Graduation from the 2013 six-month training programme
On 19 September, ten fellows graduated from the UNU-LRT annual six-month training programme. The graduated fellows are from Ethiopia (1), Ghana (1), Mongolia (1), Namibia (1), Niger (2), Kyrgyzstan (2) and Uganda (2), five women and five men. At the graduation ceremony the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, addressed the fellows. He emphasized the importance of land restoration and sustainable use of land globally, and acknowledged the important work of UNU-LRT on these pressing issues in developing countries. Moreover, the Minister acknowledged UNU-LRT for its new Gender Equality Policy. The Minister's speech can be read here.
The UNU-LRT Director, Dr. Hafdis Hanna Aegisdottir and the Chair of the UNU-LRT Board, Mr. Sveinn Runólfsson, also addressed the fellows and congratulated them on their achievements. This was the fourth graduation since the Land Restoration Training programme became a part of the United Nations University. The programme was established in 2007 and since then 51 fellows from ten countries have graduated from the programme. The training takes place at the Agricultural University of Iceland and the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland, under a fellowship funded by the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs.