United Nations Development Research Articles

Embracing Universality: Toward the Future of United Nations Development Work

Abstract United Nations (UN) development work has long followed the binary logic of “developed” countries providing funding so that UN entities support “developing” countries with their national development efforts. This rigid North–South template, however, is unfit for responding to current sustainability challenges that cut across borders and implicate both “developed” and “developing” member states. Against this backdrop, we suggest that the principle of universality promoted by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development holds untapped potential for rethinking how the UN development pillar operates. We first make the general case for universalizing UN development work, i.e., adapt UN support functions to enable engagement with all member states. We then examine the status quo of UN development work in more detail. Building on the strong North–South bias and the limited examples of UN engagement with “developed” countries we identify, we outline the contours of what a more universal future of UN development work could look like and discuss the political economy of our proposal. Overall, we argue that the principle of differentiated universality provides a helpful heuristic for rethinking the roles and functions of the UN development system in light of sustainable development concerns and persisting inter-state inequalities.

Temporality in the United Nations 2030 Agenda: development or rupture?

Time is a constitutive element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations (UN). This article analyses how the 2030 Agenda articulates time – i.e. how its discourse connects past, present and future. This analysis shows how the agenda partially breaks with the 19th-century evolutionist assumptions that pervaded previous UN development policies and strategies. On the one hand, the 2030 Agenda implicitly assumes that a historical rupture is needed to shift the world towards a sustainable path in order to avert a civilisational crisis, and that the history of modern, industrialised Western countries is no longer exemplary in this respect. On the other hand, the 2030 Agenda fails to integrate the need for a historical rupture consequentially: it falls into contradictions and continues to replicate the linear logics that caused the very problems that the agenda aims to solve. ‘Development or rupture?’ seems to be the troublesome and difficult dilemma that haunts the UN’s endeavour to transform the world.

From developing country to superpower? China, power shifts and the United Nations development pillar

AbstractThis article contributes to the expanding literature on China's position in international organisations by examining the extent to which, and how, China's exercise of power in the United Nations (UN) development pillar has evolved over the last decade. Building on a four‐legged power framework, we contrast the status quo of power configurations in UN development work with China's evolving attempts to exercise compulsory, institutional, structural and productive power. We identify a heterogeneous set of engagement patterns and find that China's standing as a developing country is an integral part of how its global power ambitions unfold at the UN. While shifts in China's power in and through UN development work have remained limited, taken together insights from the power type analysis suggest that China is in the process of challenging and/or redefining some of the central contours of the UN development pillar.

Human Capital Development and Industrial Sector Performance in Pre And Post Covid-19 Era: The Australian Experience

The importance of the ravaging pandemic on human development and industrial sector performance cannot be overemphasized. This is because an improved and quality industrial output is a function of quality human resources. This study explicitly examined the effects of the ravaging pandemic on human development and industrial sector performance in Australia during pre and post COVID-19 era. Human development was measured with the Human Development Index (HDI), Inequality Adjusted HDI (IHDI), Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and the Gender Development Index (GDI) while the Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) and the Industry Value Added (IVA) were used to capture the trend in Australia’s industrial sector performance during pre and post COVID-19 era. Data were sourced from Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the United Nations Development (UNDP) Report and World Bank indicators. The study findings revealed, amongst others, that human quality was better off before the pandemic than after it and this was explicitly reflected in the country’s industrial output, as a better performance was recorded before the pandemic than after it. Australia, like China, needs more aggressive net zero CO2 emission policies including those relating human development to industrial output. Aggressive export diversification would help her economy recover faster from the adverse effects of the ravaging pandemic through effective and efficient utilization of her renewable energy sources.

The Embedded Conundrum of South-South and Triangular Cooperation: A Prologue to Shifting Frontiers from Collaboration to Contention

This special issue discusses, in-depth, the embedded conundrum of South-South and triangular cooperation (SSTC) whose frontiers are shifted from collaboration to contention within the United Nations (UN) development system and beyond. This introductory article provides the conceptual framework—the contentioncollaboration spectrum—that guides all the contributors and serves as the collective starting point for this project. The moving frontiers of SSTC reflect the shifting historic relationships between the global South and North as well as Southern partner countries. The framework enables the six articles of this special issue to investigate the paradoxical structure of contrasting dynamics of SSTC, which has always been exposed to historical transformations at multi-levels of analysis: global governance, regional engagements, middle power perspectives, and the UN development system and beyond.

Beyond Mainstreaming? Past, Present and Future of UN Support for South-South and Triangular Cooperation

United Nations (UN) entities have repeatedly been asked to mainstream their support for South-South and triangular cooperation (SSTC). However, there is hardly any systematic evidence on whether and how they have done so. This article contributes to addressing this gap. The analysis focuses on organizational efforts over the last two decades to integrate SSTC support into institutional processes across the UN development system. It centers around a scorecard of fifteen UN entities that maps the levels and contours of their organizational focus on SSTC. In light of a highly diverse SSTC support landscape and the complex political dynamics behind mainstreaming efforts, the article discusses the way ahead for UN engagement with SSTC, including the potentials and challenges of a continued focus on mainstreaming itself.

Relationship between socio-demographic correlates and human development index with physical activity and sedentary time in a cross-sectional multicenter study

BackgroundSocio-demographic correlates and human development index (HDI) are associated with self-reported physical activity, but only a few studies have focused on device-measured physical activity and sedentary time in Latin America. We examined the relationship between socio-demographic correlates and HDI with physical activity and sedentary time in a cross-sectional study.MethodsWe based our analyses on 2522 (53.1% women; 18–65 years [mean age 38.3 years]) adults drawn from the eight Latin America countries. Physical activity (light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous intensity and steps) and sedentary time were assessed using Actigraph GT3X + accelerometers. Sex, age, and race/ethnicity were self-reported. The HDI country information was obtained from the United Nations Development Program.ResultsFor the age, ethnicity, vigorous physical activity and steps/day, there were significant differences between high and very high HDI countries. Women and younger age presented lower sedentary time than men and older. In moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, we found lower duration in women (-13.4 min/week), younger age (-0.1 min/week), and white/caucasian (-2.7 min/week) than men, older ages and mixed ethnicity. Women (-1266.5 steps/week) and very high HDI (-847.3 steps/week) presented lower steps than men and high HDI. Black (2853.9 steps/week), other (1785.4 steps/week), and white/caucasian ethnicity (660.6 steps/week) showed higher steps than mixed ethnicity.ConclusionsDifferent socio-demographic correlates are associated with physical activity intensity; however, HDI is associated with vigorous physical activity and steps in the Latin American region, which can in turn guide policies to promote physical activity in the region.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.GovNCT02226627. Retrospectively registered on August 27, 2014.

Education and the UN Development Goals Projects (MDGs and SDGs): Definitions, Links, Operationalisations

The United Nations (UN) has orchestrated a mobilisation of the world community over the past 20 years, to tackle a range of global problems via two consecutive development projects: the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Research focused on education in these projects is fragmented, with apparent gaps in knowledge around: i) the definition of education; ii) the links between the education goal and other goals; and iii) the operationalisation of those links. The originality of this study rests in addressing these interrelated gaps, by drawing on the soft governance approach and thematic analysis of 12 key UN policy documents. The findings explain the position of education in both UN projects by highlighting important aspects of its dynamic nature. First, the definition of education has been evolving, along with its links to the different themes covered in both MDG and SDG projects. Second, certain aspects of the process of operationalisation of education remain vague—the UN must work towards clarification of these remaining aspects if the operationalisation of education for sustainable development is to be improved. The significance of these findings is in engendering directions for international policy-making in the upcoming world summits, leading up to the 2030 deadline for the achievement of the SDGs, and in highlighting the fact that education should increasingly be regarded as an indispensable tool for policy-makers involved in this process.

Multilateral Approaches to Mobility in the Middle East and North Africa Region

Development plans increasingly integrate aspects of migration and displacement, reflecting the countless links between sustainable development and human mobility. To understand the incorporation of issues related to human mobility into development plans and policies, this chapter analyses all current United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAFs) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The MENA region is characterised by high levels of outmigration and displacement, transit migration, immigration, and hosts a large share of the world’s refugees. UNDAFs – planning documents that provide a system-wide overview of key United Nations (UN) activities and functions at the country level – provide a promising platform to investigate linkages between migration, displacement, human development, multilateral and interagency cooperation, and the politics of development aid and international relations. To assess how exactly UN development plans address immigration, emigration, transit migration, internal and international displacement, diaspora engagement and remittances, this chapter introduces the Index of Mobility Inclusion (IMI) which measures the intensity, modality, and dimensionality of how mobility has been integrated into development plans. Based on an analysis of all current UNDAFs, the component and aggregate IMI levels show varying degrees of mobility inclusion. A comparison of the three IMI components for all 14 plans in the MENA region reveals that mobility-related policies include a broad range of public policy sectors and focus on various target populations. This paper concludes by offering initial insights into and hypotheses on what determines whether mobility is included in UN development plans.

An analytical study of knowledge indicators in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco during 2017-2020

Through this research, we tried to study and analyze the knowledge economy index for the countries of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, based on the latest report of this indicator issued by the United Nations Development in partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, which dealt with many of the main and subsidiary indicators of the knowledge index that have implications, directly or indirectly. Directly on knowledge and its applications on economic and social aspects, this indicator that is concerned with education in its various stages, scientific research and development, information and communication technology and finally the infrastructure. All these indicators are trying to clarify the location of the countries under study and the most important points that make them a pioneer in order to progress and compete with the leading countries. at this time.

Social & Spatial Analysis, and Economic Indicators of Mongolia

This paper aims to investigate Mongolia’s economic indicators, including social and spatial analysis such as international relations, population, infrastructure, and other analysis of economic indicators. There are not enough scientific papers that addressed about Mongolian economy thus, data are collected and analyzed based on United Nations Development Programme reports, Asian Development Bank reports, Wikipedia, and other open-resource materials. Data are drawn from the official National Statistics Office of Mongolia from 1995 to 2020 by quantitative technique such as document screening.

Exploring Learners' Expectations of Sustainability Objectives and Organizational Change: The Case of Gender Reporting Training

Sustainability reporting (SR) practices at higher education institutions (HEIs) appear fragmented and underutilized. Research is needed to persuade HEIs to adopt SR standards, explaining the SR advantages of achieving sustainability objectives and realizing organizational change. Only a few research studies have investigated how HEIs employees can be trained on SR and how this can affect SR implementation. This research explores SR training for HEIs employees, focusing on gender reporting (GR) training as a means to achieve sustainability objectives and realize organizational change. Among the United Nations' Sustainable and Development Goals (SDGs), gender equality (GE) emerges as a relevant topic to investigate, also in the HEIs context, with current research being limited. Through a survey among Italian HEIs employees who attended a GR training course, this study investigates the effects of learning outcomes of respondents' expected achievement of GR objectives and organizational change after GR implementation. The research also studies whether the perceived organizational barriers to GR affect the expected realization of organizational change. The results support the impact of learning outcomes on the expected achievement of GR objectives and organizational change. Conversely, the perceived organizational barriers to GR do not affect the expected realization of organizational change. The study enters the debate about GR at HEIs and contributes to literature on sustainability training for HEIs employees, providing practical implications for organizations that intend to implement such training and showing their advantages.

Philippine Electricity Power Market Supply Options: Challenges and Policy Implications for Greening Economic Growth, Climate Resiliency, and Low Carbon Future

Over the past few years, energy security and sustainable development have moved up the global agenda. Energy is what makes an economy run. There is a strong correlation between economic development and energy consumption. Energy security plays an important role in all economic sectors in attaining the long-term vision of inclusive economic growth and development of the economy. The attainment of this vision is difficult as it is challenged by the need to build energy infrastructures that are not only responsive to the growing demand but can withstand the maximum credible natural disaster. One of the primary objectives of sustainable development is to make people without access to enough energy be able to meet their needs through the provision of stable, reliable, clean, safe, and affordable energy services. This research will use the Granger Causality test to analyze the causal relationship among the endogenous variables among (1) GNI per capita; (2) GHG Emissions; and (3) Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) between energy-economic development and the influencing factors of power supply security indicators. In the end, this paper expects to suggest that the paper electric power development plans in the country also have implications for the path that would lead the country to what is known as a green economy. It is in this background that energy security and economic growth development are intertwined by public policy. In a broader development sense, public policy draws in the active involvement of the community in identifying problems. Anchored deeply in the national development agenda, the local community develops its own sets of development goals and pushes itself towards realizing this long-range vision. Hence, the output of public policy supported by strategic planning will require effective monitoring and evaluation of programs. This remains to be both a challenge and priority for both the national and local governments.ReferencesAstana, K. (2011). Greening the economy: mainstreaming the environment into economic development. https://sustainabledevelopment .un.org/content/documents/796unece2.pdfAslan, T., Ayşe, A., & Fatma, Z. (2013). The Impact of Electricity Consumption on Economic Development in. Istanbul University School of Economics.Edomah, N. (2018). Economics of Energy Supply. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11713-0..Elahee, K. (2004). Access to Energy: The Key to Poverty Alleviation. Retrieved March 06, 2015, from International Research Foundation for Development Research: http://irfd.org/events/wfsids/virtual/papers/sids_kelahee.pdfEnergy Policy and Planning Bureau - Department of Energy Philippines. (2014). Philippine Energy Plan 2012-2030. 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Epidemiological Variations in the Global Burden of Psoriasis, an Analysis With Trends From 1990 to 2017.

Background: Although there have been many epidemiological studies, research focusing on psoriasis' health burden on a global scale is still lacking. Trends and variations in the global health burden of psoriasis are evaluated by time, age, gender, geographical location, and socioeconomic status, using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from the Global Burden of Disease Study.Methods: The health burden of psoriasis was evaluated by DALYs, which combined years lost to disability (a morbidity component) with years of life lost (a mortality component). The global and national DALYs number, crude DALYs rate, and age-standardized DALYs rate were obtained from the GBD 2017 study database. The corresponding human development index (HDI) was collected from the United Nations Development Programme.Results: From 1990 to 2017, the DALYs number and crude DALYs rate due to psoriasis increased by 73 and 22%, respectively. In comparison, the age-standardized DALYs rate showed a slight increase. Patients in the age range of 65–69 years bear a more significant psoriasis burden. Both males and females showed an increasing trend in burden caused by psoriasis over the past 27 years, with females bearing a more significant psoriasis burden than males. The health burden of psoriasis was substantially unequal in geography with a Gini coefficient of 0.27. The concentration indexes indicated a socioeconomic associated inequality in psoriasis burden with values of 0.22, accounting for 48.64% variance across countries (R2 = 0.4864, p < 0.001). Between-nation inequality in the distribution of psoriasis burden continued to decline throughout the past 27 years. Gini coefficients of psoriasis burden decreased from 0.280 in 1990 to 0.265 in 2017. The concentration indexes indicated the same trend with 0.236 in the 1990s and 0.223 in 2017.Conclusions: Global health progress in psoriasis together with inequality in the past few decades. Although the inequality of psoriasis burden has shown some improvement during the past 27 years, disparities still exist in age, gender, geographical location, as well as socioeconomic status. The findings of this study highlight the global importance of psoriasis and is important in policy planning for psoriasis services on a global scale.

Enhancing nutrition specific interventions through public health policies and public-private partnerships in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: a desk review

Background: Public private partnerships (PPPs) in public health have been widely promoted as an effective tool for accelerating progress toward achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG2 “to eliminate hunger”. Partnership with the private sector was found to be very instrumental in improving the nutritional status of poor and food-insecure people and promoting healthy lifestyles. In countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), PPPs for nutrition actions have been mainly driven by the United Nations (UN) and international development agencies to support low and middle-income countries in achieving better health outcomes. Despite the increased prominence of engaging the private sector in public health actions in the EMR, evidence on the role of the private sector in the design/implementation of these actions is still not documented. The objective of this study is to assess the role and contribution of the private sector in the design/implementation of nutrition-specific interventions addressing the double burden of malnutrition in countries from the EMR and identify the key factors for successful PPP implementation. Methods: The study design was descriptive using secondary data obtained from digital internet sources, including World Health Organization (WHO) databases, grey literature, and websites of the UN and international development agencies. Results: The desk review revealed that the private sector has played a sizable role in the implementation of food fortification initiatives and in the implementation of nutritional policies promoting healthy diets. The experience of the EMR shows the significant impact of government commitment, and the availability of national policies and systems for monitoring and enforcement on the sustainability and effectiveness of PPP-specific nutrition interventions. Conclusion: The study emphasizes the key actions recommended for governments to enhance the application of PPPs as a tool to accelerate the EMR’s progress toward achieving nutrition targets under SDG2 by 2030.

Distribution Pattern and its Correlation for Oral Cancer Rate and Human Development Rank for Countries: An Ecological Approach.

Introduction:There is a general interpretation that the distribution and pattern of various cancers exhibit geographical variations between developed and developing countries. However, as far as oral cancer is concerned, these differential patterns of distribution are not much documented.Aim and Objective:This review is aimed to bring in the existence of geographical disparities and its pattern for oral cancer incidence and mortality. The objectives of this review are: (1) To compare and comment on the trends in estimates for oral cancer incidence and mortality for the years 2002, 2008, and 2012. (2) To correlate oral cancer incidence and mortality values for 2012 with the human development index (HDI) scores for 2012 for each country. Design: Ecological approach and entire review was carried out using two secondary data sets, and they were (i) Age-standardized oral cancer incidence and mortality value for all countries published by the International Agency on Cancer Research for the years 2002, 2008, and 2012. (ii) HDI score for all countries for the year 2012 released by the United Nations Development Program.Results:A diametric pattern of distribution was observed across the two strata of countries. When developed countries have higher rates for incidence, low developed countries have higher rates for mortality.

Prediction of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from medical waste collection and transport in the city of Kocaeli

This study investigates future medical waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from medical waste collection and transportation activities in the city of Kocaeli, Turkey, between the years of 2020 and 2040. Population predictions were carried out by using Ilbank method, arithmetic method and United Nations Development (UNDP) method. Then, medical waste amounts were calculated based on the predicted populations. Among the three methods, arithmetic method was seemed to reflect the most reliable prediction. GHG emissions were calculated based on the fuel consumed by medical waste collection vehicles. The targeted GHGs were CH4 and CO2. Results of this work showed that the total medical waste generated per year was predicted to increase from 2,978 tons in 2020 to 5,203 tons in 2040. Finally, it was determined in this study that medical waste collection and transport would generate a total GHG emission of 11,229-ton CO2-e from 2020 to 2040. Furthermore, average global warming factor (GWF) was calculated as 0.00013 tCO2-e per ton of medical waste collected and transported. This study showed that medical waste collection and transportation generates significant amounts of GHG emissions. Results of this study will guide the local authorities when they plan to replace diesel fuel with alternative fuel types.

The Potential of CEB Reinforced Masonry Technology for (Re)construction in the Context of Disasters.

More than 226 million people are affected by some type of disaster every year in various dimensions of human life, both in the short and long term. In this context, housing provision plays a leading role when it comes to basic needs and the choice of construction technologies and materials are determinant for a well-succeeded housing provision process. This work aims to analyze the viability of reinforced masonry technology with cement-stabilized compressed earth blocks as an alternative for the (re)construction process in situations that involve disaster risk reduction (DRR). To address this issue, a discussion from the literature and the main results obtained during the investigations carried out within the scope of the Simple Housing Solution (SHS) Project are presented. In the sequence, analyses are performed under United Nations Development Program/International Recovery Platform sustainability recommendations: environmental, technical, financial and socio-organizational aspects. It is concluded that the technology of Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs) reinforced structural masonry has a high potential to be successfully applied in DRR situations, especially when associated with the community construction system in a joint effort.

Headwinds and tailwinds to the rights-based approach to development: A regime theory perspective

The rights-based approach (RBA) to development is now accepted practice among experts in the United Nations (UN) development machinery, as well as key bilateral aid agencies and many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). That development should be informed by rights represents a new human rights norm in world affairs, and the machinery around it forms a regime. However, RBA remains contested, and implementation has been stuttering and incomplete. This article examines the forces working against, and for, the implementation of RBA. It argues, in particular, that although RBA is a norm well institutionalized as a regime, it is not nearly as accepted by states themselves, and thus remains only imperfectly implemented. This, in turn, shows us how various factors affecting norm acceptance—state interests, transnational NGOs, and multilateral actors, among others—interact in norm evolution. The gap between a strong regime and a weak norm helps give insight into the future of RBA: It seems robust due to its institutionalization, but it is much more tenuous than it appears. This can also have implications in other similar situations, such as responsibility to protect or climate change, in which strong regimes belie the weakness of the underlying norm.

Access, demand, and utilization of childhood immunization services: A cross-sectional household survey in Western Area Urban district, Sierra Leone, 2019.

BackgroundUrban childhood immunization programs face unique challenges in access, utilization, and demand due to frequent population movement between and within localities, sprawling informal settlements, and population heterogeneity. We conducted a cross-sectional household survey in the Western Area Urban district, Sierra Leone, stratified by slums and non-slums as defined by the United Nations Development Program.MethodsBased on data from child vaccination cards, weighted vaccination coverage was estimated from 450 children aged 12-36 months (household response rate = 83%). Interviews with 444 caregivers identified factors related to accessing routine immunization services. Factors associated with coverage in bivariate analyses were examined in multivariate models using backward stepwise procedure.ResultsCoverage was similar in slums and non-slums for 3-doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-hepatitis B-Haemophilus influenzae type b (pentavalent) vaccine (86%, 92%) and second dose of measles vaccine (33%, 29%). In a multivariate logistic regression model, incomplete pentavalent vaccine coverage was associated with being second or later birth order (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4-14.9), a household member not approving of childhood vaccinations (aOR = 7.55, 95% CI = 1.52-37.38), self-reported delay of child receiving recommended vaccinations (aOR = 4.8, 95% CI = 1.0-22.1), and living in a household made of natural or rudimentary materials (aOR = 3.5, 95% CI = 1.2-10.6). Overall, the majority (>70%) of caregivers reported occupation as petty trader and <50% reported receiving vaccination information via preferred communication sources.ConclusionsAlthough vaccination coverage in slums was similar to non-slums, study findings support the need for targeted interventions to improve coverage, especially for the second dose of measles vaccine to avoid large scale measles outbreaks. Strategies should focus on educating household members via preferred communication channels regarding the importance of receiving childhood vaccinations on time for all offspring, not just the first born. Vaccination coverage could be further improved by increasing accessibility through innovative strategies such as increasing the number of vaccination days and modifying hours.