UNITAR is pleased to announce the launch of the new partnership with the Geneva Macro Labs, a Geneva-based Think and Do Tank with the goal to shape international collaboration, build capacity and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals

21 March 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - Building on the successful experience of the pilot training held for North and Central Asian countries in January 2021, UNITAR, ESCAP, UNDP, and UNDESA have teamed up - in collaboration with the country-led platform Asia-Pacific SDG Finance Facility (APFIN) - to create a knowledge sharing and learning space for Asia-Pacific countries to share experiences related to strengthening INFFs and to learn about possible approaches and steps for choosing the right approach to align budgets with the SDGs. 

15 March 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - On March 15, 2021, UNITAR and UN Statistics Division conducted a side event – “Adjusting statistical activities with StaTact to monitor the SDGs for a COVID-19 recovery and acceleration of the 2030 Agenda” – as part of the UNECE Regional Forum 2021. Attended by over 50 participants, the side event consisted of three segments – first, an introduction of the platform and its principles: second, a demonstration of StaTact, and third, sharing of a practical country experience where StaTact has been utilised.

1 - 4 March 2021, New York, USA (Virtual) - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office, in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, successfully implemented its four-day seminar series entitled “Gender Equality in the International Rights Framework: Building Back Better” from 1-4 March 2021. Over 150 participants joined the session virtually from all over the world during the duration of the series. This series was developed to coincide with the beginning of Women’s History Month and discussed various concerns related to gender equality. This series was supported with funding allocated from the Swedish International Development Agency’s (SIDA) contribution to the UNITAR Strategic Framework Fund, under the programme "Leveling The Playing Field", which focuses on the development of the skills and knowledge of Least Developing Countries.

The year-long global fight to contain and eliminate the threat of SARS-CoV-2 overshadowed international efforts to achieve the SDGs of Agenda2030. The world needs the brightest minds to step into leadership roles at the forefront of the transformational change required to realize the ambitious goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

UNITAR seeks to fulfill its mandate of delivering innovative learning solutions to individuals, organizations and institutions in order to enhance global decision-making and support country-level action for shaping a better future, as well as its objective to reach the furthest first through the creation of a scholarship fund. This scholarship fund will be created from the revenue from the fundraising lecture series.

23 February 2021, New York, USA and Guatemala City, Guatemala – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research New York Office (UNITAR NYO) hosted a course on the work of the ECOSOC, entitled “UNITAR Orientation Course of the ECOSOC for Guatemala Delegates” on 23 February 2021. As with the previous course held in January, this training took place in an online format, attracting over 20 delegates that participated from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Mission of Guatemala in New York. The UNITAR New York office delivered a three-session online training to diplomats mostly working within the human rights, multilateral policy, international policy and cooperation fields, under the auspices of the Sweden programme entitled “Leveling the Playing Field”.

Together with ADN Group, UNITAR is organizing the second edition of World Negotiation Day on 9 March 2021. The event will bring together some of the world’s top negotiators from the public and private sectors – ambassadors, leaders, and executives – who have shaped some of the pivotal events of 2020.

11-14 January 2021, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – A group of 97 senior officials and ambassadors from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change engaged in a four-day UNITAR High-Level e-Workshop to improve their skills and knowledge in environmental diplomacy, in the lead-up to this year’s Conference of Parties (COP26). The activity was made possible with the financial support of SIDA, Sweden’s government agency for development cooperation.

12 February 2021, New York, USA (Virtual) - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office, along with the Columbia Law School, hosted the “Antiracism in Peace-Building and Conflict Resolution” workshop on Friday, 12 February 2021. The workshop was the first session of the Spring 2021 Columbia Law School training series. Over 140 participants joined the session virtually from different parts of the world and was supported with funding allocated from the Swedish International Development Agency’s (SIDA) contribution to the UNITAR Strategic Framework Fund, under the programme ‘Leveling the Playing Field’ which focuses on the development of skills and knowledge of Least Developing Countries.