23 January 2020, New York, U.S.A – The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office kicked of its year of trainings for 2020 organizing jointly with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) a one-day orientation course for the members of the Council. This activity is supported with funding allocated from the Swedish International Development Agency’s (SIDA) contribution to the UNITAR Strategic Framework Fund and hosted in the United Nations Headquarters in Conference Room 8.

22 January 2019, Davos, Switzerland -During the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting held in Davos, Switzerland from the 21st to the 24th of January 2020, The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) hosted a Roundtable Breakfast Meeting titled “Building Successful Partnerships in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. This by-invitation-only event brought together a group of 25 business and government leaders to participate in an open discussion on building successful multi-stakeholder partnerships to attain the SDGs, and to learn about concrete partnerships examples.

20 January 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is pleased to announce the official launch of the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF) at the upcoming World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2020 in Davos, Switzerland. The launch will take place at a special lunch-event, hosted by Brand South Africa on Wednesday, 22 January 2020 at the Brand SA Pavilion.

We saw a need for a change of attitude so we began to identify local opportunities to strengthen social cohesion and to build capacity in our own communities.

9 – 11 December 2019, Kigali, Rwanda – UNITAR collaborated with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Centre (ROLACC) to host a Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop on Anticorruption and Sustainable Development in Kigali, Rwanda from 9-11 December 2019. In the framework of this event, UNITAR also signed a partnership agreement with the State of Qatar and the Government of Rwanda, aimed at future joint anti-corruption training activities.

29 November 2019, Geneva, Switzerland - The Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) concluded its Sixtieth Session, which convened from 28 to 29 November 2019. Key decisions of the session include adoption of the $88 million programme budget for 2020-2021 and the integration into UNITAR of The Defeat-NCD Partnership with a biennial budget of $31 million.

14 November 2019, Geneva, Switzerland – A delegation of Algeria’s Business Leaders Forum (FCE) visited the headquarter of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in Geneva to discuss the organizations’ partnership and identify concrete activities in the near future. The FCE delegation consisted of Mr. Mohamed Sami Agli, President, and Mr. Mehdi Bendimerad, Vice-President. UNITAR was represented by Mr. Nikhil Seth, Executive Director, Mr. Alex Mejia, Division Director, and Mr. Mohand Cherifi, Senior Adviser.

11-13 November 2019, Madrid & Malaga, Spain – UNITAR convened the sixteenth annual steering committee meeting of its global network of affiliated training centres to review past performance and achievements, as well as to discuss work plans for the following year, explore synergies amongst CIFAL centres and other units of UNITAR. The meeting was inaugurated by Mr. Nikhil Seth, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR, who highlighted the importance of working with local authorities globally to resonate and act upon the mandate of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its SDGs.

5 November 2019, New York, USA - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office held a afternoon follow-up training session, as an extension of the October training course titled, “Training for New Delegates of the Permanent Mission of Sudan to the United Nations” at the Permanent Mission of Sudan to the United Nations.

4 - 5 November 2019, Lima, Peru - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office participated in the “X Virtual Educa Multilateral Forum” within the framework of the XXI Virtual Educa Peru meeting, represented by UNITAR Head of New York Office, Mr. Marco A. Suazo, who serves as president of the Advisory Council of Virtual Educa.