Participatory strategic planning at the local level is an important prerequisite for effective environmental quality management.

Results-oriented and participatory planning can help achieving concrete improvements in environmental quality.

13 to 15 July 2011, Asmara, Eritrea. Following Eritrea’s June 2011 persistent organic pollutants inventory validation workshop, UNITAR supported a two-day national training workshop on strengthening skills for action plan development to implement the Stockholm Convention.

6 July 2011, Geneva, Switzerland. UNITAR Executive Director took part in the meeting of Principals of ‘ECESA Plus’ that gathered in Geneva on 6 July. One of the main objectives of the meeting was to advance preparations by the UN system for the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20.

7 July 2011. UNITAR Executive Director, Mr. Carlos Lopes, participated in the Secretary-General’s meeting with UN Principals in Geneva on 7 July. The meeting was organized during the Secretary-General’s visit and participation in the High-Level Segment of the Economic and Social Council that took place at the beginning of July. Mr. Ban Ki-moon addressed the Economic and Social Council in the context of the launch of the 2011 Millennium Development Goals Report.

The Public Finance and Trade Programme is pleased to announce its new calendar of e-learning courses for Fall/Winter of 2011-12 for a global audience of finance-sector and trade officials. Over 50 executive-level e-Learning courses in English, French and Spanish are now open for registration. All courses are internet-based, moderated by senior international experts, asynchronous and place emphasis on online discussions and self-paced learning. 

The UNITAR Series on the Management and Conservation of World Heritage Sites 2011 Session was held recently in Hiroshima, Japan, and was attended by representatives of 19 countries.

After years of successful collaboration, UNITAR/UNOSAT (the operational satellite applications programme of UNITAR) and Google have strengthened their collaboration by signing an agreement that will give the crisis response and humanitarian community increased access to Google Map Maker source data for use in their disaster response and humanitarian activities, in more than 150 countries around the world.*

With the aim of addressing the growing challenge of money laundering and financing of terrorism, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) will conduct from October 3 to November 25, 2011 a new online course on Combating Money Laundering in partnership with Agence pour la Coopération et le Développement -Banques Populaires (ABPCD).

14 to 16 June 2011, Mahe, Seychelles. A National Forum on Governance and Priority Setting for SAICM Implementation was held in the Seychelles. The workshop was held under the framework of a national project for the implementation of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and consisted of a review of the progress made to date as well as an Action Plan Skills Building Workshop to prepare for the subsequent project activities.