Present and Future of African Integration — Towards a New Japan-Africa Relationship
3 August 2010, UNU, Tokyo
Regional Governance: Challenges and Opportunities
UNU Holds First Global Seminar in the Caribbean
Particpants in UNU's first Global Seminar in the Carribean, Trinidad and Tobago. Photo: Aneel Karim, UWI (see more photographs on Flickr)
2010.07.20 • The United Nations University recently held its first global seminar in The Caribbean. The seminar, hosted by the Institute of International Relations (IIR), University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago on the theme “Regional Governance: Challenges and Opportunities” was held from June 28 to 30. In his opening remarks, Timothy M. Shaw, the director of the Institute of International Relations at UWI stated that the UNU Global Seminar would build on existing networks between UWI and other United Nations agencies, and as UNU’s first seminar in the Caribbean region, would open new opportunities for research collaboration between UNU researchers and researchers in the region.
In his keynote remarks, UNU Vice-Rector Kazuhiko Takeuchi presented UNU’s current and future plans for graduate programmes, twin institutes, and integrated interdisciplinary approaches to global sustainability challenges. Following Prof. Takeuchi’s remarks, John Agard, a renowned climate scientist, spoke on the relevance of sustainability science and the importance of developing an interdisciplinary understanding.
The seminar was attended by 45 students selected mainly from the undergraduate and graduate programs at UWI and the United Nations Youth Association for Trinidad and Tobago. The seminar featured 15 guest lectures delivered by leading experts selected from UWI, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, UN agencies and regional organizations based in Trinidad. Some of the guest lecturers included Anita Montoute, Matthew Bishop, Mark Kirton, Michele Reis (all from UWI), Luis Andrade Fall of the Association of Caribbean States, Jens Ulrich Poppen from UN Volunteers, and Reita Gabrielle of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The seminar was jointly facilitated by Obijiofor Aginam of the UNU Institute for Sustainability and Peace, Tamara Brathwaite (IIR, UWI), Amanda Laurence (UNIC), and Solange Cross-Mike (IIR, UWI) who supervised the group work and presentations of the students on four topics related to the challenges of regional governance in the Caribbean region.
Peacebuilding in Conflict-Affected Societies
Workshop explores local peacebuilding experiences and perspectives
Workshop participants gathered in Sarajevo to explore local perspectives in peacebuilding.
2010.07.19 • UNU-ISP and McMaster University (Ontario, Canada) held a workshop at the University of Sarajevo from June 23 to 25 as part of a joint research project which draws upon local perspectives to deepen understanding of peacebuilding challenges, and thereby recommend ways to improve UN and inter-governmental approaches to peacebuilding.
The workshop engaged local researchers, policy analysts and practitioners with experience of peacebuilding activities in their own countries, including Croatia, Guatemala, Kosovo, Mozambique and Timor-Leste, as well as Bosnia-Herzegovina. It explored the successes and failures of peacebuilding in these countries, from conflict prevention and conflict resolution to the process of post-conflict reconstruction, including economic development, democracy assistance and good governance, strengthening the rule of law, demobilization and reintegration of armed combatants, and reconciliation.
The Sarajevo workshop builds upon a previous workshop held in Accra, Ghana, in September 2009, featuring experts on peacebuilding in Afghanistan, Burundi, Kosovo, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.
Analysis of local needs and ownership in peacebuilding remains underdeveloped, and local voices are not always present. The UNU-ISP project “Peacebuilding in Conflict-Affected Societies: Comparative Experiences and Local Perspectives” addresses these shortcomings by considering local experiences and perspectives in four areas: the legacy of violent conflict; local resources and capacity; scope, priority and sequencing of peacebuilding activities; and the balancing of local and international engagement.
The project outcomes will be disseminated through an edited academic volume, a UNU Research Brief, and a workshop report to be published in the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development.
Research Brief: Towards a Human Security Approach to Peacebuilding
For more information, contact Madoka Futamura, UNU Institute for Sustainability and Peace.
Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, COP16 Chair, Speaks at UNU
Towards Cancún 2010: Setting the stage for COP16
Patricia Espinosa, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, and Konrad Osterwalder, United Nations University Rector, exchange gifts of books prior to Ms. Espinosa’s public lecture at UNU Headquarters, Tokyo, on 5 July 2010.
Photo: Jeremy Hedley/UNU
Watch a video interview with Amb. Espinosa
Patricia Espinosa on UNU’s Vimeo Channel (Flash video)
Watch the lecture on UNU’s video portal
Patricia Espinosa: Towards Cancún 2010
Amb. Espinosa’s remarks
Presentation by Ambassador Patricia Espinosa, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, at the United Nations University, Tokyo, 5 July, 2010
2010.07.07 • Patricia Espinosa, Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs and the chair of COP16, spoke at UNU July fifth on Mexico’s preparations for the COP16 climate summit to be held in Cancún later this year.
As the host country for the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Mexico is determined to push for substantive agreements from all parties.
Ms. Espinosa’s lecture followed Mexican president Felipe Calderón’s February U Thant Distinguished Lecture at UNU Headquarters in which the president emphasized the need to rebuild confidence and trust following the disappointing COP 15 climate summit in Copenhagen last December.
In her lecture, Ms. Espinosa stressed the need for inclusive dialogue, especially with least developed countries, island states, and the private sector, as a key component in the quest for a binding agreement in Cancún.
Prior to her lecture, Ms. Espinosa met with UNU Rector Konrad Osterwalder to discuss the COP process and UNU’s role.
New Initiatives Planned for UNU-IIST
Prof. Peter Haddawy Appointed Director of UNU-IIST
2010.06.25 • On 16 June, Professor Peter F. Haddawy joined the United Nations University as Director of the Macao-based UNU International Institute for Software Technology (UNU-IIST).
“Over its 18-year history, UNU-IIST has made important contributions to the development of research capacity in computer science in Asia and the developing world”, said Director Haddawy.” The time has come to adjust the UNU-IIST mission toward applying its strengths in computer science to addressing some of the most challenging problems of sustainable development.” He added that he anticipates announcing a number of new initiatives for the Institute in the coming months.
Prior to joining UNU-IIST, Prof. Haddawy served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT; Bangkok, Thailand), and as Professor of Computer Science and Information Management in the AIT School of Engineering and Technology.
UNU-ISP New Postgraduate Programme
Master of Science in Sustainability, Development, and Peace
The United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace will start its new postgraduate programme, the Master of Science in Sustainability, Development, and Peace.
Intended for recent graduates, professionals, and practitioners, the programme addresses pressing global issues of sustainability, climate change, development, peacebuilding, and human rights through an innovative interdisciplinary approach that integrates the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
The programme is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to make important contributions towards solving global issues, whether through employment by UN agencies, other international organizations, governments, civil society, or the private sector.
UNU-ISP Postgraduate Programme
56 Students, 37 Countries
2010 International Courses Conclude
Students and staff gather for the conclusion of the 2010 UNU International Courses.
2010.06.18 • Our congratulations to the students of the 2010 UNU International Courses who marked the completion of their studies today with a closing ceremony at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo after six weeks of intensive work.
IC students take a core course entitled “The UN System: Pressing Issues and Sustainable Solutions” and then select the remainder of their studies here from other thematic areas: peace and human rights; global change and sustainability; and international development and cooperation.
Greening the Blue
Improving the UN’s Internal Sustainability Performance
2010.06.04 • A new website, www.greeningtheblue.org, has been developed to improve the UN’s communications on it’s internal sustainability performance and is being launched on Friday 4 June as part of the celebrations for World Environment Day (Saturday 5 June).
Greening the Blue shows what is happening to make the UN more sustainable and provides advice to staff on how they can reduce the environmental footprint of their work.
Challenges for Africa, the Role of Japan
The 2010 Africa Day Symposium
Mounkaila Goumandakoye, director and regional representative of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for Africa, addresses the symposium via videoconference from Nairobi. Mr. Goumandakoye joined a panel discussion with Akira Yamada of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Mohamed Ahmed Tawfic of the Suez Canal University which was chaired by UNU Vice-Rector Kazuhiko Takeuchi.
Video Message from Wangari Maathai
Watch the video message from Wanagari Maathai to the 2010 Africa Day Symposium.
2010.05.27 • Our sincere thanks to all who attended the 2010 Africa Day Symposium, held yesterday at UNU Headquarters, for making the symposium a success. This was the eleventh Africa Day Symposium organised with the African Diplomatic Corps (ADC) in Tokyo.
His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan attended the symposium and delivered remarks on his recent trip to Kenya and Ghana. The Crown Prince, who is Honorary President of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, stressed the importance of these elements in the continent’s development.
The symposium opened with a performance by the musician Hiroki Okano. Mr. Okano’s performance was followed by remarks from UNU Rector Konrad Osterwalder and Gabriel Alexandre Sar, Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal and Acting Dean of the ADC. Abdirashid Dulane, Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, delivered a message on behalf of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
Keynote addresses were provided by Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Chinami Nishimura, JICA Senior Vice President Kenzo Oshima, and, via video, Wangari Maathai.
The second part of the symposium consisted of a panel discussion and question and answer session with the audience moderated by Kazuhiko Takeuchi, UNU Vice-Rector and Director of the UNU Institute for Sustainability and Peace, featuring Akira Yamada of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Mohamed Ahmed Tawfic of Suez Canal University, and, via video from Nairobi, Mounkaila Goumandakoye, Director and Regional Representative of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for Africa.
The Africa Day Symposium Series
An Information Society Open to All
UNU Contributes to the WSIS Process
2010.05.17 • UNU, through the UNU-IIST Center for Electronic Governance, and International Telecommunications Union held a join session during the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum in Geneva, held from 10 to 14 May, on “Assessing the Impact of ICT on Development — WSIS and MDGs”.
Video interview with UNU’s Tomasz Janowski
Tomasz Janowski of the UNU-IIST Center for Electronic Governance discusses the impact of ICT on development at the 2010 WSIS Forum in Geneva.
The session provided an overview of the joint ITU-UNU project under the same title on linking WSIS and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) processes through research in the area of ICT impact assessment.
The project aims to:
- Investigate the impact of the WSIS Action Lines on the MDG process;
- Establish the actual needs of practitioners, member states and international organizations in effectively assessing the impact of their ICT4D (ICT for development) initiatives (WSIS Action Line projects) on MDGs;
- Provide an annotated repository of resources such as frameworks and toolkits to guide practitioners on the use of existing ICT impact assessment models, frameworks and measurement systems; and
- Develop a system for monitoring the impact of the WSIS process on the MDG process, integrated with the WSIS stocktaking platform.
The session presented the initial results of this project. Informed by the knowledge gap in the application of existing ICT4D theories and models with respect to the WSIS and MDG processes, a conceptual framework was presented to guide program managers and countries in improving the design of their ICT4D portfolios for higher impact potential on the development goals like the MDGs. The session also presented the results of analyzing the WSIS stocktaking database, based on the proposed conceptual framework, of over 4600 ICT initiatives.
The outcomes of the project will be captured in a report to be ready in time for the UN Millennium Development Goals Summit to be held September 20–22 this year in New York.
Assessing the Impact of ICT on Development — WSIS and MDGs — WSIS Forum Session Page
New from UNU Press
Usable Thoughts
Michael H. Glantz and Qian Ye
Short quotations are often used to stimulate thought and evoke discussion. The intention of this book is no less ambitious. Drawing upon a series of quotations taken from the World Meteorological Organization-sponsored publication, Climate: Into the 21st Century, the authors set out to encourage thought and discussion on the earth’s climate system, including its interrelatedness to human society and the environment, the impact of climate variability, and climate extremes and change. Read more…
Download our 2009-2010 catalogue
(12 MB PDF)
UNU Lectures
U Thant Lecture Series
The U Thant Distinguished Lecture Series is a forum through which eminent thinkers and world leaders speak on the role of the United Nations in addressing the challenges facing the world’s peoples and nations in the twenty-first century.
Nansen Lectures
The Fridtjof Nansen Memorial Lecture is held annually in a number of capitals around the world to commemorate the birth of the Norwegian explorer, scientist, humanist and Nobel laureate, Fridtjof Nansen (1861–1930).
Fridtjof Nansen Lecture Series
Nagai Lectures
Named in honour of the late Dr. Michio Nagai, minister of education, science, and culture of Japan, these lectures provide a forum for eminent members of the international community to speak on issues related to education.
Sixth Michio Nagai Lecture (Video portal)
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