7 September 2021, Geneva, Switzerland – The current global pandemic highlighted how training to build resilience is more critical than ever. For the past 18 months, the Covid-19 crisis and its consequences have been the primary concern of world leaders and government officials. However, this poses the risk of overshadowing yet another existential challenge, which requires immediate attention and action.

In November, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will convene in Glasgow. In light of this, UNITAR, the UN Resident Coordinator's Office for Mauritius and Seychelles, the Group of 77, and China implemented a series of e-Workshops on Climate Change Diplomacy to support the educational development of delegates and representatives. These training sessions aimed to build the capacities of government officers on climate change negotiations and provide them with essential knowledge for the upcoming COP26. The design of the workshops enabled high-level officials to extensively develop their knowledge, competency, and train their negotiation skills.

To lead the discussion on the challenges of COP26, UNITAR selected Mr. Marcelo Rocha, an agronomist, land use expert, and lead coordinating author at the IPCC, and Ms. Ana Kleymeyer, former Senior Advisor to the Argentinian Secretary of the Environment. The trainers highlighted the paramount agreements in their history, as well as the terminologies and concepts of climate finance that are beneficial to Small Island Developing States (SIDS), such as Mauritius and Seychelles, in addition to providing background information on the history of COP and UNFCCC.

29-31 August 2021, Abu Dhabi, UAE – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) successfully hosted a three-day online workshop on the topics "Assertiveness & Influencing" and "Public & Digital Diplomacy." This workshop was conducted in partnership with the Arab Youth Center’s “Young Arab Diplomatic Leaders” program in Abu Dhabi.

The program aims to familiarize young Arab figures with diplomatic culture, helping them engage in international discussions about topics like the environment, economy, and media in the convergence and the rapid growth witnessed by the Arab World.

UNITAR was pleased to virtually welcome 42 junior-mid career diplomats from Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Iraq.

International Criminal Law has come a long way since the Nuremberg trials and the entry into force of the Rome statute almost twenty years ago. While these developments have helped to satisfy the demand for justice around the word, they have also fueled debates about the state of international law, international criminal justice, and accountability. The Executive Diploma on International Criminal Law and Transitional Justice will provide unique access to information, perspectives, updates and analysis on accountability mechanisms for both those seeking to develop a working background on the topics as well as those already thoroughly versed in their dynamics.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate pre-existing problems such as food insecurity, economic inequality, and the digital divide, disrupting economies on a global scale with no end in sight.

Natural disasters occur suddenly, wreaking havoc on lives and property, Anzonetta and Jared share their experience during the 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami.

As uncertainty continues in Afghanistan, many Afghans – especially young Afghans with no memory of life under Taliban rule – are anxious and fearful of worsening security, threats to personal safety, and a return to darker days.

September 2021 - Mental health receives little attention in Iraq, but Zahraa Al-Sarraf believes it is critical for the country’s post-pandemic recovery.

September 2021 - The world is still in shock about how the military disengagement of the West and the implosion of the Afghan government led to the Taliban victory, taking full control over almost the entire territory of Afghanistan within days. Many civilian endeavours of international assistance operating under a military umbrella ceased their operations.

10 September 2021, Hiroshima, Japan - UNITAR Division for Prosperity has released its first Global Impact Report on the performance of the Educate All open online course library. The Division’s first-ever interactive report summarizes how many lessons were downloaded and completed in 2020.

3 September 2021, Hiroshima, Japan – From algorithms that are designed and used to shape the way our social media news feed is shown, to those profiling users and curating the information they receive, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is impacting human rights worldwide. There is an urgent need to inform and educate people on how their rights are affected by AI and empower them with tools to guard their rights. UNESCO and UNITAR jointly launched a new microlearning course on AI and Human Rights for youths aged 16 to 24. The course breaks down complex concepts about AI through activities built around our daily technology interactions. The course focuses on how freedom of expression, right to privacy and the right to equality are impacted using AI.