Afghanistan Public Officials Master Public Policy as they Graduate from Swiss University

26 February 2015, Geneva, Switzerland – Governments officials from the Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Economics and the Office of the President attended the graduation ceremony in Geneva where degrees were conferred to certify their completion of the Development Policies and Practices (DPP) Master’s Degree Programme.

The occasion marked the final step in a rigorous, year-long Executive Master’s undertaken by twenty Afghan officials, as well as other forty government officials from around the world. The Afghan participants interacted throughout the year with additional participants from DPP’s regional academic centres in Africa and South East Asia. They attended together face-to-face classes in Abu Dhabi, Istanbul and Geneva.

The Afghan component of this truly global programme was developed in joint cooperation between the Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies in Geneva.

This is the second edition of this unique programme, and aims to building capacity in the Afghan Government towards sustainable and effective development that is adapted to the Afghan reality and respectful of cultural and social diversity in the country. The curriculum has two key objectives: strengthening the analytical and leadership skills of participants, and enhancing their organizations' effectiveness through a job-related professional thesis. All these research projects are expected to be implemented in Ministries of the Afghan Government.

The graduation ceremony was held at Maison de la Paix, the Graduate Institute’s ultra- modern campus, next to the Palais des Nations, the headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva. In their remarks to the graduating class, His Excellency Dr. Nanguylai Tarzi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations Office and Ms. Sally Fegan-Wyles, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR, warmly congratulated the degree recipients. During the ceremony, Ms. Fegan-Wyles delivered a keynote address on the Post-2015 Development Agenda and its implications at the national and local levels.

The third edition of this Master is expected to be launched in April 2015. UNITAR wishes to express its appreciation to the Japanese Government and to the Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan, for their commitment to continue this programme.

Afghanistan Public Officials Master Public Policy as they Graduate from Swiss University

Unitar Around the World