UNU research focuses on the challenges faced by the United Nations and its Member States. Our current research portfolio supports all of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015 to inspire global action to overcome the world’s biggest challenges.
Project
Inequality and governance in unstable democracies – the mediating role of trust
This project seeks to provide new insights and empirical evidence on how trust shapes the relationship between economic inequality and governance.
Project
How do effective states emerge?
This project examines the role of committed states in delivering inclusive development.
Project
The state and statebuilding in the Global South – international and local interactions
This project focuses on the state and statebuilding in the Global South with attention to the interaction between international and local actors, institutions, and context.
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The changing nature of work and inequality
The project will investigate the main drivers of observed trends in earnings inequalities within developing countries.
Project
Addressing group-based inequalities
This project aims to study and learn from the policy efforts and experience of countries fighting inequality, with focus to the Global South.
Project
WIID – World Income Inequality Database
The World Income Inequality Database (WIID) presents information on income inequality for developed, developing, and transition countries.
Project
Economic Transformation Database (ETD)
This project aims to provide sectoral data on employment and productivity in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, to facilitate structural change.
Project
Transformative Urban Coalitions: Catalysing Urban Partnerships to Drive Systemic Transformation Towards Sustainability (TUC)
This project aims to shift the mindsets of urban citizens and leaders to build new urban coalitions towards socially inclusive zero-carbon cities.
Project
Pacific Insurance and Climate Adaptation Programme
This project aims to support Pacific Small Island Developing States in their strategies and capacity-building for climate and disaster risk finance.
Project
E-Governance and Digital Transformation in Guinea-Bissau
Support to Guinea-Bissau's digital governance, aiming to identify transformative change opportunities in its governance system.