Partnerships for achieving the SDGs

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UNITAR'S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC

As the novel Coronavirus spreads globally, we would like to update you on what UNITAR is doing as a response to this unprecedented health crisis. We are committed to continuing to deliver our learning solutions as much as possible during this difficult time.

We are following recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO), the public authority of the host country (Switzerland) and the UN Headquarters, and have put in place measures to address the current situation and mitigate the potential spread of the virus.

All UNITAR personnel, except for critical staff, is working remotely until 14 April 2020 or until further notice. We are currently reviewing all of our project portfolio to adapt to the current situation and project partners will be contacted shortly. Our online courses are running on our learning platform as usual, and some of our face-to-face courses are being converted into an online format.

If you are planning to participate in a UNITAR upcoming course(s) and have questions, please address your questions to your event focal point on the event page, listed on the online catalogue.

While we are taking necessary measures to protect health and safety of employees, we will continue providing learning solutions to our beneficiaries as much as possible. We appreciate your support during this difficult and uncertain time.

Nikhil Seth

UNITAR Executive Director

ADVANCING THE SDGS THROUGH BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

UNITAR’s mission is focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to “transform our world.” In that regard, UNITAR’s Multilateral Diplomacy Programme Unit (MPDU) is proud to announce the launch of three new degrees. As a result, the MDPU launches the Master of Arts in Development Studies and Diplomacy and the Online Certificate in Development Studies and Diplomacy, in partnership with the University for Peace (UPEACE) and the Executive Diploma in Business Leadership and International Affairs, in partnership with the INCAE Business School.

SIDA AND STANFORD UNIVERSITY SUPPORT UNITAR PROGRAMME HARNESSING AI AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR WOMEN IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

With the world becoming more interconnected than ever, the SDGs can only be realized with strong global partnership and cooperation. UNITAR's Division for Prosperity launched on January 31, 2020 its 3-month women-focused programme harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and addressing gender issues through entrepreneurship.The programme offers an exceptional learning experience where 35 women entrepreneurs from Afghanistan and Iraq, along with international experts and local coaches are effectively engaged and challenged to learn, innovate, collaborate, and develop individual peer-reviewed business model that bridges new concepts and ideas to real-world applications and development challenges.

JOINING FORCES WITH DIFFERENT PARTNERS TO PROMOTE POLICY COHERENCE AND INTEGRATED APPROACHES

The rationale for this work is to enable governments to move away from a silo-based development to integrated planning with a system-based analysis guiding the process. The underlying methodology of the training evolves around the interconnected nature of the SDGs and makes use of the approaches developed by various partners such as UNDESA, ECLAC, ESCAP, UNDP or UNITAR. This unique collaboration has helped synergize efforts that each agency is making in the area of policy coherence and integrated policies for the SDGs, providing government officials with a consolidated training offer.

STRENGTHENING THE CRISIS RESPONSE CAPACITIES OF THE LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES: A TRAINING THAT TESTS AND EXPANDS ONE’S LIMITS

The League of Arab States (LAS) is one of the oldest regional alliances in the world and has its responsibility for safeguarding peace and security for its 22 member states. To effectively tackle and manage this multitude of crises, it is essential to enhance its institutional capacities in the fields of crisis management and response. Against this backdrop, in 2012, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Union initiated a joint project entitled “Strengthening the Crisis Response Capacities of the League of Arab States.” The core component of this project was to enhance and build up the operational capacities of LAS to effectively respond to the critical crises faced within the region.

BETTER DATA FOR SDGS: ENHANCING CAPACITIES OF UN MEMBER STATES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UN STATISTICS DIVISION AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

In a world where more data are generated in one year than over decades before, its value to informing important policies and decisions aimed at the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is ever more important. The surge in data presents both significant opportunities for generating much needed evidence, as well as new challenges as the spread of fake news increasingly threatens the very foundations of our societies. Against this backdrop, UNITAR’s Strategic Implementation of the 2030 Agenda Unit (SI Agenda 2030) has teamed up with UN Statistics Division (UNSD) to support monitoring and effective use of data to achieve global goals.

GHANA TRAINS OVER 600 PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND GREEN ECONOMY

Since the launch of Ghana’s National Climate Change and Green Economy Learning Strategy 2016, the country has taken important steps to integrate climate change into the general education system.With support by UN CC: Learn and the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), the Ghana Education Service (GES), together with the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation have integrated climate change into all subjects of the new primary school curricula, particularly Science, Our World Our People and Religious and Moral Education.

UNITAR AND AGFUND LAUNCH 8 TRAINING COURSES TO SUPPORT FINANCIAL INCLUSION IN AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

It is widely recognized that Financial Inclusion is positioned prominently as an enabler to achieve the developmental goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals by eliminating poverty, achieving gender equality, ending hunger, and promoting economic growth and jobs. Recognizing its transformative significance to attain many of the SDGs, UNITAR and AGFUND launch 8 training courses to support Financial Inclusion in Africa and the Middle East. The overall objective is to strengthen Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) to scale-up support to the financially excluded members of society and to offer them solutions to help and empower themselves to contribute positively in the financial systems.

UNITAR AND FAO JOINT TRAINING SEEKS TO ELIMINATE HUNGER, FOOD INSECURITY AND MALNUTRITION

Ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030 is a key objective in the Sustainable Development Goals – and trade is one of the means for achieving it. As patterns of consumption and production continue to evolve, global trade in agricultural products is expected to continue to increase over the coming decades. Trade will increasingly influence the extent and nature of food security across all regions of the globe. UNITAR's partnership with FAO aims to address this challenge on how to ensure that the expansion of agricultural trade works for, and not against, the elimination of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. The current partnership with FAO to deliver an online course on "Trade, Food Security and Nutrition" seeks to strengthen capacities of FAO member countries in Europe and Central Asia to develop and implement trade policies, taking into consideration their implications for food security and nutrition within the global governance context.

UNITAR ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES IN JAPAN

The UNITAR Association will collect small donations from the public and companies, and work to raise awareness and support UNITAR’s activities, as it works to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNITAR Association will organize activities with the local community under three pillars: “Sports and Peace”, “SDGs and Education”, and “Women’s Empowerment”.

MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPS TO REDUCE DEATHS AND INJURIES CAUSED BY ROAD TRAFFIC CRASHES

UNITAR’s Road Safety Global Training Initiative is aligned with the Global Plan of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, supports countries to achieve the Global Road Safety Performance Targets and aims to contribute to the advancement of SDG targets for Health and Well-Being, Sustainable Cities and Communities and Global Partnerships for Sustainable Development. We bring together the expertise, knowledge, tools and resources from governments, corporations, academia, media, and civil society to implement solutions at the country level and build purpose-driven partnerships to deliver road safety goals and targets at scale.

A PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE ROAD SAFETY FOR CHILDREN

At the Palais des Nations in Geneva, UNITAR, RACE and JOIE signed a three-year collaborative agreement that brings together the expertise and best practices from different partners to assist countries to advance SDG 3.6: “By 2020, reduce by half the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents” and advance Global Road Safety Performance Target 8: “By 2030, increase the proportion of motor vehicle occupants using safety belts or standard child restraint systems to close to 100%”.

PARTNERING FOR IMPACT

UNITAR is pleased to partner with the York University to establish the International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders (CIFAL) within the premises of the University in Toronto, Canada. As one of the 20 training centres for government authorities around the world established by UNITAR and its partners, “CIFAL York” will provide a range of learning opportunities and facilitate knowledge sharing between public servants and leaders of the Western Hemisphere to strengthening their capacities, improving the decision-making process and encouraging sustainable development.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND LEARNING SOLUTIONS

Classification and Labelling of chemicals according to the UN GHS

UNITAR is pleased to announce the launch of this online course: designed for professionals in the field of chemicals management, this online course will equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills in the classification and labelling of chemicals.

New web based activities

Our mission is to achieve a world in which individuals, institutions and organizations are equipped with the knowledge, skills and other capacities to overcome global challenges like the one we are currently facing. In this regard, we are pleased to inform you about our new web-based activities in order to cater your training needs during this time of uncertainty. Please see below for more information about our upcoming activities.

UNITAR launches a roster of trainers in peace and security

In February 2020, UNITAR Division for Peace launched a roster of trainers to consolidate the best expertise and knowledge available globally in the fields of peacekeeping, peacebuilding, crisis management, and conflict transformation. Applications are accepted through the online questionnaire, accessible through the links in the respective vacancy announcements. Vacancy announcements are grouped by thematic areas, with each group being published every two-three weeks.

New e-Course on Sustainable Consumption and Production in Africa

The course, which is available for free, addresses Sustainable Development Goal 12, “Ensuring Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns”, and 13, "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts". It covers a number of aspects and various thematic areas: from energy efficiency - to climate-smart agriculture, from SCP tools, policies and international agreements - to behavioural change of individuals. The course is self-paced and it is currently available in French and English.

Open webinar series: navigating the complex field of conflict, peace and security

Together with its academic partners, UNITAR runs a series of webinars dedicated to various issues pertaining to the modern peace and security landscape, with a specific focus on education and training needed by personnel and professionals operating in these highly complex environments. Each time, we invite a special guest from the international sector, field operations, academia or media to share their experience and expert knowledge with our audience.

New e-Course on Climate Change and Water Management in the Senegal River Basin

Aiming at promoting the dissemination of knowledge that is focused on regional issues, UN CC:Learn has recently affiliated a new e-learning course on climate change and its impacts on transboundary water management in the Senegal River basin. The new course is particularly targeted at policy-makers and decision-makers at the regional and national level in West Africa and is available in French, for free, on the UN CC:Learn e-learning platform.

New Course on Climate Change Enables You to be a Driver of Change!

After six successful years, UN CC:Learn has revamped its flagship Introductory e-course on Climate Change. Since its launch in 2014, more than 100,000 people have registered and over 15,000 certificates have been issued, making it the most successful course in the UN CC:Learn portfolio.

#TAKEASTEP towards gender equality

UNITAR launched a social media campaign #TakeAStep dedicated to the amplification of women's voices and their achievements, as well as sharing tools which women can use to empower themselves. We want to acknowledge those ordinary actions and small stepping stones that lead women to greatness – however they choose to define it. To help translate awareness into action, as a capacity-building arm of the United Nations, UNITAR will offer concrete tools which can help along the way in the journey towards achieving gender equality.

Palais des Nations 1211 Geneva CH