5 May 2025, New York, United States — The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office, in collaboration with the International Academy for Arts and Cultural Studies (IAA), convened the Global Industry Joint Development Forum on Tuesday, 22 April 2025, at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Under the theme “Global Industrial Collaboration and Innovation Amidst Change”, the Forum served as an important platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue, bringing together senior officials, leading scholars, and private sector representatives to advance discourse on sustainable industrial development, innovation, and international cooperation in a rapidly evolving global environment.

2 May, 2025, New York -- On May 1, 2025, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Office in New York organized a dedicated workshop for election officers, welcoming over 70 participants from Member States and UN departments. The session aimed to enhance participants’ understanding of the rules, procedures, and digital tools related to elections conducted within the UN system.

2 May 2025, New York, USA — The United Nations Institute for Training and Research Office in New York, in collaboration with Columbia Law School, successfully concluded the Spring 2025 Mediation Skills Training Series at United Nations Headquarters. Led by Professor Alexandra Carter, Director of Columbia Law School’s Mediation Clinic, alongside her students from the Clinic, the three-part series provided delegates with practical training in mediation and conflict resolution, tailored for multilateral diplomacy and international negotiation.

Carlos is a chemical monitoring officer in the Chemicals Monitoring Unit of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of El Salvador. His unit focuses on the performance of administrative functions required under the implementation of international conventions related to environmentally sound management of hazardous chemicals and waste, such as the Rotterdam, Basel and Stockholm conventions, to name a few. His unit started working with UNITAR chemicals and waste management programme for the first time in 2023 to implement a globally harmonized system of classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS) in the country. Today, El Salvador has a decree for the implementation of the GHS as a tool for establishing a common and coherent basis for the communication of chemical hazards.

2 May 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – The UNITAR Hiroshima Office invites motivated youth in Hiroshima and other places in Asia to apply for the “UNITAR SDGs and Digital Futures” programme, which will teach young changemakers about the digital mediums where they can create impactful narratives, using AI and other storytelling platforms. The programme will start on 7 June 2025 and run for approximately five months. The application deadline is 2 June 2025 (5 p.m. Japan Standard Time, UTC+9).

28 April 2025, Miami, USA – CIFAL Miami is pleased to announce the 2025 edition of the Disaster Preparedness Seminar. The event will take place on 22 and 23 May 2025 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

28 April 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) opened a call for applications for the “2025 UNITAR Hiroshima Youth Ambassador Programme – Leaders of a New Generation” programme. The programme is for students attending high schools in Hiroshima Prefecture. It aims to deepen their understanding of peacebuilding, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and seeks to cultivate young leaders who can convey messages of peace from Hiroshima to the world. The programme will run from 29 June to 24 August 2025. The application deadline is 30 May 2025, 6 p.m. Japan Standard Time (UTC+9).

25 April 2025, Geneva, Switzerland - A side event “New approaches to ensure needs based and sustainable statistical training” held before the opening of the 56th session of the UN Statistical Commission has been an opportunity to discuss the work of the Global Network of Institutions for Statistical Training (GIST) in supporting National Statistical Offices to adopt country-owned, innovative and sustainable approaches to capacity-building. Four countries have shared their experiences, including Kenya, Morocco, Seychelles that used the STAT tool developed by GIST in 2024, and Ghana that was among the first pilot countries of the STAT process together with Colombia in 2023. This exchange has demonstrated the usefulness of the methodology developed by GIST that empowers NSOs to adopt more strategic approaches to developing their capacities.

25 April 2025, Geneva, Switzerland - UNITAR and UNESCO, in collaboration with a group of universities, have launched a new initiative “Leaders in Higher Education Alliance and Programme – For Accelerating Sustainability Transformations” (LEAP-FAST) aimed at creating a movement of committed sustainability leaders in higher education to advance deep transformations and enable HEIs to fulfil their potential with regards to contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One of the key components of the initiative is the LEAP-FAST Certificate Programme, which officially launched on 23 March 2025 in academic partnership with Majmaah University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Rawad, a Senior Protection Assistant at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, completed UNITAR’s Executive Diploma in Diplomatic Practice in 2024. Since its inception in 1965, UNITAR’s Core Diplomatic Training has remained at the forefront of the institute, equipping current and aspiring diplomats with greater knowledge and skills on how to effectively and efficiently operate in any multilateral setting. Seeking to pursue a diplomatic career, Rawad enrolled on the eighth edition of the diploma.