national defense policies relevant to the post-cold war world.
Emphasis is given to research and policy development in such areas
as cooperative security, preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping, and
peacemaking.
The
Foundation's work in peace and security seeks to encourage projects
in arms control and disarmament. The Foundation also supports a
wide range of intergovernmental and nongovernmental international
institutions working on conflict prevention and resolution. For
example, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research
received a grant to produce training videos for U.N. peacekeeping
troops, and a grant to the United Nations Institute for Disarmament
Research supported regional dialogues on security. Support also
went to the Women in International Society project at the
University of Maryland, to ensure women's participation in the
international security debate.
International Law and the
Environment
Projects
seek to strengthen international law as the principal arbiter of
relations among states, and to further international cooperation in
the use of common resources. The United Nations figures prominently
in the Foundation's work in international law and organizations.
Current support focuses on efforts to improve the U.N.'s system of
financing its administration.
To train
lawyers from developing countries in environmental law, the
Foundation granted funds to the International Development Law
Institute. Support also went to the Foundation for International
Environmental Law and Development to help establish a program in
international environmental and economic law.
International Economics and
Development
Support for
NGOs concerned with development issues represents an important
component of Foundation efforts to improve the ability of
multilateral economic institutions to serve the needs of their
expanding clientele. Other areas of Foundation interest include
economic reform, equitable and sustainable development, and
research on ways to mitigate the causes and consequences of mass
migrations.
During the
past year, the Foundation launched the Initiative in International
Economics and Development, a new approach to supporting policy
analysis, research, and training. The initiative has three
objectives: to build a strong network of research and training
institutions concerned with international economics and
development; to design cost-effective approaches to training future
scholars and establishing links between experts in developed and
developing countries; and to foster worldwide policy research and
education on emerging issues of critical importance. An initial
series of grants to eight North American universities included
support for linkages with 14 institutions in developing countries.
A separate grant to the Centre for Economic Policy Research
included support to build links between this European network of
international economics researchers and their counterparts in
developing countries.
International Human Rights
Operating
within the framework of the International Bill of Human Rights, the
Foundation focuses on four interrelated areas: protecting civil and
political rights; strengthening international human rights law and
its enforcement; improving intergroup relations, with an emphasis
on protecting indigenous peoples and minorities;