United Nations University Press

15/05/2013

The UNU Bookshop sells United Nations University Press publications and UN souvenir items. UNU Press publications focus on the fields of sustainable development, international relations, human rights, and peace and security.

UN goods include Polo-shirts, mug cups, and pens and are available for purchase. Please kindly be advised that back orders take time.

Place: United Nations University, 2nd floor of the UNU Headquarters building

Opening hours: Wednesdays and Thursdays, 2-5 P.M. (opening hours subject to change without notice.)
Contact: 03-5467-1212

Check out the catalog!:http://i.unu.edu/media/unu.edu/page/000/000/031/UNUP_catalog_2012_13.pdf

11/10/2012

http://unu.edu/events/upcoming/hivaids-and-the-security-sector-in-africa.html

The featured speaker in this UNU Interactive Seminar on Global Issues on 1 November 2012 will be Dr. Obijiofor Aginam of UNU-ISP.

11/10/2012

http://unu.edu/events/upcoming/nato-missile-defence-the-romanian-contribution.html

Romanian Secretary of State Bogdan Aurescu will speak about Romania’s contribution to the newly established NATO missile defence system.

11/10/2012

http://unu.edu/publications/articles/how-can-food-aid-be-more-effective.html

There are multiple issues that must be considered when thinking about the role that foreign assistance can play in fostering food security.

11/10/2012

http://unu.edu/publications/articles/making-a-difference-through-geothermal-energy-2.html

A UNU Geothermal Training Programme PhD fellow looks at the role of geothermal resource development in improving energy access in Kenya.

11/10/2012

http://unu.edu/publications/articles/migration-remittances-and-resilience-in-africa.html

The monetary value of remittances from migrants to Africa exceeds that of aid, and may offer resilience in the face of disaster and conflict.

11/10/2012

http://unu.edu/publications/articles/green-growth-a-win-win-approach.html

Though often touted as a “win-win” approach, green growth may pose substantial trade-offs when adopted into national development strategies.

11/10/2012

http://unu.edu/publications/articles/teaching-disarmament-and-nonproliferation.html

Education can be a valuable tool for raising awareness about and advance the disarmament and non-proliferation agenda.

07/09/2012

http://unu.edu/events/upcoming/transportation-and-safety-for-the-coming-age.html

UNU-ISP and IATSS will host a symposium on "Transportation and Safety for the Coming Age".

07/09/2012

http://unu.edu/publications/articles/prize-to-scientists-working-on-real-world-problems.html

The ProSPER.Net–Scopus Young Scientist Award in Sustainable Development recognizes change-makers whose work addresses real-world problems.

07/09/2012

http://unu.edu/publications/articles/collaborative-learning-centres-set-scene-for-a-green-society.html

Regional Centres of Expertise empower communities to influence local development and to promote global transformation.

07/09/2012

http://unu.edu/publications/articles/after-fukushima-looking-back-to-move-forward.html

UNU researcher Chris Hobson asks what, if any, lessons the Japanese power industry has learned from the Fukushima nuclear power crisis..

07/09/2012

http://unu.edu/publications/articles/water-and-sustainable-land-use-in-the-wakhan-valley.html

Thanks to the PALM project, farmers in the Pamir Mountains are trying new irrigation and land use approaches to improve land productivity.

07/09/2012

http://unu.edu/publications/articles/deep-roots-of-community-resilience.html

The resilience of communities in Tohoku, Japan, provides a lesson on what the rest of the world can do to prepare for natural disasters.

15/08/2012

"Deforestation, especially of tropical forests, makes up 18 percent of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions — more emissions than the entire global transportation sector. The 2007 Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasized that reducing deforestation would be the most significant and immediate way to begin reducing global levels of GHG emissions."

Although it has passed, the UN has declared the 9th of August as the annual "International Day of the World’s Indigenous People". In light of this, the following article was written as an exploration into the implications of the REDD initiative on indigenous communities: http://unu.edu/publications/articles/can-redd-ever-become-green.html?utm_source=home&utm_medium=top&utm_term=article&utm_content=can%2Bredd%2Bbecome%2Bgreen&utm_campaign=unu-ias

If REDD initiatives are to achieve substantial cuts in GHG emissions while also benefiting indigenous peoples, there is still work to do.

09/08/2012

Congratulations to the recent graduates of the UNU Master's Program in Tokyo, Japan. They are the first group of students to graduate from this promising new program offered by the UNU.

http://unu.edu/news/news/unu-graduates-first-masters-degree-students.html

On 30 July 2012, UNU held a graduation ceremony for the inaugural cohort of UNU-ISP master’s degree students, who began their study in 2010.

31/07/2012

A summary of Morgan Tsvangirai's lecture at the UNU in Tokyo.

http://unu.edu/news/news/zimbabwes-prime-minister-tsvangirai-speaks-on-democratization-in-africa.html

Zimbabwes Prime Minister delivered a public lecture at UNU headquarters on democratization processes in Africa.

20/07/2012

An enticing read on democratization in Africa with an illustration of the current state of African politics. Despite tainted examples of democracy in the region, it illustrates that democratization is in fact happening. A hopeful article in terms of the continent's future? Perhaps..

http://www.economist.com/node/21551494

WHICH way will African politics go? The way of Senegal, where the president conceded electoral defeat on March 25th to a younger rival, extending a democratic tradition unbroken since independence in 1960?

19/07/2012

On July 20th 2012, the United Nations University in Tokyo will welcome Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe for a lecture on democratization. "Speaking from the perspective and experience of a political leader who has experienced robust political situations, Prime Minister Tsvangirai will elaborate on the choices and decisions that can be made to support the return to political and social stability in the times of turmoil and uncertainty"

For more details regarding time and registry for this event, please visit our website at: http://unu.edu/events/2012/lecture-by-zimbabwe-pm-tsvangirai.html

Prime Minister Tsvangirai's lecture will focus on democratization processes on the African continent.

18/07/2012

"These diverse speakers were brought together via the Satoyama Initiative — a comprehensive effort to benefit biodiversity and human well-being by promoting the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in human-influenced natural environments (commonly called socio-ecological production landscapes — SEPLs). Sustainable land use has helped to form and maintain these SEPLs, which are found around the world, and which provide the numerous ecosystem goods and services that support human life."

“The Satoyama Initiative and the Green Economy" Rio+20 side event discussed key roles for socio-ecological production landscapes.

18/07/2012

"Perfection is not an option"

Is the withering criticism garners by the recent Rio+20 Earth Summit really warranted? What about the many positive outcomes?

18/07/2012

"Arable land is a scarce resource in this mountain landscape. Only about 1% of the total land area is suitable for growing crops, while about one-third to one-half consists of scrub- and meadow plant-covered slopes that are suitable as pastures. The typical family has just 0.35 hectares of cultivated land (commonly growing potatoes and vegetables) and a small herd of livestock. This means few assets to sustain their livelihood."

In rural Tajikistan, a unique collaboration is mobilizing pilot communities to improve small-scale infrastructure and halt land degradation.

28/06/2012

“For 60 days, my body was used as a thoroughfare for all the hoodlums, militia men and soldiers in the district.… Those men completely destroyed me; they caused me so much pain. They r***d me in front of my six children.… Three years ago, I discovered I had HIV/AIDS. There is no doubt in my mind that I was infected during these r**es.”

UNU-ISP’s Obijiofor Aginam discusses the use of r**e as a weapon of war and calls for effective reparation for HIV-infected victims of r**e.

25/06/2012

Environmental health governance for sustainable development
"Although the relationship between the environment and human health has been recognized since the mid-1970s, environmental health issues continue to challenge human populations. Dynamic changes in the human population, depletion of natural resources and disruption of ecosystems are beginning to have a serious impact on human health, and are changing morbidity and mortality trends."

“This article is part of UNU’s Rio+20 series, featuring research or commentary on the conference’s themes of green economy, poverty eradication and the institutional framework for sustainable development.”

25/06/2012

Foreign aid and democracy in Mozambique
"Carrie Manning and Monica Malbrough posit that, paradoxically, this improvement in governance has come at the price of a weakening of the political processes and institutions that are required for effective democracy."

A UNU-WIDER working paper on aid and governance argues that current aid strategies may have a negative effect on democracy in Mozambique.

14/06/2012

It is naïve to think that women living in extreme poverty will not have to struggle to progress along the road of empowerment. Whether this is through engagement in economic activities, or through mobilizing against the powerful to claim their rights, women will have to work hard.

The Chars Livelihoods Programme (Bangladesh) serves as a case study of the "practical" and "strategic" needs for female empowerment.

12/06/2012

Universities Co-Creating Urban Sustainability

"The sustainability crisis has provoked an unexpected and dramatic response from academia. Until now, higher education institutions have tended to focus on sustainability within their own borders. This has predominantly been via sustainability education, research and designing green or carbon neutral campuses."

Many universities have begun collaborating with diverse social actors to drive sustainable transformation of regions, cities & communities.

12/06/2012

Ramsar Convention at 41: New Dimensions

"Forty years ago, in 1972, the UN General Assembly designated 5 June as World Environment Day — a day to reaffirm our commitment to the preservation and enhancement of the global environment. To commemorate World Environment Day 2012, we present a look at the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty focused on the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources."

Over the years, the Ramsar Convention on wetlands has evolved and the scope of its activities has broadened.

12/06/2012

Checks for Institutional Reform Towards Green Economy

“In order to achieve the adequate depth of institutional change, there is great need to create, adopt and implement new approaches. Recent research and its practical application have paved the way for some new concepts to be adopted in this scenario, such as our Convention-Check, Governance-Check and the Legislation-Check methods.”

UNU-IAS researchers share new concepts for addressing institutional problems that are obstructing the path towards sustainable development.

12/06/2012

"Nature-harmonious society and the green economy"
DATE: 2012.07.05 19:00 - 20:30
Location: Tokyo
ORGANIZER: UNU & Shibuya City Office

UNU and the Shibuya City Office will hold a series of four lectures at UNU headquarters to discuss lessons from Rio+20.

31/05/2012

http://unu.edu/events/2012/towards-rio-20-and-beyond.html

This UNU-IAS seminar will focus on the Rio+20 conference and its focus topics the green economy and governance for sustainable development.

31/05/2012

http://unu.edu/articles/peace-security-human-rights/residual-colonialism-in-the-21st-century

In a world based on equality and self-determination, residual colonial structures nevertheless persist..

31/05/2012

http://unu.edu/events/2012/sustainable-biodiversity-governance.html

Volker Mauerhofer of UNU-IAS will speak on economic, social and environmental factors of sustainable biodiversity governance in Yokohama.

31/05/2012

http://unu.edu/articles/peace-security-human-rights/sexual-violence-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo

R**e as a "weapon of war" in the DRC has attracted international attention because of its magnitude and brutality.