London, United Kingdom - The CIFAL Global Network convened its XXII Annual Steering Committee Meeting from 9 - 11 December 2025 in London, United Kingdom, bringing together more than 70 delegates from over 30 countries, including Directors and Chairpersons representing 32 CIFAL Centres worldwide.
Hosted by CIFAL London and its host institution, GEDU Global Education Group, the meeting provided a platform for strategic dialogue, governance discussions, and the exchange of experiences across the Network. CIFALs, an acronym derived from the French Centres Internationaux de Formation des Autorités et Leaders, are training centres whose mission is to provide professional capacity-building programmes for government officials and civil society representatives, with the aim of strengthening leadership and institutional capacities at the local, national, and regional levels.
The meeting opened with welcome remarks and introductions delivered by Ms Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR, followed by Dr Vishwajeet Rana, CEO of GEDU Global Education Group and Chairman of CIFAL London, and Mr Alex Mejia, Head of the CIFAL Global Network and Director of the Division for People and Social Development at UNITAR. In her remarks, Ms Gyles-McDonnough highlighted the role of CIFAL Centres as UNITAR's primary mechanism for delivering decentralised training and capacity development in support of the 2030 Agenda, emphasising their function in connecting global frameworks with local implementation realities and strengthening institutional capacities at the subnational level.
A central part of the meeting was a series of regional sessions titled Learning from Impact Across the Globe, in which CIFAL Directors shared their experiences and initiatives from North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Western Europe. These discussions offered a valuable opportunity to review what was achieved in 2025 and to discuss priorities for the next five years, up to the 2030 Agenda deadline.
The second day continued with an ambitious agenda. A key activity was the CIFAL 2030 Foresight Lab, a cross-regional strategic exercise to explore future directions for the network and to provide a space for exchange and discussion among representatives of CIFAL Centres across regions. This was complemented by presentations on UNITAR strategic initiatives implemented with CIFAL Centres, covering thematic areas such as water governance, health and development, migration, transport and mobility, disaster management, technology, behavioural science, and cooperative education.
As part of the efforts to strengthen collaboration and enhance communications ahead of 2026, dedicated sessions reviewed CIFAL Global Network communication activities, including digital tools, website publications, and the CGN Podcast - Learning with Leaders. Internal communication tools and the 2025 Mentoring Programme for CIFAL Directors were also presented.
A key session of the meeting was the Chairpersons' Roundtable, which brought together representatives of academic institutions, local and national authorities, and partner organizations from across the Network. Participants shared their perspectives and priorities for the coming years, reflecting local and regional contexts and contributing to the Network's strategic direction.
