www.UNHistory.org www.UNHistory.org The Power of Ideas The Power - - PDF document

www.UNHistory.org www.UNHistory.org

The Power of Ideas The Power of Ideas

UNIHP Book Series UNIHP Book Series

• Ahead of the Curve? UN Ideas and Global Challenges

Ahead of the Curve? UN Ideas and Global Challenges (2001; 2nd edition 2003; French, German, Arabic editions (2001; 2nd edition 2003; French, German, Arabic editions published 2003) published 2003)

• Unity and Diversity in Development Ideas: Perspectives

Unity and Diversity in Development Ideas: Perspectives from the UN Regional Commissions from the UN Regional Commissions (2004) (2004)

• Quantifying the World: UN Contributions to Statistics

Quantifying the World: UN Contributions to Statistics (2004) (2004)

• UN Contributions to Development Thinking and Practice

UN Contributions to Development Thinking and Practice (2004) (2004)

• The UN and Global Political Economy: Trade, Finance, and

The UN and Global Political Economy: Trade, Finance, and Development Development (2004) (2004)

• UN Voices: The Struggle for Development and Social Justice

UN Voices: The Struggle for Development and Social Justice (2005) (2005)

• Women, Development, and the UN: A Sixty

Women, Development, and the UN: A Sixty-

• Year Quest for

Year Quest for Equality and Justice Equality and Justice (2005) (2005)

• The Power of UN Ideas: Lessons from the First 60 Years

The Power of UN Ideas: Lessons from the First 60 Years (2005) (2005)

• Human Security and the UN: A Critical History

Human Security and the UN: A Critical History (2006) (2006)

• The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations

The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations (2007) (2007)

• Human Rights at the UN: The Political History of Universal

Human Rights at the UN: The Political History of Universal Justice Justice (2008) (2008)

• Preventive Diplomacy at the UN

Preventive Diplomacy at the UN (2008) (2008)

• The UN and Transnational Corporations: from Code of

The UN and Transnational Corporations: from Code of Conduct to Global Compact Conduct to Global Compact (2008) (2008)

• The UN and Development: From Aid to Cooperation

The UN and Development: From Aid to Cooperation (2009) (2009)

• UN Ideas That Changed the World

UN Ideas That Changed the World (2009) (2009)

• The UN and Global Governance: An Unfinished Journey

The UN and Global Governance: An Unfinished Journey (forthcoming 2010) (forthcoming 2010)

• Development Without Destruction: The UN and the Global

Development Without Destruction: The UN and the Global Resource Management Resource Management (forthcoming 2010) (forthcoming 2010)

UNIHP Book Series UNIHP Book Series

International Advisory Council International Advisory Council

Margaret Margaret Joan Joan Anstee Anstee Enrique V. Enrique V. Iglesias Iglesias Galal Galal Amin Amin Thandika Thandika Mkandawire Mkandawire Lourdes Lourdes Ariz Ariz Andras Andras Inotai Inotai Gert Gert Rosenthal Rosenthal John G. John G. Ruggie Ruggie Makoto Taniguchi Makoto Taniguchi Ramesh Ramesh Thakur Thakur Eveline Eveline Herfkens Herfkens

Foundations Foundations

• Carnegie Corporation of NY

Carnegie Corporation of NY

• Ford Foundation

Ford Foundation

• Rockefeller Foundation

Rockefeller Foundation

• UN Foundation

UN Foundation

• John D. & Catherine T.

John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur MacArthur Foundation Foundation

• Dag

Dag Hammarskj Hammarskjö öld Foundation ld Foundation

• Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Governments Governments

• Canada

Canada

• Finland

Finland

• The Netherlands

The Netherlands

• Norway

Norway

• Sweden

Sweden

• Switzerland

Switzerland

• United Kingdom

United Kingdom

• Republic and Canton of

Republic and Canton of Geneva Geneva

Funding Funding

1999 1999 -

• 2009

2009

“ “ Ideas Matter. Ideas Matter. People Matter. People Matter.” ”

www.UNhistory.org www.UNhistory.org

UN Voices UN Voices -

• Interviews of UN personalities

Interviews of UN personalities who have made a difference who have made a difference

Celso Furtado Bernard Chidzero

• Mrs. Ogata

Sir Hans Singer Elise Boulding Samir Amin Boutros Boutros-Ghali Javier Perez de Cuellar Leticia Shahani Just Faaland Fernando Henrique Cardoso Noeleen Heyzer Adebayo Adedeji

9 9 UN Ideas That Changed The World UN Ideas That Changed The World

Idea 1: Idea 1: Human Rights for All Human Rights for All Idea 2: Idea 2: Gender Equality and Women Gender Equality and Women’ ’s Rights s Rights Idea 3: Idea 3: Development Goals Development Goals Idea 4: Fairer International Economic Relations Idea 4: Fairer International Economic Relations Idea 5: Strategies for accelerating development in Idea 5: Strategies for accelerating development in poorer countries poorer countries Idea 6: Priorities for Social Development Idea 6: Priorities for Social Development Idea 7: Environmental Sustainability Idea 7: Environmental Sustainability Idea 8:Peace and Human Security Idea 8:Peace and Human Security Idea 9: Human Development Idea 9: Human Development

Each of the UN Ideas has Evolved Each of the UN Ideas has Evolved

Human rights for all Human rights for all – – from from aspirations to implementation aspirations to implementation Gender equality Gender equality – – from eliminating from eliminating discrimination to women discrimination to women’ ’s s empowerment empowerment Environment sustainability Environment sustainability – – from environment and from environment and development to climate development to climate change and saving the change and saving the Planet Planet

Peace and Security Peace and Security – –the evolution of the evolution of UN ideas and approaches UN ideas and approaches

• 1945

1945 -

• Replacing conflict with

Replacing conflict with the rule of law the rule of law

• 1950s

1950s -

• Preventive

Preventive diplomacy diplomacy

• 1950s

1950s-

• 1990s

1990s-

• Disarmament

Disarmament and Development and Development

• 1948

1948-

• 2009 Peacekeeping

2009 Peacekeeping

• today160,000 deployed

today160,000 deployed

• 1994 Human Security

1994 Human Security

• 2001

2001 -

• The Responsibility to

The Responsibility to Protect Protect

UN economic ideas have often differed from UN economic ideas have often differed from those of World Bank and the IMF those of World Bank and the IMF – – but the but the Bretton Bretton Woods Institutions have received Woods Institutions have received most donor support most donor support

Fairer International Economic Relations Fairer International Economic Relations – – needed in trade, aid and needed in trade, aid and TNCs TNCs National Development strategies National Development strategies – –directed to directed to accelerated national development accelerated national development Development Goals Development Goals – –focused on human advance focused on human advance Social Development Social Development – –a key component of a key component of development from the UN development from the UN’ ’s earliest years s earliest years

The Pioneering Quality of UN Work The Pioneering Quality of UN Work is Often Not Realized: Nine Nobel is Often Not Realized: Nine Nobel Prize Winners in Economics Prize Winners in Economics

1969: Jan Tinbergen 1973: Wassily Leontief 1974: Gunnar Myrdal 1977: James Meade 1979: W. Arthur Lewis and Theodore W. Schultz 1980: Lawrence R. Klein 1984: Richard Stone 1998: Amartya Sen

Amartya Amartya Sen Sen Lawrence R. Klein Lawrence R. Klein

Sir W Arthur Lewis Sir W Arthur Lewis winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1979 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1979 and the first from a developing country and the first from a developing country

LSE 1933 LSE 1933-

• 47

47– –first class honours in economics1937, PhD 1940, lecturer 1939 first class honours in economics1937, PhD 1940, lecturer 1939-

• 47

47 Professor of Development Economics, University of Manchester 194 Professor of Development Economics, University of Manchester 1948 8-

• 57

57 UN Economic Adviser to the President of Ghana 1957 UN Economic Adviser to the President of Ghana 1957-

• 59

59 Deputy Managing Director of the UN Special Fund, which became UN Deputy Managing Director of the UN Special Fund, which became UNDP 1960 DP 1960-

• 61

61 Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies1961 Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies1961-

• 1964

1964 Professor of Economics, Princeton University, 1964 Professor of Economics, Princeton University, 1964-

• 1991

1991

Structural adjustment and the Washington Structural adjustment and the Washington Consensus have had disastrous effects Consensus have had disastrous effects

Total increases in per capita income Total increases in per capita income 1960 1960-

• 1980

1980 1980-2000 Latin America Latin America + 80% + 80% + 9% + 9% Sub Sub-

• Saharan Africa

Saharan Africa + 36% + 36%

• 15%

15% “ “ So, the newly emerging consensus is that IMF So, the newly emerging consensus is that IMF programs hurt economic growth programs hurt economic growth” ”

Source: Mark Source: Mark Weisbrot Weisbrot et al, et al, The Emperor Has No Growth : Declining Growth in the Era of The Emperor Has No Growth : Declining Growth in the Era of Globalization Globalization (Washington DC, Centre for Economic and Policy Research) 2001 (Washington DC, Centre for Economic and Policy Research) 2001 Source: James Raymond Source: James Raymond Vreeland Vreeland, , The International Monetary Fund: Politics of The International Monetary Fund: Politics of Conditional Lending Conditional Lending (Abingdon, (Abingdon, Routledge Routledge) 2007 ) 2007

The Three The Three UNs UNs: 1 : 1st

st UN

UN

Governments

Source: UN Photo Archives

The Three The Three UNs UNs: 2 : 2nd

nd UN

UN

Staff members

Source: UN Photo Archives

The Three The Three UNs UNs: 3 : 3rd

rd UN

UN

Experts, members of commissions and NGOs closely associated with the UN

Source: UN Photo Archives

Interaction Among Three Interaction Among Three UNs UNs

A: International and national civil servants’ interactions B: State-civil society interactions C: Secretariat-civil society interactions D: The networked space within which individuals and private organizations interact with the 1st UN and the 2nd UN to influence or advance UN thinking, policies, priorities, or actions

3rd UN 2nd UN A B C D 1st UN

Fourteen UN Organizations and Fourteen UN Organizations and Individuals Have Received the Individuals Have Received the Nobel Peace Prize Nobel Peace Prize

• 1949: John Boyd Orr
• 1950: Ralph Bunche
• 1954 and 1981: Office of The UN High

Commissioner for Refugees

• 1957: Lester Pearson
• 1961: Dag Hammarskjöld
• 1965: UNICEF –The UN Children’s Fund
• 1968: René Cassin
• 1969: The International Labour Organization
• 1982: Alva Myrdal and Alfonzo Garcia Robles
• 1988: UN Peacekeeping Forces
• 2001: Kofi Annan and the UN
• 2007: The UN Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change (jointly with Al Gore)

• 2008: Martti Ahtissari

Kofi Kofi Annan Annan Martti Ahtissari

4 Ways Ideas Gain Global 4 Ways Ideas Gain Global influence and traction influence and traction

Ideas change the way issues are perceived Ideas redefine state and non-state interests and goals, thereby setting agendas for action Ideas mobilize coalitions to press for action Ideas become embedded in institutions, with responsibilities for implementation & monitoring

A Balance Sheet of the UN A Balance Sheet of the UN’ ’s s Contributions: The Positives Contributions: The Positives

1. 1.

Promoting human rights for all Promoting human rights for all

2. 2.

Providing an international framework for national Providing an international framework for national development policies development policies

3. 3.

Setting global goals Setting global goals

4. 4.

Quantifying the world Quantifying the world

5. 5.

Changing the debate about trade and development Changing the debate about trade and development

6. 6.

Proposing development policies that combine Proposing development policies that combine economic growth with poverty reduction economic growth with poverty reduction

7. 7.

Bringing issues of environment and development Bringing issues of environment and development to global attention, especially global warming to global attention, especially global warming

8. 8.

Promoting preventive diplomacy & human security Promoting preventive diplomacy & human security

9. 9.

Promoting the human development approach Promoting the human development approach

Negatives on the Balance Sheet Negatives on the Balance Sheet

1. 1.

Late reaction to the Washington Consensus Late reaction to the Washington Consensus

2. 2.

Weak response to the special needs of the least Weak response to the special needs of the least developed countries developed countries

3. 3.

Too little done to introduce cultural aspects into the Too little done to introduce cultural aspects into the development equation development equation

4. 4.

Tardy and weak reaction to HIV/AIDS Tardy and weak reaction to HIV/AIDS

5. 5.

Inadequate attention inequalities of income and wealth, Inadequate attention inequalities of income and wealth, nationally & internationally nationally & internationally

A Summary of the UN A Summary of the UN’ ’s s Contributions Contributions

The balance sheet shows a small but significant surplus The UN has led the way with many fundamental ideas,

more than is often realized

The UN has often been ahead of the World Bank and the

IMF – though these have received most donor support and most finance Ideas may be among the UN’s most important contributions

Lourdes Lourdes Arizpe Arizpe

Someone once said that the United Nations is Someone once said that the United Nations is a a dream m anaged by bureaucrats dream m anaged by bureaucrats. I would . I would correct that by saying that it has become a correct that by saying that it has become a bureaucracy m anaged by dream ers bureaucracy m anaged by dream ers. Certainly . Certainly you have to be a dreamer to work in the United you have to be a dreamer to work in the United Nations with conviction. It is only if you have this Nations with conviction. It is only if you have this sense of mission that you can withstand the sense of mission that you can withstand the constant battering by governments who are afraid constant battering by governments who are afraid that the United Nations will become a world that the United Nations will become a world government government … … So in the end, someone who works in the United So in the end, someone who works in the United Nations has to be a magician of ideas, because Nations has to be a magician of ideas, because working for the United Nations is like working for working for the United Nations is like working for a government in which all the political parties are a government in which all the political parties are in power at the same time. in power at the same time.

Ten Global Challenges for the Ten Global Challenges for the UN UN’ ’s Future s Future

1 1

Tackling global warming and climate change Tackling global warming and climate change

2 2

Strengthening global governance in a Strengthening global governance in a multipolar multipolar world world

3 3

Supporting fragile states Supporting fragile states

4 4

Balancing regionalism with globalization Balancing regionalism with globalization

5 5

Moderating inequalities in global development Moderating inequalities in global development

6 6

Responding to population growth and international Responding to population growth and international migration migration

7 7

Bridging international divides of culture and identities Bridging international divides of culture and identities

8 8

Shifting the focus of security from states to individuals Shifting the focus of security from states to individuals

9 9

Incorporating culture and human rights into development Incorporating culture and human rights into development

10 10

Improving the quality of education worldwide Improving the quality of education worldwide

Strengthening the UN Strengthening the UN’ ’s s Intellectual Work Intellectual Work

• Encourage creative thinking

Encourage creative thinking

• Implications for recruitment and promotion

Implications for recruitment and promotion

• More autonomy for research and related publications

More autonomy for research and related publications

• Create intellectual islands

Create intellectual islands

• Seek alliances with many centers of expertise

Seek alliances with many centers of expertise

• More sustained resources needed

More sustained resources needed

• Concentrate on problems of real significance

Concentrate on problems of real significance

• Dissemination of results is of the essence

Dissemination of results is of the essence

• Rethink professional relations between UN and

Rethink professional relations between UN and Bretton Bretton Woods institutions Woods institutions

www.UNHistory.org www.UNHistory.org

Sources for research on UN Sources for research on UN

• UN Websites

UN Websites – – many many

• UNIHP =

UNIHP = www.unhistory.org www.unhistory.org

• Oral histories = CD ROM of UNIHP

Oral histories = CD ROM of UNIHP interviews interviews

• UK careers records and related records =

UK careers records and related records = Bodleian Library, Oxford Bodleian Library, Oxford

Some 450 Career Records of UK persons in Some 450 Career Records of UK persons in – –accessible in the Bodleian Library, Oxford accessible in the Bodleian Library, Oxford

Helen Langley Helen Langley, , FRHistS FRHistS Curator, Modern Political Papers, Department of Special Collecti Curator, Modern Political Papers, Department of Special Collections &

• ns &

Western Manuscripts, Bodleian Library Western Manuscripts, Bodleian Library Oxford OX1 3BG Oxford OX1 3BG ( ( Helen.Langley@bodley.ox.ac.uk Helen.Langley@bodley.ox.ac.uk) ) Michael Michael Askw ith Askw ith, , UNCRP Coordinator UNCRP Coordinator ( ( askwith_michael@yahoo.co.uk askwith_michael@yahoo.co.uk) ) W ebsite W ebsite

http: / / www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/ bodley/ services/ using http: / / www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/ dept/ scwmss/ wmss/ online/ modern/ uncrp/ http: / / www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/ dept/ scwmss/ wmss/ online/ modern/ uncrp/ u uncrp.html

ncrp.html