29 August 2012, Geneva, Switzerland - The Final Meeting of the Steering Committee of the GEF/UNEP/UNITAR Project “POPs Reporting, Monitoring and Information dissemination using Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs)” was held on 29-30 August 2012, in Geneva, Switzerland.  The meeting was held back-to-back with an awareness-raising meeting on PRTRs for NGOs and working sessions with the partner countries of the project.

September 2012, Geneva, Switzerland - During the period June-August 2012, numerous wildfires burned throughout pine and cork oak forests in northern Algeria, scorching more than 30,000 hectares across Algeria, destroying both forest and bush. The flames also burned houses in several provinces, especially in the east.
The Algerian Civil Protection service mobilised 15,000 fire fighters to suppress fires. According to the Algerian press fires in such a size had not been seen since Independence.

10 September 2012, Geneva, Switzerland — The concept of a green economy is receiving increasing international attention, as countries explore new patterns of development that take into account economic, social and environmental sustainability considerations. 

10 September 2012 New York, USA - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Sally Fegan-Wyles of Ireland as Acting Head of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Ms. Fegan-Wyles will replace Carlos Lopes, who has been appointed Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa. The Secretary-General is grateful to Mr. Lopes for his dedicated service to the United Nations and for his able leadership of both UNITAR and the United Nations Staff System College.

Every year on 19 August the World Humanitarian Day honours and recognizes those who face danger and adversity to help others and those who have paid the highest price in doing so.  This year, at the initiative of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations want to add the voice of millions of internet users to the campaign asking them to use their favorite social media to spread and support the message of “People Helpin

26 July 2012, Accra – In the context of the GEF/UNDP/UNITAR/EPA-Ghana Project on Capacity Building for the Elimination of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl) in Ghana, a Project Steering Committee (PSC) was held in Accra on 26 July 2012. The Committee reviewed the project progress status report.

8-9 August 2012, Baku, Azerbaijan - A national Awareness-Raising Workshop to launch a project for the design of a national Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) was held in Azerbaijan from 8 to 9 August 2012.

July 2012, Geneva, Switzerland - UNOSAT continues to pioneer the use of UAV’s by testing live video streaming at the Paleo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland.  The first UAV mission was deployed in Haiti last February to analyse damages to assess building reconstruction. The UAV used in the test, also known as md4-200, is a product of Microdrones.