24 September 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - On 24 September 2020, 50 participants took part in a four-hour webinar on the topic “Sustainable Development Goals in the Private Sector”, organized and implemented by UNITAR and the Global Institute of Excellence in Hong Kong.  In a short introduction, UNITAR’s executive director Nikil Seth explained how the Sustainable Development Goals and the private sector are ultimately connected and how the business sector has an immense influence on the impact of climate change and the ecological footprint. Especially now, in the midst of a global pandemic, Mr. Seth highlighted the urgent need to take action against the climate crisis and focus on water and energy efficiency, the protection of biodiversity, gender equality, sustainable infrastructures and much more.

23 September 2020, Geneva, Switzerland – UNITAR’s Division for People hosted the 4th session of the “Webinar Series Management Practices for Safer Roads” to kick-off Brazil’s National Road Safety Week and to raise awareness about practical interventions and best practices that contribute to improve road safety.

21 September 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - The UN CC:Learn Knowledge Sharing Platform has been completely revamped. The newly launched website broadens its focus to reach a large and varied audience interested in climate change learning, cementing UN CC:Learn commitment to creating the best user experience for all.

18 September 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - On 21 September 2020, the University Global Coalition, in partnership with the United Nations, through UNITAR’s support and guidance, will host its first virtual gathering, after its successful launch in 2019. In light of the challenges brought by the recent crisis to implement and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this year’s gathering will focus on the following topic: The Role of Universities in Achieving the SDGs in the New Context: Building Back; Building Bridges.

September 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - 'Climate education is crucial for raising the ambition we need to address the existential threat of climate change', said the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in celebration of the issuance of 100,000 certificates of course completion on UN CC:e-Learn platform. Check out the full letter sent by Mr. António Guterres to the UN CC:Learn Partnership and its community.

17 September 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - The COVID-19 outbreak that began in late 2019 evolved rapidly and globally. The pandemic, and subsequent policy and security measures taken in response, impacted the administration of justice in every legal system around the globe. One of the greatest impacts is that lockdown measures and social distancing have rendered in-person hearings challenging or impossible. The disruption to conducting hearings and other judicial proceedings has the potential to significantly undermine access to justice, due process, and civil and human rights.

September 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - Last August, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) signed a partnership agreement with the Division for Peace of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to review and enhance the curriculum WPDI uses to train their Youth Peacemakers to become leaders and trainers. Building on the wide expertise and experience of UNITAR in providing innovative learning solutions to individuals, organizations, and institutions to support global and local action for lasting peace and sustainable development, this collaboration will increase the capacity of WPDI Peacemakers to disseminate knowledge and skills in vulnerable and conflict-affected communities, notably in South Sudan, South Africa, and Uganda.

On Friday 18th September 2020, UN:CC Learn will celebrate the issuance of its 100,000th certificate of course completion–a remarkable milestone in its mission to improve climate literacy around the world.

31 August 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - Over the summer, UNOSAT introduced an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based method in its operational emergency mapping service. By reducing the process to a fraction of the time normally needed. ”This fully automated processing method is a game changer for humanitarian rapid mapping operations and a great tool for national disaster management authorities”, Einar Bjørgo, Director, UNOSAT.

In an interview, Mr. Li Yong, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), discusses how targeted green industrial policies and investments in green industries can lead to the structural changes necessary to recover from COVID-19.