United Nations A/57/14 General Assembly Distr.: General 9 October 2002 Original: English Fifty-seventh session Report of the Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research* * The present document is an advance version of the report of the Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. The final version will be issued as Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 14 (A/57/14). 02-62671 (E) 041102 *0262671* A/57/14 TABLE OF CONTENTS Paragraphs Page Introduction 1-23 3 Report of Activities 24-154 8 I. Training Programme in Multilateral Diplomacy and International Affairs Management 24-76 8 A. Diplomacy Training and Fellowships 24-42 8 B. Peacemaking and Preventive Diplomacy 43-52 10 C. Programme of Training for the Application of Environmental Law 53-63 12 D. The International Migration Policy 64-72 14 E. Programme of Correspondence Instruction in Peacekeeping Operations 73-76 16 II. New York Office 77-85 18 III. Training and Capacity Building Programmes in the Field of Economic and Social Development 86-154 20 A. Training and Capacity Building Programmes in Chemicals and Waste Management 86-104 20 B. The Climate Change Programme 105-110 23 C. International Training Center for Local Actors: Programme on Decentralized Cooperation and Sustainable Development (CIFAL) 111-123 25 D. Information and Communication Training Programmes 124-144 27 E. Training Programme in the Legal Aspects of Debt and Financial Management for Sub-Saharan Africa and Vietnam 145-148 30 F. Foreign Economic Relations 149-154 31 2 A/57/14 INTRODUCTION 1. The present report covers the period from 1 • The importance of UNITAR’s role as a July 2000 to 30 June 2002. It follows the format neutral insider, to evaluate United Nations introduced some years ago, namely a short programmes and activities; factual description of on-going programmes, • The importance of providing training that followed by a chronological list of training keeps its focus on developing countries, and activities and statistics of participation per distinguishing therein the diversity of needs country and per region. and means within developing countries themselves; 2. The report is presented in three main • The diversity of the Trustees’ own chapters: backgrounds and expertise, and the importance of this diversity for developing I. Training Programmes in Multilateral UNITAR future plans; Diplomacy and International Affairs • The need for UNITAR to develop Management; partnerships and cooperation with II. Activities of UNITAR New York Office; international financial institutions for III. Training and Capacity Building programmes on trade-related matters; Programmes in the field of Economic • The possibility of expanding the outreach of and Social Development. programmes through e-learning, as demonstrated by the success of the Debt 3. Detailed information is available on line: and Financial Management Programme, and www.unitar.org. The web site has been recently the need for other UNITAR programmes to updated. follow suit; • The rising number of requests for “à la carte” 4. The recommendations of the General training, particularly in International Affairs Assembly over the last decade have been fully Management Programmes, and the difficulty implemented, notably, that the programmes of trying to meet all the needs.” should focus on areas where priority needs have been identified, that cooperation should be New Trends fostered with training institutions from within and outside the United Nations and that stringent 6. The training programmes addressing civil financial and administrative management should servants of Member States from various be exercised to maintain a balanced budget. ministries and at different levels of functions and Similarly, the recommendations of UN responsibilities are continuing. The workshops examining bodies (the United Nations Board of and seminars addressed to diplomats are mostly Auditors, the Advisory Committee for conducted at headquarters of the Organization Administrative and Budgetary Questions and the in New York, Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi. Most Office of Internal Oversight Services) have been of the programmes dealing with economic and progressively implemented. social development are organized in the field. Over two thirds of the activities take place in 5. Regarding the design and conduct of developing countries and countries in transition. programmes, the Conclusions and Recommendations of the last session of the 7. During the period under review, 223 Board of Trustees (30 April to 2 May 2002) programmes, workshops and seminars have reads as follows: been organized, benefiting over 11,400 participants throughout five continents. “The programme presentations were highly appreciated by the Trustees and elicited in- 8. Over recent years, UNITAR has developed depth discussions. Some crosscutting methodologies for the design, launching and questions and comments raised could be implementation of training and capacity building summarized as follows: 3 A/57/14 programmes. These encompass the entire information, materials and process, from the identification of needs to the networks/community of users; report to the General Assembly, including the • Greater visibility and access to UNITAR’s various validations of relevance, quality and training programmes; financial ingenuity undertaken by the donors and • Considerable reduction in costs associated recipients, the Advisory Committee on with course management at UNITAR; Administrative and Budgetary Questions, the • Re-usability of content in future UNITAR United Nations Board of Auditors and, in training. particular, by UNITAR Board of Trustees. Capacity Building 9. Among the most recent trends in UNITAR’s activities, at least four deserve to be mentioned: 11. Regarding capacity building, UNITAR has development of distance and e-learning, conducted an in-depth reflection over recent emphasis on capacity building or strengthening, years. Conclusions drawn from this reflection research on innovative methodologies and indicate that institution strengthening is the increased participation in intergovernmental ultimate goal of training. It also implies undertakings. comprehensive and durable action. Training activities must be multiplied and diversified. It is Distance and E-learning vital that the competent authorities within the recipient countries, the local authorities and 10. Over the past few years, UNITAR has various leading communities must properly developed correspondence training courses in assess the institutional infrastructures necessary the field of peacekeeping operations and for guaranteeing the good management of the international environmental law. These issues at stake. Development agencies should programmes are meeting with increased also be involved to the greatest possible extent, success. Following extensive theoretical and including in strategy planning. Mid-term practical research and experience, UNITAR is capacity building programmes are increasingly now ready to launch its e-learning activities. E- designed for a number of selected countries of learning is expected to increase the traditional the developing regions. This goes beyond the participant base, to offer updated and relevant traditional approach of technical assistance or modules “anytime and anywhere” through the cooperation, instead being centered on the web and other related technologies, to have a concept of human and institutional capacity multiplying effect through incorporation and use building to increase ability to manage and of its online modules by partners in developing govern. countries. The e-learning platform should provide the technological tools for UNITAR Training Methodologies participants to access course content and experts in a manner that addresses the specific 12. Research on and for training has now needs of the target audience. UNITAR places a become a constant and increasing activity of special emphasis on cooperation with regional UNITAR, including training needs assessments, and national training institutes from developing conduct and use of evaluation results and countries. E-learning is recognized as having knowledge sharing. many advantages: 13. In the perspective of capacity building • Offering updated and relevant training involving a greater number of national and modules to its audience at low cost; international stakeholders, needs assessment, • Reducing the cost per participant; in particular self-needs assessment, must be • Interactivity, personalization, content given particular emphasis. In fact, capacity structure and engagement; development interventions that are not preceded • Empowering individual participants by by a stock-taking and situation analysis and providing flexible and easy access to systematic identification of key issues, priorities and capacity needs are likely to be remain 4 A/57/14 ineffective. To address this issue, UNITAR has information exchange and networking functions. developed, together with several international All aspects of evaluation benefit from an partner organizations, tools and methodologies interactive relationship with existing UNITAR to assist countries to undertake self-assessment programmes and activities, and the considerable of capacity needs in a number of areas in the experience and resource base of training, field of economic and social development. With research and management in many priority guidance and technical support provided by areas