The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) joins with other UN Agencies around the world in expressing its condolences to the people of Japan following the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami which struck on 11 March 2011. We also echo the United Nations Secretary-General’s remarks expressing his condolences to those who have lost family and friends (SG/SM/13437).

Geneva 14 March 2011. The aftermath of the catastrophic quake and tsunami in Japan has mobilised unprecedented participation from social networks and crowd sourcing communities around the world. Satellite imagery released for free by major commercial satellite companies earlier this week revealed to the world the extent of the impact of the tsunami waves that hit the east coast of Japan on Friday 11 March.

A Senior Advisory Group designated by the Secretary-General in March 2010 proposed a brand-new vision of the UN support to the strengthening of civilian capacities in conflict affected countries entitled OPEN, or “a United Nations that enables national Ownership, works in global Partnership, delivers with Expertise and is Nimble in the face of change”.

Building on their respective comparative advantages, UNDP and UNITAR will organize a total of 35 training and networking events over a 12-month period. More than 1,100 African negotiators and decision-makers will directly benefit from training and networking activities which incorporate UNITAR’s innovative methodologies and long-standing experience in knowledge transfer and executive learning.

The Citizen Cyberscience Centre (CCC) has entered a new phase of its research programme, focused on achieving results in the area of GIS using a collaborative thinking approach based on scientific methods. The centre is based on an international partnership between CERN, UNITAR/UNOSAT and the University of Geneva and a number of associated partners from amongst the leading academic institutions around the world.

3-4 March 2011, Geneva, Switzerland.  As a follow-up to the 50th session of the Board of Trustees, the Board’s Chairman, Ambassador Henri Lopes, visited the Institute on 3-4 March with a view to engage in dialogue with UNITAR managers.

1 March 2011.  Geneva, Switzeralnd.  UNITAR Executive Director Carlos Lopes met with H.E.  Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand. The meeting was intended to familiarize Minister Piromya  with the overall work of the Institute with a view to examining cooperation prospects in various areas, also at a regional level.