8 July 2026, Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), in collaboration with the International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders in Shanghai (CIFAL Shanghai), welcomed a delegation of students from schools partnered with CIFAL Shanghai to Geneva for the 2026 UN Sustainable Development Goals Youth Empowerment Seminar for Change-Makers. The two-day seminar provided participants with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the United Nations, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the role of youth in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

Through a combination of expert lectures, interactive discussions and student presentations, the programme encouraged participants to reflect on global challenges, explore practical ways to contribute to sustainable development, and enhance key leadership and communication skills needed to drive positive change in their communities.

25–26 June 2026, Curitiba, Brazil — Over the course of two days, the Campus da Indústria in Curitiba welcomed nearly 150 students from across the state of Paraná for SESIMUN 2026, a Model United Nations simulation organized by SESI School with the support of CIFAL Curitiba and the International Cooperation Office of Sistema Fiep. The event transformed the campus into a vibrant space for diplomacy, debate, and global citizenship, offering many participants their first opportunity to engage with international relations. For all of them, it was a meaningful learning experience that will help shape how they understand and address global challenges in the years ahead.

9 July 2026, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a structured cooperative framework aimed at supporting the professional development of postal sector stakeholders, including governments, and national postal operators across UN Member States.

7 July 2026, Hiroshima, Japan - On 1 July 2026, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) officially launched RISE (Resilient Ideas for Sustainable Entrepreneurship) LAB 2026: Advancing Youth Skills in Business and Innovation for Food Security in South Sudan through an onboarding webinar, welcoming 238 young participants from across South Sudan.

2 June 2026, Bonn, Germany - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) has released the publication of two volumes stemming from the 2nd UNITAR International Research Conference (2UIRC).

2 July 2026, Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) has launched the Green Helmets Programme in Lima, Peru, through a partnership with Lima Pedagogical School (EPL Holding) and Santander University, advancing efforts to promote environmental leadership, climate action, and sustainable development.

This new collaboration aims to empower a new generation of leaders with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to address today’s environmental challenges and advance nature-positive solutions.

The agreement was formalized by Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

30 June 2026, Hiroshima, Japan – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) invites young people from participating countries across the Asia-Pacific region to apply to the free Youth Leaders for World Tsunami Awareness Day 2026 Online Course (1–30 September 2026). Through the course, participants will develop a stronger understanding of disaster risk reduction, preparedness and resilience. The application deadline is 14 August 2026 (11:59 p.m. JST [UTC+9]).

23 June 2026, Quito, Ecuador - UNITAR highlighted the role of environmental education and youth leadership in advancing climate action through its Green Helmets Programme at the 2026 Sustainability Summit held in Ecuador.

May 2026, Geneva, Switzerland — When Tan Yu Xian first joined Cohort 1 of the Pathway to Prosperity Programme, he found himself in a room of working professionals: engineers, managers and specialists, some with twenty or thirty years of industry experience behind them. The programme has been designed for exactly this audience: early and mid-career professionals upskilling in AI and data centre infrastructure, two of the fastest-moving fields in the global economy.

May 2026, Geneva, Switzerland — When Danny McQueen joined Cohort 1 of the Pathway to Prosperity Programme, he was carrying twenty years of project management experience and a misconception most people share. "I always thought AI was actually ChatGPT. That's it. I thought you just ask questions and it answers back." Data centres, he assumed, were equally modest: "I thought it was just a small centre which keeps your data. I didn't know it was a huge kind of construction — with cooling systems and diverse equipment."