Winter 2008
Welcome to this inaugural issue of the UNU Press Newsletter. Serving as a window into the activities of UNU Press, this quarterly update is designed to provide the UNU community with the latest information on UNU Press, including recently published titles, promotional efforts, and reviews of Press books in scholarly journals and other periodicals.
Featured Book
Protracted Refugee Situations: Political, Human Rights and Security Implications
 Edited by Gil Loescher, James Milner, Edward Newman and Gary Troeller
Over two-thirds of the world’s refugees are trapped in protracted refugee situations, struggling to survive in remote and insecure parts of the world. This volume brings together a collection of eminent scholars and practitioners to explore the sources, nature and consequences of these situations. Read more
What’s New
UNU Press now selling UNU Media Studio DVDs
UNU Press is pleased to announce the introduction of DVD documentaries produced by UNU Media Studio to our list of titles for sale. The award-winning documentaries The Voices of the Chichinautzin and The Wisdom Years, both of which show how scientific research can help in resolving complex social and environmental problems, are the first two DVDs to be offered.
 Video is an increasingly important tool in disseminating knowledge to key constituencies and as noted by Brendan Barrett, head of UNU Media Studio, “In the age of the YouTube generation, the UNU recognizes that video documentaries will be an increasingly important media for social commentary and communication on pressing global issues. They are an effective means of advocating solutions to the broadest possible audience."
DVDs can be purchased by visiting the UNU Press sales office (Room 918, UNU Headquarters, Tokyo) or by contacting sales@hq.unu.edu. Starting next year, UNU Press will begin selling DVDs through all regular Press channels, including its website, publication catalogue and international vendors.
UNU Press expanding partnerships with other university presses
As part of an ongoing drive to expand our reach and readership, UNU Press has established cooperative co-publishing agreements with the University of South Africa Press (UNISA) and Manchester University Press (MUP). The agreement with UNISA is for the co-publication of the book The Business of Sustainable Development in Africa, while with MUP, UNU Press will co-publish the books The Political Interests of Gender Revisited: Redoing Theory and Research with a Feminist Face and Full Participation: A Comparative Study of Compulsory Voting.
Events
Secretary-General visits UNU exhibit at UN Book Days
 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the UNU exhibit during the first ever UN Book Days event at UN Headquarters, New York. Mr. Ban showed particular interest in the book National Interest and International Solidarity, taking the opportunity to review the book’s contents. Other attendees also showed considerable interest in the collection of titles on display from UNU Press and were impressed in the overall quality of the books.
UN Book Days, held this year on 9–10 October, is a forum to promote the publishing output of the United Nations system as well as other intergovernmental organizations. In opening the event, Mr. Ban remarked: “As a knowledge-based organization, we know that knowledge is the fuel for progress. This exhibit shows how the United Nations is sharing knowledge with our partners so that we can generate even greater understanding and cooperation.”
UNU Press exhibits at Beijing and Frankfurt book fairs
 UNU Press organized and hosted the joint UN agency exhibit at the Beijing International Book Fair on 1–4 September. Along with the Tokyo International Book Fair, this annual event is an opportunity for UNU Press to act on behalf of UN Publications, WHO, UNEP, World Bank, IMF, and ADB in hosting a joint exhibit.
More information
The Press also attended the Frankfurt Book Fair on 15–19 October, exhibiting as part of the UN family stand featuring 18 other UN bodies. This book fair in particular provides UNU Press an opportunity to meet key partners and forge new relationships. Over the course of the event, meetings were held with UN agency partners, commercial distributors, co-publishers, and local reprint partners.
More information
Institutionalizing Northeast Asia book launch in Tokyo
UNU Press launched the book Institutionalizing Northeast Asia: Regional Steps towards Global Governance on 31 October 2008 at UNU Headquarters, Tokyo.
The book advances the notion of a regional institutionalism as a counterweight to the principle of sovereignty, arguing that cooperation through such institution-building is the best way to deal with the growing intertwinement of global issues and developments as well as needs and interests at the regional and national levels.
Present at the launch were seven of the book’s contributors: Dr. Martina Timmermann, Prof. Jitsuo Tsuchiyama, Prof. Keisuke Iida, Prof. Hiroshi Ohta, Prof. Seiichiro Takagi, Prof. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Prof. Cesar de Prado. Serving as a commentator was Dr. Masahi Nishihara, president of the Research Institute for Peace and Security and former president of the National Defense Academy in Japan.
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Political Parties in Conflict-Prone Societies book launch in New York
UNU-ONY hosted the launch of the book Political Parties in Conflict-Prone Societies on 4 September at UN Headquarters, New York.
The book, which was a collaborative project between UNU, the Centre for Democratic Institutions, and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, examines the growing trend in conflict-prone societies towards promoting stable and inclusive political parties via political party regulation and engineering in developing democracies around the world.
Both volume editors were on hand to launch the book, while in attendance was the Hon. Robert Hill, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations.
More information
Protracted Refugee Situations panel discussion held in New York
 UNU-ONY hosted a panel discussion based on the book Protracted Refugee Situations on 25 November at UN Headquarters, New York. Leading the discussion on the topic of protracted refugee situations and the policy difficulties that have obstructed progress for many years were Gary Troeller, co-chair of the Inter-University Committee on International Migration and visiting professor at MIT, and Brian Gorlick, senior policy advisor with UNHCR.
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ISGI highlights business–society interaction towards sustainable development
UNU Press held the sixth session of the UNU Interactive Seminar on Global Issues on the topic of business–society interaction towards sustainable development on 27 November at UNU Headquarters, Tokyo.
The event featured speaker Mikoto Usui, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tsukuba, who drew upon material from his contribution to the UNU Press publication The Politics of Participation in Sustainable Development Governance to discuss some of the main hurdles that must be overcome to forge a more legitimate relationship between the business sector and civil society in sustainable development governance processes.
Serving as commentator for the event was Makoto Teranaka, Secretary General of Amnesty International Japan.
More information
Webcast
Recently Published
The WTO and Global Governance: Future Directions
 Edited by Gary P. Sampson
The World Trade Organisation is mandated by governments to achieve full employment, a steady growth in real income, and higher standards of living for its 150-plus member countries. Its role is also to ensure the optimal use of the world's resources in accordance with sustainable development. Read more
Institutionalizing Northeast Asia: Regional Steps towards Global Governance
 Edited by Martina Timmerman and Jitsuo Tsuchiyama
With North Korea going nuclear, tensions ever present in the Taiwan Strait, and growing posturing over territories thought to be rich in resources, the question of how lasting peace, order, stability and prosperity can be achieved in Northeast Asia has become increasingly important. Read more
Making Choices about Hydrogen: Transport Issues for Developing Countries
 Edited by Lynn K. Mytelka and Grant Boyle
As a disruptive technology, dominant designs for the production, storage and distribution of hydrogen have not yet been established. Nor have performance characteristics been achieved that would make hydrogen proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells competitive with the existing combustion engine. Read more
The Currency Transaction Tax: Rate and Revenue Estimates
 Rodney Schmidt
The Currency Transaction Tax (CTT) is emerging as a leading new financial instrument for governments seeking to raise large amounts of global, independent, and stable monies. These funds are needed for international development and projects addressing global issues such as public health and climate change. Read more
How to purchase UNU Press books
All UNU Press publications can be purchased directly at the sales office in UNU Headquarters (Room 918) or by contacting the sales office via e-mail, phone (+(81)-3-3499-2811), or fax (+(81)-3-3406-7345).
UNU Press publications are also offered for sale through distributors in 69 countries worldwide, including major retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
The UNU Press publication catalogue is available for free online download (PDF) or by contacting the sales office. UNU Press is pleased to extend a staff discount of 25% to UNU employees.
Reviews
Edited by Edward Newman and Oliver Richmond
“The book is very well written and presented; in taking a broader approach to spoiling it provides an excellent overview of the state of the art of this particular aspect of conflict management. In marrying the theoretical and the practical it gives those at both an advanced academic level and policy-making level a range of issues for serious consideration.”
–Political Studies Review 6, no. 1: 140
Edited by Thomas Hofer and Bruno Messerli
“…the book is an interesting read and the editors have achieved their goal of producing a volume that will be accessible to a wide audience. …the topic is timely and much of the writing authoritative so that despite its diverse content the book manages to be more than the sum of its parts.”
–Environmental Conservation 34, no. 4
Edited by Jörn Birkmann
“Measuring Vulnerability to Natural Hazards: Towards Disaster Resilient Societies is an excellent summary of current research in the measurement of vulnerability. …Birkmann does an excellent job of framing the discussion in his introductory and concluding chapters. His analysis of current issues and future direction is particularly noteworthy and serves to bring the book into focus.”
–Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management 5, no. 1: 6
Edited by Mark McGillivray and Matthew Clarke
“The book showcases alternative attempts to define, measure, and address well-being with various qualitative and quantitative approaches, as reflected by the diverse but rich background of the volume’s contributors.”
–Progress in Development Studies 8, no.2: 204
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