5-7 September 2011, Geneva, Switzerland.  In line with the Institute’s strategy to strengthen accountability, resource efficiency and programme effectiveness, UNITAR held a three-day intensive workshop on Measuring and Evaluating Learning Outcomes from 5-7 September.

The e-Learning course on “Negotiating for Conflict and Dispute Resolution”, which was mentored by senior negotiation expert Dr. El Hadji A. Diouf, had 31 participants from all five continents.

22 to 23 August 2011, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles - The implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) was identified by Seychelles as a priority issue in its Capacity Assessment.

On 16 August 2011, Ms. May East, Executive Director of CIFAL Findhorn (one of the 9 UNITAR affiliated International Training Center for Local Authorities, located in Findhorn, Scotland), has been nominated as one of the 100 Global Sustain Ability Leaders by ABC Carbon, a renowned climate change consulting company, which notably produces the popular newsletter ABC Carbon Express.

The use of specialized software is an important component of advanced geographic information and satellite derived analysis; both need reliable technology for geographic information systems (GIS) and geodatabase management. Geographic information systems integrate hardware, software and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information.

UNITAR’s partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Nigeria continues to grow with the selection of training candidates from all the 9 Niger Delta states for the UNITAR/RKK Technical Skills training in Namibia, following the previous Automation training in Norway. These programs were conceived as part of efforts to tackle the high level of youth unemployment and restiveness in the region.

In addition to mapping and GIS solutions for humanitarian emergency response and human security, UNOSAT is strongly engaged in helping countries and UN organizations develop their capacity in satellite derived analysis and the use of geospatial information for territorial planning and monitoring. Several in-country programmes are ongoing. Nigeria is a case in point where strong tangible results have been achieved in just one year.

1 to 6 August 2011, Addis Ababa.

August 2011, Western Cape, South Africa -The Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (D: EA&DP) has developed a mercury emissions inventory of the Province, following the methodology proposed in UNEP’s Toolkit for the Identification and Quantification for Mercury Emissions.