13 December 2018, Geneva, Switzerland – As part of their journey around the world to promote the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Mr. Juan Pablo Caroli and Mr. Nicolas Caroli visited Geneva, Switzerland and the United Nations European Headquarters. During their visit, the Caroli brothers toured UNITAR and the Palais des Nations, meeting with UN officials, including Ms. Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the UN Information Service in Geneva, to spread the word about their unique project.

19-21 November 2018, Brussels, Belgium – UNITAR hosted the Annual Meeting of its Network of Affiliated International Training Centres for Authorities and Leaders (CIFAL) in Brussels and in Antwerp, Belgium. The Directors of 15 CIFAL Centres gathered for three days to review its performance in 2018, discuss opportunities for collaboration, exchange knowledge and expertise, and to develop the training calendar for 2019.

17 December, Geneva, Switzerland – A landmark report providing the first detailed account of the devastating damage to the World Heritage Property of the Ancient City of Aleppo in the wake of years of armed conflict has been published by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and UNESCO.

The two-day workshop, which was part of the Executive Diploma in Diplomatic Practice, was an opportunity for government officials, diplomats and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen their knowledge and understanding of public speaking and presentation skills.

In partnership with the Permanent Mission of Colombia and the participation of former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate H.E. Mr. Juan Manuel Santos, the Permanent Mission of Norway, and the European Union, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) hosted a screening of the documentary "A Call for Peace".

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in New York and the New York based music education company Time Ranger Inc. co-hosted a one-day seminar on Music Education and Sustainable Development on Friday, 30 November 2018 in the United Nations Headquarters.

As part of the MGIMO-UNITAR Joint Master Programme in Humanitarian Cooperation and External Relations of Regions, UNITAR’s Division for Multilateral Diplomacy implemented a 4-day master module on Negotiation Skills & Techniques for Bilateral and Multilateral Relations and Public Speaking.

Everything I learnt in the module helped me to understand the European system and what was needed for a partnership and cooperation to exist between Europe and Africa.

If diplomats are equipped with the tools of mediation, they will be able to engage more effectively in this global environment and all the challenges that it brings.

As part of the cooperation agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), an annual Regional Capacity Development Programme was implemented. The general theme of the Programme was “Regional Integration Organisations as a Factor of the Modern Politics: opportunities and risks for CIS and other countries”. This annual capacity development activity was jointly organized by the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-University) and UNITAR.