

WHERE: Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters, New York

More >>

19 February, 2009

World Religions and Norms of War: Exploring the Links

18 February, 2009

Global Public Policy Working Group I

Panel 1: The Value of Ideas in a Political World
Panel 2: Training and Placing the Next Generation in the Field of Global Public Policy

15 January, 2009

Socio-ecological systems and urban environmental transitions: Comparison between experiences of the Asia Pacific and the developed world

As the next installment in UNU-ONY's Washington series, Dr. Peter Marcotullio will be speaking on the topic of urban environmental transitions in Asia and the West.

WHEN: January 15, 2009 | 3:00pm - 4:30pm

WHERE: 5th Floor Conference Room, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington DC

13 January, 2009

Enhancing the UN Professional Culture: The Role of Internal Management Consulting Services

The United Nations University organized a UNU-UN Midday Forum on Enhancing the UN Professional Culture: The Role of Internal Management Consulting Services. The forum focussed on the present condition of professionalism in the UN departments and the possible methods and direction to enhance the status.

WHEN: January 13, 2009 | 1:15pm to 2:45pm

WHERE: Conference Room 8, UN headquarters, New York

11 December, 2008

UNU Lecture Series 'Emerging Thinking on Global Issues (II)': Human Rights: The Second 60 Years

On the occasion of 60th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Dec 10, '08), United Nations University organized a lecture by Dr.Thomas Pogge addressing the just evolution of human rights and their implementation in coming 60 years. The title of the lecture was "Human Rights: The Second 60 Years." This lecture was second in the series "Emerging Thinking on Global Issues" that the UNU has recently inaugurated (October 2008).

WHEN: Thursday,December 11, 2008 | 3:00pm to 4:30pm

WHERE: Conference Room 4, UN Headquarters, New York

Available for download:

Dr. Pogge_Presentation.PPT

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

UNU-ONY organised a discussion panel based on the recent volume "Protracted Refugee Situations - Political, Human Rights and Security Implications". (UNU Press)

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

In an effort to brief those unfamiliar with UNU, about UNU and as a way to update those already familiar with UNU, we were pleased to invite you to join us for a briefing 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)

16 October, 2008

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - Are they fair to women?

Time: October 16, 2008, 1:15 pm- 2:45 pm

Venue: Conference room of the Liaison Office of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union with the UN, 222 East 41st Street (Between 2 & 3 Avenues) 20th Floor

The United Nations University Office at the UN in New York (UNU-ONY) organized a UNU-UN Midday Forum entitled "Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - Are they fair to women?" The speaker on the occasion was Mr. Ad Melkert, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of UNDP.

8 October, 2008

UNU Forum: Fixing the holes in economic development approaches

The United Nations University Office at the United Nations, New York, in collaboration with UN DESA, organized a forum to discuss four recent publications on various aspects of economic development.

WHEN: 8th October 2008, 10:30am - 12:30pm,

WHERE: Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium (DHLA), United Nations Headquarters, New York

1 October, 2008

Emerging Thinking on Global Issues (I): From Communism to Confucianism

Emerging Thinking on Global Issues Lecture: "From Communism to Confucianism: Changing Political Discourses on China's Political Future and its Meaning for the World" by Dr. Daniel A. Bell.

1 October, 2008 | Time: 4:00pm to 5:30pm

Venue: UN Headquarters, Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium (DHLA)

United Nations University organized a lecture by Dr. Daniel Bell addressing the evolution of China's political system from Communism to Confucianism. This lecture was the first in the series "Emerging Thinking on Global Issues" that the UNU is organizing in coming months. The objective of the series is to present the views of experts and scholars who have had a longstanding association with UNU.

24 September, 2008

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

UNU-ONY, in collaboration with UNU Institute for Advanced Studies, launched the report "MDG on Reducing Biodiversity Loss and the CBD's 2010 Target" in a side event to the High Level Event on the Millennium Development Goals.

22 September, 2008

The Governance Challenge in Africa

Time: 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, 22 September, 2008

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."

19 September, 2008

UNU-Cornell Africa Series Press Conference

On the occasion of the High Level Meeting on Africa's Development Needs, to be held on 22 September 2008 at UN Headquarters, the United Nations University and Cornell University, will host a press conference.

This press conference at United Nations Headquarters, 19 September 2008, from 2 - 2:30pm will review the the preliminary findings, based on the previous UNU-Cornell Africa Series symposia.

The press conference can be viewed live at http://www.un.org/webcast

Here is the UNU-Cornell Africa Series Overview and Preliminary Findings

18 September, 2008

Panel on the 60th anniversary of the UDHR: Towards a Culture of Human Rights in the International System - Taking Ownership

Date: 18 September, 2008

Time: 1:15 - 2:30

Venue: UN Headquarters, Conference Room C

The United Nations University (UNU) and the NGO International Vision Collective IVC is going to hold a vision panel marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In taking human rights beyond its 60th birthday, the panelists explore how different actors in the international system - government delegates, UN staff, NGO representatives, academics and others - can play a responsible role in its evolution. What does an international system fully reflective of human rights look like? What current trends support and challenge such a system emerging? And what are some real options for making a culture based on human rights happen? What measures, processes, mechanisms, policies, ways of thinking, behaving or being?

10 September, 2008

Middayforum: Experience in Cleanner Production and Challenges for Clean Technology Transfer- What has been successful, what has not?

Midday Forum: Experiences in Cleaner Production and Challenges for Clean Technology Transfer - what has been successful, what has not"

Time: 1:15 pm- 2:30 pm, 10 September, 2008 I Venue: UN Headquarters, Conference room 6

The first UNU-UN Midday Forum (weblink) 2008-2009, in collaboration with UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is entitled "Experiences in Cleaner Production and Challenges for Clean Technology Transfer - what has been successful, what has not."

The meeting will consider findings on clean technology transfer from an evaluation of UNIDO's National Cleaner Production Centers. Included will be an assessment of the impact of the clean production agenda on business and government, training and capacity building, and achieving implementation of technology options. It will also discuss how the sustainable consumption and production agenda is driving clean technology transfer through greening of supply chains and responsible investment initiatives. Finally, the forum will discuss opportunities for flexibility in the WTO TRIPS agreement and climate-change-related technology transfer to developing countries.

9 September, 2008

Africa Series Three-- HIV/AIDS in Africa: Socio-Economic Considerations

Webcast on HIV/AIDS in Africa from the United Nations University, UN Headquarters, New York.

This one-day symposium has been webcast. The link is available at

Moring;

Afternoon

Register for this event here -

Africa Series Three | 9 September 2008 8:30am-7pm
Venue: UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium

After holding Africa Series One and Two, we will continue our symposium of the UNU-Cornell Africa Series-- Afirica Series Three. Africa Series Three will discuss African issues focused on "The social and economic dimensions of HIV/AIDS in Africa."

The purpose of the symposium on The Social and Economic Dimensions of HIV/AIDS in Africa is to examine the complex linkages between HIV/AIDS and reproductive and sexual behaviors, as well as the implication of HIV/AIDS on the economic well-being of communities, households and individuals in Africa.

Appendix:

Africa's development needs: state of implementation of various commitments, challenges and the way forward--Report of the Secretary-General

Report of the Secretary- General

other language version available at here

4 September, 2008

Political Parties in Conflict-Prone Societies (Book Launch)

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:

Political Parties in Conflict-Prone Societies

28 July, 2008

Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth

Time: 17 December 2007 - 1.15-2.45PM Location: Conference Room A The topic, Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth, was presented in two parts; the first part will discuss Urbanization Trends: Data and Misconceptions, and the second part will focus on Policy Options.

13 July, 2008

Call for 08 - 09 Event Topics...

Call for 08 - 09 Event Ttopics...United Nations University (NY) is looking for suggestions for its 2008 - 2009 programme of events. Send your suggestions for topics for upcoming events and speakers here.

27 June, 2008

International Criminal Accountability and Children's Rights

1:15 pm - 2:45 pm | 27 June 2008

Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters, New York

International Criminal Accountability and Children's Rights-1:15 pm - 2:45 pm | 27 June 2008|Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters, New York. Over the past several years, the rights of children have come to be accepted by international criminal tribunals; it has been acknowledged that child victims are no less entitled to justice than are adults. Complicating such progress, though, is the fact that testifying about war crimes and similar abuses may add to, rather than alleviate, the trauma of already victimized children. There is also the dilemma of child soldiers: what is justice when a child has been both victim, and perpetrator, of terrible acts? How should international justice deal with such cases?

17 June, 2008

Preventive Diplomacy at the UN

1:15 pm - 2:45 pm | 17 June 2008 |

the UN - Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters, New York

Preventive Diplomacy

The concept of preventive diplomacy has captivated the United Nations since it was first articulated by Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld a half-century ago. Successive generations of diplomats and statesmen have invested in the idea that diplomatic efforts might be able to head off international conflicts and disasters. Dramatic successes, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, contrast with dramatic failures, such as the inability of UN efforts to halt the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

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

Time: June 5th, 3:00 - 5:30 pm

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?

4 June, 2008

Stemming Decline of the Coastal Ocean: Rethinking Environmental Management

Time: June 4th, 3:00 - 5:30 pm Where: UN Headquarters, Conference Room 7 The coastal marine environment provides enormous value in fishery and other products and in ecosystem services including coastal protection, water purification, and appropriate locations for ports, harbors, urban centers, tourist destinations, and numerous recreational pursuits. Coastal environments can also cleanse the soul, stimulate the mind, and restore the body. But 40% of all people already live within 50km of a coast, and our growing enthusiasm for coastal living is creating ever more environmental damage.

23 May, 2008

The Value and Meaning of Political Apology

Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters, New York

In a turnabout of the cynical belief that might makes right, nations now see fit to issue apologies to peoples and countries they have wronged. We live in an age that seeks to establish political truth, perhaps best exemplified by the creation of truth commissions in societies seeking to emerge from dictatorial pasts. The most noteworthy result of these efforts has been the near-universal realization that a society will not be able successfully to pass into the future until it somehow deals with the horrors of its past.

21 May, 2008

The Governance Dimension of the MDGs in Africa

Time: May 21, 9:15 am to 6 pm Location: Dag Hammarskjöld Library Penthouse The second symposium of the Africa Series will focus on the "Governance Dimension of the MDGs in Africa". The Millennium Declaration recognizes governance as critical for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. It makes explicit reference to good governance in two paragraphs stating that "democratic and participatory governance best assures the rights to live in dignity, free from hunger and from fear of violence, oppression or injustice (para.1.6)" and that "success in meeting the objectives of development and the elimination of poverty depends on good governance" (para. III. 13). Governance is regarded today as an essential prerequisite for human development. The concept has evolved from its original focus on economic process and administrative efficiency to one with stronger links to democracy, the rule of law and participation. The Millennium Declaration represents the most forceful and explicit commitment by the UN member states to date to the principles of good governance. In the second symposium, we aim to contribute to policy analysis of governance and development by not only undertaking a diagnostic study of the state of governance but evaluating the effectiveness of efforts aimed at ensuring good governance.

20 May, 2008

UNU Book Lunch: "No Entry without Strategy Building the Rule of Law under UN Transitional Administration" by Carolyn Bull

Time: Tuesday 20 May 2008- 1:00-3:00 pm

Location: Australian Mission to the United Nations

UNU Book Lunch: "No Entry without Strategy Building the Rule of Law under UN Transitional Administration" by Carolyn Bull Tuesday 20 May 2008- 1:00-3:00 pm Australian Mission to the United Nations The importance of establishing the rule of law is now well recognized by international actors seeking to consolidate peace and democracy in disrupted states. Yet this goal has proven frustratingly elusive. UN peace operations have struggled to ensure lasting security against violence and to build legitimate state structures to redress disputes peacefully. It has proven even harder to instill principles of governance that promote accountability to the law, protect against abuse and generate trust in the state.

15 May, 2008

Betting on Biofuels: Opportunities and Implications

Time: 15 May, 2008 Location: Washington D.C. Leading scientists met with agricultural economists at the Woodrow Wilson Center to present a well-rounded discussion on biofuels. They covered not only the current and potential technological developments, but also the implications that biofuels have for energy use and agriculture. The Program on Science, Technology, America, and the Global Economy at the Woodrow Wilson Center especially thanks the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Joyce Foundation for their generous funding and support of this conference.

8 May, 2008

Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 16)

Time: 8 -15 May, 2008 Sustainable development During the annual United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, UN University will organized two side events on May 8th and two learning center events on May 15th.

23 April, 2008

UNU Forum: Breathe OR Die or Breathe AND Die!

Time: 23rd April, 2008,3:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Location: Conference Room 7, UN headquarters, New York.

As industrialization gathers pace around the world and demand for all types of energy increases rapidly, one of the first, though perhaps least obvious, areas to suffer is the air we breathe. While the long-term threat from carbon emissions and global warming is well known, pollutants in the air can also lead to more immediate threats to human health and happiness. If air pollution continues to be blindly overshadowed by concerns about economic growth or energy security, the impact on human life could be disastrous.

22 April, 2008

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

Time: 22 April 2008,3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

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

Time: 22 April 2008, 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

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

Time: 15 April 2008, 3:00 to 3:45 pm Location: United Nations Headquarters, in 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.

10 April, 2008

World Report on Regional Integration, Volume I - Multilateralism

Time: April 10 2008, 3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Location: Washington, D.C. On April 10th, 2008, the first report in the United Nations University (UNU) Series on Regionalism was presented at the Wilson Center by Phillippe De Lombaerde, a research fellow at the UNU Programme on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS), and Raquel Artecona, regional international trade advisor for the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

9 April, 2008

World Report on Regional Integration, Volume I

Time: April 9, Conference Room 8, 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm

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.

3 April, 2008

Limited Resources for Peacekeeping:Deciding Where to Go

Time: April 3, 1:15 pm - 2:45pm

Location: Conference Room C

As United Nations (UN) peacekeeping deployments reach unprecedented levels, the UN and Member States must consider: are we risking the viability and legitimacy of the tool of peacekeeping by deploying without a clear mandate, without the support of the parties to the conflict, or without the logistical, personnel and financial resources to get the job done? Since 2003, there has been a sustained surge in the demand for United Nations peacekeeping. Thirteen operations were established or significantly expanded since that year.

2 April, 2008

WIDER Book Launch with the Brookings Institution: Mobilizing Talent for Global Development

Time: 2 April 2008 15:00 - 17:00 Location: The Brookings Institution, Saul/Zilkha Room, 1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC

The economic potential of globalization is ultimately dependent on the international mobility of highly talented individuals that transfer knowledge, new technologies, ideas, business capacities, and other creative capabilities. Developing countries and advanced economies may both gain from this mobility if it is effectively and smartly managed. This volume provides a novel analysis of the main determinants and development impact of talent mobility in the global economy.

20 March, 2008

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

Conference Room 7 United Nations Headquarters, New York

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.

18 March, 2008

La Paix par les Langues / Peace through Languages

Time: Tuesday, 18 March 2008, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm

Location: Conference Room 7, UN Headquarters

This forum originates from the idea that the fight for languages goes beyond the simple dimension of languages and that geo-linguistic realities are today on the same level as geopolitical, geo-economic, and geo-cultural realities. We define multilingualism as a vector for dialogue, understanding, and comprehension, which allows nations to communicate and accept each other, and to coexist as different from each other while making from their differences a vital force.

23 February, 2008

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

Time: 23 February 2008, 2 pm - 4 pm Location: China Institute, 125 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10021 Book Launch Event: "Towards the International Rule of Law: UN's Response to Humanitarian Crises" ( UN Radio Chinese coverage of...

6 February, 2008

Justice as an Essential Component of Peace

Time:6 February 2008 - 1.15-2.45PM Location: Conference Room 7 The United Nations University (UNU) in collaboration with the International Criminal Court Liaison Office in New York and the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone is organizing a Midday Forum event entitled: "Justice as an Essential Component of Peace". The programme will be composed of two parts; the first part will present the topic of balance between Peace and Justice, and the second part will develop issues in general discussion session.

30 January, 2008

Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue: The Pathway to Peace

Time: 30 January 2008 - 1.15-2.45PM Location: Conference Room D The United Nations University (UNU) in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Permanent Mission of the Philippines is organizing a Midday Forum event entitled: "Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue: The Pathway to Peace". The topic will be presented in two parts; the first part will discuss Intercultural Dialogue, and the second part will focus on Interreligious Dialogue.

4 December, 2007

FILM SCREENING: "NUREMBERG: THE NAZIS FACING THEIR CRIMES"

FILM SCREENING: "NUREMBERG: THE NAZIS FACING THEIR CRIMES" December 4, 2007, The United Nations University Office in New York, presented the first part of the UNU-ONY Series on Global History in Pictures. At this initial session, UNU-ONY was presenting the documentary, NUREMBERG: THE NAZIS FACING THEIR CRIMES (2006, 90mn, ARTE France and La Compagnie des Phares et Balises), directed by film maker Christian Delage and narrated by actor Christopher Plummer.

20 November, 2007

UNU Public Forum:Accountability for enhancing effectiveness and efficiency of the UN system

Time: 20 November 2007, 9:30-16:00

Location: African Union, New York

(305 E 47th Street, 5th Floor, 3 Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza)

United Nations University is proud to present a forum entitled Accountability for enhancing effectiveness and efficiency of the UN system. The purpose of the forum is to explore ways for strengthening UN accountability in the context of effective global governance. The forum is a follow-up to a UNU seminar, which took place in Tokyo in October 2006. During the Tokyo forum, the participants discussed conceptual issues of accountability, including managerial accountability in the UN system, which concerns holding those with delegated authority accountable for the actions taken, as well as political accountability of the UN system, defined as organizational accountability to constituencies/stakeholders affected by UN actions/inactions, together with some case studies.