22 March 2022, Hiroshima, Japan – UNITAR Division for Prosperity is hosting an online conference "Empower the Youth: Fostering Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Iraq" in partnership with The Station and KAPITA. The 2-hour session will cover entrepreneurship trends through technology and innovation to promote and support an inclusive entrepreneurship especially for migrants, women, and the youth, regardless of one’s social and economic background.

18 March 2022, Hiroshima, Japan – UNITAR Division for Prosperity held a two-day workshop in Baghdad, Iraq, last week, as part of its COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme: Mobilising Resilient Entrepreneurs to address food insecurity, public health, and unemployment – for youth in Iraq. This is the first time UNITAR's Division for Prosperity held an in-person workshop since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and marks the start of a new “hybrid” training model. Nineteen entrepreneurs attended the Baghdad workshop from various regions of Iraq. They were the top performers selected from among 181 learners who have developed their business ideas since the beginning of the programme in August 2021. The 19 entrepreneurs joined a hackathon, and pitched their ideas to their mentors and peers. The participants are further shaping their innovative projects up to the end of March 2022.

“The knowledge I received during the seminar is very helpful here. It helps me to analyze policies and strategies correctly, define and set the goals of the strategic directions correctly, and use this experience in developing action plans and project ideas”.

The course arrived at an opportune moment for Tetiana as besides providing better comprehension of food reserves in her region and establishing what more can be done to improve the system and share experiences with partners, it also expanded her knowledge in analyzing food security issues.

Hosna is a 19-year-old Afghan alumna of UNITAR’s 2021 digital upskilling programme, and she is distressed about the gender gap in Afghanistan. Hosna was attending university in Kabul when the Afghan regime changed overnight, in August 2021. Fearing for her safety, she fled to Iraq, where she now continues her undergraduate studies. Hosna worries about her sister and friends back home.

Maureen Nduta was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. Having lived in the city all her life, she wanted a fresh experience and moved to Mombasa in the coastal region. Her plans were all set: first get a small restaurant running, then start a small farm to supply produce for the restaurant, and later on enrol for a business degree. Everything seemed to be going to plan. Then COVID-19 happened.

March 2022 – Raghad Hav started with a small idea and brought it to life with the help of the 2019 UNITAR training programme Empowering Social Entrepreneurs and Youth Leaders. Raghad founded She Codes Too, where she teaches Iraqi women to code.

9 March 2022, Hiroshima, Japan – UNITAR is hosting an online conference “Closing the Digital Divide: Strengthening Digital Literacy and Infrastructure in the Sahel Region, Iraq and Afghanistan”. The conference will explore trends in digital transformation and the digital divide and how we can foster a sustainable digital transformation for all.

3 March 2022, Hiroshima, Japan - UNITAR Division for Prosperity is launching a two-week course on Introduction to Digital Health and Digital Entrepreneurship in Sahel Region. The online training will be delivered in French from 14 March to 25 March 2022. Women, youth entrepreneurs and medical practitioners are invited to learn skills, gain knowledge, and develop attitudes to help them adapt to and participate in the digitizing world and excel in digital health and entrepreneurship.

21 February 2022, Hiroshima, Japan – UNITAR Division for Prosperity will introduce 360-degree virtual tours to this year’s training programme on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, to be held from 25 February to 18 March 2022. UNITAR also plans to make some of the tours publicly available from the UNITAR website.