8 May 2026, Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) issued the 2025 Results Report. The report highlights the progress, partnerships and impact achieved throughout the year. Amid rising expectations for a more agile and impactful United Nations, UNITAR continued to strengthen capacities across Member States and among diverse stakeholders worldwide while advancing important institutional milestones, including the adoption of UNITAR’s new four-year Strategic Framework.

For more than 10 years, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Satellite Centre (UN Satellite
Centre) have worked together on satellite-based monitoring of cultural and natural heritage affected by armed conflict and disasters resulting from natural or
human-made hazards. This partnership was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2015 and subsequently strengthened through a series of joint agreements, funded by UN Member States, to monitor and safeguard cultural and natural heritage around the world. What began as ad-hoc assessments for Iraq and Syria has evolved into systematic, joint operations with rapid, global response capabilities.

April 2026 - Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as Saint Lucia face a persistent challenge: producing timely, accurate, and granular data to inform decision-making. Rapidly changing informal settlements, combined with limited statistical resources, make it difficult to maintain up-to-date population estimates and vulnerability assessments.
For Saint Lucia’s Central Statistics Office (CSO), the challenge became particularly visible when the 2022 population and household census was estimated to have a 23.3 per cent undercount rate. Based on listings and field experience, the CSO suspected that much of this undercount was concentrated in informal settlement areas, where housing patterns can change quickly between census cycles. These gaps are not only technical. They affect how services are planned, how risks are assessed, and how resources are allocated.

We are stuck in response mode. But what good is an ambulance without a hospital?
Climate shocks are intensifying. Conflict is at record levels. Economies are fragile. Humanitarian appeals grow larger each year, while donor countries prioritise domestic and security concerns. One emergency follows another. Recovery slips further out of reach.

10 March 2026, New York/Geneva – When crises hit, the first 48 hours can determine how quickly communities recover. Which areas get help first, which roads and hospitals reopen, and how services are restored all depend on accurate, early data. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Satellite Centre, hosted at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), deliver that critical information within just two days.

21 November 2025, Praia, Cabo Verde - UNOSAT’s satellite analysis played a crucial role after the August 2025 storms in Cabo Verde, providing the only comprehensive overview of floods, landslides, and infrastructure damage when ground access was limited. The data guided emergency response, supported operational decisions, and fed directly into the Government’s USD 42.6 million national recovery and resilience plan. This close collaboration with national authorities and UN partners demonstrated the cost-effectiveness and essential value of geospatial information across the entire disaster management cycle.

3 November 2025, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the CIFAL Global Network successfully concluded the Science, Technology, and Sustainable Development Training Programme for Senior Officials, co-developed by UNITAR and CIFAL Shanghai. The programme took place from 13 to 30 October 2025 at UNITAR Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

24 October 2024, Geneva, Switzerland - On United Nations Day, observed every year on 24 October, the research and training institutes of the United Nations reaffirm their essential role in building an integrated, effective, and future-ready UN system that delivers for people. This day marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945 — the founding moment of the Organization — and invites reflection on the UN’s enduring mission to promote peace, development, and human rights and how knowledge and learning support that mission.

24 July 2025, Paris, France - On 12 July 2025, the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) took part in the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. In collaboration with the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST), UNOSAT co-hosted a thematic session titled: Digital Technologies for Sustainable Development of World Heritage Sites. This collaboration was part of a broader effort to promote the use of digital tools and geospatial technologies in support of UNESCO’s mission to safeguard World Heritage.

The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), part of UNITAR, delivers satellite analysis, training, and capacity development to UN entities and Member States. We leverage geospatial technologies to support humanitarian response, sustainable development, and resilience building worldwide. Through satellite analysis and targeted training initiatives, UNOSAT empowers UN entities and Member States to leverage geospatial technologies for evidence-based decision making. The project “Strengthening Capacities in the Use of Geospatial Information for Improved Resilience in Asia-Pacific and Africa”, implemented between 2021-2024 with funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), supported eight countries across Asia-Pacific and Africa in strengthening their geospatial capabilities to address development challenges. The following case study from Bhutan demonstrates the transformative impact of this initiative.