UNITAR and UNDESA to Work Together to Assist Member States on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Implementation

7 March 2016, New York, USA - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) represented by its Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director, Mr. Nikhil Seth, and the United Nations Secretariat represented by the Under-Secretary- General for Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Mr. Wu Hongbo, signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in New York.

UNITAR and UNDESA have agreed to focus their collaboration initially on the areas highlighted in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.  For instance: 

1. Facilitate Member States in mainstreaming the 2030 Agenda into national plans, strategies, approaches;
2. Developing and enhancing existing mechanisms for national multi-stakeholder engagement; and
3. Facilitate Member States in monitoring and reviewing progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

It is expected that UNITAR, based on its experience, will produce training materials and deliver face-to-face, blended and online training on behalf of or jointly with UNDESA. Accordingly, UNDESA will provide guidance, technical orientation and content research to assist UNITAR in developing training materials. This might include events organized by UNDESA at international and national venues and training-of-trainers initiatives at national and regional levels, also by engaging the UN regional commissions, UN Development Group and other partners, as appropriate.

Photo 1: Mr. Nikhil Seth (left) Mr. Wu Hongbo (UN DESA, Communication and Information Unit)

Photo 2: Mr. Nikhil Seth (left) Mr. Wu Hongbo (UN DESA, Communication and Information Unit)