Quantifying the World: UN Ideas and Statistics

About the Project

329 About the Project The United Nations Intellectual History Project was launched in mid- to fill a gaping hole in the literature about the world organization. The project is analyzing the origins and evolution of the history of ideas cultivated within the United Nations family of organizations and of their impact on wider thinking and international action. Certain aspects of the UN economic and social activities have of course been the subject of books and articles; but there is no comprehensive intellectual history of the world organization’s contributions to setting the past, present, or future international agenda. This project is examining the evolution of key ideas and concepts about international economic and social development born or nurtured under United Nations auspices. Their origins and the motivations behind them are being traced and their relevance, influence, and impact are being assessed against the backdrop of the socioeconomic situations of individual countries, the global economy, and major international developments. The project will publish fourteen books about human rights and key economic and social ideas central to UN activity. The first volume in the series, Ahead of the Curve? UN Ideas and Global Challenges, was published in  by Indiana University Press. The project also has completed seventy-five in-depth oral history interviews with leading contributors to crucial ideas and concepts within the UN system. A summary of the collection with excerpts will be published in . The project is expected to be completed by the end of . For further information, the interested reader should contact: UN Intellectual History Project Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies The CUNY Graduate Center  Fifth Avenue, Suite  New York, New York - -- Tel -- Fax UNHistory@gc.cuny.edu www.unhistory.org ...