Office at the United Nations, New York

27 June, 2011

What has changed since Brundtland? Issues arising from the work of the Global Sustainability Panel

In 1983, the United Nations convened the Brundtland Commission to address the serious deterioration of the environment and natural resources. 28 years later, what has the international community been able to achieve and what are the issues today? The UN Secretary-General's High Level Panel on Global Sustainability final report is due at the end of 2011 and this seminar will look at some of the issues that have arisen from their work up to now.

6 June, 2011

The Case for the International Criminal Court

The seminar will focus on assessing the meaning of the institution and functioning of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the evolution of the system of international relations in aspects of humanitarian law, human rights, conflict prevention and globalization.

26 May, 2011

Europe, the UN and the International Order in Transition

Where do Europeans stand in the globalization era? Do they form a new unified, cohesive social group, or do they remain nationalists at heart? Are they ready to play a bigger role in international affairs, or will they continue to rely on the US government? The seminar will offer some insights into these questions, and also engage the audience in a dialogue on these issues.

6 May, 2011

Vision for RIO+20: System Change for Green Economy and Poverty Reduction

This seminar will show how changes in price structure and sustainable infrastructure can lead to poverty reduction in a green economy. The speaker argues that the transition towards a low carbon green growth cannot be realized without a fundamental restructuring of the price structure, by internalizing ecological prices through environmental taxes and environmental fiscal reform. The two core features of environmental fiscal reforms, revenue neutrality and double dividend, are powerful tools for changing the price structure while stimulating economic growth.

29 April, 2011

Global Trends as a Challenge for Global Governance

The recent developments in the Arab world have altered the global political landscape, with inevitable consequences for global governance. In this seminar, speakers Álvaro de Vasconcelos and Luis Peral from the European Union Institute for Security Studies explore how multilateral institutions are dealing with the economic, social, political and security challenges of the democratic transformation in the Arab World.

13 April, 2011

Realizing the Developmental Potential of Diasporas

This seminar will cover a range of issues concerning diaspora communities, including diaspora investment and entrepreneurship, the financial and non-financial channels of diaspora contribution, and areas where policies can effectively leverage diaspora capital to facilitate development. The speakers will emphasize the importance of public policies to widen the role of diaspora in contributing to development. They will also suggest a categorization of diaspora activities and a framework for understanding diaspora diversity and its impact on development.The seminar is part of the UNU Midday Forum Series, which offers an intimate and informal platform of discussion to the UN permanent missions, the UN Secretariat, UN agencies, academia, NGOs and the private sector to exchange ideas on important topics related to the UN.