Prashanthi Krishnamoorthy is the deputy director of the South Asia Division at the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, where she manages bilateral relations with India, Maldives and Pakistan. Prashanthi took part in the FY2023 UNITAR Hiroshima Training Programme on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation to enhance her ability to support and advance global disarmament and non-proliferation efforts.

The increase in disaster occurrences and the high numbers of victims resulting from conflicts are urgent issues that require effective and rapid action. Satellite imagery analysis is a vital tool essential in this response, as it can cover large areas and provide accurate information in near real time.



UNOSAT’s Emergency Mapping Service (EMS), funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA), provides satellite image analysis during humanitarian emergencies related to disasters, complex emergencies and conflict situations. With a 24/7 year-round availability to process requests, the team of experienced analysts ensure timely and tailored delivery of satellite imagery derived maps (both web and static maps), reports and data ready for direct inclusion in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for evidence based decision making and operational planning.

The 2024 Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) training series, organized by UNITAR, the Swiss Government, and UN DESA, commenced on May 21, 2024, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. This series aims to prepare delegates for the General Assembly’s Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review of Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations System. Here, we highlight the first three modules of this comprehensive training series, detailing the objectives, key topics, and speakers involved.

01 July – 01 August 2024, New York, United States – United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office in partnership with Qatar Leadership Centre (QLC) and the International Advisory Group (IAG), hosted an exclusive fellowship programme for Qatar University students from 1 July to 5 August. This unique 5-week opportunity was designed to provide third and fourth-year students with unparalleled knowledge, professional experience, and leadership skills through immersive training and various United Nations agencies.

2 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – UNITAR is accepting applications to its training programme on women’s leadership in disaster risk reduction, from learners over 18 years of age, living in or from Pacific small island developing states and Asia. Women are highly encouraged to apply. This programme, “Women’s Leadership in Tsunami-Based Disaster Risk Reduction for World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024”, aims to equip learners with lifelong skills to develop inclusive disaster risk reduction plans that reflect the needs of their communities and countries. Application deadline is 23 August 2024 at 11:59 p.m. JST (UTC+9).

1 August 2024, Geneva, Switzerland,– The recent conflict in the Gaza Strip has produced a volume of debris that is 14 times greater than the combined total from all conflicts over the past 16 years. This finding comes from a comprehensive assessment conducted by UN-HABITAT and UNEP. The analysis, using satellite imagery analysis provided by UNOSAT, offers a detailed view of the extensive destruction and its implications for debris management.

31 July 2024, San Juan, Puerto Rico – UNITAR in collaboration with the International Road Federation (IRF), and with support from AB InBev and Falconi delivered a workshop on its Management Practices for Safer Roads Toolkit in the framework of the 12th IRF Caribbean Regional Congress, titled “A Roadmap to a Safe, Inclusive, and Resilient Transport System”, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

31 July 2024, New York, New York - 0n July 8 - 17, 2024 The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) launched the 2024 iteration of the two organization’s long-term partnership programme, the SDGs Learning, Training and Practice (SDGs In Practice). SDGs in Practice is a series of substantive capacity-building trainings and knowledge-sharing sessions, held as a special event during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), with a theme around the five Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in focus, SDG1-No Poverty, SDG2-Zero Hunger, SDG13-Climate Action, SDG16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and SDG17-Partnerships for the Goals.

At a time when natural disasters are becoming more numerous and frequent, UNOSAT aims to equip all countries with geographical information systems (GIS) to make informed decisions and reduce the risks associated with these natural disasters. To this end, UNOSAT has set up the project ‘Strengthening Capacities in the Use of Geospatial Information for Improved Resilience in Asia-Pacific and Africa’. The project focuses on developing the capacity to use GIS in government agencies across eight partner countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, Lao PDR, Nigeria, Solomon Islands, Uganda, and Vanuatu.

Captain Stanley Osaba, working at the National Emergency Operations and Coordination Centre under the Department of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Management in the Office of the Prime Minister in Uganda, experienced a significant professional transformation. This transformation was sparked by his participation in a UNOSAT training course that covered the introduction and advanced GIS training sessions, which is part of the broader "Capacity Building in the Use of Geospatial Information for Improving Resilience in Asia-Pacific and Africa (2021-2024)" project. Initially a passive observer of GIS technology, Captain Osaba became an active participant, capable of developing GIS products and providing sound advice to specialists. "The training empowered me to confidently guide the specialists, offering informed views and recommendations based on my newfound understanding of the technology's capabilities," he explains.