14 February 2025, Geneva – On 12 February 2025, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation in combating money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. This landmark agreement aims to bolster Nigeria’s anti-money-laundering, counter-terrorist financing, and counter-proliferation financing framework through strategic capacity-building initiatives, research collaborations and policy advisory support.

12 February 2025, Hyogo, Japan – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and Pasona Group Inc. have jointly implemented training sessions in Awaji Island (Awaji-shima), Hyogo, Japan, for 50 leaders from 18 Asia-Pacific countries. The training sessions, held from 10 to 12 February 2025, provided them with first-hand experiences and practical skills to effectively address sea and human security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. This collaboration marks a significant strengthening of the partnership between Pasona Group Inc. and UNITAR, which was formalized through a memorandum of understanding in 2023.

12 February 2025, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and Saudi Arabian technology company Quality Support Solutions (QSS) AI and Robotics have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics initiatives that support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) globally. The signing of the agreement, during the LEAP conference in Riyadh on 11 February 2025, marks the beginning of a strategic partnership aimed at leveraging cutting-edge technology to foster inclusive growth, capacity-building and digital transformation.

10 February 2025, Hyogo, Japan – Fifty leaders from 18 countries across Asia and the Pacific have gathered in Awaji Island, Japan, today to join a workshop on sea and human security, organized by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

11 February 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – Seventeen entrepreneurs and innovators from Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon showcased their business initiatives and models they refined through the Japan workshop of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) “Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Promoting Food Security and Economic Development in Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon” training programme. The in-person workshop, which ran from 4 to 11 February 2025, concluded with a Hackathon, where participants applied the lessons learnt through the entire programme to improve and pitch their final business initiatives.

9 February 2025, Tokyo, Japan – On 9 February 2025, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Hiroshima Office, in collaboration with the Japan NGO Network for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (JANA), hosted a public event in Tokyo as part of the two-day International Civil Society Forum to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (8-9 February 2025). This year marks 80 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the event brought together experts, activists and people from various sectors of society to reflect on today’s heightened risk of the use of nuclear weapons. The session underscored the urgency of passing on the lessons from Hiroshima and Nagasaki and continuing broad-based dialogue and multilateral diplomatic efforts to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

4 February 2025, Geneva, Switzerland – Over 250 Sudanese women and youth completed the first phase of the UNITAR “Rapid Assistance for Sudan: Promoting Socioeconomic Stability through Institutional Capacity and Livelihood Development” training programme on 21 December 2024. The programme launched in August 2024 with funding from the Government and People of Japan and seeks to foster entrepreneurship – particularly agribusiness – as well as digital literacy and climate resilience to address food insecurity and poverty in a country that continues to face escalating humanitarian crises almost two years after conflict erupted.

4 February 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) welcomed 17 professionals from Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon to Japan for an 8-day workshop as part of the training programme “Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Promoting Food Security and Economic Development in Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon“. Supported by the Government and People of Japan, the programme aims to empower participants with the skills and knowledge to develop businesses that contribute to sustainable and resilient food systems and economic development.

3 February 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) kicked off the 6-day Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation training programme in Hiroshima, with 15 diplomats from 14 Asia-Pacific countries, including countries affected by nuclear tests. The programme seeks to enhance the diplomats’ negotiation skills for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. It is conducted by UNITAR and the UNITAR Association, with financial support from the Hiroshima Prefectural Government and the City of Hiroshima.

29 January 2025, Hiroshima, Japan - On 21 February, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) will host an in-person and live-streaming event, ”Ways Forward for Ocean Action in the Indo-Pacific”, showcasing the programme’s outcomes and advancing dialogue on actionable solutions to sea and human security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. This event marks the culmination of the UNITAR workshop, taking place between 10 and 21 February 2025 in Japan, as part of the Japan-funded “Leaders for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Sea and Human Security” training programme, The event will be live-streamed on UNITAR Hiroshima’s YouTube channel.