UNITAR’s Women’s Leadership Programme partnered with the Women’s Environmental and Development Organization (WEDO) to co-host a side event at the UNFCCC Forty-second Sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 42) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 42), as well as the June session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP2-9)

UNITAR’s Multilateral Diplomacy Programme delivered a Women’s Leadership workshop for delegates to the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development.In the context of UNITAR’s new Women’s Leadership Programme, launched hand-in-hand with UN Women and working across the UN System, UNITAR delivered a high-level workshop for diplomats and delegates accredited to the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development.

30 June 2015, Bonn, Germany – UNESCO and UNITAR (the UN Institute for Training and Research) have signed an agreement to protect cultural and natural heritage sites with the latest geo-spatial technologies.  It was signed at the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany, and will be delivered through UNITAR’s Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT).

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced today the appointment of Nikhil Seth of India as Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). He will succeed Sally Fegan-Wyles of Ireland, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his utmost gratitude for her dedication and commitment to the United Nations.

Following the success of the WMO Conference on the Gender Dimensions of Weather and Climate Services in 2014, the first activity under UNITAR’s new Women’s Leadership Programme took place during the Seventeenth World Meteorological Congress (Cg-17). With over 20 participants, including Permanent Representatives, and other senior members of delegations, the workshop succeeded in providing a positive, empowering and engaging environment for learning, self-reflection and development and the building of a strong network amongst women and female professionals in the field of meteorology.

Hand-in-Hand with UN Women and the UN System, UNITAR launches its Women’s Leadership Programme at the high Level Panel on “Women in Diplomacy: The Leading Role of Women in Weather and Climate Contexts” at the WMO Congress (Cg-17).

Possessing effective communication skills is crucial for 21st century diplomats. As Internet technology propels the evolution of the global media landscape, it is vital for diplomats to be familiar with the latest media and communication trends. Offering strategies to handle this challenge, UNITAR organized a five-day workshop on "Communication, Active Listening, Public Speaking and Working with the Media" in London, at the request of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This satellite derived geospatial analysis documents damages over the Gaza Strip following the July-August 2014 conflict. It is based on analysis of commercial satellite imagery and quantifies damage to overall building structures, health facilities, education facilities, agricultural fields and greenhouses. The study also compares damage from the 2014 conflict to that of the 2009 conflict.

June 2014, Hiroshima, Japan - The UNITAR Hiroshima Office recently completed training on the adoption of a Green Economy to 20 representatives of the Government of Afghanistan. Hailing from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Ministry of Economy, and in a programme delivered in close collaboration with the Afghanistan Civil Service Institute and UNDP Afghanistan, the participants represented both Kabul based Civil Servants, as well as Provincial Directors, allowing for some very focused discussions as to the on-the-ground implementability of the issues presented.

The UNITAR Hiroshima Office recently concluded the 11th Cycle of its highly regarded training series on the management and conservation of World Heritage Sites, held between 14-18 April. Attended by 21 participants from countries including South Africa, Fiji, New Zealand, and Thailand, the week-long workshop examined the processes required for the justification for the inscription of cultural landscapes in world heritage site nominations.