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News Regional Centre for Emergency Training in International Humanitarian Response
John Holmes and Sadako Ogata open Symposium marking 10th Anniversary of UNHCR eCentre
The UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and the President of JICA were among those who made speeches on the occasion of the eCentre's 10th anniversary.

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News Archive

Negotiating for Access, Rights and Space
The eCentre Organizes the Essentials of Humanitarian Negotiation Workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Improving Response Capacity in Polynesia
The eCentre organizes its second emergency management workshop in the Pacific Islands, this time in Tonga.

Preparing for Natural Disasters in Papua New Guinea
The eCentre and partners organize a three-phase Learning Programme for disaster managers in Papua New Guinea.

Preparing for Dangers in the Field
From 4 to 9 April, the eCentre organized the first of two Safety in the Field Workshops planned for 2010.

Effective Response Depends on Good Assessment
The eCentre Conducts a Contingency Planning Refresher Workshop in Mawlamyine, Myanmar.

Coordination...or Negotiation?
The eCentre Partners with the Hiroshima Peacebuilders Center to present a Workshop on Coordination and Negotiation.

Helping Expand the Deployment Reach of Development Partners in the Field
From 25 to 27 November, 2009, the eCentre organized a security workshop specifically for JICA partners in Nairobi, Kenya.

Preserving and Expanding Humanitarian Space
The eCentre organizes a first-of-its-kind workshop on the challenges of protecting Humanitarian Space.

Helping NGO and Government Partners Stay Safe
In partnership with JICA, the eCentre co-organizes the fourth annual Security Risk Management Workshop in Tokyo, Japan

Building Capacity to Respond in Asia
The eCentre Conducts the Basics of International Humanitarian Response Workshop from 5 to 12 October, 2009, in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Helping Achieve Regional Standards in Emergency Response
The eCentre co-organizes its fourth annual workshop in India, the second in cooperation with SAARC.

Improving Negotiation Skills for Aid Workers: eCentre Conducts Second Essentials of Humanitarian Negotiation Workshop in 2009
The Essentials of Humanitarian Negotiation Workshop was held in Bangkok, Thailand 6-10 July 2009.

Helping Emergency Responders Stay Alive
From 14 to 19 June, 2009, the eCentre, in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, presented the Safety in the Field Workshop in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Preparing to Respond to Disasters in the Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands Emergency and Disaster Management Workshop was the eCentre’s first training event in Melanesia.

eCentre Conducts its first Workshop in Africa
From 27 April to 1 May 2009, the eCentre organized the Essentials of Humanitarian Negotiation Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya.

Bringing Emergency Management Expertise to Central Asia
In April the eCentre organized its first workshop in Central Asia.

eCentre Returns to Myanmar to Conduct Contingency Planning Training
From 11 to 14 March 2009, the eCentre organized a Workshop on Contingency Planning for the Government of Myanmar in Yangon, Myanmar.

eCentre Helps Myanmar Prepare for Emergencies
From 3 to 7 November 2008, the eCentre organized a Workshop on International Humanitarian Response for the Government of Myanmar in Yangon, Myanmar.

Making Emergency Response More Effective
The eCentre Conducts the Basics of International Humanitarian Response Workshop from 29 September to 06 October, 2008, in Hua Hin, Thailand

eCentre Conducts Security Risk Management Workshop with JICA
From 9 to 11 September, the eCentre collaborated with JICA to present the Security Risk Management Workshop in Tokyo, Japan.

Improving Disaster Preparedness in South Asia
From 25 to 29 August 2008, the eCentre conducted an Emergency and Disaster Management Workshop in New Delhi, India, in cooperation with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Disaster Management Centre.

Negotiating for Rights, Access and Humanitarian Space
From 30 June to 04 July 2008, the eCentre conducted the Essentials of Humanitarian Negotiation Workshop in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Sinews of Emergency Response: Emergency Logistics Management
From 26 to 30 May, 2008, the eCentre, in Conjunction with ASEAN’s Committee on Disaster Management and the National Disaster Management Agency of Indonesia, organized a workshop on Emergency Logistics Management in Medan, Indonesia.

Staying Smart, Staying Alive
From 04 to 09 May 2008, the eCentre, in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, presented the Safety in the Field Workshop in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Responding to Complex Emergencies: UNHCR, the UN and China
From 7-11 April 2008, the UNHCR eCentre organized a workshop on Responding to Complex Emergencies with UNHCR and the UN System for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in SuZhou, China.

Safety in the Field for Humanitarians and Journalists: a Shared Concern
From 9 to 14 March, 2008, the UNHCR eCentre teamed up with the Korean Press Foundation (KPF) to present a first-of-its kind workshop on safety and security for humanitarian workers and journalists in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Making Emergency Response More Effective
The eCentre conducted the Basics of International Humanitarian Response Workshop in Pran Buri, Thailand from 2 to 9 October, 2007.

Balancing Operations and Risks: Security Risk Management Workshop 26-28 September, 2007
From 26 to 28 September, 2007, the eCentre and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Jointly presented the Security Risk Management Workshop in Tokyo, Japan.

What can Natural Disaster Experts and Forced Displacement Experts Learn from Each Other?
The UNHCR eCentre, in partnership with the National Institute of Disaster Management of India, held a Workshop on Emergency and Disaster Management, from 27 to 31 August, 2007 in New Delhi, India.

Lives May Depend on the Deal that you Negotiate
From 2 to 6 July, 2007, the eCentre conducted the pilot Essentials of Humanitarian Negotiation Workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal.

eCentre Conducts Second Safety in the Field Workshop
From 27 July to 01 August 2008, the eCentre conducted its second Safety in the Field Workshop of the year in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Building Capacity to Plan for the Worst
From 30 July to 03 August 2007, the eCentre partnered with ASEAN's experts in disaster management to present a workshop on the Facilitation of Contingency Planning.

Preparing for Dangers in the Field
From 03 to 15 June, the eCentre organized two back-to-back workshops on safety and security in the field for humanitarian and development workers in Pran Buri, Thailand.

eCentre Conducts Middle East Workshop for Japan MoFA and JICA
From 26 to 28 March, 2007, the eCentre presented its highly successful Security Risk Management methodology in a workshop organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Amman, Jordan. The workshop, significant as the eCentre’s first event in the Middle East, presented the tools and methodology of security risk management to a group of senior managers and security professionals from around the globe.

eCentre Conducts Emergency Management Training and Contingency Planning in Papua New Guinea 6-8 March, 2007
From 6-8 March 2007, the eCentre Conducted an Emergency Management and Contingency Planning Workshop in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. It further facilitated a provincial-level contingency planning session for the mass arrival of refugees in the Western Province on 13 March.

The eCentre Conducts Three Safety and Security Workshops for UNHCR and partners in Sri Lanka, 5-13 February, 2007
The security climate in Sri Lanka has changed dramatically in recent months. Fighting, shelling and attacks are now commonplace and humanitarian workers are exposed to ever greater risks as they try to help those affected by the conflict.

Improving Coordination in the Field
From 16 to 18 October, 2007, the eCentre partnered with the Hiroshima Peacebuilders Center to conduct a three-day mini-workshop on Coordination in the Field for future peacebuilding practitioners in Hiroshima, Japan.

A Roadmap for Disaster Response and Preparedness Capacity Building:
The UNHCR eCentre collaborates with the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management to present a Workshop on the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) Regional Capacity Building in Disaster Response and Preparedness, 4-8 December, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

eCentre Pilots First-of-its-kind Joint Workshop with India’s National Institute of Disaster Management
The UNHCR eCentre, in partnership with the National Institute of Disaster Management of India, held a pilot Workshop on Emergency and Disaster Management, from 13 to 17 November, 2006 in New Delhi, India.

Security Risk Management Workshop 23-25 October, 2006
From 23 to 25 October, 2006, the eCentre and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Jointly presented the Security Risk Management Workshop in Tokyo, Japan. The workshop presented the tools and methodology of security risk management to a group of senior managers from JICA headquarters and the field, Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Officials, NGOs and UNHCR staff. Focus was on practical application of tools such as threat and risk assessment, security plans and planning and critical incident management, as well as discussing issues of managerial accountability, media management and stress.

How Much Food Should Be In a Daily Dry Ration Food Basket?
Participants learn about international standards for daily dry ration package during a session on food and nutrition in the Basics of International Humanitarian Response Workshop held in Pran Buri, Thailand from 13 to 21 October, 2006.

Security Risk Management Workshop, 25-30 June, 2006, Pran Buri Thailand
The Security Risk Management Workshop held in Pran Buri, Thailand, from 25 to 30 June 2006, was designed to respond to the specific needs of managers of humanitarian and development organizations working in high-risk areas, which often face the difficult challenge of balancing operational demands against the risks to their staff and programmes.

Advanced Safety Workshop, 18 - 23 June, 2006, Pran Buri Thailand
The Advanced Safety Workshop held in Pran Buri, Thailand, from 18 to 23 June 2006, was designed to respond to the increasing threat and risk faced by humanitarian and development workers in the field.

Training of Trainers Workshop, Chong Qing, China
The Training of Trainers Workshop, held in Chong Qing, China from 29 May to 2 June, 2006, was designed to present a highly participatory training approach and methodology to a group of Chinese national disaster management experts.

Training at Japan International Cooperation Agency
The eCentre carried out a training event to senior members of JICA on 20 January 2006.

Transition Assistance Workshop, Yokohama, Japan, 6 - 11 November 2005
The pilot workshop on Transition Assistance was held as collaboration between Japan International Cooperation Agency and UNHCR eCentre during the period of 6-11 November 2005.

The Basics of International Humanitarian Response Workshop, Narita, Japan 17-27 October 2005
10 days workshop was held in Narita, Japan. There were 31 participants coming from 13 countires.

Risk Management Workshop, 4-9 September 2005
This is a pilot and joint programme with Japan International Cooperation Agency and UNHCR eCentre. There were 22 participants coming from 12 countries.

Contingency Planning Workshop, Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia, 2-4 May 2005
A workshop on Contingency Planning was held over the period 2-4 May 2005 near Ulan Baatar, Mongolia. The aim of the workshop was to interact with government officials and others to generate a contingency plan based upon a refugee emergency. The audience was drawn from agencies which are at the front line in the planning and preparation for events resulting from population movements.

Refugee Emergency Preparedness Workshop,Wu Yi Shan, Fujian Province, P.R. China
A workshop on Refugee Emergency Preparedness was held over the period 25-29 April 2005 in Wu Yi, Fujian Province, China. The aim of the workshop was to introduce the basic considerations in the preparation for and response to a mass population movement emergency. The participants were drawn from government agencies likely to be involved in such an emergency in China.

STAFF SAFETY WORKSHOP, November and December 2004
The eCentre organized two Staff Safety workshops in Pranburi in November and December 2004. December workshop was funded by Japan International Co-operation Agency.

Regional Emergency Workshop, Narita, Japan
The eCentre organized a workshop on "Introduction to the Basics of International Humanitarian Response" during 18-28 October, 2004 at Narita Veiw Hotel in Narita, Japan.

EP 07 Coordination
A new Distance Learning course, EP-07, is now available. Please see the course description.

The NGO meeting with the High Commissioner
The High Commissioner visited Japan from 7th to11th September. UNHCR Tokyo office held a meeting with Japanese NGOs and the High Commissioner to discuss issues of concern to Japanese NGOs.

Staff Security Workshop, Pranburi, Thailand, 30 August – 3 September , 2004
This is the first Staff Security workshop organised by the eCentre in this year. It was held at Thai Army Training Centre near Pranburi, Thailand. There were thirty-five participants at the workshop coming form NGOs, UN and governmental agencies in the Asia-Pacific region.

Seminar on the Protection of Refugees in the Field
The eCentre and Protection unit of the UNHCR Regional Office Japan had a seminar on the protection of refugees in the field. Sixteen people attended the seminar coming from Japanese NGOs in the field.

Senior Managers Seminar
Managing UNHCR Country Programme Security
Bangkok, Thailand 28-30 July 2004

Three-day seminar on managing UNHCR country programme security was held in Bangkok. Thirty-one people attended the seminar coming from the Asia, Caswaname and Europe Bureau.

Return and Reintegration Workshop
Lessons learned from UNHCR’s Experience in South-East Asia, Bangkok, Thailand 3 &4 August 2004

UNHCR hosted this 2-day workshop in Bangkok on 3&4 August to explore the lessons learned over the past decade on repatriation and reintegration programmes in South-East Asia.

Regional Emergency Management Workshop, UlaanBaatar Mongolia, 7-11 June 2004
As part of the UNHCR contribution to emergency preparedness in Mongolia and the region an eCentre organised workshop was held in UlaanBaatar, 7-11 June 2004

UNHCR eCentre and PARinAC Workshop
Japanese NGOs in International Humanitarian Response, 19-21 April 2004

The aim of the workshop was to clarify the goals of Japanese NGOs with regard to deployment in international humanitarian response; to identify obstacles to reaching these goals and to identify ways to overcome these obstacles.

STAFF SAFETY WORKSHOP, 26 June -1 July 2005
The eCentre organized a Staff Safety workshop in Pranburi in June 2005. This was funded by UNHCR and Japan International Co-operation Agency.

Voice from Trainees

This time The eCentre would like to feature Mr. Kenneth Barden, the first person who successfully completed our entire distance learning courses.


Partnership for Staff Safety
The UNHCR eCentre ended 2003 with a workshop on staff safety staged at the Thai Army Training Centre near Pranburi, Thailand.

Thirty-eight participants gather for a regional emergency management training in Nissin Japan
The Nissin Training Centre near Nagoya Japan was the venue for an eCentre regional emergency management workshop which opened on 13 October.

Standards in Refugee Emergencies
The eCentre staged a workshop on "Standards in Refugee Emergencies" in Tokyo on 21-25 July. Thirty-four participants coming from nine countries in the region attended the event.

Public Exhibition and Concert in Yokohama Promotes Refugee Awareness
PARinAC (Partnership in Action) and PeaceTune presented a public exhibition and concert in Yokohama, based on the theme, "Through a Refugee's Eyes".

Symposium brings renewed focus on refugees in Africa
Speakers stressed the importance of a multilateral, multidimensional approach at the meeting, designed to raise awareness about the plight and solutions for refugees in Africa.

Africa at a Glance; 2003
There are an estimated 15 million refugees, internally displaced and other uprooted persons throughout the African continent. UNHCR cares for nearly 4.6 million of them with a regular 2003 budget of nearly $400 million.

AMDA (Association of Medical Doctors of Asia) organizes vocational training in Africa in addition to their better known health and nutrition programmes.
AMDA is well known for its medical services for refugees worldwide but the organization also organizes "micro-credit" financing to jump-start individuals' businesses in Kenya.

Japan International Volunteer Centre (JVC) Promotes Self-reliance in rural South Africa
JVC's goal is to promote self-reliance in the developing world through rural development projects, environmental protection, and children's education.

Refugees in Africa
Since January 2001 the number of refugees in Africa has been decreasing overall while repatriation programs have been quite successful. Nevertheless, huge problems remain.

Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR) Assists Refugees in Zambia.
AAR works to give humanitarian assistance for refugees in countries around the world in the sectors of water, sanitation, healthcare, agriculture and education.

Japanese NGO 'BAJ' Helps Returnees and IDPs in Sri Lanka
The Japanese NGO, Bridge Asia Japan (BAJ)'s 2003 Sri Lanka Program targets internally displaced persons (IDPs), and aims at reconstruction of the Northern areas of Sri Lanka that were devastated in the long civil war.

Japanese NGO Helps West-African Refugees Return Home
Peace Winds Japan is working to secure shelter, water and food for refugees in Sierra Leone and Liberia despite ongoing conflicts in those nations.

Japanese NGO Helps Former Refugees in Eritrea
In 2002 JEN (formerly known as Japan Emergency NGOs) began working in Eritrea, helping returnees to settle and rebuild.

Japan Assists UNHCR Preparedness Efforts in the Gulf
Emergency preparedness remains a critical focus for UNHCR and nowhere more so than now in the Gulf region. In support of this, the government of Japan recently sent relief supplies to UNHCR in Jordan to help prepare for the possible arrival of refugees resulting from the conflict in Iraq.

Afghan Refugees Return Home
The UN refugee agency has begun repatriating thousands of Afghan refugees from around 200 camps in Pakistan.

UNHCR Racing to Prepare for Return of 200,000 Angolan Refugees
UNHCR today said it is racing against the clock to prepare for the repatriation of more than 200,000 Angolans living in neighbouring countries who have indicated their wish to return home.

UNHCR Concerned for Liberian Refugees at Home, in Ivory Coast
UNHCR is seriously concerned for tens of thousands of people driven by fighting from their homes in Liberia, and for Liberian refugees trapped by a separate conflict in neighboring Ivory Coast.

WFP and UNHCR Call for Urgent Aid for Refugees in Africa
WFP and UNHCR warn that more than 1.2 million African refugees are at risk due to a lack of funding.

The eCentre Receives a Donation of Walkie-talkies from Tokyo Volunteers
On January 24th, UNHCR's eCentre gave special thanks to the heads of two Tokyo-based volunteer organizations for kindly donating 40 walkie-talkies to eCentre's office in Tokyo.

ESS and the eCentre Pilot Workshop for Staff Safety in Pranburi, Thailand
UNHCR's eCentre ended 2002 with a pilot workshop on staff safety which was staged at the Thai Army Centre near Pranburi from 2-6 December 2002.

UNHCR eCentre regional workshop, Nagoya Japan
The UNHCR eCentre workshop in Nagoya Japan got underway on 20 October

Bridge Asia Japan: Commences Programs in Sri Lanka
Bridge Asia Japan (BAJ) has decided to commence immediately needed activities including vocational training in Sri Lanka after a feasibility mission to North and East from 23rd August 2002 to 18th September 2002.

Japanese NGO Starts New Project in Eritrea
As of August 2002, JEN has officially started its assistance project in Eritrea. The current focus of the project is on returnees, particularly on women, through the implementation of women's social self-reliance activities.

Launch of Second eCentre CD
In order to make more information available to field workers in a convenient and accessible form, the eCentre has prepared for publication a second mini CD-ROM containing materials related to emergency preparedness and response. Though smaller than a conventional CD, the credit-card sized CD-ROM plays on any computer CD drive.

New under the eLibrary Section: UN Stress Management Booklet
The UN Stress Management Booklet was designed to provide a basic framework for professional stress management trainers and for the individual peacekeeper. Its contents, however, will prove useful to any individual working in the stressful environment of field operation. The booklet is now available for downloading (PDF file) from this site's Resources section, under the eLibrary page. Follow the links or go directly to http://www.the-ecentre.net/resources/e_library/ and learn how to make stress management part of the preparation and training for deployment in emergency response operations.

Training of Trainers Workshop in Japan, 10-12 June 2002
Held in Tokyo between 10-12 June 2002, this eCentre training event aimed at helping participants design and conduct short internal organisational and local inter-agency workshops dealing with preparedness and response to international refugee emergencies.

eCentre Workshop on the Basics of International Humanitarian Response Concludes in the Republic Korea
A regional workshop on the basics of international humanitarian response was held in Mt. Sorak, Republic of Korea from 20 to 29 May.

Contingency planning workshop in Hua Hin, Thailand, 22-25 April
Twenty-nine participants representing the Thai government, NGOs and UN agencies attended this highly participatory workshop. The new UN inter-agency contingency planning guidelines were used for the first time in an eCentre workshop.

eCentre Workshop Materials Available Online
In order to increase accessibility to training resources, the eCentre workshop materials are now available online. To access presentations and handouts prepared for previous training events, click on the WORKSHOP MATERIALS icon under the RESOURCES menu or go directly to www.the-ecentre.net/resources/workshop/.

UNHCR eCentre Regional Workshop opened in Auckland on 14 March
Government and NGO representatives from twelve countries in the Pacific region gathered in Auckland on 14 March for an emergency management workshop. The workshop is co-sponsored by the New Zealand Immigration Service.

eCentre Civil-Military exercise
The simulation exercise was staged in Canberra Australia 12 - 14 December 2001. The thirty-three participants came from the Australian defense forces and Australian government and NGOs. The organisation of the event was a collaboration between the UNHCR eCentre, ACFOA and RedR Australia.