12 February 2021, New York, USA - Head of UNITAR New York Office, Mr. Marco Suazo, attends the Transfer of Power Ceremony for the newly elected Technical Secretary for the Development of the Indigenous People’s Villages of Latin America and the Caribbean. After receiving a personal invitation from the President of the Directive Council, Mirna Cunningham, UNITAR New York Office Head of office Marco Suazo, attends the ceremonial proceedings. After a brief spiritual introduction, Segundina Flores, member of the Directive Council of FILAC, gave welcoming remarks on behalf of the Native People’s Villages of Bolivia. Once finished, the floor was then passed to Freddy Mamani, Vice counselor of the Multinational State of Bolivia, host of FILAC, where welcoming remarks were also continued by him. Passing the floor then to Amadeo Martinez, Forum Coordinator of Indigenous People of Abya Yala, Amadeo proceeded to speak shortly concerning the aspirations of the Indigenous Villages of Latin America for the new leadership. In full support of the new State’s initiatives that are to be a part of FILAC, Fernando Aguirre, Representative of Colombia voiced his adamant endorsement of the proposed initiatives for the new term. Reaffirming the responsibilities and promises made to the Indigenous Villages was noted to be of prime importance by Higinio Obispo, ONIC. The renewed willingness to support extra-regional states was highlighted by Carmen Castiella in the next session, Vice President of FILAC for the Government of Spain.

2020 was a year of both challenges and accomplishments for UNITAR-UNOSAT. Our mapping teams delivered 1,136 products and services based on over 300 analyses to partners in 59 countries. Throughout the year we also successfully designed and implemented several capacity development activities: UNITAR-UNOSAT delivered 16 learning-related events in 2020 to 471 beneficiaries consisting mostly of government officials, 6 of which were web-based and 10 of which took place face-to-face.

9 February 2021, Hiroshima, Japan -  “The COVID-19 pandemic revealed our world’s pre-existing fragility. It is, therefore, critical, that we shape our post-COVID-19 world around resiliency to diverse risks and invest in a way of living with which humankind and the planet can coexist and prosper.” Mihoko Kumamoto, Director, UNITAR Division of Prosperity, speaking with the Kure Rotary Club, Hiroshima, Japan.

03 February 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - UNITAR, UNCTAD, UNHCR and IOM organized the online side event “Entrepreneurship for Migrants and Refugees: Innovative Partnerships for Sustainable Development”, on 25 January 2021, in the framework of the13th Summit of the Global Forum for Migration and Development (GFMD). It was held in English, with interpretation services to Arabic and French. There was a wide participation from all regions, with representatives from States, private sector, academia, and civil society.

03 February 2020, Geneva, Switzerland- Mr. Alex Mejia, Director, Division for People and Social Inclusion at UNITAR, Head, CIFAL Global Network, presented an update on the online Knowledge Hub on Migration and Sustainable Development, on 25 January 2021, in the framework of the Open Space of the 13th Summit of the Global Forum for Migration and Development (GFMD). During this segment of the Summit, there was a wide participation from all regions, with representatives from States, private sector, academia, and civil society.

“When you are equipped with knowledge you don’t remain the same. You talk with confidence because you have really learned, and know it is clearer and you talk based on evidence and at the point of knowledge”.

"We were stranded in the school, unable to move anywhere because the streets were submerged, and many people lost their lives. It is caused by Coral abstraction and cutting mangroves, but climate change is making the problem even worse".

3 February 2021, Hiroshima, Japan - Mihoko Kumamoto, Director of UNITAR Division of Prosperity, shared her message with medical students at Hiroshima University, as part of the university’s Aiming for Eternal Peace lecture series.

27 January 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - UNITAR is pleased to announce a new collaboration with the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) under the pillar of Multilateral Diplomacy.

27 January 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - Between 18-27 January 2021, UNITAR, UNESCAP, UNDP, and UNDESA jointly organized a Subregional Introductory Training for Countries of North and Central Asia on Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFF) for Sustainable Recovery from the COVID-19 Crisis and for Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

With the beginning of the decade of delivery for the 2030 Agenda, mobilisation of finance for the SDGs remains a challenge. The Covid-19 pandemic and the economic disruption it has caused has exacerbated this challenge and threatened the trajectories of countries’ long-term development plan. As the focus now begins to turn towards ensuring a sustainable recovery from the economic shock caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the training aimed to share knowledge and build capacity within the INFF steering committees and core ministries of the nine North and Central Asian countries on how to design and implement a coordinated approach to financing the 2030 and Addis Ababa Action Agendas. Participants included members of ministries of finance, economy, labour, environment and health, as well as think tanks, NGOs, Parliament, UN organization and academia.