Sixty-second General Assembly

Second Committee

26^th Meeting (AM)

United Nations Institute for Training and Research undergoing fundamental shift

to focus on methodology, new executive director tells Second Committee

A new chapter had begun in the history of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), which was undergoing a fundamental shift to focus more on methodology and thus better respond to the needs of the United Nations system, Carlos Lopes, the institution’s new Executive Director, told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this morning as it began its general debate on training and research.

He said that, as part of its reform process, UNITAR had set up a partnership section within its headquarters and was working to align the mandates of the seven entities responsible for United Nations training and research.  The Institute had also formed closer affiliations with academic networks, and its future accreditation and certification programmes would be undertaken in collaboration with Columbia University, the University of Cape Town, and Sciences Po (École Libre des Sciences Politiques).  That network would help reformulate UNITAR’s research mandate and vet all future curricula and methodologies.

No other United Nations entity offered expertise on how best to offer training, retain knowledge, and build upon that knowledge, he said.  UNITAR’s concentration on adult training and professional learning would contribute exponentially to the United Nations system as a whole.  However, the Institute’s core diplomatic training activities continued to operate on a deficit, making it difficult to maintain them.  Its Statute suggested that its training activities gave priority to the diplomatic corps of developing countries, but many developed countries also benefited from its programmes.  The General Assembly should consider an annual subvention to cover that training service. 

The Director of the International Organizations Department in Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said his country contributed regularly to UNITAR’s funding through an interest-yielding deposit account and other Member States should take similar steps.  It was disturbing that the Institute’s activities benefited so many people yet it was left to struggle for operational funds.  Nigeria noted that African policymakers as well as representatives and envoys of the Secretary-General had all benefited from the Institute’s training programmes, and it was to be hoped that its recently opened field office in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, would become a regional centre of excellence for West Africa.

Pakistan’s representative, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, expressed support for the training service and the Executive Director’s call for adequate funding.  UNITAR should accord the highest priority to the training needs of developing countries and the Group of 77 supported a proposal for funding the Institute from the regular United Nations budget.

Turkey’s representative expressed concern over the content of some of the Institute’s course materials.  Upon the request of the Government of Turkey, some changes had been made, but they were not sufficient to elevate the material in question to the level of an objective, accurate, unbiased and scientific text.  There was a pressing need for better screening of the content of all course materials used by the Institute, which should uphold the principles of objectivity and credibility in its activities.

The representatives of Switzerland, Indonesia and the Philippines also spoke.

Earlier in the meeting, the representative of Pakistan introduced a number of draft resolutions on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Wednesday 14 November, to begin consideration of its agenda item on follow-up to and implementation of the outcome of the International Conference on Financing for Development.

Background

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning to begin its general debate on training and research.

It was also expected to hear the introduction of draft resolutions relating to Committee agenda items on Information and communication technologies for development (document A/C.2/62/L.28); Groups of countries in special situations:  specific actions related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked developing countries:  outcome of the International Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and Donor Countries and International Financial and Development Institutions on Transit Transport Cooperation (document A/C.2/62/L.29); Proclamation of the Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, 2008-2017 (document A/C.2/62/L.30); Women in development (document A/C.2/62/L.31); and Human resources development (document A/C.2/62/L.32).

As it took up training and research, the Committee had before it the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) (document A/62/377), which highlights that institution’s training and capacity development activities in 2006 and 2007, and addresses its financial, administrative and procedural issues, including the status of contributions and financial situation, proposed reforms to its reporting structure and the request to harmonize the submission of reports by the United Nations Secretary-General and by the Executive Director of UNITAR.

The report notes that the Institute’s non-earmarked voluntary contributions remain at an unacceptably low level, putting at risk its core training programmes despite the growing need for training and capacity development and the greater number of developing countries benefiting from UNITAR’s activities.  However, the funding of special purpose grant programmes continued to increase satisfactorily, causing the Institute’s total income to expand 75 per cent to $29.1 million during the 2004-2005 period.

Under the leadership of a new Executive Director, UNITAR has a strategic reform plan to meet future challenges in training and capacity development, the report states.  The goal is for the Institute to be a centre of excellence in relation to standard-setting methodologies, high-quality training and research capacity on knowledge systems.  The reforms plan’s main proposals -– strengthening institutional capacity-building for training and research, enhancing human capital, building and strengthening strategic partnerships and rationalizing the organizational structure -- had been approved by the Board of Trustees and should be implemented and supported by the United Nations system.

According to the report, UNITAR would need material support to implement reforms and the Fifth Committee should reconsider the financing of its core training activities from the regular United Nations budget.  Member States should commit to increasing or resuming their contributions to the Institute.  They should also support proposals to submit the Secretary-General’s report to the Economic and Social Council rather than the General Assembly, and to harmonize the submission of the Secretary-General’s and Executive Director’s reports.

Also before the Committee was a letter dated 10 October 2007 from the Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (document A/62/483-E/2007/90), annexed to which is an official letter dated 4 October 2007 from that country’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, expressing his thanks for the valuable assistance provided by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs in preparing the Second International Conference on Development Cooperation with Middle-Income Countries, held on 3 and 4 October 2007.  The Conference focused on financial cooperation for institutional development and public social development policy, technological development cooperation and fostering middle-income countries’ competitive advantages.  Conference participants adopted a consensus document intended to heighten the international community’s awareness of the importance of continuing to support efforts by middle-income countries to overcome poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals in a timely fashion.

Introduction of Draft Resolutions

MUHAMMAD AYUB (Pakistan) introduced, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, the draft resolutions on information and communication technologies for development (document A/C.2/62/L.28); groups of countries in special situations (document A/C.2/62/L.29); proclamation of the Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, 2008-2017 (document A/C.2/62/L.30); women in development (document A/C.2/62/L.31); and human resources development (document A/C.2/62/L.32).

He said poverty eradication was the greatest challenge of the present time and supported the proclamation of a second decade to eradicate poverty.  The Millennium Development Goals relating to poverty eradication and women’s empowerment were inextricably linked and the drafts on those issues made a strong call for action.  Balanced drafts had been presented in hopes of having the Committee approve them by consensus.

The Committee then took up its agenda item entitled Training and Research:  United Nations Institute for Training and Research.

Introductory Statement

CARLOS LOPES, Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), said a new chapter had begun in the history of the institution, which was undergoing a fundamental shift in focus and had a new raison d’etre tied to methodology.  Its focus must be to respond where the United Nations system needed it most.  No other United Nations entity offered expertise on how best to deliver training, retain knowledge, and build upon that knowledge.  UNITAR’s calling was thus to buttress the Organization, concentrating on adult training and professional learning.  That would contribute exponentially to the United Nations system as a whole.

He said that, as part of its programme of reform and transformation, UNITAR had established a new partnership section within its Headquarters, reaching out to partners within the Organization and working to align the mandates of the seven entities responsible for United Nations training and research.  The Institute had also established closer affiliations with academic networks and its future accreditation and certification programmes would be undertaken in collaboration with Columbia University, the University of Cape Town, and Sciences Po (École Libre des Sciences Politiques).  That academic network would also assist in reformulating UNITAR’s research mandate and in vetting all future curricula and methodologies.

The Institute’s core diplomatic training activities continued to operate on a deficit basis, which put its ability to maintain its training activities at risk, he said.  While UNITAR’s statute suggested that its training activities supported the diplomatic corps of developing countries first and foremost, many developed countries also benefited from its programmes.  The General Assembly should consider an annual subvention to cover that training service.

Discussion

PAUL GARNIER ( Switzerland) said the reform of UNITAR should be carried out in coordination with that of the United Nations University, which should deal with research while UNITAR covered Member States’ training needs to ensure coherence between the two institutions.  UNITAR should continue organizing free courses for diplomats.

Mr. LOPES then explained the relationship between UNITAR and other United Nations agencies, such as the United Nations University and the United Nations Staff College.  The former was mostly responsible for research, while UNITAR had specialized in training so far.  The Institute gave priority to methodology but the United Nations University did not.  The Executive Director of UNITAR was also a member of the United Nations University and would be the Director of the United Nations Staff College for a transitional period, which would make it possible for both institutions to benefit from the same leadership.

Mr. AYUB (Pakistan), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, urged UNITAR to accord the highest priority to the training needs of developing countries.  The Group of 77 developing countries and China was grateful for the existing training programmes provided to the diplomats of developing countries, and affirmed its support for providing further funding to UNITAR, including a provision for funding from the United Nations regular budget.

BIODUN OWOSENI, Director, International Organizations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, noted “with delight” the new strategic reform plan for UNITAR, and said his country would continue to support the institution.  African policymakers, representatives and envoys of the Secretary-General had all benefited from UNITAR’s training programmes.  In particular, its programmes for diplomats of missions accredited to United Nations Headquarters and the Organization’s Offices in Geneva and Nairobi were worthy of special mention.  Nigeria expected that the UNITAR field office established in Port Harcourt in June 2006 would be transformed into a regional centre of excellence to serve the West African subregion.

He said it was disturbing that the facilities for funding UNITAR were unimpressive.  Voluntary contributions were at an unacceptably low level, and it was a paradox that an Institute whose activities benefited so many people was left to struggle for operational funds.  The most effective way to ensure adequate, stable and predictable funding for the Institute was to source the funding of its core training activities from the United Nations regular budget.  Nigeria was both a benefactor and beneficiary of UNITAR, benefiting from its training programmes and contributing regularly to its funding through an interest-yielding deposit account.  Similar funding methods should be employed by other Member States.

HALDUN TEKNECI ( Turkey) said it was encouraging that more and more participants benefited from UNITAR activities through workshops, seminars, fellowships and field-based capacity-building and Turkey lauded UNITAR’s continuing close work with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.  Students from 129 countries had participated in self-paced distance courses on different topical areas of peacekeeping -- a positive development.

He recalled that his delegation had stated its serious concern last year about the content of some of UNITAR’s course materials.  Upon Turkey’s request, some changes had been made to the course material, but they were not sufficient to elevate the material to the level of an objective, accurate, unbiased and scientific text.  There was a pressing need for a better screening of the content of all course materials used by the Institute, which should uphold the principles of objectivity and credibility in its activities.  The Government of Turkey was already in touch with UNITAR and would be closely following that issue.

HARIYANTA SOETARTO (Indonesia), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and China, said that in a rapidly changing world, more countries were experiencing problems resulting from regional and international conflicts and it was vital to equip people with the proper training and education to confront those challenges.  Indonesia appreciated UNITAR’s emphasis on sustainable skills development and core diplomatic training, which provided diplomats with better knowledge of how to operate in multilateral settings.

He said adequate financial support was needed so that the Institute could continue to fulfil its mandate.  It was a cause for concern that voluntary contributions remained low.  Indonesia had made repeated contributions to UNITAR and called for the Institute to be given regular support from the United Nations regular budget.

JIMMY BLAS ( Philippines), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and China, said the report had touched on the status of contributions and proposed reforms to the Institute, among other issues.  The Philippines pledged its help to UNITAR, which was a centre of excellence in training on all matters.

He said that strengthening UNITAR’s institutional capacity for training and research, enhancing human capital, enhancing partnerships and rationalizing its organizational structure were the four steps vital to the Institute’s future.  The Philippines reiterated its good wishes to Mr. Lopes in assuming stewardship of the institution.

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For information media • not an official record