UNITAR and the Government of Catalonia reinforce their cooperation

Geneva, Switzerland, July 20, 2007 - On the 20th June 2007, Mr. Joan Saura, Minister of Home Affairs of Catalonia, Spain, and Mr. Carlos Lopes, Executive Director of UNITAR, signed an agreement about the activities of the International Training Centre for Local Authorities and Local Actors (CIFAL) in Barcelona.

The institutional cooperation between the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) started after the World Urban Forum held in Barcelona in 2004. In 2005, this cooperation was consolidated by the creation of a UNITAR associate centre, CIFAL Barcelona. CIFAL Barcelona is an international centre for training and research whose ultimate objective is to support local authorities of Latin-American and Mediterranean cities in developing security policies based on citizen coexistence.

This agreement will allow the implementation of two regional training Networks, one in Latin America and the other in the euro Mediterranean area. These Networks are meant to reinforce local decision-makers capacities on public space management and safety issues. The Networks will be integrated by local actors and international experts.

In the framework of the Latin-American initiative, the Government of Catalonia, UNITAR, CIFAL Barcelona and the City of Bogotá, in partnership with UNDP and UN-HABITAT, co-organise the International Conference “Public space, urban services and citizen coexistence in Latin American Cities” to be hosted in Bogota, Colombia, from the 4th to 6th September, 2007. A decade of public policies in Bogotá has transformed the city into a successful example of physical and social revival. The experience of Bogota and other Latin-American cities will be presented at the Conference. This international meeting, which holds great significance for regional politics, will bring together decision-makers of the most important Latin-American cities and recognized international experts on urban policies and safety issues.

For more information, please contact Mr. Nicolas Frizon de Lamotte