United Nations Institute for Training and Research
Encyclopedia
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) was established in 1965 following a UN General Assembly resolution "for the training of personnel, particularly from developing Member States, for administrative and operational assignments with the United Nations and the specialized agencies, both at Headquarters and in field operations, and for national service" as well as for "research and seminars on operations of the United Nations and the specialized agencies".
An autonomous body within the UN system, UNITAR is governed by a Board of Trustees whose members are appointed by the UN Secretary-General, and led by the Executive Director, also appointed by the Secretary-General. The Institute is supported by voluntary contributions from government
s, intergovernmental organizations, foundations and the private sector
.
representatives from around the world. UNITAR strives to respond to the growing demand from UN Member States, especially the least developed countries, for capacity development in the fields of Environment; Peace, Security and Diplomacy; and Governance.
Through The Hague Fellowship, held annually at International Court of Justice
, UNITAR provides government officials with training courses on international law
and through its programme on operational satellite applications (UNOSAT
) the institute provides satellite imagery
and analysis.
UNITAR helps governments to understand climate change
, chemicals and waste management
, and biodiversity
. The Institute also assists ministries of finance through its courses on public debt management, finance and trade. Since 2003 UNITAR provides courses to support municipal and regional leaders dealing with complex public policies.
Another task of the Institute is to organize meetings for the UN Secretary-General, including the annual retreat of the Secretary-General and UN top officials, the annual retreat of Special Representatives of the Secretary-General as well as strategic meetings for UN Departments. UNITAR also spearheads UN inter-agency initiatives such as the one UN Learning platform on Climate Change or the Global Migration Group.
, conflict prevention and peacemaking
, peacekeeping
, adaptation to climate change, environmental governance, chemicals and waste management, local governance, international migration, as well as public finance and trade. UNITAR also serves as a research centre for knowledge systems innovation (KSI) and application of satellite imagery to humanitarian, conflict or disaster situations, through UNOSAT
, the Operational Satellite Applications Programme.
.
is a programme developed in co-operation with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN
) delivering satellite solutions to relief and development organizations within and outside the UN system to help make a difference in the life of communities exposed to poverty, hazards and risk, or affected by humanitarian and other crises. Its focal areas include: satellite imagery search and procurement assistance, image processing; map production including information extraction and analysis; research and methodology (design and guidance); field and remote technical assistance, including strategic consulting.
An autonomous body within the UN system, UNITAR is governed by a Board of Trustees whose members are appointed by the UN Secretary-General, and led by the Executive Director, also appointed by the Secretary-General. The Institute is supported by voluntary contributions from government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
s, intergovernmental organizations, foundations and the private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
.
Facts
- Over 40 years at the service of UNN Member States
- 80,000 beneficiaries in 2008–2009
- 250 training activities a year
- Headquarters in Geneva
- Offices in New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and HiroshimaHiroshimais the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M... - 9 associated training centres (CIFAL)
- 100 staff and collaborators
- Total budget: US$36m in 2008–2009
UNITAR today
The Institute provides short-term executive training to national and local government officials of UN Member States and civil societyCivil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
representatives from around the world. UNITAR strives to respond to the growing demand from UN Member States, especially the least developed countries, for capacity development in the fields of Environment; Peace, Security and Diplomacy; and Governance.
Through The Hague Fellowship, held annually at International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
, UNITAR provides government officials with training courses on international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
and through its programme on operational satellite applications (UNOSAT
UNOSAT
UNOSAT is the United Nations Institute for Training and Research Operational Satellite Applications Programme, implemented in co-operation with the European Organization for Nuclear Research...
) the institute provides satellite imagery
Satellite imagery
Satellite imagery consists of photographs of Earth or other planets made by means of artificial satellites.- History :The first images from space were taken on sub-orbital flights. The U.S-launched V-2 flight on October 24, 1946 took one image every 1.5 seconds...
and analysis.
UNITAR helps governments to understand climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, chemicals and waste management
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
, and biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
. The Institute also assists ministries of finance through its courses on public debt management, finance and trade. Since 2003 UNITAR provides courses to support municipal and regional leaders dealing with complex public policies.
Another task of the Institute is to organize meetings for the UN Secretary-General, including the annual retreat of the Secretary-General and UN top officials, the annual retreat of Special Representatives of the Secretary-General as well as strategic meetings for UN Departments. UNITAR also spearheads UN inter-agency initiatives such as the one UN Learning platform on Climate Change or the Global Migration Group.
UNITAR’s thematic fields
UNITAR has training expertise in multilateral diplomacy, international law and human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, conflict prevention and peacemaking
Peacemaking
Peacemaking is a form of conflict resolution which focuses on establishing equal power relationships that will be robust enough to forestall future conflict, and establishing some means of agreeing on ethical decisions within a community that has previously had conflict. In order to do so there...
, peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
, adaptation to climate change, environmental governance, chemicals and waste management, local governance, international migration, as well as public finance and trade. UNITAR also serves as a research centre for knowledge systems innovation (KSI) and application of satellite imagery to humanitarian, conflict or disaster situations, through UNOSAT
UNOSAT
UNOSAT is the United Nations Institute for Training and Research Operational Satellite Applications Programme, implemented in co-operation with the European Organization for Nuclear Research...
, the Operational Satellite Applications Programme.
Environment
UNITAR’s environmental training activities focus around four areas: Chemicals and Waste Management; Climate Change; Environmental Governance; BiodiversityBiodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
.
Peace, Security and Diplomacy
Peace, Security and Diplomacy programmes enhance the capacity of Member States to support the United Nations in meeting its goals and objectives in these areas and include: International Law (with a specific focus on international environmental law); Multilateral Diplomacy; Peacekeeping; Peacemaking and Conflict Prevention.Governance
Governance programmes contribute to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) poverty reduction and governance agenda through developing the capacities of public and private sector officials to address governance issues. Thematic focal areas are: e-Governance, Local Development, and Public Finance and Trade.Knowledge Systems Innovation (KSI)
KSI works to capture content from multiple sources, and transforming the content into learning products. Its focal areas include: knowledge systems and their practical application (focusing on methodologies particularly relevant for lifelong learning); new technologies (focusing on their use in training and learning); and technology enhanced learning.Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT)
UNOSATUNOSAT
UNOSAT is the United Nations Institute for Training and Research Operational Satellite Applications Programme, implemented in co-operation with the European Organization for Nuclear Research...
is a programme developed in co-operation with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
) delivering satellite solutions to relief and development organizations within and outside the UN system to help make a difference in the life of communities exposed to poverty, hazards and risk, or affected by humanitarian and other crises. Its focal areas include: satellite imagery search and procurement assistance, image processing; map production including information extraction and analysis; research and methodology (design and guidance); field and remote technical assistance, including strategic consulting.