September 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - Last August, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) signed a partnership agreement with the Division for Peace of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to review and enhance the curriculum WPDI uses to train their Youth Peacemakers to become leaders and trainers. Building on the wide expertise and experience of UNITAR in providing innovative learning solutions to individuals, organizations, and institutions to support global and local action for lasting peace and sustainable development, this collaboration will increase the capacity of WPDI Peacemakers to disseminate knowledge and skills in vulnerable and conflict-affected communities, notably in South Sudan, South Africa, and Uganda.

In an interview, Mr. Li Yong, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), discusses how targeted green industrial policies and investments in green industries can lead to the structural changes necessary to recover from COVID-19.

7 August, Geneva, Switzerland - The Division for Peace of UNITAR is pleased to announce a new collaboration with the Paris School of Advanced International and Political Studies (Hautes Études Internationales et Politiques – HEIP Paris). The newly signed Memorandum of Understanding outlines the scope of future collaboration that will include the establishment of a Master's degree and a research centre in various thematic areas such as conflict prevention, peace development and the rule of law, in Paris and North Africa.

28 July 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) Division for People and Awareness Ties have recently signed a non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The two partners will work together in the framework of UNITAR’s 1M2030 Initiative (One Million Youth Leaders Beyond 2030).

17 July 2020, Baku, Azerbaijan - The Programme on “Capacity Building in Nigeria’s Oil & Gas Industry” was created by UNITAR’s Division for People and its Nigeria Project Office, in partnership with Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS), and with the support of the Nigerian Government. The project, launched in 2019, brought 7 young Nigerian students to Baku, Azerbaijan, to pursue Bachelor’s degrees in a 4-year programme at BHOS.

July 2020 - In an interview, Mr. Nikhil Seth, the Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), discusses how education and learning can underpin a green economic recovery from COVID-19—as one that cuts CO2 emissions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and promotes sustainable economic activities to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

15 July 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) and Kids Operating Room (KidsOR) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU was signed within the context of UNITAR’s Global Surgery Initiative and the development of the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF).

During the course, we talked often amongst the other participants of the ELPE. Before the ELPE, I didn’t think about SDG evaluation. Gradually, with my colleagues in the class we exchanged our knowledge and opinions. It was very effective to talk with the other colleagues from all over [the world]. We shared knowledge, and I was inspired, so I decided to start the SDG evaluation in Japan. They are also working on the SDG evaluation in their [respective] countries.

The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) is a joint mechanism between five UN agencies, of which the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is one. Hosted and led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), PAGE aims to help Member States embark on a greener and more inclusive growth trajectory by putting sustainability at the heart of economic policies and practices to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

On 14 July 2020, UNICEF, UNECA and UNITAR organized an online side event “Strengthening National Capacities for the World We Want – Embedding Evaluation in Voluntary National Reviews” during the virtual 2020 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The event aimed to explore and promote the use of evaluative thinking and evidence within Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). Representatives from UNICEF, UNECA and UNITAR were joined by panelists from several African countries to share their experiences and the challenges and opportunities they have faced in their VNR and evaluation processes.