UNU at a Glance

UNU at a Glance
Profile of a Unique University

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan Opens "UN House" in Japan

Mission:

"to contribute, through research and capacity building, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems that are the concern of the United Nations, its Peoples and Member States" [see UNU Charter]

Four Key Roles:

An international community of scholars
A bridge between the United Nations and the international academic community
A think-tank for the United Nations system
A builder of capacities, particularly in developing countries

Basic Facts: UNU Brochure [PDF file - 3.9 MB] Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Academic Management:	Prof. Dr. Hans van Ginkel, Rector Prof. Dr. Ramesh Thakur, Senior Vice-Rector; Peace and Governance Prof. Itaru Yasui, Vice-Rector; Environment and Sustainable Development Prof. Motoyuki Suzuki, Special Programme Advisor for Environment & Sustainable Development Prof. Yozo Yokota, Special Adviser to the Rector
Annual Budget:	US$ 40.7 million (2005)
Staff:	211 from over 30 countries
Established:	By the United Nations General Assembly on 6 December 1973 [Resolution 3081 (XXVIII)]
[UN Secretary-General's report on the work of UNU, 2004]

History

Strategic Directions 2005-2008 [PDF file - 627 KB]

Main Activities:	Main Thematic Focus:
Research Policy Studies Capacity Development Dissemination and Communication Knowledge Networks	Peace Governance Development Science, Technology and Society Environment

Structure:

Governing Council:	24 international experts acting in their personal capacities
Headquarters:	Tokyo, Japan
Institutes:	13 Research and Training Centres and Programmes around the world
Partners:	Over 30 UN organizations and more than 100 research institutions globally
Programme Areas:	Peace and Governance, and Environment and Sustainable Development

Thematic Orientation:

Peace Governance Development Science, Technology
& Society Environment

International Relations
UN System
Human Security
Armed Conflicts
Human Rights/Ethics
Democracy/
Civil Society
Leadership
Governance
Globalization & Development
Growth & Employment
Poverty & Basic Needs
Urbanization
Innovation
Info & Bio Technologies
Software Technology
Food and Nutrition
Resource Management
Sustainable Industry & Cities
Water
Global Climate
& Governance

Cross-Cutting Issues
Globalization; Global Public Goods; Human Rights; Gender; Food Security; Water; Focus Africa; China.

UNU Institutional Structure and Focus:

UNU Centre, Tokyo, Japan - coordinates the University's global networks and carries out work within:

Rector's Office, Prof. Hans van Ginkel, Rector
- United Nations University, Office at the United Nations, New York, Jean Marc Coicaud, Ag. Head (unuona@ony.unu.edu)
- United Nations University, Office at UNESCO, Paris, Ms. Caterina Casullo, Head (unuoe@unesco.org)
Peace and Governance Programme, Prof. Ramesh Thakur, Senior Vice-Rector (vice-rectorp&g@hq.unu.edu)
Environment & Sustainable Development Programme, Prof. Itaru Yasui, Vice-Rector (yasui@hq.unu.edu); Prof. Motoyuki Suzuki, Special Programme Adviser (suzuki@hq.unu.edu)
Capacity Development Programme, Dr. Birgit Poniatowski (poniatowski@hq.unu.edu)

UNU Research and Training Centres and Programmes (RTC/Ps)

UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki, Finland - development economics, Professor Tony Shorrocks, Director, (shorrocks@wider.unu.edu)

UNU - Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT), Maastricht, The Netherlands - socio-economic impacts of new technologies, Prof. Luc Soete, Director (postmaster@merit.unu.edu)

UNU Institute for Software Technology (UNU-IIST), Macau, China - software technologies for development, Dr. George M. Reed, Director (iist@iist.unu.edu)

UNU Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU/INRA), Accra, Ghana, with a Mineral Resources Unit in Lusaka, Zambia - natural resources management, Prof. Dr. Karl Harmsen, Director (harmsen@inra.unu.edu.gh)

UNU Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), Yokohama, Japan - eco-restructuring for sustainable development, Professor Professor Zakri Hamid (unuias@ias.unu.edu)

UNU Programme for Biotechnology in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNU-BIOLAC), Caracas, Venezuela - biotechnology and society, Dr. Jose Luis Ramirez, Programme Coordinator (jramirez@reacciun.ve)

UNU International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), Hamilton, Canada - water, environment and human health, Dr. Ralph Daley, Director (daleyr@inweh.unu.edu)

UNU International Leadership Institute (UNU-ILI), Amman, Jordan - leadership development, Dr. Jairam Reddy, Director, a.i.

UNU Programme on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS), Bruges, Belgium - regional integrated studies, Professor Luk Van Langenhove, Director (director@cris.unu.edu)

UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Bonn, Germany - environment and human security, Dr. Janos Bogardi, Director (Bogardi@ehs.unu.edu)

UNU International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - global health

UNU Food and Nutrition Programme for Human and Social Development (UNU-FNP), coordinated from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA - food and nutrition capacity building, Dr. Cutberto Garza, Coordinator (Cg30@cornell.edu)

UNU Geothermal Training Programme (UNU-GTP), Iceland - geothermal research, exploration and development, Dr. Ingvar Birgir Fridleifsson, Director (ibf@os.is)

UNU Fisheries Training Programme (UNU-FTP), Iceland - postgraduate fisheries research and development, Dr. Tumi Tomason, Director (tumi@hafro.is)

Contact:

United Nations University
53-70 Jingumae 5-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925, Japan
Tel: (81) 3 3499 2811; Fax: (81) 3 3499 2828;
Email: mbox@hq.unu.edu
UNU Homepage: http://www.unu.edu/