Cifal Durban Home Page

eThekwini is a member of the Decentralised Cooperation Programme (DCP) under the United Nations Institute of Training and Research, UNITAR. Cifal Durban was officially launched on 4 October 2004.

The Decentralised Cooperation Programme's objective is to "encourage lasting South-South city-to-city cooperation for sustainable and economic development". 

The main objectives of the DCP are:

• To enhance the capacity of local authorities to implement international conventions and agreements on environment and sustainable development.
• To reinforce the capacity of local authorities to achieve the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at local level, especially MDGs 1,3,6,7 and 8.

Goal 1:  Eradication of poverty and hunger
Goal 3:  Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 6:  Combat HIV/AIDS
Goal 7:  Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8:  Develop a global partnership for development

The DCP has established a global network of 12 associated training centres located:

• Atlanta, USA
• Barcelona and Bilboa, Spain
• Curitiba, Brazil
• Lyon, France
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Plock, Poland
• Shanghai, China 
• Durban (Africa)
• Ouagadougou (Africa)
• Tallinn, Estonia

Each of these International Training Centres for Local Authorities is a hub for capacity building and knowledge sharing between local and regional authorities, international organisations, the private sectors and civil society to enhance local public service.

CIFAL Durban focuses on the following programmes:

• Environment and Sustainable Development:  Facilitation of the implementation of international environmental conventions and agreements by local authorities.   Environment and sustainable devleopment comprises 3 programmes:

1. Integrated waste management in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Basel Convention
2. Biodiversity in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
3. Energy efficiency

• Urban Service:  Aims at strengthening the capacities of local authorities to improve the quality of urban services. Urban services comprises 2 programmes:

1. Water supply and sanitation
2. Waste management
   

Special emphasis is given to facilitating access to resources and finance and promoting public-private partnerships for urban service management and development.

• Human Security:  Aims at building capacities of local authorities to mitigate and manage risks, be it natural disasters, epidemics or urban outbreaks. Human security comprises 3 programmes:

1. Urban security and coexistence
2. City-AIDS
3. Crisis Management