MEFMI and UNITAR to Strengthen Access to Online Training in Eastern and Southern Africa
27 January 2015, Geneva, Switzerland – Consistent with its goal of building sustainable capacity in its member states, the Macroeconomic and Financial Management Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa (MEFMI) signed an agreement with UNITAR in Geneva on 23 January 2015 to strengthen the delivery of capacity building through e-learning for central banks, ministries of finance, ministries of economic development and of planning in Eastern and Southern Africa.
Dr Caleb Fundanga, MEFMI’s Executive Director and former Governor of the Bank of Zambia underscored the growing demand for training from MEFMI member states and from other parts of the region. During his meeting with UNITAR’s Executive Director, he described MEFMI’s current strategic plan and stressed the importance of the collaboration with UNITAR and in using new information and communication technologies for training outreach, networking and cost-effectiveness.
UNITAR’s Executive Director Ms Sally Fegan-Wyles highlighted that the partnership will be able to benefit from the core expertise of UNITAR in designing and delivering innovative training to address the needs of individuals, organizations and institutions as well as in advising and supporting partners with technology-based knowledge-related services.
MEFMI is a regionally owned institute currently with 14 member countries namely Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. MEFMI’s main focus is on building and strengthening the capacity of member states in macroeconomic, financial sector and debt management.
The agreement covers the delivery of joint training through workshops and e-Learning methodologies, research and the use of website and web resources for information dissemination and networking, and strengthening of capacity of MEFMI to manage and deliver online training for its beneficiaries.
MEFMI and UNITAR have a long standing collaboration in providing capacity development activities in Eastern and Southern Africa with the first joint workshop delivered in 1999 on “Loan Negotiation Skills” in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Related Links
For more information about MEFMI, please see www.mefmi.org
For more information about UNITAR’s Public Finance and Trade Programme, please see www.unitar.org/pft
Photo 1: Dr Caleb Fundanga, Executive Director of MEFMI and Ms Sally Fegan-Wyles, Executive Director of UNITAR during the signing ceremony.
Photo 2: MEFMI-UNITAR meeting in Geneva (left to right) Dr Caleb Fundanga, Executive Director of MEFMI, Ms Sally Fegan-Wyles, Executive Director of UNITAR, Mr Babar Kamal (UNITAR), Mr Michael Adalla (UNITAR).