A Proposal for future‐oriented research at the United Nations

Abstract

The Need for Future‐Oriented Research and Information. Intranational and international crises and conflicts will increase sharply during the next several decades unless we manage socioeconomic development competently. Crises within nation‐states will lead to and spill over into conflicts between nations as the resources needed to cope with domestic situations are sought elsewhere in a highly competitive international market. Human resources and natural resources are not distributed equally; some of the most developed countries are poor in resources and some of the least developed are rich in natural resources. Similarly, population densities and growth rates are unevenly distributed, with population pressures emanating from the less developed nations, and technologic‐economic pressures coming from the more developed ones. In the world as a whole, population growth will outrun resource availability if current growth rates and rates of resource exploitation and use are maintained. Should present trends continue unchanged, major crises could precipitate worldwide conflicts within the next decade or two.

Citation

Laszlo, E. (1975), "A Proposal for future‐oriented research at the United Nations", Planning Review, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 13-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb053716