The University for Peace (UPEACE) is an

international International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

and

intergovernmental organization Globalization is social change associated with increased connectivity among societies and their elements and the explosive evolution of transportation and telecommunication technologies to facilitate international cultural and economic exchange. ...

established as a treaty organisation by the

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...

in 1980. The university offers postgraduate, doctoral, and

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

programmes related to the study of peace and conflict, environment and development, and

international law International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...

. The headquarters of the University for Peace are located in a natural area near

Ciudad Colón Ciudad () is the Spanish word for "city". Ciudad or La Ciudad may also refer to: * La Ciudad (archaeological site), Hohokam ruins in Phoenix, Arizona * La Ciudad, district of Durango City, Mexico * ''La ciudad'', a novel by Mario Levrero published ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

. However, the university also has a presence in other countries, notably Somalia and the Netherlands. The charter of the University for Peace, adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 35/55 in 1980, defines the mission of the university as follows:

"to provide humanity with an international institution of
higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
for peace with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, to stimulate cooperation among peoples and to help lessen obstacles and threats to
world peace World peace is the concept of an ideal state of peace within and among all people and nations on Earth. Different cultures, religions, philosophies, and organizations have varying concepts on how such a state would come about. Various relig ...
and progress, in keeping with the noble aspirations proclaimed in the
Charter of the United Nations The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the United Nations (UN). It establishes the purposes, governing structure, and overall framework of the UN system, including its six principal organs: the Secretariat, the G ...
."

The organization has

observer status Observer status is a privilege granted by some organizations to non-members to give them an ability to participate in the organization's activities. Observer status is often granted by intergovernmental organizations (IGO) to non-member parties and ...

in the

UN General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its 79th session, its powers, ...

and maintains a permanent office at the

UN headquarters , image = Midtown Manhattan Skyline 004 (cropped).jpg , image_size = 275px , caption = View of the complex from Long Island City in 2021; from left to right: the Secretariat, Conference, and General Assembly buildi ...

in New York.

History and relationship with United Nations

The University for Peace was set in motion by a treaty endorsed by resolution 34/111 of 14 December 1979 of the

. This resolution also established an international commission which, in collaboration with the government of Costa Rica, was requested to prepare the proposed university's organization and structure -- setting in motion the creation of the University for Peace. Thereafter, by Resolution 35/55 of 5 December 1980, the UN General Assembly endorsed the treaty establishing the University for Peace by adopting the International Agreement for the Establishment of the University for Peace along with the Charter of the University for Peace.d In 1999, Secretary-General

Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founder a ...

took further steps to revitalize the University for Peace by changing its focus from that of a local and regional institution to a more globally-focussed perspective. Accompanying this change in focus was a change of the university's working language, from Spanish to English, and launch of its African program. The University for Peace is part of the academic wing of the UN system, and has observer status at the UN General Assembly, while maintaining its independence in academic, financial and management matters. The

UN Secretary-General The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...

is the honorary president of UPEACE. As the university is mandated by the General Assembly, the UN Secretary-General reports periodically on the activities of the University for Peace. The main body of governance of the university is the Council of the University for Peace. It is composed of 17 members, ten of which are appointed by the Secretary-General of the UN and the Director-General of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

, two nominated by the

government of Costa Rica The politics of Costa Rica take place in a framework of a presidential system, presidential, Representative democracy, representative democratic republic, with a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the president and their cabinet, ...

, and others being high-level staff of the University for Peace, the

United Nations University The is the think tank and academic arm of the United Nations. Headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, with diplomatic status as a UN institution, its mission is to help resolve list of global issues, global issues related to Human development ...

, and the United Nations.

Headquarters and main campus

The main campus of the university - the Rodrigo Carazo Campus - is located 30 km south-west of San José, Costa Rica. Most master's and doctoral programmes are administered from this location. The university has a mix of both resident and visiting faculty members. The closest town to the mountain on which the university is perched is

, which is where most of the students, staff, and faculty members of the university reside.

Earth Charter Initiative

The main campus of the University for Peace hosts the International Secretariat of the Earth Charter Initiative, whose stated mission is "to promote the transition to sustainable ways of living and a global society founded on a shared ethical framework that includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity,

universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...

human rights, respect for diversity,

economic justice Economic justice is a component of social justice and welfare economics. It is a set of moral and ethical principles for building economic institutions, where the ultimate goal is to create an opportunity for each person to establish a sufficie ...

democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

, and a culture of peace." This mission is carried out using the

Earth Charter The Earth Charter is an international declaration of fundamental values and principles considered useful by its supporters for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. Created by a global consultation process, ...

as the principal guiding framework. In 2012, the Earth Charter Initiative and the University for Peace were jointly awarded the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development and the Earth Charter. The work related to this UNESCO chair is carried out at the 'Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development', which opened at the UPEACE main campus in 2014.

Peace Park and nature reserve

The campus is surrounded by a natural reserve (Peace Park) composed of a secondary forest and the last remnant of primary forest (200 ha) in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. It shelters mammals such as monkeys and deer, reptiles, and over 300 species of birds, as well as approximately 100 varieties of trees. The university's installations and protected area make up 303 ha. The park contains several hiking trails and monuments to peacebuilders.

International activities

In addition to the activities at the Costa Rica campus, the University for Peace has several international offices and partners.

Africa

The University for Peace established its Africa program in 2002. The programme aims to stimulate and strengthen the capacities in Africa to teach, train and conduct research in areas of peace and conflict studies. As part of the programme, the university has established capacity-building agreements with 27 institutions in Africa, mainly universities. The first five years of the program focused on the development of curricula and teaching materials and the delivery of a range of short courses, workshops, conferences and seminars in various parts of Africa. Within this period, the program attracted close to one thousand participants from academia, policy-makers and civil society organizations. Since 2007, the Africa programme has worked with a number of partner universities to develop master's degree programs to be based at African universities. The principal aim of this endeavour is to further strengthen the African capacity and build a wide expertise for a better understanding of conflicts in Africa, their prevention and the creation of the environment favourable to lasting peace and development in the region. In partnership with the Institute for Peace, Security and Development, UPEACE offers master's and PhD programmes related to the university's academic profile in Somalia. In 2022, 166 students graduated from the Somalia programme. The incumbent president of the Somalia,

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somali language, Somali: ''Xasan Sheekh Maxamuud''; ; born 29 November 1955) is a Somali politician serving as the president of Somalia since 15 May 2022. He previously held the office from 2012 to 2017. Hassan was previo ...

, defended his Ph.D. thesis at the University for Peace. The university announced its intention to start a Ph.D. scholarship programme named after Hassan.

Europe

In January 2012, UPEACE opened a centre in

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

, Netherlands, which is housed at the Academy Building of the

Peace Palace The Peace Palace ( ; ) is an international law administrative building in The Hague, Netherlands. It houses the International Court of Justice (which is the principal judicial body of the United Nations), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PC ...

. It promotes the activities of the university in Europe and works on education and research in peace studies, cooperating with academic and policy-oriented institutions in The Hague region. The Geneva Office of the University for Peace was established in 2001. The focus of the Geneva office is to contribute to the development of programmatic activities of the university in Africa and the Middle East, engaging with the academic community in Geneva, and facilitation of institutional relations within Europe and with the United Nations system.

Asia

Until 2023, the University for Peace jointly organised the Asian Peacebuilders Scholarship Programme (APS) with the

Nippon Foundation of Tokyo, Japan, is a private, non-profit grant-making organization. It was established in 1962 by Ryōichi Sasakawa. The foundation's mission is to direct Japanese motorboat racing revenue into philanthropic activities, it uses this money t ...

and Ateneo de Manila University. APS graduates obtained a Master of Arts degree from the University for Peace and a master's degree in Transdisciplinary Social Development from Ateneo de Manila University.

Academics

The University for Peace offers graduate, doctoral, and executive programmes in the areas of peace, environment and international law. The educational and research activities are organised in four departments: international law, peace and conflict studies, environment and development, and regional studies. The latter department offers education in Spanish rather than English. In addition to its own programmes, the university offers joint programmes with

American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...

IHE Delft Institute for Water Education IHE Delft Institute for Water Education is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world and is based in Delft, Netherlands. IHE Delft cooperates with Delft, the water knowledge city, and water related institutes based i ...

Pace University Pace University is a private university with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York, United States. It was established in 1906 as a business school by the brothers Homer St. Clair Pace and Charles A. Pace. Pace enrolls about ...

UNITAR The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations system. UNITAR provides training and capacity development activities to assist mainly developing countries with special attention ...

, Ateneo de Manila University and several other organisations.

Department of International Law

*MA in International Law and the Settlement of Disputes *MA in International Law and Human Rights ''(available in both English and in Spanish)'' *MA in International Law and Diplomacy

Department of Peace and Conflict Studies

*MA in Conflict Resolution, Peace and Development ''(taught in Spanish)'' *MA in Gender and Peacebuilding *MA in Indigenous Science and Peace Studies *MA in International Peace Studies *MA in Peace Education *MA in Religion, Culture and Peace Studies *MA in Sustainable Peace in the Contemporary World ''(online)''

Department of Environment and Development

*MA in Environment, Development and Peace ''(available in both English and in Spanish)'' *MA in Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development *MSc in Ecology and Society

Department of Regional Studies

* MA in Derecho Internacional de los Derechos Humanos * MA in Resolución de Conflictos, Paz y Desarollo * MA in Ambiente, Desarrollo y Paz

Dual and joint masters degrees

*Conflict Resolution & Coexistence and International Law & Human Rights (dual MA with

Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...

, US) *Cybercrime, Cybersecurity and International Law (joint LL.M. with

United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) is one of the five United Nations Research and Training Institutes. The institute was founded in 1968 to assist the international community in formulating and imple ...

, Turin, Italy) *Development Studies and Diplomacy (joint MA with

) *Environmental Law and International Law & Human Rights (LLM/MA with

) *Human Rights and a Culture for Peace (joint MA with

Pontifical Xavierian University The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (English: Xavierian Pontifical University) is a private university in Colombia founded in 1623. It is one of the oldest and most traditional Colombian universities, directed by the Society of Jesus, with its ...

, Colombia) *International Law and Human Rights (dual MA with

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (abbreviated as HUFS; ) is a Private university, private research university in Seoul, South Korea. The university currently teaches 45 foreign languages. In addition, it contains studies in humanities, law, ...

, Seoul, Korea) *Media, Peace and Conflict Studies (dual MA with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul, Korea) *Natural Resources and Sustainable Development (dual MA with

, Washington DC, USA) *Sustainable Development (dual MA with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul, Korea) *Transnational Crime and Justice (joint LL.M. with

, Turin, Italy) *Water Cooperation and Diplomacy (triple MA/MSc/MS with

, The Netherlands and

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...

, USA)

Doctoral program

The University for Peace has a doctoral programme in peace and conflict studies since 2012. The programme offers a research track and a professional track.

Accreditation

The university has been a member organisation of the Costa Rican accreditation organisation SINAES since 2008. SINAES has evaluated and accredited the larger graduate programmes at the university, while its other programmes are in the process of accreditation. Additionally, degrees awarded by the university are recognized under international law, as the Charter of the University for Peace gives the authority to "grant master's degrees and doctorates". As the resolution to establish the University for Peace was taken by consensus in the General Assembly, the authorisation to award degrees is in theory legally valid in all countries. University for Peace degrees are verified by the International Association of Universities/UNESCO.

Human rights outreach

The University for Peace has also established the UPEACE Human Rights Centre which was created within the contours of the broader mission of the university. The work of the UPEACE Human Rights Centre seeks to promote understanding, respect and enjoyment of

universal human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

. The centre carries out this objective through human rights education, training, research, capacity building, and awareness-raising activities. The University for Peace hosts the Office of Free Legal Assistance for Journalists in Costa Rica. In 2023, the office presented a critical report about the access to information and media during the 2022 elections.

Notable staff

* Francisco Rojas Aravena, Chilean academic and rector * Mihir Kanade, Indian academic and Chair-Rapporteur of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development

Notable alumni

Kirthi Jayakumar Kirthi Jayakumar (born 15 December 1987) is a peace educator, a Security Council Resolution 1325, women, peace, and security and feminist foreign policy practitioner, lawyer and List of Indian writers, writer. She is a Commonwealth Scholarship ...

, Indian peace educator, feminist activist and writer * Rosebell Kagumire, Ugandan journalist * Mihir Kanade, Chair-Rapporteur of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the

Right to Development The right to development is a human right that recognizes every human right for constant improvement of well-being. It was recognized by the United Nation as an international human right in 1986. History The right to development was debated fo ...

and Professor at the University for Peace (Ph.D.) *

Guled Salah Barre '' Dr.'' Gulleid Salah Barre () is a Somali politician who served as the chairman of the Transitional Puntland Electoral Committee from 2019 to 2022 and as the Puntland Minister of Environment and Climate Change from 28 January 2014 to 2016. He ...

, Somali politician (Ph.D.) * Nick Martin, American technologist, entrepreneur, and educator and founder of

TechChange TechChange is an American online learning platform, founded by Nick Martin in 2010 and based in Washington, DC. Overview TechChange provides online certificate courses on topics including international development, social entrepreneurship an ...

. * Abdirizak Omar Mohamed, Somali politician (Ph.D.) *

, President of Somalia (Ph.D.) * Anat Nir, Israeli businessperson and LGBT rights activist * María Mercedes Peñas Domingo, Spanish-Costa Rican political scientist * José Antonio Sanahuja, Professor of International Relations at Complutense University of Madrid *

Billene Seyoum Billene Seyoum Woldeyes (Amharic: ቢለኔ ሥዩም ወልደየስ; born 1982) is an Ethiopian politician, poet and author who is serving as the Foreign Press Secretary for the Office of Prime Minister of Ethiopia since 5 November 2018. Billen ...

, Ethiopian politician, poet, author and feminist

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:University For Peace Schools of international relations Peace and conflict studies Universities in Costa Rica Intergovernmental universities Peace education Universities and colleges established in 1980 Buildings and structures in San José Province Organizations established by the United Nations Universities created by intergovernmental organizations Research institutes in the United Nations System Education in Costa Rica