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 the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

. 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''" ( or in ). 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 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 private sector employs most of the workfo ...

, 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 ''2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'', adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet" – wh ...

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. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

. 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 economics, economic development (or 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 object ...

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. In the EU context, the Euro ...

Environmental Sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

* Capacity for Agenda 2030 for

Sustainable Development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

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.

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. {{authority control Organizations established by the United Nations