UN TRAINING AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE SHOULD SEEK PRIVATE-SECTOR SUPPORT FOR CAPACITY-BUILDING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, SECOND COMMITTEE TOLD

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Second Committee

22^nd Meeting (AM)

UN TRAINING AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE SHOULD SEEK PRIVATE-SECTOR SUPPORT FOR

CAPACITY-BUILDING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, SECOND COMMITTEE TOLD

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) should intensify its dialogue with the private sector, in seeking support for training and capacity-building in developing countries, Nigeria’s representative told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this morning, as it took up training and research.

He said that despite satisfactory funding for special programmes in previous years, UNITAR’s General Fund was still weak and vulnerable.  The Institute’s diverse participants had proven it to be a useful body, and Member States should resume their voluntary contributions to the General Fund.

Similarly, the representative of Trinidad and Tobago, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), lauded UNITAR’s increasing cooperation with the private sector, and emphasized the need for innovative new strategies that would benefit needy countries.  UNITAR’s collaboration with the secretariat of the Global Compact in the area of training and capacity-building in developing and transition countries was a step in the right direction.

He also noted the importance of UNITAR’s diplomatic-training programmes, but said they were often beyond the reach of missions with small staffs.  The timing of scheduled programmes or activities should be addressed, so that real opportunities could be provided for diplomats of missions stymied by such constraints.

The Executive Director of UNITAR noted that the Institute had carried out about 150 events, workshops or seminars each year, benefiting some 6,500 people. Although the Institute’s performance over the past year had been satisfactory, however, UNITAR remained financially fragile, burdened by rental and maintenance costs in both Geneva and New York.  In addition, voluntary contributions that were not earmarked for specific programmes had fallen far short of requirements.

Other speakers emphasized the Institute’s assistance to developing and transition countries in implementing Agenda 21 and major environmental conventions, as well as its training workshops on environmental law, climate change and the legal aspects of debt.  They also underscored the importance of the United Nations System College in Turin, stressing its work to maintain cohesive system-wide management at the United Nations and improve staff capacity in economic and social development, peace and security, human rights, the environment, HIV/AIDS and internal management.

In other business today, Morocco’s representative, on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, introduced a draft resolution on human resources development.  The representative of Tajikistan also introduced a draft resolution, on the International Decade for Action, “Water for Life”, 2005-2015.Also speaking today were the representatives of Italy, (on behalf of the European Union), Switzerland, Egypt and Pakistan.

The Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs also made a statement.

The Second Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Monday 3 November to consider international trade and development, and commodities.

Background

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning to consider training and research.  It was also expected to hear the introduction of three draft resolutions relating respectively to sustainable development and international economic cooperation, environment and sustainable development, and the implementation of Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. 

Before the Committee was a report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), which reviews UNITAR’s programmes, its cooperation with other United Nations institutes, as well as national, regional and international institutes, its partnership and financial situation. 

The report (document A/58/183) notes that UNITAR’s General Fund has remained weak and encourages Member States, particularly industrialized countries to resume or increase their contributions, so that UNITAR can continue training programmes for diplomats and other national civil servants.

According to the report, UNITAR’s service volume during the review period remained stable, with 130 seminars, workshops and meetings benefiting almost 6,000 participants and capacity-building projects increasing steadily compared to training.  The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific officially opened in Hiroshima, Japan, in July and will focus during its first three-year pilot phase on training in post-conflict reconstruction, environmental legal instruments, sea and human security, and international economics and finance for development. 

Also during the review period, the Institute significantly improved cooperation with the private sector, the report says.  In connection with the World Summit on Sustainable Development and preparations for the World Summit on the Information Society, it obtained intellectual and material support from several leading private corporations, including Veolia Environment, the Caisse des Depots et Consignations, British Petroleum and Intel Corporation.  It is also forging a partnership with the International Council of Chemical Associations for chemical management. 

In addition, the report says, UNITAR has begun to offer online learning courses in economic and social development and intends to share its experiences electronically with other organizations and institutions, particularly those in developing countries.  The UNITAR training programme on legal aspects of debt, financial management and negotiation is the first stage in creating an “e-Learning” portal and online course initiative. 

The Committee also had before it a note by the Secretary-General on the report of the Director of the United Nations System Staff College on its work, activities and accomplishments (document A/58/305 and Corr. 1).  The report highlights progress made by the College in its first 18 months, and acknowledges generous support from the Italian Government, which will be signing a formal, host country agreement in September. 

According to the report, the College serves as a system-wide institution for learning and knowledge management, providing strategic leadership and management development for international civil servants.  Its immediate aims are to implement programmes and projects in economic and social development, peace and security, and internal management based on the needs of United Nations bodies. 

The report states that the College plans to focus in 2004 and 2005 on developing and improving pre-training and post-training assessments as they relate to job requirements and performance, responsiveness to clients in the United Nations system, delivery at Headquarters and in regional and country offices, collaboration with other training and research agencies, in creating a virtual faculty, and internal capacity-building.

Introductory Statements

MARCEL BOISARD, Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, (UNITAR), noted that UNITAR carried out about 150 events, workshops or seminars each year, benefiting some 6,500 people.  Programmes in environment and sustainable development were considered vitally important, and had steadily grown since the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development, where UNITAR’s proposals had been welcomed and turned into tangible actions.  Training programmes in trade and external indebtedness had also been growing.  Initially, they had been limited to English-speaking sub-Saharan Africa, but had now expanded to Central and French-speaking Asia.  The Institute’s programme for 2004-2005 was currently being laid down, and a UNITAR Internet site was now in operation.

Stressing UNITAR’s flexibility, he noted that it was able to blend into operation networks and work in cooperation with other organizations.  Such cooperative projects included a partnership for training in climatic change, in collaboration with three regional institutions in South Africa, Senegal and Sri Lanka respectively, a programme to technologically manage environmental data, in cooperation with the International Transit Union (ITU)and organizations across Africa, a joint UNITAR/United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), concerned with the European nuclear research centre and space agency, and access to satellite imagery of disasters or disaster-prone countries, and a UNITAR/Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) project on data collection and dissemination of information about HIV/AIDS.

The Institute’s performance over the past year had been satisfactory, he continued, with donors and other beneficiaries providing backing.  However, UNITAR remained financially fragile, continuing to suffer from rental and maintenance costs in both Geneva and New York.  In addition, the number of voluntary contributions that were not earmarked for specific programmes had fallen far short of what was needed.  Only a strongly financed general fund would ensure the Institute’s continuity.

PATRIZIO CIVILI, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said the decision by the General Assembly two years ago to create the Staff College could not have come at a more opportune time.  The College had been instrumental in promoting new measures of work to help the staff of the entire United Nations system, at a time when the General Assembly was focusing on implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, translating policies and commitments into effective action and real progress.  There was a strong and growing interest among managers of the College system to deliver real results.

TIMOTHY CARTWRIGHT, Director of the United Nations System Staff College in Turin, Italy, noted that the College had a broad and ambitious mandate, which included strengthening knowledge-management and operational effectiveness in the United Nations system.  It could not fulfil such a mandate without the participation of all its stakeholders, and it collaborated closely with United Nations agencies, regional bodies, civil society, as well as training and learning institutions and other organizations.

The College operated on a limited budget with a relatively small staff, he said.  It received its funding from the United Nations, the host country, Member States, and from the training and advisory services it provided.  Its primary objective was to maintain a close dialogue with clients on their special needs.  In so doing, the College must establish a professional relationship with its clients.  If its services were to have an impact, they must meet a high standard and provide value for money.

Statements

ANTONIO BERNARDINI (Italy), speaking on behalf of the European Union, welcomed the report of the Director of the United Nations System Staff College in Turin, saying it underscored the progress made in strengthening the coherence and effectiveness of international civil service within the United Nations system.  The Staff College had helped maintain cohesive system-wide management at the United Nations and improve staff capacity to deal effectively with economic and social development, peace and security, human rights, the environment, HIV/AIDS and internal management.

He said the Staff College would present a draft resolution reaffirming its role as an institution for system-wide management, training and continuous learning for United Nations staff.  The text would also call upon all organizations of the United Nations system to fully and effectively utilize the College’s facilities and invite the international community to strengthen its support for the College.

B.P.Z. LOLO (Nigeria), noting with satisfaction the steady volume and variety of services that UNITAR had provided during the review period, said his country encouraged the Institute to continue increasing its capacity-building projects and organizing regional preparatory meetings for the upcoming World Summit on the Information Society.  UNITAR’s engagement with academia, the private sector, local authorities and non-governmental organizations was a step in the right direction, and the Institute should intensify its dialogue with the private sector on mobilizing support for training and capacity-building in developing countries. 

While lauding the development of new approaches in online learning, he said it should not take precedent over in-country training, as access to information technology and its cost, varied among regions and countries.  Despite satisfactory funding for special programmes in previous years, UNITAR’s General Fund was still weak and vulnerable.  The diversity of participants in UNITAR training activities was proof that it was a useful body, and Member States, particularly developed countries, should resume their voluntary contributions to the General Fund.  Nigeria also called on the General Assembly to resolve the long-standing issue of the rental and maintenance costs of UNITAR’s Geneva and New York offices. 

ROBERT PANTZER (Switzerland) said that a major asset of UNITAR was its practice of combining knowledge and skills in multinational negotiations, and on the ground.  The Institute was effectively assisting developing countries and countries in transition, helping them to, among other things, implement Agenda 21 and major environmental conventions.  It offered useful training workshops on environmental law, climate change and the legal aspects of debt.  In September 2003, the Institute had launched its first online course on environmental law and negotiating financing transactions.  Its course on distance learning would open many doors for information technology and deserved support from all donor countries.

UNITAR merited robust political and economic support from all Member States, he said, reminding delegates that the Institute was financed completely via its Trust Fund through voluntary contributions and financing programmes.  Switzerland, a major donor country, would continue to support both the General Fund and Trust Fund.

ANTHONY EDJHILL (Trinidad and Tobago), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), welcomed UNITAR’s seminars, workshops and meetings over the past year, but expressed the wish that it included a consideration of small island States in its work.  Moreover, while CARICOM acknowledged the importance of UNITAR’s diplomat-training programmes, it felt that such training was in most cases, beyond the reach of missions with small staffs.  The timing of scheduled programmes or activities should be addressed to provide real opportunities for diplomats of missions stymied by such constraints.

He lauded UNITAR’s increasing cooperation with the private sector, stressing that new and innovative strategies must be explored to benefit those countries that were most in need.  UNITAR’s collaboration with the secretariat of the Global Compact which favoured training and capacity-building in developing countries and transition countries was a step in the right direction.

MUHAMMAD HASSAN (Pakistan) noted that training and research were of central importance to the success of the United Nations, and that UNITAR had played a leading role in providing training services to Member States, offering focused and interactive courses for delegates accredited to major United Nations offices.  As stated in the Secretary-General’s report, UNITAR had conducted some 130 workshops, seminars and meetings, attracting 6,000 participants; stepped up its work in capacity-building; and increased its collaboration and cooperation with United Nations departments, funds, programmes, as well as other relevant national, regional and international institutions.

UNITAR conducted programmes in diverse fields, often requiring the involvement of highly specialized experts, he said.  However, given its limited human and financial resources, the Institute would be more productive by focusing on some priority areas where it had the proper expertise.  Despite its impressive track record, it continued to face financial constraints and to provide free training facilities to Member States.  Pakistan urged the General Assembly to send a clear signal that the Institute was provided with free office space.

Introduction of Draft Resolutions

Morocco’s representative introduced a draft resolution on human resources development (document A/C.2/58/L.5), stressing the need to increase investments in human resources.  Any efforts to improve human resources capacities must be accompanied by technical assistance and financial support for developing countries.  The resolution also underscored the need to build capacities and technical know-how in rural zones, and the importance of South-South cooperation in the area.

The representative of Tajikistan introduced a draft resolution on the International Decade for Action, “Water for Life”, 2005-2015 (document A/C.2/58/L.8), noting that water was a driving force for sustainable development, environmental integrity and the eradication of poverty.  The text proposed that the Commission on Sustainable Development identify possible activities and programmes in connection with the Decade at its twelfth and thirteenth sessions.

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