By Jacques FomerandThe policies of the BushAdministration have been widelyperceived as a retreat frommultilateral diplomacy. But thereare numerous precedents pointing tounilateral practices by the UnitedStates of America: the Korean andthe Gulf Wars, the unilateralwithdrawal from the Bretton Woodsmonetary framework, fromUNESCO and from the Law of theSea.... Some argue that these “mixedmessages” reflect a pattern of“ambivalent engagement”embedded in the national character,with unilateralism gaining sway inpost-1970 Republicanadministrations. Others, likehistorian Robert Tucker, take theview that the United States “did notgo from unilateralism tomultilateralism but from a positionof isolation to the unilateralism of aposition of undisputed leadershipover a global alliance.” The latterapproach seems to be more to the point.

American multilateralism has always blendedrealpolitik, Wilsonian populism, pragmatic functionalism ala the “New Deal” and the sheer economic interests of aneconomic behemoth. But it was clear from the beginningthat its operation would rest on the primacy of the strongand “trusteeship of the powerful,” as Franklin Roosevelt putit long ago. The practical arrangements for collective action,it should be noted, never created more than minimally costlyand intrusive political constraints on US sovereignty, as thenorm of non-intervention prevailing in the UN Charterattests.

Hegemons are prone to use their power to determinepolicy outcomes. The United States, like any other state, is

no exception. Perhaps this is what asenior ranking member of the Bushadministration unwittingly meantwhen he stated that “multilateralismis not an end in itself, but it is oftena necessary means to our ends. Acommitment to multilateralism neednot constrain our options – doneright, it expands them.”

In any case, the demise of thecold war has created deep fissures inthe post-war constellation ofpolitical forces (public opinion,Congress, business, labour andadvocacy groups) which had beenassembled in the 1940s in support ofmultilateralism in the United States– whether “assertive,” “hardheaded” or “benevolent.” Inparticular, the convulsions andoutcome of the Vietnam War haveushered in a new trend ofCongressional assertiveness, whichmay have lost some of itsmomentum but is still giving aunilateral bent to US foreign

policies. The experience of September 11 has alsoheightened the American practice to use multilateral forumsas tools to achieve the national objectives of a “righteousstate.”

The Manichean views articulated by President Bush inhis 2002 State of the Union message were a preliminary-but-clear indicator of that trend. The Bush Administration’sinterpretation of the 8 November 2002 Security Councilultimatum to Iraq is another. Indeed, the unilateral streakunderlying the American concept and practice ofmultilateralism, the erosion of its internal constituency andthe priority now given by the United States to the worldwidefight against terrorism do not bode well for the future ofgenuine multilateralism.

1

A UNU Public Affairs newsletter providing connexionsto the work of the University

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Has American multilateralism a future?

UNUnexionsDecember 2002

The “Point of View” essay series reflects the UNU’s mandate to provide scholarship that clarifies pressing global issues. Thisissue’s “Point of View” was contributed by Jacques Fomerand, Director of the United Nations University Office at the UnitedNations in New York. The views expressed are personal opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the UNU.

United Nations Headquarters in New York (Photo: UN/DPI)

2

O n 15–16 April 2002, the UNUand the Center for

Environmental Technology andSustainable Development (CETASD),Hanoi, jointly held an internationalsymposium on Endocrine DisruptingChemicals (EDCs). The symposium,“Tracing Pollutants FromAgrochemical Use: Focus on EDCPollution,” was the fourth in a seriesof symposiums under a UNUprogramme focusing onEnvironmental Pollution andGovernance in the East Asian“Coastal Hydrosphere” – the region’sfreshwater and seawater coastalenvironments and the natural livingresources contained in them.

EDCs encompass a broad rangeof chemicals that can interfere with

the normal functioning of metabolic,growth and reproductive hormones inhumans and animals. Because EDCsare resistant to natural degradationprocesses, they persist as pollutantsand accumulate in the environment inincreasing levels through the foodchain. East Asian coastal ecosystems,and the communities that depend onthem, are being affected by EDCpollution from a wide variety of land-based sources. Increased usage ofagricultural chemicals, in particular, isintroducing significant levels of EDCsinto coastal and freshwater systems inthe region.

Symposium participants fromEast Asia and invited experts fromaround the world discussed the role ofvarious land-based emission sources

(such as urban and industrial wastegeneration and particularly applicationof agricultural pesticides) in EDCpollution of coastal areas. In additionto several Vietnamese leaders in EDCresearch, experts from Europe,Canada and the United Statespresented the most recent research onthe problem. Researchers from China,Japan, the Republic of Korea,Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore,Thailand and Viet Nam then discussedthe status of coastal pollution in theirrespective countries – based onexperiences from a monitoring effortthat has been undertaken with supportfrom Shimadzu Corporation (Japan)as part of the UNU CoastalHydrosphere project.

UNU organizes EDC pollution symposium in Hanoi

O n 1–3 July 2002, the UNU, incooperation with the European

Forest Institute, University ofJoensuu-Silva Network (Finland) andLithuanian Agricultural University,held an international symposium inKaunas, Lithuania. The symposium,which was attended by policy makers,researchers and representatives ofvarious governmental and non-governmental organizations andindustry, marked the inauguration of anew project on “Research andCapacity Development for NationalForestry Programmes in Countrieswith Economies in Transition.”

The objective of the symposiumwas to clarify the status ofdevelopment and implementation ofNational Forestry Programmes inrelation to the environment andtransitional processes. Countries intransition face major problems in theirforest research, higher education andcapacity building. Some of theseproblems are sector-specific whileothers are due to the overall socio-economic situation.

The symposium enabledparticipants to share lessons alreadylearned about how best to solve theproblems and foster development. Theprogramme included four sessions aswell as field excursions.

All of the main multilateral UNagencies and international financing

institutions as well asmajor bilateral donoragencies acting in forestsector development, underthe auspices of the UNSecretariat for SustainableDevelopment in NewYork, have been involvedwith the design of theNational ForestryProgramme concept. Theaim of this internationalprocess, which has beenunderway forapproximately ten years, isto build an institutionalframework and guidelinesfor sustainable forestsector-based development,both direct and indirect andthrough various forms ofprotection and utilization.

The new projectinvolves representativesfrom 28 countries as wellas several internationalorganizations. The projectwill support thedevelopment of forestry-related regional networksand research projects incountries with economiesin transition, with specificemphasis on thegeographical region encompassingRussia and Central Asian, Balkan,

Central European and Baltic states.

UNU launches new project on forestry

Participants of the International Symposium visiting the highlyproductive and protective larch forest stands (Larix Europea) inDegsne, Lithuania, which were planted in the 19th century. Theaverage height of the trees is 43 metres, and the averagediameter is 52 centimetres. (Photo by L. Jansky, UNU)

3

O n 23 May, to celebrate AfricaDay 2002, the UNU joined with

the African Diplomatic Corps inTokyo (ADC) to host a symposium on“Integrating Africa: RegionalIntegration and InfrastructureDevelopment” at the UN House inTokyo. The purpose of thesymposium was to familiarizestakeholders in Japan with thebackground and substance of regionalintegration efforts in Africa, and toprovide concrete examples from theareas of transport and information &communications technologies. Thesymposium was also intended toprovide input to the on-going NewPartnership for African Development(NEPAD) initiative as well as the JuneG8 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada,and next year’s Tokyo InternationalConference on African Development(TICAD).

H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Ondo-Methogo, Vice Prime Minister ofGabon, and Mr. Noboru Hatakeyama,Chairman of JETRO, delivered

keynote speeches. There wereadditional presentations bygovernment representatives fromSenegal and Japan as well as UNDP,the Japan Institute for InternationalAffairs, Université du Quebec(Montreal) and African regionalorganizations.

The Africa Day symposium is anannual event organized by UNU and

ADC to celebrate the founding of theOrganization of African Unity (OAU).This 2002 symposium wasparticularly significant because it washeld at the time when the OAU wasbeing transformed into the newAfrican Union, and Africandevelopment was to be featured as oneof the main items at the June 2002 G8Summit.

Africa Day symposium focuses on regional integration

In July, the UNU convened a three-day conference on “Conserving Our

Coastal Environment” at the UNHouse in Tokyo. The conference, heldin partnership with the IwatePrefectural Government andUNESCO, consisted of threesymposiums: “Endocrine DisruptorPollution in Asia and the Pacific”(8July), “Coastal Management andSustainable Development” (9 July)and “Marine Ecology andEnvironment” (10 July).

The conference stressed that ourdependence on the life-sustainingpresence of oceans is under threatfrom a range of destabilizing effectsassociated with human activities, andhighlighted various aspects of coastalconservation, rehabilitation andresource management. Discussionsfocused particularly on the threats thatare manifest in coastal ecosystems;the delicate state of mangroves, coralreefs and other coastal habitats is agrowing cause for concern and requireinformed management. Conferenceparticipants shared the lessons that

they have learned in rising to thischallenge.

The conference underscoredUNU’s long-term commitment tofocusing on coastal issues throughresearch and capacity developmentprogrammes, in accordance withChapter 17 of the Agenda 21 and theUN’s 1995 Global Programme ofAction for the Protection of theMarine Environment from Land-Based Activities. The conferenceserved as a showcase for theachievements of UNU and its networkof researchers in developing a betterunderstanding of the coastalenvironment and their conservationneeds. Leading experts – includingrepresentatives and researchers fromthe US Environmental ProtectionAgency; Environment Canada; theMinistry of Science, Technology andEnvironment of Thailand; UNESCO’sMan and the Biosphere Programme;Japan’s National Institute forEnvironmental Studies; the PolarResearch Institute of Japan; theMinistry of Environment of Japan;

and universities throughout Asia –presented their most recent researchfindings.

The conference also marked thesuccessful completion of the secondphase of a programme on“Environmental Monitoring andGovernance in the East Asian CoastalHydrosphere.” Within this project,UNU successfully completed a secondthree-year phase, sponsored byShimadzu Corporation, focused onmonitoring of pollution by endocrinedisruptor compounds (EDCs) in theEast Asian region. The conferencealso celebrated successful completionof the first three-year phase of anotherproject, sponsored by the IwatePrefectural Government, that hadfocused on research on marine andcoastal ecosystems. Ceremonies tocelebrate these milestones were heldon 8 and 10 July, respectively.

The conference in Tokyo wasfollowed by an International PublicSeminar in Morioka on 11 July, andby a symposium on “Man and theOcean” held in Otsuchi on 12 July.

Conference addresses issues of coastal environmentconservation

Mr. Emmanuel Ondo-Methogo, Vice Prime Minister of Gabon, giving a keynote speech at the AfricaDay 2002 Symposium.

4

In 1999, the United NationsDevelopment Programme chose

“Globalization with a Human Face” asthe theme of its annual HumanDevelopment Report. The reportcautioned that while the process ofglobalization has the potential ofbringing great advances forhumankind, markets alone cannotensure that these advances are equallyshared by all members of the globalcommunity.

It is widely acknowledged thatglobal market forces can havenegative effects on the provision ofpublic goods, such as social services,a healthy environment or pluralisticcultural expression. Consequently,there is general agreement that inorder to achieve a just distribution ofbenefits, the negative side effects ofglobalization must be offset byreforms of governance at internationaland regional as well as local levels toensure that all – not just a privilegedfew – have input into the relevantpolitical processes.

In the 2002–2003 biennium, theUNU Peace and GovernanceProgramme is undertaking a numberof activities to contribute to a betterunderstanding of the multiple linkagesbetween the economic and politicaldriving forces of globalization andsocio-cultural development. The UNUCentre in Tokyo as well as variousUNU Research and Training Centresthroughout the world are contributingto this effort, with the aim ofimproving the effectiveness of

political action taken to mitigate thenegative effects of globalization onpeople’s lives.

Ongoing projects include:• “The Dark Side of Globalization:

‘Uncivil Society’ in an Era ofInterdependence,” a project (beingundertaken in collaboration with theUN International Drug ControlProgramme – Regional Center forAsia and the Pacific) to explore anddeepen understanding of the humanand non-traditional securitychallenges of globalization’s “darkside” (issues such as transnationalorganized crime, drug trafficking,epidemiology and communicablediseases, and trafficking in andsmuggling of human beings), with aparticular focus on East andSoutheast Asia, and

• “Contestation of Globalization: InSearch of New Modes ofGovernance,” which postulates that,contrary to the widely held thesisthat globalization is a process ofderegulation, the day-to-dayworkings of globalization and thedemands for international justicerequire greater regulation; theproject (conducted in collaborationwith UNESCO) will show why thisis so and how it can be done, withparticular attention to the roles andfunctions of internationalorganizations.

Events relevant to this theme heldto date are: • a UNU/INTECH Research Seminar

on “The Globalization of

Technology and Its Implications forDeveloping Countries: Windows ofOpportunity or Further Burden?” (20February 2002, Maastricht, TheNetherlands);

• the 3rd “U Thant DistinguishedLecture” by The Honorable WilliamJ. Clinton, former President of theUnited States of America (21 May2002, Tokyo);

• a UNU/CRIS panel discussion on“Future of Sovereignty in Europe” atthe CISS/ISA 4th InternationalConference on “Sovereignty andGlobalization” (5–6 July 2002,Brugge, Belgium); and

• the 2002 UNU/WIDER AnnualLecture (“Winners and Losers inTwo Centuries of Gobalization”) byHarvard University Professor JeffreyG. Williamson.

Globalization-related publicationsin 2002 include:• Policy Brief 5 – Governing

Globalization: Issues andInstitutions, by Deepak Nayyar andJulius Court (UNU/WIDER, June);

• Governing Globalization: Issues andInstitutions, edited by DeepakNayyar (Oxford University Press,July); and

• Globalization, Marginalization andDevelopment, edited by MansoobMurshed (Routledge, July).

More information about andupdates to these projects, events andpublications are available online athttp://www.unu.edu/globalization/index.htm.

Globalization with a human face

The information technology (IT)revolution has significant impacts

for environmental issues – impactsthat must be better understood if weare to map out a course towards asustainable society. Adoption of IThas led to changes in businesspractices, lifestyles and patterns ofeconomic growth. IT-enabled businessmodels, for example, are changingwhere and how we live and work(telecommuting) and where and howwe shop (e-commerce), which in turnaffects energy use in the building andtransportation sectors. The production,use and disposal of personal

computers and other home and officeIT equipment, as well, are havingincreasingly significant (oftenadverse) environmental impacts.

On 19–20 September 2002, theUNU hosted an internationalsymposium on InformationTechnology and the Environment.This symposium, held at the UNHouse in Tokyo, provided a forum forcommunication of knowledge aboutand debate on this new issue.

Individual sessions focused on ITpenetration and its impacts, the effectsof IT on environment and economy,environmental impacts of the

production and use of IT hardware, ITbusiness models and the environment,and activities in industry. Presentersincluded representatives fromacademia (Chiba University, CarnegieMellon University, INSEAD, KeioUniversity, Texas A&M University,Tokyo University of Science, UNU,University of California-Berkeley, andUniversity of Tokyo), businesses(AT&T, Fujitsu and NTT) and otherorganizations (IGES, IRRIC, ShonanEconometrics and SuperconductorInstitute). The symposium closed witha panel discussion by representativesfrom academia and business.

UNU symposium considers environmental impacts of IT

5

In a ceremony on 31 August 2002 inSt. Moritz/Zernez, Switzerland,

Professor Jack D. Ives and Prof. Dr.Bruno Messerli, scientific advisers toUNU’s mountain projects, werepresented with The King AlbertMedal of Merit. This award isconferred on “persons orinstitutions that havedistinguished themselvesthrough exceptional and lastingachievements, in the mountainworld” by The King Albert IMemorial Foundation, aninstitution in memory of thelate King Albert of theBelgians, who perished in arock climb in 1934.

Prof. Jack D. Ives(Canada), well known for hismountain photography, playedan eminent role in establishingthe Mountain Chapter of theUnited Nations’ Agenda 21. Inawarding the medal, thefoundation acknowledged “hislong-standing and deepcommitment to a SustainableDevelopment of the World’sMountain Environments [and]to the protection of their fragileecosystems, to preservation oftheir heritage, and to raisingawareness of their global importance.”The King Albert I MemorialFoundation further cited Prof. Ives’“numerous scholarly papers andbooks, in particular his founding

editorship of the journalMountain Research andDevelopment (1981–2000).”

Prof. Dr. Bruno Messerli(Switzerland), one of the pre-eminent geographers of the pasttwenty years, also played aneminent role in establishing theMountain Chapter of the UnitedNations’ Agenda 21. Thefoundation acknowledged “hisexceptional and tirelesscommitment to a SustainableDevelopment of the World’sMountain Environments [and] tothe protection of their fragileecosystems, to preservation oftheir heritage, and to raisingawareness of their significanceand importance as sources ofwater, energy, food, recreationsand challenge.” The foundation

further cited Prof. Messerli’s“numerous publications, scientificpapers and books” for enhancing thesocio-political relevance ofgeographical research.

Profs. Messerli and Ives were co-

editors of the books The HimalayanDilemma: Reconciling Developmentand Conservation, published in 1989,and Mountains of the World: A GlobalPriority, published in 1997.

It is most fitting that these two

leading figures in the world ofmountain science, who have eachbeen associated with the UNU formore than 20 years, should behonoured for their achievementsduring International Year ofMountains 2002.

UNU mountain advisers receive KingAlbert Medal

UNU hosts WSSDpublic forum

On 11 July, in advance of theWorld Summit on Sustainable

Development (WSSD), the UNUCentre and UNU Institute ofAdvanced Studies (UNU/IAS), incollaboration with the United NationsEnvironment Programme, hosted apublic forum on “The Road to theJohannesburg Summit 2002 andBeyond: The Role of Japan andUnited Nations University.”

The forum was intended to raiseawareness and understanding of theWSSD among the general public inJapan. Participants discussed theimplications and expected results ofthe WSSD as well as the roles theUNU and Japan were playing in theSummit process. Discussions coveredsuch issues as environmentallyfriendly production and consumptionpatterns, water/forest ecosystems, theMillennium Ecosystem Assessment,human capital development andeducation, and partnerships amongSummit participants.

The forum’s morning sessionfeatured a keynote speech by Dr. A.H. Zakri, Director of the UNU/IAS,and a presentation by Mr. SurendraShrestha, Director of theEnvironmental AssessmentProgramme for Asia and the Pacific,Regional Office for Asia and thePacific, UNEP. Mr. Surendra Shresthadiscussed the UNEP GEO-3 Report,prepared for the WSSD, whichprovides an overview ofenvironmental development in the pastthirty years and how various socialand economic factors affect theenvironment. The focus of the forum’safternoon session was a paneldiscussion on “The Role of Japan forWSSD” by leading figures in the areasof environmental politics,environmental economics,environmental NGOs, ecosystempreservation, and media onenvironmental issues.

Dr. Bruno Messerli

Prof. Jack D. Ives

6

On Tuesday, 21 May 2002, theHonorable William J. Clinton

(photo), 42nd President of the UnitedStates of America, delivered the 3rdUnited Nations University “U ThantDistinguished Lecture” at UN Housein Tokyo. Mr. Clinton shared hispersonal views on globalization in thetwenty-first century and addressedsuch issues as global poverty, climatechange, debt relief and the increase inHIV/AIDS throughout the world.

“We have made for ourselves inthe twenty-first century a world thatmost people characterize with theterm ‘globalization,’” he noted, “but Iprefer the word ‘interdependence,’because it clearly conveys that there ismore than economics at work.” Suchinterdependence between nations isbeneficial, he said, citing suchexamples as the unprecedented globalcooperation of the post-cold warperiod and the building of theEuropean Union. But as the events of11 September 2001 and the continuingagony in the Middle East remind us,we are still far from achieving anintegrated global community.

The great challenge of thisdecade, he said, “is to move frominterdependence to integration with a

real globalconsciousness.”This could bebrought about, Mr.Clinton suggested,through creation ofa global securitystrategy andincreasedinternationalcooperation,adding that theUnited Nationswould play anindispensable rolein this endeavour.

The U ThantDistinguishedLecture series, co-organized by theUNU Centre andUNU Institute ofAdvanced Studies(UNU/IAS), is aforum through which leading thinkersspeak on the role of the UnitedNations in addressing the challengesfacing the world in the twenty-firstcentury. Previous speakers in thislecture series have been Dr. MahathirBin Mohamad, Prime Minister ofMalaysia, and Mr. Thabo Mbeki,

President of the Republic of SouthAfrica.

For more information about the UThant Distinguished Lecture Series,including selected transcripts andaudio/video archives, seehttp://www.unu.edu/uthant_lectures/on the UNU website.

Former US President Clinton delivers 3rd “U ThantDistinguished Lecture”

A t the World Summit onSustainable Development in

Johannesburg, the NorwegianMinistry of Foreign Affairsannounced a grant of NOK 15 million(US$2 million) for the creation of anew UNU operating unit to be locatedat UNEP/GRID-Arendal. This newunit will be responsible fordevelopment of a Global VirtualUniversity (GVU), to be implementedby a core partnership betweenUNEP/GRID-Arendal (a foundationestablished by the NorwegianMinistry of Environment to supportthe United Nations EnvironmentProgramme), Agder UniversityCollege and the UNU.

UNU Rector Hans van Ginkelwelcomed the support of theNorwegian Government, noting thatthe GVU “will build upon the work of

the UNU on the virtual university,which has been on-going since 1996.”The GVU will provide scientificknowledge to support prudentmanagement of the environment andto help map out national and regionalpathways to sustainable development.Courses designed to increasesensitivity to finding solutions forenvironmental and developmentproblems, develop expertise forunderstanding the potential and limitsof the environment, and foster ethicalawareness, values and attitudes will bedeveloped in a collaborative, globalnetwork of academic institutions. Thestudies will be online anddecentralized, with a focus ondeveloping countries.

During the initial phase, the UNUoperating unit in Norway andUNEP/GRID-Arendal will establish

the GVU and provide coursematerials. The GVU is envisioned as anetwork organization focusing oneducation based on e-Learning, andwill support and build competenciesrelated to sustainable humandevelopment in developing countriesthrough partnerships with cooperatinguniversities and researchorganizations. New information andcommunication technologies will beused to bridge the digital divide anddeliver up-to-date access to qualitylearning across wide geographicregions at a reasonable cost.

Representatives of the NorwegianGovernment, UNEP and the UNUsigned the GVU partnershipagreement on 1 September inJohannesburg.

UNU joins UNEP and Government of Norway in newenvironmental education initiative

7

O n 23–27 April, the UNU held aninternational conference in New

York on “Working with Farmers forthe Cultivation of Biodiversity whileImproving Livelihoods.” Thisconference, the fourth general meetingunder the UNU project “People, LandManagement and EnvironmentalChange” (PLEC), was organized byUNU in coordination with ColumbiaUniversity’s Center for EnvironmentalResearch and Conservation and theUNESCO/Columbia UniversityInternational Program of Biosphereand Society.

Through generations ofexperiment and innovation, farmershave nurtured diversity of plants andanimals and accumulatedagrodiversity, not only by their choiceof crops but also their holistic

management of land, water and biota.Maintaining or increasing diversity inagricultural production, however, hasreceived little official attention, lessencouragement, and far less fundingby research and agriculturaldevelopment institutions, whose focushas been on increased food productionthrough energy-intensive andsimplified monocultures.

There is increasing evidence thatagrodiverse practices can be asproductive as monocultures while atthe same time meeting human needsfor variety, reducing risk andenhancing the ability to cope withchanges. PLEC has been working witha large constituency of farmers in adozen countries throughout Africa, theAmericas and the Asia-Pacific regionto develop an innovative approach to

promoting agrodiverse farmingpractices through “farmers learningfrom expert farmers.”

Some 60 participants from PLECnational clusters of 12 participatingcountries as well as representatives ofUNU, UNEP, GEF and otherorganizations attended the conference.Participants summarized projectexperiences and lessons, focusingespecially on biodiversity assessment,management diversity, demonstrationsite activity, and capacity building andnetworking. They also consideredproject impacts as well asrecommendations and future plans.

Information about the PLECprogramme and the conference isavailable online athttp://www.unu.edu/env/plec/.

PLEC conference promotes cultivation of biodiversity

On Tuesday, 1 October 2002, Dr.Norman E. Borlaug (photo)

delivered the 3rd United NationsUniversity “U Thant DistinguishedLecture” at UN House in Tokyo. Dr.Borlaug, recipient of the 1970 Nobel

Peace Prize for his contributions toexpanding the world’s food supply,discussed “Agriculture and Peace: TheRole of Science and Technology inFeeding Humankind in the 21stCentury.”

As a research scientist with theRockefeller Foundation, Dr. Borlaug

devoted 16 years (1944–60) to solvingproblems that were limiting wheatcultivation. Working on researchstations and farmers’ fields in Mexico,he successfully developed high-yielding wheat varieties that were

disease resistant and couldgrow under a range ofclimatic conditions. Thesewheat types, along withimproved crop managementpractices, directly sparked a“Green Revolution” thattransformed agriculturalproduction.

The high-yieldingvarieties of wheat that Dr.Borlaug and his colleaguesdeveloped are grown todayon more than 75 millionhectares worldwide. Since1960, due in large measure totheir work, world wheatproduction has increasedmore than two-fold, from 300to 650 million tons, and

helped to save hundreds of millions ofpeople from starvation.

In his lecture, Dr. Borlaugcautioned that the battle to secure foodsecurity for hundreds of millions ofmiserably poor people is far fromwon. Both conventional breeding andbiotechnology methodologies, he said,

will be needed to adequately feed aworld population that has beenprojected to grow to more than 8billion people by 2025.

Dr. Borlaug was the driving forcebehind the establishment in 1985 ofthe World Food Prize, which isawarded annually for outstandingachievements in the fields of foodproduction and nutrition. Since 1986,he has been the President of theSasakawa Africa Association, and asleader of the Sasakawa Global 2000agricultural program in sub-SaharanAfrica has worked with severalmillion farmers in fifteen Africancountries to increase food production.

Previous speakers in the U ThantDistinguished Lecture series, co-organized by the UNU Centre andUNU Institute of Advanced Studies(UNU/IAS), have been Dr. MahathirBin Mohamad, Prime Minister ofMalaysia (June 2001); Mr. ThaboMbeki, President of the Republic ofSouth Africa (Oct. 2001); and theHon. William J. Clinton, 42ndPresident of the United States ofAmerica (June 2002).

For more information about the UThant Distinguished Lecture Seriesand its speakers, seehttp://www.unu.edu/uthant_lectures/on the UNU website.

Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug gives 4th “U ThantDistinguished Lecture”

8

Public forum celebrates 57th UN Day anniversary

On 29 May, His Excellency Dr.Han Seung-soo, President of the

United Nations General Assembly,gave a public lecture at the UN House

in Tokyo. The topic of Dr. Han’slecture was “The Role of the UnitedNations in a Globalizing World.”

The world changed dramaticallyduring the second half of the twentiethcentury, as technological revolutionsin transport and communicationseroded the barriers of distance andtime. National economies havebecome ever-more closely integratedthrough cross-border flows of trade,investment and finance, while amyriad of new actors – from firms toNGOs – are now active participants inthe global economy and polity. Thisprocess of globalization has given riseto new problems and new governanceneeds.

It is an unfortunate fact thatalmost one-third of the people in thedeveloping world, an estimated 1.2billion, live in absolute poverty and

must struggle to meet even the mostbasic human needs. A similar numberdo not have access to clean water.Meanwhile, new problems aresurfacing, some of which are a directconsequence of globalization. Dr.Han’s lecture was intended to enhancepublic awareness of the work of theUnited Nations in addressing both the“old” and the “new” challenges thatface the international community.

Following his lecture, Dr. Hanopened a photographic exhibition on“Water: Mirror of the World” in theUN Gallery. The exhibition – eightywater-related photographs – wasdesigned to provoke, through theuniversal language of imagery, arespect for water as a mirror of theworld and as an essential element oflife.

UN General Assembly president speaks at UNU

Dr. Han Seung-soo, President of the UNGeneral Assembly.

Speakers at the 2002 UN Day Symposium: (from left) Mr. Ad de Raad,Deputy Executive Coordinator, UNV; Mr. Mats Karlsson, Vice President forExternal Affairs and UN Affairs, World Bank; Ms. Akiko Yuge, Director, UNDPTokyo Office; Ms. Mary D. Odinga, Ambassador of Kenya to Japan andRepublic of Korea; Mr. Motohide Yoshikawa, Deputy Director-General,Economic Cooperation Bureau, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ms. MariChristine, Goodwill Ambassador for UN-HABITAT; Ms. Rika Yamamoto,Chief, Project Section, Peace Winds Japan; Mr. Masahiko Ishizuka, ManagingDirector of Foreign Press Center; Prof. Yozo Yokota, Special Adviser to theUNU Rector.

United Nations Day is an annualinternational observance to mark

the anniversary of the founding of theUnited Nations on 24 October 1945.To celebrate United Nations Day2002, the UNU joined with otherUnited Nations system agencies inJapan to host a public forum onThursday, 24 October, at UN House inTokyo.

The theme of the public forumwas “How to Achieve the MillenniumDevelopment Goals: The Roles of theUN System and Japan.” TheMillennium Development Goals, setby world leaders at the UNMillennium Summit in September

2000, represent an ambitious agendaof global targets for reducing poverty,its causes and its manifestations.Specific goals include alleviatingextreme poverty and hunger, halvingthe proportion of people withoutaccess to safe drinking water,achieving universal primary educationand gender equity, reversing thespread of HIV/AIDS and ensuringenvironmental sustainability.

Keynote speakers at the UN Day2002 public forum were Mr. Ad deRaad, Deputy Executive Coordinatorof United Nations Volunteers, and Mr.Mats Karlsson, Vice President forExternal Affairs and UN Affairs,

World Bank. The keynote addresseswere followed by a panel discussioncoordinated by Ms. Akiko Yuge,Director, United NationsDevelopment Programme, Tokyo.Panellists included the Ambassador ofthe Republic of Kenya andrepresentatives from the Ministry ofForeign Affairs of Japan, UN HumanSettlement Programme, Peace WindsJapan, and the Foreign Press Center(Tokyo). Popular entertainer Mr.Tetsuya Komuro, GoodwillAmbassador for the UN Office forDrug Control and Crime Prevention,also spoke and performed severalsongs.

9

Summer 2002 saw successfulcompletion of the third annual

session of the UNU InternationalCourses (UNU/IC) programme. Thisprogramme of six-week courses isintended for postgraduate students andprofessionals with a college oruniversity degree who wish to pursuean international career in public-service or private organizations. Thefocus is on providing them withknowledge and skills for analysingissues of international importancefrom a truly global perspective, boththeoretically and empirically.

The 2002 UNU/IC session, heldfrom 20 May to 28 June, was taughtby scholars and practitioners fromwithin the UNU systems and fromexternal institutions and organizations.There were 53 participants (selectedfrom among more than 320applicants) from 36 countries. In linewith the programme’s aims, thebackgrounds of 2002 UNU/ICparticipants were diverse: 10 graduatestudents, 3 from academia, 3diplomats, 16 working for the UN ornational government institutions, 6working for nongovernmentalorganizations or developmentagencies, and 15 with otherprofessional backgrounds (includingprivate sector companies and media).About one-third of the participantswere from Asia and Oceania, one-

quarter were from Africa, and anotherone-quarter were from Europe; therest were from the US, Latin Americaand EEC/CIS countries. Thirty of the53 participants (57%) were women.

The four courses (each of whichmet for three 90-minute sessions perweek) offered in 2002 were: • Armed Conflict and Peacekeeping

(designated the Yutaka AkinoMemorial Course for 2002),

• Environment and SustainableDevelopment,

• Human Rights: Concepts and Issues,and

• International Cooperation andDevelopment.

The UNU/IC programme is aninitiative by the UNU to implement,as prescribed in Article I, paragraph 7,of the UNU Charter, “the training ofpersons who will serve ininternational or national technicalprogrammes, particularly in regard toan interdisciplinary approach to theproblems with which they will becalled upon to deal.” The courses arespecifically designed to providefurther focused training to those whoalready have a university degree andbasic working knowledge.

The next session of UNU/ICcourses will be held from 19 May to27 June 2003.

UNU completes 3rd International Courses session

On 5 April, the UNU hosted anaward symposium and

ceremony to mark successfulcompletion of a year-long programmeof study by the 2001–2002 group ofUNU-Kirin Fellows. The five Fellowshad studied advanced food scienceunder the UNU-Kirin FellowshipProgramme at the National FoodResearch Institute (NFRI) in Tsukuba.

The symposium, held in theElizabeth Rose Conference Hall at theUN House in Tokyo, focused oncapacity development in food scienceand technology in developingcountries. The 2001–2002 UNU-KirinFellows – Majibur Rahman(Bangladesh), Song Yuan (China), V.Baskaran (India), NaigalmaaBaldandorjiin (Mongolia), and Dang

Diem Hong (Viet Nam) – presentedthe results of their research work atthe NFRI. Dr. Toru Hayashi, of theJapan International Research Centerfor Agricultural Sciences in Tsukuba,then delivered a keynote address on“Capacity building in food scienceand technology in Asia throughresearch cooperation.”

The keynote address wasfollowed by an award ceremony forthe Fellows, each of whom received acertificate and commemorative gift.The Fellows’ advisors received lettersof appreciation.

The UNU-Kirin FellowshipProgramme began in 1993 with anannual contribution from KirinBrewery Company. After the awardceremony, Prof. Hans van Ginkel,

Rector of the UNU, and Dr. KoichiroAramaki, President of the KirinBrewery Company, signed anagreement extending the programmefor a third five-year period (from2003–2007).

The goal of the UNU-KirinFellowship Programme is to enhancethe capacity of food researchinstitutions throughout Asia. Inaddition to covering the expenses offive outstanding young researchersfrom developing countries annuallyfor a full year at the NFRI, Kirin’ssponsorship also supports follow-upresearch activities by the Fellows aftertheir return to their home institutions,thereby enabling them to pass on theirknowledge to their fellowcountrymen.

Award ceremony held for UNU-Kirin Fellows

UNU Rector Hans van Ginkel presents a certificate of completion to a UNU/IC student.

10

A s a contribution to preparationsfor the International Year of

Freshwater, 2003, the UNU incooperation with other UN agenciesheld an international conference on“Sustainable Management ofHeadwater Resources” in Nairobi,Kenya, from 5 to 8 September. Theconference, hosted by the UnitedStates International University (USIU)– Africa in Nairobi, was jointlyorganized by the UNU and USIU, incollaboration with, among others,UNESCO-Nairobi, the United NationsCentre for Human Settlements(UNHABITAT) and United NationsEnvironment Programme (UNEP).

Headwater environments are theultimate sources of water for all riversystems and important reserves ofnatural biodiversity and specialhabitats. Headwater environments,typically found in the highest andmost remote regions of watersheds,traditionally have been associatedwith rugged landscapes, a low level ofhuman activity and isolation frommajor population centers. Today,however, many headwater areas lie on

the front line of developmentactivities (includingagriculture, forest farming,mining, tourism andhydroelectric powergeneration) that jeopardizetheir productivity and purity.The danger is especially acutebecause damage in headwaterregions can adversely affectregions downstream throughchanges in water quality,hydrological regime andnatural resources supplies,thereby exacerbating problemsof social stress and disruptingprecarious livelihoods.

The Sustainable Management ofHeadwater Resources conferenceprovided an international forum fordiscussions focusing on theinterdisciplinary aspects of scientificand applied water resourcemanagement. The aim was to link andshare perspectives from NGOs andcommunity-based organizations,research scientists, hazard-riskexperts, land managementpractitioners and policy makers.

Conference participants discussedproblems caused by land degradation,natural hazards and developmentprocesses, and considered feasibleland management, environmentalprotection and landscape regenerationpractices and policies. Theconference’s objective was tocontribute to the promotion,development and evaluation of landmanagement strategies suited to self-sustainable development of headwaterregions.

UNU co-organizes headwater resources conference

The seven countries of South Asia– Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the

Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and SriLanka – constitute one-fifth of theworld’s population. The region facessubstantial challenges in the areas ofeconomic development,environmental protection, democraticgovernance, intra- and inter-stateconflicts, and new security issues. Thescale of the problems, and theirpotential spill-over effects to the restof the world, make it imperative thatboth the South Asian countries andthe international community addressthe issues effectively and in anintegrated manner.

The Charter of the United Nationsstipulates the maintenance ofinternational peace and security aswell as the promotion of social andeconomic advancement as two of theUN’s core purposes. In both of theseareas, South Asia presents defining,cross-cutting challenges to the UNsystem.

On 27–28 May, the UNU, in

collaboration with the UN agenciesand the South Asian embassies inJapan, held an internationalconference on “The United Nationsand South Asia” at the UN House inTokyo. The conference focused onissues of particular relevance to theregion and explored the potential forimprovement in both domestic andinternational efforts at alleviating theproblems of South Asia.

The conference featured keynotespeeches by I.K. Gujral, former Prime

Minister of India (read by the IndianAmbassador to Japan), and SartajAziz, former Foreign Minister ofPakistan. Their addresses werefollowed by plenary speeches onpoverty alleviation, the future ofnuclear weapons in South Asia, andthe SAARC as a framework forregional cooperation. Working groupsessions focused on such topics asgovernance, national security, humansecurity, environmental security, thelinks between environment anddevelopment, insurgency andterrorism, South Asian contributionsto UN peacekeeping, and aid, tradeand regional development. Closingpanel discussions addressed the topicsof South Asia after Afghanistan andIndia-Pakistan relations. The SouthAsian Ambassadors to Japan deliveredclosing remarks.

More information about theconference is available online athttp://www.unu.edu/p&g/UN-southasia/.

Conference considers UN role in South Asia

Mr. Sartaj Aziz, former Foreign Minister ofPakistan.

Headwater regions in Southern Moravia highland, CzechRepublic. The forest plays an important role in protecting thequality and quantity of freshwater resources in this semi-mountainous region. (Photo by L. Jansky, UNU)

The summer 2002 issue (volume16, no. 3) of Work in Progress, a

review of the research activities of theUNU, focuses on the core mission ofthe UNU Peace and GovernanceProgramme. This 36-page issue,published in English and Japanese,contains 11 articles that reflect themulti-faceted, multi-disciplinarynature of the international securityagenda.

It is now acknowledged that“international security” depends asmuch on “domestic” as on“international” factors, and that itincorporates not only military andpolitical aspects but economic, socialand environmental concerns as well.Refugees and human displacement,human rights and “humanitarian”

intervention, terrorism, “humansecurity,” civil society, globalization,environmental problems, the roles ofprivate commercial actors - all ofthese impact the expanding sphere ofinternational security. Increasingly,the focus of “international security” ison the protection of individuals ratherthan “borders.”

The articles in Work in Progressvolume 16, no. 3, are:• “An International Perspective on

Global Terrorism” • “Human Security in the New

Millennium” • “Refugee Movements as Grounds

for International Action”• “Ethics in Action: Assessing the

Activities of Human Rights andHumanitarian INGOs”

• “Civil Society and Global Finance:Contributions and Challenges”

• “Corporate Social Responsibility”• “Non-Traditional Security and the

Environment in Northeast Asia”• “The United Nations Role in

Democratization”• “The Challenge of Human Rights in

Societies in Transition”• “The United Nations Intellectual

History Project”• “The Responsibility to Protect:

Report of the InternationalCommission on Intervention andState Sovereignty.”

This and other recent issues ofWork in Progress are available onlineat http://www.unu.edu/hq/ginfo/wip/wipindex.html.

11

The final major event to cap theInternational Year of Mountains

(IYM2002) – the Bishkek GlobalMountain Summit – was held inBishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, from 29October to 1 November 2002. Thesummit, organized jointly by theKyrgyz Republic, the United NationsEnvironment Programme (UNEP),and the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations(FAO), with support from UNU, theSwiss Agency for Development andCooperation, Aga Khan DevelopmentNetwork, and a number of variousother UN agencies, governmental andnon-governmental organizations, drewnearly 600 participants from some 60countries. As one of the majorcontributors and collaborators to thesummit, UNU sent a delegation topresent its mountain policy brief“Mountain Momentum: Agenda forToday and Policy beyond IYM2002.”

Mountains form one of the mostvulnerable bio-geographical regionson the planet. Extensive over-use andabuse of mountain environments andresources includes not onlydeforestation, over-grazing and soil-erosion but also loss of people,indigenous cultures and traditions aswell as the threat of plant and animalextinctions. A high proportion of theworld’s poor are mountain dwellers

who face serious food shortages andinadequate access to health andeducation facilities. They alsoexperience a disproportionate share ofthe world’s armed conflicts, guerrillawarfare and political instability, andsince many mountain people aremembers of ethnic minorities, thereare widespread incidents ofmistreatment and abuse at the handsof ruling elites.

The Bishkek Global MountainSummit was the culminating globalevent to sum up the initiatives andefforts for sustainable mountaindevelopment that have been generatedin the years leading up to IYM2002. Awide range of issues were addressedduring the summit plenary andthematic sessions, including“international and national policiesand instruments,” “sustainabledevelopment of mountain regionaleconomies,” “mountain culture andcivil society,” “science, technologyand education,” “the challenges ofmountain environments,” “conflictsand peace in mountain regions,” andmany more. The participants of thesummit also discussed concreteactions to ensure sustainabledevelopment and management ofmountain regions in the twenty-firstcentury.

Final outputs of the summit

include the “Bishkek MountainPlatform,” a framework of actionsincorporating key recommendationsfrom summit presentations and otherprevious IYM2002 events across theworld. It aims at enabling all thestakeholders and others to act togetherat all levels, from local to global, toimprove the livelihoods of mountainpeople, to protect mountainecosystems and to use mountainresources more wisely. At the sametime, the International Partnership forSustainable Development of MountainRegions – which was officiallylaunched at the World Summit onSustainable Development inJohannesburg earlier in the year – wasfurther strengthened and consolidatedat this summit. This Partnership is tobring together national governments,international organizations and othermajor groups to help take concreteactions aiming at sustainablemountain development.

Therefore, the Bishkek GlobalMountain Summit was not just apageant to conclude the IYM2002, butalso a fresh beginning to all thoseliving and working in mountains,including UNU with its quarter-century of experience in mountainresearch and capacity development.

UNU boosts momentum at Bishkek Global MountainSummit

Latest highlights UNU research on securityWork in Progress

United Nations University Press ensured

maximum visibility of theUNU at the World Summiton Sustainable Development(WSSD) held inJohannesburg, South Africa,in August with a series of noless than three displays.Working closely withWSSD organizers, UnitedNations PublicationsGeneva, and local SouthAfrican partner anddistributor PraesidiumBooks, UNU Press made aconsiderable impact on thetens of thousands ofdelegates, NGOrepresentatives and localSouth Africans.

UNU Press securedprime locations fordisplaying and selling publications inthe two main venues: SantonInternational Conference Centre andthe Ubuntu Village. The locations,content and promotion ensured thatUNU Press had the same highvisibility as United NationsPublications. This helped to promoteits key titles and also generated stronginterest in UNU documents andprogrammes (such as the Inter-Linkages Initiative).

The UNU Press exhibit atSandton International ConferenceCentre was ideally located fordelegates to all of the main sessionswhere key policy issues were decided.

It proved to be a great success, both interms of sales of UNU Presspublications to government delegatesand as a means of providinginformation to the various governmentbodies and NGOs about the work ofthe UNU.

In contrast to the “internationalflavour” of Sandton, the UbuntuVillage site provided an ideal settingfor bringing the role and work of theUNU and the publications of UNUPress to the local community,including South African-based NGOs.UNU Press was highly visible in theinternational exhibit, located in whatwas described as the largest tent in the

world, and also in the South AfricanPavilion, again working in tandemwith United Nations Publications.

Over the course of the Summit,sales at the UNU Press exhibitsamounted to well over US$40,000. Inaddition, many orders were taken forsold-out titles and for books thatparticipants wished to have shipped.Thus, the displays not only recoveredtheir own costs but also repaid theconsiderable efforts of the organizersby effectively promoting the work ofthe UNU and UNU Press, particularlyin areas relevant to sustainabledevelopment.

12

UNU Press secures maximum visibility for UNUsustainable development initiatives at World Summit

In July, the UNU signed anagreement of cooperation with

Shimadzu Corporation of Kyoto toembark on a three-year (2002–2005)project on “Environmental Monitoringand Governance in the East AsianHydrosphere.” The main focus of theproject is to be on the monitoring ofPersistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)in rivers and freshwater bodies closeto coastal areas. The objective isdevelopment of an early-warningsystem to counter and minimizeenvironmental pollution through

periodic and systematic monitoring.The project agreement was signed

by UNU Rector Prof. Hans vanGinkel and Mr. Hidetoshi Yajima,President and CEO of ShimadzuCorp., at the UN House in Tokyo onMonday, 15 July 2002.

Water bodies, particularly coastalareas, are at high risk of pollutionfrom land-based sources. POPs, whichinclude several categories ofchemicals that can cause cancers anddisrupt the normal functioning ofhormones in humans and animals, are

of major concern because they arehighly resistant to natural degradationprocesses and thus persist in theenvironment.

Partner countries in the projectinclude China, Indonesia, Japan, theRepublic of Korea, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Singapore, Thailand andViet Nam. Selected researchinstitutions in these countries havebeen engaged since 1996 in a UNU-managed environmental monitoringand analysis programme, alsosponsored by Shimadzu Corporation.

UNU, Shimadzu Corp. sign environmental monitoringagreement

UNU Press exhibit at Ubuntu Village: bringing the UNU's work to the local populace.

UNU Rector Hans van Ginkelreappointed to 2nd term

13

In September, United NationsSecretary-General Kofi Annan,

following consultations with theUNESCO Director-General and basedon a recommendation by theGoverning Council of the UNU,reappointed Professor Hans vanGinkel to a second five-year term as

Rector of the United NationsUniversity. The reappointment waseffective from 1 September 2002.

Prof. van Ginkel became UNU’sfourth Rector in 1997. During his firstterm as Rector, UNU has broadenedthe outreach of its ongoing projectsand developed new initiatives withintwo broad programme areas: peaceand governance, and environment andsustainable development. This work iscarried out through the UNUHeadquarters in Tokyo and through13 research and training centres andprogrammes located around the world.In the current (2002–2003) biennium,the UNU is endeavouring tostrengthen its capacity developmentprogrammes and its virtualuniversity/online activities, and is alsoplacing renewed emphasis on its workin Africa.

Prof. van Ginkel is a national ofthe Netherlands. Prior to joining theUNU in 1997, he served for 11 yearsas Rector of Utrecht University (theNetherlands). A full biography ofProf. Van Ginkel can be found onlineat http://www.unu.edu/hq/rector_office/rector-cvL.html.

The Central Food TechnologicalResearch Institute (CFTRI) in

Mysore, India – a constituentlaboratory of the Council of Scientificand Industrial Research (CSIR), NewDelhi, India – reported in May that ithad filed 100 patents in just one year.The patents cover advances in a widerange of fields, including fruits andvegetables, grain science andtechnology, convenience foods,plantation products, flour milling andbaking, biotechnology, equipment andfabrication, and processed foods.

A patent represents recognition bysociety, through a legal system, ofintellectual innovation that can beutilized by industry or business tobenefit humankind. Patents also serveas a quantifiable measure of“innovativeness” and an index ofperformance among scientificinstitutions. The milestone of 100patents filed in a single year achieved

by CFTRI is a first for any CSIRinstitution and is believed to be aunique achievement by any scientificinstitution in India.

In addition to filing 100 patents inIndia last year, CFTRI also filed 61patents in foreign countries, includingthe USA, Canada, Brazil, and nationsthroughout Asia and Africa.

CFTRI, led by Director Dr. V.Prakash, plays a major role in terms ofprotecting intellectual property rightsof traditional foods as well as in themethods by which these foods arecommercially processed for betterflavour and storage quality. Theinstitute is committed to helpingprotect Indian heritage and culture toensure that India remains one of theleading countries in intellectualknowledge.

CFTRI has been associated withthe UNU for more than 20 years. Theinstitute has hosted numerous trainees

CFTRI files 100 patents in one year

Roundtableseminar exploresyouth culture inJapan

On 8 October, the UNU hosted aroundtable seminar on “Youth

Culture in Japan” at the UN House inTokyo. The seminar, which conveneda diverse range of experts to exploresuch topics as consumerism amongJapanese youth and the role of Japan’syouth culture as a catalyst for positivesocial change, was organized by theUNU Institute of Advanced Studies(UNU/IAS), Ishikawa InternationalCooperation Research Centre(IICRC), Temple University Japan(TUJ) and WAKAI (a UNU-TempleUniversity Japan joint project).

The seminar began with two paneldiscussions. The first considered “theculture of cool” among youth in Japan,the impact of new technology onpatterns of consumption and theevolution of global youth culture. Thesecond focused on whether publicpolicy meets the needs of youth inJapan, and how public policies canforge links between youth andmainstream society. Both discussionswere moderated by TUJ sociologistKyle Cleveland. Panellists includedProf. John Clammer (SophiaUniversity); marketing plannerAtsushi Miura; editor/publisherTetsuya Ozaki; music producer/clubpromoter Takuya Yatabe; ProfessorKenichi Kawasaki (KomazawaUniversity); Hiroshi Inayama ofJAFRA (Japan Foundation forRegional Art-Activities); and IICRCDirector Ratna Rana.

Following the panel discussions,award-winning author Alex Kerrlectured on how Japan is coping withconcurrent crises of economicstagnation, environmental destructionand loss of cultural heritage. Mr.Kerr’s book Lost Japan (written inJapanese) received the ShinchoGakugei Literature Prize in 1994 – thefirst time a foreigner author had wonthis prestigious award.

from African and South-East Asiancountries studying on UNUFellowships through the UNUprogramme at Mysore on FoodScience and Nutrition.

UNU Rector Hans van Ginkel.

Enhancing Global Governance: Towards a NewDiplomacy?Edited by Andrew F. Cooper, John English and RameshThakur

This book analyses the means bywhich innovative diplomaticpractices have promoted globalgovernance. It is a dynamic that isparticularly compelling and worthyof study because the impetus for anew diplomacy has not emerged on a“top-down” basis, but rather has beenanimated by sources “from below” inthe international architecture via aseries of cross-cutting coalitionsbetween and among “like-minded states” and civil society.A fundamental theme binding together the 15 individualcontributions to this collection is the question of how thesealternative leadership forms have been expressed throughthe UN system, and the impacts they have achieved.ISBN 92-808-1074-X; 320 pp., US$31.95

Beyond Violence: Conflict Resolution Process inNorthern IrelandBy Mari Fitzduff

After some three decades of often-bloody conflict, whatprocesses of conflict resolution enabled the opposingparties in Northern Ireland to finally move beyond violenceand reach agreement about how to share power? AuthorMari Fitzduff draws upon her involvement in some of theseprocesses and her close observation of others to outline themany strategic developments, arrived at slowly and withdifficulty, that eventually brought the conflict to an end.Her analysis offers many valuable, practical insights aboutother struggles to manage and resolve ethnic, religious,political or cultural conflicts. ISBN 92-808-1078-2; 248 pp., US$21.95

Researching Violently Divided Societies: Ethical andMethodological IssuesEdited by Marie Smyth and Gillian Robinson

This book is the result of an international collaborationbetween researchers in eastern Europe, Africa, the MiddleEast, Northern Ireland and elsewhere. The contributionscover a range of ethical and methodological concernsregarding the conducting of research in war-torn anddivided societies. The authors analyse and critique issues ofimportance to all researchers, such as how the research willcontribute to society or benefit respondents, andwhether/how objectivity can be maintained - themes thatcan potentially illuminate research practice generally.ISBN 92-808-1065-0; 240 pp., US$19.95

Reforming Africa’s Institutions: Ownership, Incentives,and CapabilitiesEdited by Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa

There is not a single Africancountry that did not attempt publicsector reforms in the 1990s, often inpartnership with the private sector.Reforming Africa’s Institutionsexamines the extent to which thereforms undertaken in sub-SaharanAfrica in recent years haveenhanced institutional capacitiesacross the breadth of government.The authors look at the extent towhich public sector reforms beeninternalized and defended by governments, and the impactof these reforms on African economies. ISBN 92-808-1082-1; 440 pp., US$37.95

La Niña and Its Impacts: Facts and SpeculationEdited by Michael H. Glantz

This book is a collection of updated papers from the LaNiña Summit, a meeting of researchers, forecasters andforecast users, held at the U.S. National Center forAtmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. The authorsexamine La Niña – the cold-water counterpart of the betterknown El Niño – and offer a glimpse of the state ofscientific knowledge about cold events and their socialimpacts, which for many societies can be as devastating asthe effects of El Niño.ISBN 92-808-1071-5; 280 pp., US$21.95

Trade, Environment, and the Millennium (2nd edition)Edited by Gary P. Sampson and W. Bradnee Chambers

This book provides an overview ofthe key issues of negotiation at themeeting of Trade Ministers in late2001 in Qatar and beyond. Theresolution of these issues is aprecondition for launching a newround of multilateral tradenegotiations, which many deem as acritical step toward achieving astable multilateral trading systemthat fully represents the interests ofdeveloping countries. The authors,

world authorities in their respective areas, have broadenedand deepened their contributions to the first edition of thisbook based on the failed negotiations in Seattle and otherrecent developments in the WTO. ISBN 92-808-1064-2; 464 pp., US$26.95

14

New from UNU Press

The UNU Press has more than 200 titles in print, covering awide range of subjects including vital issues in the fields of theenvironment and sustainable resource development, peace andgovernance, economic and social development, and regionalstudies. Inquiries about books or requests for the current UNUPress Publications Catalogue should be addressed to theMarketing and Sales Unit (fax: +81-3-3406-7345; e-mailsales@hq.unu.edu).

See http://www.unu.edu/unupress/ for catalogues of newand backlist books and related information.

15

Recent UNU activities

3–4 June, Oslo: First workshop of the UNUProject on “Hard Cases in Corporate SocialResponsibility”

6–8 June, Geneva: Meeting of the Bureau ofthe UNU Council

10–12 June, Geneva: Geneva Research andPolicy Dialogue

17 June, Helsinki: Public lecture on “TheNew Poverty Reduction Agenda: What isnew in it?” (UNU/WIDER)

17–18 June, Helsinki: 18th Session of theBoard of UNU/WIDER

20 June, Maastricht: Public lecture on “LatinAmerican International ScientificCooperation” (UNU/INTECH)

20–21 June, Maastricht: Meeting of theBoard of UNU/INTECH

26 June, Maastricht: Seminar on “Scienceand Technology Policies in Europe: NewChallenges, New Responses”(UNU/INTECH)

27–29 June, London: Cornell/LSE/WIDERConference on “Spatial Inequality andDevelopment”

1–3 July, Kaunas, Lithuania: Internationalsymposium on “The Role of Research andHigher Education in Developing NationalForest Programmes in Countries withEconomies in Transition” (UNU, EFI, SilvaNetwork, Univ. of Joensuu, Lithuanian Univ.of Agriculture)

5–6 July, Bruges: Panel discussion on “TheFuture of Sovereignty in Europe” at theCISS/ISA fourth International Conference(UNU/CRIS)

8–10 July, Tokyo: UNU internationalconference on “Conserving Our Coasts -Control of Endocrine Disruptor Pollution,Environmental Governance and SustainableDevelopment in Asia and the Pacific”

11 July, Tokyo: WSSD Public Forum on“The Road to the Johannesburg Summit2002 and Beyond: The Role of Japan andUnited Nations University” (UNU/IAS,UNEP)

16 July, Tokyo: Public forum on “RecentIssues in Peace and Environment in CentralAsia”

2–3 August, Helsinki: Project meeting on“Micro-simulation of Tax Benefit Reformsin Russia” (UNU/WIDER)

3–6 August, Hamada, Japan: UNU GlobalSeminar on “Prevention and Resolution ofConflict”

12–30 August, Amman and Johannesburg:Global Course on “Leadership for

Environmental and Human Security”(UNU/LA)

23–24 August, Helsinki: Project meeting on“Sustainability of Development Financing”(UNU/WIDER)

27–30 August, Sapporo, Japan: UNU GlobalSeminar on “Information and Media in theAge of Globalization”

26–28 August, Paris: UNU-UNEP ScientificMeeting on “Agrodiversity in Development”

2–6 September, Hayama, Japan: UNUGlobal Seminar on “Cross-border Movementof People”

5 September, Copenhagen: UNU/WIDERAnnual Lecture: “Winners and Losers inTwo Centuries of Globalization”

5–8 September, Nairobi: Internationalconference on “Sustainable Management ofHeadwater Resources”

6–7 September, Maastricht: Lecture on“Industrial Innovation and EnvironmentalRegulation: Toward an Integrated Approach”(UNU/INTECH)

10 September, Tokyo: Public lecture on “AJapanese in In-Belbel Oasis: 40 Years’Experience in the Central Sahara”

10–13 September, Sendai, Japan: UNUGlobal Seminar on “Science andTechnology, Welfare, and Gender: Local andGlobal Dimensions”

18 September, Tokyo: Symposium on“Conflict Prevention and Peace Building inEast Timor: Roles of InternationalCommunity for Nation Building” (UNU,JIIA)

18 September, New York: Researchpresentation on “Capital Flows toDeveloping Countries: Does the EmperorHave Clothes?” (UNU/WIDER)

19–20 September, Tokyo: Internationalsymposium on “Information Technology andthe Environment”

21–22 September, Oxford: Projectconference on “Spatial Inequality in Africa”(UNU/WIDER)

23 September, London: Book Launch:Group Behaviour and Development: Is theMarket Destroying Development?(UNU/WIDER)

26 September, Maastricht: Second annualAmilcar Herrera Public Lecture: “Sources ofInnovation in Developing Economies:Reflections on the Asian Experience”(UNU/INTECH)

27–28 September, Helsinki: Developmentconference on “Poverty, International

Migration and Asylum” (UNU/WIDER)

1 October, Tokyo: Fourth U ThantDistinguished Lecture, by Nobel Peace Prizewinner Dr. Norman E. Borlaug

4–5 October, Helsinki: Project meeting on“Impact of WTO Agreement on Low IncomeCountries” (UNU/WIDER)

7–10 October, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan:UNU Global Seminar on “Building Peace-Towards Inclusive Society”

8 October, Tokyo: Roundtable seminar on“Youth Culture in Japan” (UNU/IAS,IICRC, Temple Univ. Japan)

14 October, Bruges: First UNU/CRISAnnual Lecture: “From Trade-Led toMonetary-Led Regionalism: Why Asia in the21st century will be different from WesternEurope in the 20th century”

16 October, Geneva; 21 October, NewYork: Book launch and presentation:Governing Globalization (UNU/WIDER)

24 October, Tokyo: 2002 UN DaySymposium on “How to Achieve theMillennium Development Goals: The Rolesof the UN System and Japan” (jointlyorganized by UN agencies in Japan)

29 October–1 November, Bishkek, KyrgyzRepublic: Bishkek Global Mountain Summit

31 October–1 November, Tokyo:Symposium on “Clean Energy and ZeroEmissions: Toward a Sustainable Future withHydrogen Energy” (UNU/ZEF, JapanSociety for the Promotion of the Science No.168 Committee)

2–3 November, Cholula, Mexico: Projectconference on “Spatial Inequality in LatinAmerica” (UNU/WIDER)

5–6 November, Tokyo: The Katoomba VInternational Conference on “Capturing theValue of Ecosystem Services: DevelopingMarkets for Environmental Assets”(UNU/IAS, The Katoomba Group, ForestTrends)

11 November, New York: Book launch:Group Behaviour and Development: Is theMarket Destroying Cooperation?(UNU/WIDER)

11–16 November, Monterrey, Mexico:Course on “Genomic Tools for Research inHealth” (UNU/BIOLAC)

22–23 November, Bruges, Belgium:Research conference on “Assessing theImpact of Regional Integration Agreementsin the New Commercial Policy Issues”(UNU/CRIS)

(Continued on page 16)

23–24 November, Tokyo: Junior UnitedNations Eco-Workshop InternationalConference 2002

23–26 November, Kanazawa, Japan: UNUGlobal Seminar on “Environment andDevelopment – A ‘Glocal’ Approach”

25–29 November, Caracas: Course on“Statistics Applied to Forensic Genetics”(UNU/BIOLAC)

26 November, Tokyo: Lecture on “How Canthe Impoverishment of the Poorest CountriesBe Stopped” by Mr. Rubens Ricupero,

Secretary-General of the United NationsConference on Trade and Development(UNCTAD)

29–30 November, Bruges: Meeting onRegional Integration and GovernanceNetwork (UNU/CRIS)

16

Recent UNU activities (Continued from page 15)

7 December, Tokyo: 24th Conference ofDirectors of UNU Research and TrainingCentres and Programmes

9–13 December, Tokyo: 49th Session of theUNU Council

12 December, Tokyo: The 3rd AnnualMichio Nagai Memorial Lecture on “TheFuture of Higher Education in Japan”

13 December, Tokyo: InternationalSymposium on “Islam: Fostering Peace andDialogue in an Interdependent World”

19–22 December, Okinawa, Japan: UNUGlobal Seminar Okinawa Session on “FromConflict to Peace”

2003

3–8 January, Pune, India: TCS Week 2003(UNU/IIST)

16 January, Tokyo: EU-UNU Tokyo GlobalForum on “Children in Turmoil: Rights ofthe Child in the Midst of Human Insecurity”(Delegation of European Commission inJapan, UNU)

17 January, Tokyo: Internationalsymposium on “Globally-IntegratedEnvironmental Assessment Modeling” andformal launch of the GLEAM Forum (UNU,RIVM)

21 January, Tokyo: Public forum on “Inter-linkages and Environmental Governance –National and Regional Strategies and WaysForward in Asia and the Pacific”

26–27 January, Kwangju, Republic ofKorea: International Workshop on “RegionalEnvironmental Quality in the East AsianCoastal Hydrosphere: Environmental QualityStandards and Capacity Development”

29–31 January, Hadano, KanagawaPrefecture, Japan: International workshop on“Regional Environmental Quality in the EastAsian Coastal Hydrosphere: EnvironmentalQuality Standards and CapacityDevelopment, Training Session”

January (date unconfirmed), Maastricht:Book launch: Government, Innovation andTechnology Policy: An InternationalComparative Analysis (UNU/INTECH)

Jan./Feb. (tentative), Moscow: Project

presentation on “Micro-simulation of TaxBenefit Reforms in Russia” (UNU/WIDER)

5–6 February, Dhaka: BUET-UNUInternational Symposium on “Fate ofArsenic in the Environment”

24–25 February, Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture,Japan: World Lake Vision Plenary Meeting(ILEC, Shiga Prefectural Government,UNEP-IETC, UNU and other internationalorganizations)

25 February–22 March, Neuquen,Argentina: School on “Component-basedSoftware Development for College andUniversity Teachers and Developers fromLatin America” (UNU/IIST)

3–5 March, Katmandu: UNU-RIVMInternational workshop on “The Role ofEnvironmental Assessment Modeling inGlobal Poverty Reduction, GLEAM Forum”

13–14 March, Accra: UNU/INRA AnnualLectures

16–23 March, Kyoto: The Third WorldWater Forum (UNU/IAS, JSWE, MOE/J,IGES)

26–27 March, Tokyo: Project conference on“Spatial Inequality in Asia” (UNU/WIDER)

March (date and venue unconfirmed):Regional workshop on “Inter-linkages in the

ASEAN Region”

March (date and venue unconfirmed):Regional workshop on “Inter-linkages in theSouthern Pacific Region”

March (date unconfirmed), Bruges:Research workshop on “Micro-Regionalismin Africa” (UNU/CRIS)

3–4 April, Maastricht: Internationalworkshop on “TNCs, Capability Buildingand Export Performance: Evidence fromAfrica, Asia and Latin America”(UNU/INTECH)

15–16 April, Beijing: Internationalsymposium on “Impacts of POPs from UrbanAreas”

17–18 April, Accra: Biennial meeting ofUNU/INRA College of Research Associates

18–19 April, Charlottesville, Virginia:International symposium on “ImprovingPublic Participation and Governance inInternational Watershed Management”(UNU Centre, Environmental Law Institute)

April (date unconfirmed), Bruges:Conference on “Linking Peace, Security andRegional Integration in Africa” (UNU/CRIS)

1–31 May, Accra: Training course in“Computer Applications to Natural ResourceManagement” (UNU/INRA)

30–31 May, Helsinki: Developmentconference on “Inequality, Poverty andHuman Well-being” (UNU/WIDER)

May (date unconfirmed), Bruges: Researchworkshop on “Exploring the Tensions andSynergies between Regional Integration andGlobal Governance” (UNU/CRIS)

13–14 June (tentative), Helsinki: Projectmeeting: “Long-term Development in theCFA-zone Countries of Sub-Saharan Africa”(UNU/WIDER)

19–20 June, 19th Session of theUNU/WIDER Board

June (date unconfirmed), Bruges: Researchworkshop “Indicator Systems for MonitoringRegional Integration” (UNU/CRIS)

June (date unconfirmed), Maastricht:UNU/INTECH Annual Board Meeting

Forthcoming UNU activities

UNU Nexions presents a “snapshot”of the UNU activities. It is published bythe UNU Public Affairs Section inTokyo.

UNU Nexions welcomes letters orthe submission of articles forconsideration. Address your inquiries orcorrespondence to:

Public Affairs SectionUnited Nations University53–70, Jingumae 5-chomeShibuya-ku, Tokyo 150–8925JapanTelephone: +81–3–3499–2811Fax: +81–3–3499–2828E-mail: mbox@hq.unu.eduWebsite: http://www.unu.eduOnline newsletter UNU Update:

http://update.unu.edu

For the latest information on UNU events, kindly visit ourwebsite at http://www.unu.edu/hq/rector_office/events.htm.