UNITAR Executive Director Michelle Gyles-McDonnough Visits Japan 

From 3 to 8 August 2025, Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, UN Assistant Secretary-General and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Executive Director, visited Japan for the first time since taking office in February. She spoke in UN Pavilion events at Expo 2025 Osaka, attended the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony and moderated a youth dialogue with local partners, and paid a courtesy visit to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

AI and Digital Storytelling Programme Launched for Youth from Hiroshima and Asian Countries 

On 7 June 2025, the 5-month hybrid training programme “UNITAR SDGs and Digital Futures: Changemaking Through AI/Digital Storytelling” was launched. Motivated young people, aged 16 to 28, from Hiroshima Prefecture and Asian countries explored the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and storytelling to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As part of the training, 13 participants joined a Hiroshima study tour from 25 to 28 August and presented their storytelling projects on the final day. The programme is funded by Hiroshima Prefectural Government and the City of Hiroshima and run in cooperation with the UNITAR Association.

UNITAR Hiroshima Youth Ambassador Programme 2025 Concludes with Vision for Peace 

On 24 August 2025, 25 Hiroshima high school students completed the 2025 UNITAR Hiroshima Youth Ambassador Programme. This training programme, supported by the Hiroshima Prefectural Government and Soroptimist International Hiroshima Chuo, aimed to strengthen youth leadership in promoting a peaceful world. From June 2025, over a two-month period, the participants deepened their understanding of three pillars: 1) peace education, 2) conveying messages of hibakusha and civic engagement, and 3) human rights and international law.

Fifth Cycle of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Programme for the MENA Region Launched 

On 30 June 2025, UNITAR launched the fifth cycle of its gender equality and women’s empowerment online training programme, “Gender Empowerment Now!”, for the Middle East and North Africa region. The programme aims to foster a new generation of gender-responsive leaders who can transform institutions and policy landscapes in the region. Funded by the Government of Cyprus, this fifth cycle brings together approximately 40 young leaders and changemakers from NGOs from Egypt, Sudan, Syria and Tunisia, offering an expanded learning experience on gender equality through online modules, interactive webinars and online peer-to-peer engagement. 

Her Highness Princess Abeer Al Saud Visits UNITAR to Advance Shared Priorities for Sustainable Development 

UNITAR had the honour of welcoming Her Highness Princess Abeer S. bin Farhan Al Saud to its headquarters in Geneva on 18 June 2025. Visiting in her capacity as an academic, multilateral adviser, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Her Highness engaged with UNITAR leadership in an exchange of ideas focused on innovation, inclusive development and regional collaboration. 

Over 500 Youth Welcomed from Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon to the 2025 Entrepreneurship and Agribusiness Training Programme 

On 12 July 2025, UNITAR welcomed 524 young participants from Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon to the Japan-funded “RISE LAB: Igniting Youth Potential through Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Economic Resilience” training programme. This multiphase programme aims to empower motivated entrepreneurs and leaders from the three countries, both men and women, who are eager to create and implement innovative local solutions to enhance food security and improve the broader private sector. 

UNITAR Conducts Hiroshima Study Tour with the Shanghai International Culture Exchange Center 

From 14 to 17 July, UNITAR, with the Shanghai International Culture Exchange Center, hosted approximately 70 students from across China for a study tour in Hiroshima. The students learned about sustainability, the SDGs, leadership, and how to drive change in their local communities. They also engaged in exchange sessions with university students in Hiroshima Prefecture.

Youth Leadership for SDGs Workshop Held in Tokyo 

The “Prosperity Unleashed: Empowering Young Innovators – Youth Leadership for SDGs Workshop” was held in Tokyo from 9 to 11 July 2025. This youth development programme featured a three-day workshop for 88 aspiring young leaders from universities across China, where they deepened their understanding of the SDGs, strengthened their leadership capacities, and explored how young people can track progress against the SDGs, identify challenges, and propose meaningful actions to achieve the SDGs. 

UNITAR and Hiroshima Prefecture Host Youth Dialogue for a Peaceful and Nuclear-Weapon-Free World 

On the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, 6 August 2025, UNITAR held a youth dialogue for international peace, “80 Years After the Hiroshima A-bomb: Youth Messages from Hiroshima to the World – Roadmaps Towards a World Without Nuclear Weapons and Sustainable Peace” with the Hiroshima Prefectural Government and the Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace (HOPe). Young people from Hiroshima presented a road map towards a “peaceful world without nuclear weapons by 2050” and discussed it with prominent experts and practitioners. It allowed the young participants, primarily high school students from Hiroshima Prefecture, to deepen their proposals and translate them into action.

“Green Livelihoods for Women and Youth in Africa”: Programme Impact 

Women entrepreneurs Eorn Rudo Makandwa (Zimbabwe), Amina Yusuf Kashoro (Tanzania) and Theresia Stephen (Tanzania) are developing their businesses with what they learned in the “Green Livelihoods for Women and Youth in Africa” programme (2023- 2024). Funded by the Government and People of Japan, the programme trained 150 women and youth from Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe to build their entrepreneurial and digital knowledge and skills, so they may can develop sustainable and climate-resilient businesses and livelihood opportunities. 

“Developing Essential Digital Skills for Women and Youth in Africa”: Programme Impact 

Funded by the Government and People of Japan, the UNITAR “Developing Essential Digital Skills for Women and Youth in Africa” programme taught professionals like Abdulganiyy Oyeyemi (Nigeria), Stephen Ilia Paul (Kenya), Israel Enah Otei (Nigeria) and Betty Mwende (Kenya) essential digital skills to boost their employability and competitiveness in the global workforce. The programme ran from November 2023 to March 2024 and reached over 7,000 women and youth across 24 African countries. 

Lessons in Peacebuilding and Development from Japan to Leadership: Jacques Dembele 

Jacques Dembele is a monitoring and evaluation officer at United Nations Development Programme Guinea-Bissau, where he works to promote democracy, health, economic development and climate change. He joined the Primary Course of the Programme for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development held from January to February 2025, to further his skills for a career in international organizations. The programme is implemented by Hiroshima University in collaboration with UNITAR and commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. 

Creating Sustainable Solutions Through Conflict Deconstruction: Mariya Asagi 

For seven years, Mariya Asagi from Japan worked in educational and humanitarian NGOs in Afghanistan, Lao PDR 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, held online and in Hiroshima and Tokyo, Japan, in January and February 2025. Commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Hiroshima University implements this programme in collaboration with UNITAR. 

UNITAR Alumni Drive Inclusive Early Warning System in the Solomon Islands 

Rachel Nunn, Branson Pitakia, and Alex Rilifia contributed to developing an inclusive early warning system (EWS) in the Solomon Islands. The system delivers instant alerts to all mobile users without the need for internet or phone numbers. The three are alumni of the UNITAR “Leave No One Behind: Rapid Response to Climate Crises through Early Warning Systems” programme (2024–2025), which was funded by the Government and People of Japan. 

From Business Operations to Adaptive Leadership: Akiko Hasegawa from Japan 

Akiko Hasegawa joined the 2024 Mid-Career Course of the Programme for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development, hoping to grow into a leadership role. The course was held in Hiroshima, Japan, in January 2025. Hiroshima University is commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan to implement the Programme, in collaboration with UNITAR. 

From Waste to Wealth: Ahmed Hassanein Transforms Egyptian Agriculture 

Ahmed Hassanein founded a startup to transform agricultural waste into valuable carbon products in Egypt. His startup helps farmers cut costs, increase yields and reduce water use. He joined the 2024 UNITAR “Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Promoting Food Security and Economic Development in Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon” training programme, which enhanced his business skills and built his global connections. Ahmed aims to expand his startup worldwide and drive sustainable innovation in agritech.