Event Listing for 2010

Open to public & media    Media event    Invitation only

January

2010.01.08–09

Global Electronic Government Research and Practice Community Symposium, Electronic Government Track, Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS43)

Global Electronic Government Research and Practice Community Symposium, Electronic Government Track, Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS43).

2010.01.08–09

Development Methods for Electronic Government Mini-Track, Electronic Government Track, Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS43)

Development Methods for Electronic Government Mini-Track, Electronic Government Track, Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS43).

2010.01.14–15

G-WADI Workshop for Sub-Saharan Africa

G-WADI Workshop for Sub-Saharan Africa

2010.01.18

2010 International Symposium on “Biodiversity Offset and Ecosystem Adaptation”

Recently, biodiversity offset has received increasing interest as one of the economic instruments to mitigate biodiversity loss and has already been instituted in over 40 countries. However in Japan, host country to the 10th Meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP10) for Conservation on Biological Diversity (CBD), environmental assessment policy, or other wildlife species protection policies do not require land developers to offset habitat loss or the land degradation resulting from their activities. Therefore developers seldom consider such matters in their activities and as a consequence Japan is losing numerous important habitats.

Since biodiversity offset has not been well promoted in Japan, this symposium will offer a unique opportunity for participants to learn about it. Leading experts from various disciplines and countries will present case studies and share their experiences of biodiversity offset.

Organized by: Tohoku University Ecosystem Adaptability Global COE: Consortium of Environmental Organizations, United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies, United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace, and the Japan Association of Environment Assessment.

2010.01.20–21

Water Efficiency and Drinking Water Loss Reduction (DWLR) workshop in the Arab Region

Water Efficiency and Drinking Water Loss Reduction (DWLR) workshop in the Arab Region

2010.01.25–28

First Technical Working Meeting – ‘Science in Global Environment Facility International Waters: A Vast and Powerful Resource’

Organized by the UNU International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), and co-hosted by UNU-IIST and Macao Polytechnic Institute.

2010.01.28

Interactive Seminar on Global Issues # 9: Human Security

In this seminar, Professor Michio Umegaki, one of the editors of the UNU Press book Human Insecurity in East Asia, will start out by discussing the notion of people themselves being principle actors in terms of promoting and improving their own security, and continue by considering related questions. He will ask whether people are in a position to come up with well-thought-out solutions to their own security issues.

Following the presentation will be discussant comments by Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa, Visiting Professor, United Nations University, Professor Hosei University and Former Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste. The seminar will conclude with an open discussion with the audience.

The event will be conducted in Japanese, with simultaneous interpretation provided in English. Attendance is free and open to all with prior registration.

February

2010.02.02

16th U Thant Distinguished Lecture

Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, President of Mexico, will deliver the 16th U Thant Distinguished Lecture, entitled “Preserving Our Common Heritage: Promoting a Fair Agreement on Climate Change.”

Webcast

The U Thant Distinguished Lecture Series

2010.02.02–04

Meeting of UN-Water Senior Programme Managers

Meeting of UN-Water Senior Programme Managers.

2010.02.04–05

3rd Indo-German Conference on Research for Sustainability (Water and Waste Management)

3rd Indo-German Conference on Research for Sustainability (Water and Waste Management), back-to-back with Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.

2010.02.09

Lecture by H.E. Mr. Salva Kiir, First Vice President of Sudan and President of the Government of Southern Sudan

Cancellation of lecture by H.E. Mr. Salva Kiir

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed us earlier today (5 February 2010) that the visit to Japan by H.E. Mr. Salva Kiir Mayardit, First Vice President of Sudan and President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS), has been postponed until further notice.

The lecture by H.E. Mr. Salva Kiir, which was originally scheduled on 9 February at the UNU Headquarters building in Tokyo, will therefore be postponed until further notice.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience, and thank you very much for your kind understanding.

2010.02.15–17

6th International Conference on Distributed Computing and Internet Technologies (ICDCIT 2010)

Co-organized by Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, India and UNU-IIST Center for Electronic Governance.

2010.02.22–24

Water and Climate Change Task Force Workshop

Water and Climate Change Task Force Workshop.

2010.02.22

National Workshop on “Adaptation to climate change in Agriculture and Water Sectors in Thailand”

The project ‘Comparative Studies on Development Strategies considering Impacts of Adaptation to Climate Change’ is carrying out case studies in four Asian countries (Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Thailand) in new frontier field of designing adaptation strategies in flood risk reduction and rice production. Estimation and assessment of climate change impact on hydrological processes, agriculture and ecosystem in the case study sites is underway for establishing better understanding and effective implementation on flood management and mitigation in the area, and provide useful knowledge to cope with climate change challenge.

As a part of this project, United Nations University-ISP, Chulalongkorn University and Khon Kaen University will organize the workshop to discuss assessment of local impacts due to climate change in order to proposes appropriate remedial measures in relation to national development plans for flood risk reduction and responses to rice yield changes in Thailand. This workshop is part of a series of regional workshops.

Registration
Registration is free of charge. Please send an e-mail for registration to jkawasaki@unu.edu with: your name; profession (please indicate whether government official, diplomat, staff of international organizations, professor, researcher, student, business person, media, or other); affiliation, position, and office address (organization, company, university, etc.); and phone number.

2010.02.22

Meeting-cum-workshop on “Potential Cooperation between MOST (China) and UNU-ISP”

Representatives of the China Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) met in Tokyo, Japan on 4th December 2009. The objective of the meeting was to strengthen the ties between China and UNU and discuss possible cooperation in science and technology related fields. The meeting was hosted by Department of Science and Technology, the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo.

As a follow-up to this first meeting, the objective of the second meeting-cum-workshop in Beijing is to further strengthen the ties between China and UNU and discuss possible cooperation in science and technology related fields. There are needs and potential to enhance mutual cooperation in promoting science and technology for sustainable development. While there are number of past and existing UNU projects involving Chinese partners, such as Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University and Yunnan University, UNU-ISP has recently launched a major initiative on “UN-CECAR”- University Network for Climate and Ecosystems Change Adaptation Research in response to global change challenges, in which Tsinghua University is an important partner. UNU-ISP has also initiated a twinning partnership with UNU Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (based in Accra, Ghana). UNU would like to enhance cooperation with MOST in science and technology related fields in developing countries, including Africa. Both MOST and UNU have agreed to develop a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) and detailed plan of cooperation through a number of consultation meetings in future to be organized in Beijing or Tokyo.

2010.02.22

UNU-IAS/GRIPS Symposium on Green Innovation and Development

Sustaining scientific excellence under emerging challenges within the context of the globalization of R&D to Asia in the aftermath of the 2008 global economic crises requires new thinking in S&T Policy. How could nations maintain and continue to develop their S&T and R&D infrastructures under these constraints and opportunities? The symposium will bring together academic experts and policy-makers to discuss these challenges and opportunities. Experts from UNU-IAS and GRIPS will also be part of the deliberations. A special segment of the symposium will look at the state of Japanese S&T policy studies, as well as Japan’s strategy of co-operation and competition with its Asian counterparts in emerging frontiers in S&T.

2010.02.23

The 8th Seminar on Dialogue among Civilizations between Japan and the Islamic World

The Seminar on “The Dialogue among Civilizations between Japan and the Islamic World” has been held in Japan and Islamic countries annually since March 2002 to promote dialogue to enhance mutual understanding. The past Seminars had many participants who took part in various discussions from different standpoints. At the next seminar, the main theme will be “Pursuit of a Universal Values Bringing to Mankind Happiness.”

At the Riyadh meeting in March 2008, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia launched his initiative of the interfaith dialogue which was taken by media worldwide. At that meeting and the 7th Seminar in Kuwait, they discussed various ideas for institutionalization of the Seminar. As President Obama of the United States advocated the promotion of dialogue with the Islamic world, now people have growing recognition about the importance of the dialogue between civilizations.

In different civilization of Japan and the Islamic countries, what are recognized as universal values which bring to mankind happiness? Through discussion in the Seminar, each side will try to understand the unique views and values of other side and try to seek what are the universal values which touch the heart of people while especially focusing on economical and social models fostered by each civilization.

Host: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA). Co-Host: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the United Nations University.

2010.02.24–25

Transboundary Waters Task Force Workshop

Transboundary Waters Task Force Workshop

2010.02.25–26

Ecosystem Services Management in Asia (ECOSMAG) Synthesis Meeting

With primary funding from Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), ECOSMAG was established to improve our understanding of the impacts of land management on ecosystem services provided by upper tributary watersheds. The key objectives of ECOSMAG include developing a framework for analyzing Ecosystem Services, analyzing governance structures vis-à-vis the delivery of Ecosystem Services, and identifying trade-offs and incentives for Ecosystem Services conservation. The three ecosystem services focused include hydrology, carbon sequestration and soil fertility with case study locations in China, Indonesia and Thailand.

Since inception in 2008, various activities have been carried out, comprising stakeholder analyses, Ecosystem Services inventory, valuation, modelling and mapping, and governance analyses with respect to flow to different stakeholders. Recent events suggest that ECOSMAG outputs may contribute significantly to several international agendas on Biodiversity, Carbon Management and Interlinkages between Ecosystem Services and Human Wellbeing.

The current meeting will deliberate research findings to date, share concrete results on ECOSMAG and related activities in Asia and discuss outstanding research implementation challenges.

2010.02.25

National Model United Nations Conference

A group of Japanese undergraduate students will come to UNU to practice presentations that they will give as Model UN delegates at the National Model United Nations Conference (NMUN) in New York later this year.

More information

模擬国連会議　日本代表団政策発表会

2010.02.26–28

International Workshop on “Climate Change Responses for Asian International Rivers: Opportunities and Challenges”

The riparian countries need to establish a range of actions to enable them to cope with global changes. Yet, many efforts in the downstream are disconnected from those in the upstream and vice versa. Further gaps exist in these efforts preventing information from flowing up to government decision makers, down to affected communities, and across national boundaries. In order to address these gaps, the United Nations University in Collaboration with Tshinghua University, Asian International Rivers Center of Yunan University and Asian Institute of Technology organized a series of discussion workshops which paved the way to two transboundary symposiums (The International Symposium on ‘Role of water sciences in Transboundary River Basin Management‘, in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand and the International Symposium on transboundary Water and Environment Security for Asian International Rivers in Yunan Dali city, China) and the establishment of a Mekong Basin Research Network to discuss the water management issues by researchers and practitioners in all riparian countries to exchange information freely and learn from each other as an open forum. An executive committee of the network has identified ‘Water Security’, ‘Flood Disaster Reduction’ and ‘River Ecology’ as the three main areas that need to be focused in the coming years.

Under the umbrella of Mekong Basin Research Network, United Nations University, Tsinghua University and Yunan University organize this academic symposium and workshop to identify and update the base of existing knowledge, build on shared experiences, and produce concrete actions to improve regional cooperation in the Mekong Basin. About 35 academics and practitioners will be invited for the discussions in this workshop supported by IR3S. The workshop is designed to achieve two outcomes. The first is on identifying strategies for maximizing positive impacts while minimizing the negative impacts of climate change on different aspect of Mekong River. Considering the uncertainty of future forecasts, the workshop will address impacts under general warming conditions.

Two main sessions will be organized under this objective as:

1. Observation of the climate change impact on Mekong River Basin
2. Adaptation to climate change at regional scale

Research of Mekong River Basin at different geographic areas will be linked to form a regional strategy.

The second objective is to discuss the current status of the areas identified by Mekong Basin Research Network:

1. Water Security
2. Flood Disaster Reduction
3. River Ecology

March

2010.03.01–02

International Symposium on Higher Education for Sustainable Development in Africa

International Symposium on Higher Education for Sustainable Development in Africa.

2010.03.04

Interactive Seminar on Global Issues #10: UN Accountability

In response to the numerous global challenges existing in the world today, effective global governance has come to the forefront of the international agenda. Many expect the United Nations to play a key role in strengthening global governance. Yet, to do so, UN organizations themselves must improve their own efficiencies and effectiveness. In this context, and in the context of UN reform in general, a growing demand has been placed on enhancing the accountability of the UN organizations.

In this seminar, Professor Kuyama, a visiting professor at the United Nations University and co-editor of the book Envisioning Reform: Enhancing UN Accountability in the Twenty-first Century (UNU Press, 2009), seeks to examine the subject of enhancing UN accountability, with a particular focus on the role to be played by global civil society.

The event will be conducted in Japanese, with simultaneous interpretation provided in English. Attendance is free and open to all with prior registration.

2010.03.05

UNU-IAS Seminar Series: Human health risk in megacities due to air pollution: A comparative study

Prof. Bhola R. Gurjar, Associate Professor of the Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee will give a lecture entitled “Human health risk in megacities due to air pollution: A comparative study”.

2010.03.05

Symposium on “Japan’s International Peace Cooperation Operations: General Overview, Legal Framework and Operational Parameters”

The United Nations University’s Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) will organize a symposium on the theme of Japan’s international peace cooperation operations, open to the diplomatic community and Japanese public.

The meeting will be conducted in English.

2010.03.05

MoU Signing Ceremony with Vietnam National University

UNU and Vietnam National University intend to enhance coordination of their work and strengthen cooperation in education and research, especially the field of sustainable development, through a Memorandum of Understanding. UNU Rector Konrad Osterwalder and VNU President Mai Trong Nhuan will sign the MoU at a ceremony to be held at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo. Among other areas, activities will focus on capacity development, staff and student exchange, curriculum development and e-learning.

The UNU Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) and VNU will also sign an agreement building on past cooperation to strengthen higher education response to climate and ecosystem change.

2010.03.08

Executive Workshop on Nanotechnology and Manufactured Nanomaterials: Addressing Risks and Benefits

Nanotechnology—the science of the small—is becoming a significant priority in the policy agendas of many countries. Nanotechnology refers to a range of new technologies that aim to manipulate individual atoms and molecules in order to create new products and processes; for example, computers that fit on the head of a pin or structures that are built from the bottom up, atom by atom. This UNITAR/UNU-IAS co-organized Executive Workshop will discuss nanotechnology and manufactured nanomaterials from both international and national perspectives.

2010.03.08–10

Conference on the “Role of Higher Education for Climate and Ecosystems Change Adaptation” and 3rd UN-CECAR Workshop

The 3-day event will be held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and is organized by UNU-ISP and Gadjah Mada University, with the support of the Integrated Research Systems for Sustainability Science (IR3S) of the University of Tokyo. The aim of this Conference is to discuss how higher education institutions in Indonesia, and the Asia-Pacific region more broadly, can strengthen climate and ecosystems change and adaptation research.

2010.03.15–18

UN-Water’s Perspective on Water Supply and Sanitation and Needs for Capacity Development in Africa

UNW-DPC is coordinating the “UN-Water Seminar on “UN-Water’s Perspective on Water Supply and Sanitation and Needs for Capacity Development in Africa” which will take place during the International African Water Congress organized by the African Water Association on 15-18 March in Kampala, Uganda.

This seminar will focus on the current programmes and initiatives that UN-Water members and partners are currently implementing in Africa in the area of water supply and sanitation. The session will explore the different approaches and perspectives in search of synergies, needs and gaps in capacity development. The presentations in the seminar will concentrate on the most promising approaches implemented by UN-Water members and partners, highlighting especially the need for institutional capacity development and the establishment of cooperation in order to apply the best available technical, managerial and governance solutions.

2010.03.22

World Water Day celebrations

World Water Day celebrations.

2010.03.23–27

Conflict Resolution and Negotiation Skills for IWRM: Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness for Water Security

Conflict Resolution and Negotiation Skills for IWRM: Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness for Water Security.

2010.03.24

How to improve water efficiency in water utilities

UNW-DPC will be hosting a training workshop on “How to improve water efficiency in water utilities” at the fifth session of the World Urban Forum on 24 March 2010. The training workshop is aimed to provide the participants with an understanding of benchmarking as a tool for performance improvement and enable them to select the most appropriate performance indicators to measure performance of water utilities, as well as acquire knowledge and develop various skills relating to water conservation, leakage control and demand management.

The Fifth Session of the World Urban Forum, the main event of urbanism in world, which will be held from 22 to 26 March 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Forum was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing problems facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. The theme of the Forum in 2010 is “The Right to the City: Bridging the Urban Divide.”

2010.03

National Workshop on Climate Change Adaptation Research

National Workshops on Climate Change Adaptation Research.

2010.03

7th Bonn Dialogue

7th Bonn Dialogue.

2010.03

AquaCrop Workshop

AquaCrop Workshop.

April

2010.04

Training workshop for GEF KM:Land project

Training workshop for GEF KM:Land project.

May

2010.05.10

Jorge Luis Borges by María Kodama

The United Nations University (UNU) and the Embassy of Argentina in Japan, with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), are pleased to invite you to a public reading by Mrs. María Kodama, President of the Jorge Luis Borges International Foundation.

Mrs. Kodama, widow of the great Argentine writer, will read selected texts of Mr. Jorge Luis Borges’s books. Mrs. Kodama’s reading will be followed by a discussion session. All the participants are invited to enjoy a glass of Argentine wine after the discussion.

Languages: Spanish and Japanese
Please note that English interpretation will not be provided

2010.05.17

RCE Meeting

The fifth International RCE (Regional Centres of Expertise) will be organised by ESD of UNU-IAS in the week of 17th May 2010 in Curitiba, Brazil, besides UNU-IAS plans to convene the international conference on education for sustainable development during that period.

2010.05.19

UNU Open Colloquium “Coping after Copenhagen: Maximizing Mexico”

To discuss emergent climate change issues towards optimizing possible opportunities in the 2010 UN Climate Change Conference in Mexico, the United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace is organizing an open colloquium on 19th May 2010 aimed at galvanizing the opinions of policymakers, administrators, researchers and the public towards achieving following key objectives:

• Reassuring that climate change is topmost concern of present generation to ensure that future generations also enjoy the similar, if not better, benefits from planet earth;
• Advocating for robust decisions by the governments at all levels, appealing for avoidance of delays, while accepting certain degree of scientific uncertainty;
• Retrofitting policy and public opinions by engaging synergistic thinking and promoting analytical discourse.

Participation in the colloquium is open to all and is specifically targeting at academia including students, researchers, scientists, activists, environmental NPOs/NGOs, administrators, representatives from embassies, international organizations, media and concerned citizens.

2010.05.26

2010 Africa Day Symposium

Environment: Challenges for Africa, the Role of Japan

The annual UNU Africa Day Symposium, jointly organized with the Africa Diplomatic Corps will aim to explore how the African continent and its development partners can address the current environmental challenges, especially critical issues concerning climate change in Africa. Set against the backdrop of COP 15 and held just as preparations are in full swing for COP 16, the theme of this year’s symposium is most timely and fitting.

The symposium will examine the Hatoyama Initiative and how African countries might benefit. It will also provide a platform for views on how Africa and Japan can continue to work together. Prominent speakers from Africa and Japan including representatives from governments, international organizations, academia and others will be invited to participate in this symposium to share their insights and enrich the debate on climate change, biodiversity, and other environmental issues critical not just to Africa’s future, but to that of the entire planet.

2010.05.26–28

5th International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training

5th International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training.

June

2010.06.11

Public Symposium on Climate Change and Education: UNESCO's Role in the 2010s

Cancellation of UNU Public Symposium with Irina Bokova

We regret to inform you that due to changes in travel plans, the Director-General of UNESCO Ms. Irina Bokova will not be visiting Japan next week. Consequently, the UNU public symposium at which she was to deliver a keynote address on Friday, June 11 has been postponed until further notice.

Our sincere apologies for any convenience, and our continued thanks for your interest in UNU events.

2010.06.23–25

International Conference on Sustainability Science (ICSS2010)

ICSS2010 has a challenging central ambition: to map and structure the existing knowledge, methodologies, and research priorities in Sustainability Science. This ambition is motivated by the necessity of contrasting the risk of dispersion and fragmentation that a domain with such a wide range of research interests such as Sustainability Science inevitably runs.

2010.06

Global Media Forum - Side event

Global Media Forum - Side event.

July

2010.07.05

Public Lecture by Patricia Espinosa: Towards Cancún 2010: Setting the stage for UNFCCC COP16

Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mexico

As the host country for the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Mexico is determined to push for substantive agreements from all parties. In an effort to renew commitment by the countries involved, Mexico has taken several steps prior to COP16 in order to ensure success.

Patricia Espinosa, Mexico's secretary of foreign affairs and the chair of COP16, will follow Mexican president Felipe Calderón's February U Thant Distinguished Lecture at UNU Headquarters with a public lecture on Mexico’s efforts to coordinate a global consensus on climate change.

Simultaneous English-Japanese interpretation will be provided.

About the Speaker:
Ambassador Patricia Espinosa Cantellano was appointed secretary of foreign affairs in President Felipe Calderón’s cabinet in 2006.

She has been a member of the Mexican Foreign Service since 1981, and has served as ambassador to Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as permanent representative to the International Organizations in Vienna. Her previous diplomatic career includes posts as director general of the Ibero-American Summit and the Latin America and Caribbean-European Union Summit, president of the 3rd Committee at the 51st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, director of international organizations at the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs, chief of cabinet to the undersecretary of foreign affairs, and secretary of economic affairs at the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations in Geneva.

Ms. Espinosa holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from El Colegio de México, and continued her postgraduate studies in international law at the Institute for High International Studies in Geneva.

Organized by United Nations University and the Embassy of Mexico in Japan.

2010.07.07, 14, 21 & 28

2010 Shibuya Seminars: International Year of Biodiversity – Nature’s Blessing and Our Livelihood

The United Nations University has organized public seminars with the Shibuya City Office since 2003. The seminars are intended to provide opportunities for lifelong learning to the residents of Shibuya as well as those who work and study in the ward. Since their inauguration, the seminars have been attended by more than a hundred people per session. This year’s seminars will be held on four Wednesday evenings in July at United Nations University Headquarters. UNU Certificates of Completion will be awarded to the participants who attended the four sessions.

Co-organizers: UNU & Shibuya City Office

August

2010.08.03

Symposium: Present and Future of African Integration — Towards a New Japan-Africa Relationship

The symposium will feature a keynote address by H.E. Mr. Jean Ping, chair of the African Union Commission (AUC). Following Mr. Ping’s lecture, a panel of distinguished speakers will deliver their views on the future course of Africa and a new Japan-Africa relationship. Panelists include representatives from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), the African Diplomatic Corps and the Japanese business and academic communities. The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

The symposium is organized by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-sponsored by the United Nations University, JICA and JETRO with the support of Asahi Shimbun.

Simultaneous Japanese, English and French interpretation is provided.

September

2010.09.02

Japan-CARICOM Public Symposium on Climate Change and Biodiversity

The fifteen members of the Caribbean Community represent one of the most biologically diverse regions on the planet. But that biodiversity is in serious danger. Most of the CARICOM member countries are small island states which now face growing threats from climate change including more frequent and intense hurricanes, subsequent flooding and erosion, and rising sea level.

In September, the foreign ministers of member countries will visit Japan on the occasion of the second Japan-CARICOM ministerial-level conference. Following the conference, the United Nations University, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and the Inter-American Development Bank are organizing a public symposium on climate change and biodiversity where those ministers will be joined by Japanese academics and experts to discuss these pressing issues and explore further cooperation between CARICOM and Japan.

English/Japanese interpretation will be provided.

This is a unique opportunity to learn from the cabinet level more about the challenges facing this biologically vital region. We look forward to welcoming you to this important event.

Symposium files

2010.09.03

Inaugural Ceremony and Symposium for the New UNU-ISP Postgraduate Programme

Nearly 40 years have passed since publication of “The Limits to Growth”, the Club of Rome's book which warned of the future of humanity and the Earth. Now, efforts to achieve sustainability are underway in various fields.

The symposium will feature a keynote address by Prof. Dennis Meadows, co-author of “The Limits to Growth”, who introduced the idea of sustainability. The lecture will be followed by an open forum, providing an opportunity for the audience to consider the predictions of the book, the current situation of humanity and the Earth, and their future prospects.

The inaugural symposium of the new UNU-ISP postgraduate programme, the “Master of Science in Sustainability, Development, and Peace”, will be held prior to the lecture.

2010.09.06–10

UNU Global Seminar Japan - 26th Shonan Session

The UNU Global Seminars are designed to increase understanding among college students and young professionals about global issues facing mankind today and the role of the United Nations in addressing these. The Global Seminars comprise of lectures, plenary and group discussions, and presentations by the participants. The teaching faculty includes UNU academic staff as well as experts from academia and policy practice.

2010.09.07

17th U Thant Distinguished Lecture: President Rafael Correa of Ecuador

President Rafael Correa of the Republic of Ecuador will deliver the 17th U Thant Distinguished Lecture.

The U Thant Distinguished Lecture Series is a forum through which eminent thinkers and world leaders speak on the role of the United Nations in addressing the challenges facing the world's peoples and nations in the twenty-first century.

English/Japanese/Spanish interpretation will be provided.

2010.09.08

Women Making Peace: Where Are We Now?

Maximizing the Impact of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, 10 Years On

In October 2000, the UN Security Council (UNSC) passed a groundbreaking resolution on women, peace and security, UNSC resolution 1325. Ten years on, UNU is hosting a public forum in which diplomats, scholars and civil society leaders will assess efforts in different countries and at the UN, to ensure full participation by women in policies and practices aimed at successfully addressing violence and building peaceful communities.

The forum will include presentations from experts on UNSC resolution 1325 and its impact, a panel discussion, and the launch of “Women's Participation in Peace Processes”, a book by Kavitha Suthanthiraraj of Global Action to Prevent War (GAPW) published in cooperation with the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). The book will form the basis for an autumn 2010 advocacy campaign at UN Headquarters in New York during the 10th anniversary of UNSC resolution 1325.

2010.09.13

Inaugural Ceremony for the New UNU-ISP Postgraduate Programme

Inaugural ceremony for the new UNU-ISP Postgraduate Programme.

2010.09.13–17

IFAT Workshop, including a UN-Water session

IFAT Workshop, including a UN-Water session.

2010.09.20–24

8th IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering and Formal Methods (SEFM 2010)

8th IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering and Formal Methods (SEFM 2010).

2010.09

Land-Ocean Interaction in the Coastal Zone project (LOICZ), Congress on Risk and Management of Current and Future Storm Surge

Land-Ocean Interaction in the Coastal Zone project (LOICZ), Congress on Risk and Management of Current and Future Storm Surge.

October

2010.10.19

Biodiversity Governors’ Summit

Humanity has been blessed with a wide range of benefits from biologically diverse ecosystems including the provision of food, clothing, wood, pharmaceutical products and natural disaster prevention. Global biodiversity, however, is in serious danger due to human activities such as large scale development, the overexploitation of natural resources, the introduction of alien species, and a lack of appropriate maintenance of secondary nature such as Satoyama which needs to be developed and maintained sustainably.

The tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD/COP10) will be held in October, 2010 in Nagoya, Aichi. The Biodiversity Governors’ Summit, an international symposium, will be held on 19 October in which governors and vice governors from Aichi, Ishikawa, Hyogo, Shiga and Shizuoka as well as academics and experts, will present their approaches and actions for the conservation of Satoyama and Satoumi and its contribution to the revitalization of local communities. Participants will also discuss how we can activate communities which are influenced by the serious impacts of globalization and aging through the development and cultivation of Satoyama and Satoumi ecosystems.

This event is free and open to the public. Simultaneous Japanese/English interpretation will be provided.

Organizers: United Nations University, Global Environment Outreach Centre (GEOC), Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ)

Supporters: Aichi, Ishikawa, Shiga, Shizuoka and Hyogo Prefectural Governments, The University of Tokyo, The Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science (IR3S), Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture, Ecological Society of Japan, Environment Partnership Organizing Club.

2010.10.20

COP10 Side Event: Satoyama Governors’ Summit

Join governors, academics and experts as they talk about advanced approaches for appropriate use and conservation of Satoyama and Satoumi, the traditional secondary natural systems maintained by farmers and fishermen for centuries, and their contribution to the revitalization of local communities.

The conclusions of the Biodiversity Governors’ Summit on the use of Satoyama and revitalizing local communities, which will be held on 19 October in Nagoya, will be presented at this event for consideration by policymakers, academics, members of business community, NGO/NPOs and citizens participating in COP10. The establishment of a local biodiversity strategic vision, the implementation of forest management through a specific local tax system, and how we can activate communities which are influenced by the serious impacts of globalization and aging through the development and cultivation of Satoyama and Satoumi ecosystems will be also discussed.

Renewed and creative action on the appropriate use and conservation of secondary natural environments such as Satoyama and Satoumi and their role in revitalizing local communities is particularly timely now and will only become more crucial in a post-COP10 world.

This event is free and open to all. Participants with an official accreditation pass for COP10 can enter the venue without pre-registration.

Simultaneous English-Japanese interpretation will be provided. Free lunch boxes and drinks will be served.

2010.10.20

COP10 Side Event: Agriculture and Biodiversity

Agriculture is critical to preservation of biodiversity: Nowadays much of the world’s land is subject to human management for production of food, fiber and timber. Contrary to the commonly held view that agriculture is a threat to biodiversity, a large number of agricultural systems can embrace biodiversity at genetic, species and landscape levels. This can benefit food production, livelihood quality, ecosystem services and can help cope with environmental changes.

This side event aims to provide different viewpoints of agriculture linked with biodiversity and discuss how to internationally promote the importance of agriculture for biodiversity as well as the importance of diversity in agricultural practices and innovative approaches to adaptive management of agrodiversity.

Co-organized by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries(MAFF), and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

This event (which will be held in English) is free and open to all COP10 participants. Participants should hold an official accreditation pass for COP 10 to enter the venue.

2010.10.21

Public Lecture by His Excellency Mr. Álvaro Colom Caballeros, President of the Republic of Guatemala, on “Climate change and the Mayan vision”

In his presentation, President Colom will highlight how Guatemala despite having a relatively low carbon footprint has over recent years been confronted with an increasing number of natural disasters. The negative impacts of these disasters are most strongly felt by the poorest and most vulnerable within the national population. President Colom will introduce how Guatemala has developed a national policy on climate change which aims to reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events, to strengthen resilience and to further reduce overall emissions of greenhouse gases while promoting the active participation of the indigenous communities in implementing the policy and its strategies. In his lecture, President Colom will emphasize how Guatemala’s efforts to address the threats resulting from climate change can further contribute to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as other international initiatives while bringing to the forefront the Mayan vision.

The lecture is jointly convened by the Embassy of the Republic of Guatemala, the Inter-American Development Bank Office in Asia and the United Nations University.

2010.10.25

Islamism and Terrorism in Pakistan: From a Gender Perspective

Islamism may have as many forms as the various political movements that have existed throughout human history. The most prominent form of Islamism in the current age is militant/jihadist. Terrorists often co-exist with Islamists and claim their actions to be in the name of Islam. Al Qaeda and the Taliban are well known examples of this genre. At present the distinguishing lines between militants, revolutionaries, and ‘terrorists’ have become blurred.

This event discusses the issue of Islamism and terrorism by looking at the situation in Pakistan from a gender perspective. The two presenters will focus on direct repercussions of militant Islamism and terrorism on gendered living in Pakistan, and how to mainstream gender within terrorism-counterterrorism politics.

2010.10.25–28

4th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance

Co-organized by the China National School of Administration and UNU-IIST Center for Electronic Governance.

2010.10.27

Fridtjof Nansen Memorial Lecture
Erik Solheim on “Climate change and loss of nature’s diversity: new actions and alliances in response to key global challenges”

What happened in Copenhagen and where do we stand in the negotiations in the lead-up to Cancún? What are the possible elements of a future climate change regime? How can we we more strongly recognise the links between biodiversity and climate change, and in an economically sustainable way?

Erik Solheim, Norway’s minister of the environment and international development, will deliver the Fridtjof Nansen Memorial Lecture at UNU Headquarters on Wednesday, October 27. Mr. Solheim’s lecture is entitled Climate change and loss of nature’s diversity: new actions and alliances in response to key global challenges.

The lecture is free and open to all. English/Japanese interpretation will be provided.

Organized by UNU and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo.

2010.10.29

Seminar with Dr. Joseph Deiss, President of the 65th Session of the UN General Assembly

Dr. Deiss will make a presentation entitled “Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in global governance”.

The aim of the seminar is to provide the President of the UN General Assembly with an opportunity to share his views and analysis with members of the audience. The seminar objective is to further enhance awareness on the opportunities and challenges facing the UN system. The presentation by Dr. Deiss will be followed by a question and answer session.

Dr. Deiss was born in Fribourg, Switzerland in 1946. He studied economics and social sciences for his first degree at the University of Fribourg. He completed his doctorate at the same university after which he spent some time doing research at King's College, Cambridge. Dr. Deiss has lectured in economics at the University of Fribourg. In 1983, he was made visiting professor at a number of Swiss universities: ETH Zurich, University of Lausanne and University of Geneva. From 1993 to 1996 he served as National Price Supervisor. He returned to the University of Fribourg to become the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences. From 1999 to 2006, he was a member of the Swiss Federal Council, heading first the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (1999–2002) and then the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (2003–2006). He served as the President of Switzerland in 2004. He was elected President of the UN General Assembly in January 2010.

English-Japanese simultaneous interpretation will be provided.

2010.10

UNU eLearning Annual Strategic Meeting

UNU eLearning Annual Strategic Meeting.

2010.10

Open Science Conference of the Global Land Project (GPL)

Open Science Conference of the Global Land Project (GPL).

2010.10

Open Science Conference of the Urbanization and Global Environmental Change Project (UGEC)

Open Science Conference of the Urbanization and Global Environmental Change Project (UGEC).

November

2010.11.01–03

Capacity Building Workshop on Carbon Governance in Asia: Bridging Scales and Disciplines

Pathways of regional development are sequences of interrelated changes in social, economic, and governance systems. They vary from place to place and over time, in ways that are likely to have different net consequences for carbon stocks and fluxes, which in turn may constrain or in other ways feed back upon development processes. Thus, the climate problem is not just a cumulative and systemic problem at the global level but has different features causes, and impacts at different levels of governance. These mutual interdependencies and feedbacks place demands on the science community to establish a common, mutually agreed knowledge base to support policy debate and action, and to develop integrated systems of governance, from the local to the global level, that ensure the sustainable development of the coupled socio-ecological system.

Asia is a key region which is rapidly growing economically. Asian contribution is already dominating the global carbon emissions. It will play a greater role for global carbon management in the foreseeable future. However, within Asia, huge differences in welfare, governance systems, and carbon emission trajectories exist and thus pose a carbon governance challenge. A better understanding of the carbon management challenges across multiple scales is necessary for Asia, which is less understood, as of now. Such understanding will provide important insights to design an optimized carbon governance structure. In order to address this, the workshop aims at bringing together leading and early-career Asian-Pacific researchers from natural- and social sciences, to enhance their interdisciplinary capacity, stimulate dialogue, and initiate disciplinary synergies toward sustainable development.

The workshop will include lectures by leading scientists in the field, and presentations of the papers of early-career participants, as well as extensive opportunities for discussion.

Organized by the Global Carbon Project, the Earth System Governance Project, and the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies.

2010.11.07–14

APEC

The Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) 2010 meeting will be held in Yokohama from 7 to 14 November 2010. Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation is the premier forum for facilitating economic growth, co-operation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. APEC is an inter-governmental grouping in the world operating on the basis of non-binding commitments, open dialogue and equal respect for the views of all participants. UNU-IAS has been invited to participate in a Yokohama APEC Working Group leading up to APEC 2010, and will be planning to support convening related events during APEC week in November 2010.

2010.11.16

Japan-Iceland Geothermal Energy Forum 2010

Japan and Iceland, both volcanic island countries, are two of the world's leading countries with experience, know-how and technologies in geothermal utilization. The two countries have been cooperating in this field for about 30 years, including developing geothermal power plants in Iceland, and have trained geothermal experts from developing countries through their geothermal training programmes.

Based on the geothermal cooperation between Japan and Iceland, this forum presents an update from leading experts in geothermal energy development and utilization issues. Participants will discuss their experiences as well as future challenges in Iceland, Japan and relevant developing countries.

Simultaneous English-Japanese interpretation will be provided.

To register, please send your name, title, affiliation and e-mail address to JapanIcelandGeothermal@mfa.is

Organized by Embassy of Iceland and United Nations University

Forum Programme

2010.11.26

Public Symposium on Climate Change and Education: UNESCO's Role in the 2010s

Lecture by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO.

If humanity is to deal with climate change in a significant, realistic and sustainable manner, it is vital to acknowledge the role of education. UNESCO has launched a climate change initiative through which it supports investigation and research in such areas as advancing knowledge about climate change, preserving the biosphere, coping with the social aspects of climate change, and minimizing disaster risks.

After Mme. Bokova's lecture, there will be presentations by Won Jung Byun, chief coordinator of the Regional Centre of Expertise on ESD Tongyeong, Republic of Korea, and Hirofumi Abe, Dean of the Graduate School of Environmental Science, Okayama University.

Simultaneous English-Japanese interpretation will be provided.

Organized by United Nations University; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan; Japanese National Commission for UNESCO

2010.11

10th IFIP Conference on e-Business, e-Services, and e-Society (I3E 2009)

10th IFIP Conference on e-Business, e-Services, and e-Society (I3E 2009).

2010.11

8th Bonn Dialogue

8th Bonn Dialogue.

2010.11

Follow-up Conference on Integrating e-Learning in Higher Education Governance in African Universities

Follow-up Conference on Integrating e-Learning in Higher Education Governance in African Universities.

December

No events scheduled in December.

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Page last modified 2019.04.16.

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