December 2020, New York, USA.- The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR, Mr. Nikhil Seth, was in New York city from 9 to 11 December to have meetings on the sidelines of his official visit to the United Nations Headquarters.
Mr. Seth met with senior officials as the Chef de Cabinet Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, the Controller and Assistant Secretary-General Chandramouli Ramanathan, Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy, and Compliance Catherine Pollard, and the Director of the Coordination for Sustainable Development Office Marion Barthelemy. During his meetings, he described the structure of the UNITAR’s learning courses in 2020, highlighting and reflecting on the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, he mentioned the key challenges for the 2021 as UNITAR and its personnel work hard to be efficient and accomplish partners’ goals, as well as the friendly relation of mutual trust between UNITAR and its host country in Geneva, Switzerland.
Mr. Seth noted the top priorities for the new year as he addressed the importance of being supported by the UN Secretariat, UN specialized agencies, and Permanent Missions to the UN, as well as on the next steps for the 2021 by different actors. Certainly, the new year will be full of new challenges, but it does not minimize the positive impact that UNITAR trainings have on participants. UNITAR is a strong institution that works with recognized experts who delivery impartial content with optimism.
At the forefront of work on global citizenship education, Mr. Seth discussed that UNITAR will be always strengthening its technical expertise and prioritizing knowledge transfer to the diplomatic community as well as to participants and students from around the world. As an example, the Executive Director highlighted to the UN officials the benefit of transforming face to face meetings to virtual sessions, allowing to reach thousands of participants.
Only in New York city, around 6600 participants were benefited with trainings like the Briefing for New Delegates on the 75th UNGA, QCPR Series, Sessions for Incoming Members of the Security Council, Course on Budgetary Matters where the President of the General Assembly, Chairs of the Main Committees, Ambassadors, and high-level officials were present.
