13 February 2020, New York, USA – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office welcomed the fourth class of its UNITAR Global Diplomacy Initiative (UGDI), a program dedicated to providing a unique, intimate training experience targeted at students in higher education who study politics, international relations, urban affairs, or related fields. This year’s participants come from diverse backgrounds and represent academia and professional fields. In the UGDI, they will learn from the connections and experience of UN delegates and academics alike.

11 February 2020, Curitiba, Brazil - Science and equal rights between men and women are crucial for the achievement of the sustainable development goals. Presently, less than 30% of researchers worldwide are women.

5-7 February 2020, New York, U.S.A – The United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office, organized Women in International Security and Cyberspace Fellowship sponsored by the Australian Government. This three day training was hosted in the United Nations Headquarters in Conference Room E.

30 – 31 January, New York, USA – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research’s (UNITAR) New York Office kicked off the last of a series of workshops with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Niger to the United Nations. Niger constitutes one of the newly elected members of the Security Council for the 2020-2021 period: Tunisia, Niger, Vietnam, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Estonia. This training was made possible through the support from the Swedish International Development Agency’s (Sida) towards the UNITAR Strategic Framework Fund (SFF) and was held from the 30th – 31st of January 2020 at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Niger to the United Nations

23 January 2020, New York, U.S.A – The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office kicked of its year of trainings for 2020 organizing jointly with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) a one-day orientation course for the members of the Council. This activity is supported with funding allocated from the Swedish International Development Agency’s (SIDA) contribution to the UNITAR Strategic Framework Fund and hosted in the United Nations Headquarters in Conference Room 8.

When Lu’isa Uai Taunga, an officer with the National Emergency Management Office in the Kingdom of Tonga, participated in the UNITAR Disaster Risk Reduction Training which wrapped up in November 2017, she left with renewed energy and ideas for new initiatives to prepare her community in the island group of Ha’apai in the event of a disaster.

I was a middle-class family child and during my upbringing, I saw many young people in my community whose parents struggled with paying their school fees, especially those for high education. I used to ask myself ‘what can I do to help people achieve their dreams?’

The UNITAR training took place just one week after his first session as a UN mandate holder — the youngest person ever appointed to a UN indigenous-specific mechanism and with the least amount of international experience. “There was no accommodation time, as the work of mandate holders is very responsible and challenging, and indigenous peoples around the world expect results and efficiency from experts.”

29 November 2019, Geneva, Switzerland - The Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) concluded its Sixtieth Session, which convened from 28 to 29 November 2019. Key decisions of the session include adoption of the $88 million programme budget for 2020-2021 and the integration into UNITAR of The Defeat-NCD Partnership with a biennial budget of $31 million.

23 October 2019, New York, USA – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research’s (UNITAR) New York Office kicked off the first of a series of workshops that will be held for the newly elected members of the Security Council for the 2020-20201 period: Tunisia, Niger, Vietnam, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Estonia.