Futures Reports by UN & INGOs

A Danish Study “from Africa” not “on Africa”. 

ABSTRACT: Futures studies is well established in the Nordic region and its history can be readily charted, but in Africa it barely exists in an institutional form and its evolution and impact is little
known or understood. The first two sections of our paper briefly examine the history of
futures studies, spending most attention on the African experience. We go on to show that the
Higher Education landscape in the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
region is very different to that in the Nordic region…

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EC Report on African Forestry Futures. 1999. 

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This Policy Note summarizes the main content of the workshop on ‘Inequality, Inclusive Growth and the post-2015 Framework’ convened by UNCDF – in cooperation with UN-DESA and UNDP – on
March 7th, 2013 in New York.

The workshop brought together some of the lead thinkers on the topic of inequality. These included senior officials from UN Agencies, National governments as well as senior representatives from the private, academic and NGO sectors. This multi-stakeholder approach allowed discussing perspectives on inequality from organizations as diverse as ILO, UNAIDS, UNDP, UN-DESA, UN-Habitat, UNICEF, UNWomen, OECD, Oxfam, Save the Children, Google.org, London School of Economics, Urban Institute, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Citi and UNCDF.

The Note addresses 3 key questions: (1) Why is inequality a critical topic in the context of the post-2015 discussions? This section presents some of the current trends in inequality with particular
emphasis on developing countries. (2) What are the key dimensions of inequality? This section ‘un-packs’ the concept of inequality. It explains that inequality can mean different things to different
people. And that it needs to be understood and addressed as cross-cutting issue. (3) How can inequality be integrated into the post-2015 framework? This section highlights some of the options
for including set of measurements of inequality in the post-2015 development framework and discusses the political and technical challenges involved.

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Lead Editors
Gita Welch and Zahra Nuru

Governance for the Future: Democracy and Development in the LDCs is the first United Nations Report to focus specifically on the challenges of governance faced by the 50 poorest nations in the world, collectively known as Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Jointly prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least
Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and the Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), this publication emphasizes that to achieve sustainable development, LDCs must build transparent, accountable and effective democratic governance systems. Building a strong relationship between the state and its citizens is key to successful development and to achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

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Portraits of Sustainable Youth Leaders around the World.
Children of the Earth (COE).

Compiled by Saskia Troy for UN Peace Day, 2013

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A 2012 Report on futures of the resources sector. Published by the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London. 

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Report by the French Department of Foreign Affairs. French. 2000. 

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At their last Steering Committee meeting in September 2013, the World Urban Campaign partners agreed to contribute to the Habitat III Conference by engaging the international community, public, private, and civil society partners to contribute to the new Global Urban Agenda through a consensus document that describes The City We Need.
This document is a collective contribution of committed partners united by shared goals and a common vision of the city for the 21st century. It sets key principles and establishes essential paths for building a New Urban Agenda towards the Habitat III Conference.

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The global financial crisis notwithstanding, poverty, low levels of participation in national and local
decision-making processes, poor infrastructure, and conflicts have led thousands of young people to
migrate from rural to urban areas. Many have crossed borders within Africa, and others have left the
continent, in search of better educational opportunities and livelihoods.
Dissatisfied youth are often more likely than older generations to challenge their situation actively,
and to become a socially destabilizing force, as evidenced by increasing demands for change on the
continent.
For these reasons, many African countries are placing greater emphasis on youth development.

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YOUTH EMPLOYMENT: YOUTH PERSPECTIVES ON THE PURSUIT OF DECENT WORK IN CHANGING TIMES
UNWorldYouthReport.org

Youth not only need an opportunity to train to be better leaders, but also the opportunity to be leaders.”
– Shayla, 25

The present report1 is largely based on an e-discussion with young people and representatives
of youth-led organizations on the transition from schools and training institutions into the world of work. The online consultation, intended to contribute directly to this report, took place from 11 October to 7 November 2011 using the IntenseDebate commenting platform on the website of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). Participants were requested to share their own views, experiences and recommendations on preparing for, entering, and remaining active in the labour force.

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UIL Policy Brief 2
Youth matters: Equipping vulnerable young people with literacy and life skills

There are more than one billion young people worldwide aged between 15 and 24, representing the largest cohort that has ever had to progress from childhood to adulthood. Almost 87 per cent of them live in developing countries (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, 2011). As many as 123 million of this generation, 61 per cent of them girls, were reported to be illiterate in 2011 (UIS, 2013). Young people who have never been to school or those who have dropped out (or been “pushed out”) are among the most vulnerable.

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They number more than a billion and most of them live in developing countries. The world population of 15- to 24-year-olds represents more than a billion hopes for a better future, more than a billion ideas to change the world in constructive ways, more than a billion potential
solutions to the problems of today. With or without academic degrees, free or determined to become free, young people are reinventing culture, taking control of the new media, recreating how we relate to each other. Yet few of them are able to enjoy a carefree youth. Most of them are battling every day against the obstacles of poverty, unemployment, climate change, restricted access to education and health care. How to participate fully in creating the future, when one is excluded from the decision-making process? We must help them and support their ambitions by giving them access to the immense resources of education, science, culture, communication and information.

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Learning to Live Together in Peace and Harmony
Values Education for Peace, Human Rights, Democracy and Sustainabile Development for the Asia-Pacific Region

A UNESCO-APNIEVE Sourcebook

APNIEVE is an acronym for the Asia-Pacific Network for International Education and Values Education. It was born in spring in Seoul, Republic of Korea, during the Organizational Meeting to Form the Network of Regional Experts in Education for Peace, Human Rights and Democracy (29-31 March 1995). This meeting was a follow up of the 44th session of the International Conference on Education (ICE) and the Regional Consultation of Asia and the Pacific Member Statesh eld during the Conferencein Geneva, October 1994.

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Education, science, culture and communication: the scope of UNESCO’s field of competence ensures the relevance of its mission, while pointing to its increasing complexity. The upheavals stemming from the Third Industrial Revolution – that of the new technologies – have produced a new dynamic as the training of individuals and groups, scientific and technical advances and modes of cultural expression have been constantly evolving since the mid-twentieth century, notably in the direction of growing interdependence. This can be viewed positively. For one thing, can we today imagine any use of biotechnologies that disregards the cultural conditions of how they are applied? Or a science heedless of scientific education or local knowledge? Or a culture neglectful of educational transmission and the new forms of knowledge? The notion of knowledge is central to these changes. Knowledge is today recognized as the object of huge economic, political and cultural stakes, to the point of justifiably qualifying the societies currently emerging.

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This Vision is the result of a broad foresight exercise. it is the product of the strategic project Quality and Leadership in Romanian Higher Education, implemented between 2009-2011 by the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI) and its partners.

“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable” Seneca

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