16 July 2019, New York, NY, USA – During the work visit of the Executive Director of UNITAR, Mr. Nikhil Seth, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research completed several meetings with UN officials on the 10th, the 15th and the 16th July. Mr. Seth met with the Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina Mohammed, with the CEO of Anheuser-Busch InBev, Mr. Carlos Brito and with the Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov.
On Wednesday 10 at noon the Executive Director also visited the Permanent Mission of Switzerland with the Head of the New York Office, H.E. Mr. Marco Suazo. On the meeting, Mr. Seth met with H.E. Mr. Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representatives of Switzerland to the United Nations. The two honorable officials discussed the preparations for the third Orientation Course for New Delegates on the 5th Committee and the United Nations’ budget system. The event that UNITAR New York Office, organizes in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations annually, to provide a critical orientation course for new delegates on the 5th Committee. Both officials discussed the past orientations courses and the plans for the upcoming one. Mr. Seth also gave gratitude remarks to H.E. Mr. Lauber regarding Switzerland being the host country of the Headquarters of UNITAR. In addition, Mr. Seth and gave recognition to the collaborations that the Permanent Mission of Switzerland has given to UNITAR in the past.
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On the early morning of the 15th July, the Executive Director, Mr. Nikhil Seth, met with the Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina Mohammed, where he informed her about the launch of the UNITAR SDG Learn Platform. Also, Mr. Seth explained the major features of the Learning Center including the importance of outreach and accessibility for everyone in a very comprehensive manner. Mr. Seth emphasized the importance of finalizing the tool, which is still in the editing process, for the Resident Coordinators (RCs- better known as the “primers”). The DSG suggested the creation of a roadmap for the primer content and it was suggested by both sides that there should be a discussion with major internet providers, such as Google, which are not related to any UN or UNITAR platforms, to enhance accessibility through the link search.
Finally, Mr. Seth, briefed Ms. Mohammed of the healthy status of UNITAR and the steady financial growth, while there are still some obstacles to overcome. The meeting concluded on a very positive note with talks regarding future strengthening of collaboration among the UNITAR and the DSG offices.
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Following that meeting, the Executive Director met with the CEO of Anheuser-Busch InBev, Mr. Carlos Brito to discuss the ongoing collaboration between UNITAR and AbInBev and the partnership renewal agreement for the “Road Safety Project”. Both UNITAR and AbinBev agreed on further developing and strengthening the Management Practices for Safer Roads toolkit and potentially develop partnerships with other private sector corporations. Following the bilateral meeting, UNITAR and AbInBev hosted the event “Management Practices for Safer Roads” by also showcasing the toolkit with modules on Global Road Safety, Management Methodology and Multistakeholder approach. The Shared Goal is by 2020 to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents.
Later that week, on Friday 12, Mr. Nikhil Seth and H.E. Mr. Marco Suazo met with ASG Mr. Fabrizio Hochschild, Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination and Special Adviser on the Preparations for the Commemoration of the United Nations’ 75th Anniversary. During the meeting, Mr. Hochschild shared the plans to inspire forward-looking discussions in all sectors of the world on directing emerging risks and opportunities. Mr. Hochshild also explained how these plans of dialogue would strengthen collective action to build the program of the 75th United Nations Session titled “future we want, the UN we need”.
Mr. Hochschild outlined the plans to leverage the forces of the whole United Nations system, its networks of partners and the productive use of multimedia instruments, aiming to incite discussions in classrooms, boardrooms, community halls, and parliaments. He emphasized how this could be possible through working closely with the Member States and a range of partners.
During the meeting, the Executive Director of UNITAR informed about the planning of lecture series for 2020, along with the potential participation of high-level keynote speakers (such as the Secretary-General) to highlight the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. UNITAR NYO will reach out to the office of the Special Adviser on the Preparations for the Commemoration of the United Nations’ 75th Anniversary to continue conversations with to enhance collaborations and to support this project.
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On the same day in the afternoon, UNITAR hosted the event, “Localizing the 2030 Agenda: Implementation of the SDGs at Subnational and Local Level”. The workshop brought together the expertise of UNITAR’s International Training Centers for Authorities and Leaders (CIFALs). The CIFAL Global Network comprises 18 training centers affiliated to UNITAR, each specialized in providing innovative training throughout the world, and serving as a hub for the exchange of knowledge amongst government officials, academic institutions, the private sector, and civil society. The workshop consisted of a moderated panel discussion with experts, government officials, and private sector leaders and practitioners, who presented various perspectives on the actions local governments can take to advance the SDGs. Special emphasis was placed on SDGs 4, 8, 10, 13, 16, and 17.
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On the morning of Tuesday, 16th July, the Executive Director Mr. Nikhil Seth met with the Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov. Mr. Seth expressed his appreciation for the collaboration among the two offices, especially the events that took place with the Counter-Terrorism office support. Mr. Seth proposed to broader the tool for satellite interpretation as a tool for border management and security. Mr. Voronkov invited UNITAR to showcase the app for this satellite tool that can be used by the Member States in June 2020, during the dedicated week for counter-terrorism.