24 August 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – On 24 August 2025, the completion ceremony for the 2025 UNITAR Hiroshima Youth Ambassador Programme was held in Hiroshima City. A total of 25 high school students from Hiroshima Prefecture presented what they learned about nuclear disarmament and peacebuilding. The programme was run by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) over two months, beginning in June, with the support of the Hiroshima Prefectural Government and Soroptimist International Hiroshima Chuo and in cooperation with the UNITAR Association.

21 August 2025, Hiroshima, Japan - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) concluded the Prosperity Unleashed: Empowering Young Innovators - Youth Leadership for SDGs Workshop in Tokyo on 9-11 July. This youth development programme features a three-day workshop, gathered 88 aspiring young leaders from universities across China, providing them with a platform to deepen their understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The individuals learned how to strengthen leadership capacities, explore how young people can contribute to tracking SDG progress, identify challenges, and propose meaningful actions to achieve the SDGs.

15 August 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – Growing up in Asyut, Egypt, Ahmed Hassanein was no stranger to the struggles of smallholder farmers. He witnessed firsthand how low productivity and financial instability pushed many farmers to abandon their land in search of alternative livelihoods. This reality planted the seed of a lifelong mission for Ahmed: to bridge the gap between traditional farming practices and modern sustainable agriculture.

August 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – “The one-week course [of the Program for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development] was intense yet engaging, providing an opportunity to reflect on my career journey thus far…This experience, along with connecting with global cohorts, will undoubtedly be an asset in my long-term career,” says Akiko Hasegawa, Finance Officer in the Budget, Performance Review, and Strategic Planning (BPS) Vice Presidency at the World Bank. She joined the Bank in early 2025 in pursuit of her goal to strengthen results on the ground by enhancing the efficiency of the financial and operations management, which she believes will ultimately contribute to a better world.

12 August 2025, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) launched Prosperity Alliance Frankfurt on 25 June 2025. As part of the launch, members of the Alliance went on a week-long environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and sustainable development study tour across Germany and Switzerland.

7 August 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – On 6 August 2025, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Japanese professional basketball team, Hiroshima Dragonflies Corporation (Hiroshima Dragonflies), signed a renewed memorandum of understanding to strengthen further collaboration in the implementation of projects and awareness activities for sustainable development and peace through sports activities.

6 August 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – On 6 August 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), with the Hiroshima Prefectural Government and the Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace (HOPe), held a youth dialogue for international peace, “80 Years After the Hiroshima A-bomb: Youth Messages from Hiroshima to the World – Roadmaps Towards a World Without Nuclear Weapons and Sustainable Peace.”

12 August 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – UNITAR invites 100 participants, aged 18 and above, living in or from Pacific Island countries and territories or the Asia-Pacific to apply for the Japan-funded “UNITAR Women’s Leadership in Disaster Risk Reduction Training Programme for World Tsunami Awareness Day 2025”. The programme will equip the participants with lifelong skills in disaster risk reduction and inclusive leadership. The deadline for applications is 3 September 2025 (11:59 p.m. JST [UTC+9]).

3 August 2025, Osaka, Japan - Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), visited the Expo 2025 Osaka and spoke at an event held at the United Nations (UN) pavilion. This marks her first visit to Japan since officially taking up the post at UNITAR in February this year. From 5 to 6 August, she is scheduled to visit Hiroshima, which will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing, and participate in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony.

3 August 2025, Osaka, Japan - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and Pasona Group Inc. signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 3 August at the UN Pavilion at EXPO 2025 Osaka, Japan, reaffirming both parties’ commitment to accelerating joint efforts toward sustainable growth and inclusive prosperity worldwide.