Regional Unit for Social and Human Sciences in Asia and the Pacific (RUSHSAP)

Within UNESCO's overall mandate "of building peace in the minds of men and women," the Social and Human Sciences Sector seeks to advance knowledge, standards and intellectual cooperation to facilitate social transformations where the values of justice, freedom and human dignity can be fully realized. In pursuit of this purpose, the Sector works under three main structuring lines:

• "Studying what is" --> promoting empirical research;
• "Anticipating what could be" --> promoting philosophical reflection and future-oriented studies;
• "Determining what should be" --> developing and promoting international standards in order to draw up recommendations for policies and action.

Drawing upon this overarching vision, the Regional Unit for Social and Human Sciences in Asia and the Pacific (RUSHSAP) aims to develop and promote social policies that uphold peace, human rights, democratic governance and tolerance within the Asia Pacific region, with priority programmes in bioethics and the ethics of science and technology. This includes bioethics education, environmental ethics, implementing international ethics standards, and examining the ethics of emerging areas of science and technology. Attention is given to philosophical dialogues between different regions to rediscover their ethical and cultural values as they face modernity. The unit's focus areas also include human security and social development, poverty alleviation, migration, management of water resources, governance, youth, sports, dissemination of information, as well as research and training.

RUSHSAP works with civil society, academia, governments and other willing partners to link sound research to sound policy-making, and to ethical practice for each community. In an era of rapid globalization, RUSHSAP aims to develop and promote social policies which uphold peace, human rights, democratic and ethical governance and tolerance. To achieve this goal, social policy activities must provide opportunities and empowerment for all, particularly during this period of major social, political, economic and cultural change.