New UN organisation welcomed in Bonn: United Nations System Staff College - Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development officially inaugurated

Germany, Bonn, 3 March 2016 - The family of United Nations agencies in Bonn, Germany, has grown bigger. Today the Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development of the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) was officially inaugurated at the UN Campus Bonn. New education and training opportunities will be offered for United Nations staff globally, government counterparts, civil society and the private sector in the field of "Sustainable Development".

At the occasion of the official opening the Director of the UNSSC headquarters based in Turin, Dr. Jafar Javan, states, "We are grateful that the UNSSC Knowledge Centre has become reality here in Bonn. The centre will be at the forefront of the global efforts to provide education and training in the field of "Sustainable Development". The Agenda 2030 is transformative and we need all people and parts of the society to understand the needs of society and the planet. It is simply a pre-condition to become agents of change."

Dr. Simon Koppers, Head of Division United Nations of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) expresses his satisfaction, with the establishment of the UNSSC in the midst of the UN Bonn family, "as a host country, we want to create an enabling environment to make the Sustainable Development Goals develop their potential. We believe that in this moment in time there is a great need for such an institution, providing this know-how about the 2030 Agenda. Hence we are pleased to support the creation of the UNSSC Knowledge Centre."

The Head of the UNSSC office in Bonn, Patrick van Weerelt, adds, "The team is delighted to facilitate executive learning on sustainable development in an innovative and inspiring environment provided here by the German authorities to the United Nations. We will be greatly benefitting from the rich landscape of governmental and non-governmental organisations, highly potential partners that make the location Bonn unique – a powerhouse for sustainable development."

Christiana Figueres, in her current capacity as the Chair of the United Nations Organisations Heads of Agencies Forum in Germany welcomes the new organisation on behalf of the UN Bonn family, "The United Nations in Bonn has grown to a creative centre that already plays a key role in international sustainability policy. The work of the UN agencies in Bonn with their common aspiration- Shaping a sustainable future will be greatly complemented and bring a new ground for cooperation also among the UN agencies here in Bonn."

Pictures of the event: https://www.flickr.com/photos/unbonn/albums/72157663066522123
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