31 October 2022, Cape Town, South Africa – In the framework of the 7th Regional Conference for Africa under the theme Connecting Africa through Smart, Safe and Resilient Roads: Stimulating Growth and Trade on the Continent, UNITAR and CIFAL Durban in collaboration with the South African Roads Federation (SARF), the International Road Federation (IRF), the World Road Association (PIARC), offered a training session on innovative practices to optimize road networks, and a training workshop on the Management Practices for Safer Roads Toolkit, gathering more than 500 delegates from 33 countries, including provincial and local government officials, experts from road agencies, and road authorities and decision makers. The activities provided useful tools and learnings to regional challenges of road safety and brought ideas for improving road networks in Africa.

28 October 2022, Johannesburg, South Africa – Screening and Brief Interventions (SBI) for hazardous and harmful drinking are considered as a preventative approach which measures an individual’s drinking pattern during outpatient or wellness visits and provides interventions to those at risk of harmful use of alcohol. In addition, web-based information, self-testing and self-help guidance, using simple advice and education materials are some of the channels of information that can be further utilized to advance this objective.

27 October, Geneva, Switzerland - UNITAR, the Institute for Industrial Policy Studies (IPS), and the Taylor Institute at Franklin University Switzerland (FUS), collaborate on National Competitiveness Report and Nations Brand Value Ranking Report. The results of the Reports were released on October 27, 2022, in a public conference by IPS and FUS, and co-hosted by UNITAR.

26 October 2022, Geneva, Switzerland - UNITAR, Franklin University Switzerland, and Industrial Policy Studies (IPS) Switzerland sign Memorandum of Understanding to establish the first SDG Management School in Geneva.

The first years of life of infants are crucial for their development. Exclusive breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and it is particularly important due to its role in lowering morbidity and mortality, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, respiratory infections, and certain noncommunicable diseases, amongst other benefits. Studies also show that exclusive breastfeeding practices between 0-23 months can contribute to save 804,000 children every year and 20,000 annual deaths from breast cancer.

21 October 2022, Geneva, Switzerland - UNITAR’s Division for People and Social Inclusion has partnered with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Total Energies Nigeria to create a recycling plant in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, empowering members of the Elelenwo community in the process.

14 October 2022, Geneva, Switzerland - 14 October 2022, Geneva, Switzerland - UNITAR scientist in cooperation with the WEEE Forum expect roughly 5.3 billion mobile / smartphones will drop out of use this year. Stacked flat atop one another at an average depth of 9 mm that many disused phones would rise roughly 50,000 km – 120 times higher than the International Space Station; one-eighth of the way to the moon. 

7 October 2022, Nairobi, Kenya - KCB Foundation and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) have partnered to promote the use of electric motorbikes by Boda Boda riders in Kenya. This is an effort towards accelerating the transition to a low-carbon resilient economy and enable the transition of 25% of the total loan portfolio to green investments by 2025, as part of the KCB Net Zero ambition.

As part of their well-established partnership, UNITAR) and Takeda, a global pharmaceutical leader and an active member of the United Nations Global Compact, are pleased to announce a new joint initiative focused on strengthening countries’ healthcare systems to meet patients’ needs for plasma and plasma-derived therapies.

27 September 2022, Plock, Poland – The International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders (CIFAL) in Plock hosted the “City Coders Hackathon Plock” on 25-26 September, bringing together 81 participants, mostly high schoolers and university students to develop an application that would respond to the needs of the city residents.