"Peace depends on us... One of the most effective ways to demonstrate our impact is to invest in prevention. We spend far more time and resources managing and responding to crises than on preventing them. Our approach needs to be rebalanced.”

8-14 September 2021, New York, USA - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office concluded a private Security Council training program for Ghana’s delegation. Ghana is one of the newly elected five countries to serve as non-permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council for the 2022-2023 term. The training, which lasted for five days and attended by approximately 75 participants, provided participants with knowledge, information, and recommendations on the Security Council. It also included topics such as the formal and informal Council meetings, practices and outcomes, case studies, working methods, what makes a successful term on the Council, among other vital topics.

With the hackathon, Enas became more inspired to continue promoting healthier lifestyles and cities’ renaturalization with her students. She has replicated some of the methodologies from the hackathon in her classes.

8 September, New York USA, virtual seminar – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Office in New York successfully launched the Joint Swiss-UNITAR Briefing on United Nations Budgetary Matters training series on Tuesday, 7th September 2021. The four-half day virtual training programme, co-organized with the Permanent Mission of Switzerland, caters to the needs of the incoming delegates of the United Nations General Assembly’s Fifth Committee. The first two sessions have directly benefited more than 100 delegates each session from numerous Member States.

September 2021 - The world is still in shock about how the military disengagement of the West and the implosion of the Afghan government led to the Taliban victory, taking full control over almost the entire territory of Afghanistan within days. Many civilian endeavours of international assistance operating under a military umbrella ceased their operations.

On 19 August 2021, Geneva, Switzerland (Virtual) – UNITAR’s Division for Peace is excited to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region of Africa Regional Training Facility (ICGLR-RTF) with the goal of contributing to international, regional, and local efforts aimed at preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the Great Lakes Region. UNITAR and the ICGLR-RTF have a strong working relationship, and the signing of this MoU represents the formalisation of the partnership and a recommitment towards comprehensive joint programming.

UNITAR and Al Sharq Forum sign a Memorandum of Understanding to promote peacebuilding, conflict transformation, human rights promotion and gender equality in the Middle East and North Africa region and globally.

28 June 2021, Geneva, Switzerland/ Bogotá, Colombia: On 30 June 2021, 16.00-18.00 CEST, The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) brings together a unique virtual panel of artists, peacebuilding and human rights practitioners from Colombia and the Latin American continent to discuss the power of storytelling and art as tools for reconciliation. Featuring among others 1992 Nobel Peace Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum and the musicians Juanes and Marta Gómez, the panel members will share their diverse experiences in using different forms of artistic expression and storytelling to support communities in moving from mistrust and violence to a culture of dialogue and peace.

9 June 2021, New York, USA - Following the Report of the Secretary-General (E/2021/49), the United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) Headquarters and the New York office started preparations for delivering the report to the United Nations Member States, and consultations in order to produce the legislative response from the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations Member States.

31 May 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - The Clean Energy Challenge is a multi-stakeholder effort to address collectively energy challenges and help deliver a high-energy, low-carbon future for displaced populations by 2030. Led by UNHCR and UNITAR as the Global Platform for Action (GPA) Secretariat, it aligns the humanitarian community with Climate Action and the UN’s efforts in Greening the Blue. More than 250 personnel have joined the challenge from various organizations including private companies, international/national NGOs, research institute, UN agencies, donor/philanthropic organizations, etc.