News

2009 marks a year that will leave no one indifferent. As the world was entering into a recession and a rather grim economic forecast, UNITAR had to pursue its objectives and work even harder to attain them, achieving a 36% budget growth over the 2008-2009 biennium compared to the previous one. As 2009 now comes to an end, we take the time to look back at some of the milestones and events that took place during this not so common year.

 

Early in 2009, UNITAR showed its responsiveness on global issues by provide satellite imagery during the Gaza conflict and the situation in the Gulf of Aden. This involvement was quickly recognized and picked up by the international media which strongly increased the visibility of the Institute and UNOSAT more specifically. This was sign of what was to come later during the year as UNOSAT supported the international humanitarian community on many other occasions and even linked a partnership Google.

 

2009 marks the year when UNITAR took the chairmanship of the Global Migration Group (GMG) in the second semester with the objective of revitalizing the group through learning activities and support of the global inter-governmental process of dialogue, sharing and practices on international migration and development.

In October 2009, about 1700 participants assisted to a high level lecture by Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet Union President, and UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on resetting the nuclear disarmament agenda. The third edition of the Geneva Lecture Series (GLS), which was organised in conjunction with the UN offices in Geneva, proved to be a great success and received media coverage from around the world.

 

By year end, UNITAR signed an agreement to open a new representational office in Brazil to strengthen the Institute’s presence in Latin America in order to better respond to beneficiaries’ needs in the region. This represented a milestone in the expansion of the institute which will become effective in 2010.

 

It is also important to mention all of UNITAR’s core activities that have been improved and even better delivered to our beneficiaries around the world. The emphasis the Institute has put on technology-based learning has proved to be correct and will further be enhanced in 2010, contributing to UNITAR’s climate neutral policy. Not to mention the 2010-2012 Strategic Plan that has been released serving as the Institute’s blueprint for the next biennium. On the communication front, UNITAR made an appearance on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and even created its own channel on YouTube.

 

When reflecting on some of the milestones described above and the many more activities conducted by UNITAR in the course of the past year, one can’t prevent from thinking that the Institute had a quite fulfilling year. All these achievements were made possible by the hard work and passion that animates UNITAR’s staff and collaborators. With the momentum garnered in 2009 and the new Strategic Plan, rest assured UNITAR is more than ready to respond to the needs of its beneficiaries and take on the many challenges that await us all in 2010.

 

Happy Holidays!