The  UNU 2008 Annual Report is now available for downloading as a PDF file.

Contents:

• Rector’s Message
• Institutional Highlights, 2008
• Key Activities and Achievements, 2008
  • Research Projects and Activities
  • Capacity Development
  • Communications, Dissemination, and Outreach
• An Organizational Overview
  • Fundamental Facts
  • Core Functions
  • The UNU System
  • UNU Leadership

Excerpt from the “Rector’s Message”:

For the University, 2008 was a busy year. If the latter half of 2007 was about the formulation of a vision, 2008 saw the consolidation and articulation of that vision in the drafting of the United Nations University Strategic Plan 2009–2012, which was adopted by the 55th session of the University’s Council in Bonn, Germany, in December.

One of the highlights of the year — for me personally as much as for the whole institution — was the appointment of two Vice-Rectors, Kazuhiko Takeuchi and Govindan Parayil. They have a wealth of experience and bring to the University a renewed focus on the most important aspects of sustainability science. Indeed, the word “focus” was at the forefront of my thinking throughout the year as we began to concentrate on the strengths of the University to see where we can have greater impact through our intellectual leadership and research on the critical questions of sustainable development and human security and survival.

Excerpt from “Key Activities and Acheivements, 2008″:

The role of the United Nations University is to generate and share knowledge, and to strengthen capacities, on issues relevant to the promotion of human security and development, particularly in developing countries. The UNU contributes directly to the advancement of knowledge relevant to the role and work of the United Nations, and to the application of that knowledge in the formulation of sound principles, policies, strategies, and programmes for action.

• UNU Annual Reports of previous years