Governance Unit

The Governance Unit presented its achievements and future plans at the 48th session of UNITAR Board of Trustees meeting.  Here are some highlights of the achievements:  During the biennium, the Governance Unit conducted 234 activities benefiting more than 15,000 persons around the globe.  We organized face-to-face training workshops in 26 countries, and people from some 112 countries took our e-learning courses in 2009, 50% of them are from Africa and 27% are from Latin America and the Caribbean.  We are offering more and more courses on an online platform.  In 2008, 62% of our activities were face-to-face workshops, and 31% were e-learning courses (7% - other activities).  The ratio changed in 2009, making it almost the same number for face-to-face (47%) and e-learning (48%) course offerings (5% - other activities).

Click here (PPS file 5.3MB) to view the presentation.

Our future plans include consolidating CIFAL Network, deploying a mobile learning platform, offering courses in additional languages (Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, and more Spanish), expanding capacity development in migration, and introducing new courses in science, technology and innovation.

UNITAR’s Governance Unit contributes to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) poverty reduction and governance agenda through developing the capacities of public and private sector officials from developing countries, including LDCs, and transition economies to appropriately address a wide range of governance issues.

The Governance Unit consists of three thematic programmes: e-Governance Programme, Local Development Programme, and Public Finance and Trade Programme, whose area of work is briefly described below.

The e-Governance Programme provides central and local government decision-makers with a comprehensive set of skills-based and policy-focused learning opportunities in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The customized curriculum includes the tools and information necessary to formulate strategies and directions in line with the results of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Topics for capacity development activities include cyber-security, e-democracy, and e-governance for central and local governments.

The Local Development Programme (LDP), formerly called "Decentralized Cooperation Programme", is a hub for information, communication, and training between local authorities and academic institutions, United Nations Agencies and other local actors such as public and private companies, and civil society. The goal of LDP’s activities is to enhance the capacity of local actors in implementing integrated approaches to sustainable development and urbanization. The programme provides its capacity development activities through a network of International Training Centres for Local Authorities and Local Actors (CIFAL) around the world.

The Public Finance and Trade Programme focuses on raising awareness, networking and training of senior and middle level officials mainly from developing countries and economies in transition in the areas of public finance, including debt management; trade, and intellectual property; and on strengthening the capacities of national and regional institutions to provide training in these areas. In addition to conducting traditional training and networking activities, the programme offers a wide range of e-Learning courses (online training).