Press Release: Institute Signs Agreement with United Nations Programme

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Dr. Jakkie Cilliers
Executive Director
Institute for Security Studies
Email: Executive Assistant Sarah Malefo
www.issafrica.org

ISS Press Release: Institute Signs Agreement with United Nations Programme

Nairobi, Kenya -- 28 October 2010 -- The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have entered into a five year Memorandum of Understanding to implement joint programmes on Environmental Security in Africa. The ceremony that took place in the delegates Lounge at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi was presided by Mr. Mounkaila Goumandakoye the Regional Director for Africa at UNEP and Dr. Jakkie Cilliers, Executive Director of the Institute for Security Studies. Also in attendance at the signing ceremony was Mr. Kenneth Mpyisi, ISS Nairobi office Director and Ambassador Segun Ankinsanya, Director for the ISS Addis Ababa Office.

Mr. Goumandakoye noted that UNEP was extremely pleased to have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute for Security Studies. He said that UNEP receives several requests a year from African countries seeking support on issues related to environmental security which it will now be able to more effectively respond to because of its partnership with the ISS. He said that ISS’ continental coverage through its offices in South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and Senegal made it an ideal partner since the UNEP Regional Office for African has a continental mandate.

Dr. Cilliers in remarks given at the singing ceremony noted that ISS was in the process of expanding its work on environmental security and would place particular emphasis on climate change and human security in Africa. He said that the collaboration between ISS and UNEP would also form part of larger ISS features programme that ISS intends to undertake in collaboration with the African Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and NEPAD secretariat. Under the features programme, ISS will provide cutting edge analysis, forecasting and early warning for Africa.

About the Institute:

The Institute for Security of Studies (ISS) is a pan-African organization that undertakes applied policy research, provides teaching and training as well as technical assistance.  The Institute is head quartered in Pretoria, South Africa with offices in Cape Town, South Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Dakar, Senegal. The ISS works for the advancement of sustainable human security in Africa. It seeks to mainstream human security perspectives into public policy processes and to influence decision makers within Africa and beyond. The objective of the Institute is to add critical balance and objectivity by providing timely, empirical research, teaching and implementation support on sustainable human security issues to policy makers, area specialists, advocacy groups, and the media.   

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