4 June 2024, Geneva- In celebration of World Food Safety Day 2024, let's shine a spotlight on the incredible benefits of breastfeeding for both babies and mothers. Breastfeeding is a natural and safe way to provide essential nutrients to infants, promoting their healthy growth and development. As the infant grows, the mother's breast milk will change to meet the infant's nutritional needs. Additionally, breast milk contains antibodies that help protect newborns from common childhood illnesses and infections, thereby ensuring a healthier start in life. For mothers, the benefits are also far-reaching as breastfeeding can reduce the mother's risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. All with the bonus benefit of bonding. Breastfeeding fosters a unique bond between mother and child, offering emotional comfort and security.

Amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, professionals like Serhii are expanding their skill set to adapt to new challenges. Serhii, a dedicated architect and a member of the UNESCO country team in Ukraine, shared his insights into his evolving role and the impact of recent training programmes on his work.

31 May 2024, Geneva, Switzerland – UNITAR’s Global Water Academy (UGWA) proudly hosted the side event entitled, ‘Blueprints for Prosperity: Building Resilience for SIDS Through the Blue Economy’ at the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) in collaboration with York University as UGWA Academic leads, and UGWA partners IRC Wash.

31 May 2024, Geneva, Switzerland – UNITAR, Africa CDC, and Empower School of Health hosted a side event at The World Health Assembly. The event, held at UNITAR Headquarters, featured a panel discussion on the challenges faced by Africa in workforce development for health products manufacturing, and the importance of addressing these issues while proposing solutions.

30 May 2024, Geneva, Switzerland - At the very core of the Agenda 2030 lies the ambition to eradicate poverty across the globe, with special attention to be drawn to the most vulnerable groups and communities.  Indeed, it is no accident that “No Poverty” has been listed first among the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals.

28 May 2024, Geneva, Switzerland - In the vast expanse of the Pacific, where the azure waters meet lush islands, the threat of climate change is not distant, but a reality deeply anchored in the present. Rising sea levels, frequent flooding, and coastal erosion pose relentless threats to their rich ecosystems and communities. Despite contributing minimally to global carbon emissions, these island nations face staggering costs to bolster their infrastructure against climate-induced hazards. Estimates suggest that Pacific island countries need to invest between 6% and 9% of their annual GDP—which is approximately $1 billion annually for the region—to fortify their defences against climate change. In response to these urgent needs, UNOSAT has stepped up, leveraging its technological prowess and capacity-building initiatives to enhance resilience and safeguard livelihoods. 

May 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Agnes Chiu, a high school student in Hong Kong, leads a global youth initiative called “Design Your Life at 25” to help teenagers envision their life and career paths and make informed decisions to reach their dreams. In immersive three-hour workshops, Agnes and her team guide teenagers through self-discovery journeys to envision their lives at age 25. To date, the initiative has already trained 300 young people from 14 countries. Inspired by the UNITAR Asia Pacific Ambassador Programme, Agnes and her team are now developing an app driven by artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance engagement and accessibility for her workshops.

28 May 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – On 25 April 2024, UNITAR signed a memorandum of understanding with the City University of Seattle (CityU) to develop joint degree or certificate programmes and share educational resources such as online learning materials and platforms. The two institutions also hope to exchange faculty members, researchers and students and jointly organize workshops, seminars and conferences in areas of common interest.

28 May 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – UNITAR calls for applications for its “Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Promoting Food Security and Economic Development in Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon” training programme for young entrepreneurs from ages 18-45 in Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon. Participants will learn entrepreneurship fundamentals and knowledge and develop advanced skills for achieving economic development and fighting food insecurity. The programme is scheduled to run from June 2024 to March 2025 and the application deadline is 30 June 2024 (11:59 PM JST).

27 May 2024, Lisbon, Portugal - The Atlantic Centre and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research's (UNITAR) Division for Peace today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on training and capacity development initiatives focused on maritime security and port governance.