23 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – On 24 July 2024, UNITAR, together with Hiroshima Prefecture and Nagasaki Prefecture, supported the Government of Austria–hosted panel discussion, “Advancing the Global Agenda of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World” in Geneva. The panel discussion was a side event to the Second Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The panel discussion aimed to build a network of experts and youth, establish a common platform to discuss the humanitarian and environmental impact of nuclear weapons, and empower young people to engage in nuclear disarmament.

23 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – On 6 August 2024, the 79th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, UNITAR held a panel discussion, “Dialogue with World Leaders and Future Makers Towards a World without Nuclear Weapons” at the Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima stadium. The event was also livestreamed on YouTube in English and Japanese.

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) successfully concluded their first cohort of the joint Executive Diploma Programme in Cultural Diplomacy, International Relations & Global Governance.

14 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – Motivated Sudanese nationals, especially those who are internally displaced, are invited to apply to join the UNITAR training programme “Promoting Socioeconomic Stability through Institutional Capacity and Livelihood Development in Sudan.” The programme aims to equip participants with skills in agribusiness, entrepreneurship, innovation, finance and trade and digital literacy to “build back better”, irrespective of where they are. The application deadline is 25 August 2024.

08 August 2024, Geneva, Switzerland – Sports diplomacy is an emerging and dynamic field that leverages the universal appeal of sports to enhance knowledge sharing, promote peace, and strengthen international ties. From the Winter Olympics in South Korea to the World Cups in Russia and Qatar, sports events are becoming integral to foreign policy strategies, highlighting their capacity to unite diverse stakeholders and advance international cooperation.

2 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – UNITAR is accepting applications to its training programme on women’s leadership in disaster risk reduction, from learners over 18 years of age, living in or from Pacific small island developing states and Asia. Women are highly encouraged to apply. This programme, “Women’s Leadership in Tsunami-Based Disaster Risk Reduction for World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024”, aims to equip learners with lifelong skills to develop inclusive disaster risk reduction plans that reflect the needs of their communities and countries. Application deadline is 23 August 2024 at 11:59 p.m. JST (UTC+9).

1 August 2024, Geneva, Switzerland,– The recent conflict in the Gaza Strip has produced a volume of debris that is 14 times greater than the combined total from all conflicts over the past 16 years. This finding comes from a comprehensive assessment conducted by UN-HABITAT and UNEP. The analysis, using satellite imagery analysis provided by UNOSAT, offers a detailed view of the extensive destruction and its implications for debris management.

31 July 2024, San Juan, Puerto Rico – UNITAR in collaboration with the International Road Federation (IRF), and with support from AB InBev and Falconi delivered a workshop on its Management Practices for Safer Roads Toolkit in the framework of the 12th IRF Caribbean Regional Congress, titled “A Roadmap to a Safe, Inclusive, and Resilient Transport System”, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

26 July 2024, San Juan, Puerto Rico – UNITAR in collaboration with the International Road Federation (IRF) will deliver a training workshop on its Management Practices for Safer Roads for government officials from across 30 countries and territories in the Caribbean region.

In the wake of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which claimed over 230,000 lives and left millions displaced, the urgent need for a coordinated disaster response system among international agencies, governments, and humanitarian organizations became glaringly evident. In response, the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) was established to bridge the gap between real-time disaster data and response capabilities. Integral to this effort was UNOSAT’s development of the Satellite Mapping Coordination System (SMCS) in 2010, following the Haiti earthquake, which facilitates real-time coordination between mapping organizations during disaster events.