15 February 2022, Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Geneva (Switzerland) - HRH Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Talal Al Saud, President of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development, AGFUND, and Mr. Nikhil Seth, Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, UNITAR, signed an agreement today to announce the establishing of the Global Partnership Hub.

29 December 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - On the 2nd of December 2021, UNITAR hosted the third meeting of UN SDG:Learn Steering Group entirely online. The meeting was co-organized with the UN System Staff College (UNSSC).

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Program on Negotiation (PON) at Harvard Law School will collaborate on a project supported by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Consulate-General of Japan in Boston on Enhancing International Scientific Cooperation: Arctic Science and Technology Advice with Ministries. With the coordination of the Science Diplomacy Center at EvREsearch LTD, this training project, consisting of three webinars, aims to help enhance international scientific cooperation by inclusively addressing inevitable questions that involve the 2017 Arctic Science Cooperation Agreement, ministries of nations, indigenous peoples, and science. Upon the signature of the Arctic Science Cooperation Agreement in 2017, scientists from the eight Arctic governments were granted access to the Arctic areas that each government has identified, including entry and exit of people, equipment, and materials; access to research infrastructure; and access to data. The Arctic will be analyzed as a global case study in view of climate and planetary challenges to balance national interests and common interests “for the benefit of all on Earth across generations.”  

16 December 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - UN CC:Learn's participation at COP26 highlighted the importance of education and learning in scaling up climate action. As in previous editions, the programme held a series of activities, notably the Climate Classroom, and collaborated with a wide range of partners. Read on to find out more!

A new Module focusing on “Leaving no one behind: Approaches, tools and best practices to promote meaningful engagement of all stakeholders in the implementation and follow up of the 2030 Agenda” of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement for the Review and Implementation of the 2030 Agenda is now available.

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University have launched a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Infrastructure Asset Management for Sustainable Development. The course was developed based on the UN publication “Managing Infrastructure Assets for Sustainable Development: A Handbook for Local and National Governments” – the result of a joint collaboration of UN DESA, UNCDF and UNOPS.

In August 2021, Crowd4SDG launched the second GEAR Cycle of the project. This year’s GEAR Cycle is focused on two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – SDG 13 on Climate Change and SDG 5 on Gender Equality.

Strategic Implementation of the 2030 Agenda Unit of UNITAR has teamed up with other UN partners to develop a series of microlearning videos to raise awareness about different topics through creative writing and storytelling.

Greenhouse gas emissions directly contribute to global warming and climate change. The technology and fuel used for electricity generation are often responsible for high greenhouse gas emissions. Recently, UNITAR conducted a survey among energy experts in the humanitarian system to estimate the number of diesel and petrol generators that are used to produce electricity in humanitarian operations, with a view to establishing the opportunities to transition to solar solutions.

The intricate links between corruption and climate change need to be established clearly in the public’s mind, and discussed at all levels of governance. The International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) and UNITAR organized a virtual panel discussion to address the major issues surrounding corruption and global warming.