2 June 2026, Bonn, Germany - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) has released the publication of two volumes stemming from the 2nd UNITAR International Research Conference (2UIRC).

30 June 2026, Hiroshima, Japan – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) invites young people from participating countries across the Asia-Pacific region to apply to the free Youth Leaders for World Tsunami Awareness Day 2026 Online Course (1–30 September 2026). Through the course, participants will develop a stronger understanding of disaster risk reduction, preparedness and resilience. The application deadline is 14 August 2026 (11:59 p.m. JST [UTC+9]).

23 June 2026, Quito, Ecuador - UNITAR highlighted the role of environmental education and youth leadership in advancing climate action through its Green Helmets Programme at the 2026 Sustainability Summit held in Ecuador.

May 2026, Geneva, Switzerland — When Tan Yu Xian first joined Cohort 1 of the Pathway to Prosperity Programme, he found himself in a room of working professionals: engineers, managers and specialists, some with twenty or thirty years of industry experience behind them. The programme has been designed for exactly this audience: early and mid-career professionals upskilling in AI and data centre infrastructure, two of the fastest-moving fields in the global economy.

May 2026, Geneva, Switzerland — When Danny McQueen joined Cohort 1 of the Pathway to Prosperity Programme, he was carrying twenty years of project management experience and a misconception most people share. "I always thought AI was actually ChatGPT. That's it. I thought you just ask questions and it answers back." Data centres, he assumed, were equally modest: "I thought it was just a small centre which keeps your data. I didn't know it was a huge kind of construction — with cooling systems and diverse equipment."

22 June 2026, Seoul, Republic of Korea - As artificial intelligence and frontier technologies continue to reshape education, work and global development, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and Seoul National University (SNU) have opened discussions on potential collaboration to strengthen future-oriented skills among students and young professionals.

22 June 2026, Geneva, Switzerland – UNITAR in collaboration with the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Economic Commission for Western Asia (UN ECWA) led the AI, BeSci and Digital Systems Expo in the framework of the 8th annual UN Behavioural Science (BeSci) Week from 1 June–5 June, 2026.

22 June 2026, Geneva, Switzerland - The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will be convened from 7 to 15 July 2026, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). UNITAR will convene leaders, policymakers, academia, UN partners, local authorities and practitioners to explore practical solutions for accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through a series of high-level events and strategic dialogues, UNITAR will showcase innovative approaches to capacity development, knowledge sharing and multi-stakeholder partnerships that support sustainable, inclusive and resilient development worldwide.

19 June 2026 , Kigali, Rwanda - UNITAR and the Rwanda Cooperation Initiative have renewed their cooperation agreement, reinforcing a partnership that has positioned Rwanda as one of the African continent's most dynamic platforms for capacity building, knowledge exchange, and the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals. The renewal consolidates and expands the centre's mandate at a moment when its profile within the CIFAL Global Network continues to grow.

19 June 2026, Hiroshima, Japan – Masato Yakabe from Japan worked with a Japanese NGO supporting communities in Gaza for four years. Masato joined the FY2025 Primary Course of the Program for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development, where he affirmed what it takes to be a good global citizen, gained practical skills for United Nations work, and clarified his career path in humanitarian affairs.