What exactly do people mean by ‘agrodiversity’, ‘formal remittances’ and ‘sustainable development’? Do leaders and scholars use similar concepts in different ways? Do they know their PoCs from their POCs?
In our interconnected world, global discussions rely on a shared understanding of key concepts. To this end, the United Nations University (UNU) has developed a glossary app — the ‘UNU Jargon Buster’ — that clarifies hundreds of social, political and economic terms. Version 2 presents around 1000 acronyms, political proceedings, and technical legalese — each with online references and / or further reading.
See the Reuters feature article here…
Launched on World Science Day for Peace and Development, 10 November 2015, at the UN Regional Information Centre in Brussels, the app gathers knowledge from eight UNU sites in Belgium (UNU-CRIS), Germany (UNU-EHS & UNU-FLORES), Iceland (UNU-GEST & UNU-LRT), Japan (UNU-IAS), Malaysia (UNU-IIGH), and the Netherlands (UNU-MERIT — the lead institute for this app). It also presents recommended resources from several international organisations, including the OECD, UN-Women and the WTO.
Adding further value, all terms are cross-referenced with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For example, International Health terms are grouped under SDG#3; Gender Equality terms are with SDG#5; Innovation with SDG#9; Environmental Sustainability with SDG#13; and Regional Integration with SDG#16. In fact most terms fall under more than one goal, demonstrating the cross-cutting nature of UNU’s work.
This free app is available for Android and iOS as a searchable, offline, one-stop shop: designed for anyone seeking a UN glossary anywhere in the world, at a conference or in the field, be they students, scholars or policymakers. It was compiled at UNU-MERIT in the Netherlands by Howard Hudson, Diego Salama and Iulia Falcan, with design and technical support from Mediablenders and the Premium programme.
Are we missing a major term, acronym or feature? Please email app@merit.unu.edu
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UN SUPPORT
NEWS UPDATES
New Partnerships for the SDGs: UNU, UN Women & the WTO, 19 July 2016
UNU Jargon Buster App 2.0: Unscrambling More UN Jargon, 14 April 2016
UNU Jargon Buster App 2.0: Launch at UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, 8 April 2016
WEEE? UNSSSS? New app unscrambles jumble of U.N. jargon (Reuters), 27 January 2016
A Roadmapp for the UNU Jargon Buster, 9 December 2015
UNU Jargon Buster 1.0, Launch at UNRIC, Brussels, 10 November 2015LAUNCH IMAGES
PRESENTATIONS
by Dr. Michaella VanoreMEDIA CREDITS
UNRIC / M.Durickas; UNU / D.Salama; Flickr / J.Howie