Displaying 21 - 30 of 196
The National Adaptation Plans (NAP), coordinated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), aim to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, by building adaptive capacity and resilience. It further facilitates the integration of climate change adaptation, in a coherent manner, into relevant new and existing policies, programmes and activities (1). UNITAR is involved in several of the programmes of the NAP process such as the Integrating Agriculture in NAPs (NAP-Ag) and it is a partner in the NAP Global Support Programme (NA...
Credit: The Innovation Society, May 2016
Governance of nanomaterials: Scientific insights as a basis for regulation
UNITAR’s senior expert, Georg Karlaganis, attended the 10th International Nano-Authorities Dialogue, presenting on UNITAR’s activities, the work on nanotechnologies and manufactured nanomaterials as a SAICM emerging policy issue, and the SAICM governance process up to 2020 and beyond.
Georg’s presentation (in German)
The dialogue took place on 18 and 19 May 2016, at the invitation of the Federal Office for the Environment of Switzerland. More than 5...
According to the UNFCCC Secretariat, ‘offsetting is a climate action that enables individuals and organizations to compensate for the emissions they cannot avoid, by supporting worthy projects that reduce emissions somewhere else’. To limit its environmental impact UNITAR, which hosts the Secretariat of UN CC:Learn, has offset its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the year 2017 through the United Nations Carbon Offset Platform.
This platform showcases a range of initiatives that reduce, avoid or remove GHG emissions from the atmosphere. Currently 16 projects in Lati...
4 April 2019, Geneva, Switzerland - UN CC:Learn global members and key partners met in Bern, Switzerland for the 9th UN CC:Learn Steering Group Meeting. Representatives from FAO, IMO, UNDP, UNECA, UN Climate Change, UNITAR, UNSSC, WFP, the World Bank, WMO, as well as MIET-Africa, the NDC Partnership and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) participated in the event.
The day started with welcoming remarks from Ms. Tatjana von Steiger Weber, Deputy Assistant Director General at SDC and Mr. Angus Mackay, Head, UN CC:Learn Secretariat.
The meeting then focu...
Mercury is a silvery-white metal that is liquid at room temperature and evaporates easily into the air. Many Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Miners (ASGM) around the world use mercury to extract the gold from the earth using its low heating point to evaporate from the gold compile.
Mercury exposure causes severe negative effects to both human health and the environment. ASGM continues to be a major issue of concern globally due to the activities and disposal of products that are contaminated with mercury.
While the world will never be entirely “mercury free” simply because it ...
17-21june 2019, Bonn, Germany - For the first time since the launch of the Climate Classrooms, UN CC:Learn brought its flagship ‘espresso shot’ of knowledge series to participants of the Bonn Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany (SB 50). The conference is one of the most important climate change events of the year, crucial for unlocking the negotiations in advance of the UN Climate Change Conference in Santiago, Chile, in December 2019 (COP 25). Over 6,000 decision-makers, government officials, practitioners, academics, and students from around the world att...
The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) is a joint mechanism between five UN agencies, of which the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is one. Hosted and led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), PAGE aims to help Member States embark on a greener and more inclusive growth trajectory by putting sustainability at the heart of economic policies and practices to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this regard, PAGE seeks to support countries and regions foster sustainable economic growth, create income and j...
26 June 2018, Paris, France/Geneva, Switzerland - For the first time, UNITAR partners with a private company to build a core set of knowledge that will help promote conservation, restoration and safeguarding of our planet, while encouraging Danone employees to take concrete action. Through UN CC:Learn, UNITAR and Danone will develop a learning program on climate change for Danone employees. This core set will be integrated into a larger internal learning platform with extensive resources related to Danone’s vision and goals. Overall, this partnership nourishes the glob...
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. Ms. Gyles-McDonnough brings over 30 years of experience in sustainable development, policy advocacy, international trade, and organizational change management. She has held key leadership roles within the United Nations, most recently serving as Director of the Sustainable Dev...
UN Research and Training Institutes Mark UN Day with Renewed Call for Accelerated Action on the SDGs
24 October 2024 - Recognizing the importance of learning and knowledge as key foundations for development, this year six United Nations research and training entities mark UN Day with a renewed call for accelerated action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The entities comprise the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO), the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the United Nations Research Institute for Social Develo...