www.UNHistory.orgwww.UNHistory.org

The Power of IdeasThe Power of Ideas

UNIHP Book SeriesUNIHP Book SeriesAhead of the Curve? UN Ideas and Global ChallengesAhead of the Curve? UN Ideas and Global Challenges(2001; 2nd edition 2003; French, German, Arabic editions (2001; 2nd edition 2003; French, German, Arabic editions published 2003)published 2003)

Unity and Diversity in Development Ideas: Perspectives Unity and Diversity in Development Ideas: Perspectives from the UN Regional Commissions from the UN Regional Commissions (2004)(2004)

Quantifying the World: UN Contributions to StatisticsQuantifying the World: UN Contributions to Statistics (2004)(2004)

UN Contributions to Development Thinking and Practice UN Contributions to Development Thinking and Practice (2004)(2004)

The UN and Global Political Economy: Trade, Finance, and The UN and Global Political Economy: Trade, Finance, and DevelopmentDevelopment (2004)(2004)

UN Voices: The Struggle for Development and Social JusticeUN Voices: The Struggle for Development and Social Justice(2005)(2005)

Women, Development, and the UN: A SixtyWomen, Development, and the UN: A Sixty--Year Quest for Year Quest for Equality and JusticeEquality and Justice (2005)(2005)

The Power of UN Ideas: Lessons from the First 60 YearsThe Power of UN Ideas: Lessons from the First 60 Years(2005) (2005)

Human Security and the UN: A Critical HistoryHuman Security and the UN: A Critical History (2006)(2006)

The Oxford Handbook on the United NationsThe Oxford Handbook on the United Nations (2007)(2007)

Human Rights at the UN: The Political History of Universal Human Rights at the UN: The Political History of Universal JusticeJustice (2008)(2008)

Preventive Diplomacy at the UNPreventive Diplomacy at the UN (2008)(2008)

The UN and Transnational Corporations: from Code of The UN and Transnational Corporations: from Code of Conduct to Global Compact Conduct to Global Compact (2008)(2008)

The UN and Development: From Aid to Cooperation The UN and Development: From Aid to Cooperation (2009)(2009)

UN Ideas That Changed the World UN Ideas That Changed the World (2009)(2009)

The UN and Global Governance: An Unfinished Journey The UN and Global Governance: An Unfinished Journey (forthcoming 2010)(forthcoming 2010)

Development Without Destruction: The UN and the Global Development Without Destruction: The UN and the Global Resource Management Resource Management (forthcoming 2010)(forthcoming 2010)

UNIHP Book SeriesUNIHP Book Series

International Advisory CouncilInternational Advisory Council

Margaret Margaret Joan Joan AnsteeAnstee

Enrique V. Enrique V. IglesiasIglesias

GalalGalal AminAmin

ThandikaThandikaMkandawireMkandawire

Lourdes Lourdes ArizAriz

AndrasAndras InotaiInotai

GertGert RosenthalRosenthal

John G. John G. RuggieRuggie

Makoto TaniguchiMakoto Taniguchi

RameshRamesh ThakurThakur

EvelineEveline HerfkensHerfkens

FoundationsFoundationsCarnegie Corporation of NY Carnegie Corporation of NY Ford FoundationFord FoundationRockefeller Foundation Rockefeller Foundation UN FoundationUN FoundationJohn D. & Catherine T. John D. & Catherine T. MacArthurMacArthur FoundationFoundationDagDag HammarskjHammarskjööld Foundationld FoundationRockefeller Brothers FundRockefeller Brothers Fund

GovernmentsGovernmentsCanadaCanadaFinlandFinlandThe NetherlandsThe NetherlandsNorwayNorwaySwedenSwedenSwitzerlandSwitzerlandUnited KingdomUnited KingdomRepublic and Canton of Republic and Canton of GenevaGeneva

FundingFunding

1999 1999 -- 20092009

““Ideas Matter.Ideas Matter.People Matter.People Matter.””

www.UNhistory.orgwww.UNhistory.org

UN Voices UN Voices --Interviews of UN personalities Interviews of UN personalities who have made a differencewho have made a difference

Celso Furtado Bernard Chidzero

Mrs. OgataSir Hans Singer

Elise Boulding

Samir Amin

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Javier Perez de Cuellar

Leticia Shahani

Just Faaland

Fernando Henrique Cardoso

Noeleen Heyzer

Adebayo Adedeji

99 UN Ideas That Changed The WorldUN Ideas That Changed The World

Idea 1: Idea 1: Human Rights for AllHuman Rights for AllIdea 2: Idea 2: Gender Equality and WomenGender Equality and Women’’s Rightss RightsIdea 3: Idea 3: Development GoalsDevelopment GoalsIdea 4: Fairer International Economic RelationsIdea 4: Fairer International Economic RelationsIdea 5: Strategies for accelerating development in Idea 5: Strategies for accelerating development in

poorer countriespoorer countriesIdea 6: Priorities for Social DevelopmentIdea 6: Priorities for Social DevelopmentIdea 7: Environmental SustainabilityIdea 7: Environmental SustainabilityIdea 8:Peace and Human SecurityIdea 8:Peace and Human SecurityIdea 9: Human DevelopmentIdea 9: Human Development

Each of the UN Ideas has Evolved Each of the UN Ideas has Evolved

Human rights for all Human rights for all –– from from aspirations to implementationaspirations to implementation

Gender equality Gender equality –– from eliminating from eliminating discrimination to womendiscrimination to women’’s s empowerment empowerment

Environment sustainability Environment sustainability –– from environment and from environment and development to climate development to climate change and saving the change and saving the Planet Planet

Peace and Security Peace and Security ––the evolution of the evolution of UN ideas and approachesUN ideas and approaches

1945 1945 --Replacing conflict with Replacing conflict with the rule of lawthe rule of law

1950s 1950s --Preventive Preventive diplomacydiplomacy

1950s1950s--1990s1990s-- Disarmament Disarmament and Developmentand Development

19481948-- 2009 Peacekeeping2009 Peacekeeping--today160,000 deployedtoday160,000 deployed

1994 Human Security1994 Human Security2001 2001 -- The Responsibility to The Responsibility to

ProtectProtect

UN economic ideas have often differed from UN economic ideas have often differed from those of World Bank and the IMF those of World Bank and the IMF –– but the but the BrettonBretton Woods Institutions have received Woods Institutions have received most donor supportmost donor support

Fairer International Economic Relations Fairer International Economic Relations ––needed in trade, aid and needed in trade, aid and TNCsTNCs

National Development strategies National Development strategies ––directed to directed to accelerated national developmentaccelerated national development

Development Goals Development Goals ––focused on human advancefocused on human advance

Social Development Social Development ––a key component of a key component of development from the UNdevelopment from the UN’’s earliest yearss earliest years

The Pioneering Quality of UN Work The Pioneering Quality of UN Work is Often Not Realized: Nine Nobel is Often Not Realized: Nine Nobel

Prize Winners in EconomicsPrize Winners in Economics1969: Jan Tinbergen1973: Wassily Leontief1974: Gunnar Myrdal1977: James Meade 1979: W. Arthur Lewis and

Theodore W. Schultz1980: Lawrence R. Klein1984: Richard Stone1998: Amartya Sen

AmartyaAmartya SenSen

Lawrence R. KleinLawrence R. Klein

Sir W Arthur Lewis Sir W Arthur Lewis winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1979 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1979

and the first from a developing countryand the first from a developing country

LSE 1933LSE 1933--4747––first class honours in economics1937, PhD 1940, lecturer 1939first class honours in economics1937, PhD 1940, lecturer 1939--4747Professor of Development Economics, University of Manchester 194Professor of Development Economics, University of Manchester 19488--5757UN Economic Adviser to the President of Ghana 1957UN Economic Adviser to the President of Ghana 1957--5959Deputy Managing Director of the UN Special Fund, which became UNDeputy Managing Director of the UN Special Fund, which became UNDP 1960DP 1960--6161Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies1961Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies1961--19641964Professor of Economics, Princeton University, 1964Professor of Economics, Princeton University, 1964--19911991

Structural adjustment and the Washington Structural adjustment and the Washington Consensus have had disastrous effectsConsensus have had disastrous effects

Total increases in per capita income Total increases in per capita income 19601960--19801980 1980-2000

Latin AmericaLatin America + 80%+ 80% + 9%+ 9%

SubSub--Saharan AfricaSaharan Africa + 36%+ 36% -- 15%15%

““So, the newly emerging consensus is that IMF So, the newly emerging consensus is that IMF programs hurt economic growthprograms hurt economic growth””

Source: Mark Source: Mark WeisbrotWeisbrot et al, et al, The Emperor Has No Growth :Declining Growth in the Era of The Emperor Has No Growth :Declining Growth in the Era of GlobalizationGlobalization (Washington DC, Centre for Economic and Policy Research) 2001(Washington DC, Centre for Economic and Policy Research) 2001

Source: James Raymond Source: James Raymond VreelandVreeland, , The International Monetary Fund: Politics of The International Monetary Fund: Politics of Conditional LendingConditional Lending (Abingdon, (Abingdon, RoutledgeRoutledge) 2007) 2007

The Three The Three UNsUNs: 1: 1stst UNUN

Governments Source: UN Photo Archives

The Three The Three UNsUNs: 2: 2ndnd UNUN

Staff members

Source: UN Photo Archives

The Three The Three UNsUNs: 3: 3rdrd UNUN

Experts, members of commissions and NGOs closely associated with the UN

Source: UN Photo Archives

Interaction Among Three Interaction Among Three UNsUNs

A: International and national civil servants’ interactionsB: State-civil society interactions C: Secretariat-civil society interactionsD: The networked space within which individuals and private organizations interact with the 1st UN and the 2nd UN to influence or advance UN thinking, policies, priorities, or actions

3rd UN2nd UN

A B

C

D

1st UN

Fourteen UN Organizations and Fourteen UN Organizations and Individuals Have Received the Individuals Have Received the

Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace Prize1949: John Boyd Orr1950: Ralph Bunche1954 and 1981: Office of The UN High Commissioner for Refugees1957: Lester Pearson1961: Dag Hammarskjöld1965: UNICEF –The UN Children’s Fund1968: René Cassin1969: The International Labour Organization1982: Alva Myrdal and Alfonzo Garcia Robles1988: UN Peacekeeping Forces 2001: Kofi Annan and the UN2007: The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (jointly with Al Gore)2008: Martti Ahtissari

KofiKofi AnnanAnnan

Martti Ahtissari

4 Ways Ideas Gain Global 4 Ways Ideas Gain Global influence and traction influence and traction

Ideas change the way issues are perceivedIdeas redefine state and non-state interests

and goals, thereby setting agendas for action

Ideas mobilize coalitions to press for action Ideas become embedded in institutions, with

responsibilities for implementation & monitoring

A Balance Sheet of the UNA Balance Sheet of the UN’’s s Contributions: The PositivesContributions: The Positives

1.1. Promoting human rights for allPromoting human rights for all2.2. Providing an international framework for national Providing an international framework for national

development policiesdevelopment policies3.3. Setting global goals Setting global goals 4.4. Quantifying the worldQuantifying the world5.5. Changing the debate about trade and developmentChanging the debate about trade and development6.6. Proposing development policies that combine Proposing development policies that combine

economic growth with poverty reductioneconomic growth with poverty reduction7.7. Bringing issues of environment and development Bringing issues of environment and development

to global attention, especially global warmingto global attention, especially global warming8.8. Promoting preventive diplomacy & human securityPromoting preventive diplomacy & human security9.9. Promoting the human development approachPromoting the human development approach

Negatives on the Balance SheetNegatives on the Balance Sheet1.1. Late reaction to the Washington ConsensusLate reaction to the Washington Consensus

2.2. Weak response to the special needs of the least Weak response to the special needs of the least developed countriesdeveloped countries

3.3. Too little done to introduce cultural aspects into the Too little done to introduce cultural aspects into the development equationdevelopment equation

4.4. Tardy and weak reaction to HIV/AIDSTardy and weak reaction to HIV/AIDS

5.5. Inadequate attention inequalities of income and wealth, Inadequate attention inequalities of income and wealth, nationally & internationallynationally & internationally

A Summary of the UNA Summary of the UN’’s s ContributionsContributions

The balance sheet shows a small but significant surplusThe UN has led the way with many fundamental ideas, more than is often realizedThe UN has often been ahead of the World Bank and the IMF – though these have received most donor support and most finance

Ideas may be among the UN’s most important contributions

Lourdes Lourdes ArizpeArizpeSomeone once said that the United Nations is Someone once said that the United Nations is a a dream managed by bureaucratsdream managed by bureaucrats. I would . I would correct that by saying that it has become a correct that by saying that it has become a bureaucracy managed by dreamersbureaucracy managed by dreamers. Certainly . Certainly you have to be a dreamer to work in the United you have to be a dreamer to work in the United Nations with conviction. It is only if you have this Nations with conviction. It is only if you have this sense of mission that you can withstand the sense of mission that you can withstand the constant battering by governments who are afraid constant battering by governments who are afraid that the United Nations will become a world that the United Nations will become a world governmentgovernment……

So in the end, someone who works in the United So in the end, someone who works in the United Nations has to be a magician of ideas, because Nations has to be a magician of ideas, because working for the United Nations is like working for working for the United Nations is like working for a government in which all the political parties are a government in which all the political parties are in power at the same time.in power at the same time.

Ten Global Challenges for the Ten Global Challenges for the UNUN’’s Futures Future

11 Tackling global warming and climate changeTackling global warming and climate change22 Strengthening global governance in a Strengthening global governance in a multipolarmultipolar worldworld33 Supporting fragile statesSupporting fragile states44 Balancing regionalism with globalizationBalancing regionalism with globalization55 Moderating inequalities in global developmentModerating inequalities in global development66 Responding to population growth and international Responding to population growth and international

migrationmigration77 Bridging international divides of culture and identitiesBridging international divides of culture and identities88 Shifting the focus of security from states to individualsShifting the focus of security from states to individuals99 Incorporating culture and human rights into developmentIncorporating culture and human rights into development1010 Improving the quality of education worldwideImproving the quality of education worldwide

Strengthening the UNStrengthening the UN’’s s Intellectual WorkIntellectual Work

Encourage creative thinkingEncourage creative thinkingImplications for recruitment and promotionImplications for recruitment and promotionMore autonomy for research and related publicationsMore autonomy for research and related publicationsCreate intellectual islandsCreate intellectual islandsSeek alliances with many centers of expertiseSeek alliances with many centers of expertiseMore sustained resources neededMore sustained resources neededConcentrate on problems of real significanceConcentrate on problems of real significanceDissemination of results is of the essenceDissemination of results is of the essenceRethink professional relations between UN and Rethink professional relations between UN and BrettonBrettonWoods institutions Woods institutions

www.UNHistory.orgwww.UNHistory.org

Sources for research on UN Sources for research on UN

UN Websites UN Websites –– many many UNIHP = UNIHP = www.unhistory.orgwww.unhistory.orgOral histories =CD ROM of UNIHP Oral histories =CD ROM of UNIHP

interviewsinterviewsUK careers records and related records = UK careers records and related records =

Bodleian Library, Oxford Bodleian Library, Oxford

Some 450 Career Records of UK persons in Some 450 Career Records of UK persons in ––accessible in the Bodleian Library, Oxford accessible in the Bodleian Library, Oxford

Helen LangleyHelen Langley, , FRHistSFRHistSCurator, Modern Political Papers, Department of Special CollectiCurator, Modern Political Papers, Department of Special Collections & ons & Western Manuscripts, Bodleian LibraryWestern Manuscripts, Bodleian LibraryOxford OX1 3BGOxford OX1 3BG((Helen.Langley@bodley.ox.ac.ukHelen.Langley@bodley.ox.ac.uk))

Michael Michael AskwithAskwith, , UNCRP Coordinator UNCRP Coordinator ((askwith_michael@yahoo.co.ukaskwith_michael@yahoo.co.uk))

WebsiteWebsitehttp://www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/bodley/services/using

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/wmss/online/modern/uncrp/http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/wmss/online/modern/uncrp/uuncrp.htmlncrp.html