25 April 2012: The Dominican Republic held a workshop on “Developing Results-based Action to Strengthen Human Resources, Learning and Skills to Advance Green, Low Emission and Climate Resilient Development,” which was organized within the framework of the UN CC:Learn Project on “Strengthening Human Resources and Skills to Address Climate Change.”

The workshop was held from 24-25 April 2012, in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic, with the aim to identify priority actions in the Dominican Republic to address immediate professional learning needs, and strengthen institutional capacities to deliver learning action. It also provided an opportunity for participants to explore the linkages with other ongoing and planned climate change projects.

During the workshop, in addition to hearing presentations on various aspects of the UN CC:Learn project, participants attended parallel working groups to identify and discuss actions to strengthen climate change learning within four selected priority sectors: education; energy; forestry, agriculture and water; and tourism. The workshop also included a session focusing on strengthening institutional capacities to deliver learning and respond to learning priorities, which covered various levels of formal education, as well as public awareness and non-formal education.

Participants at the workshop also discussed specific learning actions/interventions on learning and skills development, including: enhancing the knowledge and skills of teachers to teach climate change; strengthening the skills of negotiators to participate in climate change negotiations; strengthening the skills of Government staff to develop climate change proposals; and raising decision makers’ awareness of climate risks and action.

The One UN Training Service Platform on Climate Change (UN CC:Learn) is a collaborative initiative involving 32 UN agencies that supports Member States, UN agencies and other development partners in designing and implementing country-driven, results-oriented and sustainable learning to address climate change. The UN CC:Learn Secretariat is serviced by the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). [UN CC:Learn Press Release]