2 November, Hiroshima, Japan – As the world prepares to mark World Tsunami Awareness Day on 5 November, over 1,100 young people aged 14 to 25 participated in a month of learning on disaster risk reduction, community resilience and youth leadership. The online course, Youth Leaders for World Tsunami Awareness Day 2026 Online Course, ran from 1 to 30 September 2026 and was organized by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and funded by the Government and People of Japan.

27 October 2026, Hiroshima, Japan – More than 1,000 professionals from all 11 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) participated in the first phase of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Green Economic Acceleration programme. Participants submitted more than 500 early-stage green-economy project proposals, and 200 were selected for the programme’s mentoring phase that began on 13 October 2026.

16 October 2026, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and University College Dublin (UCD) have taken an important step towards developing joint programs offering Certificates, Professional Diplomas and Master's degrees with various specializations in Sustainable Development, and in partnership with VET, Corporate and governmental agencies. This collaboration also provides the platform to launch the first pilot of the Capabilities 4 the Future (CAP4FUTURE) Hub in Ireland.

8 October, 2026 - Geneva, Switzerland. New joint degree programme combines UN expertise with AIT academic rigor to prepare working professionals for ESG leadership roles, with a ten-week webinar series launching ahead of the 2027 programme start.

07 October, Geneva, Switzerland - With support from Government and People of Japan, More than 500 Ukrainian women refugees and internally displaced women are beginning a new learning journey to strengthen their digital skills, employability and economic security.

26 August 2026, Geneva – More than 7,000 applications were received from young people and women across sub-Saharan Africa for a new United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) programme supported by the Government and People of Japan.

28 August 2026, Geneva – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is collaborating with HP Inc. to strengthen practical learning on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies for young professionals and women participating in a Japan-funded capacity development programme for sub-Saharan Africa.

25 August 2026, Hiroshima, Japan – On the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, 6 August 2026, the 2026 Hiroshima Youth Ambassadors engaged with experts to explore the concept of nuclear deterrence and actions towards the abolition of nuclear weapons at the public event “From Hiroshima’s Youth to the World: Nuclear Deterrence and Peace”. The event, organized by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in collaboration with Hiroshima Prefecture and Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace (HOPe), brought together the Youth Ambassadors and experts in disarmament, international affairs and peacebuilding. It was attended by more than 100 people and livestreamed for audiences beyond Hiroshima.

7 August 2026, Seoul, Korea – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) successfully concluded the youth study programme “Prosperity Unleashed: Skills for Tomorrow”, held at Seoul National University (SNU) from 3 to 6 August 2025. The initiative brought together 40 aspiring young leaders from China and the Republic of Korea, providing a collaborative platform to deepen their understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), explore evolving future labour markets, analyze the impact of frontier technologies across key industries, and formulate actionable solutions for inclusive global development.

30 July 2026, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) concluded its Summer Residential Programme for the aSSIST-SDG MS Dual Master's Degree in AI Engineering and Business Administration. Two cohorts of executives completed the 2026 programme, themed “Leading in the Age of Intelligent Systems: Driving Business, SDGs and Global Impact”, in Geneva, during 13–17 July and 20–24 July 2026, respectively.