27 May 2026, Brussels, Belgium – EU-funded experts today delivered the most comprehensive assessment ever of Europe’s ‘urban mine’ – materials stocks and waste streams containing a vast, an underutilized reservoir of metals and minerals essential for clean energy, digital technologies, and modern industry.

FutuRaM (Future Availability of Secondary Raw Materials) project, researchers today debuted a comprehensive mapping of critical raw materials (CRMs) embedded in discarded products, industrial residues, and demolished infrastructure across the EU27+4 (EU, UK, Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway).

26 May 2026, Hiroshima, Japan – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) invites government officials, private-sector leaders and professionals in ASEAN countries to apply for the Green Economic Acceleration: A Japan-ASEAN Strategic Programme for Sustainable Green Finance, a Japan-funded regional training programme to strengthen Japan-ASEAN cooperation in sustainable finance, green economic development and regional economic resilience. The application deadline is 30 June 2026 (11:59 p.m. JST [UTC+9]).

29 May 2026, Hiroshima, Japan – Miki Sakiyama has built her career working for gender equality and women’s empowerment. In her current role at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), she supports programmes that advance women’s rights, youth participation, and inclusive development.

2 June 2026, New York, USA - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Portugal to the United Nations, delivered the Election Officers Workshop on the UN Organs on 6 May 2026. The workshop brought together more than 60 diplomats and election officers from Permanent Missions to strengthen knowledge of United Nations electoral procedures and support effective participation in multilateral processes.

28 May 2026, New York, USA - The World Cup Diplomacy Summit 2026 will bring together diplomats, policymakers, sports stakeholders and experts at United Nations Headquarters in New York to explore the role of sport in advancing diplomacy, sustainable development and international cooperation ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

22 May 2026, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is pleased to announce a call for applications for the “Pathway to Prosperity: Upskilling Selangor’s Professionals for a Digital Future (Cohort 3)” course.

22 May 2026, Hiroshima, Japan – Lydia Tabu Casmiro Jamba from South Sudan works to help build peace in her country. Now managing programming for a national, women-led NGO that she helped to found and studying for her master’s degree, Lydia joined the FY2024 Primary Course of the Program for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development to strengthen her chosen career path.

22 May 2026, Geneva, Stwizerland - Many of the challenges to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) rely on the need to change behaviour - whether it’s transitioning to clean energy, addressing unequal gender and social norms, bridging the formal-informal divide and decreasing the spread of false information. Behavioural science draws upon what we know about human behaviour and decision-making to better diagnose behavioural barriers and enablers to help people achieve their aims.

19 May 2026, Geneva, Switzerland - The UNITAR Global Water Academy (UGWA) co-hosted the African Regional Consultation for the UN Water Conference Academic Hub, co-convened with the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, and WaterNet. The consultation gathered academic, governmental, and practitioner stakeholders from across the continent to ensure that African priorities and knowledge are central to preparations for the 2026 UN Water Conference.

Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and regional stakeholders, is expanding its capacity-building efforts through a series of training programmes on Agriculture in Trade Agreements (AITA) and Trade, Food Security and Nutrition (TFSN) . Delivered between 2026 and early 2027, these initiatives aim to strengthen the ability of policymakers and practitioners to address interconnected challenges related to trade, agriculture, food security, and nutrition.