About Us

Summary

The New York Office of UNITAR is dedicated to fulfilling its small part in the broader mandate of the United Nations. Through its progressive focus on the training component of "training and research" over the last thirteen years, it has been able to refine its curriculum to respond to the needs and interests of permanent missions of Member States and others in the United Nations community. Its training activities continue to focus on economic and social development and on peace and security.

The New York Office thus works to offer a variety of different and stimulating educational activities ranging from:

general orientation classes on the United Nations to permanent mission newcomers;
briefings on technical topics in international law such as law of the sea, environmental law or intellectual property law;
thematic workshops on current issues of interest such as WTO and trade dispute settlement;
skills-based instruction on information technology, negotiations, and oratory skills;
unique educational opportunities in the form of fellowships at prominent universities in New York
Further, UNITAR's New York Office seeks to tailor its activities to current needs and interests of the international community. This year, workshop series will be offered covering areas such as: international migration; international negotiations and peacekeeping; and information and communications technology.

The many dedicated and knowledgeable instructors, some of whom are volunteers, are experts in their own technical field. Our partners in the United Nations community, from the private sector, non-governmental organizations and academia provide most of the substance of our programming, and our devoted staff is the cornerstone of UNITAR in New York. We owe them all our gratitude.

Mission

Training to sustain human development

UNITAR's mission is to deliver innovative training and conduct research on knowledge systems to develop the capacity of beneficiaries.

"Building on our experience, we optimize expertise, information and knowledge-sharing to achieve this mission."

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In Focus

UNITAR Aims at Demystifying the Various Elements of the UN System

The United Nations system is a complex constellation of interrelated organizations assisted by an impressive number of principal and subsidiary organs. The system has considerably evolved over the years in order to adjust to changing situations.

The relationship between some of its elements may at times be puzzling. With the purpose of analyzing in depth the respective roles and functions of the principal organs of the UN and their subsidiary bodies, UNITAR offers to the diplomatic communities in UN locations a number of courses focusing in particular on the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. Read more

Intellectual Property in Today's Global Challenges

In today’s increasingly knowledge-based society, ideas have become a key factor in capital generation and development. Their critical value has given rise to the concept of intellectual property, referred to as “creations of mind”, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, and names and designs used in commerce. With intellectual property issues coming to the fore in international negotiations dealing with climate change, food security and other global challenges, understanding their basic principles has become a prerequisite for all levels of diplomats. To help them get a firm grasp of intellectual property and its major issues of contention, UNITAR offers a comprehensive training seminar to diplomats in New York. Read More

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