UNU Headquarters, Tokyo, 19-21 January 1999 The beginning of a new Millennium presents a timely opportunity to consider creative, innovative solutions to the challenges that confront us all. The success of the United Nations, as it faces an ever-more complex and demanding environment, could well depend upon its ability to embrace fresh thinking and realistic reforms. Human Development
Recommendations: http://www.unu.edu/millennium/recco-human.html
Security
Governance
Environment
Africa's Biopolicy Agenda in the 21st Century Author(s): Calestous Juma This paper proposes a strategy for the conservation and safe use of biotechnology (biopolicy) and seeks to place issues of natural resource management in the context of the role of technological change in economic renewal. The paper argues that African countries have the opportunity to use their biological resources as a basis for developing new economic activities. However, this requires a new policy orientation in which they enter into strategic alliances with industrialized and other countries to promote conservation of biological diversity and safe use of biotechnology. The first section stresses that the continent needs to turn to new institutional arrangements for technology cooperation to achieve tangible results. The second section proposes a biopolicy agenda for Africa in the form of strategic alliances in science and technology, with emphasis on agricultural biotechnology and biomedical research. The final section presents science and technology policy strategies for achieving the biopolicy agenda. Url: http://www.unu.edu/inra/pub/AL99.html
Author(s): Patrick Honohan and Philip R. Lane This paper analyses the prospects for greater monetary integration in Africa in the wake of the European Monetary Union (EMU). It argues that while the structural characteristics of African economies differ significantly from those of the EMU members, much can be gained from monetary cooperation as an external agency of restraint and in promoting stability in the financial sector. EMU has only a marginal impact on the net benefits of monetary cooperation, but the euro would be a natural anchor for any African monetary union. Indeed, the most likely route to new monetary cooperation in Africa is via a common peg to the euro. Url: http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/wp176.pdf (PDF 154 KB)
Challenges and Opportunities for Africa Author(s): Derrick L. Cogburn and Catherine Nyaki Adeya. Two of the key characteristics defining the modern historical period are the twin concepts of globalization and the information economy. This transformation - which embodies social, economic, political, technical and cultural processes - is affecting nearly all of the world's people and economies, and creating tremendous challenges and opportunities in its wake. This paper looks specifically at the challenges and opportunities presented by these developments within the context of current African realities. Finally, the paper discusses a way forward for the region, including recommendations for national, sub-regional, regional, and global action and partnerships. This paper was presented at the inaugural session of the African Development Forum hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Url: http://www.unu.edu/africa/papers/cogburn-adeya.pdf
World Food Day Report The continuing degradation of African soils threatens the world's fastest growing region with starvation and poverty on an unprecedented scale within 25 years. Unless action is stepped up, the 48 African nations and territories south of the Sahara - home today to more than 550 million people - will produce sufficient food for just 40 per cent of the projected one billion inhabitants in 2025, according to the analysis released for UN World Food Day. Url: http://www.unu.edu/inra/wfooday.html
UNU Headquarters, Tokyo, 19 May 2000 This year the celebration of Organization of African Unity (OAU) Day had a particular significance. It took place six weeks before the G8 Summit in Okinawa in Japan, and four months before the Millennium Summit at the United Nations in New York in September. Url: http://www.unu.edu/africa/oau2000.html
Compiled by: Julius Court - Programme Officer, Office of the Rector (court@hq.unu.edu) John Datsomor - Webmaster (datsomor@hq.unu.edu)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||