UNITAR Newsletter

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The CIFAL Global Network is UNITAR's network of International Training Centres, dedicated to provide innovative training to strengthen the capacities of government officials and leaders to advance sustainable development. Our CIFAL centers are jointly managed with 15 partner institutions and deliver some 70 training activities every year.

December 2015

UNITAR Newsletter

Editorial: Empowering local authorities to mainstream, implement and review the Agenda 2030

This year, the world nations adopted the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development including 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets that will come into effect on 1 January 2016 and that will guide the decisions of UN Member States over the next 15 years. Advancing this agenda requires collaboration within and across countries and at the regional and global levels, all with different national realities and levels of capacity.

Training and capacity development are key supporting factors for governments at all levels and stakeholders to mainstream the SDGs into national and local development plans and strategies, develop monitoring and review frameworks, and translate the new agenda into transformative action at country level.

UNITAR's global network of "CIFAL" training centres serve government authorities and leaders mainly from local and sub-national levels, playing a critical role in communicating the SDGs and raising awareness of the universality of the agenda, ensuring full understanding and ownership. Furthermore, the CIFAL Global Network aims to serve as a platform to assist local authorities by facilitating city-to-city cooperation that lead to the development and implementation of action plans in support of the Agenda 2030.

In 2016, the CIFAL Centres will continue to offer training and learning opportunities to support the shift from understanding the agenda to the implementation phase.

Learn more about our activities in the 2016 Training Catalogue!

 

Highlights

Annemasse

XII Meeting of Directors of the CIFAL Global Network

UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNITAR Executive Director Mr. Nikhil Seth convened the XII Meeting of Directors of the CIFAL Global Network during 28-30 October 2015 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland to achieve the following key objectives (1) Review the core training areas for the CIFAL Centres in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, (2) Review CIFAL Centres performance and achievements in 2015, and (3) Develop a harmonized training calendar of activities for 2016.

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Annemasse

International Day of Persons with Disabilities - A Day for All

On the occasion of the "International Day of Persons with Disabilities: A Day for All", UNITAR hosted a brown bag lunch at the Palais des Nations to discuss the linkages between disability and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In addition, UNITAR presented its new e-Learning course entitled, "The Human Rights-Based Approach to Disability," jointly developed with the Inter-Agency Support Group for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (IASG).

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Annemasse

International Forum on PPPs for Sustainable Development

On 29-30 October UNITAR, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the agglomeration of Annemasse hosted the inaugural International Forum on Public-Private Partnerships for Sustainable Development, bringing together 500 participants from all continents and over 50 high-level international panelists, including heads of UN agencies, mayors, legal and financial experts, international organizations and private sector representatives.

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WACAP OAS

Second Mayoral Forum on Mobility, Migration and Development

With close to 100 local governments, civil society and international community representatives present, UNITAR launched the Second Mayoral Forum on Mobility, Migration and Development in Quito, Ecuador on 12 November. For two days, leaders discussed lessons in key policy areas as pertains to migration and refugee protection; rights recognition and access to services; decent work and employment; and diaspora contributions to development.

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CIFAL Shanghai CEO

UNITAR Launches a CIFAL Centre in Newcastle, Australia

UNITAR and the University of Newcastle (UoN) with the support of the City Government of Newcastle in Australia signed a partnership agreement to establish an "International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders (CIFAL)" in the city of Newcastle to provide training to government authorities from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region in areas such as disaster preparedness and resilience, education and innovation, public-private partnerships, among others.

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CIFAL Shanghai CEO

Sustainable Development Goals: A Creative Approach for a Sustainable City

On 26 October at the Glasgow City Council Chambers, CIFAL Scotland, Glasgow Green Year, and Creative Carbon Scotland hosted a dynamic and highly interactive working session with participants from the public and private sectors, as well as from the community to discuss where Glasgow is making great strides in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and where improvement would put the city in the vanguard.

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CIFAL Jeju Holistic Waste

Understanding the Current and Historical Role of Women in Brazil

CIFAL Atlanta jointly with Kennesaw State University hosted the "Gender and Women's Studies Panel" on 29 October to foster a dialogue on ways to end discrimination against women in the workplace and to promote "full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making" in the public life of women in Brazil.

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CIFAL Plocks Mobility

Building Capacities in Holistic Waste Management and Wastewater Treatment

From 5 to 8 October, CIFAL Jeju in collaboration with UNEP's International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) held a four-day training workshop, convening officials from central, state and local governments, NGO leaders and private sector representatives from Asia-Pacific countries to learn strategic and holistic approaches to waste management and to examine wastewater treatment technologies that contribute to build sustainable cities.

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Lenin Moreno

Delivering Training to Flood-Affected Regions of Southern Bangladesh

CIFAL Scotland, the Bangladesh Association for Sustainable Development and Gaia Education conducted a series of Climate Change Awareness (CCA) seminars in 42 communities in Southern Bangladesh aimed to empower 66 leaders with climate change adaptation and disaster management techniques to better respond to the regional threats of climate change that include floods, cyclones, tornados, and riverbank erosion.

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