The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution (resolution A/80/L.112 (adopted 3 Sept 2026)), approving the merger of the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) into the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the establishment of the United Nations Institute for Capability and Learning Innovation (UNICLI).

Geneva/Turin, 3 September 2026 — The United Nations General Assembly today adopted a resolution (resolution A/80/L.112 (adopted 3 Sept 2026)) endorsing the merger of the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) into the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and establishing the new United Nations Institute for Capability and Learning Innovation (UNICLI), targeted for 1 January 2027. The decision forms part of the broader UN80 Initiative, which seeks to strengthen coherence, effectiveness, and performance of the United Nations system.

27 August 2026, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), through the CIFAL Global Network, participated in the 2026 Worldwide Educators Conference (WWEC), held from 20 to 22 August at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai, China. CIFAL Shanghai served as one of the key organizers of the 12th edition of the conference.

The conference brought together scholars, industry leaders, business leaders, academicians and scientific researchers to exchange perspectives on the future of education, sustainable development and cross-sector collaboration. Against this backdrop, UNITAR and representatives from CIFAL Centres contributed to international dialogue on the role of education in advancing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The conference was framed around the broader objective of implementing a talent strategy, accelerating efforts towards becoming a powerful educational nation, and aligning educational development with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also provided a platform for policy dialogue, industry exchange and education-industry-academia cooperation, bringing together stakeholders from across sectors towards the goal of becoming a powerful educational nation by 2035.

9 August 2026, Geneva, Switzerland – The International Community gathers to observe the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Spanning over 90 countries and representing more than 476 million individuals, Indigenous communities embody rich cultural heritage, ancestral languages, and profound ecological wisdom. Yet, despite representing invaluable stewardship over the majority of the world’s remaining biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples continue to face marginalization, land rights infringements, and disproportionate climate vulnerabilities.
As the United Nations reiterates its commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, localising international frameworks into transformative action remains paramount. At the forefront of this effort is the CIFAL Global Network, specifically CIFAL Victoria, which serves as a benchmark for integrating Indigenous knowledge and UNDRIP into sustainable development agendas.

10 August 2026, Geneva, Switzerland - The climate crisis is no longer a future warning; it is unfolding before our eyes.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported that the June 2026 heatwave shattered temperature records across Europe, while devastating wildfires in Spain, France, Greece, and beyond underscored the accelerating impacts of climate change.

22 July 2026, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), through the CIFAL Global Network (CGN), convened a high-level side event during the 2026 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York City on 16 July 2026 entitled "Scaling SDG Impact Through Networks: The CIFAL Model for Localized Capacity and System-Wide Delivery". Bringing together participants both in person and online, the meeting provided a platform for CIFAL centres to exchange experiences and discuss about how localized capacity development, institutional strengthening and multi-stakeholder partnerships are accelerating implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda

27 July 2026, Cairo, Egypt – UNITAR in close collaboration with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and with the support of the FIA Foundation, formally launched the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional edition of the Safe Mobility for All and for Life (SM4A4L) initiative.

13 July 2026, New York City, United States of America – Universities, UN entities, Member States and youth networks have committed to a shared vision for higher education's role in advancing sustainable development, with the formal launch of the GHES Consensus Statement at UN Headquarters in New York. The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) participated as a collaborating partner in the second Global Higher Education Symposium (GHES II), convened on the margins of the 2026 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

22 July 2026, Geneva, Switzerland - Dengue is spreading faster than most health systems can respond. On World Dengue Day 2026, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) joined global health leaders, policymakers, researchers and civil society representatives at the high-level event One World Against Dengue, convened at the Asia Dengue Summit in Singapore, to address that gap.

20 July 2026, Geneva, Switzerland - Held at the United Nations Office at Geneva on 13–14 July 2026, the Fellowship Programme and Graduation of the Safe Mobility 4 All & 4 Life (SM4A4L) Initiative for Asia-Pacific marked the culmination of months of learning, mentoring and cross-sector collaboration amongst road safety practitioners, government officials and international experts from the region.