3 August 2011: The UN CC:Learn Steering Group has announced the selection of Benin, Uganda and the Dominican Republic to participate in the 2011-2013 pilot implementation phase of the UN CC:Learn’s “Pilot Projects to Strengthen Human Resources, Learning and Skills Development,” aimed at supporting countries to develop a strategic approach to climate change learning.

The announcement is the outcome of the Steering Group’s second meeting, which was held from 7-8 July 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland. At the meeting, the Steering Group also approved an increase in the number of pilot countries to five and requested the Secretariat to explore mobilization of resources to support additional pilot countries. One aspect of the pilot projects is the development, through a country-driven process, of a national strategy to strengthen human resources, learning and skills development to address climate change and foster low-carbon and green development. To this end, UN CC:Learn is developing draft guidance in support of the strategy development process. The guidance seeks to assist countries in self-assessing their learning needs and identifying short- and medium-term learning action in support of national climate change and green development objectives. The draft guidance will be tested by the pilot countries.

Participants at the meeting also considered how UN agencies can support country-driven, results-based and sustainable climate change learning to address climate change in member States, through One UN collaboration. Representatives from more than 15 UN agencies reviewed progress and agreed on action to advance UN CC:Learn’s three programme areas, which are: Knowledge Management and Networking; Development of a One UN Package of Climate Change Learning Materials; and Pilot Projects to Strengthen Human Resources, Learning and Skills Development to Address Climate Change. [UN CC:Learn Press Release]