16 December 2024, New York, USA - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Michelle Gyles-McDonnough of Jamaica as the new Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). She will officially assume her duties on 1 February 2025, succeeding Nikhil Seth of India, to whom the Secretary-General expressed profound gratitude for his dedication and contributions to the United Nations.

Until 08 October 2024, Poland had received 981,335 refugees[1] from Ukraine fleeing the war in the country, most of whom are women and children (UNHCR, 2024a, 2024b). Efforts to assist refugees’ economic integration are underway, including job training and language classes, with support from international and local organizations (UNHCR, 2024b). As part of these efforts, the UNITAR Division for Prosperity, with financial support from the Government and the People of Japan, organized the programme “Emergency assistance for Ukrainian women refugees in Poland with digital 4IR training: Bolstering livelihoods” between October 2023 and March 2024. 
The programme targeted Ukrainian women refugees in Poland and aimed at enhancing their employability by providing them the opportunity to acquire new digital skills for the modern job market that either reinforced their previous professional experience to adapt to their new environment or opened ways for exploring new career paths. The programme intended to develop IT and entrepreneurial skills and mindsets to bolster participants’ livelihoods, with emphasis on refugees with more disadvantaged backgrounds. 
Five hundred women out of 1,000 applicants were selected to take part in the programme, seventy-five per cent of whom are between 30 and 46 years old. Participants have diverse professional backgrounds as illustrated in Figure 1. It is also worth noting that eighty per cent of them hold a high educational degree including a bachelor’s, master’s and even PhD. 
[1] The Ukrainian Embassies in Poland and Japan prefer to use the term “evacuees” instead of “refugees” in specific contexts.

During the 50th Financial Action Task Force of Latin America (GAFILAT) Working Groups and Plenary Meetings, UNITAR and UIAF presented the AML/CFT/CFP initiative to more than 100 delegates from 18 GAFILAT member states and observers. This innovative project holds the potential to serve as a model for other countries.

11 December 2024 – The 2024 Youth Ambassador Asia-Pacific Programme concluded on 30 November 2024 with participants showcasing their creative proposals for projects that address local issues and create global impact. Guided by UNITAR and partner ITS Education Asia, 26 young changemakers from Afghanistan, Hong Kong, India, Japan and the Philippines completed the 8-week training programme.

11 December 2024, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – On 7 December 2024, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) hosted a high-level side event to the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) , focusing on transformative agricultural partnerships and innovative financial solutions.

6 December 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – On 27 November 2024, the online phase of the UNITAR “Women’s Leadership in Tsunami-based Disaster Risk Reduction” training programme was brought to a successful close. Over three months, participants from the Pacific Islands and Asia learned about climate and disaster resilience, risks management and challenges in the Asian and Pacific regions. Around 130 participants joined the closing webinar of the online training phase.

5 December 2024, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) will hold a side event during UNCCD 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) Global Advocacy Dialogue Series: “Cultivating Prosperity: Agriculture Partnerships for Sustainable Development”, on 7 December 2024 (6-7:30 p.m.) in Riyadh. The high-stakes dialogue will bring together key stakeholders to chart the course for transformative agricultural partnerships and innovative financial solutions that will shape the future of sustainable farming.

29 November 2024 Geneva, Switzerland - On 13 November 2024, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the University of Wolverhampton signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through programmes, research and innovation centers. This partnership will foster innovative education models, cutting-edge research, and meaningful international cooperation to advance SDG progress across sectors.

28 November 2024, Geneva, Switzerland - Responsible AI governance is essential to maximize the benefits of digital technologies and leave no one behind – this was the message highlighted at the UNITAR AI Strategy Master Class “Leading the AI Revolution – Strategy, Innovation, and Global Impact”, held for diplomatic representatives in Geneva on 24-25 October 2024 at the Palais des Nations.

27 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Emmanuel Mutabazi is a Rwandan innovator who offers inclusive training programmes, especially for women and youth in communities that lack access to digital resources. A UNITAR digital skills training programme expanded his capacity to work towards his goal to make sure technology empowers everyone.