Plock is the first one in Eastern Europe to become part of the International Training Centre for Local Authorities/Actors, CIFAL (Centre International de Formation des Autorites/Acteurs Locaux). On 29 June 2004, Marcel A. Boisard, Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and Miroslaw Milewski, Mayor of Plock, officially opened the CIFAL centre in Plock, in the presence of: Colin Glennie, the United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, representatives of the Foundation for Sustainable Development of European Regions and representatives of Veolia Environnement, Dexia Crédit Local, Alcatel, and PKN Orlen.

As of October 2004, 11 associated CIFAL Centres have been or are currently being established arround the world. CIFAL Plock specializes in public - private partnerships and the role of private sector in sustainable urban development.

UNITAR
United Nations Institute for Training and Research

UNITAR is an autonomous body within the United Nations which was established in 1965 to enhance the effectiveness of the UN through appropriate training and research. UNITAR’s 13 programmes are established under two main clusters of activity: training in international affairs management and capacity building in economic and social development (among others DCP). 
 
LDP
Local Development Programme

The Local Development Programme (LDP) was initiated as a result of the World Summit on Sustainable Development organised in Johannesburg in 2002, which acknowledged the key role of partnerships between the United Nations, civil society and academia, local authorities and the private sector in the advancement and successful realization of the sustainable development agenda. The key objective of LDP is to develop the capacity of local actors, through exchange of experiences and dissemination of best practices, as an effective way of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and reducing poverty at local level.

The capacity-building activities are implemented through a global network of training centres the CIFAL.

Historical Background

The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), which was held in Johannesburg in September 2002, constitutes the thematic background for UNITAR’s CIFAL Network. The WSSD acknowledged partnerships between the United Nations, civil society, local authorities and the private sector as central to the advancement and successful realisation of the sustainable development agenda. In addition to the usual intergovernmental agreements for reaching certain sustainability goals (Type I output: Intergovernmental Declaration and Action Plan), it was agreed to launch a series of public (UN, governments, local authorities) private (companies, NGOs) partnerships to promote the development of concrete projects (Type II partnerships). Into the latter categories falls the Decentralised Cooperation Programme’s CIFAL initiative, entitled “Reinforcement of Local Capacities and Training for Sustainable Urbanisation: a Public-Private Partnership.” This partnership was jointly developed and presented by UNITAR, UN-HABITAT, the World Federation of United Cities (WACLAC), the NGO Global Ecovillage and the private partner Veolia Environnement. Among the collaborating partners were a.o. the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), UN-AIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Urban challenges

“By the time this century passes its first quarter, more than a billion and a half people in the world’s cities will face life and health threatening environments unless we can create a revolution in urban problem solving.” United Nations Conference Habitat II

Cities built on only two per cent of the world’s surface use some of the 75% of the world’s resources and discharge similar amounts of waste.

Consequently, local government leaders are facing extraordinary challenges. Under the rapid urbanisation and decentralisation, it becomes clear that local government have a critical role in making basic services accessible to all. It requires creative leadership and government capacity, given the increased inequality and concentrated poverty in urban areas.

Local authorities represent a thus far untapped potential to address the issue of basic services. Through their leadership commitment and their ability to mobilize public sectors, as well as other service providers and organizations of civil society in the city, local authorities can be a catalyst to strengthen multisectoral local responses – articulating local government and community responses – and achieve a maximum impact on all aspects of essential services.