3 June 2014 - To enhance their leadership skills, UN agencies in Warrap State today began training 35 Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) staff in the state capital Kuajok.

UNMISS is funding the two-day training, which covers topics like coordinating and chairing meetings, effective communication skills, monitoring protection of displaced people, human rights and gender issues in peacebuilding processes.

Officials from UNMISS, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN Refugee Agency are providing the training.

Local Government Minister Acuil Tito Madut urged participants, drawn from the state’s six counties, to be attentive and use the training materials to teach their junior staff.

“RRC staff, who are mandated to handle humanitarian issues, are here to be empowered,” he said. “Capacity building is very important … Take this training as an asset (which will) support state government administration.”

Benjamin Binda, head of the RRC in the state, said support from the UN as well as sharing information had strengthened Warrap.

“You have done what we could not have done … to help our people,” he said, giving examples of aid from UN humanitarian agencies to displaced people and UNMISS evacuating the wounded.

Appreciating the state government’s cooperation with the mission, UNMISS State Coordinator Abraham Onifade encouraged participants to work as teams at all levels.