UNU Annual Report, 2005 - United Nations University

legitimacy of a network of mutually-reinforcing,flexible, and responsive multilateralmechanisms. A summary of the study resultswas published by the Belgian Royal Institutefor International Relations in January as itsEgmont Paper No. 4, and the complete results(revised to take into account the recommendationsof the UN High-Level Panel Report) werepublished in December.Sustainable development governanceUNU-IAS research focused on the coordinationbetween social, economic, and environmentalinstitutions and the promotion of policyintegration; the effectiveness and potentialreform of institutions; and the role of civilsociety and developing country actors inmultilateral sustainable development processes.A book on The WTO and Sustainable Development(published by UNU Press) was officiallylaunched in December at the WTO MinisterialMeeting in Hong Kong.Within the context of the Johannesburg Planof Implementation, UNU-IAS examined thecapacity of regional institutions to implementthe outcomes of the 2002 World Summit onSustainable Development, with the aim ofinforming policy discussions on the coherent fitof regional institutions into global and nationalprocesses. The project Engaging theDisenfranchised, which examined ways toenhance the participation and influence of civilsociety actors and policy makers from developingcountries, published two policy reports andbegan work on a book.involve cross-cutting themes and variousdisciplines.Multi-themed capacity developmentSome of the training courses offered by UNU in2005 encompassed elements of two or more ofUNU’s thematic areas.• The six-week UN International Courses, heldin May/June at UNU Centre, was attendedby 50 students from 35 countries (including30 developing country nationals); 20 of theparticipants received UNU Fellowships tocover the cost of their participation.Participants could take up to two coursesfrom among “Armed Conflict: Prevention,Management and Resolution”, “GlobalEnvironment: Science and Policy”, “HumanRights: Concepts and Issues”, and“International Cooperation andDevelopment.”• The Joint Graduate Programme inInternational Relations for students atcooperating Japanese universities metweekly from October 2005 to January 2006 inTokyo. Twenty-one students explored the“Functions of the United Nations System in aTurbulent World”, while 22 students studied“Conflicts: Causes, Prevention, andInternational Action”.Ecosystem researchThe UNU/Federal University of Mato Grossojoint Pantanal Regional EnvironmentProgramme (PREP) project on Consolidation ofthe Pantanal Ecosystem Research Network isbased on the premise that the multiple economicand environmental problems affecting thePantanal should be approached by closecooperation between scientists and civil society.The project focuses on three research axes —sustainability of cattle breeding, sustainabilityof fishery, and economic alternatives — that34UNU ANNUAL REPORT 2005