ACBF
Signs Memorandum of Understanding with
The United Nations Institute for Training
and Research
 |
Left to right: Edwin N. Forlemu,
Executive Secretary a.i., ACBF
exchanging instruments with Carlos
Lopes, United Nations Under Secretary
General and Executive Director
of UNITAR |
On 2 March 2009, the African Capacity
Building Foundation (ACBF) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
the United Nations Institute for Training
and Research (UNITAR) in Ouagadougou,
Burkina Faso. Edwin N. Forlemu, ACBF
Executive Secretary a.i., signed on
behalf of ACBF and Carlos Lopes, United
nations Under Secretary General and
Executive Director of UNITAR, signed
on behalf of UNITAR. The three-year
MOU aims to provide both institutions
with a platform for collaboration in
areas of common interest to strengthen
interventions; increase knowledge sharing;
utilize and leverage existing resources
and facilities; and maximize impact
through partnership. The MOU will draw
on the strengths and complimentarities
of both institutions. UNITAR is the
autonomous body within the United Nations
with the mandate to enhance effectiveness
of the United Nations through training
and research. ACBF is an autonomous
African organization with the mission
to assist African countries build,
utilize and retain the requisite capacity
for their development.
The UNITAR-ACBF collaboration will
help to nurture and consolidate the
principles of African ownership and
leadership to enable the joint efforts
to foster the development of world-class
technical expertise for the efficient
management of the economies of African
countries.
The priority areas of the partnership
include:
- Governance: The MOU will focus
on three specific areas -
public finance and trade, local
governance
and e-governance.
All three areas will involve
the training of targeted government
officials as
well as central and local
decision
makers.
- Environment:
This will involve training and capacity
development
relating to the implementation
of global and
regional multilateral environmental
agreements;
- Conflict
prevention: This will
involve training and capacity
strengthening in conflict prevention
and peace
making at the sub regional
level for mid and
senior-level government officials
as well as staff members
of sub-regional institutions and
selected non-governmental
organizations; and
- Knowledge
sharing: UNITAR and ACBF will optimize
information
and knowledge sharing related to
the
priority areas in the MOU.
Speaking
at the occasion of the signing of
the MOU, Edwin N. Forlemu, ACBF
Executive Secretary a.i., highlighted
that the MOU signifies the promising
cooperation between the two organizations
and reaffirms the central importance
of capacity development and capacity
utilization as tools for reducing poverty
and inducing sustainable growth and
development in Africa. He stated, “ The
world today is a challenging place
for all. The continents that enjoy
relative plenty are teetering on the
brink of economic catastrophe. Africa
is struggling to push back the twilight
of poverty. In either case, the old
ways will no longer do. We must rethink
the rules of the road to opportunity
and prosperity. To achieve this, we
must quicken the arrival of the day
when the people and institutions we
support will play a more transformative
role in development policy and practice.”
In response, Carlos Lopes, United
Nations Under Secretary General and
Executive Director of UNITAR, emphasized
that the relationship between UNITAR
and ACBF is a logical one especially
in relation to capacity development.
He added that the MOU would formalize
this relationship, which will harness
the efforts of both ACBF and UNITAR.
He expressed appreciation for the collaborative
efforts between ACBF and UNITAR already
under way in Burkina Faso and South
Africa (through the CIFAL projects)
and in Nigeria (through the joint needs
assessment exercise), and underscored
the need for such cooperation to be
broadened and deepened.
The guiding principles of the partnership,
as highlighted in the MOU, are based
on synergy and complimentarity; utilization
of African expertise and training institutions;
African leadership and responsibility;
and short-term training activities.
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