United Nations

These Policy Notes concentrate on critical areas where other sourcebooks and guidelines do not adequately reflect alternative policy options, international agreements and development goals, and the latest research evidence, including on the likely costs and trade-offs that such options entail. They focus on employment to generating macroeconomic policies, inclusive finance for development, reform of state-owned enterprises, trade policy, investment and technology (industrial) policies, and social policy.

A report of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.

The publication presents panel presentations and plenary discussions from interested delegations which resulted in important convergence of opinions. The area of focus of the presentation was “Ecosystem approaches and oceans”. 20 individual panelists made presentations on the various aspects of the topic. The presentations demonstrate that a lot more is happening than had been understood. Nonetheless, a lot is still to be done, in particular, to deal with issues on the high seas where knowledge and governance systems are weak.

The United Nations Today, formerly the Basic Facts about the UN, reflects the multitude of ways in which the United Nations touches the lives of people everywhere. It chronicles the work of the organisation in such areas as peace, development, human rights, humanitarian assistance, disarmament and international law. In describing the work of the United Nations family of organisations, this book provides a comprehensive account of the many challenges before the international community, as well as the joint ongoing efforts to find solutions.

Presents the report of the special committee on the situation with regard to the implementation of the declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples for 2008.

Compiled by the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, this bibliography covers 21 subject categories based on the major topics of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea. It is intended for the use of those interested in ocean affairs and the law of the sea matters in general and in the UN Convention on the Law in the Sea in particular.

Features case concerning the frontier dispute (Burkina Faso/Republic of Mali): Volume 1: Agreement; special agreement; memorial of Burkina Faso and annexes to the memorial.

The wide readership of this book by individuals, government officials, scientists and medical specialists is due to concern about the possible hazards of natural and man-made sources of radiation. This publication presents the consequences of exposures to radiation by the use of radiobiological research and results of epidemiological studies. It also summarizes and evaluates sources of human radiation exposures, discusses principal features of radiation risk perception and gives a brief summary and indication of perspectives. Volume 1 comprises the main text of the 2006 report to the General Assembly and 2 scientific annexes: Annex A, epidemiological studies of radiation and cancer, and Annex B, epidemiological evaluation of cardiovascular disease and other non-cancer diseases following radiation exposure.

The publication provides an overview of governance and public administration in selected countries. It identifies, assesses and analyses relevant needs and challenges as well as priorities for change and innovation in government at the local, national and regional levels. This book is the result of the combined efforts of more than 60 national and international experts and government officials, whose informed perspectives and feedback have shaped the respective chapters.

Corruption is increasingly being challenged as unacceptable across Asia and the Pacific: widespread malfeasance corrodes health care, education and public utilities. Now is the time to seize the moment, to combine pressure from above, in government as well as the private sector, with the voice of people from below. Huge political and economic dividends can accrue from empowering countries to crush corruption. Eliminating this scourge will allow people across the region, especially the poor, to lead lives they value and to reach their fullest potential. The Report shows how everyone eventually loses with corruption – focusing on why it hurts the poor the most and what can be done. It also spotlights the successes so far, as well as proposes further solutions, and in so doing, aims to ensure that history does not become the region’s destiny.

The manual provides practical assistance-law enforcement agencies and forensic laboratories. It contains general guidelines for law enforcement officers on sampling a suspect material, an outline on the execution of various field testing methods, guidelines for the interpretation of the results, and characteristics for precursors and essential chemicals. The manual also outlines a suggested training programme for chemical field testing to assist law enforcement agencies in developing their training programmes.

The publication consists of the edited transcripts of four discussions that took place at the United Nations headquarters in April and Octo ber 2007, which were organized by the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security, in cooperation with the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs. The focal issue of the three of the discussions was the feasibility of verification of a possible fissile material treaty and of the Biological Weapons Conventions. The value of a code of conduct for outer space was the subject of the fourth discussion.

This publication is a convenient collection of key international instruments relating to the issue of small arms and light weapons at the United Nations, as well as the most recent documentation from the Security Council and the General Assembly relevant to the subject. It is a handy reference tool for diplomats and other government officials, regional and subregional bodies, the United Nations system, specialised non-governmental organisations, research institutes, educators, students and the general public.

The Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor aims to make legal protection and economic opportunity not the privilege of the few but the right of all. This publication consists of the outcomes of five working groups which were created to inform the Commission’s deliberations through substantive work in the following thematic areas: access to justice and rule of law, property rights, labour rights, and business rights. The last chapter, road maps for implementation of reforms, combines all findings of the work into a toolkit for policymakers in proposing reforms and measuring results.

According to the Survey, economic insecurity arises from the exposure of individuals, communities and countries to adverse events, and from their inability to cope with and recover from the downside losses. Local concerns have been compounded by new global threats as unregulated markets and climate change. The Survey offers a different approach with a strong “social contract” and more integrated and pragmatic economic and social policy. It calls for more active policy responses to help communities better manage these new risks, increased investment in preventing threatening events from emerging and more concerted efforts to strengthen the underlying social contracts which are, in the end, the real basis of a more secure, stable and just future.

This publication has been issued in implementation of the United Nations Disarmament Information programme as a handy, convenient and attractive reference tool containing the report of the Secretary-General on verification in all its aspects, including the role of the UN in the field of verification. It also contains additional material related to the publication of the report. The publication continues the Disarmament Study Series and should serve as a valuable addition to the reference section of public and university libraries, permanent missions, research institutes and specialised non-governmental organisations.