United Nations Publications brings together over 5,300 titles produced by the Organization and its key agencies, in a range of formats including print, eBooks and apps.
Featured publications
Africa Human Development Report 2012: Towards a Food Secure Future
Posted on 21 May 2012
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest prevalence of hunger in the world. Until this situation improves, the human development prospects of millions of Africans will remain at risk. The United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP's) first Africa Human Development Report shows that food security and human development reinforce each other.
If African countries are to realize their long-term potential, the report says, they must boost agricultural productivity to both improve the availability of food and reduce poverty. Policies to enhance nutrition are central to ensuring that access to food translates into human development. The report argues further that local populations must have the resources and decision-making power to produce and consume nutritious food throughout the year, overcoming the risks represented by continuing conflict, climate change and variations in food prices.
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Release date: May 2012
Paperback: 188 pages - Format: 8.25 in. x 11.5 in. - ISBN 13: 9789211263428
Basic Facts about the United Nations
Posted on 24 April 2012
This comprehensive handbook designed for the general public, sets forth the structure of the United Nations, how the Organization works and the main issues it deals with in their importance for people everywhere. Along with explaining the role played by its principal organs and the family of UN organizations, individual chapters explore UN contributions to international peace and security, economic and social development, human rights; humanitarian action, international law; and decolonization.
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Release date: June 2011 (also available in French, Spanish)
Paperback: 328 pages - Format: 5 in. x 8 in. - ISBN 13: 9789211012354
Also available in electronic format
Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing
Posted on 24 April 2012
The United Nations Secretary-General launched the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability (GSP) of eminent world figures to formulate a new blueprint for a sustainable future on a planet under increasing stress resulting from human activities This report feeds into inter-governmental processes, including preparations for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio 2012), and the annual meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
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Release date: March 2012
Paperback: 96 pages - Format: 8.5 in. x 11 in. - ISBN 13: 9789211012569
Also available in electronic format
Year in Review 2011: United Nations Peace Operations
Posted on 24 April 2012
This Review is an annual publication providing an overview of the current United Nations peace operations worldwide, newest trends and developments in the area of peace keeping, peacemaking and peace building. It contains basic statistical facts and figures relating to UN peace presence in the field. The publication is produced by the Department of Public Information's Peace and Security Section, with contributions from the Departments of Peace keeping Operations, of Field Support and of Political Affairs, as well as from UN peace missions.
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Release date: 2012
Paperback - Format: 8.5 in. x 11 in. - ISBN 13: 9789211370362
Other Recent Publications
World of Work Report 2012: Better Jobs for a Better Economy
Posted on 1 May 2012
This report by the Interbnational Labour Organization examines how different countries have performed since the start of the global crisis through the prism of the quantity and quality of jobs. It examines the effects of fiscal austerity and labour market reforms carried out in some countries, particularly in the EU and discusses why employment goals have all too often been neglected in policy practice. In addition, it explores the social implications of the crisis, including a "social unrest index" covering over 100 countries, as well as intergenerational poverty and the role of social policies in the crisis-recovery in both developed and developing countries.
World Urbanization Prospects, the 2011 Revision
Posted on 25 April 2012
By 2050, some 9.3 billion people would inhabit the planet, more than two thirds of them in urban areas. Africa and Asia would lead urban population growth, accounting for 86 per cent of urban population expansion around the world. Both continents will require very significant economic growth, expand urban infrastructure (transportation, water, energy, etc), improve housing, schools and public health services to accommodate the urban explosion due both to the burgeoning number of people born in their cities as well as to the influx of migrants from rural areas.
World Youth Report 2012
Posted on 25 April 2012
The 2012 report, entitled "Youth Employment: Youth Perspectives on the Pursuit of Decent Work in Changing Times", outlines the situation of young people in the labour market and youth employment trends. In the aftermath of the economic crisis, the global youth unemployment rate saw its largest annual increase on record in 2009, resulting in around 75.8 million unemployed youth. The report reveals that today's youth is worried about education quality and relevance, job vulnerability, labour migration, delayed marriage, and the rural divide, as well as age, gender and racial discrimination.
Global Parliamentary Report
Posted on 2 April 2012
This first report, entitled "The Changing Nature of Parliamentary Representation", is a joint work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the United Nations Development Programme, and draws on input from 73 parliaments. It analyzes changes in relations between parliaments and citizens, and suggests improvements to parliamentary strategies for meeting public expectations. It argues that to address the current low-level of trust in them, parliaments must engage with citizens, stay closely attuned to their needs and make every effort to meet them.
Disarmament: A Basic Guide
Posted on17 January 2012
This guide is published by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs in collaboration with the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security pursuant to the purposes of the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme (UNDIP). The book is aimed to inform, educate and generate public understanding of and support for multilateral action in the field of arms limitation and disarmament. It is intended for the general reader, but may also be useful for the disarmament educator or trainer.
Agribusiness for Africa's Prosperity
Posted on17 January 2012
In recent years, a renewed focus on agriculture has been evident in policy and development agendas for the African continent, yet little knowledge has been generated on the interlinkages of production, agroindustry and markets, as well as the potentials and challenges for developing these. This publication analyzes the challenges, the potential and opportunities of African agribusiness in the current period of dramatic changes in global agro-industrial markets, and builds a case for agribusiness development as a path to Africa's prosperity. Written by international experts, this volume fills what the United Nations Industrial Development Organization perceived as a significant gap in knowledge concerning these issues.