The CIFAL Global Network is part of the

United Nations Institute for Training and Research The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations system. UNITAR provides training and capacity development activities to assist mainly developing countries with special attention ...

(UNITAR). The Network comprises 25 International Training Centres (CIFALs) and aims to serve as a platform for capacity-building of government authorities and civil society leaders on topics related to sustainable development, as well as on global mandates and goals of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

. Since its inception in 2003, the Network has trained more than 60,000 beneficiaries through over 600 training and knowledge-sharing events (as of December 2015). It reached more than 10,000 beneficiaries from 75 countries in 2015. The acronym CIFAL stands for "''International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders''" (french: 1=Centre international de formation des autorités et leaders) or in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: ‘''Centro Internacional de Formación para Autoridades y Lideres''’). Each CIFAL Centre is a hub for capacity building and knowledge sharing between local and regional authorities, national governments, international organisations, the

private sector The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The ...

, and

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future".United Nations (2017) R ...

Approach

The central purpose of CIFAL's training programmes is to develop and strengthen human capacities to better respond to development challenges. CIFAL Centres rely on a facilitative approach that aims to: * Facilitate the transfer of knowledge, experiences and best practices amongst government officials, private sector and civil society leaders * Enhance capabilities to effectively perform relevant tasks * Encourage cooperation and the development of multi-stakeholder partnerships * Provide networking opportunities leading to city-to-city collaboration * Contribute to the development of local and national strategies Each of its learning and training activities present a variety of learning resources blending core content, assignments, tasks, assessments, peer-to-peer collaboration, interactive activities, and mentoring. Depending on the needs of the beneficiaries and the objectives of the training, activities are delivered in different formats: face-to-face, virtually, or blended, combining both.

Work

As of 2020, the CIFAL Global Network comprises 20 centres across

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. Each CIFAL provides innovative training on key areas related to sustainable development and serves as hubs for the exchange of knowledge amongst government officials, non-governmental and international organizations, the private sector, civil society, academic institutions and the UN system. Each CIFAL is specialized in thematic areas that are defined by the needs and priorities of the regions they serve. The thematic areas include: * Urban Governance and Planning *

Economic Development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...

Social Inclusion Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...

Environmental Sustainability Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...

* Capacity for Agenda 2030 for

Sustainable Development Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The des ...

The CIFAL Global Network also plays a key role in building capacity for the implementation of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Their training programmes provide access to knowledge, resources and best practices, while promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration in support of sustainable development.
CIFAL Global NetworkCIFAL CalendarPartnerships for Sustainable Development

Citations

References

About the CIFAL Global Network
unitar.org
Supporting Local Actors to Achieve Sustainable Development
sustainabledevelopment.un.org
Annual Meeting of Directors of the CIFAL Global Network
unitar.org * GEN-Europe News. (Spring 2006) ''Ecovillages Build Bridges with Local Authorities''. Denmark. Gaia Trust. * Rollo, S. (23.9.06) ''Deal Signed to Create UN HUB at Scots ecovillage.'' Aberdeen. Press & Journal newspaper. * UN-DCP. (2005) ''Capacity building for local authorities to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.'' Geneva. UNITAR.

External links

CIFAL Global NetworkCIFAL Atlanta, USACIFAL, ArgentinaCIFAL Curitiba, BrazilCIFAL Durban, South AfricaCIFAL El SalvadorCIFAL Flanders, BelgiumCIFAL Jeju, South KoreaCIFAL Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaCIFAL Maghreb, AlgeriaCIFAL Málaga, SpainCIFAL Merida, MexicoCIFAL Newcastle, AustraliaCIFAL Ouagadougou, Burkina FasoCIFAL Plock, PolandCIFAL Quito, EcuadorCIFAL Scotland, UKCIFAL Shanghai, ChinaCIFAL Bangalore, IndiaCIFAL York, Canada
{{authority control Organizations established by the United Nations