11 March 2025, Geneva - UNITAR, Chengdu United Prosperity Technology Co., Ltd., and the Chengdu Cultural Industry Chamber of Commerce signed a Letter of Agreement on 7 March 2025 to launch the Prosperity Alliance Chengdu. The new Chengdu centre joins other UNITAR Prosperity Alliance centres that aim to drive sustainable economic development through strategic partnerships, capacity-building programmes and innovative solutions.

8 March 2025, Geneva, Switzerland - On this International Women’s Day, I am pleased to announce that I joined the International Gender Champions. Today, we must all answer the call to action to achieve a future where the rights, equality, and empowerment of all women and girls are fully realized. The theme, For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment., serves as a powerful reminder that gender equality is not just a goal—it is a necessity.

7 March Nadi, Fiji – On 7 March 2025, the UNITAR “Women’s Leadership in Tsunami-based Disaster Risk Reduction Training Programme 2024” concluded with the end of a five-day intensive workshop in Fiji. The workshop brought together 17 professionals from 11 Pacific Island and Asian countries, committed to advancing women’s leadership in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and strengthening disaster resilience in their communities. They were selected from over 130 participants who completed the first phase of the programme.

25 February 2025, Geneva - Destina Mensah wants to bring good nutrition to more people while preserving Ghana’s rich culinary heritage. Inspired by Tom Brown, a traditional breakfast meal cherished in Ghana, Destina launched a business that provides healthy food options and bridges the gap between modern living and cultural identity. A 2023 UNITAR digital skills and entrepreneurship programme helped her define her vision and bring her idea to life.

22 February 2025, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is pleased to announce that Michelle Gyles-McDonnough has officially assumed office as its new Executive Director. She succeeds Nikhil Seth of India, whose mandate concluded on 31 January 2025.

21 February 2025, Tokyo, Japan – Fifty agents of change from 18 Asia-Pacific countries graduated from the UNITAR “Leaders for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Sea and Human Security” training programme on 21 February 2025.

20 February 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – John Ladu Simon Jacob is on a mission to transform agriculture in South Sudan. As a managing director of an agricultural enterprise, John is tackling one of his country’s greatest challenges: food insecurity. His vision is to reduce South Sudan’s reliance on food imports and build a self-sufficient agricultural system. The UNITAR Great Ideas Space for South Sudan 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training for Food Security programme helped John gain more skills and confidence to turn his vision into action.

20 February 2025, Hiroshima, Japan - Seungjae Lee is a South Korean student at an international school in Hong Kong. He is passionate about social issues and active in leadership positions and service activities. One year ago, he started a project to help refugees in Hong Kong who face language barriers.

20 February 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – John Isidore Laure, a youth advocate from Cotabato City, Philippines, currently serves as a monitoring, evaluation and learning officer at a local non-governmental organization (NGO), where he works with local youth councils (Sangguniang Kabataan) to promote good governance and community development. As a teenager, he co-established an organization to prevent violent extremism and misinformation in his community. This experience shaped his commitment to empowering young people and addressing pressing social issues.

20 February 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – In Kenya, where access to basic technology remains a luxury for many, Betty Mwende advocates for digital literacy and inclusivity. Learning through a UNITAR programme and applying what she learned have helped Betty – a student of applied computer technology and communication coordinator for a non-profit to foster collaboration in the tech industry – develop her project management and digital skills while championing digital literacy for marginalized youth.