Oct 27, 2012

International Students And Professionals Gathered In The Hague For UNPO’s International Training


The Hague, 25th – 27th October 2012

At the end of October 2012, UNPO organized an International Human Rights & Project Cycle Management Training Program designed to bring together UNPO Members from a wide range of nations and backgrounds alongside students and young professionals with a deep interest in Human Rights.

About 20 people participated in the tree-day training. The participants consisted of a diverse and international group, originating from Belarus, Canada, Germany, Georgia, Mauritania, Mexico, Norway, Pakistan, Romania, the UK and the USA.

Several trainings were given by the UNPO staff and focused on providing concrete skills to the participants through a series of workshops, so that the participants can later use the knowledge they have gained. On the first day, the UNPO staff explained the project cycle management approach, which can be used as a support to prepare and improve the quality of development assistance. The participants went through all the phases of Project Cycle Management in a simulation workshop. The workshop aimed to promote consistency and clarity of this approach, while allowing for the operational flexibility required of a dynamic and diverse external assistance program. 

The second day in the morning a visit was made to the Christian Democratic Party, where the participants received a high-quality training in negotiation strategies. In the afternoon the trainees went on a fieldtrip to the OPCW - Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Mainly the participants were explained the different mechanisms through which countries are working to abolish chemical weapons production and supply in the world.

The last day of the training, the participants received an intensive training on the United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms. The workshops included a full training on how to draft an alternative report, a simulation of a UN treaty body sessions as well as an explanation on how to register and access the different UN mechanisms.

During the training the participants had the possibility to explain the various issues they are confronted with in their home countries and underline the problems such as human rights violations, slavery etc. Some fascinating and touching contributions were made by UNPO Members about the Haratin located in Mauritania and the Assyrian people located in Iraq, Turkey and Syria. Other participants spoke about the Baloch in Pakistan, the indigenous movement in the Netherlands as well as the Aceh located in Indonesia.

 

 

Note to editors

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is an international, nonviolent, and democratic membership organization founded in 1991. Its members are indigenous peoples, minorities, and unrecognised or occupied territories who have joined together to protect and promote their human and cultural rights, to preserve their environments, and to find nonviolent solutions to conflicts which affect them.

 

For any queries please contact

UNPO Secretariat

Tel.: +31(0)70 3646504

Fax: +31(0)70 3646608

Laan van Meerdervoort 70

2517 AN The Hague

The Netherlands

[email protected]

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