United Nations University

08/05/2026

CELEBRATING 70: Japan-UN Cooperation, EXPO 2025, and the Future of Multilateralism

On 18 May 2026, UNU and 国連広報センター (UNIC Tokyo) will host a special symposium to commemorate 70 years of Japan’s membership in the United Nations.

The milestone provides a timely opportunity to reflect on the long-standing partnership between Japan and the UN, to review how this cooperation has contributed to the international community, and to consider how its achievements and lessons can help enhance the future of multilateral cooperation.

The symposium will feature high-ranking UN officials, representatives from the Government of Japan and youth leaders from Japan. The event will be in English with simultaneous interpretation in Japanese.

Register now: https://go.unu.edu/hIDCq

07/05/2026

Unsafe water is more than a technical problem — it reflects deeper inequality.

Today, UNU-INWEH released a new flagship report, “Water Quality: A Mirror and Magnifier of Structural Inequalities and Social Injustice,“ examining water quality in 138 countries across the Global South.

The report highlights that water safety is closely linked to wealth and gender equality. In 84 countries, unsafe or poor-quality drinking water overlaps with limited financial resources and gender inequality, affecting around 2 billion people.

The findings by UNU-scientists make one thing clear: pipes and treatment plants matter, but they are not enough. Sustainable progress on water quality must also address poverty, unequal access to services, and the systems that shape who is protected and who is left behind.

📖 Read the full report and explore the findings: https://go.unu.edu/Nfw1f

05/05/2026

3 DAYS LEFT TO APPLY ⏰

The Junior Fellows Internship at the UNU Office of the Rector is a paid, hands-on opportunity to work on research, policy and communications while gaining real experience within the UN system. Open to graduate students and young professionals worldwide.

Learn more and apply by 8 May 2026: https://go.unu.edu/JFFA26

03/05/2026

🔍 May brings you job opportunities from Tokyo to Bonn. Join UNU and contribute to the through research and education. Learn more below!

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Geospatial Application and Data Analytics Associate (PSA-5), The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH)
Richmond Hill | 24 May 2026

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Associate Academic Officer, Risk Finance (PSA-6), United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
Bonn | 13 May 2026

Associate Academic Officer, Risk Recovery Governance (PSA-6), UNU-EHS
Bonn | 12 May 2026

Associate Academic Officer, Risk Modelling - Loss and Damage (PSA-6), UNU-EHS
Bonn | 8 May 2026

Associate Academic Officer, Risk Modelling - Macro-economic (PSA-6), UNU-EHS
Bonn | 8 May 2026

Senior HR Assistant (PSA-3), UNU-EHS
Bonn | 20 May 2026

Adjunct Professor/Researcher on the Resource Nexus (Roster), United Nations University-FLORES
On-site (Dresden)/Remote | Open deadline

Research Assistant (PSA), Responsible Electronics in the Climate Change Era (REC²), 3 positions, UNU-FLORES
Dresden | 12 May 2026

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Junior Fellows Internship, UNU Office of the Rector
Tokyo | 8 May 2026

👉 Learn more and apply via https://careers.unu.edu/

02/05/2026

CRITICAL MINERALS, WATER INSECURITY AND INJUSTICE

A new report by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (UNU-INWEH) examines how the extraction of critical minerals for ‘green’ energy and digital transitions contributes directly to water insecurity, livelihood disruptions and health risks in many of the world’s most vulnerable regions, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Dubbing critical minerals the "oil of the 21st century", the report warns that the energy transition risks repeating the same pattern, creating new "sacrifice zones" in mineral-rich but economically marginalised regions.

Access the full report: https://go.unu.edu/169Op

01/05/2026

UNU is pleased to announce that Professor Patricia Justino has begun her term as Director of the UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER). Prof. Justino brings over two decades of experience conducting policy-relevant research on inequality, governance and inclusive development.

UNU Rector and UN Under-Secretary-General Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala commented: "We are thrilled to have Professor Patricia Justino begin her term as Director of UNU-WIDER. Her deep research expertise at the intersections of inequality, post-conflict development, social policy and economic systems is exactly what is needed at this critical moment for global sustainable development. Her leadership will undoubtedly keep UNU-WIDER at the forefront of efforts to build a more just and equitable world."

Learn more: https://go.unu.edu/36mWv

30/04/2026

🗞️ From a new report spotlighting scalable solutions across environmental systems to a think piece on how the Iran-US conflict raises energy security concerns for Africa, the April 2026 edition of features the latest research, commentary and jobs from across the global UNU system.

Read the full edition and subscribe to get INSIGHTS delivered to your inbox: https://go.unu.edu/Ao7ba

29/04/2026

The Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011 devastated the communities along the Tohoku coastline, taking away thousands of lives, stripping people of their livelihoods and heavily damaging infrastructure.

The short film "Standing Strong – Omoe", produced by former UNU filmmaker Kaori Brand, captures the resilience of the fishing community of Omoe through their recovery efforts shortly after the earthquake.

Today, the world observes the International Day in Memory of the Victims of Earthquakes for the first time. We must honor the victims of earthquakes through sustained support for survivors and affected communities. Earthquakes cannot be prevented, but their impacts can be significantly reduced through proactive, inclusive disaster risk reduction.

Watch the film: https://youtu.be/79u7uEK1Vqg?si=k2n8ZbrKl0WwbFuK

UNDRR

1.7K likes, 152 comments. "Standing Strong - Omoe"

28/04/2026

TURNING THE TIDE, RESTORING BALANCE 🌱

On 12 May 2026, UNU will host a conversation with Romina Picolotti, Senior Climate Policy Advisor at the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development.

🗓 12 May 2026
⏰ 18:30–19:30 JST
📍 UNU Headquarters, Tokyo
🌐 English

Joining UNU Rector Tshilidzi Marwala, Romina Picolotti will discuss the need to tackle non-CO₂ super climate pollutants such as methane, black carbon, hydrofluorocarbons and tropospheric ozone, what progress is already being made and what more is needed to accelerate action.

Learn more and register now: https://go.unu.edu/QXZJC

28/04/2026

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work in Developing Economies | UNU Rector AI Lecture Series III 👉 https://go.unu.edu/mXmp2

AI threatens 1️⃣ in 4️⃣ jobs, according to the ILO. Yet the greater risk lies in transformation — not outright replacement. What does this mean for the future of work in developing economies, and how can societies prepare?

Join us this Thursday with Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University and UN Under Secretary General, for the 3rd lecture in the UNU Rector AI Lecture Series:

✨ “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work in Developing Economies”

🗓 Date & Time
Apr 30, 16:30–17:30 Tokyo / 15:30–16:30 Macau

Register now: https://go.unu.edu/mXmp2

「聯合國大學校長人工智能系列講座」第三講：《人工智能與發展中經濟體的未來工作》 👉 https://go.unu.edu/mXmp2

根據國際勞工組織（ILO）的研究，每四份工作中就有一份受到人工智能的影響。真正的挑戰並非崗位的消失，而是工作模式的深度轉型。 這對發展中經濟體的未來意味著什麼？社會各界又該如何應對？

本週四，誠邀您加入我們，聆聽聯合國大學校長、聯合國副秘書長 Tshilidzi Marwala 教授帶來的「聯合國大學校長人工智能系列講座」第三講：《人工智能與發展中經濟體的未來工作》

📅 4 月 30 日（週四）15:30–16:30（北京／澳門時間）

🔗 立即報名 👉 https://go.unu.edu/mXmp2

27/04/2026

Through intellectual property ( ) rights such as patents, trademarks, industrial designs and copyrights, IP encourages and rewards innovation and creativity in various aspects of our lives, from sports to traditional culture.

Sitting down with UNU Rector Tshilidzi Marwala for a UNU Conversation Series event, Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), discusses the role of IP in driving innovation and creation at the grassroots level.

26 April was World Intellectual Property Day.