15 August 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – Growing up in Asyut, Egypt, Ahmed Hassanein was no stranger to the struggles of smallholder farmers. He witnessed firsthand how low productivity and financial instability pushed many farmers to abandon their land in search of alternative livelihoods. This reality planted the seed of a lifelong mission for Ahmed: to bridge the gap between traditional farming practices and modern sustainable agriculture.

August 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – “The one-week course [of the Program for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development] was intense yet engaging, providing an opportunity to reflect on my career journey thus far…This experience, along with connecting with global cohorts, will undoubtedly be an asset in my long-term career,” says Akiko Hasegawa, Finance Officer in the Budget, Performance Review, and Strategic Planning (BPS) Vice Presidency at the World Bank. She joined the Bank in early 2025 in pursuit of her goal to strengthen results on the ground by enhancing the efficiency of the financial and operations management, which she believes will ultimately contribute to a better world.

1 July 2025, Hiroshima, Japan — A group of passionate alumni from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Early Warning System (EWS) training programme is turning learning into action in the Solomon Islands.

1 July 2025, Hiroshima, Japan - For seven years, Mariya Asagi from Japan worked in educational and humanitarian NGOs in Afghanistan, Laos, and Myanmar. Motivated by her goal of joining the United Nations, she participated in the Primary Course of The Programme for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development in early 2025, sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and held online and in Hiroshima and Tokyo, Japan, in January and February 2025.

19 June 2025, Hiroshima, Japan – Jacques Dembele is a Monitoring and Evaluation officer at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Guinea-Bissau, where he works to promote democracy, health, economic development and climate change. He joined the Primary Course of the Program for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development to further his skills for a career in international organizations.

10 April 2025, Hiroshima, Japan - University lecturer Loretta Dilu joined the 2024 UNITAR Leaders for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Sea and Human Security training programme with little prior knowledge of sea and human security. However, through her perseverance, she distinguished herself and was selected to advance to the final phase of the programme.

26 March 2024 Hiroshima, Japan – Indonesia is renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty, but it is also highly disaster-prone and faces environmental challenges. Determined to make a meaningful change, young environmentalist Bryan Sinatra joined the UNITAR Leaders for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Sea and Human Security training programme.

26 March 2025 Hiroshima, Japan - Tonga’s rugged landscapes and deep blue Pacific waters have long been both a source of pride for the people of Tonga and a constant reminder of nature’s unpredictable power. For Savelinga Fatafehi ‘O Lapaha Fa’oliu, an assistant geologist at Tonga Geological Services, every day is a commitment to safeguarding her community against the island nation’s natural hazards.

26 March 2025 Hiroshima, Japan – Manchulika Wongchai, Third Secretary of the Peace, Security and Disarmament Division of the Department of International Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, was one of the 15 participants of the UNITAR Hiroshima Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Training Programme held in February 2025.

24 March 2025 Hiroshima, Japan – Nathalie Fakher Eddine is a Lebanese entrepreneur with a background in public health, humanitarian relief and disaster management operations. She co-founded a social dining platform that connects home cooks with locals and tourists, allowing visitors to experience authentic Lebanese cuisine through home-cooked meals. Through the platform, she aims to improve the lives of women and families with low incomes while preserving Lebanon’s rich culinary heritage.