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and we have to provide high quali- also offers assistance in the prepa- where we look at the municipali-
ty work and deliver on time ration or improvement of training ty's use of information technolo-
curricula for diplomatic institutes gies. In this field, we have set up
0: What does UNITAR do? in Member States. training programmes and, in parti-
Two-thirds of our activities cular, information sharing between
MB: The mandate of the United concern training programmes in different cities. In Asia, there is one
Nations Institute for Training and the field of Economic and Social town that is far ahead—Shanghai,
Research (UNITAR), which was Development and we have chosen which collaborates on conferences
voted in 1965 by the General certain specific fields where we for other Asian cities. The Spanish
Assembly, was set up in 1967 as an think we can offer something city of Bilbao is another one.
autonomous body with the purpose unique. To a certain extent I think There is a third aspect of
of enhancing the effectiveness of that we have succeeded. The most UNTTAR's activities that I would
the United Nations through appro- important volume of activity in this like to highlight. We have develo-
priate training and research within field is to be found in training for ped a Public/Private Partnerships
the fields of peace, security, and environmental management. We Programme; that is, associations of
economic and social development. have become the main trainer on private companies with local
egio
These are the two main objectives international legal instruments authorities, whether State or regio-
nal
of the Organization according to its within this field and we are active nal authorities. We have thus deve-
Charter. in the area of toxic chemicals and loped an interesting programme,
Over the years, and especially waste within the framework of the around which we have set up ele-
since the beginning of the 1990s, Stockholm Convention and the ven collaborating centres around
the academic research has disap- Rotterdam Convention, and to a the world—in Shanghai, Kuala
peared. UNITAR did not have lesser extent the Bale Convention. Lumpur, Curtiba, Ouagadougou,
competitive advantages in the field We are also active on climate chan- Bilbao, etc. All of this represents a
of research, so we decided to put ge—we presented a report to the new approach in international rela-
our efforts into the field of research conference in Buenos Aires some tions. We work, for instance, with
on training and for training. Our weeks ago—and other conven- private partners such as Alcatel and
research mainly concerns educatio- tions, such as those on biodiversity, Veolvia (former Vivendi).
nal methods and materials, and desertification, etc. UNOSAT is a project that has
develops pedagogical materials, The other important growing acti- received quite a lot of attention
including distance-learning trai- vity is the so-called decentralized lately. Partners in the project inclu-
ning packages, e-learning, work- co-operation programme. As a de, among others, CERN, the
books, as well as software and general rule, international relations, European Space Agency and the
video training packs. or more specifically international French Space Agency (CNES). It
The major part of our work is car- co-operation, are established by was created in order to provide
ried out within the fields of training entities that are not State governed accurate and up-to-date geographic
and capacity-building. Peace and (etatiques), but, increasingly, by information to United Nations
security, and economic and social regional power centres, such as big organizations, governments and
development are our two main cities or regions that would like to implementing partners, so as to
areas of activities. help other cities or regions. We are best to respond to humanitarian
One programme is called seeing more and more co-operation needs and to fully incorporate geo-
Multilateral Diplomacy and in this field. This is a new trend in graphic mapping for disaster
International Affairs Management, the field of co-operation and it is, in reduction and prevention. UNO-
and the other Economic and Social fact, a very interesting evolution.
Development. Within each one of The training programme aims to SAT offers methodological gui-
these, we have developed certain reinforce the capacities of local dance, as well as support in the
niches. Training in diplomacy and authorities in the field of sustaina- acquisition and development of
international affairs represents ble urban development, and admi- satellite imagery, and imagery and
about 30% of our activities. It nistrative and technical mecha- geographic information systems. It
essentially consists of training nisms guaranteeing access to basic can rapidly provide cartographic
courses in multilateral diplomacy services, such as water, sanitation, products and maps anywhere in the
and international co-operation for waste management, transportation, world via Internet.
diplomats accredited to the United energy, etc.
Nations in New York, Geneva, One might think that there are 0: One last question. If you had
Vienna and Nairobi. These courses cities in the industrialized part of a wish, what would you like to
are offered free of charge to the the world that are giving advice to achieve in 2005?
Member States of the United the less-developed countries, but
Nations. Some of the courses are this is not always the case. On the MB: I would like to continue the
highly specialized, whereas others contrary, there are many forms. development of UNITAR, and in
are more general. Some examples One of the best governed cities in particular increase the help we give
are courses in Conference the world is Curtiba in Brazil, as to the international community,
they have lots of innovative ideas
Diplomacy, among other things through our
Multilateral
Negotiation, UN Rules and on transport, or how to treat waste. geographic mapping programme
Procedures, just to name a few. Indeed, they have been able to (UNOSAT), thanks to the speciali-
UNITAR's training programme in advise big American cities. zed international agencies.
Multilateral Diplomacy and The other aspect of this programme
International Affairs Management is communication technologies,

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