7 December 2022, New York, USA – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) office in New York partnered with Miraflores Films LLC to organize a screening of With This Light, a documentary on Sister Maria Rosa Leggol. The event was attended by over 70 guests, who were able to learn more about Sor Maria’s story.

6 December 2022, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – The National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation of the Dominican Republic (INTRANT), hosted the Road Safety National Week taking place from 19 to 26 November 2022. To amplify the outreach of the Autosobriety Training Programme to prevent drink-driving in the country, training and public awareness activities were rolled out throughout the week with a total of 340 beneficiaries.

6 November 2022, Hiroshima, Japan - Shumoos Jaber advocates for plant-based solutions to health and climate change in Iraq. Shumoos had become a vegan while she was in Malaysia, where she completed her master’s degree in biotechnology. When she returned to Iraq, she found that plant-based meals were not readily available in the country. This gap in the market sparked the idea that Shumoos transformed into a business over the next few years.

December 2022, New York, USA - For this year’s final external newsletter addition, the topic Key Takeaways from the COP27 - How UNITAR is contributing to preparing new leaders for the future, allowed us to reflect on how our work in New York throughout this year has left a footprint on the battle with climate change. COP 27, the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference, was held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt this year. As a representative of the training arm of the UN Community in New York, the UNITAR worked hard this year to insure that our work paralleled the subjects addressed at COP27 to give the necessary tools and skills to our partners and beneficiaries to help protect our environment and build a safer future for the generations to come.

As UNITAR contributes to the implementation of the SDGs, a delegation participated at the COP27 to organize side events, workshops, and bi-lateral meetings to bring attention on the ‘leave no one behind’ principles in climate action and sustainable energy. The impact of climate change on displaced populations is rarely brought up in climate negotiation agenda. Therefore, UNITAR’s Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA) made efforts to raise awareness of humanitarian energy in the climate action discussions. This included ensuring that the displaced people were physically present at the conversations and their voices were heard. Through active participation of the GPA and displaced communities, UNITAR invited the governments to include displaced people into the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Policies (NAPs), and energy policies.

Over the past months, UNITAR has been supporting UN Statistics Division (UNSD) in developing an e-version of the Handbook on Management and Organization of National Statistical Systems. It is launched now and available on UNSD's website.

UN SDG:Learn is featuring a new tool “Changemaker Scan” developed by Ubiquity University. It is a self-appraisal for you to build your changemaker profile in 8 SDG cross-cutting competencies defined by UNESCO! Go to your dashboard to try it now or register on the platform here: www.unsdglearn.org/register

28 November 2022, Hiroshima, Japan – In early November 2022, Green Legacy Hiroshima Initiative (GLH) welcomed five plant scientists and botanic garden experts from renowned institutions in the United States to observe and study hibakujumoku, trees that survived the Hiroshima atomic bombing. The delegation consisted of Ari Novy, President and CEO of the San Diego Botanic Garden, Todd Michael and Wolfgang Busch, lead plant scientists from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Nicole Cavender, director of the Huntington Botanical Gardens, and Philip Douglas, director of global initiatives at the Denver Botanic Gardens.

November 2022, Hiroshima, Japan – “My dream is to set up a real pharmaceutical industry in Africa.” Aissata Koné was a participant in the 2021 UNITAR programme on digital skills for youth in the Sahel region. While studying with UNITAR, she understood the importance of digital skills in today’s world.

November 2022, Hiroshima, Japan – The challenges of running a business can discourage many potential entrepreneurs. However, some people rise to the challenge. In the town of Thika in Kiambu County, Kenya, Angeline Mueni Mutuku started her business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seizing opportunities and gaining skills, Angeline continues to grow her business.