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As a curriculum or learning designer, few things are as heartbreaking as spending months crafting a course, only to witness low engagement, high dropout rates, and lacklustre response from your target learners. Unfortunately, disengagement is a widespread issue.Consider these statistics:Around 90% of online learners disengage with MOOCs (Reich, J., & Ruipérez-Valiente, J. A., 2019; Moore, R. L., & Blackmon, S. J., 2022). Approximately 20-30% of learners drop out of face-to-face courses (Rothkrantz, L., 2017).At least 39% of US university students...
Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Executive Director, UNITAROn 16 December 2024, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Michelle Gyles-McDonnough of Jamaica as the new Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). With more than 30 years’ experience in sustainable development, policy advocacy, international trade and international relations, and change management in complex bureaucracies, Ms. Gyles-McDonnough has held multiple leadership roles withi...
Resolution adopted by the Economic and Social Council on 19 June 2023
Resolution adopted by the Economic and Social Council on 9 June 2021
Resolution adopted by the Economic and Social Council on 7 June 2019
Resolution adopted by the Economic and Social Council on April 21 2017
Resolution adopted by the Economic and Social Council on July 26 2013
Resolution 2011/11 of 22 August 2011
Resolution 2009/27 of 30 July 2009
Resolution 2008/35 of 25 July 2008
, Report of the Secretary-General 2025 E/2025/50Report of the Secretary-General 2023 E/2023/70Report to the EC...
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...
16 December 2024, New York, USA - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Michelle Gyles-McDonnough of Jamaica as the new Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). She will officially assume her duties on 22 February 2025, succeeding Nikhil Seth of India, to whom the Secretary-General expressed profound gratitude for his dedication and contributions to the United Nations.With over 30 years of experience in sustainable development, policy advocacy, international trade, international rel...
The extensive experience of the former Executive Directors and their in-depth knowledge of the challenges facing the newly independent countries played a key role in the successful work of the Institute. In addition to their experience in the diplomatic service and their political activism – in particular, a forceful anticolonial stance – they had all distinguished themselves through their theoretical contributions, academic research and teaching. Their achievements also included contributions to literature or journalism....
When Dr. Amina, a public health professional in Brazil, heard about the WHO Academy’s new learning platform, she was eager to explore its offerings. Like many of her colleagues, she had struggled with fragmented online learning resources, outdated training materials, and the challenge of accessing high-quality courses relevant to her work. But in December 2024, that changed.Thanks to a successul collaboration between UNITAR’s Division on NCD, Digital Health, and Capacity Building, The Defeat-NCD Partnership, and WHO, 140 essential health training courses were successfully m...
“Empowering healthcare professionals with evidence-based learning”, NCD are the leading cause of global mortality, accounting for 74% of all deaths annually, with the majority occurring in low- and middle-income countries. These chronic illnesses—such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, respiratory conditions, and cancers—pose a significant challenge to sustainable development.While genetic, physiological, and environmental factors contribute to NCD, lifestyle choices like unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and the use of tobacco and ...
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.Gender equality is fundamental to ending violence, ensuring safe and peaceful societies, building strong economies, and achieving sustainable development. A world...