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UN System-Wide Training on Rule of Law Piloted in Turin
On 11 – 15 July, the United Nations Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group, in partnership with United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), piloted the UN Unified Rule of Law Training course at the United Nations Campus in Turin, Italy. During the course, nineteen rule of law practitioners from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Department of Political Affairs (DPA), working in sixteen different duty stations, discussed inter-agency coordination, best practices, and lessons learned. The purpose of the training is to bring greater coherency and coordination to the UN rule of law sector through a shared understanding of rule of law definitions and approaches.
The training benefited from an emphasis on adult learning techniques, drawing out the knowledge of assembled participants through facilitated discussions and group work on hypothetical case studies. Training modules covered rule of law principles and core values, UN norms and standards on the rule of law, guidelines for mapping and assessment, and coordination and strategy development. While the pilot training covered the essential concepts in the rule of law field, future iterations of the training course will devote more time to presentations by experts on cutting-edge topics. Deeper discussions of UN coordination mechanisms and tools currently in use will also make their mark in future trainings.
Participant evaluations indicated that the training was an important effort to bring about increased coordination in field operations and enhanced dialogue between headquarters and field staff. Next steps include the updating of the training manual and the planning for a second training event in the Spring or Summer of 2012.