23 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – On 24 July 2024, UNITAR, together with Hiroshima Prefecture and Nagasaki Prefecture, supported the Government of Austria–hosted panel discussion, “Advancing the Global Agenda of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World” in Geneva. The panel discussion was a side event to the Second Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The panel discussion aimed to build a network of experts and youth, establish a common platform to discuss the humanitarian and environmental impact of nuclear weapons, and empower young people to engage in nuclear disarmament.

23 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Hanna Yohanis is a South Sudanese law student who wants to help build a generation of South Sudanese who can reach their full potential. In 2023, Hanna came across a post about the UNITAR Great Ideas Space for South Sudan 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training for Food Security programme. Drawn to its focus on food security and youth employment in South Sudan, Hanna applied to the programme. The programme has helped her develop an NGO to support young people in furthering their education and contribute to the development of South Sudan.

28 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Nawid is an Afghan entrepreneur who founded and runs three businesses in Afghanistan in the agribusiness, green electronics and fashion, driven by a desire to do something for his people. Adapting to challenging circumstances and innovating within his means, Nawid demonstrates resilience and ingenuity in the face of adversity. In his newest venture, he is applying the knowledge and skills he learned from a 2023 UNITAR entrepreneurship training to support Afghan women.

23 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – On 6 August 2024, the 79th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, UNITAR held a panel discussion, “Dialogue with World Leaders and Future Makers Towards a World without Nuclear Weapons” at the Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima stadium. The event was also livestreamed on YouTube in English and Japanese.

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) successfully concluded their first cohort of the joint Executive Diploma Programme in Cultural Diplomacy, International Relations & Global Governance.

22 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – Ngan Ha Mai is an official in Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose work portfolio focuses on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful development of nuclear technology. She is one of the 18 participants of the 2024 UNITAR Hiroshima Training Programme on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation.

Micky Welin's journey in disaster risk management (DRM) showcases the power of education and collaboration in enhancing disaster preparedness and response. Working as the Planning and Logistics Support Officer at Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), Micky recognised the crucial need for advanced skills in Geospatial Information Technology (GIT) for effective disaster management.

Stepping up as a co-facilitator at COP28 negotiations on gender

Angela, or Angèle as she is called in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is a National Gender and Climate Change Focal Point (NGCCFP) at the UNFCCC for the DRC and works as a course guide for the night school for new negotiators organized by the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO). Initially, Angela was educated in the area of health (tracheostomy). Her journey related to climate change started at COP22 in 2016 in Marrakech, where she met the DRC Delegation, which led to her appointment as Gender and Climate Change focal point.

22 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – For most people, organic waste is a problem to be managed. But to plant pathologist Dr. Josephine Jere, it is a resource. Josephine believes managing organic waste in urban areas can provide a sustainable means to revive degraded agricultural land, particularly in areas where traditional farming methods have led to soil infertility.

19 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – Tanzanian entrepreneur and assistant lecturer Angela Baltazary is passionate about conservation. Through the UNITAR programme on green livelihoods, she developed and embarked on a project to convert the methane in organic waste to protein, which would then be used in her venture that breeds, raises and harvests fish for food. Using organic waste in this way reduces greenhouse gases while contributing to public health and food security in Tanzania.