2 July 2020, New York, United States – On 2 July 2020, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) office in New York, in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), hosted the third module of the ‘Realizing the Future we Want’, a training series in preparation for the General Assembly’s 2020 Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) of operational activities for development of the United Nations system. The focus of the third module was on funding UN operational activities for development and financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The module was held online, and attracted more than 150 participants from numerous Member States.

Launched on 20 May 2020, a new consortium project Crowd4SDG will aim to examine opportunities for leveraging citizen science for monitoring climate impacts and achieving climate resilience. It is Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Action supported by the European Commission's Science with and for Society (SwafS) programme. In addition to UNITAR, the consortium coordinated by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) includes a number of other leading European research centers and University: Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Polytechnic University of Milan (POLIMI), Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity of University of Paris (UPD) and CERN.

18 May 2020, New York, USA, Zoom Workshop - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), in collaboration with Emerging Ag, hosted a workshop entitled Defining Transformation: A Global Food System. This is the first event of six in the Food Systems Series leading up to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. This activity is 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. The course was attended by 115 participants from around the world that joined remotely through Zoom. The course is aligned and in preparation for the UN Secretary-General Food Systems Summit which will aim of maximizing the co-benefits of a food systems approach across the entire 2030 Agenda and meet the challenges of climate change. The Summit will seek to inspire global public mobilization and actionable commitments to invest in diverse ways to make food systems inclusive, climate adapted and resilient, and supportive of sustainable peace.

25 - 27 February, New York, USA - UNITAR coordinated the Core Diplomatic Training for the Bureau of the G77 Permanent Mission of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to the United Nations which began Tuesday 25 February 2020 and concluded Thursday 27 February. The Guyana mission is preparing for the upcoming chairmanship of the G77. To begin, the participants and facilitators were welcomed by Mr. Neil Pierre, Chief of the Strategic Engagement and Policy Integration Branch in the Financing for Sustainable Development Office. He then invited Ambassador Marco Suazo, head of the UNITAR New York office, to deliver remarks. Ambassador Suazo outlined the structure of the training and encouraged active participation and interaction among the participants. The participants then introduced themselves to their colleagues and upon conclusion, H.E. Dr. David O’Connor, Permanent Observer of IUCN to the United Nations began his briefing on the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.

14 February 2020, New York, USA – On Thursday night, 13 February, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office attended the reception co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of Canada in celebration of the completion of the Women in International Security and Cyberspace Fellowship training organized by UNITAR and sponsored by the Australian Government.

10 February 2020, New York, USA – This year, UNITAR Office in New York, the Permanent Mission of Switzerland, and the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNDESA) will present 5-module “Realizing the Future We Want – Training series in preparation for the General Assembly’s 2020 quadrennial comprehensive policy review (QCPR) of the operational activities for development of the United Nations system” from March to September 2020.

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.

UNITAR together with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and in collaboration with the custodian agencies as the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Women, the World Bank and the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre of the International Monetary Fund (IMF - PFTAC) conducted two regional workshops for 14 Asia – Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on Monitoring the Tier 1 and Tier 2 SDG indicators.

Achieving the SDGs requires national ownership. This workshop, which is undoubtedly the beginning of a training process for civil servants, will facilitate the implementation of the SDGs in Togo.

6 December 2019, New York, USA - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office hosted the Graduation Ceremony for the Fall 2019 Global Diplomacy Initiative (GDI) programme at the United Nations Headquarters. The UNITAR GDI programme provides an exceptional training experience to professionals and students in higher education while leveraging the connections and experience of UN delegates and academics