Greetings! This quarter, UNITAR Division for Prosperity launched programmes under its key pillars in social innovation and entrepreneurship, leadership and inclusion, digital futures, and finance and trade.
We have attended exhibitions featuring our programmes and alumni testimonies in the Pacific and Hiroshima. Thank you to all our learners, partners, and supporters for your commitment towards achieving our goals and making an impact in your communities.
Major News
UNITAR
On 8 November 2023, UNITAR Hiroshima Office welcomed Ms. Chisa Mikami as the new head of the Office. Ms. Mikami brings extensive experience working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in developing countries. She will guide the Hiroshima Office’s global programmes while strengthening partnerships within Hiroshima and Japan and overseeing an expansion to emerging fields. The out-bound head of the Hiroshima Office, Ms. Mihoko Kumamoto, will remain the Director of the Division for Prosperity in Geneva.
UNITAR
Launch of Digital Upskilling for Ukrainian Women Programme in Warsaw
On 16 October, the UNITAR Division for Prosperity launched its new training programme “Bolstering livelihoods: Digital reskilling for Ukrainian women evacuees in Poland” in Warsaw. The programme, funded by the Government of Japan, will offer digital skills training to approximately 500 participants with the goal of improving their livelihood potential. It will run from October 2023 to March 2024. Guests of the launch event included the Ambassador of Japan to Poland Mr. Akio Miyajima, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland Mr. Vasyl Zvarich, and representatives from academic institutions, NGOs and programme partners and participants.
UNITAR
60th Anniversary Public Forum in Geneva
On 3 October 2023, UNITAR held its 60th-anniversary public forum, “Scaling Responsible Entrepreneurship and Solutions to Global Challenges” in Geneva. The forum featured Division for Prosperity Advisory Board members, sector leaders and youth innovators. The panellists offered insights on challenges, best practices, and ways to generate prosperity and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UNITAR
Division for Prosperity Advisory Board Meeting
The UNITAR Division for Prosperity Advisory Board held its sixth annual meeting on 4 October 2023 in Geneva. Advisory Board members discussed the Division’s challenges, achievements and opportunities, including strengthening the synergies between the Division and its board members and launching new community initiatives.
Photo by ORION_production, Envato Elements
Digital Upskilling Programme for Women and Youth in Africa Virtual Launch
In partnership with Microsoft, IBM, Pasona and the Government and People of Japan, UNITAR launched the “Developing Essential Digital Skills for Women and Youth in Africa: Enhancing Employment Opportunities and Livelihood Development in the Digital Economy” on 15 November 2023. The programme will run from November 2023 through February 2024. UNITAR and its partners welcomed 7,000 African women and youth participants who will advance their leadership and entrepreneurial skills while developing socially responsible digital start-ups in their communities.
ivanmorenosl, via Envato Elements
Green Livelihood Programme for Women and Youth in Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe Virtual Launch
On 9 November 2023, UNITAR launched the Japan-funded programme “Developing Green Livelihoods for Women and Youth in Africa: Strengthening Food Security, Supporting Climate-Resilient Economies”. This programme equips 150 women and youth learners from Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe with entrepreneurial and digital skills for developing scalable and sustainable climate-resilient businesses. This programme is also supported by Eukarya Inc. through its GIS expertise.
WMO
UNITAR and UNEP Innovation Workshop in the Netherlands
In partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization, UNITAR co-organized the Innovation Workshop in Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment on 27-29 September at the EU Science Hub in Petten, the Netherlands. During the hackathon-style workshop, 65 participants from around the world learned and applied innovation methodologies to build innovative solutions for water quality monitoring and assessment challenges.
UNITAR
Cook Islands Exhibit of UNITAR Disaster Risk Reduction and Women’s Leadership Programme
On 6-10 November, UNITAR Division for Prosperity participated in an exhibition at the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in the Cook Islands. The UNITAR booth featured our long-running Disaster Risk Reduction Programme, which engages women from small island developing states to help their communities and countries better prepare for disasters. UNITAR is grateful for our alumni who supported this exhibit and offered programme testimonials.
OUR IMPACT
Photo by Ladanifer via Envato Elements
Changing Gender Attitudes in Lebanon Through Schools
Karmen Chebib, a Ministry of Education official in Lebanon, is training teachers to counter gender stereotypes. Karmen completed the 2023 Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment programme, which taught her tools and methodologies to address gender issues and improve her leadership skills.
UNITAR
Susan Wanjiru is a Kenyan alum of UNITAR Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Training Programme for Women and Girls in the IGAD region. The training programme helped Susan become more financially disciplined and learn how to plan, manage and assess risk. Susan continues to expand her networks and empower fellow women.
UNITAR
Expert’s Perspective: Samoan Disaster Risk Reduction Experience
Molly Faamanatu Nielsen is a resource person for the UNITAR Disaster Risk Reduction and Women’s Leadership Training Programme. Molly believes that training is key to inclusive disaster risk reduction, where women play a critical role in preparedness, response and recovery.
UNITAR
Nurturing Entrepreneurial Mindsets
Since 2017, Clare Gately has been training and mentoring entrepreneurs through UNITAR’s social innovation and entrepreneurship programmes. She believes that the UNITAR training develops the learners’ mindsets and skills to drive innovation to make an impact within their communities and organizations.
Partnerships
UNITAR
UNITAR and Microsoft East Africa signed a memorandum of understanding to support the digital-technology upskilling and reskilling of 5,000 women and youth in sub-Saharan Africa to enhance their employability and livelihoods in the digital economy. The digital up/reskilling and green livelihood programme is funded by the Government and People of Japan and will run until March 2024.
YuriArcursPeopleimages, via Envato Elements
UNITAR and National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy Signs MoU on Digital Reskilling
In September 2023, UNITAR signed a memorandum of understanding with the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy in Ukraine to support Ukrainian women evacuees in Poland through a UNITAR digital reskilling training programme. Kyiv Mohyla Academy, whose faculty of computer sciences is well-known for its outstanding programmes in cybersecurity, will contribute its technical expertise to the UNITAR digital reskilling programme.
wutzkoh, via Envato Elements
UNITAR to Collaborate with Kyiv IT Cluster for Ukrainian Evacuee Digital Reskilling
In September 2023, UNITAR signed a memorandum of understanding with a well-known organization in the IT industry, Kyiv IT Cluster. The Cluster will support Ukrainian women evacuees in Poland in the UNITAR training programme “Bolstering livelihoods: Digital reskilling for Ukrainian women evacuees in Poland”. The programme will train over 500 Ukrainian women in high-demand digital skills so they can enhance their livelihoods.
Photo by a_medvedkov, Envato Elements
UNITAR Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Hiroshima Corporation for Higher Education
In June 2023, UNITAR entered into a new collaboration with the Hiroshima Corporation for Higher Education, which manages Eikei University of Hiroshima. Eikei University students spend a trimester engaging in project-based learning, tackling real-world issues to contribute to their communities. Students will start by focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation, leadership skills and local engagement – the pillars of the Hiroshima Office’s work.
Announcements
UNITAR to Participate in the Second State Parties’ TPNW Meeting Side Event Exhibition in New York
UNITAR will participate in a side-event exhibition during the second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, from 27 November to 1 December 2023. The UNITAR exhibition will highlight UNITAR’s Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Training Programme. It also features testimonies from programme alumni, government officials from Asian countries, and experts in the field.
New Advisory Board Member: Mr. Tetsuo Kondo
Mr. Tetsuo Kondo joined the UNITAR Division for Prosperity’s Advisory Board. The Advisory Board members are a collective of passionate individuals dedicated to the Institute’s vision, mission, core values and strategic objectives.
UNITAR has trained 395,987 learners in 2023, a 7 per cent increase from 2021 results, across all programmes around the world. UNITAR Division for Prosperity reached 9,735 individuals through training programmes and learning events.
Division for Prosperity Newsletter – November 2023
This is the tenth issue of the UNITAR Division for Prosperity quarterly newsletter. You can read all issues on our website or stay up to date by following us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter, and TikTok. To subscribe, please sign up here. If you have any questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you. Please email us at prosperity_communications@unitar.org. The PDF version of this newsletter will soon be available on this page.