How can UN agencies support country-driven, results-based and sustainable climate change learning in Member States to address climate change, through One UN collaboration? This question was at the center of the discussion at the 2nd Meeting of UN CC:Learn Steering Group, 7-8 July 2011, Geneva, Switzerland. During the meeting, representatives from more than 15 UN agencies reviewed progress made and agreed on action to advance the three Programme Areas of UN CC:Learn, the One UN Training Service Platform on Climate Change, which is hosted by UNITAR. The three areas include: (1) Knowledge Management and Networking, (2) Development of a One UN Package of Climate Change Learning Materials and (3) Pilot Projects to Strengthen Human Resources, Learning and Skills Development to Address Climate Change. The UN CC:Learn pilot implementation phase in 2011-2013 is supported with core funding from the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC).

The Steering Group reviewed applications from 23 countries interested in participating in the UN CC:Learn pilot implementation phase, 2011-2013. UN CC:Learn pilot projects aim at supporting a strategic and long-term approach to climate change learning and at mainstreaming climate change learning within existing learning structures and systems. Country applications were prepared through a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder process and through engagement of national learning and vocational institutions. “The Steering Group was impressed by the quality and multi-sectoral nature of the country applications” said Achim Halpaap, Associate Director at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the UN CC:Learn hosting agency, “illustrating  the growing importance countries place in taking a long-term approach to climate change learning and human capacity development and implementation of Article 6 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)”.

Given the large number of strong country applications from Africa and the particular need for capacity development in this region, the Steering Group selected two African countries for the UN CC:Learn pilot phase, Benin and Uganda. In addition, the Dominican Republic was selected as a pilot country. Given the large number of excellent applications, the Steering Group approved to increase the number of pilot countries to five and requested the Secretariat to explore mobilization of resources to support of additional pilot countries.

An important aspect of the UN CC:Learn pilot projects is the development, through a country-driven process, of a National Strategy to Strengthen Human Resources, Learning and Skills Development to Address Climate Change and Foster Low Carbon and Green Development. In support of the strategy development process, UN CC: Learn is developing a draft guidance document which will be tested by pilot countries. The guidance seeks to assist countries in self-assessing learning needs and identifying short- and medium-term learning action in support of national climate change and green development objectives.

UN CC:Learn was established as a One UN initiative to support Member States in designing and implementing results-oriented and sustainable learning to address climate change through collaboration with UN agencies and other development partners. It is included in the "One UN Climate Change Action Framework" of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) through the High Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) capacity development group convened by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  The Initiative contributes to the implementation of Article 6 of the UNFCCC on training and education, and the individual capacity development pillar of the UNFCCC Capacity Development Framework.

The 2nd UN CC:Learn Steering Group Meeting was attended by representatives from the following UN agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

For further information please contact uncclearn<a>unitar.org (please replace <a> with @ in the email address) or visit www.uncclearn.org.