Prioritising the empowerment of the poorest and most marginalised people constitutes one of UNITAR’s priority. While committing to the achievements of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed upon by world leaders in 2015, UNITAR considers that no goal is met unless met for all. That is why, throughout its training activities, UNITAR ensures that “no one is left behind”. Reaching to the furthest first, opening to the most impoverished, excluded, disadvantaged and at risk of violence and discrimination is part of our mission. Although progress was made in the fight against exclusion, many countries are still under-represented at the international level.

Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDs) listed by the United Nations, are part of a majority of countries that face difficulties in making their voice heard in the multilateral arena. In parallel, the number of multilateral conferences and meetings has risen considerably over the past twenty years, the number of government officers and other stakeholders involved in international conference processes has also increased significantly. For a significant amount of LDCs and SIDs, multilateral conferences constitute a way, and sometimes the only one, to achieve important policy objectives. Being equipped with the specific skillset required to perform during these multilateral conferences became fundamental in modern diplomacy.