30 March 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - From 29th to 30th March 2021, UNITAR, ESCAP, UNDP, and UNDESA teamed up for a virtual training on the Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFF), held over 3 half-days. Titled “Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFF) and Budgeting for the 2030 Agenda: Financing Sustainable and Inclusive Recovery”, the first day took a deep dive into the INFF building block on integrated financing strategies, including country cases and practical experiences based on DFA findings. The second and the third days focused on the alignment of budgeting processes with nationally determined SDG priorities. 382 participants attended the training sessions, coming from 39 Asia-Pacific and 7 other countries working in national governments, UN and international organizations, think tanks, civil society organizations, private sector, and academia.

26 March 2021, Geneva, Switzerland – UNITAR and Franklin University Switzerland (FUS) – a Swiss-American accredited liberal arts University in Lugano, Switzerland – hosted a three-day online hackathon event during the Open Geneva Hackathon Festival.

UNITAR is pleased to announce the launch of the new partnership with the Geneva Macro Labs, a Geneva-based Think and Do Tank with the goal to shape international collaboration, build capacity and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals

21 March 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - Building on the successful experience of the pilot training held for North and Central Asian countries in January 2021, UNITAR, ESCAP, UNDP, and UNDESA have teamed up - in collaboration with the country-led platform Asia-Pacific SDG Finance Facility (APFIN) - to create a knowledge sharing and learning space for Asia-Pacific countries to share experiences related to strengthening INFFs and to learn about possible approaches and steps for choosing the right approach to align budgets with the SDGs. 

18 March, 2021, Hiroshima, Japan - Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), in partnership with the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES) and the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC), honoured women scientists, doctors, and researchers and other women working in STEM with a day-long conference, Women in STEM in the Time of the Pandemic – Facing Challenges, Finding Resilience. More than 250 people from 55 countries joined leaders from the public, private, INGO communities.

15 March 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - On March 15, 2021, UNITAR and UN Statistics Division conducted a side event – “Adjusting statistical activities with StaTact to monitor the SDGs for a COVID-19 recovery and acceleration of the 2030 Agenda” – as part of the UNECE Regional Forum 2021. Attended by over 50 participants, the side event consisted of three segments – first, an introduction of the platform and its principles: second, a demonstration of StaTact, and third, sharing of a practical country experience where StaTact has been utilised.

8 March 2021, Thika, Kenya – To further advance the implementation of the Agenda for Sustainable Development and particularly Goals 4 of Quality Education, 16 of Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and 17 of Partnerships for Development, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) has entered a new strategic partnership with Mount Kenya University with the official signing ceremony having taken place on the 8th of March 2021 in the blended format.

For the world to build back from the socioeconomic havoc wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, women’s leadership is more necessary than ever before. This International Women’s Day, UNITAR celebrates alumna who are leading to improve their lives and societies in fragile and developing states.

11 March, 2021, Hiroshima, Japan - Mr. Nikhil Seth, Executive Director of the UNITAR, visited Japan in 2019 and had a productive meeting with Mr. Masamichi Kogai, Representative Director and Chair of the Board of Mazda Motor Corporation. The two leaders discussed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing not only on technical solutions to issues such as CO2 emissions, but also on how we can create a more peaceful and just society to better support vulnerable people. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of the SDGs as a road map for the future has become even greater as a road map for the future.

1 - 4 March 2021, New York, USA (Virtual) - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office, in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, successfully implemented its four-day seminar series entitled “Gender Equality in the International Rights Framework: Building Back Better” from 1-4 March 2021. Over 150 participants joined the session virtually from all over the world during the duration of the series. This series was developed to coincide with the beginning of Women’s History Month and discussed various concerns related to gender equality. This series was supported with funding allocated from the Swedish International Development Agency’s (SIDA) contribution to the UNITAR Strategic Framework Fund, under the programme "Leveling The Playing Field", which focuses on the development of the skills and knowledge of Least Developing Countries.