The mission of the UNU is 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. The UNU fosters an environment for the acquisition, advancement and dissemination of policy-relevant knowledge in a spirit of scholarly and critical inquiry for the purpose of enhancing the security, welfare and quality of human life. The method of the UNU - research and capacity-building through a global network of scholars and institutions - distinguishes it both from other UN organisations and from other universities. The mission of the Peace and Governance Programme is to contribute to the promotion of sustainable peace and good governance. The Programme organizes and supports research that produces policy-oriented recommendations for current problems, and also that which identifies longer-term trends and patterns in international politics that hold implications for peace, security and governance. The Programme is also committed to the training and capacity-building needs that arise from this research activity.

A challenging world

This is a challenging agenda. Civil and ethnic conflict, inter-state war, terrorism, poverty, the threat of weapons of mass destruction, the scourge of small arms, the negative impacts of economic globalisation, human rights abuses, and the problems experienced by transitional and democratising societies - these are just some of the problems which confront us. Moreover, the changing political context which lies behind many of these problems makes this agenda ever more complicated. The nature of state sovereignty is constantly evolving. Changing attitudes towards - and expectations of - governance are a source of upheaval across the world. Economic globalisation and interdependence continue to alter - and sometimes destabilise - the international economic order.

These issues and challenges demand a forward-looking, innovative approach, and one that conceptualises peace and security in the broadest sense. It is in this spirit that the Peace and Governance Programme formulates and directs its projects at the UNU in collaboration with scholars, institutions and practitioners world-wide.