The Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential represents some of the most progressive and innovative work conducted at the UIA. The Encyclopedia is the result of an ambitious effort, since 1972, to collect and present information on the problems humanity is confronted with, as well as the challenges such problems pose to concept formation, values and development strategies.

It is a response to the fact that many institutions are trapped in inadequate policy metaphors. The Encyclopedia places emphasis on the potential of new metaphors for governance as a major unexplored resource to enable paradigm shifts, and offers radically different perspectives to policy-makers, social researchers and those concerned with development strategy. By focusing on both problems and strategies, as well as constructive and destructive values, it endeavours to transcend the usual polarization of issues and responses to them. The Encyclopedia thus encourages the discovery of a new conceptual dynamic for understanding and action, sufficiently complex to encompass the factions, conflicts and paradigms by which people are separated - both from each other and from a promising future. General information is available on research relating to the Encyclopedia, as is an index to notes and commentaries. Alternatively, one can see the FAQ.