21 – 24 January 2020, Abuja, Nigeria - In the bid to strengthen the capacities of key stakeholders in Nigeria, particularly government officials and relevant organizations, on how to deliver their mandate effectively and make more positive developmental impact, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) with the support of the Norwegian Government through Embassy of Norway organized a 4-day Collaborative Leadership Training cum-Seminar recently in Abuja.

24 January 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Center for Global Surgery (CGS), McGill University Health Care (MUHC), signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU was signed within the context of the activities of the Global Surgery Platform at UNITAR, which was recently presented at a special event during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

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.

22 January 2019, Davos, Switzerland -During the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting held in Davos, Switzerland from the 21st to the 24th of January 2020, The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) hosted a Roundtable Breakfast Meeting titled “Building Successful Partnerships in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. This by-invitation-only event brought together a group of 25 business and government leaders to participate in an open discussion on building successful multi-stakeholder partnerships to attain the SDGs, and to learn about concrete partnerships examples.

20 January 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is pleased to announce the official launch of the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF) at the upcoming World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2020 in Davos, Switzerland. The launch will take place at a special lunch-event, hosted by Brand South Africa on Wednesday, 22 January 2020 at the Brand SA Pavilion.

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.

The UNITAR Operational Satellite Training Programme (UNOSAT) contributes to human security, peace and socio-economic development by providing integrated satellite-based solutions for governments as well as relief and development organizations within and outside the UN system.

The National Adaptation Plans (NAP), coordinated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), aim to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, by building adaptive capacity and resilience. It further facilitates the integration of climate change adaptation, in a coherent manner, into relevant new and existing policies, programmes and activities.

“We are vulnerable to tropical cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, drought and flash floods and it’s an all year cycle,” said Lu’isa Uai Taunga, a citizen of the Kingdom of Tonga, who participated in the UNITAR Disaster Risk Reduction Training which concluded in November 2017.

Further to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in September 2015, two rounds of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) of its implementation have taken place at the global level in July 2016 and July 2017 in the context of the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development.