Origins and Background

The United Nations University (UNU) was established on 6 December 1973 by resolution 3081 (XVIII) of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which approved the Charter of the University. The university was originally proposed in 1969 by then UN Secretary-General U Thant. The university, which commenced operations in September 1975, is an organ of the UN and is linked to the General Assembly and ECOSOC.

The UNU is an international community of scholars engaged in research, postgraduate training and dissemination of knowledge to support the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. It has two main goals. One is to strengthen the capacities of higher education institutions in developing countries so that they can carry out high-quality research and education. The other is to make scholarly and policy-relevant contributions to the work of the United Nations.

Toward these goals, the university's work is undertaken through a network of its own research and training centres and programmes (RTC/Ps), and cooperating institutions and individual scholars based in both developed and developing countries. To assist the Rector in his responsibility for the overall university programme the UNU Centre, located in Tokyo (Japan), serves as the central programming and coordinating body of the university.

The University Council serves as the UNU's governing body. It consists of 24 members who are appointed to serve in their individual capacities for six-year terms by the Secretary-General of the United Nations jointly with the Director-General of UNESCO and in consultation with the agencies and programmes concerned. Ex-officio members of the council are the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Director-General of UNESCO, and the Executive Director of UNITAR. The Rector of the UNU is also a council member. Representatives of other United Nations organs and agencies and of non-governmental organizations and academic bodies may be invited to attend council sessions as observers.

The Rector of the university is appointed for a five-year term by the UN Secretary-General, following the recommendations of a nominating committee established by the council and after consultation with and concurrence from the Director-General of UNESCO. The Rector is assisted by the University Centre in programming, coordinating, supporting, administering and financing the overall programme.

The establishment of the UNU's headquarters in Tokyo was made possible by a generous contribution from Japan of US$100 million to the university's endowment fund--a capital fund made up of voluntary contributions. Unlike most UN organizations, the university does not receive annual subventions from the General Assembly or member states. Its income is derived mainly from investment income yielded by the Endowment Fund. In addition, the UNU receives operating and other specific programme contributions for its work. The university's Charter grants it full authority to allocate its funds as it deems appropriate for its programme and institutional development, in accordance with the financial rules and regulations of the United Nations.

Areas of Research

In its initial stages from 1975 to 1981, the university's programme focused on three problems of global significance: world hunger, human and social development, and use and management of natural resources. From 1982 to 1987, priorities were defined by five broad themes: peace, security, conflict resolution and global transformation; global economy; hunger, poverty, resources, and environment; human and social development and co-existence of peoples, cultures and social systems; and science and technology and their social and ethical implications. Guided by these themes under the UNU's First Medium-Term Perspective
(MTP I), the University Centre was organized into three divisions: Development Studies, Regional and Global Studies, and Global Learning.

The Second Medium-Term Perspective (MTP II), adopted by the university council at its 32nd session in December 1988, set out the directions in which the university's programmes were to be developed and the agenda on which its efforts were to be concentrated over the period 1990-1995. The MTP II document aggregated concerns and problems to be addressed by the UNU into five programme areas: peace, governance and culture; global economy; global life support systems; science and technology; and population, health and human welfare.

The Third Medium-Term Perspective (MTP III), adopted by the council at its 43rd session in December 1996, for the period 1997-2001, calls for the university to find solutions to pressing global problems with four programme areas: development, environment, peace and governance, and science and technology.

The university is in the process of preparing a strategic plan for the period 1999 2001. A final revised version will be discussed at the 46th session of the council in December 1999. The draft strategic plan calls for UNU academic activities to be carried out within two programme areas: peace and governance, and environment and sustainable development.

Research and Training Centres/Programmes

The UNU's research and training centres and programmes are coordinated by the University Centre. Activities of the RTC/Ps, together with activities undertaken by the centre in Tokyo, involve a wide range of scholars and institutions worldwide. The university's RTC/Ps each specialize in a particular area. They conduct research and training in-house, as well as in cooperation with higher education institutions in many countries. The university has the following research and training centres:
--The World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU/WIDER), located in Helsinki (Finland). UNU/WIDER was the university's first research and training centre. It studies global economic policies that help improve human lives. Its purpose is to help developing countries form economic policies that lead to robust, equitable and environmentally sustainable growth.
--The Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU/INRA), located in Accra (Ghana), with a Mineral Resources Unit in Lusaka (Zambia). UNU/INRA aims to rehabilitate Africa's natural resources. Its main objectives are to strengthen African research institutions, mobilize scientists and technologists throughout the continent, and empower them with knowledge so that they can formulate self-reliant policy options. The programme's activities are aimed at promoting food security in Africa with a focus on: soil and water conservation and management, indigenous food crops and other useful plants, and mineral resource development.
--The Institute for New Technologies (UNU/INTECH), located in Maastricht (Netherlands). UNU/INTECH conducts integrative policy-oriented research and training on the economic and social implications of new technologies for developing countries. It does this by establishing links to institutions in developing countries pursuing similar research. UNU/INTECH's programmes emphasize research on the economic and social impact of new technologies, policy studies on matters of urgent importance, and the training of PhD fellows.
--The International Institute of Software Technology (UNU/IIST), located in Macau. UNU/IIST helps developing countries strengthen capabilities and become self-reliant in three areas: the development of software, university-led software curriculum development, and participation in international software research. In its programme activities UNU/IIST concentrates on advance joint research and development, and dissemination of public domain software and publications, all of which involve fellowships at UNU/IIST in Macau and partners in developing countries.
--The UNU Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU/IAS), located in Tokyo. UNU/IAS develops original, forward-looking solutions to problems at the interface of societal and natural systems. Its research programme investigates three interlinked themes of environmentally sustainable development: eco-restructuring for sustainable development, mega-cities and urban development, and multilateralism and governance. It also has a postgraduate education programme offering PhD fellowships and short training courses in one of the above three themes.

The UNU also has three specialized programmes. The Programme for Biotechnology in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNU/BIOLAC), located in Caracas (Venezuela), develops and promotes biotechnology in the region. The International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU/INWEH), located in Hamilton (Canada), integrates international expertise into a programme of education, training, research and technology transfer on major issues that relate to water, environment and human health. The International Leadership Academy (UNU/ILA), located in Amman (Jordan), serves as a focal point for the exchange of information and experience among young future leaders of the world.

Training and Dissemination

Between 1976 and 1998, about 1,700 UNU fellows had received training in UNU networks. The university's postgraduate training programme strengthens institutional capacities in developing countries by promoting self-reliant development and providing opportunities for scholars and scientists to be involved in UNU research networks. Fellows are selected on the basis of three criteria: their work must be in an area of concern to the university, they must be recommended by their home institution, and they must be committed to returning to work at their home institution when their training is completed. Besides this type of "institutional" fellowships, some UNU research and training centres offer PhD fellowships in their respective areas of priority. The university also awards fellowships to selected applicants, mainly from developing countries, for some of its training courses and seminars. Such training activities currently include the Global Seminar Series in Japan, the UNU/ILA Leadership Programme in Amman (Jordan), and international courses in Tokyo.

The university disseminates its work in various ways. It has its own press that produces academic publications and operates in the production of five journals. Work in Progress and UNU Nexions newsletters, annual reports, and several brochures are also issued to report on the ongoing research and developments in the UNU network. The full texts of UNU books and other printed materials are increasingly made available in electronic form, such as CD-ROMs and the website.

NGO Relations

The UNU and the Environment Agency of Japan founded the Global Environment Information Centre (GEIC) in 1996. The GEIC is a centre for global projects, networking and information on environmental issues. Its work promotes new levels of cooperation and understanding among nations, key sectors and people to achieve environmentally sustainable development.

The GEIC's global projects fulfil a unique role: creating mechanisms to link NGOs with international policy-making processes. In terms of networking, the GEIC implements several sustainable development networking and information exchange activities, including homepage and database development. It also offers free server space and support for NGO groups worldwide. Concerning public information, the GEIC introduces the public to environmental issues through exhibitions, educational events, audiovisual presentations, news bulletins and networking information.

The UNU would like to increase its collaboration with NGOs that are working on issues related to the university's programme areas. NGOs may at any time submit proposals to the university suggesting potential topics of cooperation. The UNU is not, however, a fund-granting organization.

Contact: Max Bond, Senior Officer, Office of the Rector, UNU, 53 70 Jingumae 5 chome, Shibuya ku, Tokyo 150-8925, Japan, telephone +81 3/3499 2811, fax +81 3/3499 2828, e mail <mbox@hq.unu.edu>, website (www.unu.edu).